14: Chapter 14 The New Stall Owners at the Night Market

Yunzhou, Starlight Night Market.

The atmosphere of the night market at dawn is at its most pungent. Chen Fan parked that conspicuous Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon in a parking lot two streets away, changed out of his expensive high-end suit, and put on an ordinary white shirt, rolling the sleeves up to his elbows to reveal his sturdy forearms.

Just as he reached the entrance of the night market, he heard that voice he detested.

"Wanqing, it's really not that I don't want to help you."

Wang Qiang stood in front of Su Wanqing's malatang stall, a cigarette between his fingers, a hypocritical "for your own good" expression on his dark face.

"Cooking oil prices have skyrocketed lately, and the supplier said it has to be cash on delivery. Since you can't come up with the money right now, it's tough for me too. How about this? After you close up tonight, come over to my place for a few drinks, and we can slowly talk about the supplies?"

Su Wanqing kept her head down, busy blanching vegetables for a customer, her forehead damp with sweat.

"Brother Wang, I don't drink. I'll find a way to get the oil money to you. Can you give me a couple more days?"

"Two days? Wanqing, now you're being difficult." Wang Qiang leaned in, his body almost pressing against hers, his tone turning greasy. "Don't you understand my feelings for you? If you just say the word, never mind the oil money—all the profits from these two stalls will be yours to manage. Wouldn't it be great for us to be a couple?"

Su Wanqing shrank back. Just as she was about to refuse, a large hand suddenly intervened, grabbing Wang Qiang's dirty hand as it reached for her shoulder.

"If it's so tough, then don't bother doing it at all."

Chen Fan's voice was cold, like a stone pulled from an ice cellar.

Wang Qiang grimaced in pain, dropping his cigarette. He whipped his head around to see a tall man standing behind him, his eyes looking fierce enough to devour someone.

"Who the hell are you? Let go! Believe it or not, I'll call someone to beat you up!"

Hearing that voice, Su Wanqing froze. The strainer in her hand fell into the pot with a "clatter," splashing a few drops of hot soup.

"Chen... Chen Fan?"

She looked at the man before her in disbelief. The man who had said on the phone just a few hours ago that he was driving was now standing right in front of her in the flesh.

Chen Fan let go and wiped his hand on his pants in disgust. Ignoring Su Wanqing's shock, he turned to look at Wang Qiang, sizing him up.

"So you're the one who wants to be my son's stepfather?"

Wang Qiang rubbed his wrist, looking at Chen Fan warily. Although this man was dressed plainly, his aura made Wang Qiang feel a bit uneasy.

"Are you Wanqing's ex-husband who ran away?" Wang Qiang realized, immediately straightening his back with a mocking expression. "Oh, I heard you went to deliver food? What, couldn't make it and came back to ask Wanqing for money? Let me tell you, you're not welcome here!"

Chen Fan smiled.

He couldn't be bothered to waste words with someone like this.

"Is this stall yours?" Chen Fan pointed to the greasy barbecue stall next door.

"Duh! Everyone in this area knows this is Wang Qiang's turf!"

"Is it for sale?"

Wang Qiang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter as if he had heard the world's biggest joke. "Sell? Can you afford it? Even for a crappy stall like this, with equipment and the transfer fee, it's at least fifty or sixty thousand! Did you go crazy from delivering food?"

Chen Fan didn't say a word, pulling a checkbook directly from his pocket.

He had prepared it specifically before coming.

*Swish, swish, swish.*

The sound of the pen tip gliding across the paper was exceptionally clear.

Chen Fan tore off a check and, holding it between two fingers, slapped it directly onto Wang Qiang's greasy barbecue grill.

"This is one million."

Chen Fan looked at Wang Qiang, his tone as casual as if he were buying a stalk of green onion. "Take the money and get out of this night market. From now on, this stall is mine."

The surrounding diners and stall owners watching the scene were all dumbfounded.

"One million? To buy a run-down barbecue stall?"

Wang Qiang stared at the check, his eyes nearly popping out. He picked it up with trembling hands, repeatedly checking the numbers and the seal.

It was real!

This was actually a real cash check!

One million! He wouldn't be able to earn this much even if he worked in the smoke and fire of the night market for ten years!

"This... this is for me?" Wang Qiang swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

"Don't want to sell?" Chen Fan made a move as if to take the check back.

"I'll sell! I'll sell! Only a fool wouldn't!" Wang Qiang stuffed the check into his bosom, fearing Chen Fan would change his mind. His honest-looking face instantly became greedy and distorted. Neighborly feelings? Pursuing a goddess? In the face of one million, it was all bullshit.

Su Wanqing watched from the side, stunned, and shouted anxiously, "Wang Qiang! Didn't you say you'd look after us, a widow and her child? You're just going to sell the stall like that?"

She didn't actually want Wang Qiang to stay; she wanted to expose the man's true colors.

Sure enough, hearing this, Wang Qiang spat disdainfully.

"Wanqing, don't blame me for being realistic. It's one million! With this money, I can go back to my hometown and build a villa. What kind of young maiden couldn't I find? Why should I stick with a faded woman like you who's dragging along two burdens?"

Wang Qiang patted his bulging pocket and smiled lewdly. "Besides, since your ex-husband is such a sucker, just stay with him. Anyway, you're just a broken pot with a rotten lid—a perfect match!"

"You!" Su Wanqing trembled with rage, her face turning pale.

This was the suitor she thought was "honest and reliable"? This was the man who claimed he didn't care about her past?

It turned out that in the face of money, all deep affection was so cheap and disgusting.

"Get out."

Chen Fan only said one word.

Wang Qiang didn't even bother packing his things, fearing Chen Fan would regret it and want the check back. He bolted, running faster than a rabbit, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye.

In front of the bustling night market stall, only Chen Fan and Su Wanqing remained.

Su Wanqing stared intently at Chen Fan, her chest heaving.

"Are you out of your mind?" she scolded, her eyes red. "One million! You gave him one million? Does your money grow on trees? Do you have any idea how much one million can do?"

Chen Fan didn't respond.

He took off his white shirt, tossing it onto a plastic stool nearby, revealing a black tank top underneath. Then, he bent down to pick up the dirty apron Wang Qiang had left behind and put it on.

"Whether the money was well spent depends on my mood."

Chen Fan tied the apron strings, walked to the barbecue grill, and clumsily picked up a handful of mutton skewers. "At least it let you see a dog's true colors and will give you some peace from now on."

Su Wanqing was stunned.

She looked at the Young Master, who once never lifted a finger for manual labor, now standing before a smoke-filled grill with a handful of skewers, his movements awkwardly comical.

"What... what are you doing?"

"Running the stall."

Chen Fan turned on the blower, and the charcoal fire roared to life, reflecting on his face. "Wang Qiang is gone, so this stall can't stay empty. From today on, I'm not a boss; I'm your neighbor, Old Chen."

"You're crazy!" Su Wanqing rushed over to snatch the skewers from his hand. "What do you know about grilling? You'll scare all the customers away! Take that off and stop making a fool of yourself!"

"I can learn if I don't know how." Chen Fan sidestepped her and grabbed a handful of chili powder, sprinkling it on without regard for the amount. "Just like nineteen years ago, I didn't know how to be a father, but aren't I learning now?"

*Sizzle!*

Grease dripped onto the charcoal, sending up a puff of black smoke.

Chen Fan coughed twice from the smoke, but he didn't back away. Instead, he turned and grinned at Su Wanqing, showing a row of white teeth.

"Wanqing, I told you, I'm sticking with you for the rest of my life. You can't drive me away."

Looking at his roguish behavior, tears welled up in Su Wanqing's eyes. She wanted to scold him, but her throat felt blocked, as if by cotton.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of the night market.

"Move, move! Get out of the way!"

Director Zhang from the night market management office, usually a person who looked down on everyone, was now drenched in sweat, jogging over with a few security guards.

He ran to Su Wanqing's stall and, without even catching his breath, gave her a deep ninety-degree bow.

"Ms... Ms. Su! Oh my, why are you still personally blanching vegetables here!"

Director Zhang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his face plastered with a fawning smile. His expression was more affectionate than if he were seeing his own mother. "Leave this kind of manual labor to us! Please sit, please sit!"

Su Wanqing was stunned by this sudden turn of events, her strainer held mid-air.

"Director Zhang, are you... going to raise the stall fees?"

Every time Director Zhang came before, he was either collecting money or nitpicking; he never had a kind word.

"Look at what you're saying! I should slap myself! I deserve a slap!" Director Zhang gave himself a hard slap and said with a compensatory smile, "From now on, who would dare collect stall fees from you on this entire street? Not only will we not collect them, but we'll also have to give you a subsidy!"

"Why?" Su Wanqing was completely bewildered.

Director Zhang stole a glance at Chen Fan, who was intently charring mutton skewers into black lumps, swallowed hard, and whispered:

"Because just ten minutes ago, a big boss bought the entire land for the Starlight Night Market... all of it! He specifically said that from now on, this night market is under your management!"