TL: Etude
Chen Jianghai had no desire to allow the tragedy that had befallen Zhao Yuxi in her past life to occur again.
Zhao Changgui hesitated before responding, "Brother Chen, there's no need, is there? She needs to stay home to review her studies."
"It's a simple matter," Chen Jianghai said offhandedly. "Buy her a desk and a lamp to put here. It will definitely be a better environment than your home. Poor lighting can lead to myopia, you know."
Chen Jianghai was aware that Zhao Changgui, a rather straightforward fellow, might not care about many things, but when it came to his beloved sister, whom he depended on as much as she did on him, he would never be negligent.
For his sister, he would stop at nothing.
Sure enough, upon hearing Chen Jianghai's words, Zhao Changgui's expression changed slightly.
"Alright, I'll bring her over tomorrow," Zhao Changgui nodded.
Chen Jianghai then pulled out four hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Changgui, "Then, I'll advance you one month's salary. Go buy a lamp and a desk."
Zhao Changgui looked at Chen Jianghai, said nothing, but silently accepted the money.
Seeing Zhao Changgui take the money, Chen Jianghai inwardly breathed a sigh of relief before busying himself with his own affairs.
A monthly salary of four hundred and fifty yuan was definitely a high wage at that time, but in his heart, Zhao Changgui was absolutely worth the price.
Chen Jianghai had just dismantled a television when someone arrived outside.
"Excuse me, is Master Chen here?" the visitor asked politely.
In the past few days, Chen Jianghai had been walking through streets and alleys to establish his reputation.
It had to be said that this method was quite effective.
Now, customers were actively seeking him out.
The customer was a man who looked to be in his early fifties, somewhat thin.
With half-white hair, his face appeared a bit weaselly, and his darting, triangular eyes did not suggest he was a good person.
However, Chen Jianghai didn't think too much of it.
All comers were guests.
He opened his doors for business; it didn't matter what kind of customers they were. As long as there was money to be made, they were all gods.
"It is I. What can I do for you?" Chen Jianghai asked with a smile.
The thin man then said, "There's a problem with my television at home, and I was hoping you could come and fix it."
"What kind of problem?" Chen Jianghai inquired.
The thin man gestured, "There are a lot of white lines on the screen, and the antenna has fallen off. It's unwatchable."
Chen Jianghai nodded, gathered his things, and picked up his toolbox, "Alright, I'll come with you."
Zhao Changgui then stood up, "Brother Chen, do you want me to come too?"
Seeing Zhao Changgui, the thin man was taken aback.
Zhao Changgui's formidable size was intimidating, resembling a small mountain, which put pressure on him.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Jianghai said, "Come along, and lock up the door."
It's better to be safe than sorry.
About ten minutes later, the three stopped in front of a small courtyard.
"Here we are, right here," the thin man pointed out.
Chen Jianghai nodded to show he understood but said nothing.
The thin man smiled, pulled out cigarettes from his pocket, and handed one to both Chen Jianghai and Zhao Changgui.
Chen Jianghai thanked him and casually tucked the cigarette behind his ear.
Zhao Changgui didn't smoke and declined.
After entering the house, the thin man pointed at the television on top of a wardrobe and said, "This TV here, please take a look at it!"
Chen Jianghai plugged in the power and took a look, noticing that indeed there were several issues.
There were a few white lines across the screen, the colors were off, and the antenna had fallen, causing nothing but static to appear no matter how much it was adjusted.
After a thorough inspection, Chen Jianghai had figured it out.
"How is it, can it still be fixed?"
Seeing Chen Jianghai unflustered, the skinny man couldn't help but ask.
"It can be fixed, twenty yuan."
Chen Jianghai raised two fingers, indicating the price.
Fixing this television was indeed a bit of a hassle, especially since it was a house call. The price was very reasonable.
The skinny man frowned slightly, "Isn't that a bit expensive?"
"The price for my on-site service is already fair. If you had brought it in yourself, it could have been two or three yuan less."
Chen Jianghai stated frankly.
The skinny man hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright then, go ahead and fix it!"
Hearing the skinny man's acquiescence, Chen Jianghai glanced at him and didn't make much of it.
Before long, he had completely disassembled the television, and Chen Jianghai took out each component for treatment.
The skinny man felt smug at this sight.
It's a youngster. The price must be haggled.
"Master Chen, your price is a bit high. How about ten yuan?"
Seeing that Chen Jianghai was almost done with the repairs, the skinny man suddenly spoke up.
Chen Jianghai slightly furrowed his brows, "We had just agreed on twenty. Look at how many components are damaged; I still have to replace them with new ones."
"Twenty is too much. Make it cheaper. I'll continue to bring you business in the future, introducing you to all my acquaintances," the skinny man waved dismissively.
Chen Jianghai now understood; this man was simply reneging on the deal.
"Fine, find someone else to fix it!"
Having said that, Chen Jianghai started to pack up his tools, calling over Zhao Changgui to leave.
The skinny man was left with a face full of question marks.
What's happening?
He was so quick to disassemble, and now he's just not going to fix it?
"Hey, hey, don't go! You've disassembled the TV, at least put it back together for me?" the skinny man hurriedly grabbed Chen Jianghai.
Chen Jianghai spoke indifferently, "I won't charge you for the labor, assemble it yourself."
After that, Chen Jianghai shook off the skinny man's hand and walked away.
The skinny man was now anxious; he had no idea how to reassemble a television!
He had thought the other was too naive, but it turned out he was the one being waited on!
"Don't, don't, Master Chen, let's go with your price, twenty yuan, not a cent less," the skinny man quickly said.
Chen Jianghai then stopped in his tracks, extending his hand and saying, "Small business, no credit. Boss, pay up first!"
"Shouldn't I pay after it's fixed?" the skinny man asked, frowning and looking displeased.
"That's for others." Chen Jianghai smiled faintly, "I'll be honest with you, I don't trust you much, boss. Let's get the payment before we proceed with the work!"
The skinny man was utterly out of options now and had to pull out the money from his pocket. He counted out one ten-yuan note and two five-yuan notes, handing them to Chen Jianghai.
With the money in hand, Chen Jianghai didn't waste any time. He fitted the new components he had brought with him and soon had the television fixed.
The skinny man, who had been stern-faced all this time, showed a surprised expression when the television was quickly repaired.
"Take a look, there should be no problem now."
Chen Jianghai spoke conservatively and then turned on the television.
The screen was crystal clear, the white lines were gone, and the colors had returned to normal.
Although the skinny man was somewhat distressed over the twenty yuan, he couldn't help but give a thumbs up, "Master Chen, your craftsmanship is beyond reproach! I will definitely give you some good publicity."
"Then, thank you."
Chen Jianghai smiled lightly, without saying much more.
On the road, Zhao Changgui couldn't help but ask, "Brother Chen, that guy clearly wasn't trustworthy, why did you still fix his TV?"
"Didn't he pay up in the end?" Chen Jianghai replied with a slight smile, turning the question around.
Zhao Changgui didn't know how to respond for a moment and said in a muffled voice, "His actions were dishonorable; he's not a man of his word."