The voices outside the door grew louder, accompanied by a pungent smell of gunpowder.
The village chief extended a hand and said, "You've decided to marry, so show me your marriage certificate."
Shi Dashan also shouted, his face red and neck bulging, yet somewhat lacking in vigor.
"No marriage certificate, they are in a de facto marriage, Xiao Jing is already pregnant with that lad's child."
"Shi Dashan, oh Shi Dashan, you're quite something. According to you, your family has gained another member, now five in total."
"Indeed, if Xiao Jing is carrying twins, then it's six."
"You bloody miser."
"Why are you cursing?"
Shi Dashan pushed the village chief's shoulder, both sides unable to resolve their argument, which nearly escalated to physical altercation.
Officer Li slammed the table, "Speak civilly. I won't comment on the compensation for demolition, but physical conflict is absolutely forbidden. Otherwise, you'll have to speak at the police station."
The village chief pointed at Shi Dashan's nose, incessantly, while Shi Dashan remained indifferent, as if a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
Footsteps gradually faded away, and outside the door, tranquility descended. Shi Dashan, failing to achieve his aim, redirected his fury toward Shi Jingxia.
"Still lying inside? Come out."
Yawning, Shi Dashan shamelessly extended his hand, "Whether you have money or not, give me 500 yuan, I'm feeling uncomfortable."
"I don't have money."
"Damn you, raising you was no easy task. Didn't you receive your salary yesterday? Show some filial piety, hand it over."
Shi Jingxia turned away, silent.
Shi Dashan snatched the clothes Shi Jingxia had changed into, forcibly searching and finding 500 yuan.
"You said you didn't have money, what's this? You ungrateful wretch."
He pocketed the money, and tears welled up in Shi Jingxia's eyes.
"This was meant for buying a down jacket for my mother."
"Buy what? I've never worn a down jacket in my life, never froze to death either."
Facing her unreasonable father, Shi Jingxia had no recourse. She put on a down jacket, changed shoes, and left in a huff.
"Fine, if you have the guts, don't come back. You dare show me attitude before the scabs on your butt even heal, think you're all grown up."
I followed limpingly, calling out several times, but Shi Jingxia ignored me, striding angrily ahead, until finally stopping in a park.
"What are you doing following me? I don't need your pity. Leave."
At that moment, a girl of about ten approached me, holding a bunch of flowers. She waved, gesturing for me to bend down, as if she had something to say. I leaned in to listen.
"Big brother, did you upset your girlfriend?"
"Go away, what kind of gossip is this at your age? Can you handle it when you grow up?"
The girl, composed, added, "Women love flowers the most. Buy a rose and give it to your sister, she'll forgive you."
I thought about it and agreed. I asked how much a rose cost, and the girl said ten yuan each. Though a bit pricey for the time, the girl mysteriously mentioned additional value-added services. She didn't divulge more, just instructed me to deliver the flowers, assuring me my money wouldn't be wasted.
With the rose in hand, I approached her, softly calling her name from behind.
"Xiao Jing."
Turning around, Shi Jingxia received the rose I offered.
"Here, for you. Cheer up."
As she took the flower, the little girl suddenly shouted, "Marry him."
A stone thrown created a thousand ripples, drawing a crowd who joined in the uproar.
"Marry him, marry him."
...
The onlookers multiplied, cheering on, some whistling, others clamoring for me to kneel, and even some booing, demanding a diamond ring for sincerity.
Stomping her foot, Shi Jingxia left the park.
The little girl was right, women love flowers. Shi Jingxia brought the rose to her nose, took a deep breath, halted, and turned to look at me.
"Thank you."
We had breakfast together, two tea eggs, two leek dumplings, two bowls of spicy soup. She said leeks made her mouth taste odd, so I ate them all.
We strolled the streets for a while, hearing a robust voice on the radio.
"The world is beautiful because of you. Bosideng, a world-renowned brand, sells well in nineteen countries worldwide..."
Suddenly, Shi Jingxia mentioned feeling tired from working the night shift and went home to rest. I knew she wanted to buy a down jacket for her mother. I entered a Bosideng store and bought two down jackets.
Not the best, just the most expensive. They were truly damn expensive, three thousand yuan gone just like that.
On the way, someone handed me a flyer advertising the latest introduction of world-class plastic surgery equipment in Xijing City, with renowned Korean experts in consultation, offering grand opening discounts.
I had the money, but I needed a plan. Claiming to have been robbed would raise suspicions if I suddenly came into a large sum of money.
That night, I tuned into Channel 8 for the news, hoping for updates on the Eternal Tomb robbery case but stumbled upon a lottery scratch-off advertisement.
Back then, scratch-off lottery tickets were popular, with prizes ranging from washing machines, bicycles, motorcycles, televisions, to cars. It was said many people won big prizes.
The next day, I went to the address and spotted a box truck from afar, its sides adorned with huge promotional banners, and the horn continuously blaring winning announcements.
The crowd was immense, some eagerly scratching their tickets with hope, while others returned disappointed, leaving behind a thick layer of discarded tickets.
Scanning through them, all the tickets bore the words "Thank you for your patronage." Finally, I found a sixth-tier prize, but the "Six" was written as a capital "陆".
Studying the ticket for a long time, I wondered how to turn it into a first-tier prize.
The first-tier prize was a BMW car, which would launder my money.
Just as I pondered, a large hand grabbed me by the collar. It was two policemen, and I turned pale with fright.
"Young man, gamble responsibly."
"Yes, yes, I'll never buy lottery tickets again. It's all damn scams."
The police nodded, warning me not to fall for rumors and be wary of scams, as many criminals recycled discarded tickets, resealed them with paste, ironed them flat, and sold them at low prices for profit.
Pushing through the crowd, I found a phone number on the wall for document processing, called it, and paid 500 yuan to have my sixth-tier prize upgraded to a first-tier prize. It was a real scam, but I was desperate and agreed.
Everything was set, waiting for someone to win.