Chapter 70: Getting a license together!
Su Qian’s family wasn’t well off, and both her parents were factory workers that were laid off. At the lowest of times, they had gone hungry sometimes. Fortunately, the school had waived off school fees, however, at her graduation ceremony, she had looked at her university admissions notice, and cried her heart out as she notified her parents.
Her father had then thought of an insurance he had gotten for himself in the past. It had not come to term yet, so he gritted his teeth and went out on a road to commit suicide. Alas, he didn’t die, but was paralyzed as a result, and became even more of a burden.
Su Qian had then knelt in front of her dad’s bed and swore while crying to never get into university. Instead, she went on to serve at a restaurant as a waitress. She was hardworking and had performed decently. She was willing to learn and had become extremely well-versed at every aspect of the restaurant. The manager promoted her and wanted to keep her under supervision for a period before recommending her to the regional manager to be promoted yet again.
Just when it seemed that things were looking up, her mother started to get exhausted and was falling sick often. Su Qian advised her mother to get a health check up, but she insisted not to, instead wanting to save the money. It was until when her whole body was swollen and she could not eat that she finally agreed.
After the initial check, they found out that it was renal disease, and it was in its late stages as well. The result was like a huge blow to Su Qian. She dragged her mother to be hospitalized and found an aunt that usually grew crops in the fields to look after her mother for 800 a month. She then quit her job and went to help wash feet, becoming a sort of massage girl.
She would earn at most 1,600 at her previous job, even after promotion, she could get a little more than 2,000. Yet the starting pay of the massage job was at least 2,000, and if her customers were satisfied, they would tip much more. Like that, she could earn about 5,000 a month. If she didn’t have any reservations about the ‘extra nature’ of her job, she could even push for higher.
The hospital bills began to climb, and her mother’s illness was getting worse. She then gave her first time to a 60-year-old boss for the price of 8,000. After that, she took care of her dad during the day, while providing services as a call girl at night. J City wasn’t big, and the news of her being a call girl slowly traveled to her father’s ears. He pretended not to know until her mother passed on, and he had rolled down the bed, crawling towards the kitchen to grab a knife to cut himself.
By the time she reached home, his body had gone cold. Her father had gone smiling, with a letter in his hands, the contents revealing that he didn’t blame her, and wanted her to live on properly, for the sake of her parents, and to walk the proper path again. At the very least, he hoped that she could get into university.
Speaking to this point, Su Qian’s entire face was streaked with tears, while Yuan Yi stood dumbfounded by the side.
“I did want to die, to end it all. I have the courage to do so, but my father wanted me to live on, and even if I have to live like an animal, I will do so!”
After arranging for her father’s funeral, she then proceeded to study on her own, under the countless pointing and whispers behind her back, to complete her adult studies. She then worked from the bottom at a hotel all the way up to a managerial position. Nearing the end of the year, she had gone to a customer’s place to deliver some vouchers and was trapped there when the apocalypse happened until Chen Yi saved her.
Zhang Xiao Qiang turned to look at Yuan Yi, who hurriedly poured some tea for him. He looked at Yuan Yi in front of him, as well as the crying Su Qian, and he couldn’t help but sigh: “This damned apocalypse!”
“Do you know your position now?”
He took a sip, before eyeing Yuan Yi. Compared to Su Qian, Yuan Yi had basically led a sheltered life. Other than the fact that she was a businessman’s daughter, she was nothing. Although she might put on a front and is willing to do things, there was a deep-rooted arrogance in her bones that came from money.
Yuan Yi knelt down and began to imitate Su Qian, massaging Zhang Xiao Qiang’s other leg: “Master, I’ll listen to you. I won’t ask you to kill me again, I’ll be good. Please don’t send me back to Brother Long. You can get me to do anything you want.”
Although her performance was slightly better, Zhang Xiao Qiang still felt a little off. He thought for awhile before he spoke up: “Since you have killed someone before, you have a little courage. I don’t intend to raise vases here, if you want to eat your fill, you’ll have to learn to grab for it, to fight for it. Of course, Su Qian, the same goes for you.”
Yuan Yi and Su Qian both turned pale, and they couldn’t speak for a long while. Even their actions stopped.
Zhang Xiao Qiang was not impatient, and he continued to drink his water, awaiting their responses. Even the little lass who was not yet 15 had to fight for her life, these 2 adults couldn’t possibly be freeloading right?
Of course, it wasn’t like he was asking them to actually risk their lives. Instead, they had to get used to the atmosphere and to condition their bodies. In the future, he would have 2 more assistants. After the situation with Xie Yuan Shan, Zhang Xiao Qiang found it harder to trust men. Even He Wen Bin and the rest that he rescued was not spared from his distrust. If he wanted to go and get resources, he would only bring women. In any case, Yang Ke’er’s strength was more than enough.
Su Qian was the first to nod in agreement, she seemed to feel that it was a chance, the chance to shake off the label of a toy. Yuan Yi also nodded, although she had some reservations.
“If, if I were to be surrounded by those freaks, you, you must kill me before they eat me alive!” She pleaded with Zhang Xiao Qiang.
This time, Zhang Xiao Qiang felt better, and he kept his thoughts to himself. He couldn’t possibly take care of everybody, and he wouldn’t go the extra mile to. If it was a really dangerous situation, he would not hesitate to extract himself first. He would not stop just because of a woman as well. The only exception was Yang Ke’er, and only she was the exception because he knew that if he was in danger, she would not hesitate to save him as well. Even at the cost of her own life.
She might be silly and slow, but Zhang Xiao Qiang preferred her like that. He also liked women with no ulterior motives. He liked his women to have a one-track mind towards him, it was a pity that he had no feelings for Yang Ke’er’s washboard figure.
“Which of you know how to drive?” Zhang Xiao Qiang thought to the numerous abandoned cars he saw on his way, and he didn’t know how to operate them, instead, he had no choice but to use the tractor to slowly roll. It was especially so on the highway, with so many cars, their keys still intact, yet he didn’t know how to drive. He felt a little sour, there were so many good cars!
“I know!” “Me too!” Yuan Yi and Su Qian both piped in, and eyeing these 2 women in front of him, Zhang Xiao Qiang felt even more depressed, he was truly lacking compared to these 2 young ladies.
“Yang Ke’er!” Zhang Xiao Qiang called out loudly, ‘bang’ the door was swung open, and Yang Ke’er rushed in, saying: “What? What’s going on? Do you need me to teach them a lesson?”
When she saw Zhang Xiao Qiang staring at her, she became embarrassed and said: “I didn’t eavesdrop! Really, I just came!”
He was lazy to reprimand her, and instead got Yuan Yi and Su Qian to stand up, as he walked towards the door and said: “Come, let’s go get a license together!”
There was a huge empty patch of land behind, which was also the parking space for vehicles. Parked all around the land were Beijing Jeeps, Mitsubishis, and Land Rovers parked there, even some Nissan Lannias and Audis. There happened to be some trucks as well, it seemed as though Brother Long had gotten them back.
Zhang Xiao Qiang chose a Beijing Jeep and told Su Qian to teach him, while Yang Ke’er chose a Landrover and Yuan Yi was in charge of teaching her.
The chicken farm wasn’t big, nor was it small, and the 2 vehicles could actually drive for a distance. Yang Ke’er was a fast learner, and she was already starting to show some signs of being comfortable with it, there was only some minor problems with the turning or reversing. It seemed that she would become better in only a few more days.
As for Zhang Xiao Qiang, he sat in the driver’s compartment, gripping that steering wheel, his leg pressing the pedal. He was not sure if it was the accelerator or brake, and his right hand gripped that rod that was even bigger than a plunger. He continually screamed out loud, watching the other car passing him by constantly. He sighed in his heart: “It’s not that I don’t want to learn. I just don’t have the skills for this!!”
They continued their practice till it was meal time, after that they continued again. By the time Zhang Xiao Qiang planted his feet back on the ground, his hands were practically held in front of him as though he was still grabbing the steering wheel. After one full day, he finally understood the difference between the accelerator and brake, and how to control the steering wheel. As to the rod that was supposed to be shifted up or down, he was still confused.
Seeing the 2 ladies in front of him, his mood became better. Didn’t those bosses in the movies have chauffeurs? He had 2 right now, didn’t he?
Zhang Xiao Qiang was exhausted from learning, it was that exhaustion that resulted from long periods of tension and adrenaline. He sat in the living room and sipped his tea, with Su Qian helping to massage his shoulders. He was satisfied with his living right now, there was a safe location, there were 2 women waiting on him, at night, as long as there was electricity, he could charge his game console and play some games. As long as he didn’t let his guard down, he was quite settled!
As he was relaxing, Brother Long and the rest returned. He heard them even before they entered the house, as He Wen Bin’s voice traveled: “Brother Long, these 2 days have truly been ominous, adding the casualties of yesterday and today, we have lost 10 brothers! I think we should offer some incense to Guan Yu and pray for some good luck and protection!”
Chen Yi was lecturing him: “Is it any use? We don’t do it often, now that we do it, which deity would protect you?!”
Zhang Xiao Qiang raised his head, only to see Brother Long’s sullen expression as he entered, with Chen Yi and the rest following behind.