7 The Unscrupulous Poultry Dealer of the 2000s (7)

The sun had set, and the evening glow tinted half the sky.

Lin Juan went to pick up the children from school but noticed Gu Chen hadn’t returned yet. As darkness deepened, she wanted to call him but decided to start cooking first.

Once the meal was ready and the two children had eaten, she took them to bathe.

Lin Juan was somewhat distracted. In the past, she hadn’t worried so much if Gu Chen was late at this hour—perhaps because the past two days she had sensed their relationship warming again. She wondered how much she could believe when he said he was busy with business, or if it was just another excuse to avoid coming home.

Time and again, she felt disappointed in him, exhausted to the core, yet still harbored illusions about him. She knew it was because of love, and she couldn’t let go.

Every now and then, the two children glanced toward the street corner, their expressions proudly guarded as they tried to hide their thoughts, but they were too young to conceal anything.

By eight o’clock at night, the sky was completely dark.

Lin Juan had just finished bathing and was drying her hair when the familiar sound of a motorcycle approached.

The two little ones were playing on the bed; their sharp ears caught the sound immediately, and they jumped down to run out.

Gu Chen stopped the motorcycle and got off carrying a chicken.

“Where did you get a chicken?” Lin Juan asked in surprise as she approached.

Gu Chen smiled, placing the chicken aside. “I went to the chicken farm today, remember? Wang Wei is raising chickens there. He gave me this one, said it’s authentic coconut-scented chicken to stew soup for the kids.”

Relieved to hear that Gu Chen had indeed been to the chicken farm, Lin Juan’s heart eased. Then she asked, “Have you eaten? I saved some food for you.”

“No, I didn’t eat at noon. I was too busy,” he replied.

Hearing this, Lin Juan hurried back to the kitchen. “I’ll warm something up for you. Eat something first.”

Gu Chen glanced at the two little ones at the door. Both looked at him, tilting their heads slightly, then at the chicken he’d brought. Since it was tied up and couldn’t run like usual, the children, playful as they were, contemplated whether to come tease it.

“Hey!” Gu Chen grinned and quickly approached them. The kids sensed something was off and tried to run, but with one hand he scooped up each child and held them tightly in his arms.

“Ahhh—”

“Mommy, help—”

“Daddy’s stinky, stinky—”

Both children flailed like freshly caught fish, struggling fiercely.

Lin Juan peeked from the kitchen, a smile flickering in her eyes.

Gu Chen didn’t trouble the kids too much. After a day out, he was sweaty and hungry.

Soon, he put down the children and walked toward the kitchen.

The children didn’t go back inside but played outside instead.

Gu Chen sat down, and Lin Juan handed him a pair of chopsticks. Seeing his good mood, she asked, “How did the inquiries go?”

“Of course, everything’s settled,” Gu Chen said while picking at some greens with his chopsticks. Then he pulled out his phone. “As long as my brother Dahai thinks it’s acceptable, the deal will close immediately.”

Lin Juan’s mood lifted, feeling happy for him. Worried he hadn’t eaten enough all day, she said, “I’ll fry you an egg.”

“Okay.” Gu Chen dialed a number. “I wonder if he’s busy; no one’s answering my calls.”

Hearing this, Lin Juan felt a bad premonition.

She had met Li Dahai and Zhou Ming a few times and always felt they looked down on Gu Chen, speaking with a hint of mockery.

This time, Gu Chen was serious. Even if he lacked money, she didn’t want him to fail.

Just as Lin Juan was about to comfort him, Gu Chen exited the phone screen. “Right, I should call Dahai directly. What was I thinking?”

He promptly dialed Li Dahai’s number.

Meanwhile, Li Dahai and his group were gathered at the same restaurant from the previous night, discussing Gu Chen.

When asked why they hadn’t called Gu Chen that evening, Li Dahai took a sip of wine and said, “Once is enough to give him face. How many times does he want to mooch meals? Does anyone usually invite him to places like this? Beef and lamb aren’t cheap—does he deserve it?”

“Strange, Gu Chen hasn’t called today. Maybe he really went looking for suppliers?” Zhou Ming chimed in.

Li Dahai was about to reply when his phone rang. Seeing the number, he read aloud, “Who’s this?”

Zhou Ming laughed, “It’s Gu Chen.”

Everyone at the table laughed too.

“Speak of the devil,” Li Dahai said, glancing at Zhang Peng on the phone outside, lowering his voice. “I remembered, this number just called my buddy earlier. We didn’t pick up on the road, and he was too lazy to call back. Turns out it’s Gu Chen.”

“Of course it’s him, a persistent pest,” Zhou Ming said.

Li Dahai cleared his throat before answering, putting the call on speaker.

Gu Chen’s voice came through: “Dahai, I called Zhang Peng but no answer. Is he with you? I want to talk to him about something, or should I come over now?”

Li Dahai glanced at the same group as last night, missing only Gu Chen. He replied slowly, “Don’t come. It’s inconvenient here. What’s the matter?”

“Isn’t it about the chicken for sale? I’ve been investigating all day.”

“Stop investigating,” Li Dahai cut in.

“Why not?” Gu Chen asked.

“We found another source,” Li Dahai took a sip of wine.

“How much per pound? What quality? It varies. I spent all day investigating and know the details. Let me tell you—”

Li Dahai, seeing Gu Chen getting serious and about to explain in detail, was growing impatient as Zhang Peng returned. He interrupted, “I told you, we don’t need you. What could you possibly find out?”

“You really think highly of yourself,” Zhang Peng said as he came back, noticing Li Dahai had hung up. “Who was that?”

“Gu Chen,” Li Dahai said, putting the phone down. “He said he’d come over to talk about last night’s business, but I told him not to bother. I’m tired of his bragging.”

Zhang Peng disliked Gu Chen and didn’t respond. Frowning, he said, “I don’t want to get involved with that kind of person.”

“I promise he won’t appear in front of you again,” Li Dahai said ingratiatingly, pouring him a full glass.

“Handle this quickly,” Zhang Peng said.

He had just drunk with Li Dahai’s group yesterday and slept all day today.

No rush, it had only been a day. He wanted to take some time to clear his mind, enjoying the company of these country bumpkins who still admired him. Lately, he was mocked in his circle as a prodigal son, which dampened his spirits.

“We’ll go tomorrow. With so many of us asking around, what can’t we find out?” Li Dahai assured with a confident pat on his chest.

“Ding—” Zhang Peng’s phone buzzed with a message. He opened it.

It was from Gu Chen: [Bro, I called you but no answer. Dahai said you don’t need me to inquire anymore and don’t want the goods. I’m taking others to collect the chickens. Maybe we’ll cooperate another time.]

“Tch,” Li Dahai caught sight of the message and laughed at the group. “The king of boasting just texted that we don’t want the goods, so he’s taking others to collect chickens and said maybe next time we’ll cooperate.”

Zhou Ming was speechless. “He’s getting better at pretending. Anyone who doesn’t know the truth would think he’s capable. Who would want to deal with him?”

“Exactly. Who’s dumb enough to trust him?” The others, sensing Li Dahai’s disdain, joined in mocking Gu Chen.

Li Dahai took a sip. “Maybe there really are idiots who’ll come looking for him!”

“That’s sick,” Zhang Peng said disgustedly, deleting the message and blocking Gu Chen.

Inside Gu’s kitchen, silence reigned.

The phone’s soundproofing was poor, and Lin Juan, preparing to fry eggs, clearly overheard Li Dahai’s words.

She knew how hard Gu Chen had worked today, skipping two meals, running everywhere.

He gave his all.

To his friends, Gu Chen was truly loyal, always ready to help. Whenever Zhou Ming and others had heavy or dirty jobs, he was the first they called.

No matter how much she tried to advise him, he wouldn’t listen, but seeing his genuine efforts betrayed, Lin Juan was furious.

Gu Chen put down his chopsticks, staring silently at the phone, looking dejected.

The two children, hearing the silence in the kitchen, pressed against the doorframe, peeking their round, innocent eyes at Gu Chen and then at Lin Juan. Their eyes darted around, unaware of what had happened.

Lin Juan was about to comfort him when Gu Chen suddenly stood. “I have to go out.”

He grabbed his phone and motorcycle keys and hurried out.

“Wait—” Lin Juan rushed to stop him. “You haven’t eaten all day. Eat something first.”

“I have urgent matters,” Gu Chen said anxiously. “If they don’t want the chickens, I have to find others to take them. I’ve already promised the farmers they’re waiting to sell.”

“Don’t rush. Where will you find people now?”

“I have a way.” Seeing the two little ones at the door, he smiled and revved the engine. “Daddy’s going to make money to buy you cake. Stay good at home.”

If Gu Chen had said that before, they wouldn’t have believed him.

But after last night’s little chicken legs, roast duck noodles, and their favorite barbecue, when Xiaoyanyan heard about cake, she stuck out her pink tongue, licking her lips, looking at Gu Chen eagerly.

“When will Daddy come back?” Xiaoyanyan asked Lin Juan, watching the motorcycle lights disappear into the night.

There would be cake when he returned, so it must be delicious.

Lin Juan’s expression was worried; she didn’t know how to answer.

The boy, Jia, held his sister’s chubby hand and headed inside. “Time to sleep. School tomorrow.”

Xiaoyanyan pouted, whining, “Brother, if we sleep, we won’t get cake.”

“We still have to sleep.”

...

At the Wang family chicken farm.

A truck had just taken away dozens of recently collected bags of chicken manure. The buyer bargained the price down to sixty-six yuan, saying it was a lucky number.

Wang Wei didn’t argue, took the money, and handed it over to his mother.

“Let’s go eat first,” Wang’s mother sighed as she looked at the sixty-six yuan in her hand. “This little money isn’t even enough to feed the chickens for a few days. If no one comes to buy, we’re doomed to lose.”

“Don’t say that. Don’t we sell these in town every day?” Wang Min interrupted.

Wang’s mother was an outspoken, capable woman with a fiery temper. She snapped at him, “Working hard all day, setting up stalls in town before dawn, selling just a few chickens a day? We have hundreds! Can we sell them all?”

Wang Min said nothing.

“Mom, don’t worry. Maybe someone will come to buy in a few days,” Wang Wei said, looking at his mother.

Wang’s mother was surprised. “Which boss is coming? Boss Wang or the one from Meishan? When did they come? Why didn’t I know?”

“Neither,” Wang Wei replied.

“Neither? What about the one from Dingpo? He doesn’t buy much,” she mused. Even buying a little would help reduce losses.

Wang Min also asked Wang Wei, “Which boss is coming?”

Wang Wei went to wash his hands, then bent down. “It’s Gu Chen. He said someone asked him to buy all the chickens ready for sale. I gave him the prices, and he even quoted higher, told me to wait for news.”

“Gu Chen? The kid you played with in middle school? The slacker who got married and had kids?” Wang’s mother’s voice rose sharply as she hurried over, glaring at him. “Is it him?”

“Mom, don’t say that about him,” Wang Wei frowned, walking into the house.

He had worked all day, helped out a bit more just now, and was starving.

Wang’s mother followed, frowning. “Why can’t I say it? Why are you still in touch with him? I’m telling you, don’t get involved with him. You can’t trust a word he says!”

“Mom—”

“He hasn’t done anything decent since graduation. He wanders around town all day, living off his wife who supports the family with two kids. Who doesn’t know how he is? Your father and I sell chickens at the market and often see his wife struggling alone with the kids. Her life is hard,” she said coldly. “He’s a failure—cleaner than honest. If you hang out with him, you’ll be a laughingstock!”

Wang Wei thought his mother was too harsh. Not wanting to argue, he sat at the table to eat.

“Who?” Wang Min asked.

“The Gu family village’s Gu Chen. His grandfather was a carpenter. He was your middle school classmate but a good-for-nothing. Now he hangs around, freeloading, shameless,” Wang’s mother said, the excitement she had moments ago vanished. She looked at Wang Wei and asked, “He told you someone wants to buy the chickens?”

“Yeah,” Wang Wei avoided elaborating.

Upon hearing this, Wang’s mother scolded, “That Gu Chen is unreliable! You can’t believe what he says!”

“Why would he lie to you?” Wang Min tried to be fair. “There’s no reason to lie here. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t. At least he’s willing to try.”

Wang Wei agreed.

Wang’s mother said bluntly, “He’s just bragging, trying to boost himself.” Then narrowing her eyes, she asked Wang Wei gravely, “Did he call you or come to the chicken farm?”

“He came to the farm.”

“I knew it!” Wang’s mother slammed the table, pointing at Wang Wei. “Did he take a chicken with him? Did he?!”

Wang Wei paused from eating. “It was just one chicken. We have plenty. Mom, is it really necessary to be so mad?”

“Necessary! You probably even gave him the coconut chicken—that one you raised for half a year!” Her face darkened, trembling with anger. “I wondered why he suddenly came looking for you, talking about buying chickens. He was lying, just for that one chicken! He’s probably gone to eat and drink with those scoundrels.”

She turned to Wang Min, furious. “Gu Chen is a loafer, always mooching. He even lies just for a chicken. Can you associate with such a person?!”

Wang Wei emphasized, “I gave it to him on my own, he didn’t ask.”

“That guy’s a slick trickster!” Wang’s mother ground her teeth. “If he doesn’t say anything, you’d still give it to him! Are you stupid?”

“I just don’t think he’s lying to me.” Wang Wei picked up his chopsticks and ate without answering her further.

“You trust him so much, but has he ever treated you like a real friend or classmate? Besides, if he had this ability, pigs would fly!” Wang’s mother grew angrier, her face darkening. “What’s his phone number? I can’t let this go. Give me his number!”

She was determined to curse Gu Chen out thoroughly.

Naturally, Wang Wei refused to give it to her. Wang’s mother was so furious her nose nearly twisted. She wanted to curse every ancestor of Gu Chen. Finally, she scolded him again, “Back in school, Gu Chen often dragged you into trouble. He’s married with kids, and what about you? Hanging around with him, how will you ever marry? Your reputation’s ruined! Who’d want you?”

Then she warned sternly, “Don’t ever contact that man again. He’ll have no good end—just a broken family. Stay far away! Do you hear me?!”

Wang Wei said nothing and continued eating heartily.

“Wang Wei!” Wang’s mother was out of breath.

Wang Min quickly urged, “Don’t upset your mom. Just promise her.”

Still no reply from Wang Wei.

Suddenly, Gu Chen’s voice came from outside, “Wang Wei! Wang Wei!”

Hearing Gu Chen, Wang’s mother’s eyes widened. “He dares come to trick my son? How can someone be such a failure? I’ll curse him to death!”

She was about to rush out, but Wang Wei was faster, dropping his chopsticks and running outside.

Gu Chen’s motorcycle parked at the chicken farm gate. He rested on his long legs and, seeing Wang Wei emerge, released one hand and leaned forward, handing over a stack of papers, urging, “Hurry, hurry, come over—”

Wang Wei quickly opened the gate and ran out, unsure what Gu Chen wanted but worried his mother might make things difficult. He wanted Gu Chen to leave quickly.

Without waiting for Wang Wei to speak, Gu Chen stuffed the papers into his arms. “This is a two hundred yuan deposit. The boss will come to pick up the chickens around midnight. It’s the price I raised. Don’t let it slip, get ready.”

“I’m off, I need to notify the farm about the location. Call me if anything comes up.”

When Wang’s mother came out, she only saw Gu Chen driving away. She looked at Wang Wei, even angrier. “He ran off? You let him run? Didn’t you say someone was coming to buy the chickens? Which boss? Afraid I’d ask? You’re stupid to be tricked!”

The chickens were unsellable, and losses were mounting. No one wanted even the break-even price, yet Gu Chen was targeting them. The more she thought about it, the angrier she grew.

“Mom!”

“What? Am I wrong? If he could really bring buyers, I wouldn’t be called Chen Qiuhua!”

Wang’s mother declared firmly. Wang Wei grinned, handing her two red bills. “Gu Chen just said the boss will come around midnight. This is the two hundred yuan deposit.”