Chapter 641 - 417: Arrangement
「Early morning.」
Sunlight streamed through a gap in the sheer curtains, pouring into the guest room like a waterfall.
Feng Mountain groggily opened his eyes, instinctively raising a hand to block the glaring light.
Yet, he felt a crushing weight on his chest, like a boulder, making it hard to breathe.
Forcing himself to lift his head, he saw a leg, clad in gray pajama pants, thrown domineeringly across his chest.
Feng Mountain frowned and shoved it away with all his might.
A muffled grunt of pain was heard as someone’s shin slammed into the bedframe.
Clutching his throbbing temples, Feng Mountain sat up. A sour, bitter taste filled the back of his mouth as he surveyed his surroundings.
Only then did he realize he was lying in a large, unfamiliar bed.
Black Hide was sprawled out on his back at the foot of the bed, his unbuttoned shirt exposing half his stomach, which rose and fell rhythmically with his snores. Black Egg was curled up in a ball in the corner of the bed, his face buried deep in a pillow, one arm hanging limply over the side.
The stench of alcohol and sweat fermented in the enclosed space, creating a nauseatingly sour reek that made Feng Mountain’s nostrils sting.
He shook his stuffy head. His memory stopped at fragments of yesterday’s dinner.
Apparently, they had drunk themselves into oblivion. Everything after that was a complete blank.
’I must have blacked out.’
"Black Hide, Black Egg, wake up!" Feng Mountain bent his knees and gently kicked the two drunks who were sprawled every which way.
Like a prodded caterpillar, Black Hide writhed at the foot of the bed and clutched his head tightly, his voice tinged with a sob as if he were still at the table, begging for mercy.
"Brother, I can’t drink anymore, I really can’t!"
Black Egg, completely wrapped in the blanket, didn’t move a muscle. He was like a rock, completely unresponsive.
Helpless, Feng Mountain slipped on a pair of slippers and got up.
As soon as he pulled open the door, a wave of fresh air washed over him, mixed with the aroma of porridge wafting from the kitchen, slightly dispelling the reek of alcohol in his nose.
Just then, Xiaohua’s voice came from the direction of the living room.
"Brother, you’re awake! My goodness, you guys really went hard yesterday. Five people finished nine bottles of baijiu. You can’t drink like that next time, it’s so bad for you. It’s a good thing Hu Zi didn’t drink too much. Otherwise, in my condition, there’s no way I could have moved you big guys."
Feng Mountain looked toward the living room. Xiaohua was stroking her slightly showing belly as she slowly got up from the sofa and walked over.
As Xiaohua drew near, she caught a whiff of the heavy stench of alcohol coming from Feng Mountain and subconsciously took a few steps back.
"Where’s Hu Zi?" Feng Mountain asked.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "He went to the supermarket first thing this morning. A lot of suppliers called him, saying they were willing to provide stock for free. Hu Zi went to pick out some products."
"I’m going to take a shower then. I reek of alcohol, it’s disgusting."
Feng Mountain, afraid the pungent smell of alcohol would affect Xiaohua and the baby, spoke as he walked briskly toward the bathroom. Just before he entered, Xiaohua’s voice drifted over again.
"I put your clothes on the counter. They’re all new, and I’ve already washed them. Your names are written on them. Just toss your dirty clothes in the basket, and I’ll wash them later."
He walked into the bathroom.
Under the warm yellow light, three sets of clothes, sealed in transparent bags, were neatly arranged on the counter.
A neat sticky note was attached to each bag, with the names "Brother Shan," "Black Hide," and "Black Egg" written in black ink. A small arrow was even thoughtfully drawn in the corner, pointing to the bag’s opening.
As he touched the smooth plastic bag, a memory suddenly surfaced.
Back when they all lived in the sheet-metal shack, Xiaohua always used to fold the clean clothes into perfect squares and clip on little pieces of paper with their names, just like this.
Feng Mountain stripped off his alcohol-stained clothes, balled them up, and tossed them into the laundry basket.
𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
As the hot water cascaded down, the rising steam blurred his reflection in the mirror, but it couldn’t wash away the warmth spreading through his heart.
They used to be just a few teenagers crammed into a leaky bathroom in that sheet-metal shack, taking turns washing with cold water. Now, the hot water spraying evenly from the showerhead felt like it was washing all the bitter years away, turning them into foam.
After his shower, dressed in a new, light gray knit shirt that smelled of fabric softener, he felt much more comfortable.
As he stepped out of the bathroom, the faint scent of porridge tickled his nose.
Xiaohua emerged from the kitchen carrying breakfast. A few wisps of hair were plastered to her forehead with sweat, and her eyes were filled with a gentle smile.
"You all drank so much last night, so I made some plain rice porridge and pickled vegetables for breakfast. Something light and easy on the stomach," Xiaohua said softly.
"The porridge is perfect. Don’t move, I’ll get it!" Feng Mountain hurried forward, taking the bowl from her with both hands and carrying it to the dining table.
After sitting down, he gently blew on the scalding porridge before scooping up a spoonful and putting it in his mouth.
The salty, fragrant pickled vegetables paired with the soft, sticky rice porridge instantly soothed his stomach.
"Hua’Er, I remember you studied accounting, right?" Feng Mountain said, swallowing a mouthful of porridge and looking up at Xiaohua.
Xiaohua nodded slightly, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "I studied accounting in vocational school, but I’ve forgotten most of it by now. Brother, do you need some books done?"
Feng Mountain picked up a piece of pickled vegetable with his chopsticks, popped it into his mouth, and chewed a few times, the salty flavor spreading across his tongue.
"Here’s the thing. I have a company in Hai City, and right now, we’re missing a CFO. How would you like to give it a try?" Feng Mountain put down his chopsticks and looked at Xiaohua seriously.
"A CFO!!" Xiaohua’s eyes went wide. She quickly waved her hands, her face a mask of refusal. "I only know basic cashier work. That’s totally different from what a CFO does. I really can’t do it."
"You can do it. It’s just money in, money out. How hard can it be?" Feng Mountain patted Xiaohua’s shoulder. In his view, finance was just about managing the flow of money—nothing complicated.
Xiaohua gave a wry smile, overwhelmed by Brother Shan’s words. "Brother, don’t kid me. I just have a vocational school diploma. I’m really not cut out for it. I can handle the supermarket’s books, but a company’s accounts are so complex. I wouldn’t even know where to start."