Chapter 26: Offering Condolences to Jin Pengfei
Pfft!
Cheng Yuan almost couldn’t stop himself from laughing. ’Looks like this father and son have really been put through the wringer. They’re terrified!’
Wu Xiuli tried to persuade them from the side. "Manager Mei, Mei Feng, please get up. What is this, kneeling here? Anyone who doesn’t know the situation would think our family is bullying you!"
"Sister Wu, we can’t get up. Not unless the Jujube Tree Immortal agrees to forgive us and take back its punishment! Don’t worry about us. We brought this on ourselves."
With that, Mei Chao and his son Mei Feng began to kowtow again.
But to their despair, even after kowtowing for a full hour, the chill in their bodies hadn’t subsided.
Cheng Yuan played dumb, walking forward with a puzzled look. "Mom, what’s going on with Manager Mei and his son? Why are they kneeling here?"
"Manager Mei said the Jujube Tree Immortal is punishing him. They’ve been kneeling here for over an hour..."
Cheng Yuan scoffed. "Serves them right. Why did they have to go and offend the Jujube Tree Immortal?"
Mei Chao didn’t dare talk back to Cheng Yuan. Instead, he pleaded, "Xiaocheng, we were wrong! We truly know we were wrong! Could you please put in a good word for us with the Jujube Tree Immortal?"
Cheng Yuan immediately started spinning a tale. "Mei Chao, the Jujube Tree Immortal said it’s punishing you not just because you offended it, but also because you repeatedly trumped up charges for random fees, installed locks on the community’s public parking spaces to force residents to rent them... Tell me, are those the actions of a decent human being?"
"I was wrong. I really know I was wrong! As long as the Jujube Tree Immortal spares me, I’ll have the locks removed immediately and put an end to all the random fees! I’ll implement resident-friendly policies right away!"
Only then did Cheng Yuan nod in satisfaction. "Manager Mei, you’re not a complete lost cause. The Jujube Tree Immortal says it will forgive you for now. But if you dare to oppress the residents again, it will punish you twice as severely!"
As he spoke, Cheng Yuan discreetly flicked out two wisps of True Qi.
Mei Chao and Mei Feng trembled slightly, feeling the chill in their bodies dissipate like a receding tide.
The two of them instinctively touched their chests. The cold was gone, replaced by a gentle warmth.
Their reverence for the Jujube Tree Immortal deepened.
THUD. THUD.
They kowtowed several more times, their foreheads thudding audibly against the ground.
"Great Jujube Tree Immortal, I have taken your teachings to heart! I promise that from this day forward, I will never oppress the residents again. I will issue many beneficial and convenient policies, and I will strive to be a property manager beloved by all."
The surrounding residents broke into applause.
"Manager Mei, we’re holding you to your word! If you really do as you say, we’ll all help put in a good word for you with the Jujube Tree Immortal. We’ll even pray for its blessings on your behalf!"
"Thank you, thank you, everyone."
Cheng Yuan gave a slight wave of his hand. "The Jujube Tree Immortal says it will be watching your performance. Manager Mei, you can take your son and go home now."
"Yes, yes. Thank you, Jujube Tree Immortal, for your mercy."
Mei Chao and his son kept bowing as they backed away. The moment they were out of Cheng Yuan’s courtyard, they turned and fled!
’That Jujube Tree Immortal is too damn freaky,’ he thought. ’I’m never wandering near Cheng Yuan’s courtyard again.’
After Mei Chao left, Cheng Yuan turned to the crowd with a wide smile. "It’s all over now. Everyone can disperse."
But the neighbors didn’t leave. Instead, they stared at Cheng Yuan with pleading eyes.
"Xiaoyuan, is the Jujube Tree Immortal... really real?"
Cheng Yuan smiled. "It’s one of those things. It works if you believe, and it doesn’t if you don’t. As long as you don’t offend the Jujube Tree Immortal, you won’t be punished. Now, everyone should go. The Jujube Tree Immortal needs to rest."
"Okay."
Not daring to disturb the Jujube Tree Immortal’s rest, the neighbors quickly dispersed.
Cheng Yuan went back inside and said complainingly, "Mom, you weren’t very clear. I thought Mei Chao was here to cause trouble. I was worried sick."
"I was worried sick, too! I heard Mei Chao’s brother-in-law is the biggest developer in Luocheng. We’re just a humble family; we can’t afford to provoke people like that."
Cheng Yuan shrugged, not bothering to argue with his mother. He went back to his room, opened his wardrobe, and started looking for an outfit. He needed to pick something festive to go and ’pay his respects’ to Jin Pengfei.
After searching for a long time, Cheng Yuan couldn’t find a single festive outfit. The main reason was that his mother had never bought him any red clothes.
In the end, he settled on a particularly flamboyant outfit.
He had bought it back in his first year of high school, during a rebellious phase.
’Since I can’t find anything festive, this will have to do.’
Cheng Yuan changed his clothes, walked out of his room, and asked with a grin, "Mom, what do you think? Not bad, right?"
Wu Xiuli rolled her eyes. "Xiaoyuan, why on earth did you dig out that outfit? It’s too flippant. Go change right now! Ruoxi is so beautiful and sensible; you should try to be a little more mature when you’re with her!"
’Flippant?’
’That’s the perfect word!’
’Flippant was exactly what he was going for!’
"I’ll change in a bit. Mom, I have something to do, I’m heading out!"
With that, Cheng Yuan hurried out the door.
Along the way, neighbors shot him strange looks, wondering what had gotten into the boy to make him dress so flamboyantly.
Cheng Yuan found a flower shop and began to ponder. ’What kind of flowers should I get for Jin Pengfei?’
The owner was a sweet-looking young woman. She didn’t treat him poorly just because of his flamboyant clothes; on the contrary, she greeted him with great enthusiasm.
"Hi there, handsome! What kind of flowers are you looking for? Or you could just tell me the occasion, and I can help you with an arrangement."
"An uncle of mine just had a new addition to the family. What kind of flowers would be appropriate for that?"
A new addition?
The pretty owner tilted her head and thought for a moment before making a recommendation. "It’s not very common to give flowers for a new baby, but if you really want to, I can try to put an arrangement together for you."
"Lilies symbolize innocence, divinity, and elegance, and they also carry a meaning of good fortune."
"Daisies symbolize happiness, joy, and childhood innocence."
"Sunflowers symbolize brightness and hope, as well as growing up strong and healthy. So, how about a combination of lilies, daisies, and sunflowers?"
Cheng Yuan nodded, satisfied. "That sounds perfect."
The pretty owner quickly arranged a bouquet for Cheng Yuan and handed it to him with a smile. "Here you go, handsome. The bouquet is ready. That will be one hundred and twenty yuan."
Cheng Yuan promptly paid and took the bouquet, then hailed a cab and headed straight for Renhe Court.
Villa 16, Renhe Court.
The atmosphere was exceedingly somber.
The Jin Family was suffering the tragedy of the old burying the young. Friends and family had all come to offer their condolences.
Jin Pengfei lay quietly in the Crystal Coffin. His injuries had been taken care of, and a mortician had applied makeup, making him look surprisingly life-like.
Jin Pengfei’s parents, dressed in black with white flowers pinned to their chests, stood silently on either side of the Crystal Coffin, gravely acknowledging the guests.
"Brother, Sister-in-law, please accept my condolences. I heard they’ve already caught the killer. He will definitely face the full force of the law."
In an instant,
Jin Pengfei’s mother, Ai Yuelan, burst into tears.
Jin Pengfei’s father, Jin Tianxiang, clenched his fists. ’Even if that person gets the death penalty, so what? It won’t bring my son back to life.’
Suddenly, Jin Tianxiang’s expression darkened, and he stared coldly at the entrance!
The guests offering condolences were all dressed in somber attire. But now, a young man in a flamboyant outfit had just walked in, holding a bouquet of flowers!
’Is he here to offer condolences, or to gloat?’