Chapter 2

# Chapter 2

After that narrow escape, everything began going my family’s way. My parents started a business with friends during a period of rapid growth, and before long, they had founded a company of their own.

Our finances improved along with it.

By then I was in elementary school, and I went to my father’s office to play every day after class.

One afternoon, however, the uncles and aunties who usually joked with me all wore grave expressions.

My parents hurried out of the office. My mother crouched in front of me and said, “An’an, why don’t you let Miss Liu take you home today? Daddy and Mommy have some business to attend to.”

I looked around and pouted. “Where are you going? I want to come too.”

I had not thought it through and could not explain the feeling. I simply wanted very badly to go with them.

I was usually obedient, so my mother paused in surprise before coaxing me. “Daddy and Mommy have something very important to do. Be good for us, all right?”

I lowered my head and said nothing, resisting in silence.

My father was watching the time. “We can’t wait any longer. If An’an wants to come, let her. But An’an, you must behave when we get there. Do you understand?”

I nodded and happily climbed into the car with them.

Only later did I learn that our company had reached a critical point. My parents were on their way to negotiate an extremely important deal.

If they secured it, the company could expand to the next level. If they failed, our cash flow might not hold.

The order was not quite a matter of life and death, but it came close enough to explain their urgency.

We drove to a tall office tower. My parents went in first while I followed Secretary Liu behind them.

The moment we entered, all three of us froze.

Several people stood in the lobby. At their head were none other than Liu Fucai and Zhang Hongyan.

Of all the people to meet there.

The couple had survived the bus crash, but neither had escaped serious injury.

Liu Fucai had been transferred from hospital to hospital, yet no one could save his leg. After an agonizing day and night, it had been amputated.

That was not the worst of it. He had also injured his groin in the fall, and the doctors said he was unlikely to father another child.

The husband and wife truly were made for each other. Zhang Hongyan had hemorrhaged during her miscarriage and undergone a hysterectomy, ending her hope of ever bearing a son.

The irony was bitter. They had abandoned their own daughter in their desperate pursuit of a boy, only for both to become infertile.

They poured all their energy into business instead and founded a company in much the same field as ours.

Their story circulated through the village for a long time. Once the spectacle faded, it left many people shaken. One pregnant couple had reportedly planned to abort their baby after learning it was a girl, but changed their minds after hearing what had happened to the Lius, afraid that they too might suffer retribution.

When Liu Fucai saw us, his face darkened. One hand drifted down to touch his missing leg.

He seemed to have a prosthesis. It was hard to tell at a glance, though he stood a little crooked.

Zhang Hongyan could not contain herself. Her eyes blazed as she stared at me, as if she wanted to rush over and strangle me.

“You curse! You killed my son! Why aren’t you dead?”

She started toward me, but my mother blocked her.

Mom arched an eyebrow. “You did too many wicked things and brought punishment on yourself, yet you want to smear my daughter with the blame? It seems you still haven’t learned your lesson.”

Old hatred and new rage surged together. Zhang Hongyan flew into a fury and reached for my mother’s clothes.

“What garbage! Your whole family—your whole family is cursed—”

Laughter suddenly sounded behind us.

“Everyone is here. It seems both Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu are very interested in my merchandise. Please, come inside.”

My father finally recovered from the shock. “Mr. Zhang, are they here to discuss the same deal?”

Mr. Zhang smiled. “I’m honored to have everyone’s interest. Good things should be shared, shouldn’t they? The final arrangement will depend on you and Mr. Liu.”

I turned to study the smiling man and frowned.

He appeared to be in his thirties or forties. He wore a crisp black suit under a beautifully made overcoat. He was tall and looked sharp and capable.

Yet there was not a trace of warmth in the eyes behind his rimless glasses. His smile never reached them, giving him a cold and sinister air.

I disliked him on sight.

But my father had told me to behave, so I kept quiet and gripped the hem of his coat.

We all sat down in Mr. Zhang’s conference room. Since I was young and easy to overlook, no one sent me away. They began negotiating right in front of me.

“You all know the kind of man I am. If my American branch didn’t urgently need cash, I would never offer such a low price. As for the precise terms, that depends on Mr. Liu and Mr. Lu.”

I understood then: our family and the Lius were competing for the same shipment. Zhang had brought both sides together to force up the price.

Liu Fucai cast my father a contemptuous glance. “Mr. Zhang, I understand that quality comes at a price. I’ll add five percent.”

My father’s expression changed, and he immediately countered, “Eight percent.”

Watching Mr. Zhang smile like a fox made me uneasy. I whispered to Secretary Liu beside me, “Who is that man? He looks bad.”

Startled, she covered my mouth and glanced around. When she was sure no one had noticed, she bent to my ear.

“He’s Mr. Zhang, a rising star in our city. He only arrived before New Year, but his business is much larger than ours. He even owns a major company in America.”

“Don’t worry. He won’t cheat us. He’s already completed several deals here. His goods are excellent, and his reputation is impeccable.”

I did not understand everything she said, but I knew she was praising him.

Still, I could not shake my dislike. I almost hated him.

There was something in his eyes I could not name. He looked at my father and Liu Fucai the way an audience watches a pair of clowns, toying with them from a position of superiority.

Their bidding soon grew fierce, and Mr. Zhang called a break so both parties could discuss their offers.

Outside the room, my father said anxiously, “His goods really are good. In this market, we’d still profit even at a thirty-percent premium. More importantly, this shipment would open the provincial-capital market to us. We could finally expand into the province.”

My mother hesitated. “It would empty our savings, and we’d have to borrow besides. If anything went wrong, we’d be ruined.”

I walked over, took my father’s hand, and shook it. “Dad, don’t do business with him, okay? I don’t like that man.”

My father forced a reassuring smile. “Be good, An’an. Once Daddy finishes, I’ll take you out for something delicious. Don’t fuss right now.”

He clearly thought I was a bored child throwing a tantrum.

I tried to say more, but he called Secretary Liu over and asked her to entertain me elsewhere.

I knew he would not believe me, so I followed her away and sulked in silence.

After some discussion, my parents finally made their decision. “We’ll take the gamble. If we win, we’ve made it.”

“Zhang Xincheng has completed several deals without a problem. Why would ours be the one that goes wrong?”

When we returned to the conference room, Liu Fucai had evidently made up his mind as well. He bid against my father without pause.

“Ten percent.”

“Fifteen,” my father replied.

Then, gritting his teeth, he said, “Eighteen percent.”

Liu Fucai sneered and stayed on his heels. “Twenty.”

By then, our profit margin had shrunk dramatically. My father’s face had gone pale, but after exchanging a look with my mother, he steeled himself to continue.

“Twenty-five percent. What do you say, Mr. Zhang? No one has ever offered you that price.”

Zhang Xincheng rested his chin on his clasped hands and smiled without answering.

“Thirty percent,” Liu Fucai said from the other side of the table.

His expressionless gaze rested on my father, hatred flashing in his eyes. What had happened years ago had made both him and Zhang Hongyan hate our family. People like them suffered more at the sight of another person’s safety than at their own misfortune. They needed someone else to blame, a target on which to vent their rage.

Sweat beaded on my father’s forehead. He glanced at my mother and opened his mouth to bid again.

That was when I spoke.

Frowning, I said, “Dad, don’t do business with this man. I hate him.”

My father’s words caught in his throat. He turned to stare at me in shock.

The conference room fell so silent that a dropped pin would have been deafening. Every eye fixed on me.

“What nonsense are you talking, An’an?”

My mother recovered from her surprise, rushed over, and covered my mouth. She gave Zhang Xincheng an apologetic smile. “Please forgive her. She’s only a child.”

Zhang Hongyan seized her chance to mock us. “What kind of place do you think this is? How can you let that little—let your child spout whatever comes into her head? Do neither of you teach her any manners?”

She was calling me ill-bred.

Liu Fucai added, “She’s right, Mr. Lu. Children don’t invent things like that. Could she have overheard something you said in private?”

“That would be…” He glanced at Zhang Xincheng with a smile. “Rather disrespectful, wouldn’t it?”

His words struck exactly where he intended. The smile faded from Zhang Xincheng’s face.

My father hurried to explain. “No, no, Mr. Zhang. I would never. She’s a child speaking without thought.”

“I’m not speaking without thought!” I protested loudly. “I don’t like him. Dad, don’t let him cheat you!”

In business, cheat was a serious accusation.

Zhang Xincheng’s expression collapsed completely. He said coldly, “Since your esteemed daughter has spoken, there is no point in forcing anyone.”

“Mr. Liu, the shipment is yours. We’ll sign the contract shortly.”

“Mr. Lu, we clearly follow different paths. I won’t see you out.”

He rose to dismiss us. No matter how my father tried to explain, Zhang refused to listen and promptly signed with Liu Fucai.

After putting down his pen, Liu Fucai looked up at my father with smug derision. “You raised a fine daughter, Mr. Lu. Without her, this stroke of good fortune would never have fallen to me. I really ought to thank you.”

My father’s face went ashen.

“Exactly. We told you she was a jinx who would only bring disaster,” Zhang Hongyan said, finally savoring her revenge. “But you refused to recognize good advice and insisted on keeping that curse in your home. Now you’re paying for it.”

Liu Fucai smiled maliciously. “We’ll gladly take the order, Mr. Lu. It’s a pity that once we expand into the provincial capital, we may never meet again. Your cash flow was already failing, wasn’t it, Lu Lei? You survived by luck last time. Your real suffering is still ahead.”

Zhang Hongyan glared at me. “That little beast will kill every one of you sooner or later. Just wait.”

My parents no longer had the spirit to argue. They led me away, their faces grim.

The moment we stepped outside, my mother scolded me. “An’an, what did we say before coming here? Didn’t you promise to behave?”

“I did behave,” I said, hurt. “I really don’t like him.”

My father sighed and tried to smooth things over. “Enough. An’an may not be wrong. When she said she felt sick years ago, she saved our lives…”

But even he trailed off. Zhang Xincheng had an excellent reputation and vast resources. No matter how they examined the deal, nothing appeared likely to go wrong.

For the next several days, a cloud hung over our home. Without that shipment, our supply could not keep pace with the market, and the company nearly ran out of cash. My parents humbled themselves before one acquaintance after another before finally obtaining a loan large enough to keep us afloat.

The Liu company, meanwhile, celebrated. They even gave every employee a bonus.

Whenever we returned to the village, more people seemed to be flattering the Lius. Some of their relatives deliberately came over to needle us with news of the company.

Their order was said to be proceeding smoothly. The goods had already reached port and would enter the market in a matter of days.

My parents were exhausted and visibly worn down. Though I still believed my instincts, I could not help feeling guilty.

The next time I visited the office and saw my father’s bloodshot eyes, I walked over and asked quietly, “Dad, did I… do something wrong?”

He did not answer at once. He crouched, stroked my hair, and looked at me with weary affection.

“Don’t worry about the family business, An’an. But from now on, you must listen to Mom and Dad. You can’t do that again.”

Secretary Liu shook her head and sighed. “Mr. Lu, please get some rest. You still have negotiations this afternoon. You haven’t slept properly in days because you’ve been running around seeking loans.”

The human-resources manager frowned. “But Mr. Lu, there isn’t enough in the account to pay next month’s salaries. If this continues, I’m afraid…”

“It’ll be fine.” My father waved a hand, his voice hoarse. “I’ll ask the bank again this afternoon. Where there’s a will, there’s a way—”

The office door flew open. The sales manager appeared, drenched in sweat and gasping after his frantic run.

My father blinked. “What happened?”

Then his expression changed. “Is there another problem? The Lius? The bank?”

The sales manager waved both hands while struggling to catch his breath. “It’s—the Lius!”

My father rose, his face serious. “What have they done now? Are they trying to sabotage us?”

“No, no!” The sales manager finally drew a full breath, his eyes shining. “Mr. Lu, the young miss is incredible!”

“Zhang Xincheng really is a swindler. The Lius are hunting everywhere for him. They’re losing their minds!”

My father stared at him.

For a moment, no one could process the news. The office fell silent.

The sales manager wiped his forehead and went on excitedly. “It’s true! The shipment was supposedly at port last month, but Zhang kept delaying. One day he said it was in processing; the next, he blamed customs. Liu Fucai kept waiting. Then—guess what?”

The sales manager’s old Tianjin habit of turning every story into a comic routine had returned. My father snapped, “Out with it! Are you waiting for someone to feed you the next line?”

The manager scratched his head sheepishly. “Well, Zhang Xincheng fled a few days ago. Liu Fucai didn’t know at first. When he finally went to Zhang’s company, the office was empty. Not a thing remained.”

“Then Liu pulled strings to investigate Zhang’s American company. A trip to the tax office revealed it was nothing but a shell, registered for fraud. Zhang made a habit of striking once and moving on. His name was already ruined in the south, but we’re so far north that no one here had heard. That’s how the Lius fell for it.”

The HR manager gasped. “I heard the order was worth more than eighteen million yuan. The Lius emptied everything they had. They can’t possibly accept that loss.”

“What choice do they have?” The sales manager winked. “Bad luck is bad luck. The whole operation has vanished. After this many days, the man could be on the other side of the planet. Where are they going to find him?”

“I hear the company can’t even pay wages. Employees are raiding the warehouse for goods to cover what they’re owed. The bank has come calling too, threatening to seize the family’s property if they don’t repay the loan. Other companies waiting for deliveries are demanding their goods. Their entrance is packed like a New Year’s market. It was so crowded I nearly got crushed.”

So he had worn himself out spying on our rival.

The adults looked at one another, each seeing the same astonishment reflected back.

They had been mourning the lost order moments earlier. How had everything turned around so completely?

“Our young miss is miraculous,” the sales manager declared. “She took one look and knew he was a swindler.”

“An’an…” My father turned to me, wonder filling his face. “How did you know?”

I thought for a moment. “I hated his eyes. When he looked at you, it was like he was looking at fools.”

My father had no answer.

A moment later, delight broke across his face. He waved grandly. “Come on! This is worth celebrating. Everyone gets the day off. Let’s go see the commotion for ourselves.”

We drove to the Liu company and discovered that the sales manager had not exaggerated. Several groups blocked the entrance.

Bank employees stood stiffly in uniform. Creditors shouted for Liu Fucai to repay them. Workers carried goods in and out of the building.

Liu Fucai’s face was gray with exhaustion as he explained again and again, “Everyone, we were cheated too. Give me some time to turn things around. Once I have the money, I’ll repay every cent.”

“Bullshit!” A bald, heavyset man spat. “We didn’t force you to be cheated. Goods thirty percent below market price—any idiot would know something was wrong.”

“Mr. Lu looked at the deal too. Why didn’t he buy? With a brain like yours, you may as well quit business for good. Hand over our money now. We all want to go home for New Year.”

“Exactly! With so many people involved, why were you the only one fooled?”

“I heard Mr. Lu almost fell for it. His daughter said the man was a fraud, so he backed out…”

The crowd buzzed around us. My father flushed and reached down to stroke my hair.

“It’s all thanks to you. Otherwise, Daddy would be finished now.”

Zhang Hongyan shouted, “You think we wanted this? We don’t have the money. If you’re so capable, go find Zhang Xincheng!”

She had lost a great deal of weight over the past few days. Her already high cheekbones jutted out until she looked like skin stretched over bone.

The bald man gave a vicious smile. “Zhang Xincheng doesn’t owe us. Why would we look for him? You owe us. Are you paying or not?”

“No!”

“Fine.” He rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.

Startled, Zhang Hongyan ducked behind Liu Fucai. With his limited mobility, he had no time to react before the bald man shoved him to the ground. After several kicks, more people joined the scuffle. His prosthetic leg came loose in the chaos. Unable to rise on one leg, he sprawled in the dust, utterly wretched.

He let out a piercing howl and pounded the ground with his fists, not stopping even after they began to bleed.

“Ah.” My father was softhearted after all and turned away. “Eighteen million. They must have borrowed a fortune. Their life will be hard from now on.”

“If not for An’an, I’d be the one lying there.”

“Exactly,” said the sales manager, now my fervent admirer. “An’an is a lucky star. Her fortune blesses everyone around her. Mr. Lu, I heard she once saved both your lives too?”

My father paused. “She did. She was still very young. Her mother and I boarded a bus with her, but she said she felt ill and insisted on getting off.”

“We thought she was just restless. That night, the bus overturned and several people died. That’s how Liu Fucai lost his leg.”

Even after so many years, fear shadowed his face as he told the story. “You’re right. An’an truly is our little lucky star.”

That evening, I received a hero’s welcome at home.

My father recounted the story in vivid detail to my mother and brother. Mom listened in astonishment, then swept me into her arms and covered my face with kisses.

“My wonderful daughter saved our family again! Dear heaven, eighteen million yuan! If we had been cheated, we’d be living under a bridge by now.”

“No exaggeration,” my father said. “You should have seen Liu Fucai. It was awful.”

My mother sighed over it too. My brother suddenly remarked in a cold voice, “That whole family looks cursed. Sooner or later, they’ll suffer an even greater disaster.”

He still remembered how Zhang Hongyan had insulted me and had never forgiven her.

After that, my parents began taking my instincts seriously. They brought me to every business negotiation.

Most of the time I said nothing. But whenever something felt wrong, I stopped my father.

Our company soon flourished and expanded all the way to the provincial capital.

Somehow, the story leaked and spread through the village. Many people laughed at the Lius behind their backs. A few who disliked them even stood outside their door and mocked them openly.

“Imagine giving birth to a daughter blessed with good fortune, throwing her away, and letting her bless somebody else’s family. Now they can’t have their precious son, and all their luck is gone. Aren’t some people strange?”

“They were born to be poor. Their own child brought prosperity to another family, while they got the punishment they deserved.”

Two women cracked sunflower seeds and chatted outside the house. Unable to bear it, Zhang Hongyan burst out with her hair in disarray.

“You filthy-mouthed old hags! What gives you the right to gossip about my family?”

“Why are you so upset?” one woman replied with an unhurried smile. “I never said I was talking about you.”

Zhang Hongyan spotted me passing nearby. She had been about to curse again, but the words died in her throat.

This time, she did not insult me. She merely stared with a complicated expression.

Frightened, I hurried home.