Chapter 7: All This Wealth Was Earned by Us Brothers

In the small bungalow of the East City scrap station, Third Master nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the calligraphy and painting spread out on the long table.

Clapping his hands, Zhao Xiangbo stepped outside briefly and soon returned with a woman carrying a child.

“Lihong, Xiaowen!” Zhao Shangde hurried forward and embraced the mother and daughter tightly.

Zhao Xiangbo smiled broadly and said to him, “Uncle De, rest assured, Master has certainly treated these two well!”

Zhao Shangde stared at him grimly, his expression dark.

He turned his head and timidly addressed Third Master, “Third Master, this is the Zhao family heirloom. No matter the cost, I will redeem it. I must trouble you to keep it safe until I come with the money...”

Third Master narrowed his eyes and said, “Zhao Shangde, do you think I’m doing the same business as you?”

Zhao Shangde was taken aback. Third Master raised a finger and said, “One month! If you don’t redeem it within a month, I’ll auction it off!”

“Please don’t...” Zhao Shangde tried to protest, but seeing Third Master’s grim expression, he sighed and said, “Fine, one month it is.”

After Zhao Shangde left with his wife and child, Third Master glanced at me and Brother Liang, then called out to the next room, “Yan Zi, come here!”

My sister actually came.

Sister Yan entered carrying a freshly cleaned tea tray.

Before she left the scrap station, she had always done these chores. After she left, Brother Liang took over.

Skillfully boiling water and brewing tea, Sister Yan smiled and said to Third Master, “Congratulations, Third Master, on acquiring such a treasure!

This painting, ‘Spring Snow on the Cold River,’ is an authentic work by Master Baishi. At Christie’s auction, it fetches eighty-three thousand per square foot; the entire piece is worth nearly three million!”

Third Master chuckled lightly and said calmly, “Put it away.”

“Yes!” Sister Yan replied, wiping her hands and carefully rolling up the artwork to place it in a box.

But when she handed it to Third Master, he didn’t take it.

He simply sat down, picked up the tea she poured, and called out in a deep voice, “Stone, Wenliang!”

“Here!” I suppressed my excitement and glanced at Brother Liang; the two of us stepped forward, standing on either side of Sister Yan.

Sister Yan realized what was happening and, kneeling before Third Master with us, held the box with both hands and said in unison, “Third Master (Master), please accept this gift!”

Third Master slowly finished his tea, set the cup down, and without taking the box, sat back and looked at the three of us.

With a soft sigh, the box felt lighter in our hands—it had been taken by Third Master, who casually handed it to Little Monkey and said, “Go fetch the kraft paper bag from my bedside!”

“Yes!” Little Monkey responded, clutching the box and turning to leave.

---

He returned quickly, handing the kraft paper bag to Third Master.

With a snap, the bag fell onto the tea table in front of me. Third Master said calmly, “Yan Zi, take it.”

Sister Yan picked up the bag, opened it, and glanced inside, her expression deeply moved; her hands trembled slightly.

I tilted my head and looked too, stunned.

Inside was a deed—the property deed for the storefront where Yan Hui Company on Wanxiang Street was located.

Not just my and Sister Yan’s Yan Hui Company, but the entire building from the first floor to the fifth!

“Third Master...” I thought he’d made a mistake and hurriedly handed the bag back.

“Put it away!” Third Master said sternly. “From now on, that building belongs to you siblings! With their presence as witnesses, you need not worry; everything will proceed according to contract!”

Sister Yan snatched the contract and presented it to Third Master, saying, “Third Master, this is too much; we are undeserving!”

“Of course you feel undeserving!” Zhao Xiangbo’s eyes reddened as he glared at the three of us, gritting his teeth. “Are you worthy?”

He turned to Third Master and asked, “Master, you just give away millions in property as you please? Did you consult us disciples?”

Third Master narrowed his eyes and said, “What, do I need your permission to do anything?”

Zhao Xiangbo chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. “I, Zhao Xiangbo, obviously have no right to oppose your decisions. But if you were coerced or deceived into making decisions that harm our collective interests, then it’s up to all the brothers to agree or not!”

Brother Hei raised his hand quietly, “I agree! Whatever Master says goes. I won’t oppose!”

Zhao Xiangbo snapped at him, “Shut your mouth, fool!”

He then glanced at Cai Lei and Deng Zhiyong behind him and said to Third Master, “Master, don’t forget, all these assets of yours were earned by us brothers! While we toiled under sun and wind, where were these two siblings? Now they just did a little favor for you and get an entire building? If this is how rewards are distributed, how much do we get?”

Third Master squinted at Zhao Xiangbo, about to lose his temper, but Sister Yan quickly stepped forward and placed the kraft paper bag before him.

“Third Master, Brother Bo is right. We really don’t deserve such a large reward. Please keep these for now—we don’t want to enjoy the fruits so early; we want to work hard while we’re still young!”

---

Third Master looked at Zhao Xiangbo and the others with a dark expression and said to Sister Yan and me, “What’s given to you is yours. No one can stop it.

Since you refuse now, I’ll hold onto it for you.

From now on, you don’t need to pay me any more money!”

“Thank you, Third Master!” Sister Yan and I accepted this without refusal. Without this expense, life would be much easier for us.

After all, we had helped Third Master settle a two-million debt, relieving him of Zhao Xiangbo’s troubles. This merit alone justified such rewards without much resistance.

Third Master glanced around coldly and said, “Everyone else, leave. Yan Zi and Stone, stay. I have something to say to you.”

“Yes, Master!” The others replied and turned to leave.

As Zhao Xiangbo left, he cast a cold glare at me.

Once the disciples had gone, Third Master pushed the kraft paper bag back toward Sister Yan.

Sister Yan hesitated, “Third Master, you really don’t have to...”

Third Master waved her off and stopped her from speaking further, then turned to me and said, “Stone, take off your sunglasses and look at me.”

“Yes!” Without hesitation, I removed my sunglasses, covering my right eye with my hand, and looked at Third Master.

Just that one look shocked me, and I exclaimed, “Third Master, you...”

Third Master’s expression remained calm as he said, “You noticed?”

I pressed my lips tightly and nodded vigorously.

A vast amount of dark, lifeless energy slowly spread over him, nearly overwhelming the vibrant, living energy he once had.

Only those close to death exhibit this, especially the elderly or the seriously ill, when the death energy becomes most apparent.

Third Master was old, but as a Qi practitioner, even living to a hundred would not have left him in poor health.

Now, surrounded by death energy, there was only one conclusion: he was gravely ill.

Yet Third Master looked serene, as if he had long known, and said to me:

“When I was young, I was too eager and impatient in my Qi cultivation. Coupled with making too many enemies and frequent injuries, such an outcome is unsurprising.

I know my time is short, so there are a few things I want to entrust to you siblings!”