Chapter 541: Chapter 250: The Academician’s Final Step (2)

After a long moment, the cigarette in Lv Jianyang’s hand had nearly burned to the filter. He suddenly spoke, his voice so low it was almost carried away by the wind.

"Nana’s pregnant."

"Pregnant with what—"

Yang Qi was taken aback for a moment, but then it clicked. He smiled. "That’s great news! Congratulations."

Han Na was Lv Jianyang’s wife. Yang Qi knew her; they had been classmates in middle school. They were in different classes in high school, and after she failed the college entrance exams, she’d gone with Lv Jianyang to find work in the coastal cities.

The two had gotten married the year before last, and Yang Qi had even made a special trip back to attend the wedding.

Lv Jianyang didn’t answer him. He just lowered his head, staring at the tips of his muddy shoes, and said in a heavy voice.

"I want to abort it."

Yang Qi’s hand, cracking a sunflower seed, froze in midair.

He opened his mouth, but then closed it, swallowing whatever he was about to say.

He understood why Lv Jianyang felt that way.

The family’s burden was already immense. His father was on long-term medication, his mother earned a pittance from odd jobs, and his younger siblings were still in school. Every single thing was an expense.

Having another child—from pregnancy to birth, and then the costs of raising them—meant a huge and continuous financial drain.

For a family that was already barely scraping by and stretched to its limits, a new life didn’t just bring joy. It brought crushing pressure and anxiety.

"She won’t do it."

Lv Jianyang tossed the cigarette butt and ground it out with his shoe. His voice was laced with helplessness. "My family doesn’t agree either. They said we didn’t keep the first one, so we can’t do it again with this one..."

Yang Qi fell silent.

He remembered that Han Na had gotten pregnant once before, not long after she and Lv Jianyang had married. But their jobs were unstable and the financial pressure was too great. After agonizing over it for a long time, they ultimately decided not to go through with it.

Lv Jianyang had only mentioned it to him once, in passing, his voice heavy with guilt and helplessness.

"So what are your plans for after the New Year? Are you still going back to the coast?"

Yang Qi changed the subject, asking softly.

Lv Jianyang pulled out another cigarette and lit it. His eyes, veiled by the smoke, looked lost. "I’m not going back. Nana’s pregnant. I can’t have her following me all over the place, living in work sheds, eating and sleeping poorly. I’m planning to go to Futong."

"Futong?"

Yang Qi frowned. Futong was a county in the neighboring province to the north, famous for its mining industry. "What are you going to do there?"

"A friend of mine works at a mine there. He said..." Lv Jianyang took a drag from his cigarette.

"To work in the mines?"

Yang Qi cut him off sharply, his voice rising before he quickly lowered it again. "You’re going to work in the mines? Lv Jianyang, are you insane? Don’t you know what those places are like? You’d be trading your life for money! Gas, flooding, collapses... Haven’t you seen enough of that on the news? If something happens to you, what’s Nana supposed to do? What about your parents, your brother and sister?"

The pay for miners was high, but it came at the cost of immense risk.

Yang Qi couldn’t imagine Lv Jianyang, already shouldering such a heavy family burden, descending into that sunless, treacherous world underground.

Lv Jianyang lowered his head, the fingers holding his cigarette trembling slightly. After a long moment, he answered in a voice that was barely audible.

"Then what am I supposed to do? My family needs money, Nana’s delivery will cost money, and raising a child will cost even more... If I don’t go to the mines, what else is there? Work odd jobs in town for two or three thousand a month? What good is that?"

His voice was filled with bitterness.

’He was right. If there was any other choice, who would be willing to trade their life for money?’

Yang Qi was silent.

The glowing crimson tip of the cigarette in Lv Jianyang’s hand trembled slightly.

A moment later.

Yang Qi spoke. "I’ll give you two hundred thousand."

Lv Jianyang’s head snapped up. He stared, stunned, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to speak.

Yang Qi raised a hand, cutting him off. "Let me finish. This two hundred thousand isn’t a handout. I want you to take this money and go find Uncle Dayong. He knows a lot of people, he’s well-connected. Have him help you find a reliable used light-duty truck with all the proper paperwork, preferably a box truck. Keep the rest of the money for startup capital."

Lv Jianyang was completely dumbfounded, staring blankly at Yang Qi.

"Come April."

Yang Qi continued calmly, "You’ll go to Laishan County and find me at the Xianlai Wild Animal World. From then on, you’ll be a dedicated supplier for Xianlai. You’ll go to the surrounding villages, towns, and nearby counties to procure fresh vegetables, fruits, high-quality meats, eggs..."

"As long as it meets the Zoo’s procurement standards, we’ll buy as much as you can get. Xianlai opens at the end of March. We have hundreds of animal species, one or two hundred staff members, plus a huge number of visitors. The amount of food we go through every day will be enormous."

"You’ll be in charge of the supply. As long as you can guarantee the quality, you’ll make far more than you would in the mines—and it’s a whole lot safer."

Lv Jianyang’s eyes widened, as if he still hadn’t fully processed the sheer volume of information.

Yang Qi looked at him and added, "I forgot to tell you, I’m not at the Donghua City Zoo anymore. I’m now the director of the Xianlai Wild Animal World."

"The Zoo covers three to four thousand mu, making it the largest wildlife park in the province. As for suppliers, we certainly have room for one more."

"You can pay me back whenever you have the money."

The words hit Lv Jianyang like a clap of thunder.

’Two hundred thousand?’

’Buy a truck?’

’Supply the Zoo?’

’Director?’

’Three to four thousand mu?’

’The biggest in the province?’

The words bombarded him, one after another, leaving him unable to process them. He could only stare dumbly at Yang Qi, his mouth slightly agape. He’d forgotten about the cigarette between his fingers, and the ash crumbled and fell.

Yang Qi said no more, simply meeting his gaze calmly.

’He trusted Lv Jianyang’s character.’

’This two hundred thousand was a helping hand. It was a chance for his friend to make an honest living through his own hard work and abilities, to support his family, and maybe even build a good life.’

’Yang Qi didn’t need Lv Jianyang to be eternally grateful. He just needed his friend to get back on his feet and live a better life.’

A cold winter wind blew past, stirring the dead leaves on the ground.

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