Chapter 33 Going to

As moved as he felt, at that moment, Chen Hai had to consider his actual circumstances.

"Class leader, how much money do we need to contribute?"

He fumbled the few yuan left in his pocket and hesitantly asked in a weak voice.

When his mother, Jiang Meixian, had sent him to stay at his cousin's house, Chen Dongmei's, she had given him fifteen yuan for food.

Although he had tried to save as much as possible, after a few days, he only had three or four yuan left in his pocket.

With poverty limiting his ambitions and self-confidence, Chen Hai spoke without much conviction.

"After discussing with Zhang Zhi, Li Ying, and the others, every attendee should first contribute ten yuan."

"Once the gathering is over we'll reconcile the accounts, nothing more, nothing less!"

Hu Zhiyong explained to Chen Hai.

There were inevitable costs for the barbecue gathering—preparation, various foods, and a good amount of drinks.

Chen Hai was mentally prepared for this.

However, upon hearing that he needed to pay ten yuan, he still hesitated.

After all, if it wasn't absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to ask his parents for more money.

"Forget it, class leader, you guys enjoy yourselves; I won't be attending!"

After a moment of hesitation, Chen Hai sighed deeply and responded.

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Chen Hai?"

"Yep!"

"All right, then I won't put your name down."

Hu Zhiyong nodded. He stepped away and walked over to another classmate a short distance away.

"I'm finally understanding what it means to have a hero brought low by the lack of a single penny."

"The college entrance exams were delayed a few days; I wonder if Boss Li found his mother's grave?"

"No, I need to start earning money as soon as possible. Ideally, I should earn all of my college tuition before I start university."

Chen Hai quietly started to ponder, his desire for money strong in his heart.

He stood up, greeted his homeroom teacher, Teacher Chen, and hurried out of the classroom.

In the streets of the town, he found a villager selling fruit from a flatbed tricycle.

He sent a message with him back to his parents, telling them he would be staying at his cousin Sun Jinzhong's house for the next few days and wouldn't be returning home.

Then he caught the last bus to the county center and headed for Liuyuan County.

In June, the days are long.

When Chen Hai arrived in the county, though it was past six o'clock, night had not yet fallen.

Having often followed his cousin Sun Jinzhong on aimless wanderings, Chen Hai knew well the places where Sun spent his time.

In just over half an hour, he had found Sun Jinzhong in a billiards room near the county culture center.

"Brother Zhong, how did it go with the matter I asked you to look into?" Chen Hai pulled Sun aside and asked in a low voice.

"Hai, didn't you finish your exams and go back to Wuyang Town? Why are you back in the county?"

"What did you ask me to look into? Was it where Boss Li lives, or was it about him finding the grave?"

Pouting, Sun Jinzhong complained slightly discontentedly.

Having just started hitting it off with a girl and their billiards game only halfway through being interrupted by Chen Hai was understandably annoying.

"What do you think? The reward is three thousand yuan. Can't you take it a bit more seriously?"

With an annoyed glance, Chen Hai responded.

"Are you joking with me, Hai? You don't trust your Brother Zhong when he handles things?"

"Old Mrs. Li's grave, according to a few old folks in the village, roughly lies around Yangjiazhou area."

"But that place was originally wasteland. During the collective era, it had been turned into vegetable plots."

"The terrain has completely changed. Those dozens or even hundreds of acres of land have been divided among households for seven or eight years now. The grave mounds and the like have long vanished without a trace, making it impossible to even know where to start looking."

"Just this morning, Boss Li increased the reward to five thousand yuan, but still, there are no clues!"

Pausing slightly, Sun Jinzhong then added, "I also asked Li Tao's family member, Li Feng, about where Boss Li stays."

"Room 8308, Garden Hotel. Generally, he's not there during the day, but at night, Boss Li mostly stays there."

While speaking, Sun Jinzhong pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one out, and passed it to Chen Hai.

However, the quality of the cigarettes had dropped significantly this time.

From Big Red Flower to Junjian, also commonly known as 'ghost fighting.'

"The reward has been increased to five thousand?" Chen Hai's eyes lit up.

"Brother Zhong, what are we waiting for? Let's rush to the Garden Hotel to find Boss Li?"

He didn't even take the cigarette, just grabbed his cousin Sun Jinzhong, ready to head straight out.

The Garden Hotel, newly built just a few months ago, is the most luxurious hotel in Liuyuan County.

Although Chen Hai knew the place, thinking about the task he was about to undertake made him a bit nervous.

Dragging his cousin Sun Jinzhong along to the Garden Hotel, he wanted him there to bolster his courage.

"Hai, what are you up to? Don't tell me you're serious about going to find Boss Li and actually looking for the grave?"

Being pulled along, Sun Jinzhong was still a bit confused.

Chen Hai had asked him for information, and he thought his cousin was merely acting out of curiosity!

He really didn't expect his cousin to have such a plan in mind!

With so many elderly in the village unable to pinpoint the exact burial site of Boss Li's mother, could Chen Hai, a newcomer and so young, really locate Old Mrs. Li's grave?

Sun Jinzhong seriously doubted it!

"Brother Zhong, if it weren't for the chance to make a few thousand yuan, would I have bothered to come all the way from the town to the county on a full stomach?"

As he pulled Sun Jinzhong along, Chen Hai explained.

The streets were bustling with people, and in today's times, the zeal for working jobs was still in its early stages.

The young people in the county, whether employed or not, mostly stayed around and rarely went elsewhere for jobs.

Chen Hai, pulling Sun Jinzhong along, must have looked a bit odd, attracting quite a few glances from passersby.

Chen Hai didn't mind, but Sun Jinzhong started to feel embarrassed.

"Hai, no need to pull me; I can walk on my own!"

Pushing away Chen Hai's arm, Sun Jinzhong, looking curious, came closer and said, "I don't mind going with you to find Boss Li, but you need to tell me upfront, how confident are you about finding that grave for him!"

"I don't have full confidence, but I should have around seventy to eighty percent!"

Laughing, Chen Hai added, "If we really pull it off, out of the five thousand yuan reward, I'll give you a thousand!"

"Really?"

"Truer than real gold!"

"Alright then, your Brother Zhong is all in today. Whatever you say, I'll do. Just point and I'll hit the mark, guaranteed no mistakes!"

...

As the cousins talked, they quickly walked towards the direction of the Garden Hotel.