Chapter 2388: Chapter 1512: If There Is an Afterlife (Part 2)

When running a business, it’s essential to be enthusiastic towards your customers.

"Mm. Back for a drink."

A drink.

Sha City dialect.

It means attending a wedding, graduation, or birthday celebration.

"Are you working out of town?"

"Mm. For the sake of living, I had to leave my hometown."

The flower shop owner was amused, turned to look at him, "You must be joking, you look like a very outstanding person."

Boss Jiang, a master of social interaction, instantly closed the gap between himself and the young flower shop owner.

"How do you know I’m outstanding?"

"It’s a feeling."

While arranging flowers, the shop owner said, "I’m pretty accurate at judging people."

"You’re not planning to rip me off, are you?"

Jiang Chen suspected the compliment was insincere.

The female shopkeeper chuckled, "How could that be? Our shop has clearly marked prices."

With that, she paused.

"This bouquet is 88 yuan. If you find it too expensive, you can still opt not to buy it."

"Can it be a bit cheaper?"

"Nope~, it’s just a small business."

The woman’s smile wasn’t breathtaking but was very approachable. From her manner and courtesy, you could tell that business here must be good.

Amidst the banter, the bouquet was finally arranged.

"Give me 80, we’ll round off the change."

Though she said no haggling, she was quite generous.

But for a big shot like Boss Jiang, why take advantage of a small shopkeeper? He pulled out his wallet, conveniently had cash, took out a hundred-dollar bill, and elegantly placed it on the counter.

"No need for change."

He accepted the bouquet.

The female owner froze, probably not used to seeing such "generous" customers in a small city, and stopped Jiang Chen as he was turning to leave.

"Hey——"

Jiang Chen turned back and looked at her.

Her lips moved slightly, but she didn’t know what to say. After a bit, she picked up a greeting card, "Do you need...?"

Jiang Chen smiled slightly, "No need. Wishing you prosperous business."

The short-haired young female shop owner hesitated, ultimately showing doubt, tentatively asked, "Have you bought flowers here before?"

"You resemble a college classmate of mine."

"The arrangement for the flowers is beautiful."

With that, Jiang Chen turned around and walked out of the flower shop.

The young shop owner watched him leave her sight, then turned to look at the hundred-dollar bill, and couldn’t help but smile.

This is one of the joys of running a flower shop.

You meet many interesting people.

"Let’s go."

Jiang Chen held the flowers, opened the door, and got into the car.

Fang Qing tilted her head, "Only bought one bouquet?"

"You want one too?"

"Going empty-handed?"

"You’ve visited more often than I have, just this time I guess, they won’t mind."

Jiang Chen nonchalantly buckled up, "If they do mind, you can just blame me. After all, that’s your expertise."

Indeed, Fang Qing, who frequently tattled in childhood, started the car, sunglasses resting on her straight nose.

"Do you dream about Uncle Jiang and them?"

"I used to. Not much now. I looked it up, it said they don’t want me too preoccupied, they want me to live well."

Jiang Chen had a smile on his face, "You know, despite all the talk of how sinister people can be, when I searched online for these things, all the words were heartwarming."

Fang Qing envisioned a heartbroken young man seeking solace online, and her lips gently curved upward.

"I thought you were truly made of iron."

"Can’t say iron, reluctantly a tough guy, perhaps."

Fang Qing couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

"What’s so funny, if it were you, you’d definitely be crying your eyes out every night."

"What are you talking about!"

Realizing he spoke out of line, Jiang Chen quickly apologized, "Sorry about that. Make sure not to tell Uncle Fang any of this."

This has formed a psychological shadow.

Unfortunate people spend their lives healing their childhoods.

"You can spill secrets, and I can’t?"

"How about a 10% salary raise."

Money spoke when words were few, time had changed things; unlike childhood when apologizing was the only option, Jiang Chen decisively used "cash capability."

"You’re insulting me."

"30%."

Fang Qing remained unmoved.

"50%."

"Deal."

————

Baoshan Cemetery.

Jiang Chen placed the flowers down.

Sha City had banned firecrackers and fireworks starting ten years ago.

Jiang Chen asked Fang Qing to wait at the foot of the hill, but Fang Qing still followed and watched the man kneel at his parents’ grave, then calmly bow three times.

As a lawyer, despite witnessing many joys and sorrows of life, she was still quite moved seeing this.

Of course.

She wore sunglasses.

Did not show it on her face.

"Do you think my parents are tired of looking at your face? Would they wonder when I’ll bring a new person along?"

Alright.

His first words upon standing proved he is indeed tough.

No wonder Fang Qing was scheming in childhood.

Against people like him, can you manage without scheming?

Now, with such cheeky comments, one can only imagine how often he was begging for a beating back then.

Even Fang Qing, strong-willed as she is, couldn’t help but feel heavy-hearted. Standing before Uncle Jiang and them, she’d generally overlook it, but his comments were truly too outrageous.

"Who do you want to bring?"

She asked.

Jiang Chen remained silent.

"It’s your freedom whom you want to bring. But it also depends if Uncle Jiang and them would like them. Do you want them to pay you a visit in your dreams?"

In other words.

They would only like you?

Well, that’s true.

Jiang Chen was aware of his parents’ fondness for Fang Qing. Even in primary school, he often spoke of betrothal until they grew more sensible in middle school and gradually stopped mentioning it.

Both families were considered open-minded, knowing to respect their children’s wishes, not strictly enforcing parental commands, but having spoken of it for so many years, neighbors and playmates all knew, once not mentioned, can it be treated as nonexistent?

The two children’s minds had long been deeply influenced.

"I do hope they’d visit me in my dreams."

As childhood adversaries, Jiang Chen responded calmly, never backing down.

After venting some emotions, Fang Qing regained composure, refrained from engaging further at the grave.

"If they don’t visit your dreams, it’s both for your well-being and for their peace."

"True."

Jiang Chen gazed at the old photo on the tombstone, "We’ll meet again in the next life anyway."

"Next life?"

Knowing it’s inappropriate, yet as a law practitioner, Fang Qing couldn’t resist softly asking.

"Is there really a next life?"

Legal professionals, undoubtedly typically firm materialists.

"Don’t you think there isn’t?"

Fang Qing said nothing.

Jiang Chen gave a faint smile, looking at the gravestone.

"There’s a creature called the mayfly that can only live for 24 hours. It befriends a grasshopper, night falls, the grasshopper goes home, saying, see you tomorrow. The mayfly is surprised, there’s a tomorrow? Later the grasshopper meets a frog, which says, I’m going to hibernate, see you next year. The grasshopper feels bewildered, there’s a next year?"

"So. Unless you’ve been there, how can you be sure there isn’t a next life."

This time, perhaps not backing down, but actually finding it hard to counter, Fang Qing quietly listened, then gracefully smiled.

"Will the next life be exactly like this one?"

"This question... I’ll answer once I’m there."

Once you’re in the next life?

Fang Qing turned.

"Are you saying we’ll meet again in the next life?"

"Ever played a game? It’s somewhat like gaming; not exact, but the start should be unchanged, though future choices might lead to different paths and diverse futures... meaning we’ll still be neighbors." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

With that, Jiang Chen sighed, "Thinking this way, honestly, it’s not very pleasant."

Fang Qing withdrew her gaze.

"Unpleasant? I feel rather excited. I can torment you all over again."

Jiang Chen grimaced at his parents’ tomb, "Dad, Mom, you heard? Betrothed in the next life is okay, but remember to choose someone else, huh."

Fang Qing smiled gently, sunglasses concealing her eyes, her long hair flowing in the breeze.