He opened the door, and his initially smiling face instantly fell when he saw the little kids inside.
"Go on, this is not a place to play," he opened the door, letting the two kids out, wondering whose prank it was to leave two kids here.
Qin Xiangyang turned around. Although his face still looked childish, children from poor families mature early; he already had a somewhat composed demeanor.
"Uncle, we want to contract the food market."
"You want to contract the food market?"
The deputy director felt a vein throbbing on his forehead.
The thought of two little kids wanting to contract the food market was the biggest joke he’d heard that day.
"Yes, we want to contract the food market," Qin Xiangyang placed a bag on the table, "Uncle, this is five thousand yuan. If we can talk, the five thousand yuan is yours."
The deputy director still didn’t believe it. He walked over, too tired to chase the kids away again, and stuffed the bag back into Qin Xiangyang’s arms, "Be good, go find your mom and go home. This isn’t a place for you to play, hurry off, so your mom doesn’t worry."
Qin Xiangyang hung his head, clutching the bag in his hands.
"Uncle, our mom passed away a long time ago."
The deputy director was suddenly choked up, unable to speak.
Qin Xiangnuan took the bag from Qin Xiangyang’s hands, opened it, and placed it on the table.
"Uncle, this is five thousand yuan, left for us by our mom. She wanted us to contract a food market, as her dying wish. We want to fulfill her wish. Dad said this money is ours to use, so we get to decide, Uncle," she jumped down from the chair.
She gently tugged at the deputy director’s sleeve, her big eyes brimming with tears, "Uncle, please, can you help us? Mom always wanted a food market," she spoke without stuttering, feeling sorry inside for using her deceased mom’s name.
The deputy director wasn’t sure how he was swayed by this little kid. Before he knew it, the contract was signed, and both parties had pressed their fingerprints; the contract was complete. The deputy director looked at the counted five thousand yuan on the table. He had signed a contract with two little kids—no one would believe this if it got out.
So, he pressed his temples, deciding it’s better not to tell the truth. Others wouldn’t understand; he’d explain it normally. After all, they were just fulfilling their mother’s wish, and they probably wouldn’t ruin the market. It was only a ten-year contract, and ten years would pass quickly anyway.
That’s what he believed, and so did everyone else. But ten years was enough time to bring tremendous changes to the city of S.
The factory director not only praised the deputy director in front of all the workers for successfully handling this matter but also awarded him fifty yuan. However, the deputy director could only wryly smile, suddenly recalling the soft-spoken little girl’s words before she left.
Somehow, inexplicably, he really believed her.