Chapter 117: Chapter 117: The Old Man’s Failed Escape
After training and practice, Tao Ti was finally able to get into the water and start diving.
Small and fully equipped, with flippers on his feet, he looked just like a cute little duck.
Tao Mo turned into a photo-taking maniac, continuously pressing the shutter and sending the photos to his spouse, who sent back an emoji saying “Love you!” Tao smiled happily, his eyes crinkling with joy.
Cheng Guodong and Little Taotie went into the water, and Tao Mo looked at Qin Xin beside him in surprise, “You’re not going down?”
Qin Xin glanced at him and muttered, “Same as you.”
“What do you mean, same as me—” His words cut off abruptly as Tao Mo suddenly realized, “You’re a landlubber too?”
Qin Xin smirked, “So, you’re admitting you’re a landlubber?”
Tao Mo, greatly annoyed, resigned himself, “So what if I am? Everyone has flaws. Being too perfect might make the heavens jealous; talented people dying young…”
Qin Xin looked at him sideways, and Tao Mo’s voice grew softer until it faded away.
Qin Xin narrowed his eyes and looked toward the life assistant.
The life assistant had a bad feeling, and sure enough, he heard Qin Xin speak in a soft voice, “I didn’t ask clearly before, but now can you explain in detail, why do you call my sister ‘Miss’?”
“I…” The life assistant felt like crying but was tearless; he thought Qin Xin had forgotten, but there he was waiting for him!
Could he still run away now?
The thought flashed through his mind, and as he turned to run, his fate was sealed by Elder Chen grabbing the back of his collar!
Turning around, he met Elder Chen’s fierce gaze.
“You actually slipped up! I definitely need to dock your pay!”
“No, don’t! You’ve already docked a lot of my pay, and you said you wouldn’t give me a new year’s bonus or annual bonus! If you dock anymore, I won’t have money to send back home, and my younger brothers and sisters won’t be able to afford their schooling…”
The moment the life assistant started his sob story, Elder Chen couldn’t quite hold it in anymore and grunted in frustration, “I can give you the red envelope and the annual bonus, but you must show me the remittance receipt, and you can’t hide a single penny!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll show you, and I absolutely won’t hide any! You know what I’m like; I am known as the stingy one at work! There’s a canteen at the company where I eat all my meals, and the company reimburses my rent. All my salary, to the last penny, is sent back home!”
Elder Chen slightly furrowed his brow, then changed his tone, disapproving, “You shouldn’t send all of it back either. You’re not getting any younger; you should start saving some ‘wife funds’ for yourself!”
The life assistant touched his nose, his ears turning red, and said quietly, “Xiao Yu isn’t materialistic, and besides, she wants me to marry into her family…”
“Wait!” Tao Mo interrupted him, asking incredulously, “Xiao Yu? Old Man Chen’s prized daughter?”
“Cough cough…” The life assistant nodded shyly, “She says I’m honest and reliable with no wandering eye. If we can get through the seven-year itch, we’ll go register our marriage.”
“So how long have you two been together?”
“After the new year, we’ll have made it.”
Tao Mo patted the life assistant on the shoulder, “You sly dog, quite the master of hiding!” He paused, smacked his forehead as he remembered, “I came here to settle accounts with you!” His hands on his hips, he angrily said, “You can keep a tight lip about your own love life, hiding it for seven years, but why did you blurt out mine! Were you doing this on purpose? Blaming me for always picking on you and seeking revenge!”
The life assistant wiped away sweat, thinking he had smoothly shifted away from the topic, but it had come full circle back to him.
Tao Mo subtly signaled with his eyes, which the life assistant caught while wiping his sweat, proving they had indeed been together for many years—he immediately grasped what Elder Chen meant.
“I really didn’t do it on purpose, Elder, please, don’t be angry! You have high blood pressure, coronary heart disease; you really can’t afford to get angry! Ah! Elder, what’s happening to you, I’ll take you to the hospital right away!”
The life assistant hurried to support the gasping, about to faint Tao Mo.
As the two were about to leave, Qin Xin chuckled and clapped his hands, “So Little Taotie’s acting skills are inherited from your excellent genes after all!”