BOSF 041: Signing the Contract

Shen Xiuqing spent a day getting along with Xiang Yang. It seemed she finally understood that the only way to communicate with him was through the opening of “the neighbor,” creating a shared topic of conversation. So that’s what “the cute kid next door” meant.

However, didn’t this nickname sound a bit intimate? It wasn’t the kind of name friends would give each other.

Shen Xiuqing stroked her chin. Her woman’s intuition made her sense something, and she smiled knowingly. A neighbor, wasn’t that like a childhood sweetheart? If there was mutual interest, it would be easy for feelings of affection to develop. Besides, that scenic photo of them “going to school together for the first time” had already revealed a clue. For this “neighbor” to take such good care of Xiang Yang, it didn’t seem like they had no feelings for him.

Ah, first love is so beautiful.

Although Shen Xiuqing was in sales, she still had a bit of an artist’s temperament, which was a tendency to get lost in her own thoughts. She didn’t realize she was about seventy to eighty percent correct, but she had gotten the neighbor’s gender wrong. In her imagination, this girl must be very gentle and cute, with a sweet smile, to have captured Xiang Yang’s young heart.

Having found this breakthrough, Shen Xiuqing’s spirits lifted. Although she knew Xiang Yang wasn’t a child anymore and was even taller than her, he was so pure that she felt as if she were luring a small child.

“Can I ask… what’s her name?”

“…Ji Yan.” This name was the only thing Xiang Yang could say smoothly.

“Ji Yan? That name’s a bit cute. Xiang Yang, do you want to be with her in the future?”

Xiang Yang looked at her with a puzzled and strange expression, as if he were in a daze, thinking, or perhaps not quite understanding what she meant, or maybe he just didn’t know how to express himself.

Shen Xiuqing realized this question might be a bit difficult for Xiang Yang, so she rephrased it more concretely: “What I mean is… do you want to protect her? Do you want to do everything with her, to see her first thing when you wake up in the morning, eat with her, watch TV with her, do fun things together, live under the same roof, or… marry her?”

It’s unclear whether it was the power of Shen Xiuqing’s words or if memories from the past suddenly flooded his mind. The image of Ji Yan looking utterly content while holding two pterosaurs, one large and one small…

Xiang Yang nodded vigorously. He was unusually agitated, so eager to express himself that his mouth opened, but he forgot to speak.

Shen Xiuqing was one step closer to a successful “abduction” and put in more effort, starting to speak effusively, “Xiang Yang, then you need to understand that to gain anything in this world, you must give something in return. That includes the food you eat every day, the clothes you wear, the house you live in, and the water and electricity you use. None of it comes from thin air; it all costs money. Money is very important. If you want to protect her and provide for her life and material needs, you need to earn money to make a living. You need a job. You need to earn enough money to support yourself, and to support her.”

Xiang Yang listened blankly, his expression a mix of question marks, but at the mention of anything related to Ji Yan, he still nodded.

Shen Xiuqing felt a bit like a missionary. Although she wasn’t sure how much Xiang Yang understood, she was still charmed by his expression. He was just too cute.

She resisted the urge to pinch Xiang Yang’s cheeks, took a moment to compose herself, then returned to a serious tone. 

“More importantly, Xiang Yang, you love origami, don’t you? I hope you can keep doing what you love. I will help you, and I believe… Ji Yan will support you too.”

This meeting had a profound impact on Shen Xiuqing. She didn’t want to give up on Xiang Yang, perhaps because she had seen his effort.

For ordinary people, wanting to work hard and change is easy. All it takes is a bit of thought and perseverance. But for some disadvantaged individuals, even the slightest change is of a difficulty they can’t even imagine.

On her way back to the hotel, she made a call again. The moment the other person picked up, she quickly interjected, “Teacher, I’ve thought it over, and I don’t want to give up. I’ve come all this way. Xiang Yang… his name is Xiang Yang, and I’m sure he can do it. He has a lot of potential and won’t give up halfway. If there are any difficulties, I can help him. Overtime is no problem…”

“Xiuqing,” the teacher on the other end of the line interrupted her. She didn’t try to stop her anymore, but said with a smile, “If you want to do it, then go ahead.”

This meant she agreed.

Shen Xiuqing paused for a moment, then said happily, “Thank you, Teacher.”

She hoped that this uncut gem in her hands could one day shine with a dazzling light. Even if it couldn’t compare to a diamond or other precious stones, at least it wouldn’t be buried under the soil, covered in dust.

Shen Xiuqing had persuaded Xiang Yang; the next step was to get his family’s consent.

Xiang Yang was already an adult. Although he had symptoms of autism, his parents had always raised him as a normal child and hadn’t applied for subsidies or social resources. Legally speaking, he was capable of making his own decisions, including those about his job and future. But out of courtesy and common sense, Shen Xiuqing still had to explain everything clearly to his parents and have them sign the contract to avoid future trouble.

Although Li Lilian knew the purpose of Shen Xiuqing’s visit from the start, she never truly believed Xiang Yang could support himself. She looked at the contract Shen Xiuqing brought, a little at a loss.

Shen Xiuqing’s attitude was excellent. 

“Auntie, if there’s anything you don’t understand, I can explain it to you.”

Although Li Lilian was literate, having lived in a small village for so long, she was somewhat resistant to outside matters, especially when it came to signing contracts. She was afraid of being scammed. She even tried to convince Shen Xiuqing to give up the idea. 

“I really don’t think Xiang Yang is up to it. He’ll definitely cause you trouble. Our family isn’t rich, but we can still afford to support Xiang Yang…”

Shen Xiuqing had visited Xiang Yang a few times and had a general sense of their family situation. Their problems weren’t something an outsider like her could interfere with. But this didn’t shake her resolve. She knew she had to change her approach and use potential benefits as a lure.

“Auntie, I understand Xiang Yang’s situation. Our studio has evaluated it and we believe it’s feasible, so you don’t need to worry. Trust me, we will make proper arrangements. If Xiang Yang becomes famous and earns money in the future, it will bring you honor too.”

These words were exactly what Li Lilian loved to hear. In the past, she hadn’t dared to let Xiang Yang go out for fear of losing face. Even if Shen Xiuqing was just saying nice things, she found them very agreeable. 

“He’ll… earn money?”

“Yes, we are a legally operated studio. I can leave our information with you.”

Li Lilian suddenly grew worried again. 

“You won’t ask for a fee upfront or anything, will you? I’ve heard from others that those are scam tactics. If you need to collect money, then never mind…”

“Auntie, no, you don’t need to worry about that.” 

Training and classes were considered part of the job, but it was clear Li Lilian didn’t want to pay for Xiang Yang’s food expenses when he was away, and Shen Xiuqing didn’t argue the point.

But Li Lilian was still hesitant. 

“But… I should probably discuss it with Xiang Yang’s father first. He knows more about this stuff, I don’t really get it.”

So, Shen Xiuqing left the contract with them and said she would visit again another day.

The next time Shen Xiuqing went, she deliberately chose a time when Xiang Yang’s father was also there. It was unclear which clause in the contract had moved Xiang Hongxiu, but as a businessman, he was more sensitive to money. The first thing he asked was, “If Xiang Yang earns money, is the commission distributed as a percentage?”

This was Shen Xiuqing’s first time dealing with Xiang Yang’s father. She thought he was worried their studio would mistreat Xiang Yang and quickly explained, “Yes, because the value of art is relatively high, we will try to get the best prices. This arrangement is more beneficial for Xiang Yang.”

Xiang Hongxiu nodded, then asked, “Then… can the money Xiang Yang earns be transferred directly into our account?”

Shen Xiuqing was stunned.

It seemed Xiang Hongxiu had long given up any expectations for Xiang Yang. He spoke bluntly, “You know Xiang Yang’s situation. Although he’s not a child anymore, he still can’t communicate with normal people. We’re worried he won’t know how to manage his money. What if he gets cheated? You can’t take responsibility for that either.”

Xiang Hongxiu’s mentality wasn’t hard to understand. If Xiang Yang earned money, they’d take it; if he didn’t, it didn’t matter, as they wouldn’t lose anything either way. He had raised Xiang Yang for so long, so taking his money seemed perfectly justified.

Shen Xiuqing lifted her teacup and took a sip of water to calm herself, then said, “Uncle, after Xiang Yang signs with us, he will have more opportunities to be out and about. We will also arrange for him to attend various events. All of this requires expenses. He needs to have some money on him; otherwise, it will look like our studio is mistreating him.”

She saw Xiang Hongxiu frown and switched to a placating strategy. 

“How about this: after we receive payment, I’ll transfer a portion of the funds into your account…”

Shen Xiuqing knew very well that if she didn’t compromise, Xiang Yang’s parents would never sign. Even if Xiang Yang’s parents weren’t very responsible, they had still raised him to adulthood. On this point, if Xiang Yang earned money and didn’t give them any, he could easily be criticized for being unfilial.

But she refused to let Xiang Yang be taken too much advantage of. She had a clever idea: the amount she promised to give his parents was roughly equivalent to what they had spent on Xiang Yang’s food, clothing, and living expenses growing up. This way, they could be considered even.

Shen Xiuqing was actually furious inside but didn’t show it. Her tact was precisely why she was suited for this job.

Sure enough, once Xiang Hongxiu and his wife saw that there was still money to be had, they stopped haggling and happily signed. From the very beginning, they had never placed any hope in Xiang Yang.

They didn’t know yet that this contract would one day play a very significant role, one that would make them regret this day to no end.