Black people? Black people again … Jiang Cheng could only shake his head and smile wryly when he heard this. It seemed that once a territory was occupied by a black person, it would not be any better. It would only get worse and worse, and become a place of filth.
For example, the residential area in front of them. As long as they spent a little money to clean up the environment, and kept their men from causing trouble, and the living environment was good, there would be more people living here, and the level would also be higher. Naturally, they would be able to collect more protection fees and management fees. But they did not even understand this little principle. Perhaps they did, but they could not control their men from causing trouble. Unrestrained savagery seemed to be a genetic trait of the black people. (Very few of them were genetic mutations, such as Jonathon, Tagore, and so on.)
Come to think of it, the black people here were like the property management of a residential area in China. It was just that they only collected money and did not do anything, allowing the residential area to be dirty and messy.
Jiang Cheng smiled wryly and nodded. "Alright, lead the way."
Kedar walked in front, and Jiang Cheng consciously leaned against Britney. They were in an unfamiliar place, and he was not familiar with the terrain. He did not want to give Kedar a chance to escape like an idiot.
After walking for a few minutes, the group entered a narrow alley. The alley was extremely inconspicuous, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It was dark and secluded, and those who did not know would think it was a dead end.
Kedar was the first to enter the alley, followed by Jiang Cheng, and Britney. After walking for about 30 seconds, their vision widened, and a low, run-down bungalow appeared in front of them. The house was originally painted white, but now it was light yellow. One could imagine how old it was.
"It's this house. My family of three lives here, but please just say that you're my friend and don't mention anything else. Otherwise, my wife … she'll worry," Kedar stuttered as he begged Jiang Cheng for help.
"No problem. Don't worry, I'm only resting here for two days. I'll leave when the time is up." Jiang Cheng waved his hand slowly and smiled.
Britney glanced at Jiang Cheng. She wanted to say something but hesitated. Then, she lowered her head and looked at the ground in silence.
Jiang Cheng walked into the house and found that it was very small. It was less than a hundred square meters in size, and there were two bedrooms and a living room. Of course, the bathroom and bathroom were also prepared. Even though it was small, it had all the essentials. However, when he walked into the room, he did not see Kedar's wife come out, which puzzled him a little.
"Where's your wife?" Jiang Cheng asked Kedar.
"She … she has been bedridden all year round. She has a very serious illness," Kedar stuttered.
In order to treat his wife's illness, Kedar had spent almost all the money he earned on medical expenses. Otherwise, his family would not be so poor. Not long ago, the doctors had finally found the cause of his wife's illness, but if they wanted to treat her, they would need 500,000 USD at a time. He was shocked at the time, and now he could only save up little by little. But with his income, he would not be able to save up 500,000 USD without a few years of hard work.
Although the United States had so-called free medical care for all, it was a big mistake to think that one did not need to spend money to see a doctor just because of this. Although medical care was free in name, the medicine was free. Hospitalization fees, equipment fees, doctor's visit fees, and so on were all free. There were all kinds of fees, and there was that so-called free medicine. Was it possible for the rich and the poor to enjoy the same treatment and medical environment?
Every year, many families in the United States declared bankruptcy because of medical care or insurance. They relied on the government's relief fund to survive, but what was that little amount of relief fund? For example, if each person could receive 800 USD per month, that would be more than 5,000 RMB. Don't forget, this 800 USD was for living in the United States and not in China. The prices were high, and the real standard of living might not even be as good as the low-income households in China.
Moreover, the United States was privately owned. Every year, many people sold their land because of drug addiction or other reasons, and in the end, they could only become homeless children. To deal with these people, the United States had a special institution — the Social Welfare Institute. It was specially prepared for homeless "dogs." The lives of the people living there were unimaginable if they did not see it for themselves.
"I'm sorry …" Jiang Cheng said apologetically. He felt that he had brought up something he should not have.
"Darling, Britney, are you back?" A woman's gentle voice suddenly came from one of the bedrooms.
Britney immediately ran into the bedroom, calling out as she ran, "Mommy …" Before her voice trailed off, she had already entered the bedroom. Then came the sound of two people whispering and laughing. But to Jiang Cheng, it sounded like the woman was forcing herself to laugh.
"Why aren't you staying in the hospital?" Jiang Cheng asked Kedar.
Kedar was silent for a long time before he said, "Because … of money. Let's not talk about that. If you really want to stay here tonight, then stay in my daughter's room. I'll let her stay with me and my wife."
"No need. I'll sleep on this sofa tonight." Jiang Cheng raised his hand and pointed at the sofa next to the living room with a smile. It was only by staying in the living room that he could monitor everyone's movements. If he stayed in a small bedroom alone, Kedar might escape with his daughter and wife without him knowing.
Kedar nodded silently. If it was possible, he really hoped that Jiang Cheng would leave this place as soon as possible. They were just an honest, normal family. If Jiang Cheng was caught and they were charged with harboring a criminal, what should they do?
Another two hours later, Britney started cooking lunch. The dishes were some of the fish they had harvested that morning. She had taken some for herself before selling them. She busied herself in the toilet with an apron around her. She was skilled and her movements were smooth. Her graceful posture when she cooked was as beautiful as a piece of art. Now that the food had been cooked, even before it was served, a fragrant aroma wafted out of the kitchen.
The kitchen and living room of Kedar's house were connected. Jiang Cheng sat in the living room and looked at Britney in the kitchen while his eyes swept around. Honestly, this American named Kedar's family was really poor. There was an old smell everywhere, including this house.
Soon, it was time for lunch. Britney reserved some food for her mother before sitting at the table with Kedar and Jiang Cheng. They lowered their heads to eat, and the atmosphere was a little gloomy. Britney and Kedar were like prisoners under Jiang Cheng's custody.
It seemed that his actions had scared them. Jiang Cheng smiled bitterly. "You don't have to be so nervous. I'm only staying here for two days. As long as you don't tell anyone about me, I can guarantee your safety."
Britney and Kedar looked at each other and did not speak. The atmosphere at the table was still gloomy and awkward. In their hearts, they had already regarded Jiang Cheng as a wanted criminal, so they were especially afraid and worried.
Jiang Cheng could guess what they were thinking. Unfortunately, they guessed wrong. He was not guarding against the police, but the mafia. But it could not be helped that they thought he was a bad guy. If he did not say something fierce, he might not be able to control them. But when he returned home and saw that there was a sick person in their house, and it was a poor and honest family at that, he could not help but feel a sense of kinship and empathy from the bottom of his heart, reminding him of the poor days he had lived with his mother.
After the meal, Kedar had already returned to his room to feed his wife while Britney began to clear away the cutlery, plates, and forks. Jiang Cheng sat on the sofa with his eyes closed, cultivating his Qi. He did not sit cross-legged, but instead cultivated quietly. While he was cultivating, he was actually aware of everything around him, including the sound of Britney wiping the dishes with a rag, Kedar whispering to his wife in the bedroom … He heard everything clearly!
Suddenly, Jiang Cheng's expression changed. He opened his eyes and looked outside the house. He heard heavy footsteps outside, and they were getting closer and closer. Many people were approaching and were about to enter the house.
With a bang, the door to Kedar's house was kicked open.
A black man appeared outside the door. Oh, no, it should be a group. There were more than ten people behind him, and all of them looked arrogant and domineering. The black man in the lead was wearing a smooth white shirt with many red triangular patterns on his mouth. His head was wrapped in a scarf with white dots on it, and he exuded an aura of hippie humor mixed with idiocy. (At least, that was how Jiang Cheng saw it.)
"Kedar!" The Negro shouted as he entered the room, kicking at the furniture and knocking over the hangers and cupboards, which scattered clothes and shoes on the floor.
Kedar, who was in the bedroom, heard the shout and immediately ran out. When he saw the group of black men, his face turned ugly, filled with fear and panic.
"Kedar, you're still living here?! I told you, hurry up and sell this land to us! "The black man in the red scarf sneered at Kedar.
"Kennessel, we really have no choice but to live here. We don't have the money to move outside. This land … I can't sell it," Kedar said with an ugly expression.
Jiang Cheng sat on the sofa and watched quietly. He could tell that these black men wanted to chase Kedar's family out and force them to sell the land to the black men. Given Kedar's family situation, asking them to move out and live somewhere else was no different from killing him. They did not have the financial resources to support such a move, and these black men were basically forcing his family into a dead end.
Moreover, Jiang Cheng could imagine even with his toes that the price these black people had paid for the land must have been very low. It was like a forceful transaction, forcing Kedar's family to submit.
"If you don't want to move out, that's fine. Pay the management fee. We're here to collect the management fee. It's five thousand dollars this month!" the black man in the red scarf said with a smile.
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