Chapter 17 Section 16

In early July, the eve of the National Day of the United States. Two unexpected guests came to Wang Qiming's house. When the doorbell rang, Guo Yan was frying the sauce. When she heard someone, she turned the fire to a low fire and opened the door. A man and a woman came. "Excuse me..." Guo Yan asked politely and alertly. "Can we come in?" The male guest said with a smile on his face, before the owner could say yes, he had already stepped into the door. Wang Qiming hurriedly put down the newspaper and went to meet the guests. I saw that the man who came was a short, fat man in his sixties, bald, with a ring of sparse gray hair around the top of his bright head, thick and round glasses on his round nose without a bridge of nose This old man is characterized by being round, with a round head and round chin, a round belly that cannot be covered by a charcoal-colored suit, and his speech is smooth.

"Boss Wang, I've looked up to you for a long time!" The old man was very good at talking, "My surname is also Wang. There are quite a few people with the surname Wang in China, but not many in the United States.So, no matter how we say it, we must be regarded as a family, don't you think? " As soon as Wang Qiming heard this talk, he knew that this person was very old-fashioned and good at talking, but because of his experience in the business world, Wang Qiming certainly knew that it is a taboo to do business easily, so he nodded frequently to the opening remarks of the visitor .

"I have admired the name of Boss Wang for a long time, and I just came to visit today; I wanted to make an appointment on the phone, but I thought you were a busy person, so I saved this set of procedures. Breaking in the door is considered an uninvited guest, so please invite Boss Wang Haihan! " "Don't be so polite!" Wang Qiming was annoyed by the person in front of him, but he had to make a very polite gesture. "However," the old man surnamed Wang changed the subject, and seemed to be about to get to the point, "My reckless visit was also for your sake. How could it be? I turned on the computer this morning, no, you are in In danger!"

This sudden alarmist talk made Wang Qiming feel ridiculous, so he didn't mind much, just smiled lightly. "Sir..." Wang Qiming asked politely. As soon as the visitor lifted the wobbly glasses on his nose, the woman immediately presented a business card. The cooperation was so tacit that Wang Qiming suspected that Na's movement of lifting his glasses was a secret signal. Wang Qiming didn't like the male and female visitors in front of him, so he took the business card to look at it. On the business card: Chinese General Agent of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

Wang Tangdi Wang Qiming respectfully put away Wang Tangdi's business card, and earnestly asked the visitor for advice: "You said I was in danger, and I don't quite understand." At this time, Guo Yan also put down the work in hand, turned off the range hood, and walked over. "Big problem, big problem, danger is danger, but you don't have to worry, I have brothers and I will take care of you, so you don't have to worry about it." After talking for a long time, the old man still didn't bring the topic into the topic. Wang Qiming knew that this old man was playing tricks, and insurance companies did the same thing. Anyway, they did everything possible to ask you to spend money on insurance, so he was not in a hurry, and patiently listened to this old man's cloudy talk.

"The current life insurance that depends on you was bought five years ago, but, according to our understanding, your current value does not match your insurance, and you must adjust it immediately." "Not matching? Sounds like a piece of machinery. Adjust? Adjust what?" "Ah, look at how busy you are, why don't you even know this? After all, it's my brother's fault. However, today is not too late." He took a sip of tea and was about to start a long lobbying speech. Wang Qiming secretly groaned in his heart.His stomach was already grumbling, and he was looking forward to quickly sucking the noodles into his mouth.

"Well, then," he said, "briefly, if you can adjust and add more, I'll give you a check at once. What do you think?" When the fat old man heard this, he smiled immediately: "I knew you are a straightforward person. But I have to tell you some truths. Your prosperity in recent years is obvious to all. Look at how magnificent this house is. You Look at how luxurious, rich, and elegant your furnishings are! Mrs. Wang, you are blessed just by looking at you, and you can tell that you are rich and honored by looking at your appearance..." Wang Qiming was afraid that he would drag the topic further, so he quickly intervened: "Can you tell me how much more?"

"Yes, wait," he checked the little book he had brought with him, "according to your current assets... a month is... $3,642 and 23 cents." "Why so many?" Guo Yan couldn't hold back anymore. "A lot? Mrs. Wang, who doesn't want to have more? Not everyone can have more. If you have more property, you must buy more insurance. In this world, how many women can have such a good husband like you? !" Wang Qiming did not expect that life insurance would have to pay so much every month. He asked, "Why is there so much insurance money?" "First, five years ago, you bought 300,000. Is your life worth 300,000? Of course it's more than that. Your current worth is two million.

"Second, you have been doing business by flying a car for many years, and the probability of accidents is a little higher than that of ordinary people. If something happens, you leave and leave your wife with 300,000 yuan, is it enough for her to live for half a lifetime? ? Of course not. A great cause like yours will cost 300,000 yuan to last for three and a half years at most." "If something really happens to me, my wife can sell the property and save a fortune," he said deliberately. "Wait!" The old man suddenly interrupted Wang Qiming, "this is the purpose of my coming today, which is why you are in danger, which is the third reason. It seems that you don't understand American real estate. Sales tax law and estate tax law."

"It's not very clear." "Let's talk about the real estate sales tax law first. When you bought this house, you only paid the down payment, and most of it was borrowed from the bank, right? When you sold it, you thought you made a few profits, but you want I know, the tax bureau, if you want to take away 58% of the money you earn, after paying off the bank loan, how much money do you have left? To catch up with the bad times and the sharp drop in real estate, you have to pay back Add a few. Even if you don’t post them, if you catch up with the good times, you won’t have much left,” he said straightforwardly, with a strong voice, and his voice became louder and spit.He took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his round head, and continued: "It's not important, the most important thing is the inheritance tax law.

"Let's say you have an accident tomorrow and leave without saying goodbye. The day the ambulance takes you to the cemetery, the tax office arrives in time to impose heavy taxes on your wife. This tax is called inheritance tax.Its ratio is that all property in your name must be paid 69%, plus legal fees, which is almost 70%.Even if you sell all your properties, plus the 300,000 you have insured, it is still not enough to pay the inheritance tax!You say how terrible and dangerous it is.By then, your wife will have nothing and nowhere to hide. " It was the first time for Wang Qiming and Guo Yan to hear about it, so they listened with straight eyes and did not interrupt him.Seeing that the time was ripe, he exaggerated: "How many noble ladies, after the death of their husbands, drifted away to flee their debts everywhere. How many children of rich and noble families became homeless overnight. It's a sad thing to say. , Some of them committed suicide, and some were sent to poor people's asylums, waiting for the government's handouts. How pitiful! How miserable. The reason why they ended up in this situation is because they didn't buy life insurance!" The old man's last sentence was so much like an advertisement, it almost wiped out the previous sincere words. "Then what if I don't die?" Wang Qiming said teasingly. "It's impossible," insisted the old man most odiously, "it's absolutely impossible. Who can avoid death, must die, sooner or later! " Hearing the words of the old man, Wang Qiming felt very uncomfortable, but considering the characteristics of the old man's profession, he couldn't hold back his face and call the fat old man a bastard. Guo Yan also seemed a little tired of listening, and interjected: "What if we both die together?" "Yes, similar to Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai." Wang Qiming also said the same. "No, no, no," the fat old man said with a sophisticated smile, "this possibility is too small." "But what if that's the case?" "If this is the case, three hundred days after the two died, the government will take back all your property and turn it into government property for auction." Wang Qiming didn't interrupt again.He had heard of it. The fat old man saw a show, so he said while the iron was hot: "Are you willing to return the fruits of your hard work all your life to the United States? Are you willing to leave your wife alone in the world?" "What do you think I should do?" "Adjustment." "What tune?" "From 300,000 to 2 million." "That's a lot of money for me. Four thousand!" "You are a smart businessman. I don't need to mention it, but you can understand. With 4,000 yuan, the company paid out, evaded taxes, and kept the property. Why not do it?" "Okay," he made up his mind and nodded. With that said, he got up to get the check book. The fat old man guessed what he meant, and immediately said: "Don't bother you to write a check every month. Just tell me, your bank account number will be obtained, and our company will transfer the account. Isn't this more worry-free for you?" Wang Qiming didn't say anything, but admired in his heart: Look at this business, you have nowhere to hide. He told the fat old man the account number and signed his name. The fat old man stood up, thanked him all over his body, and bowed a few times. His shiny head was about to touch the table several times. After they left, Wang Qiming said to Guo Yan: "After today, I have another ancestor, and I have to be the third grandson of Baobao Gonghuai, and I will be filial to him on time every month." "Who told you to buy it?" Guo Yan said and served the noodles with fried sauce. "It's not for you." He ate the noodles and said, "If I really die first, how can you live alone?" "What's so stinky, I really thought I couldn't live without you." "It's not that you can't live without me, it's that I can't live without you." "Speaks better than sings." Although Guo Yan said so, in fact, she thinks the same as all women living in the United States. She will only depend on her husband for the rest of her life. It is a fantasy to expect her children to take care of her. In the United States, why people are not old yet, but they always think about things after they get old?There is a very simple reason here, that is, the United States does not provide for the aged. Fourth of July is America's Independence Day. They have already arranged the activities for this day. In New York, there is a "one place" restaurant that specializes in selling Beijing snacks.It is the only restaurant in New York that sells Beijing snacks. It is truly the only place.The two of them prepared breakfast in "the only place". The boss of "One Place" is from Taiwan, and his surname is He.Don't think it's from Taiwan, but it's an out-and-out old Beijing, and it's like a Beijing movie when you open your mouth. Wang Qiming likes to come here, one is to eat some Beijing snacks to relieve his craving, and the other is to enjoy the addiction of speaking Beijing dialect.In the United States, it is a blessing for the ears to be full of foreign languages ​​and to be able to hear a few sentences of pure Beijing dialect. "Hey! What's the matter, Boss Wang, Mrs. Wang! Is it sesame seed cake, sweet soy milk, or noodle tea, kidney bean cake, and candy ear today?" Boss He spoke in a crisp Beijing accent, which made Wang Qiming feel refreshed. "Today we have to change things up," Wang Qiming said, "You bring me a set of satchels for fire, two sets of sesame biscuits with sauced beef, and two bowls of millet porridge with shredded radish in sauce and some small Grind sesame oil." He ordered the food in this way, not for the actual number of dishes, but for the enjoyment of speaking Beijing dialect. This is the "only place" in such a big New York that can show that we are authentic Beijingers so freely. "How come it's the National Day today, and your place seems deserted?" Wang Qiming sat at the dining table and chatted with Boss Hugh. "You still can't see the code? If things go on like this, sooner or later the store will be closed." Boss He said with a heart-wrenching look, "Let me tell you this, opening this kind of store, I was unlucky and left by mistake. One move. I don’t want to eat here, saying it’s nogood. Cantonese people don’t recognize our Beijing food. Taiwanese people only look for restaurants that smell fishy. There are not many Beijingers from mainland China. , but I spent 200,000 yuan on the decoration of this shop, making it look like a small Tiananmen Square. But people here are watching from a distance, and he rarely comes in to eat. Tell me, what do I have? Zhe, me, huh? Hi!" "You, you have to wait a little longer. Maybe after another year or so, things will turn around. Maybe, at that time, people will recognize Beijing Chishier, and your business will start to grow? " Don't comfort me.I'm not the same as you, you are a big boss, you can post money if you have money, but I can't.My two hundred thousand was saved from between my teeth. Now, there is not a penny left, and it is all thrown in. " Wang Qiming wanted to continue, but at this time, Guo Yan poked him, meaning stop teasing him, he was very sad. When Boss He stopped talking, he shouted: "Xiao Li! Serve the food quickly, don't make Boss Wang wait too long!" A short boy wearing a dirty apron trotted out of the kitchen and put two bowls of millet porridge on the table. Wang Qiming looked up: "Hey, isn't this Xiao Li? Why, you haven't left the restaurant in the past ten years?" What surprised him was not seeing his old friend, but the fate of Xiao Li, a master of biology. "Who is as lucky as you? You can't pick one out of 10,000. Why don't I run a restaurant?" Xiao Li still dressed in the same way and spoke the strong Zhejiang dialect. "How is it, how are you doing recently?" Wang Qiming stood up and shook hands with Xiao Li, and Guo Yan also stood up. "What's the matter, why don't you just hang around as usual." When Xiao Li spoke, he looked very embarrassed, revealing the self-ashamed feeling of ordinary men in front of successful people. Guo Yansheng was afraid that Xiao Li would be embarrassed, so he said politely: "Let's sit down together, chat and eat." "Xiao Li, there is still plenty of work in the kitchen, why are you dawdling outside!" A man's voice came from the kitchen. Xiao Li quickly let go of his hand, said goodbye, and rushed into the kitchen, and then uttered his special Zhejiang tune: "What are you crazy about, what's your name, I'm in a restaurant, you haven't Come to America." In the afternoon, they went for a walk in Central Park and unconsciously brought up the matter again. Guo Yan reminded Wang Qiming: "Don't talk carelessly when you have money, whether it hurts other people's self-esteem or not, it's easy to hurt people like this." "I don't mean that." "He is really pitiful. He has been working in restaurants for so many years, so he can't get along." "Hey, there are people who are worse than him, like the two of us, who can make it through, very few!" "I don't mean myself, I mean, I have a wonderful wife!" "It's getting less and less positive." They walked and talked, strolling in New York's Central Park.On the grass, there are sunbathers everywhere, it is like a living meat stall, men wear briefs, women wear bikinis, lying horizontally and vertically, a large area. Fireworks will be set off here at night, so there are already a sea of ​​people here, each looking for a favorable terrain to occupy the territory. The two of them walked to the edge of the lake. Although it was hot summer, the breeze on the lake made them very comfortable. They walked slowly hand in hand. There are a bunch of people ahead. Although Wang Qiming is in his forties, but he is not particularly curious, he is very greedy for excitement, and wants to squeeze into the crowd. Guo Yan stood alone outside the crowd and waited. After a while, Wang Qiming squeezed out another bead of sweat from the crowd, and happily said to his wife: "You said it was a coincidence, there is such a coincidence in the world, look, who is in it—Chen Fen!" Guo Yan looked inside and saw that he was a casually dressed painter, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't remember where he heard the familiar name Chen Fen. Painter Chen Fen put down his brush from the center of the crowd, walked out, and hugged Wang Qiming tightly. "Get up!" "Chen Fen!" While hugging Chen Fen, Wang Qiming recalled Guo Yan's memories: "Seven years ago, classic cars, the American sun, poetry..." "Oh, that poem in Praise of the Sun!" Guo Yan got up. "I heard a long time ago that the two of you are dating." Chen Fen also seemed very excited. "I want to find you, but I can't find your phone number!" "How are you doing?" "What's the matter?" Chen Fen, like Xiao Li, talked about his situation with a bit of bitterness. "Still drawing?" "I'm still painting. I've been painting in this Central Park for so many years, and I haven't moved anywhere. Painting, painting these old beauties, and earning a few change." "Business is okay?" "This job is similar to the old peasants in northern Shaanxi. They depend on the weather for their food; but the law is a bit opposite. The old peasants hope for rain, and I hope for dry and sunny days. The drier the better! Otherwise, if there are no portraits, I will have no business. " "How about the rain?" "When it rains or snows, it's over. I can only stay at home and take a nap!" Wang Qiming and his wife noticed that Chen Fen's face was dark and thin. While talking, someone sat on the small bench in front of Chen Fen's shelf. "Hey, business is over! Let's talk when we have time!" Chen Fen hurriedly sat back. In order not to affect Chen Fen's business, Wang Qiming and Guo Yan decided to leave. He left his business card on the paint box that Chen Fen opened, asked Chen Fen to call next week, and left quickly. They were walking by the lake, and no one spoke again.They are congratulating themselves.