《After Marrying the Officer》


 Chapter 1: Dying with Eyes Open

    Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Dying with Eyes Open


    After a hard day''s work, Xia Chuyi rubbed her shoulders and continued to tidy up the kitchen.


    Bang, a noise came from behind her.


    She turned around, startled, and saw a middle-aged man, plump and balding, wearing an ill-fitting jacket, jumping down from beside the wall.


    At the sight of the man, Xia Chuyi''s body tensed up suddenly, both shocked and scared,


    "He Qing? What are you doing!" she angrily demanded.


    He Qing, her ex-fiance? and also her former brother-in-law, had been pestering and harassing her in her shop ever since they bumped into each other at the vegetable market last month.


    To avoid him, she had even started closing the shop unusually early, but who knew he would actually climb over the back wall!


    What the hell did this bastard want?


    "I just came to check on you, Chuyi. After all, we were once family..." he rubbed his hands while licking his lips.


    "Who''s family with you? You were Xia Family''s son-in-law, and I''ve severed ties with the Xia Family long ago. Get out, get out of my shop!"


    Xia Chuyi felt so nauseous.


    "Don''t say that, Chuyi. You haven''t married all these years, aren''t you keeping yourself pure for me?" He Qing flashed a sleazy disgusting smile, "It''s been a long time since you tasted a man, hasn''t it?"


    He lunged at her.


    "Help!" Xia Chuyi ran for the door, screaming as she sprinted.


    He Qing caught up to her in two steps, covering her mouth tightly with one hand and strangling her neck with the other.


    "Good Chuyi, if you like to scream, I''ll let you scream enough on the bed later!" He Qing''s tone became more obscene.


    Xia Chuyi fiercely shook her head, thrashing and kicking at him.


    Ignoring her resistance, he dragged her towards the small bedroom behind the shop.


    Realizing his intentions, she struggled even more fiercely; her hands unintentionally brushed against the dishes in the cupboard.


    Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed a stack of porcelain bowls, flinging them forcefully at He Qing.


    Bang,


    The porcelain bowls shattered on the floor.


    He Qing momentarily paused his actions, cursing, "You bitch!"


    A sharp pain in her scalp, her hair was fiercely pulled, and she was yanked up by He Qing who grabbed her collar and slammed her hard towards the cupboard.


    Her body hit the cupboard hard, causing intense blunt pains in her organs. She fell to the floor like a kite with a broken string.


    Crash¡ªthe dishes in the cupboard spilled out, shattering upon her.


    Sszz¡ªa glassy piercing sound as shards lodged into her flesh.


    The back of her head was pierced by a piece of those porcelain shards.


    She moaned, the taste of blood spreading in her nose and mouth, fluid slowly seeping from the back of her head, drenching a large patch of hair, and trickling down to the ground.


    Seeing the blood, He Qing was shocked.


    "Chuyi, I didn''t mean it, I didn''t mean it..."


    "He... Qing... If I die... I won''t... let you go!" Xia Chuyi gasped, enduring the severe pain, word by word.


    He Qing stepped back twice, his voice panicking.


    "No, no, no... not my fault... it was Xia Lan, Xia Lan sent me!"


    "It was her all those years ago too, she was the one who drugged you and Huo Shiqian..."


    At this, the fading consciousness of Xia Chuyi widened her eyes: "What... did you say?"


    Xia Lan? It was her!


    No wonder that day, despite her not coming home all night, it was only in the morning Xia Lan anxiously and "worriedly" began searching everywhere for her. Then, "coincidentally" found her entangled with Huo Shiqian, drugged and bruised.


    "It''s all Xia Lan, all Xia Lan..." He Qing shouted as he fled out of the shop.


    "Xia Lan..." she used all her strength to cry out that name that had led to a lifetime of tragedies for her.


    Why, why!


    She ruined her thirty years ago, and now a second time, thirty years later!


    Xia Lan!


    What grudge do I hold against you!


    She was very unwilling to let it go!


    Clenching her teeth, with a bloody hand, she moved inch by inch towards her phone... Her bloody fingerprint moved less than an inch, the blood''s owner''s consciousness began to blur, thoughts scattering.


    Past years flashed before her eyes like scenes from a movie.


    Her life had been hard, her father died early and her mother was weak, grandparents favored her cousin, forced to quit school when young, lost her virginity before marriage, fiance? snatched away, forced to marry an old widower, causing her uncle''s death, driven out of the house...


    A trail of tears mixed with blood slowly slid from Xia Chuyi''s eye; she never managed to reach her phone. The blood from her head soaked the fragmented ceramics red.


    She died with her eyes open.

 Chapter 2: Bizarre Rebirth

    Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Bizarre Rebirth


    Xia Chuyi had a dream, in which she returned to the military guesthouse on that day.


    Outside the guesthouse, the world was a frozen expanse of ice and snow; inside the room, her body burned like hot coals, her restlessness unbearable.


    She was pinned under the body of a robust man.


    The temperature of the man''s body was even higher than hers.


    The dream was too realistic; Xia Chuyi struggled to open her eyes and lifted her weak arms, trying to touch the man''s handsome face.


    "Huo... Shi... Qian..."


    Her lips trembling, tears of a physical reaction flowed ceaselessly.


    All of this marked the beginning of a nightmare... A surge of fury suddenly rose in her heart, her eyes flashed with intensity, she put strength into her arms, pulling the two of them closer, opened her mouth, and fiercely bit down on his robust neck.


    Her resistance only provoked a more intense reaction from the man.


    The night passed in this manner.


    When she came to her senses again, Xia Chuyi was staring dazedly at the ceiling of the guesthouse.


    The real sensation of pain told her this was not a dream.


    So, had she been reborn? Had she returned to that morning which she had desperately wished to end, to that morning which had led her life into a great tragedy?


    In her last life, when she woke up and found herself defiled by a stranger, she had completely broken down, crying and waking up the drugged Huo Shiqian.


    Huo Shiqian woke up with a cold expression and questioned her if it was her who had drugged him.


    What had her response been at the time?


    She had heard his words and hysterically screamed, calling him a rapist and lunging at him to tear at him.


    She couldn''t quite remember Huo Shiqian''s reaction because right after, the voice of her cousin Xia Lan came from outside the door.


    Xia Lan had come with He Qing and his comrades to look for her.


    At that time, her mind had been a complete mess, filled with hatred for the man before her. She had been clinging to Huo Shiqian, and the door was quickly forced open by the people outside.


    Xia Lan and her party entered, immediately seeing her and Huo Shiqian in their disheveled state.


    After that, Huo Shiqian was reassigned to a mysterious unit in the Southwest due to personal conduct issues, while her engagement was called off by He Qing and she returned home heartbroken.


    Reflecting on this, Xia Chuyi felt that this nightmare, though it seemed to be hers, was actually more of Huo Shiqian''s.


    He was a fine military officer, who had been dragged down by her and nearly had his career cut short.


    But fortunately, in the end, he still climbed to a high position.


    Many years later, she would often see his interviews on television, while his name had become one that even search engines needed to censor.


    "Was it you who drugged me last night?" The man''s voice rang in Xia Chuyi''s ears.


    Huo Shiqian''s question was exactly the same as in her past life.


    This time, she was no longer hysterical.


    "I..." She began, only to discover that her throat was very hoarse.


    "Speak up, who sent you?" The man asked coldly, his face stern.


    Rubbing her throat, she calmly looked at him.


    How strange it was, the demonic voice from her memory that seemed cold and heartless, now sounded deep and magnetic to her.


    Huo Shiqian, in this life, let''s be a bit more harmonious.


    Xia Chuyi silently wished in her heart.

 Chapter 3: Telling the Truth

    Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Telling the Truth


    Xia Chuyi grabbed the blanket and covered herself.


    She glanced at Huo Shiqian. He had woken up earlier than her and was already dressed neatly.


    Leaning on her hand, her body slowly wriggled backwards until she sat up against the wall at the head of the bed.


    "There''s no one..." Her throat was still very uncomfortable. She swallowed to moisten it, which made her feel somewhat better. She continued in a hoarse voice, "Believe it or not, I was also set up."


    "I don''t know you, and you don''t know me. Why would I compromise my chastity to set you up?" She looked sincerely into his eyes, plainly interpreting the situation.


    Now, it was a time when premarital loss of virginity could lead to public vilification.


    Huo Shiqian''s lips were tightly pressed together, his eyes, sharp as a hawk''s, scanned her as if judging the truth of her words.


    She met his gaze openly and without fear.


    As she looked, she couldn''t help but trace his features with her eyes.


    He had fine, sword-like eyebrows, filled with a soldier''s sharpness; his deep eyes were inscrutable, difficult to fathom; his high, prominent nose gave him an imperious air; his tightly set lips imparted an aura of authority; his chiseled jaw made him seem serious and no-nonsense.


    This man truly had the kind of face that could frighten women and make children cry.


    However, to tell the truth, he was quite handsome.


    She found herself unconsciously smiling.


    Huo Shiqian''s expression changed slightly, his brows gradually knitting together.


    The atmosphere turned somewhat awkward.


    She withdrew her gaze.


    She didn''t get the information she wanted from his face. Of course, how could such a big issue be believed just from a few words?


    No matter, she hadn''t planned to resolve the issue right away.


    Wrapped in the blanket, she got out of bed and picked up the clothes scattered on the floor, rustling as she put them on under the cover of the blanket.


    Once dressed, she jumped off the bed and stood in front of him, tilting her head up slightly to look at Huo Shiqian.


    The man was really quite tall.


    "Anyway, this is what happened. Although a woman''s chastity is important, neither of us did this willingly. So let''s just pretend it never happened," she said casually, spreading her hands.


    The air in the room suddenly felt degrees colder.


    "What did you say?"


    His sharp glance made her shiver, and she couldn''t help but step back two steps, feeling inexplicably embarrassed, as if she had done something wrong.


    "Cough cough, well, it''s nothing, I''ll be going now!"


    She retreated to the wall, turned swiftly, and opened the window, using her hands and feet to climb onto the sill.


    "What are you doing?"


    Another stern and icy question came as her arm was gripped by him.


    Looking back, Huo Shiqian''s expression was extremely grim.


    She struggled to pull her hand back but couldn''t break free.


    Fine, she pointed out the window of the inn.


    There was a small portion of the balcony visible, with the building''s pipes beside it. She planned to climb out there, and descend along the pipes to avoid exiting through the main door, where her fiance? and her "dear sister," Xia Lan, might be lying in wait.


    "Don''t overthink it. I just want to climb out from the balcony. Otherwise, if I go out the main door, my fiance? and my dear sister are waiting outside."


    Her gaze flicked towards the currently quiet and closed door, which, if opened, could turn everything upside down.


    "Fiance??" Huo Shiqian echoed her words, his tone icy.

 Chapter 4: Narrow Road Encounter

    Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Narrow Road Encounter


    Xia Chuyi said so much, yet Huo Shiqian''s focus was only on the three words "fiance?"?


    "Yes, the people outside are my fiance? and sister." She turned her face away and didn''t look at him, "This time, the two people closest to me plotted to frame me!"


    She couldn''t help but clench her fists tightly, as scenes from her previous life seemed to replay before her eyes.


    "I''m sorry for dragging you into this."


    She lowered her head to hide the emotions in her eyes.


    But in this life, I will never drag you down again.


    She made a silent vow to herself.


    Regaining her composure, Xia Chuyi lifted her head and looked at him, her voice and gaze filled with unwavering determination, "Let me go."


    Huo Shiqian said nothing.


    Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door.


    "Chuyi, Chuyi, are you in there?"


    Damn! That was Xia Lan''s voice!


    "Knock knock knock"


    Her calls were accompanied by knocking sounds.


    "Chuyi, Chuyi, it''s Sister Lan, please open the door. Chuyi, what happened to you?"


    It was a voice filled with worry, yet upon closer listening, it was clearly tinged with unmistakable excitement.


    Her clenched fists were so tight that her fingernails dug into her flesh, causing a painful sting.


    Indeed, in her past life, she had been blind, deaf, and foolish!


    She took a deep breath.


    "I must leave immediately!" Xia Chuyi didn''t hesitate and dashed straight for the window.


    Once again, someone grabbed her arm from behind.


    "I''ll take you."


    "What?"


    Before she could react, Huo Shiqian had already pulled her into his arms.


    The knocking on the door grew fiercer, almost turning into pounding.


    "Chuyi, Chuyi, are you there? If you don''t open the door, we''re going to break in!"


    Suddenly, her body was lifted into the air, and Xia Chuyi found herself securely held in Huo Shiqian''s embrace; he swiftly flipped out of the window and slid down the pipe to the ground below.


    "Stay here and don''t move."


    After settling her down, Huo Shiqian instructed her sternly.


    Then, she saw him use his hands and feet to swiftly climb back up to the second floor and disappear behind the window.


    Gazing in the direction of the second floor, she could still smell Huo Shiqian''s scent on her and couldn''t help but smile slightly.


    This person, he seemed cold, but in fact, he was a very warm person.


    It''s a pity that it was better for her to remain a stranger to him.


    She didn''t listen to him, walking around to the main entrance of the guesthouse and entered openly and boldly.


    On the second floor, Huo Shiqian returned to the room and quickly made it appear as if nothing had happened.


    "Thud."


    As the pounding on the door grew more urgent, Huo Shiqian suddenly yanked the door open.


    The woman outside immediately lit up with excitement, feigning concern as she tried to rush past Huo Shiqian.


    "Chuyi!"


    As soon as she stepped inside, she was grabbed by the collar and thrown out in a parabolic flight.


    "Lanlan!" He Qing quickly caught her.


    "Which bastard dares to hit..." The comrade who came with He Qing rolled up his sleeves, cursing, and charged forward, only to be kicked in the abdomen by a dark shadow and sent flying.


    The comrade hadn''t even recovered, clutching his stomach, when he raised his head and recognized the person at the door.


    "Huo, Huo..."


    He didn''t dare to finish saying the name.


    Huo Shiqian, known as Huo Yama, was the youngest, most influential military officer in the military district, infamous for his unyielding authority!


    "Is there something wrong?" Huo Shiqian''s icy voice echoed in the hallway.


    By now, He Qing had also recognized Huo Shiqian, his voice somewhat timid.


    "We''re looking for someone... just looking for someone..."


    He Qing''s eyes sneaked a glance behind Huo Shiqian.


    The room in the guesthouse was simply furnished, not very spacious; one could see everything at a glance.


    The bedspread was slightly disheveled on the bed, with a military jacket casually thrown over the side of the bed; it was obvious that Huo Shiqian had been awoken by their noise.


    But there was no sign of Xia Chuyi inside.


    He Qing felt disappointed.


    It would have been perfect if Xia Chuyi had really been with Huo Shiqian the previous night; then he could have caught something incriminating about Huo Shiqian.


    Too bad.

 Chapter 5 - 5 The Failure to Catch the Cheaters

    Chapter 5: Chapter 5 The Failure to Catch the Cheaters


    Huo Shiqian stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable, pretending not to notice He Qing''s surreptitious movements. "Looking for someone? To my place?"


    "No, no, that''s not it. We had no idea you were here..." He Qing could only admit defeat, as the situation had progressed this far.


    Huo Shiqian''s eyes were like sharp swords, sweeping over the three people.


    His companion, kicked to the ground, shrank back in fear, swallowing hard.


    He Qing could only stiffen his resolve to explain, "Misunderstanding, it''s all a misunderstanding... it''s my friend, my friend said, said her sister entered your room, so we..."


    In his haste, he pushed Xia Lan forward.


    Xia Lan was pushed to the front.


    She looked at Huo Shiqian with her mouth agape, stunned.


    Who was this? This was not at all the man she had originally designed for the plan!


    How could she hate Xia Chuyi so much and then arrange for her a man with such good looks? She was really making it too easy for her!


    The man in front of her was tall and strong, with a commanding presence. Xia Lan was so frightened that her legs trembled.


    Soon, she steadied her mind, squeezed out some tears, and looked at Huo Shiqian with a pitiable, pear-blossom-in-the-rain expression. "It was, it was me who saw it. I saw Xia Chuyi enter this room last night with my own eyes, and she stayed the whole night until this morning without leaving. I was so worried about her..."


    "Sister Lan, what are you doing here?"


    A crisp female voice echoed down the corridor.


    Xia Chuyi, playing with the braid at her chest, smiled and walked over at a leisurely pace.


    "Xia Chuyi? Impossible, impossible, I clearly saw you..." Xia Lan shook her head violently.


    "Saw what?" Xia Chuyi''s eyes curved like little boats.


    "No, no, it can''t be..." Xia Lan''s face was filled with disbelief.


    "What''s going on? What happened?" Xia Chuyi asked again, feigning the innocence of a young girl.


    Beside her, Huo Shiqian emanated coldness, He Qing wore an awkward expression, and the person on the ground appeared completely confused.


    "Chuyi, I, I, you didn''t come back all night yesterday... I was worried about you..."


    She interrupted Xia Lan, "Sister, what are you saying? Weren''t we together last night?"


    "No, no, you went out, didn''t you? I saw you..." Xia Lan, anxious, tried to interject.


    "What do you mean, I went out? Where would I go? How could I possibly... Sister Lan, you must be sleepwalking. I came here with you to visit relatives, unfamiliar with the place, and as a girl, how could I dare go out alone at night? More importantly, you''ve been so good to me, so caring, how could you possibly allow me to do something so dangerous, right?"


    Xia Chuyi fixed her gaze on Xia Lan like a nail, her barrage of questions leaving Xia Lan at a loss for words.


    Indeed, wasn''t she her good elder sister? Then why would a good elder sister stand by and watch her younger sister go out at night, not returning until dawn before finally reacting with apparent worry and looking for someone?


    It was only because in her previous life, when Xia Chuyi experienced a huge change and her mind was full of the previous night''s events, that she had not noticed this point.


    Later, she merely suspected that Xia Lan had allowed the situation to escalate, not knowing that it was all carefully orchestrated by her.


    However, this matter was not to be brought up at this moment.


    The debts of the past life, the accounts of this life, in the future, she would settle them one by one.


    Xia Lan, refusing to give in but also not daring to say more, clenched her teeth, revealing a pitiable look of I''ve-seen-better-days as she lowered her head.


    Catch the thief with evidence, catch the adulterer in the act, her plan had completely failed.


    Playing with her braid and looking as if she enjoyed the show, Xia Chuyi pretended not to see the malicious glint in Xia Lan''s eyes. She was curious to see how Xia Lan would explain herself to her.

 Chapter 6: Scoundrel Men and Women

    Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Scoundrel Men and Women


    Xia Lan hung her head, playing the victim, leaving He Qing no choice but to step up and confront the situation, approaching Xia Chuyi to calm her.


    "Chuyi, it''s nothing, just a little misunderstanding," He Qing rarely spoke to her in such a gentle tone.


    Xia Chuyi looked up at him, her lips curling up with a hint of sarcasm.


    This was him using his charm.


    In the past, whenever he showed even a little kindness towards her, she would obediently and gently follow his commands, submissive and compliant.


    She hadn''t even started the "duet" with He Qing.


    "A misunderstanding?" Huo Shiqian''s icy voice suddenly rang out from behind.


    In that instant, He Qing and his friend on the ground were drenched in cold sweat.


    Huo Shiqian''s piercing gaze swept over everyone, eventually sliding over the crowd to land, somewhat indistinctly, on Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Chuyi turned her face away, her round eyes wide as if she had seen a stranger, feigning curiosity as she looked at Huo Shiqian.


    After a few seconds of silence, Huo Shiqian finally withdrew his gaze and said, "Since it''s a misunderstanding, then please leave."


    "Bang." In front of Xia Chuyi, Huo Shiqian forcefully shut the door.


    Xia Chuyi was stunned.


    The other three sighed in relief, feeling like they had narrowly escaped disaster.


    "Let''s go," He Qing helped Xia Lan up, whispering softly.


    Seeing that Huo Shiqian had dealt with the situation, he didn''t spare another glance at Xia Chuyi.


    Their friend on the ground scrambled up swiftly.


    The few of them quickly left the second-floor corridor.


    Xia Chuyi, walking at the back, couldn''t help but shake her head at the door.


    It was just because she hadn''t obediently waited for him in place... This man also had a petty side.


    Then, she hurried to catch up with the others.


    Just as they were descending the stairs, she saw He Qing apologizing, smiling, to his friend.


    "I''m sorry, I originally invited you here for a treat, but then..."


    His friend waved his hand, "Enough, enough, let''s not talk about this, Huo... I''m leaving now, take care of yourself!"


    As if there were demons here, his friend left the guesthouse without looking back.


    With a good-natured send-off, He Qing''s smile quickly faded.


    Xia Chuyi knew He Qing well; he was very proud, and making him lose face in front of his friend must have infuriated him.


    His stubborn character was something even Xia Lan clearly knew.


    "Brother Qing..." Xia Lan sobbed, her eyes brimming with tears and guilt, she bowed her head, her shoulders trembling, "It''s all my fault, all my fault..."


    Her frail appearance made Xia Chuyi feel pity.


    Ever since they were young, Xia Chuyi hadn''t hesitated to stand up for Xia Lan whenever she played the victim.


    As expected, He Qing immediately softened.


    "Forget it, Lanlan," He Qing reached out, soothingly patting Xia Lan''s back, "It''s not your fault."


    "Brother Qing..."


    The two of them exchanged affectionate glances.


    Standing behind them, Xia Chuyi played with her braids, watching the drama unfold with interest.


    How blind had she been in her previous life to not notice their affair?


    As if just noticing her, Xia Lan stepped back to avoid He Qing''s touch, her voice trembling, "Chuyi! Don''t be mad, I didn''t mean it, I was worried about you..."


    Worried about her, so she specifically brought someone to catch her in an affair?


    Xia Chuyi couldn''t be bothered to expose her ploy and continued walking without a word.


    "Xia Chuyi, what kind of attitude is this!"


    Her indifference angered He Qing, who fiercely said, "Xia Chuyi, apologize to your sister!"


    Apologize?


    Xia Chuyi stopped, raised her eyebrows, and gave them a scornful look.


    "Apologize for what?" She looked at He Qing, almost laughing.

 Chapter 7 - 7 Uncle Saves the Day

    Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Uncle Saves the Day


    Xia Chuyi wore a sarcastic expression that irritated He Qing.


    "What apology do you not know you owe?" He Qing was extremely angry, yet put on a fac?ade of heart-wrenching, righteous indignation.


    "I don''t know." Xia Chuyi spread her hands, quite frankly.


    "As a young lady, running around early in the morning, only to have your sister misunderstand that you didn''t come home all night and suffer that beating from Huo...! And you still say you don''t know where you went wrong?"


    Well, at least she had a bit of sense, knowing where to find her fault.


    But, her focus was on... what exactly was Huo Shiqian''s identity in the military, that everyone was so scared they dared not even say his name?


    Xia Chuyi grew a bit curious.


    If, at this time in her previous life, he was already so formidable, why did he so easily admit to the charge of rape?


    She had a faint guess.


    "Chuyi, Chuyi, there''s no need, no need to apologize..." Xia Lan waved her hands, looking completely undeserving of the blame, but she was actually cementing her guilt.


    Xia Chuyi smiled carelessly. "Oh, that thing. You all know, back in my hometown I got up before dawn to work. I''m used to waking up at that time, and once I''m up, I can''t sit still, so just went for a stroll."


    "Ah, speaking of which, Sister Lan is the fortunate one, her health is poor, frail and always ill, so she doesn''t do anything at home, doesn''t have to wake up early, living like a city lady!"


    Xia Lan looked at her in shock.


    She gave Xia Lan a triumphant look.


    Yes, she was just spouting nonsense and making stuff up. So what? This was payback served fresh.


    But her actual intention wasn''t to frame Xia Lan, it was...


    "Lanlan is unwell, what''s wrong with doing less work?"


    Sure enough, He Qing jumped out to defend her.


    Xia Chuyi still remembered the words He Qing had said when breaking off their engagement back in the day.


    Xia Chuyi, with your aggressive and domineering nature, how can you compare to Lanlan? Lanlan is kind, frail, gentle, nothing like a shameless shrew like you!


    Back then, she knew, He Qing liked Xia Lan''s type¡ªsubmissive, frail, a faux gentlewoman.


    In her past life, she was never gentle, which earned He Qing''s disdain.


    This time, she intended to be twice as domineering to make He Qing hate her even more, which would be advantageous for her plan to break off the engagement smoothly.


    "What are you saying, ''what''s wrong with doing less work''? In our rural village, which family''s daughter doesn''t work? How come she shouldn''t work? She''s not some city missy!"


    Xia Chuyi rolled her eyes, pretending to be very angry, spoke her piece, and turned to leave.


    He Qing was so angry his face turned green, and he grabbed her.


    "Let go!" Xia Chuyi struggled, her tone and movements becoming even rougher.


    "You!" He Qing refused to loosen his grip.


    "You won''t let go, huh?" She raised an eyebrow, smiled, and suddenly yelled, "Molester, there''s a molester here!"


    She stomped on He Qing''s foot hard, and he let go of her in pain.


    "You!"


    These were the years when molestation was a criminal offense, and He Qing''s eyes blazed with anger.


    "Xia Chuyi, what are you yelling about!"


    "Help, there''s a molester here..." Xia Chuyi shouted as she ran towards the second floor.


    Even before reaching the second floor, the figure she expected appeared.


    A handsome man in crisp military uniform, with agile movements, appeared before her, grabbed He Qing, yanked, pulled, and threw him down the stairs, making him fall face-first.


    Xia Chuyi ran behind him and grabbed the hem of his clothing.


    "Uncle Liberation Army, there''s a molester!"


    The air suddenly turned tense, and Huo Shiqian''s face darkened like a pot.


    Uncle Liberation Army?


    Xia Chuyi blinked innocently.


    Was there something wrong? She was only eighteen this year, and Huo Shiqian must be close to thirty, right? What''s wrong with calling him uncle?


    In any case, this lifetime, she would have no further associations with him, it was best to distance herself in terms of seniority.

 Chapter 8 - 8 Xia Lan Shows Weakness

    Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Xia Lan Shows Weakness


    "Uncle Liberation Army, someone''s being a hooligan!" Xia Chuyi looked at Huo Shiqian with a pitiful expression and pointed at He Qing.


    "You..." He Qing was so angry he was grinding his teeth, but he was intimidated by Huo Shiqian and dared not speak out.


    Huo Shiqian''s gaze was piercing. As soon as he opened his mouth, there were only three cold words: "Return to the base."


    "Mr. Huo... I was on leave..." He Qing tried to explain with a forced smile.


    "What''s the matter, He, are you Qiao Canmou''s soldier, and that means I can''t order you around? Or, would you rather stay here and keep playing the hooligan?"


    His eyes swept indistinctly over Xia Chuyi''s hands, which were now pulling at the hem of his clothing.


    A suspicion crossed Xia Chuyi''s mind.


    Was that comment about being a hooligan directed at her?


    Sweetly smiling at him, she calmly let go of his clothing.


    Huo Shiqian withdrew his gaze and looked at He Qing with an intimidating stare before striding off.


    He Qing, frightened by Huo Shiqian''s imposing manner, didn''t dare to even breathe too hard, let alone stay any longer, and had to follow. Before leaving, he covertly glared fiercely at Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Chuyi met his threatening gaze without a hint of fear.


    "Lanlan, something''s come up at the base, so I''m heading back first. Take good care of yourself. I''ll come to see you later."


    Her childhood sweetheart did not forget to say goodbye to his little sister.


    "Mmm, Brother Qing, I''ll take care of myself. Military matters are important."


    Did these two really forget that she and He Qing were engaged?


    Ironic laughter almost escaped Xia Chuyi''s eyes.


    With He Qing gone, the object of Xia Lan''s curry-favoring shifted to her.


    Xia Lan approached her and said softly, "Chuyi, you... you mustn''t misunderstand... Brother Qing and I aren''t like that... and also, the earlier incident was a misunderstanding... maybe I saw it wrong..."


    With those words swiftly glossing over the morning''s events, Xia Lan changed the topic: "Actually, Chuyi, you are beautiful, and if only you were a bit gentler, Brother Qing would like you."


    Xia Chuyi found this amusing inside.


    So it was her fault that He Qing didn''t like her?


    Xia Lan''s act of feigning weakness and innocence, while covertly attempting to stir jealousy was executed with natural ease. Unfortunately, she was still too young to hide the sharpness in her eyes.


    But she was not about to believe her act like she did in her previous life, nor play into her script.


    "I know!" Xia Chuyi slipped her hands into her jacket pockets, her eyes curving into little arcs as if not bothered by the previous events.


    Then, lifting her face with pride, she smiled, "What could you and He Qing possibly have? He Qing is formally engaged to me, his fiance?e. Even if he doesn''t like me, he''ll have to marry me. Other women, no matter how much they want to, can''t snatch him away."


    Xia Chuyi deliberately drew out her tone, stating things bluntly, causing Xia Lan''s face to momentarily falter.


    "Mmm... Yes." Xia Lan managed to say, grinding her teeth and with a vicious look in her eyes.


    "Ha ha ha." Xia Chuyi laughed ambiguously and then said, "Getting up so early has made me tired. I''m going back to my room."


    She saw Xia Lan''s eyes light up momentarily, her gaze shifting toward Xia Chuyi''s flowered jacket.


    "Chuyi, let me go back with you."


    It seemed Xia Lan was up to something again, and following Xia Lan''s gaze, Xia Chuyi too looked at her own clothes.


    Indeed, if someone examined carefully, her jacket wasn''t worn quite neatly, having been hurriedly put on in haste.


    Xia Lan had drugged her yesterday, and certainly wouldn''t believe she came through the night unscathed.


    So, Xia Chuyi surmised that Xia Lan was trying to find an opportunity to check for any telltale signs of intimacy on her body.


    "Sure." She glanced at her and said with a beaming smile, as if she hadn''t noticed a thing.


    Suddenly, she added, "Oh wait, that won''t be right, you have a habit of sleepwalking at night, don''t you? And you have a tendency to take your dreams for reality, talking all sorts of nonsense..."

 Chapter 9: Bizarre Incident

    Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Bizarre Incident


    Xia Chuyi intentionally patted her chest, putting on a scared face, yet her expression was all smiles.


    "Wow, so scary, I can''t dare to sleep with you tonight, how about you book another room?"


    She rambled on and walked straight to the counter, speaking to the female attendant who was pretending to be busy cracking melon seeds but actually watched the drama unfold for quite some time:


    "Dear beautiful comrade, please open another room for her. She has a condition and isn''t used to staying with others. Oh, and put it on that officer He Qing''s tab, the room I was staying in was registered under his military ID, so there should be a record."


    The female attendant almost sprayed out her melon seeds when she heard the words "beautiful comrade."


    This was an era where everyone was a "comrade" in love, advocating to engage in the revolutionary cause together; pursuing beauty was capitalist style, and complimenting someone''s beauty was considered hooliganism.


    Suddenly hearing such a blatant "beautiful," Xia Chuyi saw that although the attendant tried to pretend she wasn''t happy, the corners of her mouth were already turning upward.


    "Strictly speaking, we shouldn''t," the attendant glanced at Xia Lan and stifled her laughter, "but since this comrade has a condition, we''ll make an exception."


    "Thanks, beautiful comrade!"


    In a trice, they managed to book another room for Xia Lan, still charging it to He Qing''s account.


    Xia Lan was utterly taken aback and by the time she realized what had happened, the attendant was already handing over the keys.


    "Chuyi, I didn''t... We don''t need to book another room!"


    Xia Lan finally caught on and hastily objected, but Xia Chuyi couldn''t be bothered with her and took the keys from the attendant.


    "You don''t need it? But the room is already booked!" Xia Chuyi feigned surprise, following her lead.


    "In that case, you stay in the previous room and I''ll take this one." She waved the keys in her hand, smiled openly, and tucked them into her pocket.


    Xia Lan bit her lip, wanting to say more, but Xia Chuyi had already turned and walked away.


    Let Xia Lan be disgusted to death!


    She certainly did not want to live with her "kind-hearted sister" who had the heart of a serpent and scorpion.


    And the bed Xia Lan had slept in, it made her feel sick.


    Carrying her luggage, Xia Chuyi ignored Xia Lan''s lip-biting, pitiable "sorrowful" expression and entered the newly booked room.


    She threw her bag onto the bed and lay down at once, closing her eyes and subconsciously started to stroke the jade pendant around her neck.


    The pendant radiated a familiar warmth, and the corners of her eyes moistened slightly.


    Thankfully, this life wasn''t unfolding as before.


    In this life, Huo Shiqian wouldn''t be demoted for his behavior, wouldn''t waste several years because of her. And she... she wouldn''t be slandered for a chastity issue that led to the death of her uncle and mother...


    In the future, no matter how great the obstacles ahead, she would march forward valiantly.


    After calming her emotions for a while, she opened her eyes.


    Her gaze was confused for a moment, and her pupils suddenly dilated.


    No, something was wrong with the scene around her!


    The pristine ceiling, the tall cabinets, the workbench... this was the kitchen in the back of her shop, the place where she had died!


    She was lying on the hard ground; how could this be? Could it be that she had not been reborn, but had experienced a beautiful dream just before death?


    Her complexion turned instantaneously pale, and she got up with a struggle.


    Wait, something was different...


    She tried to maintain her composure and analyzed the situation clearly.


    If it had just been a dream, there should''ve been a wound on the back of her head; she immediately reached back to feel for it, but there was no pain and no injury.


    Looking around carefully, everything in the cabinets was neatly placed, with no blood or debris on the floor.


    This was what her kitchen looked like before the incident.


    The refrigerator''s metallic surface was polished like a mirror, reflecting her image: dressed in a red flowered coat, her hair tied into two thick pig-tails, and her petite face full of collagen...


    The one standing there, it really was the eighteen-year-old her.


    Her rebirth was real, so what was going on with this shop?

 Chapter 10: Mysterious Space

    Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Mysterious Space


    A flash of light appeared before her eyes, and a book shimmering with golden light appeared out of thin air in front of Xia Chuyi.


    What is this? She wondered in surprise.


    Reaching out to grab it, the golden light on the book disappeared, turning it into the appearance of an ordinary book.


    She flipped through the book, which contained nothing but recipes.


    After skimming it for a bit, she closed the book, and at that moment, a burst of golden light shone from the book again. Subsequently, the golden light faded and shrank until it transformed into a jade pendant, the very one that she had always worn around her neck.


    Caressing the jade pendant, she calmed her mind, realizing that she must have acquired a magical space.


    This jade pendant was left to her by her father, so was this the protection of her father''s spirit from heaven?


    With a mere thought, she found herself outside the space, with the scene before her eyes changing to that of a hostel.


    She practiced entering and exiting the space several times, and soon she could proficiently move in and out, as well as manipulate objects to and from the space with her mind.


    After she had made the connection, she flashed into the space, dug up a plump radish from the ground, washed it by the brook, and then left the space.


    Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she wiped off the water on the radish with her sleeve and took a bite.


    The taste was crisp, the juice sweet, and the fragrance lingered on her lips and teeth...


    Was this the product of the space? It was so delicious it hardly seemed like an ordinary radish!


    Her eyes lit up, she seemed to have found a way to make money.


    After finishing the radish, she silently muttered "Appear," and strands of light emerged from the palm of her hand, coalescing into the jade pendant, which then gradually enlarged and turned back into the book.


    Leaning against the wall, she casually flipped through the book. She hadn''t got through two pages when there was a knock on the door.


    "Chuyi, Chuyi, it''s Sister Lan. Are you ready? Once you''re ready, let''s go have breakfast together."


    Have breakfast together? Xia Chuyi raised her eyebrows.


    Xia Lan was scheming against her again.


    How could she have been so foolish in her last life? She was deceived time and again, even counting money for others, thinking they were good sisters.


    She stored away the Heavenly Book, the jade pendant vanished into her body in a flash of light, and she got up from the bed.


    "Okay," she opened the door to greet Xia Lan, smiling cheerily.


    This life, let''s see who outsmarts whom.


    "Chuyi, you must be hungry after going out early in the morning, right? Let''s go to the cafeteria for breakfast," Xia Lan said with that pitiful look she always had when she saw Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Chuyi glanced at her.


    She really knew how to act, behaving as if nothing had ever happened.


    It was no wonder she had been deceived by her in her last life.


    "Mhm," Xia Chuyi put her hands in her jacket pockets, responded indifferently, and swaggered toward the cafeteria.


    In the cafeteria, the Master was haphazardly cleaning pots and pans.


    Seeing the two of them, the Master didn''t bother to greet them.


    Walking straight to the stove because she was in the restaurant business, Xia Chuyi took one look and knew that the business here wasn''t very good.


    These days, employees of state-owned units all had connections; they each had bigger egos than the next and didn''t care about their business or profits. Anyway, whether the business was good or not, he still got his salary, and there were always leftovers to bring home.


    Xia Chuyi contemplated how to seize this opportunity.


    She casually glanced at today''s special: Pork Dumplings (limited supply).


    She heard a slight swallowing sound next to her; it was Xia Lan.


    Xia Chuyi looked at her sidelong, asking as if offhandedly, "Want some?"


    "Ah? No, no!" Xia Lan waved her hands, her eyes lingering on the sign for the pork dumplings, looking very reluctant to leave them.


    Xia Chuyi shook her head in disdain, "If you want to eat, just eat."


    "Can I... really?" Xia Lan pretended to hesitate.


    "Master, a plate of dumplings and two buns!" Xia Chuyi was too lazy to deal with her and shouted directly into the kitchen.


    "Got it!" The Master replied lazily, casually picking a bun from the steamer to put into a bowl, and handed it to her.


    "Here are the buns, the dumplings will take a bit longer."


    Receiving the buns, Xia Chuyi began to ponder what to do next.

 Chapter 11 - 11 Steamed Buns and Cabbage

    Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Steamed Buns and Cabbage


    Xia Chuyi gnawed on a steamed bun without taking a seat at the table, watching with great interest as the Master rolled out dough to wrap dumplings.


    No kidding, the Master''s skills were indeed impressive; his dumpling wrapping was both fast and skillful.


    She didn''t sit down; Xia Lan probably hadn''t eaten dumplings in a long time, so she stayed watching and didn''t go to the table either.


    After a while, the dumplings were cooked and served.


    "How much?" Xia Chuyi asked the Master about the price.


    "Two buns for five cents, two taels of food coupons, no food coupons for ten cents. Dumplings for 30 cents, half a pound of food coupons, no food coupons for 60 cents," the Master quoted.


    With food coupons, the price was halved; without them, it was doubled.


    Just as she remembered, Xia Chuyi nodded secretly.


    She took out five cents and two taels of national food coupons and passed them over.


    "For the Master, here''s the money for the buns."


    The Master glanced at Xia Lan''s shocked face, didn''t say anything, and took Xia Chuyi''s money.


    "Chuyi... Chuyi..." Xia Lan''s face turned red, "How could you... how could you..."


    How could you pay only for the buns, right?


    Xia Chuyi grabbed the steamed bun and nibbled it calmly: "Before leaving home, it was agreed that public transportation costs would be covered while food and lodging would be on our own, you haven''t forgotten, have you?"


    "From today onwards, let''s stick to the rules we set at home."


    Having said that, she bit into her steamed bun leisurely and walked away, indifferent to Xia Lan''s aggrieved expression behind her.


    In her past life, she had overextended herself out of pity for Xia Lan, unknowingly drained by her and ultimately even losing her life for it.


    This lifetime, would she still be that foolish?


    Xia Chuyi casually nibbled on the steamed bun as she left the cafeteria.


    The bun in her hand was substantial, and its flavor was purely wholesome. As she chewed, a sweetness developed.


    Unfortunately, she had just nibbled on a radish from her space, which made the bun seem less tasty.


    She threw the remaining bun into her space and made a pretense of tucking it in her chest to camouflage.


    After disposing of the bun, she didn''t return to her room but headed straight out of the guesthouse.


    An hour later, Xia Chuyi appeared outside the textile factory.


    "Fresh vegetables for sale! Fresh cabbages, big radishes, fresh indeed!"


    At the factory entrance, Xia Chuyi wrapped her head in a scarf and called out in dialect.


    It was lunch break, and some of the female workers were carrying food from the cafeteria home, while others were empty-handed, planning to cook at home.


    Hearing Xia Chuyi''s cries, the curious female workers came over and looked at the vegetables in the cardboard box.


    "Wow, your vegetables are so fresh! How much are they?"


    Could they be anything but fresh? They were freshly picked from her space.


    "Both cabbage and radish do not require food coupons, five cents per pound, and tomatoes too, ten cents per pound."


    "Tomatoes too?" The female worker exclaimed, "Ten cents a pound, that''s expensive."


    Xia Chuyi snickered, seeing that the female worker looked poor, obviously wanting to buy, just trying to haggle.


    "It''s not expensive; these items are scarce, barely seen even in state-run markets, and I don''t ask for food coupons. Buying from me is taking great advantage!" She exaggerated immensely.


    Wasn''t it a huge advantage? Her space-produced items tasted much better than ordinary ones.


    Seeing that Xia Chuyi was not willing to budge, the female worker gritted her teeth: "Fine, it''s indeed hard to find, I''ll take whatever you have!"


    Xia Chuyi was startled and took out all the tomatoes from the box.


    Business became easier once she made a sale.


    Several other women came by, drawn by the freshness of her vegetables, and soon the cardboard box was empty.


    Truth be told, business was so good she felt like adding more vegetables to the box, but she decided against it.


    There was only so much that could fit in a box, and constantly taking out more vegetables would likely lead her to be caught and subjected to research soon.

 Chapter 12: The Hairy Burglar Climbing Through the Window

    Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Hairy Burglar Climbing Through the Window


    After selling the vegetables, the cardboard box was already soggy and deflated.


    Xia Chuyi felt some heartache; this was a box she had bought for ten cents in someone''s store!


    In this era of extreme material scarcity, even a box for packaging things was very valuable, and average families simply didn''t have them.


    Although resources were scarce, people''s spending power exceeded her expectations.


    Her box of vegetables, from start to finish, took only about twenty minutes to sell out.


    Precisely because of the lack of goods, people actually had saved up quite a bit of money. For anything that only required money and no ration coupons, everyone''s purchasing power was beyond imagination.


    Today''s trial had filled Xia Chuyi with hope for the future.


    When she reached a deserted corner, she quietly tossed the box into her secret space, took off her headscarf, and leisurely strolled back to the hostel.


    "Xia Chuyi, where did you go!"


    As soon as she entered the door, she saw He Qing standing at the entrance with a livid face, while Xia Lan stood beside him like a delicate bird, her eyes red, obviously having tattled.


    "I''ve never been to the big city before, just went out for a stroll," Xia Chuyi replied nonchalantly, sticking to the script.


    "You, look at your attitude!" He Qing trembled with anger, "Do you even act like a lady?"


    "I don''t act like a lady? How do I not act like a lady?" Xia Chuyi rolled her eyes, giving him a sidelong glance, "It''s not like you''re engaged to a man instead of a woman, right?"


    "You..." He Qing, furious, made as if to grab her.


    "What do you want to do?" Xia Chuyi glared at him coldly.


    He Qing was startled by her gaze, reminded of Huo Shiqian.


    "If there''s nothing special, I''m going back to my room."


    Not giving He Qing a chance to lecture her.


    Back in her room, Xia Chuyi''s expression immediately became somber.


    Xia Lan, He Qing, you can''t bear it anymore, can you? Well, go ahead and make your move.


    This revolting engagement weighed on her constantly, making her miserable.


    She moved into her space, scattered the seeds she had bought outside, took a bath, and began planning her next move.


    Suddenly, there was a noise from outside the space, and she immediately emerged from her secret place, on alert.


    "Who?" She held a stick taken from the space in her hand.


    Xia Chuyi clutched the stick tightly, hiding by the window.


    When she saw the whole figure climbing up the window from outside, she abruptly yanked the curtain open, opened the window, and swung the stick with all her might.


    "Bastard!"


    The stick did not hit a vital point; the intruder deflected the stick with a swipe of his hand, swiftly turning his body, and did a flip lightning-fast into the room.


    "I''ll kill you, you damn thief!" Xia Chuyi shouted angrily, swinging the stick ready to attack again. But as she lifted her hands above her head, she got a clear look at the intruder''s face.


    "Why is it you?" Her tone shifted rapidly to one of surprise.


    The person who had climbed through the window was actually Huo Shiqian.


    Huo Shiqian stood there in his crisp military uniform, his military boots on, his face expressionless. Just standing there simply, he exuded an aura of inviolability, showing no sign he had just climbed through a window.


    Even climbing through a window, he managed to radiate an air of righteousness.


    "What are you doing here?" Xia Chuyi held the stick, looking at him with confusion.


    And to arrive in such a manner.

 Chapter 13 - 13 Rediscovering

    Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Rediscovering


    Huo Shiqian did not answer her question; instead, he gave her a head-to-toe scan with eagle-like eyes, as if using X-rays.


    Xia Chuyi was somewhat puzzled.


    Huo Shiqian nodded expressionlessly, seemingly pleased. He spoke in a light tone, "Not bad, you''re quite vigilant."


    Ha ha, Uncle Liberation Army is really humorous.


    Xia Chuyi put down the stick.


    "Thank you for the compliment," Xia Chuyi followed up on his comment, but, "Uncle Liberation Army, did you really come to test my alertness by climbing through my window in the middle of the night?"


    Huo Shiqian''s demeanor suddenly changed; his gaze gripping her made her slightly uneasy.


    What, what''s wrong?


    This man''s every action was truly unpredictable!


    "I''m not that old; you don''t need to call me ''Uncle, Uncle''!"


    Huo Shiqian said each word deliberately, heavily emphasizing ''Uncle'' with an uncompromising expression on his face.


    "Pfft!" For some reason, she suddenly found it funny.


    Men care about their age too?


    Huo Shiqian''s expression turned cold, and an imposing aura suddenly pressed down on her, clearly displeased by her laughter.


    Touching her braid, her eyes curved into little boats.


    "Alright!" She looked at him smilingly, "If I shouldn''t call you uncle, then what should I call you? What''s your name?"


    She twisted her braid in her hand; she of course knew his name, but in this lifetime, she wanted to get to know him all over again.


    Huo Shiqian looked at her deeply, and she heard him say in a deep voice, "Remember my name, Huo Shiqian."


    Xia Chuyi stared at him.


    Strange, she always felt like there was more to his words.


    Not delving into the implications of his words, she nodded and said, "Mhm, I''ve got it."


    In her previous life, the first time she heard these three words, they represented the person who ruined her chastity.


    In this lifetime, these three words would signify a fresh start.


    She thought for a moment and then extended her small hand toward him.


    "Huo Shiqian, it''s nice to meet you; my name is Xia Chuyi."


    Still with a smiling appearance, but now with an unprecedented seriousness.


    Huo Shiqian''s gaze was dark and unreadable. After a long pause, he reached out his hand and grasped hers.


    "Nice to meet you, Xia Chuyi."


    The man''s voice remained deep and magnetic.


    Xia Chuyi, who was used to doing farm work at home, did not have particularly soft hands, but they were small and neat. Huo Shiqian''s hands, on the other hand, had distinct bones, strong and powerful, with thick calluses on his knuckles and the base of his thumb.


    This person must have endured many hardships.


    She couldn''t resist gently touching the tough calluses with her fingertips.


    Huo Shiqian''s muscles instantly tensed.


    It was only when he swiftly pulled his hand back that she realized what she had just done.


    "Um... I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to..." Xia Chuyi hurriedly explained, only to feel she was making things worse.


    Oh well, she simply shut her mouth.


    The air suddenly felt somewhat awkward and ambiguous.

 Chapter 14 - 14 Believe or Not Believe

    Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Believe or Not Believe


    Huo Shiqian stared at her unwaveringly, watching her for a while with a calm tone, he slowly said, "Xia Chuyi, I came to see you today to discuss the findings of my investigation."


    The voice was calm, void of emotion.


    She felt relieved; thankfully, Huo Shiqian wasn''t pursuing the matter!


    Adopting a serious expression, she nodded earnestly at him, saying, "Comrade Huo Shiqian, please speak."


    Huo Shiqian glanced at her expressionlessly, and the sense of oppression returned.


    She realized this man took the formality of address very seriously.


    Pretending not to understand his dissatisfaction¡ªand since she had decided to set clear boundaries¡ªshe certainly couldn''t call him "Brother Huo" or "Brother Shiqian," could she?


    Fortunately, Huo Shiqian didn''t plan to dwell on this matter any further and dropped his oppressive demeanor.


    Perhaps he thought being called a comrade was better than being called uncle.


    He then said, "That room was reserved by someone else, initially meant for a blind date."


    "It just so happened, by a twist of fate, that I ended up staying there."


    "The person scheduled for the blind date, I hear, was surnamed Xia from Ling County, Qingshan Town, Heshan Village."


    Ling County, Qingshan Town, Heshan Village was indeed Xia Chuyi''s hometown.


    Huo Shiqian''s words clearly had an underlying implication.


    Xia Chuyi raised her eyebrows.


    "So, you don''t believe me?"


    This was her initial reaction.


    Huo Shiqian didn''t say whether he believed her or not, but continued.


    "As for your fiance? you mentioned, I asked around, but it seems everyone in the unit thinks his fiance?e is named Xia Lan."


    Xia Chuyi never expected that her investigation would make her appear even more suspicious.


    "Believe it or not, He Qing and I are indeed engaged, and I''m still carrying a letter from my hometown folks, which I can show you..." Xia Chuyi hurriedly explained, and mid-explanation, she decided to search her bag to show him the letter.


    The letter was written by an elder to certify their marital relationship, meant for He Qing to present to the military unit when filing a marriage report.


    "No need," Huo Shiqian held her hand, stopping her with an indifferent tone.


    "What do you mean?"


    Her hand held in his, she stopped her actions and looked up at him, unable to comprehend what Huo Shiqian meant.


    Was his attitude one of belief, or disbelief?


    "I asked He Qing directly, and he personally told me that you are indeed his fiance?e," Huo Shiqian didn''t let go of her hand, stating indifferently.


    "What?" She was momentarily surprised, then shook her head, feeling a bit foolish.


    Indeed, why not just ask He Qing directly.


    Even though someone had been creating false appearances in this plot against her, leading people to misunderstand that she was the blind date and Xia Lan was He Qing''s fiance?e.


    But illusions are just illusions, and if the scandal had blown over, He Qing could have conveniently affirmed it, but since it hadn''t, he wouldn''t dare deny an engagement with Xia Chuyi.


    Because the He family couldn''t afford to offend her uncle, and on the He''s ancestral side, they still relied on her uncle.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t be able to assertively bring her family''s letter and press for marriage in the military unit.


    Although He Qing had intentions towards Xia Lan, he also didn''t dare to break off the engagement, which is why Xia Lan concocted so much trouble.


    "So, with that settled, you finally understand that I''m innocent, right?" Xia Chuyi met his gaze, her eyes smiling.


    Although she knew Huo Shiqian would eventually learn the truth, the revelation still brought her relief.


    She exerted strength in her arm, prepared to withdraw her hand he was holding.


    Huo Shiqian glanced at her, his thumb gently caressed her hand, and then he let go.


    This man... was this retaliation?


    She touched him, and he had to touch back?

 Chapter 15 - 15 I Mind Very Much

    Chapter 15: Chapter 15 I Mind Very Much


    Her mind seemed to be enveloped in a thick fog, leaving her bewildered.


    "Xia Chuyi, after you and He Qing break off your engagement, I''ll have someone propose to your family on my behalf." After releasing her hand expressionlessly, Huo Shiqian continued indifferently.


    Her eardrums roared, and Xia Chuyi felt as if she was hallucinating.


    Wait, what? Propose?


    Why would he suddenly mention proposing? Chuyi''s mind went from foggy to muddled.


    Why was Uncle Liberation Army''s train of thought so erratic?


    "You''re going to propose to my family? Do you even know my situation before you talk about proposing?" Xia Chuyi shook her head as she stepped back, increasing the distance between them with a disapproving look, seriously gazing at him.


    He was just too hasty about marriage!


    Huo Shiqian closed in on her forcefully, for every step she took back, he advanced one, determined to close the gap.


    "You''ll naturally understand after we''re married." Huo Shiqian''s tone remained unchanged, his expression calm as if he was casually talking about the weather.


    As Huo Shiqian drew nearer, she found herself backed into a corner by the wall, locking eyes with him for a long while, her heart in turmoil.


    In her past life, Huo Shiqian had also brought up marriage with her¡ªit was three years later, after he returned from the dispatched troops, learned the truth, and had proposed to her.


    And at that time, though she had unraveled her misunderstandings towards him, she still declined.


    "I''m sorry, I can''t accept."


    This time, she still chose to refuse.


    If they had met under different circumstances, she would have been willing to start a family with Huo Shiqian. Huo Shiqian was handsome, capable at work, and more importantly, he was a very responsible person.


    Unfortunately, it was exactly because of his sense of responsibility that she didn''t want to be with him.


    Their meeting was an accident that should never have happened.


    In both lifetimes, upon learning the truth, his first instinct was to propose marriage, to take responsibility for her.


    But could a marriage built on responsibility last?


    In the years to come, would there come a day when he met his true love, and then looking back at the reason this marriage started, would he feel regret?


    She quickly sorted through her thoughts.


    "Uncle Liberation Army, what happened between us wasn''t voluntary, I''ve said it before, I don''t mind, you don''t need to feel responsible for me."


    Xia Chuyi spoke very earnestly, trying to make Huo Shiqian understand.


    The air around them suddenly turned colder.


    After a freeze, she heard Huo Shiqian''s voice, devoid of any warmth, dictated, "You might not mind, but I do."


    The oppressive aura that came from him made Xia Chuyi choke up instantly.


    "I don''t mind, so what are you worried about, men don''t lose out..." she muttered under her breath.


    Catching the increasingly grim look in his eyes, she quickly raised her hands, "I don''t need you to take responsibility, really, I don''t!"


    Fearing he wouldn''t believe her, she patted her chest, adopting a well-behaved demeanor that assured him she wouldn''t hold him responsible.


    Huo Shiqian''s expression turned even more grim, and he was silent for a moment.


    Just when Xia Chuyi thought she might die from the coldness emanating from Huo Shiqian, he leaned forward, propped his hand against the wall, and trapped her against it.


    "What, what do you want to do?" Xia Chuyi stared at him, nervously speaking.

 Chapter 16: The Final Hammer Blow

    Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Final Hammer Blow


    Huo Shiqian''s handsome face was clouded over, a prelude to a brewing storm.


    "I said, if you don''t mind, I do." His head gradually lowered, getting closer and closer to Xia Chuyi''s face, so close that his breath fanned over the tip of her nose with each word, warm and ticklish.


    "You..."


    An ambiguous atmosphere was spreading.


    Xia Chuyi tried to escape to the side, but Huo Shiqian raised his other arm and directly locked her in.


    He gazed at her, his eyes profound, and repeated, "I mind."


    The air fell silent.


    Staring at each other for a long while without speaking, a little temper began to flare up inside Xia Chuyi''s heart, and a small flame seemed to shoot up from her chest, "What do you mind so..."


    She tried to push him away forcefully with her hand, but halfway through, she suddenly thought of something.


    Wait! She stopped her movement.


    "Huo Shiqian, you couldn''t possibly also be..." she looked at him with a puzzled face, "A virgin?"


    Boom! She felt as though she saw the clouds on Huo Shiqian''s face turn into thunder and lightning, and the earth quaked with the roar.


    The air pressure in the room suddenly dropped, as if suffocating.


    She swallowed.


    "Uncle Liberation Army, you''re too..."


    She couldn''t help but murmur in shock.


    "What did you say?" Huo Shiqian''s voice became stern all of a sudden, his gaze sharp as a knife, his face darkened beyond recognition.


    Frustration and embarrassment only made things more obvious...


    "Nothing, nothing..."


    She pressed her lips together and lowered her head.


    Cough cough, who would have thought Uncle Liberation Army was so innocent!


    "This, that..." Xia Chuyi didn''t know what to say anymore.


    "Anyway, it''s settled like this." Huo Shiqian clearly wasn''t prepared to let her speak any further; his gaze locked on her as he made a final decision.


    Seeing the man''s uncompromising expression, she realized that from beginning to end, Huo Shiqian never planned to ask for her opinion but to inform her.


    "Actually, about this matter..." She still tried to resist.


    Huo Shiqian''s sharp gaze swiftly flew towards her, effectively silencing her.


    Alright, she dared not speak anymore.


    Because every time she opened her mouth, she felt like she was the one in the wrong.


    Although in reality, she was at a greater loss in this affair... Let it be; both were at a disadvantage, right?


    Thinking about it, she didn''t know why her face turned red.


    She couldn''t imagine that after rebirthing at a considerably old age, she would feel shy again and again because of a man.


    "I''ll take care of the matter with He Qing," Huo Shiqian said, seemingly quite satisfied with her reaction, his tone noticeably softer.


    After stating what he needed to, Huo Shiqian turned and prepared to leave.


    "Wait! You''re not planning on doing something, are you?" Xia Chuyi reacted and hastily grabbed him.


    She had already realized that she definitely had some misunderstandings about him in her previous life; by this time, he would have had significant power.


    And the reason he admitted to the charges was not because he acknowledged the crime, but her accusation of it.


    He spent the years he was demoted to make amends for her honor, even though he too was wronged.


    Three years later, when he found out that they both had been set up, he sought her out as soon as possible, intending to take responsibility.


    In short, this man was someone with a strong sense of duty.


    She was now worried he might misuse his position to do something about it.


    Although Huo Shiqian looked very confident, he was, after all, demoted for a while in her previous life; she guessed that there must have been involvement from his rivals, for such a swift conclusion to be drawn, to determine his guilt, and have him demoted.


    Whether it be responsibility or guilt, she was the one who brought trouble to him from the start, and she did not want him to do anything more for her.


    Firmly meeting his gaze, she shook her head, "For this matter, I want you to, you not to get involved."


    Since the matter started because of her, let her find a way to resolve it on her own.

 Chapter 17 - 17 Telepathy

    Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Telepathy


    She thought persuading him would be difficult, but to her surprise, after he glanced at the hand clinging to the hem of his clothes, with a mysterious look in his eyes for a moment, he actually nodded and said, "Okay."


    Then, he looked at her, seemingly asking her with his profound gaze.


    Is there anything else?


    Xia Chuyi was taken aback.


    "No, there''s nothing else."


    "Hmm." Huo Shiqian nodded, gently covered her hand, smoothly pulled it away, loosened the hem of his clothes, and then swiftly leaped out of the window.


    "I hope next time I come to see you, I can do so openly and honorably."


    In the end, Huo Shiqian left these words behind.


    Clearly, Huo Shiqian cared a lot about having to climb through the window to see her.


    Huo Shiqian''s tall figure quickly vanished behind the window.


    Recalling the dreamlike conversation just now, with Huo Shiqian''s touch lingering on her hand, Xia Chuyi felt an incredible sense of unreality.


    This man, actually, wasn''t as fierce as she had imagined.


    She slapped her own head vigorously.


    What was she thinking! Xia Chuyi! It didn''t matter to her whether he was fierce or not, right?


    Besides, how could she know what he was thinking just from one look in his eyes?


    Since when had she and he become so attuned?


    She and he were destined not to cross paths.


    However, for some reason, she felt entwined with him, a feeling she couldn''t shake off.


    Originally, after a day full of heart-stopping events, Xia Chuyi thought she wouldn''t be able to sleep at night; surprisingly, she slept so deeply that when she woke up, it was already broad daylight.


    Upon waking, she blinked and, with a thought, entered the space.


    Breathing in the fresh air of the space, she finally realized that all the events of the previous day were not a dream.


    Because the space maintained a constant temperature, she was too lazy to go out, and so she freshened up there.


    After getting everything ready, she went into the small kitchen.


    It was strange, even without an electrical connection, the appliances in the kitchen were still working.


    Xia Chuyi made herself a bowl of hot noodle soup with minced pork, sprinkled with green onions and seasoning. Satisfied with her meal, she then left the space.


    Once everything was prepared, she set out to find Xia Lan.


    "Knock, knock, knock." She rapped on the door a few times.


    The door opened quickly.


    "Who is it?" Xia Lan''s voice came from inside.


    "Chuyi?" The moment Xia Lan saw Xia Chuyi, her expression clearly showed shock.


    "Chuyi... why are you here, do you need something?" Xia Lan struggled to muster a ''kind'' smile towards her.


    Xia Chuyi put her hands back in her pockets and looked at Xia Lan with a smile, her tone full of surprise, "You''re asking me why I came to see you? Don''t tell me you forgot; we agreed to go to the military base today."


    Upon mentioning this, Xia Lan''s eyes immediately looked off.


    "Um, Chuyi... the thing is, yesterday, while you were out, Brother Qing had already taken me to the military base... He said he''s busy today, so we don''t need to go."


    Xia Lan explained awkwardly, looking embarrassed.


    "What did you say?" Xia Chuyi''s smile vanished in an instant as her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed, "You already went to the military base yesterday?"


    She pulled her hand out of her pocket and pointed angrily at Xia Lan''s nose.


    "Xia Lan, don''t you have any sense? Don''t you know why we came here?"


    "Grandfather He Qing is about to pass away, and he wanted to see me married to him, that''s why he sent me here with a letter to find him at the military base."


    "You said it would be best to talk to He Qing first, and I listened to you, so I met with him first. But you saw for yourself. When we met yesterday, it was clear he didn''t like me; what could I do? I had to go to the leadership!"


    "And you, you just came here for a blind date. Now that you''ve met someone for yourself, you can''t stand to see others do well?"


    Xia Chuyi bombarded her with a series of questions, her demeanor intimidating.

 Chapter 18: Female Waitress

    Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Female Waitress


    Xia Chu hadn''t expected such an intense reaction from Xia Chuyi, and she immediately feigned a meek attitude, "No, no... It''s Brother Qing who said he was busy today, so I only... Really, I didn''t lie to you, Brother Qing really is busy today!"


    Xia Chuyi waved her hand, uninterested in hearing her explanation, and stepped forward with hands on her hips, pressing in on Xia Lan, "Hmph, Xia Lan, don''t think I don''t know what you''re up to. Let me tell you, my relationship with He Qing is set in stone. Even if he''s unwilling, how does it matter? The monk can run, but the temple can''t."


    Giving Xia Lan a meaningful look, she flung her hands and walked away, leaving Xia Lan shaking with rage at the spot, her gaze fixed on her with venomous intensity.


    Unaware of the hostile gaze behind her, she turned around, her anger subsided, revealing a meaningful expression.


    Xia Lan, I''m not you. I won''t use despicable means to deal with you, but if you dig a hole, you better jump into it yourself. I certainly won''t show any mercy, I''ll make sure the dirt in that pit is packed tight and the mound piled high.


    At this point, if Xia Lan wanted to sabotage the marriage between Xia Chuyi and He Qing, there was only one way¡ªturning cooked rice into a meal already done.


    Xia Lan, I''m waiting for your move.


    Xia Chuyi walked towards the lobby with a relaxed and cheerful stride. She immediately spotted the waitress from yesterday, who was once again sitting at the counter eating sunflower seeds.


    It seemed this comrade was quite the food lover.


    Xia Chuyi approached with a smile.


    "Hello, beautiful comrade!" she greeted enthusiastically.


    The waitress, her face alight with a smile at the mention of "beautiful comrade," pretended to be calm as she responded, "Little comrade, is that you? You''re up? Have you had breakfast? You country folks eat only two meals a day, but let me tell you, that''s not good for your health. You need three meals a day to be healthy!"


    The waitress enthusiastically explained this to her.


    "Thank you, I''ve already eaten," Xia Chuyi said, pulling out a handful of peanuts from her pocket, "These are a specialty from my hometown, beautiful comrade, try some."


    "Are these really specialty products from your hometown?" the waitress brightened up immediately upon seeing the fresh, full peanuts.


    No, they were from a storage room in her space which she explored today.


    The peanuts were indeed taken from there, each one plump and crunchy, delicious to eat.


    Favors soften resistance, and after eating the peanuts, the waitress became much friendlier, "Stop calling me beautiful comrade, my name is Wang Xiaofang. I might be a bit older than you, just call me Sister Fang!"


    Older than her? Xia Chuyi thought that might not be the case.


    But physically, Wang Xiaofang did look older, so she amiably responded, "Sister Fang."


    The two got familiar over a handful of peanuts.


    Wang Xiaofang then asked Xia Chuyi where she lived and what she was doing here.


    "I''m from Ling County. I came here to find my fiance?, he''s the soldier who helped us book the room. You probably know¡ª"


    She was interrupted by Wang Xiaofang before she could finish.


    "What? You mean that man? He seemed very close to another woman..."


    Wang Xiaofang''s voice suddenly stopped.

 Chapter 19: Setting Up Surveillance

    Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Setting Up Surveillance


    Xiao Fang twisted her hands in embarrassment, looking at her, "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to say that on purpose."


    Chuyi laughed heartily, her face showing no concern, "It''s nothing, you must have misunderstood. That person is my sister, He Qing probably treats her well because of me!"


    Xiao Fang opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself, looking at her.


    Chuyi tilted her head thoughtfully before saying, "How about this, you help me keep an eye on her. If there''s anything unusual, let me know right away, okay?"


    Only then did Xiao Fang clap her hands in agreement, "That''s the right approach. You can know someone''s face but not their heart; it''s always good to be careful! I''ll keep an eye out for her and notify you immediately if anything happens!"


    Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.


    Chuyi felt both amused and warm inside.


    Even a stranger, out of gratitude for a kind word and a handful of peanuts, knew how to be thankful, yet Xia Lan was an ungrateful wretch, through and through.


    "Then thank you, Sister Fang!"


    After setting up her informant in the guesthouse, Chuyi left just like yesterday.


    Today, she was smarter. First, she went to the grocery store and bought a backpack carrier. She slung it on her back filled with fresh vegetables, and as soon as she arrived at the textile factory''s entrance, she was surrounded by a crowd.


    "It''s this young lady here, her vegetables are so fresh and tasty!" The person speaking was the same female employee who bought tomatoes from her yesterday, bringing along her neighbors from the block.


    In no time at all, her vegetables were all sold out again.


    "Young lady, there are a lot of people in our factory. It''s winter now and fresh vegetables are hard to come by. Please bring more next time!"


    She chuckled to herself. Where would she get so many fresh vegetables? It was just by chance that she had found the warehouse in the space, which allowed her to have enough to sell.


    Even so, she couldn''t sell them for long. Once she sorted out Xia Lan and He Qing''s matter, she would have to return to her hometown.


    Chuyi wouldn''t be staying long in Provincial City, and her time to make money was limited. Taking advantage of today, she hurried to visit several large factories and bustling streets in the surrounding area.


    Business in winter vegetables indeed turned out to be very good; she sold more than ten baskets in just one day.


    After a rough calculation, she had made more than a hundred!


    More than a hundred, this was the early 80s after all! Chuyi, with her small fortune self-earned, walked home beaming with joy.


    Along the way, she saw a steamed bun shop and bought a couple to treat herself.


    She munched on the buns while observing the other street vendors around.


    Street hawkers were gradually increasing, and though somewhat looked down upon, Chuyi could tell from their expressions that these people were truly making a fortune in silence.


    These days those who did business knew it well. Just by seeing the money she made from selling a dozen baskets of vegetables, it was clear that money was easy to earn.


    Of course, the reason she earned so much was that she had no cost for the vegetables, and she also had high-priced items like tomatoes.


    Regardless, this era was indeed a golden age for making money.


    After selling vegetables and finishing her buns, she returned to the guesthouse in the afternoon.


    "Sister Fang, good afternoon!"


    As soon as she entered the guesthouse, she saw Xiao Fang, the foodie, snacking again.

 Chapter 20 - 20 Ready to Go

    Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Ready to Go


    ¡°Chuyi is back! Come, have some dried sweet potatoes!¡± Upon seeing Xia Chuyi, Wang Xiaofang warmly offered them to her.


    Xia Chuyi waved her hand to indicate she didn¡¯t want any.


    ¡°I have eaten outside.¡±


    Actually, she hadn¡¯t eaten; she planned to eat in the space after returning to her room.


    The kitchen in her space was fully equipped, with abundant materials and ingredients in the space¡¯s warehouse¡ªit could be said to have everything one could need.


    With her own cooking skills, it was comparable to a five-star hotel.


    ...


    You see, in her previous life, she had formally taken lessons from a descendant of an imperial chef.


    Furthermore, she had discovered that time in the space was not equivalent to the outside world; spending about ten hours inside only amounted to a minute outside.


    Thus, doing things in the space saved a lot of time.


    Wang Xiaofang didn¡¯t insist, but came closer while nibbling on dried sweet potatoes.


    ¡°Chuyi, let me tell you, as soon as you left, that woman followed right out after you. What do you think she went out for?¡±


    What else could she be up to? It was to look for He Qing, of course.


    Xia Chuyi just smiled and didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too naive; watch out, or she might really steal your fiance?!¡± Wang Xiaofang looked frustrated.


    ¡°What is meant to be mine cannot be taken away, and what isn¡¯t, I won¡¯t demand,¡± she responded.


    Wang Xiaofang looked at her and shook her head: ¡°You¡¯re pretty generous.¡±


    Xia Chuyi just laughed silently.


    Generous? Hardly.


    She just knew too well the kind of person He Qing was¡ªdisgusting and vile, not something she coveted at all.


    After chatting with Wang Xiaofang a bit, she returned to her room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye on her for you!¡± Wang Xiaofang, biting on her dried sweet potatoes, blinked furiously at her.


    After returning to her room, she first enjoyed a feast in her space, then lay on her bed, carefully flipping through the Heavenly Book¡¯s recipes.


    Poring over the pages, she discovered some ingredients that didn¡¯t exist in the present world, guessing this book must have come from another space-time.


    However, some of the ingredient combinations were quite creative, and she found them very intriguing.


    Just when she was getting engrossed, a light series of knocks¡ªone long, two short¡ªcame from the door.


    Like a secret code.


    ¡°Owl!¡± She heard someone imitate a bird¡¯s call.


    Wang Xiaofang?


    The book in her hand flashed and transformed into a ray of light that entered her body.


    Opening the door, there she was, stealthily looking around.


    ¡°Chuyi, something¡¯s up!¡±


    Seeing Wang Xiaofang¡¯s underground party contact-like demeanor, Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    Coughing subtly, she lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Tell me, beautiful comrade, what¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°I just heard some strange noises in Xia Lan¡¯s room!¡± Wang Xiaofang whispered.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    Xia Lan was making a move?


    Thinking this, she didn¡¯t spell it out but commented, ¡°A strange noise doesn¡¯t necessarily mean something¡¯s going on, does it?¡±


    Wang Xiaofang pointed at her own head: ¡°You¡¯re so naive; wouldn¡¯t we know for sure if I checked the room?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing...¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing, then it¡¯s just a real room check. You go around to the outside, just in case there really is someone who flips out the window!¡±


    ¡°These shameless wild mandarin ducks, they just love flipping in and out of windows!¡±


    Wang Xiaofang spoke as though she had seen it happen.


    Xia Chuyi felt a bit embarrassed.


    Wild mandarin ducks, flipping through windows... it reminded her of herself and Huo Shiqian, cough cough.


    Skipping over that...


    After some whispered plans by Wang Xiaofang, Xia Chuyi indicated she understood and would fully cooperate.

 Chapter 21 - 21 Catching Adultery in the Act

    Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Catching Adultery in the Act


    Behind the guesthouse¡¯s rear wall, under the dim light.


    Xia Chuyi stood with her hands stuffed in her pockets, standing straight, gazing at a certain window on the first floor of the guesthouse.


    The curtain of that window was pulled tight, with just a dribble of sickly yellow light seeping through.


    Suddenly, there was a burst of noise from inside the room as the curtain was yanked open, and a figure hurriedly scrambled out of the windowsill.


    No sooner had the person tumbled out than they came face to face with Xia Chuyi.


    The person was stunned.


    ...


    Xia Chuyi regarded the person before her with cool detachment.


    Perhaps in too great a haste to escape, He Qing hadn¡¯t even put on his coat, his hair was disheveled, and his clothes were in disarray.


    ¡°He Qing, what are you doing out so late? What made you interested in sneaking out of my sister¡¯s room?¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s tone was especially neutral, indifferent as if discussing the cold weather or a rising wind.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi...¡± He Qing¡¯s face turned pale, then flushed as he wrapped himself with his coat, somewhat awkwardly facing her.


    ¡°Hey, I was wondering why your room is so odd, got burgled?¡±


    Wang Xiaofang¡¯s voice came from the room.


    ¡°No, no, no, it was stuffy, I just opened the window a bit...¡±


    Shadows flickered behind the window.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold, why open the window...¡± Before she could finish, the curtain was lifted again.


    Wang Xiaofang, with her face full of disdain, and Xia Lan, who tried unsuccessfully to stop her and who looked utterly panicked, along with the two people outside, were all clearly illuminated under the light.


    ¡°Oh my, why is there a man here?¡± Wang Xiaofang exclaimed with feigned surprise.


    ¡°This, this...¡± He Qing stuttered, unable to speak. He turned to look at Xia Chuyi, his eyes full of blame, as if to reproach her for being there at all since he could have otherwise made a clean escape.


    Xia Lan bit her lip, on the verge of tears but not crying.


    Xia Chuyi remained silent.


    It was as if time had spiraled back to this morning when Xia Chuyi had hurriedly fled down from the second floor to avoid the scandal; back to her past life when outsiders witnessed her and Huo Shiqian disheveled together.


    It¡¯s true, you never know whom heaven will spare when you look up.


    Wang Xiaofang glanced at He Qing, then at Xia Lan, and spat out with contempt.


    ¡°Pah, a couple of dogs!¡±


    That shout shocked Xia Lan.


    Xia Lan¡¯s eyes widened before she lowered her head and began to cry softly.


    After crying a few times, Xia Lan raised her head, looked through the window at Xia Chuyi, her eyes brimming with pain and guilt, and said in a voice full of pity, ¡°Chuyi, sister didn¡¯t mean to... Brother Qing and I, it¡¯s mutual love.¡±


    ¡°You know, Brother Qing and I have been childhood sweethearts. It¡¯s only because Qinghe¡¯s parents looked down on my family¡¯s poverty that...¡±


    Upon hearing Xia Lan¡¯s words, He Qing immediately found his direction and said righteously, ¡°Yes, Xia Chuyi, your sister and I are truly in love. I had my family propose marriage, and it was Xia Lan I intended for them to propose to, not you! It got changed along the way!¡±


    ¡°From the beginning to the end, I never liked you. I was forced by my family!¡±


    ¡°Brother Qing...¡±


    Xia Lan called out with tender affection, full of moved feelings, her voice heartbreakingly earnest.


    In front of Xia Chuyi, He Qing confidently went back to the window, took Xia Lan¡¯s hand, and looked disdainfully at Xia Chuyi, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here for you!¡±


    Wang Xiaofang stood aside, wide-eyed and speechless.


    Xia Chuyi was expressionless: ¡°Since the two of you are in love and you were forced, why didn¡¯t you come to my family to call off the engagement?¡±


    He Qing was caught off guard by the question.


    Xia Lan immediately took over, ¡°Parental orders and matchmaker¡¯s words, Brother Qing is filial, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t call off the engagement, right, Brother Qing? You accepted this marriage because of your respect for Uncle He and Aunt He, right?¡±

 Chapter 22 - 22 Preparing to Break Off the Engagement

    Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Preparing to Break Off the Engagement


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you are so crude and overbearing, you¡¯re practically a shrew!¡±


    ¡°How can you even compare to Lanlan? Lanlan is kind, fragile, and gentle, totally not in the same league as you!¡±


    ¡°How could I possibly dislike Lanlan and fancy you?¡±


    He Qing¡¯s words felt eerily familiar.


    Two lifetimes now, some things had changed, but others had not.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, I, He Qing, will definitely not like you, will not marry you, just give up already!¡±


    ...


    He Qing¡¯s gaze made it seem as though Xia Chuyi was some sort of abhorrent creature.


    ¡°You!¡± Wang Xiaofang couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, her eyes blazing with anger.


    Xia Chuyi felt somewhat touched inside.


    With just a handful of peanuts, she had bought her loyalty, used her, yet she had some real affection towards her.


    If there was a chance, she would surely repay her for this kinship.


    Bringing her thoughts back to the moment, she continued to confront He Qing, ¡°If you dislike me so much, then why accept the watch and radio my uncle sent, and why accept the clothes, shoes, and food I sent you?¡±


    At the mention of wealth, He Qing instantly lost his temper, pointing at her, his voice several notches higher.


    ¡°What do you mean, Xia Chuyi? You think I covet those trifles from your uncle and you? That¡¯s just normal courtesy between families! Has my family not given you things?¡±


    Such courtesy indeed.


    Xia Chuyi felt like applauding He Qing for his audacity.


    A few hair ties, a piece of cloth, a few bundles of vegetables were his idea of family courtesy?


    ¡°Speaking of which, Xia Chuyi, I must criticize you!¡± He Qing continued angrily.


    ¡°Your uncle and you are always spending money left and right, living it up! But what about your sister?¡±


    ¡°Lanlan is your own cousin, and look at the life you live compared to hers! She came with you to visit me and couldn¡¯t even afford a meal! Why can¡¯t you help Lanlan out?¡±


    He Qing grew more self-righteous as he spoke.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you¡¯re such a failure as a sister!¡±


    Spending money left and right, living it up?


    And I¡¯m the one who¡¯s a failure as a sister?


    A storm brewed in Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°He Qing!¡± she snorted coldly, ¡°My uncle drives long distances, toils and moils, just to earn the money to ¡®lavishly¡¯ buy gifts for you!¡±


    ¡°And I, I get by on the pension my father earned with his life on the battlefield, that¡¯s how I manage to live ¡®so comfortably¡¯!¡±


    ¡°As for Xia Lan, her parents are both alive and well, yet you expect me, who lost my father young and has a sickly mother, to help her out?¡±


    Each word was like a hammer, and as Xia Chuyi reproached He Qing, she was also blaming herself.


    She had always been this foolish, struggling through her own tough life while still helping out Xia Lan, whom she thought had it worse than herself.


    Even though I¡¯m the younger cousin, even though Xia Lan is supposed to be the elder one.


    But in the end, all it led to was Xia Lan taking advantage of her, culminating in Xia Lan¡¯s repeated plots and betrayals.


    ¡°That¡¯s too much! You¡¯re not proper with others and turn around to blame Chuyi?¡± Xiao Fang was nearly in tears listening at the side.


    Watching Xiao Fang¡¯s face flush with rage, as if she was about to explode and beat He Qing, Xia Chuyi somehow felt her anger dissipate.


    See, these facts, this logic, anybody who heard them would know right from wrong.


    ¡°He Qing, regardless of how I live or what my personality is like, since we are incompatible and look down on each other, let¡¯s call off this engagement.¡±


    Xia Chuyi said to him, her voice cold.


    ¡°However, the reason for canceling it will be that you and Xia Lan have become intimately involved.¡±

 Chapter 23 - 23 Resolutely Breaking Off the Engagement

    Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Resolutely Breaking Off the Engagement


    ¡°Chuyi!¡± Xia Lan cried out in alarm, her face genuinely showing fear.


    ¡°What, did you want me to help you keep it a secret? Xia Lan, have you thought about how you can stay with your Brother Qing if you don¡¯t tell the folks back home about this?¡±


    After Xia Chuyi finished speaking, Xia Lan¡¯s eyes immediately showed hesitation.


    She continued to fuel the fire, ¡°Hmph, moreover, other people have seen it too. If you two aren¡¯t together in the future, then today¡¯s behavior will be considered promiscuity or, one-sided hooliganism.¡±


    He Qing¡¯s face changed immediately.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that, He Qing. Give back the stuff my uncle gave you and what I gave you, and we¡¯ll call off this marriage.¡±


    ...


    ¡°As for you and Xia Lan, I will testify that you two were mutually in love, not engaging in hooliganism.¡±


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s words were almost a threat.


    If you give back the stuff, you two can go and be miserable dogs together forever. If you don¡¯t, watch out, I might just accuse you of promiscuity.


    Wang Xiaofang glared at them angrily, clearly siding with Xia Chuyi.


    ¡°He Qing!¡± He Qing gritted his teeth, ¡°You really think I care about your stuff?¡±


    ¡°Call off the marriage, we must call it off!¡± He Qing shouted, ¡°Xia Chuyi, I don¡¯t see who would want to marry a woman like you!¡±


    Ignoring his infuriated tantrum, Xia Chuyi calmly watched the guilty couple holding hands tightly.


    ¡°Remember your words and follow through. Tomorrow, I¡¯m going back home with Xia Lan. Remember to deliver the stuff to the train station.¡±


    Having said that, Xia Chuyi turned around and left without hesitation.


    Wang Xiaofang gave them a final glare and also turned to leave at a quick pace.


    When Xia Chuyi hadn¡¯t even entered the guesthouse, she saw Wang Xiaofang running out from inside.


    ¡°Chuyi, are you all right? It¡¯s really unlucky to run into such a sister and fiance?!¡±


    Wang Xiaofang hooked her arm around hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t feel sad for such people, it¡¯s not worth it!¡±


    Wang Xiaofang was even more indignant than the principal involved.


    ¡°Sister Fang, don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m fine. Like you said, it¡¯s not worth it to be sad for such people.¡± Xia Chuyi smiled, patted Wang Xiaofang¡¯s hand, and comforted her, proving she wasn¡¯t upset.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you can see it that way! What are you planning next? Are you really going back home tomorrow? It¡¯s such a shame. I wanted you to stay and enjoy a few more days! Though we¡¯ve only just met, strangely, I feel a special bond with you!¡±


    Wang Xiaofang felt a kinship with her, probably because she was a chef. Foodies and chefs, isn¡¯t that a perfect match?


    Thinking this, Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but laugh first.


    ¡°Sister Fang, I came here originally to discuss the marriage with He Qing. Now that there¡¯s a resolution, I certainly need to go back. But don¡¯t worry, we will definitely meet again when there¡¯s a chance.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully!¡± Wang Xiaofang still sounded a bit disappointed.


    ¡°We will.¡±


    Provincial City was truly a place brimming with countless business opportunities. So, one day in the future, she would definitely return.

 Chapter 24 - 24 Saying Goodbye to the King

    Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Saying Goodbye to the King


    ¡°Men are simply no good at all!¡± Wang Xiaofang¡¯s anger escalated from He Qing to all men.


    Afraid that Wang Xiaofang might develop a phobia of marriage and men, Xia Chuyi quickly tried to persuade her, ¡°Sister Fang, you can¡¯t think like that. Not all men are like He Qing. There are some who are very good, very kind, and very responsible.¡±


    At this point, for some reason, Huo Shiqian flashed into her mind.


    Isn¡¯t he just that kind of person?


    Forget it, don¡¯t think about him. No matter how good he is, it has nothing to do with her now. After all, she¡¯s returning to the countryside tomorrow, and she won¡¯t have any contact with him.


    Wang Xiaofang furiously cursed the unfaithful men and women, while Xia Chuyi was beside her, earnestly trying to calm her down.


    ...


    As they cursed and persuaded, both ended up laughing. It was funny, not knowing who was actually the cuckolded one!


    ¡°Chuyi, if you ever come back to the Provincial City, remember to look me up!¡± Wang Xiaofang said, reluctant to part with Xia Chuyi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if I have the chance, I¡¯ll definitely come to see you.¡± Xia Chuyi took another package out of her bag and handed it to Wang Xiaofang, ¡°Sister Fang, these are some snacks I brought from home, they¡¯re all for you.¡±


    Hearing there was food, Wang Xiaofang¡¯s previously upset expression instantly brightened up.


    ¡°Ah, snacks!¡± Taking the neatly wrapped snacks packaged in newspaper, Wang Xiaofang could not resist tearing into them right there.


    Inside were peanuts, sunflower seeds, dried pumpkin, roasted soybeans, and other small snacks in shades of red, yellow, and black that were very pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°Oh my, there¡¯s so much!¡± Wang Xiaofang said as she reluctantly looked at the snacks while pushing the bag back, though her eyes couldn¡¯t bear to leave it.


    ¡°Sister Fang, you don¡¯t have to be polite with me. I still have to thank you for the big favor you did yesterday.¡± Xia Chuyi stuffed the bag back into Wang Xiaofang¡¯s hands, ¡°Besides, these snacks were originally meant for He Qing. Given the current situation, should I still keep them for that bastard?¡±


    Hearing her reasoning, Wang Xiaofang grabbed the snacks at once, ¡°What? For that thug? Then let me have them!¡±


    Xia Chuyi watched Wang Xiaofang joyfully secure the bag.


    ¡°You really have to come see me!¡±


    Switching back to farewell mode in a second.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll definitely come see you!¡±


    Since Wang Xiaofang had to work and couldn¡¯t see her off, Xia Chuyi waved her hand and left the guesthouse with her bag slung over her shoulder.


    From beginning to end, she did not speak to Xia Lan, who was beside her.


    ¡°Chuyi... what did you just give her? I didn¡¯t see you bring that from home,¡± Xia Lan meekly approached her as soon as they left the guesthouse.


    Xia Chuyi gave her a glance, ¡°Funny, do I need to inform you about everything I bring? Are you spying on me?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not what I meant...¡± Xia Lan hurriedly shook her hands and then looked upset, ¡°Chuyi, are you still angry about yesterday? Chuyi, it wasn¡¯t deliberate, it¡¯s Brother Qing... he got carried away... I, I couldn¡¯t refuse.¡±


    ¡°Chuyi, can you forgive me?¡± Xia Lan¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears.


    ¡°No.¡± Xia Chuyi said decisively, leaving Xia Lan completely stunned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t make it a habit of forgiving cheaters. Those who have betrayed me, I will never forgive.¡±


    The Holy Mother act, she¡¯d had enough of it in her last life.


    ¡°I...¡± Xia Lan bowed her head and began to wipe her tears.


    Acting again?


    Sneering, Xia Chuyi looked up into the distance, and sure enough, a military truck was approaching.


    He Qing got out from the passenger side of the truck and bellowed from afar, ¡°Xia Chuyi, how dare you bully your sister again!¡±

 Chapter 25 - 25 Preparing to Go Home

    Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Preparing to Go Home


    After roaring at Xia Chuyi, He Qing immediately soothed Xia Lan.


    ¡°Lanlan, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing, Chuyi didn¡¯t bully me...¡± Xia Lan replied softly.


    The two were affectionate.


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and climbed up behind the military truck, settling down against the metal interior.


    Behind them, He Qing helped Xia Lan over and greeted the soldier driving.


    ...


    ¡°Gangzi, this is Lanlan, your sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, hello!¡±


    Just as Huo Shiqian had said, the people in the military had long assumed Xia Lan was He Qing¡¯s fiance?e.


    After helping Xia Lan into the truck, He Qing picked up a bundle and threw it at Xia Chuyi¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Here, these are your belongings.¡±


    With a look of disdain and contempt.


    Xia Chuyi was not angry or furious, she calmly picked up the bundle and, in front of He Qing, opened it and checked.


    ¡°It seems like something is missing?¡± she said indifferently after casually sifting through it.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s cold tone irked He Qing.


    ¡°What do you mean, Xia Chuyi? Why are you so petty and calculating...¡±


    Her stern and fierce gaze shot at He Qing like sword blades.


    The sharp look made He Qing¡¯s bravado diminish all at once.


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Brother Qing, don¡¯t be mad, let¡¯s talk calmly, okay?¡± At this tense moment, Xia Lan popped up, playing the peacemaker.


    ¡°Chuyi, look at the stuff you mailed to Brother Qing. There were many miscellaneous items, so it¡¯s normal to use some, right? See, the big items like the watch and the tape recorder are there, aren¡¯t they? Uncle He and Aunt He have always been good to you, so don¡¯t be so petty, please.¡±


    He Qing went along with this, huffing, acting as if she was above squabbling with Xia Chuyi.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Xia Chuyi inwardly sneered, saying nothing.


    She took out the more valuable items from the bundle, put them into her bag, and gathered the rest carelessly, throwing them to the side.


    She closed her eyes, no longer paying attention to the two.


    The truck started moving.


    On the journey, He Qing and Xia Lan kept on exchanging sentiments as if no one else was around.


    By the time they reached the train station, their parting was even more reluctant.


    Xia Chuyi, carrying her two bags, did not even look at them, and with a leap, jumped agilely from the truck.


    Standing at the entrance of the waiting hall and sweeping her gaze around, she casually found someone and gave them the bundle of He Qing¡¯s returned, incomplete belongings for a one-yuan tractor ticket.


    The price was practically giving it away.


    Then she found someone who looked quite wealthy and disposed of the watch and tape recorder for less than a hundred yuan.


    After dealing with everything she got back from He Qing, she went to the ticket line to buy a ticket.


    By the time she had bought her ticket, Xia Lan and He Qing had just reluctantly said their goodbyes.


    ¡°Lanlan, take care of yourself on the road. Keep my letter safe and show it to my parents when you get home, they will understand what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I know, Brother Qing, you also need to take care of yourself in the military.¡±


    Xia Chuyi, tired in her eyes from the scene, tossed the ticket to Xia Lan.


    ¡°The money for the ticket came from the family, so you don¡¯t need to pay, but you¡¯re responsible for your own food and drink on the train.¡± Having said that, she took her bag and headed to the ticket checking gate first.

 Chapter 26 - 26 Xia Lan鈥檚 Hatred

    Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Xia Lan¡¯s Hatred


    These days, many people on trains don¡¯t sit according to their tickets, especially those with standing-room tickets. They take any available seat.


    Fortunately, today wasn¡¯t a holiday, and the passenger count wasn¡¯t very high. Chuyi¡¯s seat wasn¡¯t taken.


    He found his assigned seat, took the valuables from his bag, and put them in a smaller bag, stuffing the large bag into the overhead rack. Then Chuyi sat down.


    Xia Lan trailed behind.


    ¡°Chuyi, are we sitting here?¡±


    The moment Xia Chuyi heard Xia Lan¡¯s whiny, delicate voice beside him, he frowned.


    ...


    Xia Lan, tiptoeing, was about to place her bag next to Chuyi.


    ¡°Oh, Chuyi, where is Brother Qing¡¯s bag? I don¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°Kept it to annoy, sold it,¡± Chuyi answered casually.


    ¡°Ah, you sold it? For how much?¡± Xia Lan exclaimed, hurrying to ask.


    He smirked.


    How ironic, Xia Lan cared not that He Qing¡¯s personal belongings were gone, but how much they were sold for.


    Remembering their last life, Xia Lan and He Qing had apparently divorced. What a pity, a bitch and a bastard would have been a perfect match for eternity.


    Chuyi¡¯s gaze tilted toward Xia Lan. ¡°Xia Lan, stop acting.¡±


    Xia Lan¡¯s grip around her bag tightened, her expression freezing.


    ¡°Chuyi, what do you mean? Sister Lan doesn¡¯t understand,¡± Xia Lan forced a smile.


    Chuyi stared at her for a long time, nearly causing Xia Lan¡¯s forced smile to falter.


    ¡°Xia Lan, some things, heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know. Now, I have fulfilled your schemes, achieving your desires,¡± she spoke slowly, ¡°so from now on, please stop playing games in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Your face makes me sick just as much as He Qing¡¯s used items.¡±


    By now, Chuyi truly didn¡¯t want to play this game with Xia Lan any longer, lifting the curtain of shame.


    ¡°Forgot to remind you, our seats aren¡¯t next to each other.¡± She calmly raised her ticket.


    Meeting Chuyi¡¯s undisguised disdainful look, Xia Lan¡¯s face flushed a mixture of pale and red colors, ultimately dropping her pretense.


    ¡°Haha, who would have thought, a trip to Provincial City made you much smarter, Chuyi.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I deliberately seduced Brother Qing! But what can you do? He prefers a delicate, weak girl like me, not a shrew like you.


    ¡°You and I are both girls, our second household and your third household both lack sons. You, whose father has died, why should your life be better than mine? Why?¡± Xia Lan¡¯s eyes reddened, her face full of envy.


    ¡°Just because you have a capable uncle?¡± Xia Lan scoffed.


    ¡°Hmph, Chuyi, since your uncle is so capable, why doesn¡¯t he help out our third household as well?¡±


    ¡°When the main household, boasting their male heirs, bullies our third household, why didn¡¯t you ask your uncle to stand up for us?¡±


    ¡°And then after the trouble passes, you and Second Aunt give me a few candies, a few hair ties, a few clothes as if you are saints?¡±


    ¡°Haha, Chuyi, I just can¡¯t stand your self-righteous look, as if you¡¯re so benevolent!¡±


    ¡°If you really were kind, when He Qing first took an interest in me and the He Family scorned my family¡¯s poverty, why didn¡¯t you help me prepare a dowry, instead having your uncle help you snatch the marriage for yourself?¡±


    ¡°Chuyi, stop playing the saint now. All I did today was take back what belongs to me!¡± Xia Lan argued vehemently, spit flying, completely shedding her usual gentle demeanor.

 Chapter 27 - 27 Sister Standoff

    Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Sister Standoff


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she placidly looked at Xia Lan.


    Back then, when it came to the marriage proposal, nobody knew whom He Qing had taken a fancy to. The He Family didn¡¯t say anything when they came to propose.


    She only knew that when the He Family came to the Xia Family to propose, the proposal was for her.


    And Xia Lan, indeed, was often bullied by the main house, while she had stood up for Xia Lan numerous times without anyone knowing.


    Whenever she had something good, she would share it with Xia Lan.


    And what was the result? In Xia Lan¡¯s eyes, was she a fake saint?


    ...


    Ha, the past her was clearly a true Holy Mother!


    Xia Lan, this person, only saw her own hardships but never the difficulties of others.


    She, a girl orphaned by her father and with a frail mother, had to resist the main house and her grandparents with a stiff neck at such a young age, in order to protect her own rights.


    Otherwise, even with her uncle as a backer, given her mother¡¯s weak character, how good could life be for her and her mother?


    Xia Chuyi looked at Xia Lan with even more disdain.


    People who wallow in self-pity only walk towards sorrow.


    Her gaze suddenly provoked Xia Lan.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, don¡¯t look at me with that kind of gaze! What right do you have to look down on me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am pitiful, but you, you are even more pitiful!¡±


    ¡°Brother Qing is mine now, and you are nothing but a woman nobody wants!¡±


    ¡°That kind of man, just take him if you want, I¡¯m not interested,¡± Xia Chuyi said indifferently.


    ¡°Ha, really? If you don¡¯t like men, then what about Second Aunt? Second Aunt, your own mother, doesn¡¯t seem to like you much because of your bad temper.¡±


    ¡°Second Aunt said, if only I were her biological daughter, she dotes on me much more than she does on you.¡±


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes instantly turned sharp.


    ¡°What, did I hit a sore spot?¡± Xia Lan laughed triumphantly.


    A sore spot?


    Indeed, this was a sore spot for Xia Chuyi.


    The issue of her mother, indeed, was a long story.


    But no matter what, that was her own business.


    ¡°Xia Lan, whether your life is miserable or not is your business, and whether I am pitiable or not is mine. He Qing, that scumbag, I don¡¯t want him, nor do I think he¡¯s worth it.¡±


    ¡°As for the past when I helped you, consider it a time when I was blind.¡±


    ¡°But the matter of you poisoning me, I will always remember.¡±


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s tone was harsh, each word clear and distinct.


    Xia Lan¡¯s face instantly changed color.


    ¡°What poisoning? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± her eyes darting away, ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this, I¡¯m going to find my own seat!¡±


    Xia Lan hurried off, clutching her bundle and running away.


    Xia Chuyi coldly watched Xia Lan¡¯s flustered retreat.


    Just by denying, could she act as if nothing had happened?


    Naive.


    Since that incident, Xia Lan did not come to look for her again during the car ride.


    Xia Lan didn¡¯t come to her, and she couldn¡¯t be bothered with Xia Lan.


    Occasionally, she glanced out the window at the world, comparing the present with the future. Occasionally, she closed her eyes to rest her spirit, summoning the Heavenly Book in her consciousness to read slowly.


    This was a new function she had discovered.


    It turned out the Heavenly Book could be read in one¡¯s consciousness.


    Reading the Heavenly Book Recipe, looking at the scenery, feigning a need to go to the restroom when hungry but actually stepping into her space to enjoy a meal and breathe in fresh air.


    Just like that, she leisurely made her way to her destination.

 Chapter 28 - 28 Returning to Hometown

    Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Returning to Hometown


    ¡°In my previous life, Uncle and Mother passed away one after another, and Xia Chuyi was forced to leave her hometown and head south. Since then, she never returned.¡±


    ¡°So this time, coming home seemed to others to be only an eight- or nine-day absence, but to her, it felt like several decades, like two lifetimes had passed.¡±


    ¡°Upon reaching the entrance of the village, the bus she was on stopped, and Xia Chuyi hopped off directly.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, thank you!¡±


    ¡°After thanking the bus driver, she slung her bag on and started walking toward the Xia Family¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Xia Chuyi!¡±


    ...


    ¡°The weight hit her back abruptly; it was Xia Lan grabbing onto the straps of her bag.¡±


    ¡°Xia Chuyi¡¯s expression darkened, and she suddenly turned around, forcefully shaking off Xia Lan.¡±


    ¡°What do you want now?¡±


    ¡°Thrown off balance, Xia Lan raised her head, pulling out a forced smile: ¡°Chuyi, look, we¡¯re both home now. The things that happened a few days ago, don¡¯t be mad at Sister Lan. You know I didn¡¯t mean to...¡±


    ¡°Xia Chuyi held onto her bag¡¯s strap, looking down coldly at Xia Lan, who was feigning weakness.¡±


    ¡°Xia Lan, I¡¯ll say it again, stop putting on a show in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Once the act is seen through, one is riddled with holes.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Annoyed and embarrassed, Xia Lan replied. But quickly, she smiled softly again, and said cautiously, ¡°Then, Chuyi, about what happened between Brother Qing and me, you...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Xia Chuyi suddenly cracked a smile, ¡°I always keep my word. I won¡¯t gossip about it. As long as the He Family agrees to call off the engagement, I¡¯ll leave the issue alone.¡±


    Her smile put Xia Lan on guard.¡±


    ¡°Chuyi, why are you laughing? You¡¯re not planning to do something, are you?¡± Xia Lan asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Xia Lan!¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes flashed as she spoke calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t think everyone is plotting just because you¡¯re full of schemes yourself!¡±


    ¡°You...¡± Xia Lan still looked incredulous.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Xia Chuyi let out a cold laugh, then her eyes curved into little boats, smiling as she started to walk past Xia Lan, step by step.


    ¡°Xia Lan, if I, Xia Chuyi, really set out to deal with you, it will be out in the open... a ¡®sunlight plot.¡¯¡±


    In other words, she would set the trap, but whether Xia Lan fell into it was her own choice.


    Having said that, Xia Chuyi slung her bag over her shoulder and briskly walked away.¡±


    ¡°Leaving the main road, it was just a half-minute walk on a branching path before the Xia Family¡¯s house was in sight.¡±


    ¡°The Xia Family¡¯s house was a complete brick-and-tile courtyard structure, facing south with a ¡®U¡¯ shape. Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia lived in the central hall, the east wing was occupied by the eldest branch, and the west wing was shared by the second and third branches, with the second at the front and the third at the back.¡±


    ¡°Smoke curled up from the roof, drifting into the sky.¡±


    ¡°As she neared her hometown, Xia Chuyi stood frozen at her own doorstep, unable to move a muscle.¡±


    ¡°Creak,¡± the door of the room at the end of the west wing opened.¡±


    ¡°A middle-aged woman weakly carried a basin of water out to pour.¡±


    ¡°Dressed in a green jacket, her hair pinned up, her eyes drooping listlessly, she had the appearance of someone worn out by hardships.¡±


    ¡°Halfway through pouring the water, the woman was surprised to see her, and her bitter face broke into a burst of joyful expression.¡±


    ¡°Chuyi, you¡¯re back!¡± Holding the basin, she hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward to pull her, ¡°How was it, going to the army to discuss your marriage with He Qing?¡±


    Xia Chuyi reflexively dodged the woman¡¯s hand, turning her face away to avoid looking at her.¡±


    ¡°Mother...¡± Xia Chuyi called out softly.


    When she uttered that word, her voice unexpectedly took on a bitter tone.


    Across two lifetimes, her feelings towards her mother were complex.


    Noticing Xia Chuyi¡¯s unusual demeanor, Mother Xia quickly pressed, ¡°Chuyi, what¡¯s wrong? Was there trouble meeting with He Qing?¡±

 Chapter 29 - 29 Weak Mother Xia

    Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Weak Mother Xia


    Regarding marriage, it wasn¡¯t something that could be discussed in a short amount of time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this later,¡± Xia Chuyi replied succinctly to Mother Xia, slinging her bag and heading straight into the house.


    Since there were few people in the second room, only two rooms in the west wing were allotted, an outer room and a bedroom, where Xia Chuyi stayed in a small loft half a person tall.


    As she ascended the stairs, she heard Mother Xia¡¯s intermittent complaints from behind.


    ¡°You child... why are you so stubborn... a girl¡¯s family should...¡±


    Fortunately, Mother Xia¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud. Once Xia Chuyi reached the loft, that resentful tone was excluded.


    ...


    Xia Chuyi bolted the door and busied herself on the loft, tossing lighter items from her bundle and taking out important things from the space to place in the bundle.


    It took some time for her to organize her belongings before she carried the sizable bundle downstairs.


    As soon as she stepped down, she saw that Mother Xia had laid out a bowl of porridge and two sweet potatoes, still steaming slightly.


    Chuyi, you¡¯ve just returned, what are these things you¡¯re carrying and where are you going?¡± Mother Xia asked her, somewhat surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m visiting Uncle Xia,¡± Xia Chuyi patted the bundle on her body, ¡°I¡¯ve brought some things for them.¡±


    Mother Xia hesitated and said to her, ¡°What can you bring? Uncle isn¡¯t home, it will be troublesome for Aunt... why don¡¯t you eat something before going?¡±


    Seeing that Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t respond, Mother Xia added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your grandma knows about it.¡±


    The implication was that this was above board.


    Xia Chuyi glanced at the food on the table, the thin porridge, and the not-too-big nor too-small sweet potatoes, which, in the cold winters of a rural village, weren¡¯t considered too poor for a meal.


    However, this was the Xia Family¡¯s home.


    Because of Mr. Xia¡¯s pension and the money and grains Uncle Xia sent every month, having enough dry rice for meals was assured, and they could occasionally indulge in meat.


    It could be said that, aside from Uncle Xia¡¯s household, the Xia Family lived the best life in Heshan Village.


    Noticing her expression, Mother Xia hurriedly explained, ¡°Chuyi, don¡¯t think too much, I just wanted to have something light... and porridge with sweet potatoes is quite good.¡±


    Xia Chuyi looked at the timid Mother Xia in front of her.


    How many times had she fought in the main room or gone to her grandparents¡¯ to defend Mother Xia? And how many times had Mother Xia tearfully said that she shouldn¡¯t be so fierce, saying she didn¡¯t resemble a girl at all.


    Weakness and endurance were the impressions she had of Mother Xia from a young age.


    Because she was a widow without a son, Mother Xia always felt that they were burdens in the Xia Family, always living in a humble and low-spirited way.


    ¡°Chuyi, a girl is a drain on resources, eventually she must marry off, listen to Mom, be obedient, and your grandparents will like you...¡±


    ¡°Chuyi, your male cousins will one day perform ancestral rites for your dad in the fields, give them some leeway... when you are married, you¡¯ll need the support of your maternal brothers too...¡±


    Being an obedient child who understood endurance was all Mother Xia hoped for her.


    Sadly, Xia Chuyi¡¯s temper was both tough and stubborn, born unwilling to lose, and she could never learn the ¡°gentleness and wisdom¡± Mother Xia hoped for, thus was never quite her mother¡¯s favorite.


    In the Xia family, besides the nephews from the main room, Mother Xia¡¯s other favorite was Xia Lan, the ¡°gentle and frail,¡± supposedly a ¡°proper girl.¡±


    Logically, Mother Xia should be the closest person to her in this world, yet, paradoxically, they sorely lacked mother-daughter affinity.

 Chapter 30 - 30 Going to Uncle Xia鈥檚 House

    Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Going to Uncle Xia¡¯s House


    ¡°Eat up yourself, I¡¯m not hungry; I¡¯m off to my uncle¡¯s,¡± Xia Chu said. She could tell at a glance that the food was scrimped and saved by Mother Xia herself. Having the option to eat in her ¡®space,¡¯ she really didn¡¯t want to snatch away this meager ration.


    Seeing she was still persistent in going to Uncle Xia¡¯s, Mother Xia hesitated and said, ¡°Chuyi, you should eat before you go... After all, you¡¯re the Xia family¡¯s daughter. It¡¯s not good to trouble your uncle too often... Other people will talk, you know...¡±


    Talk? Who dares to gossip?


    It would be those from the Xia family.


    Heh, they have the nerve to wag their tongues, accusing her and her mother of relying on Uncle Xia, yet they don¡¯t have the decency to refuse Uncle Xia¡¯s generosity.


    After everything that happened in her past life, she had long realized that these people from the Xia family were just a bunch of jesters.


    ...


    She didn¡¯t want to argue with Mother Xia.


    ¡°I¡¯m off,¡± Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t listen to Mother Xia anymore. She left the Xia Family Courtyard and headed eastward through the village.


    At the eastern entrance of He Mountain Village was a bungalow, the only one in the village.


    The owner of this bungalow was none other than Xia Chuyi¡¯s Uncle Xia¡ªZhao Minglang.


    In He Mountain Village, there were two legends.


    One was Xia Chuyi¡¯s father, Xia Chenggui.


    The other legend was Uncle Xia, Zhao Minglang.


    Uncle Xia had started his own business, and in less than a year, he had built a flat-roofed house in his hometown.


    Just because of this, whenever Uncle Xia was mentioned in He Mountain Village, everyone would give a thumbs-up.


    Before Xia Chuyi even entered the courtyard, she heard Aunt Xia chastising her cousin, Zhao Xiaogui.


    ¡°Auntie!¡± she shouted into the courtyard, interrupting Aunt Xia¡¯s lecture.


    The door was quickly opened.


    ¡°Chuyi? When did you come back? Why didn¡¯t you send someone ahead to let us know? I would have arranged for someone to pick you up.¡± Aunt Xia was quite surprised to see her, but the joy on her face couldn¡¯t be concealed.


    ¡°I just got back. I¡¯m a big girl now; I don¡¯t need anyone to pick me up,¡± Xia Chu¡¯s smile beamed as she handed over her bundle, ¡°This is a gift I brought back for you from the Provincial City.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back already; no need to bring gifts!¡± Aunt Xia shook her head, disapproving.


    ¡°It¡¯s already bought, can¡¯t return it now, and certainly, can¡¯t leave it for those Xia family folks, can I?¡± Xia Chuyi insisted on giving the gifts to Aunt Xia.


    ¡°You, child!¡± Aunt Xia finally accepted the gift with a laugh, ¡°Come inside quickly, it¡¯s so cold out! Sigh, even if you¡¯re bringing gifts, you didn¡¯t have to visit right after coming home!¡±


    Once inside, Aunt Xia immediately directed her freshly scolded cousin, ¡°Go, bring out all the tasty stuff for your sister!¡±


    ¡°Eh, alright!¡± Her cousin, ducking another lecture, made faces at Xia Chuyi and dashed off.


    Setting the bundle aside, Aunt Xia took Xia Chuyi¡¯s hand and began to inquire in detail about everything that happened in Provincial City.


    ¡°What, a broken engagement?¡± Aunt Xia stood up, shocked.


    ¡°Chuyi, tell Auntie, what exactly happened? Did those people cause trouble?¡± Aunt Xia was incensed.


    Family is not merely through blood, but through the heart as well, and Aunt Xia was just as uncompromising as Xia Chuyi, she grabbed her, ready to confront the responsible parties.


    ¡°Forget it, Auntie. Being able to see someone¡¯s true character before getting married is a good thing,¡± Xia Chuyi chuckled without a care.


    Aunt Xia scrutinized her closely, while Xia Chuyi remained nonchalant, letting her look her over.

 Chapter 31 - 31 The Benevolence of Elders

    Chapter 31: Chapter 31 The Benevolence of Elders


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, the city really is different. Just by going into the city once, Chuyi, you¡¯ve changed a lot... I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it, but you feel... like a leading figure in a play, like an old, experienced actor, confident in everything...¡± Aunt Xia commented.


    Chuyi inwardly couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.


    She was hardly a leading figure, but at her current age, she was indeed the age of an experienced actor in a play.


    Over there, Aunt Xia started laughing as she spoke, ¡°Look at what I¡¯m saying. You¡¯re just an eighteen-year-old kid!¡±


    Chuyi also laughed along, feeling relieved in her heart.


    Fortunately, Uncle Xia was still alive, and she could sit and joke around with Aunt Xia.


    ...


    In her past life, half a month later, after Uncle Xia found out about her situation and rushed back from out of town, he died in a car accident due to the slippery snow before he could even reach his home.


    To this day, Chuyi still remembered Aunt Xia¡¯s despairing expression, dressed in mourning clothes.


    ¡°Chuyi, do you know? Because your parents once saved Uncle Xia¡¯s life, that¡¯s why he worked so hard to treat you all well. When I was pursuing him, he told me that to marry him, I had to agree to be good to you and your mother.¡±


    Upon hearing the news of Uncle Xia¡¯s death, Aunt Xia collapsed immediately.


    ¡°I agreed, so over the years, I¡¯ve sincerely treated you well, but now, Chuyi, Uncle is dead. He died for your sake without even entering his own house; he died out there!¡±


    ¡°Chuyi, any great debt has been repaid in full with your uncle¡¯s life. From today on, there¡¯s no more debt between our two families.¡±


    Aunt Xia shut the door forcefully, severing everything with the Zhao family.


    ¡°Ah well, forget it!¡± Aunt Xia¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted her reminiscences, ¡°Chuyi, seeing that you seem to have your own plans in mind, I won¡¯t say much more. If you need Aunt Xia¡¯s help, just say the word.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Xia.¡± Chuyi sincerely expressed her gratitude.


    Even though Aunt Xia was good to her because of her fondness for her uncle¡¯s family, her kindness was sincere and full-hearted.


    Give an inch, and I will return a yard.


    Having been reborn, repaying the kindness of Uncle Xia¡¯s family was an important part of her plan,


    And the first step of this plan was to change Uncle Xia¡¯s fate.


    ¡°Aunt Xia, don¡¯t worry. In this life, I certainly won¡¯t make the same foolish mistakes. I will protect everyone,¡± Chuyi solemnly said.


    Aunt Xia chuckled.


    ¡°You little one, talking about ¡®this life¡¯, how many years have you lived anyway?¡±


    Chuyi smiled without offering an explanation.


    After chatting for a while, Aunt Xia opened the gifts Chuyi had brought. When she saw the top-quality Dacron fabric inside, she was startled.


    It wasn¡¯t until Chuyi explained that she had bought the bargain clearance fabric in Provincial City that Aunt Xia reluctantly accepted it.


    The fabric was indeed clearance material, bought at a great bargain. She had come across it while wandering aimlessly after selling vegetables in Provincial City; it was simply good luck.


    Chuyi then gave Aunt Xia the money she had gotten from selling He Qing¡¯s things.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aunt Xia, I took the initiative to sell the things...¡±


    The truth was, the watch and the tape recorder didn¡¯t need to be sold. She could have given them to her cousin to use, but somehow, she was extremely repulsed by the items touched by He Qing, as if they were shrouded in a layer of bad luck, making her feel uncomfortable.


    When Aunt Xia found out, she didn¡¯t blame her at all and instead stuffed the money back to her.


    ¡°Keep the money yourself. To marry that bastard He Qing, you even gave up your studies. You¡¯ll need to find a way to make a living in the future,¡± Aunt Xia now always spoke ill of He Qing.

 Chapter 32 - 32 Xia Lan Acts in a Play

    Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Xia Lan Acts in a Play


    ¡°How about this, when I go back, I¡¯ll talk to your Uncle Xia and see about getting you a job at a factory in the county town...¡± Aunt Xia thought for a moment before speaking.


    ¡°No need, Aunt Xia!¡± Xia Chuyi quickly interrupted Aunt Xia, ¡°There¡¯s no need to bother Uncle Xia any further, I have a plan in mind.¡±


    Aunt Xia sized her up from head to toe before saying, ¡°Alright then, it seems you¡¯ve got a clear plan in your mind. It¡¯s up to you. If you want to find a job, just come and talk to me anytime.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Aunt Xia.¡± Xia Chuyi felt a warm yet acidic feeling in her heart.


    In the past, she had truly relied on her elders for living. From now on, she intended to become the one her elders could rely on.


    So she no longer refused the money.


    ...


    She was indeed in need of money right now.


    After staying at Uncle Xia¡¯s place for a while, Xia Chuyi got up to take her leave.


    ¡°Aunt Xia, I¡¯ve heard from people in the Provincial City that the weather is especially cold today, and heavy snow is expected in a few days. Please ask someone to tell Uncle Xia that everything is fine at home, and to make sure he stays safe when he¡¯s out running truckloads.¡±


    Xia Chuyi carefully entrusted this message as she was leaving.


    ¡°Alright, I will tell your Uncle Xia. His niece is very concerned about him. If I mention that it¡¯s coming from you, you can bet he¡¯ll listen.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you remember, okay!¡± Xia Chuyi repeated once more, ¡°Well, Aunt Xia, I¡¯m off now.¡±


    Xia Chuyi left Uncle Xia¡¯s home, and as she walked away, she looked back towards the Zhao family¡¯s bungalow.


    Aunt Xia would probably take her advice with a certain degree of seriousness but wouldn¡¯t treat it as something very important, as driving a truck always came with risks.


    It seemed that before any possible car accident, she had to find a way to persuade Uncle Xia to stop his trucking business.


    After making this resolution to herself, she walked back home to the Xia Family against the wind and snow.


    In this lifetime, she was determined to change the fate of both families.


    For some reason, the Xia family¡¯s house was eerily quiet, as if all the activities and movements of its inhabitants were hidden in the shadows.


    Only when she got close to the front door did she start to hear the faintest sounds.


    Creaking, she pushed open her own door and immediately saw a person who shouldn¡¯t have been there yet predictably was¡ªXia Lan.


    Xia Lan and Mother Xia were sitting together warmly, with two empty bowls in front of them.


    Clearly, Mother Xia had given Xia Lan her own portion.


    ¡°Chuyi, you¡¯re back!¡± Mother Xia stood up and seeing that Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t bring anything from her uncle¡¯s house, she looked disappointed, ¡°You didn¡¯t bring anything back from your uncle¡¯s?¡±


    Mother Xia turned towards Xia Lan and said, ¡°Er Lan, I¡¯m sorry, but your Second Aunt doesn¡¯t have anything nice to offer you.¡±


    The affection in Mother Xia¡¯s eyes was clearly imprinted in Xia Chuyi¡¯s vision.


    It was quite understandable. In Mother Xia¡¯s eyes, Xia Lan seemed like another version of her, fragile and pitiful, deserving of sympathy and help.


    ¡°Second Aunt, what are you talking about? I came to see you, not for the food!¡± Xia Lan playfully shook Mother Xia¡¯s arm in feigned annoyance.


    ¡°Mhm, your Second Aunt knows,¡± Mother Xia said gently, smiling tenderly at Xia Lan.


    It was a picture of maternal affection and filial piety, and Xia Lan covertly shared a triumphant look with Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Chuyi watched coldly from the side.


    Her eyes did not reveal the sense of loss Xia Lan had hoped for.


    The lack of her mother¡¯s love, the longing for maternal care¡ªit was all part of a distant past life for her now.


    Her subdued reaction displeased Xia Lan considerably.

 Chapter 33 - 33 Earnest Advice Despite Displeasure

    Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Earnest Advice Despite Displeasure


    Xia Lan bit her lip and said with intentionally subdued emotions, ¡°Second Aunt, I think Chuyi is also tired. Maybe I should head back first. There¡¯s still a pile of things waiting for me to do at home.¡±


    ¡°Ah, such a poor child. I¡¯ll get Chuyi to help you when we get back!¡± Mother Xia hurriedly said.


    After saying a warm and affectionate goodbye to Xia Lan, Mother Xia turned her head and whispered to Xia Chuyi, ¡°Chuyi, Er Lan has it tough. She needs to look after her younger sisters too... Our family should help her out whenever we can.¡±


    Xia Chuyi shrugged, rolled her eyes, and flatly refused, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    After speaking, she went to fetch water from the kettle to wash her hands and face.


    ¡°Chuyi, you child...¡± Mother Xia stood to the side, watched Xia Chuyi for a while, and her eyes gradually reddened as she wiped them, ¡°Your temper... I¡¯m not nagging, but you could learn from your Sister Lan. Girls should not be too brash. They need to be gentle to win their husband¡¯s affection, to win the in-laws¡¯ affection...¡±


    ...


    It was the same old lecture that Xia Chuyi had heard so much her ears could have developed callouses.


    ¡°Chuyi, it¡¯s not that I want to say this, but Er Lan¡¯s situation is harder than yours. Your marriage is being arranged by your uncle, but what about Er Lan? Her parents don¡¯t care, they just let her stay at home taking care of the younger ones. It was thanks to your matchmaking that she could go to the military to have a blind date.¡±


    Speaking of which, Mother Xia asked Xia Chuyi, ¡°By the way, Chuyi, how did Er Lan¡¯s blind date go? Did the other party take a liking to her? I asked her and she was too shy to say. Er Lan looks good and she¡¯s gentle too, so the other side must have taken a liking to her, right?¡±


    Xia Chuyi tossed the towel in her hand, her expression indifferent, ¡°Xia Lan¡¯s blind date? Smooth, very smooth. They took a liking to each other, head over heels in love... They can start discussing the marriage details after this trip.¡±


    ¡°What? Really? What¡¯s his name, is he also from Ling County? I wonder how far he is from He Mountain...¡± Mother Xia was overjoyed, no longer dabbing at her tears, she stopped what she was doing, ¡°Er Lan, that child, she is gentle and will definitely make a good wife...¡±


    Mother Xia went on and on.


    Xia Chuyi stared fixedly at her own mother, the undisguised surprise on Mother Xia¡¯s face pricked at her numb heart, feeling nothing at all.


    It¡¯s true, when there are no expectations, there is no pain.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s unusual silence caught Mother Xia¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Chuyi, what¡¯s wrong? Are you still upset about things with He Qing? You know, I¡¯m not criticizing you, but a woman¡¯s heart should be more open...¡±


    ¡°What did Xia Lan tell you?¡± Xia Chuyi raised an eyebrow, questioning Mother Xia.


    ¡°Ah? Well, she didn¡¯t say much.¡± Mother Xia felt somewhat uneasy, ¡°Just that there was some issue with your marriage arrangements with He Qing, saying you wanted to call it off... She said you would discuss it with me... Chuyi, tell me, what exactly happened?¡±


    She raised her eyebrow, Xia Lan really knew how to shirk responsibility.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. He Qing has someone else he loves, and besides, our personalities don¡¯t mesh well, so we decided to call off the engagement,¡± said Xia Chuyi casually.


    Mother Xia looked at her and sighed, then habitually started wiping the corner of her eye again.


    ¡°Chuyi, listen to me. As women, we need to learn to endure. Enduring is the key to a harmonious home.¡±


    ¡°Love or not, once you¡¯re actually married to He Qing, he¡¯ll get to know you better and naturally start to treat you well... How many marriages in our countryside start with romance anyway?¡±


    While wiping away tears, Mother Xia relentlessly tried to persuade Xia Chuyi, ¡°Chuyi, a woman¡¯s temper really shouldn¡¯t be too strong.¡±


    Hearing Mother Xia¡¯s words, Xia Chuyi finally couldn¡¯t help but lift her head, her eyebrows knit tightly and her lips pressed firmly together.


    ¡°What about you and dad then? Was there no love either?¡±


    Her words successfully left Mother Xia speechless.

 Chapter 34 - 34 Revealing the Truth

    Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Revealing the Truth


    ¡°In life, I am of the Xia Family; in death, I shall be a ghost of the Xia Family.¡± Staying with the Xia Family was the only thing Mother Xia was adamant about in her entire life.


    Mother Xia made this decision because she had a very good relationship with Mr. Xia; it could truly be described as unwavering until death.


    There was a time when I thought that at least part of her decision was for me, so that she could stay in the Xia Family with me.


    But...


    After the scandal of my lost chastity became a major issue in my previous life, the Xia Family forced me to marry a lame, old widower. I refused to the death.


    The Xia Family then went about persuading Mother Xia indirectly, and the mere threat of not allowing her to be buried in the ancestral grave scared Mother Xia into agreeing to the marriage.


    ...


    It was then that I realized that Mother Xia would sacrifice anything, including me, just to be buried alongside Mr. Xia.


    ¡°Chuyi, if you find someone young and suitable, they will certainly look down on you.¡±


    ¡°The man your grandparents have found for you may be older and physically challenged, but I heard his family still has some property, and he doesn¡¯t mind you being no longer a virgin...¡±


    At my wit¡¯s end, hearing Mother Xia say these words shattered all my illusions about her.


    ¡°I¡¯m really starting to wonder if I am truly your own daughter!¡± I was gasping for breath, locked up at home, and I screamed these words almost as if crying blood.


    At that time, Mother Xia still wore that timid, weak, and compliant face.


    ¡°Chuyi, Chuyi, don¡¯t be angry, I¡¯m doing this for your own good...¡± Mother Xia kept wiping away tears, seeming even more aggrieved than me, the one being forced into marriage.


    This was the moment when Chuyi completely lost hope in Mother Xia.


    Having been reborn, I¡¯ve decided; for Mother Xia, I¡¯ll acknowledge the life I owe her but won¡¯t have any more expectations.


    ¡°You know Xia Lan¡¯s suitor,¡± Xia Chuyi suddenly spoke up, with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile.


    ¡°What?¡± Mother Xia, caught off guard, failed to grasp what was said for a moment.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s expression and tone were both indifferent, ¡°I said, you know her suitor.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Mother Xia¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°He Qing,¡± Xia Chuyi replied, as if it were a matter of no consequence.


    ¡°What?¡± Confusion appeared in Mother Xia¡¯s eyes, ¡°He Qing? He Qing isn¡¯t... you... You must be mistaken, or maybe they share the same name?¡±


    Xia Chuyi articulated each word clearly, ¡°No mistake, Xia Lan¡¯s suitor is indeed He Qing, the one you know.¡±


    Mother Xia stiffened.


    ¡°Impossible! Er Lan is not that kind of person!¡± Mother Xia¡¯s eyes quickly filled with tears, and she shook her head desperately, ¡°Impossible, how could Er Lan... Chuyi, did something happen between you and He Qing? Otherwise...¡±


    Mother Xia seemed at a loss.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s gaze turned sharp all of a sudden.


    ¡°Mother!¡± she exclaimed, ¡°Is this what your own daughter amounts to in your heart? Must all the blame be placed on me?¡±


    ¡°Mother, sometimes I really wonder if I am truly your daughter!¡± She sighed deeply.


    Mother Xia looked at her in shock, pointed at her, and then began to cry, ¡°Why is my life so bitter, Chuyi, I¡¯m doing all this for your sake!¡±


    ¡°In our village, a girl who breaks off an engagement is talked about behind her back...¡±


    Xia Chuyi looked at Mother Xia, who had started to secretly wipe away tears, and sighed inwardly once more.


    If it were said Mother Xia didn¡¯t love her, on many occasions, she indeed meant well for her; it¡¯s just that what Mother Xia considered good did not align with what Xia Chuyi thought was good.


    However, whether it be real weakness or feigned gentleness, both could turn into thorns, wounding one¡¯s head until it bled.

 Chapter 35 - 35 Kitchen Storm

    Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Kitchen Storm


    ¡°People who are upright are not afraid of oblique shadows, even if others point fingers,¡± Xia Chuyi said indifferently. ¡°Besides, by calling off the marriage, am I not doing He Qing and Xia Lan a favor?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mother Xia broke down completely and wept.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s settled. I will go to the county town tomorrow for some business, I¡¯m heading back to my room now,¡± Xia Chuyi explained, then strode back to the attic.


    As soon as she returned to the attic, she bolted the door and dived into the secret space.


    The fresh air in the space instantly made her feel better.


    As the saying goes, with loss comes gain. She probably was destined to be without kin, yet she had her own unique opportunities.


    ...


    She would not force what couldn¡¯t be compelled.


    Since time moved slower in the space, she busied herself inside sewing a backpack based on a future design, which she would use the next day, and then leafed through the ¡°Heavenly Book¡± for a while before exiting the area to rest.


    At dawn, the crowing of a rooster woke the peaceful little mountain village.


    ¡°Chuyi, you¡¯re up?¡± As soon as Xia Chuyi came downstairs, she saw Mother Xia holding a kettle, looking at her pleasingly. ¡°The hot water has run out; I¡¯ll go get some more for you.¡±


    Mother Xia, already frail, looked even more worn out from the events of the previous day, probably having not slept well.


    ¡°Give me the kettle, I¡¯ll fetch the water,¡± Xia Chuyi extended her hand for the kettle.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Mother Xia carefully handed over the kettle. ¡°Chuyi, are you not angry at me anymore? I said all those things for your own good...¡±


    Tears began to well up in Mother Xia¡¯s eyes. Xia Chuyi quickly took the kettle, ¡°I¡¯ll get the water.¡±


    She really didn¡¯t want to see Mother Xia like that.


    To her surprise, Mother Xia followed her to the kitchen.


    ¡°Chuyi, Mom knows, you think I¡¯m weak... Actually, I...¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Xia Chu could no longer tolerate it and interrupted her mother.


    ¡°I, I...¡± Mother Xia lowered her head and began to wipe her tears.


    Xia Chuyi, utterly frustrated by Mother Xia, pretended not to see her.


    Upon reaching the kitchen, Third Aunt Xia was already starting the fire.


    Third Aunt glanced at the mother and daughter, said nothing, and bent back to her work.


    Mother Xia, having wiped her tears, greeted Third Aunt.


    Third Aunt seemed accustomed to Mother Xia¡¯s demeanor and said nothing.


    The big pot on the clay stove held boiling water. Xia Chuyi lifted the wooden lid, scooped up some water into the kettle, and had just filled it when she heard a tapping sound of footsteps.


    ¡°Yo, Chuyi is back. Why didn¡¯t you come to see Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia in the main house yesterday?¡±


    The visitor was the elder aunt from the big room.


    Elder Aunt, carrying a winnowing basket, said, ¡°From the family of the second son, here¡¯s today¡¯s food portion. Sorry to trouble you! My back isn¡¯t good¡ªa slight movement and it fails.¡±


    In this house, food and money were controlled by Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia so that those cooking wouldn¡¯t take extra. The food was measured precisely each day and distributed from the main house.


    Third Aunt Xia continued her silence.


    Elder Aunt was known to be crafty and lazy, but because she was the only one in the third room with sons¡ªthree of them at that¡ªshe especially held Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia¡¯s favor.


    Mother Xia was weak, Xia Chuyi was strong-willed, and protected by Uncle Xia, so Elder Aunt couldn¡¯t order others around. She could only be impolite to Third Aunt, blatantly offloading her own work onto her.


    ¡°Second son¡¯s family, did Chuyi¡¯s trip to the Provincial City go smoothly? Did the marriage discussion turn out successful? The elders of the He family won¡¯t last much longer.¡±


    Elder Aunt, not in a hurry to leave after dropping off the food, leaned against the stove inquiring about Xia Chuyi and Mother Xia¡¯s matters with apparent concern.


    ¡°And what about Er Lan from the family of the third son? She also went along for the matchmaking, how did it go?¡± Elder Aunt then turned to ask Third Aunt.


    One of Elder Aunt¡¯s problems, aside from relying on her sons and avoiding work, was her love for gossiping about every family matter.


    Elder Aunt¡¯s words successfully stiffened the atmosphere on the spot.

 Chapter 36: First Entry into the City

    Chapter 36: Chapter 36: First Entry into the City


    Mother Xia¡¯s eyes immediately reddened again, and Third Aunt Xia glanced at Xia Chuyi but said nothing.


    It was evident that Third Aunt Xia knew about the matter. However, she did not care at all about her daughter¡¯s marriage involving neither her efforts nor her money.


    Even seeing the misfortune of the second house, there was a twisted comfort in their hearts.


    It was only in her previous life, through the events that unfolded later, that Xia Chuyi understood these warped mentalities of the people from the third house.


    The so-called barking dogs don¡¯t bite, but the silent ones kill.


    The reactions of the people present stimulated the gossip gene in Aunt Xia, and she sensitively felt that there must be something going on behind the scenes.


    ...


    ¡°Second son¡¯s family, tell me about it!¡±


    Everyone knew Third Aunt Xia couldn¡¯t be driven to talk sensible, asking her was fruitless; filled with excitement, Aunt Xia grabbed Mother Xia.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing... nothing...¡± Mother Xia said through her tears, unable to stop them no matter how hard she tried.


    ¡°Mom, the water is ready, I¡¯m going back to my room; you have a good chat with elder aunt.¡± Xia Chuyi said, carrying a kettle, waving her hand, and stylishly leaving the kitchen.


    At the doorstep, she turned to look back at the kitchen, a smile curling on her lips.


    Let the storm come even more fiercely.


    A storm was brewing in the Xia family¡¯s kitchen, while Xia Chuyi, having finished grooming, was preparing to leave home.


    When she reached the doorstep of the third house, the door creaked open right in front of her.


    Xia Lan was holding a letter; seeing her, she feigned surprise, ¡°Oh, Chuyi, what a coincidence! Are you also going to Brother Qing¡¯s home?¡±


    Xia Lan shook the letter in her hand.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go together? I have Brother Qing¡¯s letter; it¡¯ll make things easier for you to talk.¡±


    Xia Chuyi looked at Xia Lan with a half-smile.


    ¡°Talk about what? Cancelling the engagement? How can our family¡¯s young lady go directly to deal with such things? Have you no shame?¡± She finished, rolling her eyes at Xia Lan.


    Her blunt words choked Xia Lan.


    ¡°Well, the elders are discussing this matter in the kitchen right now. You might want to listen to see how they¡¯ll resolve it,¡± Xia Chuyi pointed towards the kitchen, ¡°But let me remind you, although my engagement is called off, your marriage isn¡¯t necessarily guaranteed.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xia Lan looked at her warily.


    Xia Chuyi spread her hands, ¡°Exactly what it sounds like. I won¡¯t discuss it further; I have other things to handle.¡±


    She swung her hand and directly left the third house, no longer concerning herself with the impending storm at the Xia family.


    In Heshan Village, there was only one bus to the city each day, leaving at dawn and returning in the afternoon.


    Xia Chuyi did not plan to take the bus.


    The geographical location of Heshan Village was rather unique; though it was a village, it wasn¡¯t far from the town center. There was a trail that took just over an hour to reach the town, actually faster than taking a detour through the bus route.


    But in the dead of winter, few chose to walk.


    Xia Chuyi, with space in hand, wearing a specially made backpack, walked at an unhurried pace along the narrow mountain path.


    Speaking of the space, within just a few days, there had been several changes; the seeds she sprinkled had all sprouted.


    After observing for a couple of days and according to the records in the Heavenly Book, she confirmed that the plants in the space would generally mature in about a week, then stay at their optimal state indefinitely.


    This function of the resting soil was simply too good for her.

 Chapter 37 - 37 Kidnapped

    Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Kidnapped


    Although she had the space in her possession, Xia Chuyi had no intention of continuing to sell vegetables to earn money.


    Because, if people saw her making money, naturally, someone would come snooping around to investigate how she was making it and where the source of her goods was coming from.


    By then, if someone discovered even a hint of the space, she would have nothing left to do but wait to be dissected.


    Never underestimate people¡¯s obsession with money, at any time.


    However, after reading the Heavenly Book last night, she discovered another secret of the space.


    Her eyes lit up immediately, this secret was the key she could utilize in the future.


    ...


    While scheming in her mind, Xia Chuyi unconsciously entered the town.


    The Ling County of this era did not have the scale of later times; it was simply a few main streets crisscrossing each other, not at all complicated.


    She was planning to head to the vegetable market, following faint memories when, just a few steps out, ¡°baba ba¡± a military green sedan stopped behind her.


    ¡°Hey, comrade lady, hello, could you please come over and give me a hand with directions?¡± the driver of the military car poked his head out of the driver¡¯s seat and politely waved at Xia Chuyi.


    Perhaps because Mr. Xia was a soldier, even after encountering He Qing, that scumbag, it did not affect the image of soldiers in her heart.


    So she was happy to help if she could.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Xia Chuyi walked over to the military vehicle, just about to ask the driver, when suddenly the rear door of the car opened and a large hand pulled her in.


    What was happening¡ªabduction?


    ¡°Help...¡± Before she could shout for help, her mouth was covered, and her whole person was pulled against a man¡¯s chest.


    Xia Chuyi wriggled and struggled, punching and kicking.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± A low, magnetic, familiar male voice sounded in her ear.


    Huo Shiqian?


    Xia Chuyi widened her eyes and stopped struggling.


    ¡°Report to the officer, mission complete, request to exit vehicle for surveillance!¡± From the driver¡¯s seat in front, with a click, the soldier driver got out of the car.


    Suddenly, only the two of them were left inside the car.


    ¡°Request approved,¡± the man¡¯s tone was very formal, without a trace of warmth.


    Blinking, Xia Chuyi was even more certain of her guess.


    She tried to struggle again, but the person behind her did not let go.


    ¡°I can let go of you, but be good, don¡¯t make a fuss,¡± the man¡¯s voice carried a light threat, and with the breath he exhaled, it echoed in her ear.


    Make a fuss?


    Inside the car, no matter how much she fussed, she couldn¡¯t escape his grasp.


    Xia Chuyi nodded slightly, indicating her cooperation.


    Seeing that she really subsided, the man behind her released the hand that was covering her mouth.


    Once freed, she immediately turned around to face him.


    A handsome face, a serious expression, an aura of inviolability¡ªwasn¡¯t that Huo Shiqian?


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± In a short span of time, Xia Chuyi¡¯s initial fright and anger were all overwhelmed by her surprise at seeing Huo Shiqian.


    Without saying goodbye, she thought they would never meet again.


    ¡°Why am I here?¡± Huo Shiqian glanced at her and said indifferently, ¡°My fiance?e ran away, you tell me, why am I here?¡±


    As if a chilling wind had passed, goosebumps rose over Xia Chuyi¡¯s body.


    This man appeared calm, but in truth, every fiber of his being exuded a vibe of marching to demand accountability.

 Chapter 38 - 38 Let鈥檚 Talk

    Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Let¡¯s Talk


    ¡°Mm, this thing... It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t agree...¡± Xia Chuyi tried to explain.


    Her waist was abruptly hoisted up, and she lurched forward, almost colliding with his face.


    ¡°Huo Shiqian!¡± Xia Chuyi exclaimed in shock.


    ¡°What did you just say, I didn¡¯t hear it.¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s voice was even colder, and because he was so close, his breath on her face made her shiver with goosebumps.


    Blinking helplessly, she gave in and said, ¡°Nothing, I didn¡¯t say anything...¡±


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s presence calmed down.


    ...


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    He nodded, seemingly very satisfied with her attitude.


    Rubbing the man the right way, Xia Chuyi wriggled her body.


    Now that Uncle Liberation Army was happy, could he let her go?


    Xia Chuyi struggled gently in Huo Shiqian¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Stop moving!¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s eyes, sharp as blades, gave her a chilling glance, and then, he reached out and smacked her on the head.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± That hurt!


    Xia Chuyi clutched her head.


    Couldn¡¯t he be a little gentler?


    Seeing her reaction, Huo Shiqian fell silent for a couple of seconds, then raised his right hand and started to rub her head.


    What was he doing?


    Before she could react, her head was being rubbed dizzy by his hand.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey!¡± She slapped at his hand.


    Was he trying to rub her wound? He was just treating her like a pet!


    ¡°Huo Shiqian, I think, we need to have a serious talk,¡± she said with a solemn look, very earnestly.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s talk.¡± He finally withdrew his hand, and whether it was her imagination or not, she thought she saw a flicker of regret in the corner of his eye?


    Shaking her head, she cleared away those miscellaneous emotions, got her own feelings in order, sat up straight, and faced Huo Shiqian.


    ¡°Uncle Liberation Army, the thing is, I think we¡¯re not quite right for each other.¡±


    Upon hearing Xia Chuyi say ¡°we¡¯re not suitable,¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s aura suddenly sharpened.


    The pressure inside the car plummeted.


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    How could Huo Shiqian be like central air conditioning, cooling down the moment he said so?


    Straightening her spine with effort, she looked into his eyes sincerely and said, ¡°Really, we¡¯re not suitable.¡±


    Huo Shiqian pursed his lips, silent as a storm brewed in his deep eyes.


    Under such pressure, she stood her ground, locked eyes with him, and repeated, ¡°We¡¯re not suitable.¡±


    Xia Chuyi looked at Huo Shiqian, unwavering and determined.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s imposing manner grew even more pressing, like ferocious winds gathering dark clouds.


    Still, she didn¡¯t back down.


    The air was silent amid invisible lightning and thunder, then suddenly, the storm dispersed, and his overwhelming presence vanished.


    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of me,¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s gaze flickered, ¡°We are very suitable.¡±


    What the hell, she actually heard admiration in his tone?


    She wasn¡¯t afraid of him, and that makes them suitable? What kind of logic was that?


    Shaking her head, she said firmly, ¡°No, we¡¯re not suitable.¡±


    Xia Chuyi began to count off on her fingers the reasons they were not suitable.


    ¡°Firstly, look, Uncle Liberation Army, you must be at least thirty years old, right? I¡¯m only eighteen. They say a three-year gap marks a generation, but with our age difference, what lies between us is a chasm.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Huo Shiqian¡¯s face immediately darkened.


    ¡°Secondly, you¡¯re a military officer, wealthy and powerful, while I¡¯m a village girl, uneducated and without background. We¡¯re from different worlds, not a good match.¡±

 Chapter 39 - 39 Appropriate or Not

    Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Appropriate or Not


    Xia Chuyi shook her head, ignoring Huo Shiqian¡¯s increasingly gloomy expression, and continued.


    ¡°Third, and most importantly, how long have we known each other? If you really count, we¡¯ve only met four times. You don¡¯t understand me, and I don¡¯t understand you. How can two people who don¡¯t understand each other get married?¡±


    Mustering her courage, she finished in one breath.


    ¡°One last thing, I¡¯ve said before, our start was due to an accident, and there isn¡¯t an emotional foundation. One day in the future, perhaps you¡¯ll meet the person you truly love, and then, you might regret the decision you made today.¡±


    His oppressive gaze captured her eyes for a long time, making her feel as if her body weighed a thousand pounds.


    Xia Chuyi stiffened her neck, staring straight into Huo Shiqian¡¯s eyes, waiting for his answer.


    ...


    Perhaps it was because he was too angry at her, so angry that he reached an extreme, but Huo Shiqian¡¯s emotions steadied.


    The icy aura gradually faded, and Huo Shiqian began slowly.


    ¡°Regarding the first point, the age issue, I know many couples with a large age gap who are quite happy together, nothing like the generational gap you mentioned.¡±


    After saying this, Huo Shiqian paused, then emphasized, ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m only 28 this year, not even thirty, not as old as you think.¡±


    Xia Chuyi blinked, why did it feel like that was the main point he wanted to make?


    ¡°The second, the issue of social class, revolutionary marriages don¡¯t care about that.¡±


    ¡°The third, what you believe to be the most important point, strangers shouldn¡¯t marry; I disagree. Since ancient times, there have been many blind marriages where the couple had never even seen each other beforehand and yet lived happily. Besides, we¡¯ve met a few times, so we¡¯ve got to know each other to a certain extent.¡±


    Hearing this, Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but interject: ¡°Know each other? What do you know about me?¡±


    ¡°Stubbornness, in your eyes, there¡¯s a spirit, an unyielding stubbornness,¡± Huo Shiqian said, gazing steadily into her eyes with certainty, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re a good match for me.¡±


    All the words Xia Chuyi had prepared vanished in her throat.


    She hadn¡¯t misheard, Huo Shiqian was indeed praising her.


    Praising that character of hers that others complain about, as stubborn and unyielding as a rock in a latrine.


    Xia Chuyi focused on Huo Shiqian and spoke slowly, word by word, ¡°Huo Shiqian, do you understand what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Her feelings were very complex.


    ¡°I have a bad temper, I¡¯m stubborn, I¡¯m capricious, I won¡¯t bow down, won¡¯t concede, won¡¯t be gentle... There¡¯s so much I can¡¯t do, I won¡¯t be an obedient good wife, nor a gentle daughter-in-law, with someone like me, are you sure you want that?¡±


    Suddenly, Huo Shiqian lifted his hand and caressed her face.


    She trembled a bit, not knowing what kind of answer she was anticipating.


    ¡°Ow...¡± Suddenly, her cheek was twisted hard by Huo Shiqian, causing her to cry out in pain.


    After pinching her cheek and patting her, Huo Shiqian said lightly, ¡°What¡¯s with all the nonsense emotions, you little brat?¡±


    ¡°Huo Shiqian!¡± she said through clenched teeth.


    She glared at him fiercely, rubbing her face. She stared at Huo Shiqian¡¯s chiseled handsome face, imagining it twisted beyond recognition, which would surely be satisfying.

 Chapter 40 - 40 My Answer

    Chapter 40: Chapter 40 My Answer


    It was as if Huo Shiqian couldn¡¯t see Xia Chuyi¡¯s anger, about to bare her teeth and claw at him; he patted her cheek again and said indifferently, ¡°Kid, don¡¯t think too much.¡±


    ¡°I am a soldier. I won¡¯t have much time to accompany a wife. I might be away on missions for two or three months. According to your logic, someone like me surely wouldn¡¯t have anyone willing to marry him, right?¡±


    ¡°Although you are stubborn, you have strong survival skills. Someone like you is just right for me.¡±


    Xia Chuyi took a step back, leaning against the car door, and scrutinized his expression carefully. Although his face remained expressionless, his eyes were filled with certainty.


    She had been wrong; regarding the matter of marriage, Huo Shiqian wasn¡¯t being casual at all. It seemed he had indeed given it deep thought before deciding.


    The air was quiet for a while, and the atmosphere began to shift towards warmth.


    ...


    ¡°Huo Shiqian,¡± she called him.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Huo Shiqian responded in a low voice.


    ¡°Huo Shiqian, you just said, ¡®someone like you surely wouldn¡¯t have anyone willing to marry him,¡¯ do you want to hear my answer?¡± She tilted her head, her eyes curving into crescents as she looked at him.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s gaze grew deeper.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± he waited for her response.


    Xia Chuyi cleared her throat and raised her voice, ¡°My answer is, I don¡¯t dare to marry you!¡±


    After being playful, she quickly turned to open the car door.


    ¡°Uncle Liberation Army, I¡¯m leaving now. See you next time!¡±


    Unfortunately, she had only opened the door a crack before Huo Shiqian pulled her back.


    ¡°Is that very amusing?¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s voice was low as he leaned against the door, resounding in her ear.


    As she was pulled back into the car, she watched regretfully as the door closed.


    Xia Chuyi felt somewhat helpless, put aside all emotions, and asked seriously, ¡°Huo Shiqian, do you really not intend to let me go?¡±


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s eyes instantly became fierce: ¡°What do you mean, ¡®not let you go¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I said it wrong!¡± Xia Chuyi swiftly waved her hands in surrender.


    ¡°I mean, are you really set on marrying no one but me?¡± She sensed something was off, ¡°You... hey, anyway, what I¡¯m trying to say is, you¡¯ve already thought it through and have decided to marry me, right?¡±


    Huo Shiqian raised his eyebrows, gazing at her, signaling her to continue.


    Xia Chuyi spread her hands.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there are a few things I must make clear with you.¡±


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s voice rose in anticipation, waiting for her to go on.


    ¡°Huo Shiqian, honestly, I don¡¯t have high hopes for our future, don¡¯t glare at me...¡± Xia Chuyi moved back a bit, ¡°Glaring won¡¯t help; this truly is what¡¯s in my heart.¡±


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s expression fluctuated.

 Chapter 41 - 41 I Promise You

    :i>Dsipgex .71<[hapter 41 I Promise You


    ¡°Oh, if there¡¯s anything else on your mind, say it all.¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s voice betrayed no emotion.


    Xia Chuyi sighed, relaxed her body, and leaned against the back of the chair.


    Her gaze fixed straight ahead.


    ¡°Huo Shiqian, setting aside family background, personality, status... I¡¯m only eighteen. There are still so many things I want to do, and I don¡¯t want to enter into marriage prematurely.¡±


    Images from her past life surfaced one by one in her mind.


    ¡°I have my own convictions, and people I need to protect. I can¡¯t fall into the role of a wife...¡±


    ...


    ¡°The person you want to protect, who is that?¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s voice contained the undercurrent of a storm.


    She glanced at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. It¡¯s not He Qing, nor Xia Lan...¡±


    Having said that, she suddenly bit her tongue.


    How did she read into Huo Shiqian¡¯s intentions again?


    She coughed, pretending it was accidental, and changed the subject: ¡°The person I want to protect is my uncle.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll believe me, but I had a dream. I dreamt of a disaster in Ling County with snow and ice everywhere, and my uncle driving home. On the way, the car went off a cliff... the vehicle destroyed and the man lost.¡±


    The swirling white snowflakes transformed into a sky full of precious fluttering bills.


    The big character ¡°Condolences¡± was imprinted before her eyes.


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but shake, her fists clenched so tight that her fingernails dug into her flesh.


    ¡°I must, I must save my uncle!¡± Xia Chuyi enunciated each word firmly.


    Huo Shiqian frowned; watching her without saying a word.


    She calmed her emotions and looked at him.


    ¡°Maybe you think dreams are just dreams... but to me, I believe it¡¯s reality.¡±


    She forced a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes.


    ¡°See, that¡¯s the kind of person I am. I have many dreams and concerns. Until I resolve these worries from my dreams, I have no interest in anything else.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Huo Shiqian watched her, his voice flat.


    Xia Chuyi felt somewhat helpless; this man still didn¡¯t seem to give up.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make it clear. So, if you can accept these worries and troubles of mine, if you can accept that I might act and speak in a distracted way... I can reluctantly agree to you.¡±


    No sooner had the words left her mouth than Huo Shiqian answered with irrevocable certainty: ¡°I accept.¡±


    Xia Chuyi glared at him: ¡°Won¡¯t you think it over carefully?¡±


    ¡°Think over what?¡± Xia Chuyi was stubborn, and it was clear that Huo Shiqian was even more so, ¡°Deal with He Qing¡¯s matter at your home as soon as possible. A month from now, I¡¯ll send someone to your home to propose.¡±


    Again that tone of commanding notice.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Xia Chuyi cried out unwillingly.


    ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± Huo Shiqian narrowed his eyes, his presence suddenly bursting forth, obviously not prepared to give her any room for opposition.


    She raised her hand tentatively, coughing: ¡°Uncle Liberation Army, when I said I agree, I didn¡¯t mean agreeing to marriage.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± An overwhelming presence bore down on her.


    Xia Chuyi steadied her spirit and said indifferently: ¡°What I mean is, I only agree... to you courting me.¡±

 Chapter 42 - 42 Renaming Titles

    :i>Dsipgex .41<[hapter 42 Renaming Titles


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s gaze was icily fixed on her.


    Xia Chuyi stiffened her neck and said, ¡°Uncle Liberation Army, I¡¯m only eighteen! Do you really want to make me, before I¡¯ve enjoyed the best years of my life, walk into the tomb... I mean, the palace of marriage?¡±


    Having almost said ¡®tomb¡¯, she wisely turned a corner with her words.


    ¡°Huo Shiqian, I¡¯m serious, I¡¯m still young, and I don¡¯t plan to marry so soon. If you can¡¯t wait, you¡¯re free to find someone else...¡±


    Her gaze darting sharply at him, she was forced to phrase it differently, ¡°I mean, let¡¯s give each other some time, get to know one another better. If in a few years, you still feel the same, then I agree to marry you.¡±


    ¡°But before then, you should learn to act like a young person and court me from scratch.¡±


    ...


    ¡°You can¡¯t, just because you¡¯re older, deprive me of my right to love.¡±


    She laid out her conditions systematically, cornering him at every step, yet Huo Shiqian listenned with an expressionless face.


    ¡°I agree to your terms.¡± After a thought, Huo Shiqian actually agreed.


    She sighed, feeling that in this war of attrition, she was unlikely to come out victorious.


    ¡°Then that settles it! Can I get out of the car now?¡± Xia Chuyi asked him.


    Huo Shiqian lowered his gaze to look at her, speaking calmly, ¡°Not so fast, you¡¯ve stated your conditions, now it¡¯s time to hear mine.¡±


    ¡°What are your terms?¡± she asked warily.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s imposing presence pressed in again, ¡°First, stop calling me Uncle Liberation Army. I¡¯m not old. Since you¡¯ve agreed to be with me, we are peers.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I haven¡¯t agreed yet...¡± Noticing the quick change in his eyes, she wisely held her tongue.


    Alright, he was the elder brother, his word was law.


    ¡°Secondly, this ¡®courtship¡¯ period will last two years. In two years, you¡¯ll be of legal age to marry. And by then, it¡¯ll also be high time I got married.¡±


    Xia Chuyi hung her head low, out of his sight, she sneered secretly.


    This man, when asked not to be called uncle, says he¡¯s not old, but when setting the time limit, he suggests he¡¯s not young either.


    Huo Shiqian continued, ¡°This fits perfectly, as the army is transferring me to the Southwest. I had originally declined, but since you need two years, it will be just right for me.¡±


    ¡°Southwest?¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s mind immediately recalled in her past life, the army unit Huo Shiqian was demoted to was in the Southwest.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Seeing her puzzled look, Huo Shiqian asked.


    ¡°No, nothing...¡±


    She realized that perhaps, she had misunderstood some things in her past life.


    If Huo Shiqian hadn¡¯t been demoted because of her, then to what did she really owe him?


    Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret in this world.


    She was already entangled with a man beyond clarity.


    Raising her head, with a forced smile, she agreed, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal, Liberation Army... Huo Shiqian... Brother Shi Qian, it¡¯s settled then!¡±


    She changed her way of addressing him repeatedly, until she finally got the demon king¡¯s agreement.


    Huo Shiqian nodded.


    ¡°Can I leave now?¡± Xia Chuyi gestured outside the window.


    ¡°Mm.¡± He said so verbally, but Huo Shiqian¡¯s hand resting on the door didn¡¯t move, ¡°Chuyi, I will write to you, pursuing you as young people do.¡±


    He patted her head as if comforting a child, ¡°So, wait for me obediently at home. Also, quickly resolve the engagement with He Qing. I don¡¯t want my woman tied to someone else¡¯s name.¡±


    What did he mean by ¡®his woman¡¯... wasn¡¯t it agreed to start with the pursuit?


    She thought so inwardly, but didn¡¯t dare show it on her face.


    She nodded obediently, her eyes curving into small crescents, ¡°Mm, I got it. Is there anything else, Brother Shi Qian?¡±


    Satisfied with her submissive attitude, Huo Shiqian¡¯s daunting aura receded.


    ¡°Remember to wait for my letter and write back to me.¡±

 Chapter 43 - 43 Entrusting Someone with a Task

    :i>Dsipgex .51<[hapter 43 Entrusting Someone with a Task


    Xia Chuyi got off the car and saw the driver, a soldier, standing at attention not far away.


    ¡°Little sister-in-law, hello!¡± the driver soldier saluted her, ¡°Take care, little sister-in-law, goodbye!¡±


    This string of ¡°little sister-in-law¡± left Xia Chuyi utterly speechless.


    Most importantly, the young driver was saluting her with the utmost seriousness, which made her unsure whether she should respond or not.


    After saluting, the driver jogged back to the vehicle, started the engine, but didn¡¯t drive away.


    Huo Shiqian rolled down the car window, and they looked at each other through the window, inside and outside the car.


    ...


    ¡°Remember what I said,¡± Huo Shiqian still spoke in that indifferent tone, his gaze meaningful as he stared at her.


    ¡°Yes, I remember everything,¡± she nodded obediently.


    She had resignedly admitted that she seemed to be able to read his mind.


    Are you satisfied now, Uncle Liberation Army?


    Sure enough, Huo Shiqian nodded at her reaction, withdrew his gaze, and ordered to drive off.


    The military vehicle kicked up a trail of exhaust and roared away.


    Only after the military vehicle had completely disappeared did Xia Chuyi let out a huge sigh of relief.


    Finally, she had sent this lord on his way!


    She was totally unprepared for Huo Shiqian¡¯s arrival.


    The so-called two-year agreement... In two years, anything could change.


    If after two years, he still insisted on marrying her, then why not marry him?


    The her in two years would definitely not be the her of now.


    Casting aside stray thoughts, she looked around. Fortunately, the weather was cold, and there weren¡¯t many people on the streets, plus the short duration of Huo Shiqian¡¯s stay hadn¡¯t attracted a crowd.


    If the weather had been good, a fancy military car coming to a small county town would surely have drawn layers of spectators.


    Adjusting her collar and looking down, she quickly left the spot, slipping into an alley. Making sure no one was paying attention, she quickly straightened up her appearance.


    It was all Huo Shiqian¡¯s fault; her hair was a complete mess.


    After she had fixed herself up, she walked out of the alley and continued on her previously planned route to the small market not far from the county¡¯s bus station.


    Once at the market, she made her way to the back door of the Cooperative Supply and Marketing Department Store¡¯s warehouse.


    ¡°Eh, Chuyi, what brings you to the city? Where¡¯s your Uncle Xia?¡± The warehouse keeper was quite surprised to see Xia Chuyi.


    The warehouse keeper, a middle-aged man named Qian Wei, had a good rapport with Uncle Xia.


    When Uncle Xia first started his business venture, Qian Wei, through connections, got a job at the department store¡¯s warehouse.


    Uncle Xia, who was in charge of goods transportation, took advantage of Qian Wei¡¯s convenient position, and established business dealings with the department store.


    After a few encounters, Qian Wei had met Xia Chuyi several times.


    ¡°Uncle Qian, my uncle is out delivering goods and hasn¡¯t returned. I¡¯ve come to see you,¡± Xia Chuyi said with a smile to the middle-aged man.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s unusual. Tell me, why does my great-niece need to see me? How am I related to your uncle? Whatever I can do to help, I will do it for you,¡± Qian Wei said with great enthusiasm.


    Xia Chuyi took a small package out of her backpack first. It was wrapped in paper like a little gift box, neat and square with clean edges.


    ¡°Uncle, this is some snacks I brought from the Provincial City. Take them home for the kids,¡± she said, passing over the small pack with a smile.


    First, she had to offer a favor; with the favor given, it would be easier to ask for help.

 Chapter 44: 44 I Want to Open a Store

    Chapter 44: Chapter 44 I Want to Open a Store


    Qian Wei took the small packet from Xia Chuyi with a hearty laugh, ¡°You really take after your uncle¡¯s temperament, you actually know to give gifts when asking for favors?¡±


    With a little shake of the packet, it didn¡¯t fall apart at all and was very sturdy.


    Qian Wei was curious, ¡°My dear niece, this thing must be worth quite a bit of money, right?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this talk of money or not, when giving gifts to an uncle, do we really need to consider the value?¡± Xia Chuyi dodged the question and instead said, ¡°It¡¯s just hard to come by, the seller is an old man, his ancestors were artisans in the court, he made these to sell for fun during the holiday season.¡±


    Her story was so legendary that Qian Wei was immediately startled, ¡°Really?¡±


    Half true, half false, the item was actually made by herself in her space, but indeed with the court¡¯s techniques.


    ...


    Of course, Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t tell the truth. She smiled, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, why would I deceive you, Uncle?¡±


    That year, when she was stranded in the Southern region, fate had led her to meet a descendant of a royal chef, who seeing her culinary talents, took her on as an apprentice.


    Qian Wei laughed heartily, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, I¡¯ll taste it first then!¡±


    Xia Chuyi followed with a compliant smile.


    ¡°Tell me, my dear niece, what kind of favor do you need from me?¡± Qian Wei became even more generous.


    Xia Chuyi smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s like this, Uncle Qian, I want to ask you to find me a shop in the city, I¡¯m thinking of starting a business.¡±


    Qian Wei¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°Start a business, my dear niece? Have you thought it through? Does your Uncle Xia know?¡±


    A series of questions.


    Clearly, Qian Wei did not approve of this.


    After all, in those days, a national salary and a so-called iron rice bowl were more comforting.


    Xia Chuyi smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Qian, my uncle will definitely agree.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. My family situation is complicated, I never finished school because I was supposed to get married. Now that the marriage is off and I haven¡¯t completed my studies, I have to find something to do.¡±


    ¡°Your uncle has told me a bit about your family¡¯s situation, I understand a little...¡±


    Qian Wei looked somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°How about this, I can get you a job at the factory. It¡¯s easy and comfortable work for a young lady, and it¡¯ll be easier to find a good marriage...¡± After thinking it over, Qian Wei seriously added, ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re a martyr¡¯s child, so it should be really easy to get a job at the factory if you pull a few strings.¡±


    This was a genuine kindness from an elder.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Qian!¡± Xia Chuyi shook her head, ¡°Actually, without hiding anything, that quota for a martyr¡¯s child to enter the factory was already taken by my cousin.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Qian Wei was shocked, ¡°Taken by your cousin? Does your uncle know about this?¡±


    Xia Chuyi could only offer a wry smile, ¡°Uncle Qian, that quota... it was given to my cousin after my mother begged Uncle Xia to find someone who could transfer it.¡±


    Qian Wei was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Ah, your uncle too...¡± After a while, Qian Wei sighed.


    Xia Chuyi spread her hands.


    In earlier years, when Uncle Xia and Mother Xia fell into hardship together, Mother Xia nearly starved to death to save the last of the food to keep Uncle Xia alive.


    Therefore, no matter how good he was to her, as long as her meek Mother Xia wept and complained, Uncle Xia would be helpless.


    Qian Wei pondered for a moment.


    ¡°My dear niece, finding a shop isn¡¯t difficult, but I need to ask you one last question, have you really thought it through?¡± Qian Wei asked.


    As an employee of a state-owned company, Qian Wei likely couldn¡¯t understand the appeal of being self-employed.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve thought it through, I want to survive on my own abilities.¡± Xia Chuyi nodded firmly in response.

 Chapter 45: 45 Clear Understanding of the Opponent

    Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Clear Understanding of the Opponent


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you with this,¡± Qian Wei said to Xia Chuyi, ¡°but what kind of store do you want to open, and where?¡±


    Finally getting to the main point, Xia Chuyi quickly composed herself.


    ¡°A snack shop, Uncle, I want to open a snack shop! Ideally, it should be located around the school...¡±


    ¡°The store doesn¡¯t need to be too big, but it should allow me to make modifications, and ideally, I¡¯d rent it for half a year to a year, with the option to buy it.¡±


    She listed each of her requirements.


    ¡°Buy it? My dear niece, you certainly don¡¯t think small!¡± Qian Wei burst into laughter, lightening the mood again, ¡°You really are just like your uncle!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Your uncle started a business and in one year, he was able to build a bungalow back in his hometown, and by the second year, he straight away bought a car...¡±


    ¡°You and your uncle make it seem so easy to start a business; I almost think it¡¯s a piece of cake!¡±


    ¡°Haha, no kidding, my dear niece, if you really can manage to buy your shop in a year or so, then Uncle might just quit his job and join you in business! Then, you¡¯ll have to take me in!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Xia Chuyi laughed, playing along with Qian Wei¡¯s words, ¡°Take you in? If Uncle Qian really wants to join the business later, I would be more than happy to welcome you!¡±


    ¡°Good, good, good, truly worthy of being Zhao Minglang¡¯s niece, so bold!¡± Qian Wei clapped his hands, ¡°Alright, leave the shop hunting to me!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Uncle Qian!¡±


    After some more pleasantries and finishing their main discussion, Xia Chuyi walked around the county town again, evaluating the competitive environment.


    She selected a few shops that seemed to be doing good business and tasted their offerings.


    She then made some considerations.


    There weren¡¯t many ready-to-eat food shops in the town, especially for snacks, and the flavors were quite monotonous.


    Of course, even if she was to offer the same food, she was confident that she could do it better than the others, not to mention, she had the advantage of the ¡°space¡±.


    Indeed, it was not convenient to take out materials from the space at will since they had no source and could not withstand scrutiny. However, in the space, there was a Purification Array.


    The so-called Purification Array, as recorded in the Heavenly Book, was essential for cultivators of Taotie Continent who cannot consume impurities. It could purify food left inside for a while, leaving behind the most refined flavors of sweetness, sourness, and bitterness.


    In simple terms, a regular cabbage left inside for a while would turn into a top-grade, super-tasty cabbage.


    With this tool to enhance the quality of ingredients, plus her cooking skills, if her business didn¡¯t flourish, it would really be a shame on her part.


    Thus, she was very confident about the future.


    As for the produce from the resting soil in the space, she decided to keep it for her own consumption.


    Having planned everything in her mind and the time reaching the afternoon after wandering around the county town all day, she was tired and chose not to walk.


    Heading to the bus station, she just caught the bus back to He Mountain.


    Sitting on the bus, she took a short nap, and by the time she arrived home, it was almost dark.


    Inside the Xia Family Courtyard, it was chaos.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care, Xia Lan, why should Xia Chuyi¡¯s marriage matters be handed over to you?¡± The speaker was the eldest granddaughter of the Xia Family and the apple of Aunt Xia¡¯s eye, Xia Mei, the only daughter of the main branch.

 Chapter 46: 46 Xia Family People

    Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Xia Family People


    Xia Chuyi finished curving Yue Ya¡¯er.


    She knew that what was supposed to come had finally arrived.


    Inside the main room, Xia Mei was relentless, clamoring, ¡°Xia Lan, on what grounds did you snatch Xia Chuyi¡¯s marriage? Even if the He Family wants someone else, it should have been me instead; I am the eldest in the family.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, you be the judges. I am the eldest daughter of the family. I am 21 this year and still haven¡¯t found a suitable in-laws¡¯ house,¡± Xia Mei, hands on her hips, said with a face full of grievance, ¡°This time, since Xia Chuyi is giving up the marriage arrangement, logically and emotionally, shouldn¡¯t it be passed to me?¡±


    Xia Chuyi, standing at the doorway, couldn¡¯t help but snicker.


    Her dear cousin certainly didn¡¯t disappoint her.


    ...


    ¡°Who is outside?¡± Grandpa Xia, believing that family disgrace should not be shared with outsiders, immediately chastised when he heard the noise.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Xia Chuyi raised her voice.


    As her voice fell, she already entered the room.


    Upon entering, all three families were present.


    Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia were seated in the middle, with others to the sides.


    Grandpa and Grandma Xia, having served as servants in a landlord¡¯s house in their youth, carried themselves with great authority.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Grandma Xia, with a not so pleasant expression, asked Xia Chuyi merely as a routine kindness.


    ¡°Yes, I am back,¡± Xia Chuyi replied with a smile, obediently.


    ¡°Ah, Chuyi is back?¡± Aunt Xia, standing by the side, cheerfully came up to pull her, ¡°We were just talking about you!¡±


    Xia Chuyi sidestepped, avoiding Aunt Xia, who just smiled, not embarrassed at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about me, what about me?¡± Xia Chuyi, still smiling, asked innocently.


    ¡°Chuyi...¡± Suddenly, Mother Xia, sitting in a corner, gently called out, her eyes already red and swollen like walnuts.


    Aunt Xia¡¯s expression changed, about to explain, but Xia Mei, standing in the center confronting Xia Lan, snorted and spoke,


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you know how your mother is, it¡¯s just her broken character. We didn¡¯t bully her. My mom just asked her a few questions, and she started crying miserably.¡±


    In this family, the only girls who dare to speak so bluntly were Xia Mei and Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Chuyi looked coolly at her older cousin, noting Xia Mei clad in a floral outfit that accentuated her dark complexion, making her appear rather plain. Yet, she herself felt otherwise, often believing others were envious of her.


    Inferior in appearance, inferior in character, yet counting on the fact that she has many brothers, Xia Mei often felt she rightfully deserved to be the princess of the Xia Family.


    Unsatisfied by her scrutiny, Xia Mei felt some discontent, but because she needed Xia Chuyi¡¯s help for her desired matter, she just snorted, turned her face away, and did not argue with Xia Chuyi.


    Silence ensued until the sobbing of Mother Xia suddenly burst out.


    ¡°My poor Chuyi...¡±


    This was upon seeing Xia Chuyi; all the grievance surged forth.


    ¡°Second son¡¯s...¡± Grandma Xia was about to scold, but was interrupted by Xia Chuyi, ¡°Enough, mom, stop crying! Haven¡¯t you always told me, I am the daughter of the Xia Family? Since I am a daughter of the Xia Family, even though I have no father, could Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt, Uncle possibly treat me unfairly?¡±


    Xia Chuyi said calmly without losing her composure.


    ¡°I, Chuyi...¡± Mother Xia¡¯s sobbing paused.


    For the sake of the Xia Family, weren¡¯t all these sacrifices worth it? Then why cry at all?

 Chapter 47: 47 Let your ah

    Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Let your ah


    Without Xia Chuyi standing up for Mother Xia, she wiped her eyes, sat to the side, her face twisted in grief, silently shedding tears.


    ¡°Chuyi is right, the second son¡¯s family is always wailing and sobbing. If outsiders hear it, they¡¯ll think the Xia Family is treating you poorly?¡± Grandma Xia looked at Mother Xia with undisguised contempt.


    Other members of the Xia Family present also showed their disdain, albeit not too obviously, out of consideration for Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Chuyi pretended not to notice.


    Mother Xia had chosen her own path, her own way of living, and she would not interfere in this lifetime anymore.


    ¡°Speak then, elder aunt, what were you discussing about me?¡± Xia Chuyi brought the conversation back on topic with a single sentence.


    ...


    The room fell silent for two seconds.


    ¡°Cough cough, it¡¯s like this, you went to Provincial City this time to discuss a marriage with He Qing, but it didn¡¯t work out... didn¡¯t you let it go? Your sister then...¡± Aunt Xia¡¯s words were cut off by Xia Lan interrupting.


    ¡°What let it go? Brother Qing likes me, that¡¯s why he wrote to the family to change the marriage arrangement to include me!¡± Xia Lan jumped in urgently, throwing herself in front of Xia Chuyi, ¡°Chuyi, tell everyone clearly, is it because Brother Qing and I are mutually in love, that¡¯s why he broke off the engagement with you and decided to engage with me instead? Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Today I already went to the He Family, Uncle He and Aunt He have agreed, your engagement is officially over.¡±


    Xia Lan stared at her fiercely, desperately signaling with her eyes.


    This was to remind her of her promise¡ªonce the marriage was called off, no one would mention what had happened between her and He Qing, and she would help her.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s lips curled up slightly in irony.


    Xia Lan really did care about her reputation.


    Don¡¯t worry, she absolutely wouldn¡¯t act like Xia Lan, ¡°accidentally¡± letting slip such matters or ¡°unintentionally¡± mentioning them; she would make Xia Lan blur it out herself.


    In her previous life, after returning to her hometown from Provincial City, it was Xia Lan¡¯s ¡°unintentional¡± reveal, during her ¡°careless¡± moments, that led her chastity scandal to become widely known¡ªstormy and chaotic. And as the rumors got more distorted by outsiders, Xia Lan purposely asked everyone not to spread it but did not deny it.


    As for helping Xia Lan, what she meant by help was merely to help conceal, nothing else.


    Moreover, the help she offered was not necessarily what Xia Lan needed.


    ¡°Let go!¡± She shoved her away, pursing her lips, ¡°Yes, you indeed caught He Qing¡¯s eye more than I did, so I let the engagement go and passed it to you!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Xia Lan was stunned and stepped back.


    Xia Chuyi raised an eyebrow.


    How come? Didn¡¯t she just say that she and He Qing were mutually in love?


    She just mentioned their mutual admiration, what more did she need? To help persuade the whole family that the two were a perfect match made in heaven?


    As for ¡°letting¡± it, she indeed had ¡°let¡± the engagement go!


    ¡°Chuyi, this engagement, it wasn¡¯t you who let it go, it was Brother Qing who decided himself, right?¡± Xia Lan glared at her fiercely, enunciating every word.


    Xia Chuyi acted as if she hadn¡¯t understood the implication.


    ¡°He decided? How could such a decision be one-sided? True, after I went to Provincial City and met He Qing, we both felt it wasn¡¯t suitable, so we planned to break off the engagement.¡±


    Xia Chuyi tilted her head, looking innocently, ¡°But then I thought, since the He and Xia families have such a good relationship, and all the previous rites were completed, calling off the engagement would be too troublesome. Coincidentally, wasn¡¯t Xia Lan also going for a matchmaking? He Qing found her pleasant too, so he thought of switching to her.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that by casually mentioning it, He Qing would actually agree!¡± She said with a beaming smile.

 Chapter 48: 48: Hidden Thoughts

    Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Hidden Thoughts


    Xia Family¡¯s group gaze had suddenly shifted to Xia Lan.


    ¡°You, you...¡± Xia Lan pointed at Xia Chuyi, unable to utter another word.


    Xia Mei, with hands on her hips, immediately stepped forward and slapped Xia Lan¡¯s hand with a smack.


    ¡°What are you stammering for? Still pretending?¡± Xia Mei looked at her with disdain. ¡°Was Chuyi trying to save your face? She and He Qing mutually agreed to break off the engagement, and then you seized the chance to seduce He Qing into agreeing to transfer the marriage arrangement to you?¡±


    Xia Mei¡¯s words, though misguided, turned out to be correct.


    Xia Chuyi wanted to applaud her for that, but she still tried hard to feign ignorance.


    ...


    ¡°Oh, really? Is that so?¡± she asked, tilting her head in feigned surprise.


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Lan pointed at Xia Mei, trembling with anger while still trying to maintain her gentle image. ¡°Sister Mei, Chuyi, how could you misunderstand me like this?¡±


    With that, she simply followed Mother Xia¡¯s example and covered her face to cry, but the fierce look in her eyes was caught by Xia Chuyi.


    ¡°Why continue pretending?¡± Xia Mei spat disdainfully at Xia Lan and was about to continue.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Everyone stop talking!¡± Grandpa Xia banged the table and stood up.


    In the Xia Family, Grandpa Xia held absolute authority, and in that moment, everyone fell silent.


    ¡°Chuyi, Grandpa is asking you. Tell Grandpa the truth. Did you and He Qing mutually decide to call off the engagement?¡± Grandpa Xia stared intently at her, trying to put pressure on her.


    Xia Chuyi was not at all intimidated. She met Grandpa Xia¡¯s gaze and answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Er Lan, did you go to the He Family? Did the He Family really agree to call off Chuyi¡¯s engagement?¡± Grandpa Xia then turned his sharp gaze on Xia Lan, his tone stern.


    ¡°Yes...¡± Xia Lan answered timidly with her head down, ¡°I went to the He Family with Brother Qing¡¯s letter. They agreed to call off Chuyi¡¯s engagement and switch it to me and Brother Qing...¡±


    Before she could finish, Grandpa Xia rudely interrupted her, ¡°Let¡¯s leave that aside for now. I¡¯m asking you, when the He Family agreed to break off the engagement with Chuyi, did they mention returning the betrothal gifts?¡±


    Xia Lan was startled.


    Xia Chuyi found it amusing inside.


    Quite calculating indeed.


    Did the He Family give a betrothal gift? Yes, they did give a symbolic one. Later, Uncle Xia secretly returned it, along with some extra money, claiming it was to be used by He Qing for pulling strings in the military.


    Of course, the money returned by Uncle Xia was his own. The portion the Xia Family received had long been consumed and was certainly not spit back out.


    Initially, Uncle Xia had also chosen He Qing for his tall stature, good looks, and ability to handle matters, believing he would have a promising future in the military.


    Who would have known? It¡¯s easy to judge a book by its cover, but he had misread him entirely.


    She thought it was probably because Daddy Xia was a military man, and Uncle Xia held exceptional trust in military personnel, probably giving He Qing extra points just for that.


    Truthfully, not every soldier truly deserved to wear that green uniform.


    Somehow, she suddenly thought of Huo Shiqian. That man...


    Tch, tch, tch, stop right there!


    Why was she even thinking about him?


    She quickly refocused her mind.


    She heard Xia Lan responding quietly to Grandpa Xia, ¡°No, they didn¡¯t mention it.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t mention it at all?¡± Grandpa Xia asked sternly.


    It was just short of asking outright whether those possessions Uncle Xia gave to He Qing would be returned by the He Family or not.

 Chapter 49: 49 Grandma Xia Decides

    Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Grandma Xia Decides


    ¡°Will the He Family return the dowry or not?¡±


    The money, for sure, won¡¯t be returned, and the goods have already been taken by Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Lan looked up at Xia Chuyi in alarm.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s mouth was slightly upturned, and she said nothing.


    Seeing her silence, Xia Lan had no choice but to make up a lie, ¡°The He Family said the gifts were exchanged between the families and need not be returned, just consider them as the betrothal gifts and dowry.¡±


    It was understood that were she to marry into the He Family, there would be no need for additional dowry preparations.


    ...


    Of course, there was no need to prepare one, for she and He Qing had already consummated the relationship. Would the He Family dare demand a dowry and not fear Xia Lan accusing He Qing of a crime, ruining his future?


    Xia Lan smoothed over the issue with a single sentence, yet she did not see Xia Mei¡¯s eyes light up.


    ¡°Grandpa, look, isn¡¯t the He Family¡¯s agreement to switch to Xia Lan just because they covet Chuyi¡¯s possessions? It clearly shows they do not care who marries into their family!¡± Xia Mei said triumphantly.


    The hidden intentions of the Xia Family were suddenly brought to the surface by Xia Mei.


    Such a ¡°covetous¡± nature indeed, the He Family coveted possessions, but wasn¡¯t Grandpa Xia also desirous?


    Xia Chuyi lowered her head, her lips curling into a smile.


    ¡°Cough cough, Da Mei, what nonsense are you talking about!¡± Aunt Xia immediately jumped in to mediate.


    Looking around, Aunt Xia continued with a smile, ¡°But our Da Mei has a point, the He Family probably wouldn¡¯t mind whoever marries into their household.¡±


    But she did not mention the matter of the gifts again.


    Xia Chuyi stood by as though the affair had nothing to do with her, an observer from the sidelines.


    Silence fell over the scene for a moment.


    Grandma Xia stepped in, ¡°Enough, enough, we¡¯re all family here, what¡¯s there to argue about?¡±


    ¡°I say we first need to know the He Family¡¯s attitude; does it really not matter who it is?¡±


    ¡°If it truly doesn¡¯t matter to them... my opinion is, since Er Lan is still young, it¡¯s better for the marriage proposal to go to Da Mei.¡±


    After Grandma Xia finished speaking, Xia Lan immediately looked up, her eyeballs nearly popping out.


    ¡°How about it, Third Uncle Xia¡¯s family?¡± Grandma Xia did not mind Xia Lan¡¯s reaction but called out Third Uncle Xia and Third Aunt Xia by name.


    Third Uncle Xia, shrinking behind the door, silent from the beginning, responded without any facial expression, ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Standing behind Third Uncle Xia, Third Aunt Xia, her eyelids droopy, lifted her eyes slightly and followed up with an indifferent, ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡°Alright, since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s decide it as such.¡± Without asking Mother Xia¡¯s opinion and bypassing Xia Chuyi, Grandma Xia made the decision outright, ¡°Eldest, later you go to the He Family to test the waters, see what they think...¡±


    ¡°Grandma!¡± Xia Lan finally couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and cried out, ¡°Dad, Mom!¡±


    She looked pitiable, like weeping pear blossoms, tears hanging, biting her lip, and shaking her frail body.


    Yet no one gave credence to her plea.


    ¡°Second Aunt!¡± She turned to her only lifesaver and shook Mother Xia¡¯s arm, ¡°Second Aunt, the marriage proposal was truly designated by Brother Qing!¡±


    This time, Mother Xia did not help her.


    Alas, Xia Lan was outsmarted by her own cleverness.


    Mother Xia was never strong-willed; she occasionally spoke up because Xia Chuyi or Uncle Xia were present, lending her support.


    Now, with Xia Chuyi not willing to step in, Mother Xia would only become weaker.


    Moreover, in Mother Xia¡¯s heart, she now portrayed herself as the one with a hard life, her daughter as the one with a hard life.


    Even if Mother Xia still held affection for the one who had usurped the marriage, she would not forgive her, at least not right away.


    Realizing the situation was beyond salvation, Xia Lan said nothing more, only lowering her head, clenching her fists, her thoughts unknown.

 Chapter 50: 50 Xia Lan Visits

    Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Xia Lan Visits


    What was Xia Lan thinking?


    Xia Chuyi could guess that Xia Lan simply pinned all her hopes on the He Family.


    The He Family was aware of that incident, along with the letters from He Qing.


    Xia Lan probably felt that the He Family wouldn¡¯t allow the Xia Family to replace a member.


    Xia Chuyi sneered in her heart.


    From what she knew about the He Family, it wouldn¡¯t be that simple.


    ...


    After she returned to her hometown in her previous life, the He Family had been the first to ruthlessly kick her when she was down.


    ¡°Since the discussion is over, everyone should go back to their own rooms,¡± Grandma Xia concluded finally.


    Then, with a slight glance at Xia Chuyi from her drooping triangular eyes,


    ¡°Chuyi, you are quite an adult now. Although this matter can be resolved smoothly, calling off an engagement and replacing someone are always unsightly matters. You should stay home recently and not wander around.¡±


    Calling off an engagement and replacing someone were unsightly, so she should be the one hidden away?


    Was it not the person who was suddenly replaced?


    At this critical moment, Xia Chuyi did not want to discuss it any further and simply said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    There would be no news from Uncle Qian for a while, and it was a good time for her to thoroughly study the Heavenly Book.


    In the rural areas during winter, there was nothing much to do in the fields, and the little housework that was there was mostly taken up by the third room.


    Xia Chuyi returned to her home, nestled in the loft, and went into a special space.


    She had already opened the Heavenly Book¡¯s cookbook, and now she began to practice cooking the various dishes.


    Since she did not plan to sell the ingredients from the space, she decided to use them for experimenting with dishes.


    She didn¡¯t bother with the ordinary dishes but was very interested in the Medicinal Food recorded in the Heavenly Book, which had various effects.


    The medicinal ingredients for the Medicinal Food were all available in the space. When she went to look for each ingredient, she found many she had never seen or heard of before.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because these fields are vastly different from one another, and she had limited exposure, or if these ingredients weren¡¯t from this planet.


    Regardless, even if the plants weren¡¯t from earth, there were seeds in the space, and once planted in the resting soil, they would grow.


    Xia Chuyi became absorbed in the Medicinal Food, and with the slow flow of time in the space, her spirits were exceptionally good, and she wasn¡¯t the least bit sleepy.


    After a long while, she finally tried out the Medicinal Food and was satisfied with her experience, ending the Medicinal Food preparation.


    Smiling as she reminisced about the cooking process, it felt like a meditation, giving her many insights into ingredient pairing.


    After finishing cooking, she stepped out of the kitchen to gather the Medicinal Food she had left outside ¨C there was simply no room in the kitchen, so she had to place it outside.


    As soon as she left the kitchen, the scene in front of her stunned her.


    ¡°Giggle giggle quack quack¡±


    Somehow, two or three tiny chickens and ducks were freely pecking at the Medicinal Food at the corner of the wall.


    ¡°Awooo awooo¡± Even more astonishing, a tiny white-furred dog? Fox? Was mingling among them, enjoying the meal tremendously.


    These little creatures, upon seeing her, were not frightened. They just paused for a moment and continued eating.


    Calming her mind, Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t disturb them but followed the animals¡¯ tracks outward.


    Sure enough, soon at a corner of the backyard hedge, she discovered a thorny hole that was almost impossible to notice without careful observation.

 Chapter 51: 51 Refusing to Help

    Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Refusing to Help


    The hole in the fence was just the right size for a small animal to pass through.


    Xia Chuyi looked up and outside the fence; in the foggy world beyond, there must be other creatures.


    These creatures, lured by the scent of the Medicinal Food, would crawl through the small fence hole¡ªa few little ones managed to get in.


    After thinking it over, she did nothing about the hole.


    Since she would often be testing out dishes, having these little ones come and go would conveniently help her dispose of the food.


    Having figured out the joint, she no longer bothered with these little creatures and straightaway left the space.


    ...


    Outside the space, the moon was still in the same position, which showed that she hadn¡¯t been there for long, though it felt like an extended period.


    It was indeed timely, just as she stepped out from that space, someone came to visit the second house.


    ¡°Second Aunt, listen to me, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, Brother Qing was the one who fancied me first.¡±


    It was Xia Lan; she still hadn¡¯t given up and was now trying to exploit the weakness that was Mother Xia.


    ¡°Others may not understand me, may not forgive me, but don¡¯t you understand, Second Aunt?¡± Xia Lan wept and wailed, ¡°Back then, weren¡¯t you and Second Uncle in love freely?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you always telling me how Second Uncle cherished you, how he married you despite your family¡¯s disapproval?¡±


    ¡°I just want to love freely like you, to marry the man I like! Besides, if Brother Qing doesn¡¯t like Chuyi, wouldn¡¯t her life be miserable if she married him?¡±


    ¡°Second Aunt, I¡¯m doing this for Chuyi¡¯s own good!¡±


    Xia Lan sobbed uncontrollably, her heartfelt explanation moved Mother Xia to tears.


    The two hugged and cried together.


    Xia Chuyi came down from the attic, just in time to witness this stirring scene.


    Standing silently, she watched the two with a cold eye.


    After a while, Xia Lan finally raised her head, her eyes teary as she looked at her.


    ¡°Oh, Chuyi, when did you get here?¡± Her tone was one of surprise, as if she had just noticed her.


    Xia Chuyi ignored her words.


    Xia Lan immediately approached, crying to her, ¡°Chuyi, I know you have some misunderstandings about Sister Lan! The other day, I was indeed impulsive. Those words weren¡¯t intentional! I was just jealous, jealous that you always have such a gentle, kind mother like Second Aunt!¡±


    After Xia Lan spoke, she clung to Mother Xia, triggering another burst of tears.


    Envy her? Envious of this confused mother who prefers other people¡¯s children over her own?


    Xia Chuyi shook her head and coldly watched Xia Lan¡¯s poor acting.


    ¡°My parents, as you saw today in the main house, didn¡¯t speak a word in my defense, their hearts care for nothing but having a son!¡± Xia Lan attempted to appear more pitiful, but unbeknownst to her, the true bitterness in her words was unmistakable.


    Xia Chuyi inwardly chuckled.


    ¡°Xia Lan, I see you still haven¡¯t learned to be smart,¡± Xia Chuyi said sarcastically.


    ¡°Chuyi, what do you mean? Sister Lan doesn¡¯t understand...¡± Xia Lan¡¯s expression froze.


    Doesn¡¯t understand?


    Fine.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, forget it, I just want to tell you, in this matter, pleading with me won¡¯t help, I¡¯m telling the truth. The marriage was my concession, you can¡¯t expect me to lie for you, can you?¡± Xia Chuyi blinked innocently, shaking her head.


    Since she liked playing dumb, let everyone play dumb then.

 Chapter 52: 52: Small Spatial Objects

    Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Small Spatial Objects


    ¡°You¡¯re always the best at cozying up to the elders, right? For this matter, go to grandparents; I believe they will give you a fair answer,¡± Xia Chuyi said with a tilt of her head, continuing to speak.


    ¡°And me, grandparents have always liked me the least, so, I really can¡¯t help you with this.¡±


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you...¡± Xia Lan bit her lip, a flash of resentment appearing in her eyes which she quickly concealed, turning instead to Mother Xia, ¡°Second Aunt, you see, Chuyi misunderstands me...¡±


    Mother Xia, dabbing her tears, meekly replied, ¡°Er Lan, Chuyi is right... For this matter, it¡¯s up to your grandparents.¡±


    Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t try to speak up for Xia Lan.


    But then again, for Mother Xia, the Xia Family is what mattered most.


    ...


    Xia Lan fell silent for two seconds before she stopped pretending to cry and let out a cold laugh, ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ve always known, no one can be relied upon except oneself.¡±


    After saying that, she flung her hands and walked away directly.


    Seeing Xia Lan¡¯s behavior, Xia Chuyi wasn¡¯t particularly moved, but it seemed to startle Mother Xia a bit, ¡°Chuyi, that child Er Lan, she...¡±


    Before she could finish, Mother Xia sighed with reddened eyes, ¡°Er Lan has it tough too, that¡¯s why she acts this way... Do you think we¡¯re being too harsh on her?¡±


    Hearing this, Xia Chuyi chuckled lightly, ¡°Yes, she does have it tough.¡±


    She could throw a fit and walk out, and still evoke Mother Xia¡¯s sympathy, really tough indeed.


    Xia Chuyi really didn¡¯t want to deal with the muddled Mother Xia anymore.


    Mother Xia would betray her own daughter for the sake of the Xia Family, let alone a niece.


    She went straight back to the attic.


    After climbing the stairs, she first went to check on the space as usual.


    Those chickens and ducks not only hadn¡¯t left but also brought a few more, pairing off in the vegetable garden, happily munching on the vegetables, leaving a mess everywhere.


    In the spring water, two well-fed wild ducks were leisurely floating about, with a few duck feathers floating on the water¡¯s surface.


    Grabbing a stick, she tried to chase these animals out of the yard, but Chicken Master and Mr. Duck completely ignored her; [seeing the stick, they whooshed away in a blink.


    Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t catch even a single feather.


    ¡°Ghghghgh¡±


    ¡°Quack quack quack¡±


    In the end, the masterly animals even chirped and quacked as if they were mocking her.


    Xia Chuyi found that rather amusing.


    Are these even chickens and ducks? More like chicken and duck spirits!


    She threw the stick away and gave up on trying to drive away these self-important creatures.


    After considering for a moment, she went to the kitchen, planning to make a few more servings of Medicinal Food.


    As soon as she entered the kitchen, she saw the small white-furred dog lying listlessly, its tail barely thumping the ground.


    So this one hadn¡¯t left either?


    Really, it¡¯s easy to invite spirits but hard to send them away, Xia Chuyi ignored little White Fur at first and directly started preparing the Medicinal Food.


    Soon enough, the aroma of the Medicinal Food filled the air, and the previously lethargic White Fur¡¯s eyes lit up, it darted over in a flash.


    Xia Chuyi was nearly knocked over by the impact.


    Huh, White Fur is so strong?


    Before she had time to think further.


    ¡°Owww!¡± White Fur was already yowling at her insistently, wagging its tail fiercely, its tongue hanging out long, drooling.


    ¡°Ghghghgh, quack quack quack¡± Outside, Chicken Master and Mr. Duck also started their duet.

 Chapter 53: 53 Mrs. He Visits

    Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Mrs. He Visits


    Xia Chuyi looked at these anxious little creatures and couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    ¡°Everyone, it still needs to cook for a while longer!¡±


    The little white fur seemed like it understood her, sat down, raised its head, and stared straight in the direction of the Medicinal Food.


    Can they really understand? A thought crossed her mind.


    Half an hour later, the Medicinal Food was ready. Xia Chuyi lifted the pot and placed it on the table, looking toward the little white fur.


    ¡°Can you understand human speech? Is this what you want to eat? If yes, give me a bark.¡±


    ...


    The little white fur glanced at her and barked, ¡°Ao!¡±


    Receiving a confirmed answer, Xia Chuyi nodded.


    ¡°Alright, since that¡¯s the case, look here, I¡¯m the only one who can make this, right? So, if you want to eat this, can we make an agreement not to destroy anything in the yard or in the house?¡±


    ¡°Ao ao!¡± The little white fur paused, then looked up and barked twice.


    The chickens and ducks outside responded with a clamor.


    Xia Chuyi laughed, these creatures really were spiritually aware.


    ¡°So, from now on, you will live here.¡±


    With that, she set the Medicinal Food on the ground, opened the kitchen, and several Mr. Ducks instantly rushed in.


    After sorting out the kitchen, she immediately went to a hole in the fence, moved several thorny bushes over, and sealed the hole.


    With these new guests, she would have her hands full. Any more, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.


    Having taken care of these things, Xia Chuyi then rested.


    The next day, Xia Chuyi rose early, strolled around the main house, didn¡¯t actually do any chores, and came back with breakfast.


    Because of the marriage negotiations, the main house was very courteous toward her.


    They probably feared she might regret causing such trouble.


    She enjoyed the relaxed treatment.


    Back in her room, she claimed she had already eaten and gave all her breakfast to Mother Xia, preparing to leave.


    ¡°Chuyi...¡± Mother Xia seemed like she wanted to say something, but Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t give her a chance.


    ¡°I am going upstairs to read.¡± She went straight to the attic.


    It wasn¡¯t long before a loud voice resounded in the yard, startling many people.


    ¡°Grandpa Xia, Grandma Xia, is anybody home? I am from the He Family, here to discuss something.¡±


    That voice, Mrs. He?


    She cracked open the window of the attic and sure enough, Mrs. He was stepping into the yard.


    What is this?


    ¡°Interesting, the Xia Family hasn¡¯t approached the He Family yet, but the He Family has come to us first.¡±


    Xia Chuyi played with her braid, intrigued as she watched below.


    She saw that Mrs. He had barely reached the door of the third room when it creaked open.


    ¡°Aunt He!¡± Xia Lan called out warmly and rushed forward, getting her request in first, ¡°Are you here to discuss the marriage between Brother Qing and me?¡±


    Xia Lan¡¯s tone was clearly anxious.


    How could she not be? There were people in the main house waiting to snatch this opportunity.


    Mrs. He glanced at her with a complex expression and responded noncommittally, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Her affirmation made Xia Lan glow with happiness, she couldn¡¯t contain herself and rushed forward to link arms with Mrs. He, saying, ¡°Aunt He, rest assured, I know Brother Qing is a very filial son, and once we¡¯re married, I¡¯ll be just as filial to you!¡±


    Perhaps due to the urgency to complete the marriage negotiations, Xia Lan was somewhat agitated. In a rural setting, it would be considered impertinent for a young woman to speak of such things before anything was set.


    As expected, Xia Chuyi saw Mrs. He¡¯s eyebrows twist in disapproval.

 Chapter 54: 54: Watching a Grand Play

    Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Watching a Grand Play


    Mrs. He furrowed her brows and opened her mouth as if to speak but ultimately remained silent.


    ¡°Aunt He, what brings you here? We were just about to send the younger ones to invite you over!¡± Aunt Xia strode out of the house with booming steps that shook so much dust from the eaves it formed a layer.


    Aunt Xia advanced a few steps, using her size advantage to squeeze past Xia Lan and took Mrs. He by the arm.


    ¡°Come on, come on, it¡¯s so cold outside, what are you doing standing here? Come inside, come inside!¡± After speaking, she turned her head back to Xia Lan and said, ¡°Er Lan, not to criticize you, but our honored guest, Aunt He, is here and you let her stand out in the wind? That¡¯s really thoughtless.¡±


    Her face was all smiles as she chastised her like a dear younger relative.


    ¡°Aunt Xia, Aunt He¡¯s visit is about me and...¡± The opportunity slipped away in an instant, as Xia Lan hurriedly tried to interject.


    ...


    ¡°Enough, enough, Er Lan, a young one like you shouldn¡¯t meddle in the elders¡¯ conversation!¡± Suddenly, Grandpa Xia appeared, scolding her with a shout that silenced Xia Lan¡¯s words on her tongue tip.


    In the Xia Family, Grandpa Xia was a figure whose word was law, and Xia Lan, out of habit, was afraid of him and dared not speak up.


    Biting her lip tightly, fury was hidden in Xia Lan¡¯s eyes.


    Aunt Xia immediately took the chance to pull Mrs. He away, ¡°Come on, come on, inside!¡±


    Mrs. He pretended not to notice the way the eldest branch of the family targeted Xia Lan and compliantly entered the house.


    Xia Chuyi was somewhat surprised¡ªwas Mrs. He dissatisfied with Xia Lan? In her past life, didn¡¯t Mrs. He adore Xia Lan?


    After thinking it over, she understood the crux of the matter.


    Indeed, in her previous life, as someone considered ¡°unfaithful¡± and aggressive, she made a stark contrast against Xia Lan, and with He Qing speaking well of her on the side, it was no wonder Mrs. He liked Xia Lan.


    But in this life, the situation had significantly changed; as Xia Lan, due to the marriage arrangement, and He Qing came to a head, bringing He Qing¡¯s letter back, which essentially forced the He Family to agree to the marriage.


    No wonder Mrs. He couldn¡¯t take a liking to Xia Lan now.


    Throwing her braid over her shoulder, Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes flashed.


    How could she miss out on this drama?


    Clapping her hands, she turned around and descended the stairs.


    Time to watch the show!


    When Xia Chuyi entered the main hall, she saw Grandma Xia, Aunt Xia, Xia Mei, and Xia Lan¡ªall four were present.


    As the matter being discussed couldn¡¯t be brought to light, Grandpa Xia, who cared for his reputation, had already stepped aside.


    Aunt Xia was eagerly seating Mrs. He next to Grandma Xia, ¡°Aunt He, please sit here!¡±


    Rarely treated with such warm hospitality, Mrs. He¡¯s facial expression gradually softened, no longer as displeased as when she had first entered the yard.


    When she noticed Xia Chuyi coming in, she merely glanced and her expression became momentarily unnatural.


    Neither of them took the initiative to greet the other.


    The others didn¡¯t pay her attention either. It was just Xia Lan, biting her lip, looking at Xia Chuyi with a desperate plea in her eyes.


    She wanted her to speak on her behalf.


    Xia Chuyi simply ignored her and stood obediently to the side, a silent observer against the wall.


    ¡°Aunt He, it¡¯s rare for you to come and visit; my eldest grandson Chengzu has a job in the county and he brought us two jars of canned goods a few days ago. I¡¯ll have Da Mei fetch them for you to try!¡± Grandma Xia sat in the place of honor, smiling warmly.


    ¡°No need, no need, it¡¯s too much, Aunt Xia!¡± Mrs. He hurriedly waved her hands upon hearing this, her eyes revealing a hint of surprise.

 Chapter 55: 55 Grandma Xia Explains

    Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Grandma Xia Explains


    Xia Chuyi suppressed a smile, she knew that Mrs. He must be very surprised. Mother Xia was notoriously stingy, yet she was willing to bring out something nice?


    Back when the He Family and Xia Chuyi were arranging the engagement, Mrs. He visited the Xia Family but never received such treatment.


    Soon, Xia Mei came out from the inner room with a bottle of yangmei preserves in a glass jar.


    ¡°Auntie, try these preserves, they¡¯re really sweet!¡±


    Xia Mei, with a smile beaming across her face, handed the jar to Mrs. He.


    In those days, canned goods were quite a rarity.


    ...


    ¡°Oh my, Auntie, you¡¯re too kind!¡± Mrs. He hastily demurred, her eyes lighting up with delight at the sight of the preserves.


    Mrs. He casually complimented Xia Mei, ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen Da Mei, she¡¯s getting more and more handsome!¡±


    Her comment made Xia Mei blush shyly, set down the jar, and hide behind Aunt Xia, ¡°Look what Auntie is saying!¡±


    Xia Chuyi was holding back laughter inside.


    Among the sisters of the Xia Family, Xia Mei was clearly the least attractive, yet Mrs. He was praising her in front of Xia Lan and Xia Chuyi. Whether she was sincere or not, Xia Mei, who usually thought too highly of herself, really believed it.


    Xia Lan, standing to the side, was fuming with frustration.


    ¡°Aunt He, let me open it for you!¡± Xia Lan said with a smile, stepping forward to help Mrs. He take the jar, twisting off the lid, and directly scooping out a spoonful for her.


    ¡°How can I accept this...¡± Mrs. He¡¯s face broke into a grin as she took a bite with hesitation and delight.


    ¡°Xia Lan, what are you doing!¡± Xia Mei couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and jumped out.


    ¡°Sister Mei, what¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m just feeding Aunt He some preserves. Grandma asked you to bring them, do you not want to share?¡± Xia Lan was all in.


    ¡°Who said I don¡¯t want to share? Why do you think Grandma asked me to bring out the preserves, don¡¯t you know?¡± Xia Mei blurted out, ¡°Grandpa and Grandma never intended for you to marry into their family!¡±


    The room fell silent in an instant, and Xia Chuyi was nearly bursting with joy inside.


    ¡°Auntie... What is this?¡± Mrs. He asked, puzzled.


    The members of the Xia Family exchanged looks, and finally, Grandma Xia stepped forward.


    ¡°Mr. He, since we¡¯re all family here, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Let¡¯s be clear with each other,¡± Grandma Xia took Mrs. He¡¯s hand, asking, ¡°You came today to discuss the engagement of our younger generation, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Mrs. He nodded along with Grandma Xia¡¯s words, ¡°Auntie is wise; indeed, that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡±


    Grandma Xia stared intently at Mrs. He with her clear, old eyes, ¡°Then, what is your family¡¯s stance? You truly don¡¯t mind a change in persons?¡±


    Mrs. He¡¯s gaze flickered, ¡°Auntie, what are you suggesting? The two families haven¡¯t formally made a commitment, and it hasn¡¯t been widely publicized. Everyone just knows that the He Family and the Xia Family are discussing a marriage alliance. Who exactly it involves, who knows.¡±


    ¡°A marriage alliance is simply a means to cement good relations between the two families!¡± Mrs. He said with a smile.


    As soon as Mrs. He finished her sentence, Grandma Xia understood her meaning¡ªMrs. He didn¡¯t mind a switch in candidates.


    ¡°Mr. He, I won¡¯t mince words either. Since you seek to foster good relations between our two families, let me propose a deal,¡± Grandma Xia pointed at Xia Mei, ¡°Look at my Da Mei, she has capable brothers, has finished junior high school, is quite cultured, and she looks blessed...¡±


    Before Grandma Xia could finish, Xia Lan couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.


    ¡°Grandma!¡± Xia Lan cried out, tears welling up, and she looked at Mrs. He with a mixture of sadness and entreaty, ¡°Aunt He, Brother Qing and I are truly in love!¡±

 Chapter 56: 56: Bad Feng Shui

    Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Bad Feng Shui


    ¡°This...¡± Mrs. He hesitated, unable to respond.


    Clearly, she had understood Grandma Xia¡¯s intention and had received Xia Lan¡¯s message.


    ¡°Do you and He Qing truly love each other?¡± Suddenly, Xia Chuyi cocked her head, deliberately wearing a skeptical expression as she interrupted Xia Lan.


    Xia Lan choked.


    She was He Qing¡¯s former official fiance?e; were Xia Lan and He Qing truly in love? What was that supposed to mean?


    The expressions of other members of the Xia Family shifted as well.


    ...


    Although they deliberately ignored it, it was undeniable that Xia Chuyi was also one of the stakeholders in this matter.


    ¡°Alright, alright, Er Lan, we have guests, what are you behaving like!¡± Grandma Xia slammed the table, suddenly reprimanding loudly to break the deadlock, ¡°Chuyi, you also minimize your comments!¡±


    Xia Lan glared harshly at Xia Chuyi, biting her lip and saying no more.


    Xia Chuyi spread her hands, seemingly indifferent.


    Having rebuked the younger generation, Grandma Xia then softened her expression and turned kindly to Mrs. He.


    ¡°Mrs. He, well, this is what my family means, what do you think?¡±


    Mrs. He looked at Xia Lan and then at the other members of the Xia Family, her gaze flickering, clearly calculating internally.


    Suddenly, Xia Chuyi laughed out loud, ¡°I think Sister Mei is great!¡±


    Her eyes curved into crescents as she addressed Grandma Xia, ¡°Grandma, I am stepping aside from this marriage arrangement, may I say a few words?¡±


    Normally, Grandma Xia would never let Xia Chuyi speak, but Xia Chuyi had prefaced her words by endorsing Sister Mei. After observing Xia Chuyi carefully for a moment and considering her words, Grandma Xia nodded, ¡°Alright, you do indeed have a say in this matter.¡±


    ¡°Great! Then I¡¯ll speak!¡± Xia Chuyi clapped her hands, ¡°I think that Sister Mei, being older, matches He Qing¡¯s age better. Once married, she¡¯ll likely bear children! And could probably even have a son, the main house does have the Feng Shui for birthing sons!¡±


    By mentioning the Feng Shui of the main house for birthing sons, this was a veiled criticism of the third house, implying that they did not have the Feng Shui for birthing sons and Xia Lan was not destined to have sons.


    She was not speaking without basis.


    The third house more often ignored their own daughter and rushed to anyone in the village who had a son to inquire about secret formulas for conceiving sons.


    Over the years, the third house¡¯s struggles to have a son became well-known throughout Heshan Village. Regrettably, despite their significant efforts, they never managed to have a son, and villagers secretly said it was due to lacking the Feng Shui.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s casually spoken words, seemingly offhand, induced varied thoughts among those present.


    Xia Lan never expected Xia Chuyi to suddenly emerge, not helping her but instead supporting the main house.


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Lan turned pale, her eyes reddened, she urgently exclaimed, ¡°What Feng Shui, that¡¯s superstition!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am but a child and ignorant, just speaking nonsense, Sister Lan don¡¯t mind me,¡± Xia Chuyi tilted her head and smilingly said towards Grandma Xia¡¯s direction, ¡°Grandma, Aunt, you won¡¯t blame me, right?¡±


    Whether the biased listeners took it to heart or not was another matter.


    ¡°You¡¯re not to blame, you¡¯re just a child, just playing around!¡± Aunt Xia quickly continued, ¡°But speaking of which, Mrs. He, my Da Mei is indeed a better match for He Qing.¡±


    ¡°Not to hide it from you, my husband and I, we have only Da Mei as a daughter, we adore her and have prepared quite a dowry for her early on!¡±


    ¡°My son Chengzu works at a mine in the county seat, whatever good stuff he finds, he always brings back for his sister!¡±


    Xia Chengzu, as the eldest son of the main house and grandchild of the Xia Family, worked at a coal mine in the county due to a martyr¡¯s child recruitment privilege.


    Aunt Xia mentioning him was a blatant display: Xia Mei had the support of her maternal family along with a dowry.

 Chapter 57: 57 Finally Speaking Out

    Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Finally Speaking Out


    Mrs. He¡¯s gaze flickered incessantly, casting a disdainful glance at Xia Lan.


    Clearly, in this life, Mrs. He was quite dissatisfied with Xia Lan.


    ¡°As for this matter, if your Xia Family thinks there¡¯s no problem, then I have no objections. You can make the decision,¡± Mrs. He said softly, surprisingly agreeing to the proposal.


    The words had barely left her lips.


    ¡°Aunt He!¡± Xia Lan called out urgently, no longer caring about maintaining a gentle image. She grabbed Mrs. He¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Auntie He, have you forgotten Brother Qing¡¯s letter? He will marry none but me!¡±


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you bear witness to me! Isn¡¯t it true that Brother Qing is devoted only to me, and will not marry anyone else?¡± Xia Lan¡¯s eyes were red with fury as she directly called out Xia Chuyi.


    ...


    Xia Chuyi played with her braid leisurely, tilting her head and responding unhurriedly, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, haven¡¯t seen anything like it.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Lan was furious, her anger directed solely at her, hidden from the others like a volcanic eruption.


    Xia Chuyi let out a light laugh.


    Was it that Xia Lan dared not vent her anger on others, so she poured it all onto her?


    The corners of her lips twisted into a faint sneer, and with a calm gaze at Xia Lan, Xia Chuyi said, ¡°If I say I haven¡¯t seen it, then I haven¡¯t. I¡¯m quite honest, you know.¡±


    Besides, she indeed hadn¡¯t seen any exclusive devotion, only collusion in embarrassment.


    Xia Lan, you reap what you sow; swallow the bitter fruit yourself.


    The sharpness in their eyes had yet to dissipate when Xia Mei, who was beside them, could no longer hold back and rushed to grab Xia Lan.


    ¡°Xia Lan, you shameless person!¡± Xia Mei¡¯s chest heaved with anger.


    Xia Lan glanced at her arm, tightly grasped by Xia Mei.


    ¡°Scram!¡± With force, Xia Lan flung Xia Mei away.


    No longer did she wear a gentle expression.


    Xia Mei, caught off-guard, stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud.


    Xia Mei paused in shock, then exclaimed, ¡°You!¡±


    Regaining her composure, Xia Mei tried to lunge at Xia Lan, seeking to tear into her, but Aunt Xia was quick to grab hold of her.


    ¡°Da Mei, don¡¯t stoop to Er Lan¡¯s level, don¡¯t lower yourself to her standard!¡± Aunt Xia urged, while signaling with her eyes to take note of Mrs. He.


    Mrs. He¡¯s face turned ugly, showing signs of displeasure.


    Xia Mei glared furiously at Xia Lan before obediently hiding behind Aunt Xia.


    Xia Mei needed to be conscious of Mrs. He, to maintain the appearance of a lady, but Aunt Xia didn¡¯t need to.


    ¡°Er Lan, not to speak ill of you, but all this talk of love and affection... We young ladies should still maintain some self-respect!¡± Aunt Xia stepped forward, adopting the bearing of an elder, and spoke to Xia Lan with feigned kindness.


    ¡°Chuyi has already said it, hasn¡¯t she? She doesn¡¯t know.¡± Aunt Xia waved the big flag of Xia Chuyi¡¯s words. ¡°As the saying goes, onlookers see most clearly. Aunt feels that you may have misunderstood He Qing¡¯s intentions.¡±


    Aunt Xia was using Xia Chuyi¡¯s words to directly label Xia Lan as delusional.


    On this matter, Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t mind being used.


    ¡°Exactly, if I said I didn¡¯t see it, I didn¡¯t. Sister Lan, you can¡¯t expect me to lie, can you?¡± Xia Chuyi played with the braid at her chest as she spoke.


    She watched quietly to see what Xia Lan¡¯s next move would be.


    ¡°Heh!¡± Suddenly, Xia Lan looked around the room, after giving Xia Chuyi the most resentful glance, she let out a cold laugh.


    Then, Xia Lan covered her face and sat down on the ground, sobbing, ¡°Mom, Aunt Xia, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m deluding myself! I... I¡¯ve already been intimate with Brother Qing!¡± Xia Lan cried and wailed with an appearance of utter sorrow, and amidst her sobs, her words resonated clearly throughout the room.

 Chapter 58: 58: Returning it to You

    Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Returning it to You


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Xia Lan!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    For a moment, everyone in the room, except for Xia Chuyi, was shocked and dismayed.


    Xia Chuyi curled her lips into a smile.


    Xia Lan, you finally said it.


    ...


    Mrs. He¡¯s face turned black, then white, both shocked and angry, ¡°Xia Lan, you girl, how can you irresponsibly blurt out anything!¡±


    Although her words seemed to be denying, her expression betrayed her. Anyone with clear eyes could tell she was in the know.


    Instantly, the Xia Family members in the room, except for Xia Lan and Xia Chuyi, all had faces full of anger.


    ¡°Is this true?¡± Aunt Xia asked incredulously.


    ¡°Wuu, wuu, wuu, could I possibly lie about something like this?¡± Xia Lan cried.


    ¡°Aunt He, about this matter, Brother Qing should have mentioned it in the letter, right? Aunt He, haven¡¯t you read that letter?¡± Even then, it left an out for Mrs. He.


    ¡°I, I haven¡¯t read the letter yet...¡± Mrs. He could only follow what Xia Lan had said.


    Could she admit that she knew her son had taken advantage of someone and still agreed to swap Xia Mei for the Xia Family?


    With a leap into the abyss, Xia Lan had broken the deadlock.


    ¡°And also, Chuyi, you saw it with your own eyes, didn¡¯t you?¡± Xia Lan was insistent on dragging Xia Chuyi into this.


    Everyone looked at Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s mouth slightly curved, and she quickly hid her smile, widened her eyes, and pretended to be deep in thought.


    ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, she slapped her own head as if realizing something, and said, ¡°Now that you mention it, Sister Lan, I remember something! When we went to Provincial City to see He Qing, there was one time!¡±


    ¡°That day you didn¡¯t return all night, and you came back in the morning with your clothes in disarray!¡±


    ¡°Originally...¡± Xia Chuyi abruptly covered her mouth, pretending to have accidentally spilled the beans.


    Xia Chuyi described the details so vividly that everyone present changed their expressions.


    ¡°Chuyi, are you telling the truth?¡± Xia Mei was shocked and incredulous.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true!¡± Xia Chuyi lowered her hand and patted her chest, her tone very sincere.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s lying!¡± Xia Lan immediately retorted reflexively, ¡°Xia Chuyi, you clearly...¡±


    She stopped mid-sentence.


    Clearly what?


    Clearly caught in the act of adultery?


    Raising her eyebrows, Xia Chuyi played with her braids and looked at Xia Lan with a half-smile.


    Xia Lan, Xia Lan, if you have the nerve, just say it out loud, that you were caught in adultery!


    Of course, Xia Lan dared not say so.


    ¡°You, you!¡± Xia Lan opened her mouth, but couldn¡¯t spit out any words of rebuttal. Her eyes glared venomously at Xia Chuyi, the hatred almost taking solid form, spilling out.


    Xia Chuyi returned Xia Lan¡¯s gaze calmly, completely indifferent to her look.


    Think she¡¯s cruel?


    Heh, perhaps no one will ever know, these words, Xia Chuyi had heard them in her past life ¡ª from Xia Lan¡¯s own mouth.


    Back then, when she returned to her hometown, dispirited, Xia Lan had pretended to help her keep the secret but ¡°accidentally¡± revealed her loss of chastity publicly.


    Therefore, what she said today was merely a replication of Xia Lan¡¯s actions, a repayment in kind.

 Chapter 59: 59: Watching a Joke?

    Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Watching a Joke?


    ¡°Ah, Sister Lan, since you were already with He Qing, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Xia Chuyi shifted her eyes suspiciously, ¡°Sister Lan, if you had spoken earlier, Grandma and the others wouldn¡¯t have had other thoughts!¡±


    ¡°Alas, it was because you didn¡¯t speak up earlier that this led to...¡± She deliberately glanced at the people present.


    Today¡¯s drama, wasn¡¯t it all started because of a marriage issue? If we had known earlier about Xia Lan and He Qing, this play wouldn¡¯t have even started.


    So...


    Xia Chuyi sighed heavily, and said seriously, ¡°Sister Lan, aren¡¯t you just intentionally enjoying Sister Mei¡¯s embarrassment?¡±


    Her words successfully shifted the blame onto Xia Mei.


    ...


    Upon hearing this, Xia Mei flew into a rage.


    ¡°Xia Lan, you bitch!¡± Xia Mei lunged forward, grabbed Xia Lan¡¯s clothes, and raised her hand to slap her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xia Mei¡¯s raised hand was caught by Xia Lan.


    ¡°Calling me a bitch? What about you! Plotting so desperately to steal your sister¡¯s marital opportunity, aren¡¯t you a bitch too?¡± Xia Lan threw Xia Mei¡¯s hand away, said forcefully.


    The two of them went back and forth, tearing at each other.


    ¡°You are the bitch!¡±


    ¡°You shameless thing!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, stop fighting!¡± Aunt Xia finally realized what was happening and stepped forward to break up the fight.


    Although she said this, her actions were biased.


    Aunt Xia restrained Xia Lan¡¯s hands, allowing Xia Mei to hit her.


    Ultimately, under the intentional or unintentional ¡°assistance¡± of Aunt Xia, Xia Mei managed to slap Xia Lan several times.


    Satisfied at last, Xia Mei let go, and only then did Aunt Xia act like she was having a hard time separating them, standing between the two.


    ¡°We are all family, two sisters, can¡¯t we talk nicely?¡± She said earnestly, her tone heavy with care.


    At this moment, Grandma Xia also stepped in.


    ¡°Bang, bang,¡± she slammed her hand on the table angrily, with a furious face: ¡°What are you doing, making such a commotion right before my eyes? Where do you place me, an old lady?¡±


    This was also partiality, she spoke only after the fight had ended.


    Checking over the two that were fighting, Xia Mei¡¯s hair was a bit disheveled and her clothes a bit untidy, but she had no marks on her face.


    And Xia Lan, with her hair in a disarray and her face red, with tears brimming in her eyes.


    ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t blame me, I didn¡¯t mean to... I was just so upset... I, I can apologize to Sister Mei...¡± Xia Lan began sobbing.


    Because of Xia Lan¡¯s usually soft and weak image, coupled with her present disheveled and pitiful state, she looked even more sympathetic than usual, especially standing beside the domineering and arrogant Xia Mei, immediately turning into a pitiable figure.


    It made everyone completely forget her frenzied behavior earlier.


    It turned out to be a plan to gain sympathy!


    Xia Chuyi understood at that moment.


    No wonder, given Xia Lan¡¯s capability, despite such a serious tangle, Xia Mei had not a single mark on her.


    Once any injuries appeared on her face, Grandma Xia couldn¡¯t excessively favor her, and Mrs. He, having seen this scene, would probably hold an even worse opinion of Xia Mei.


    Xia Chuyi curled her lips into a smile, then promptly stood before everyone.


    ¡°Yes, Grandma, you believe in Sister Lan, don¡¯t you? She really spoke without thinking!¡±


    Xia Chuyi unexpectedly spoke well of Xia Lan, which nobody had anticipated, and at that moment, everyone looked at her.


    Xia Chuyi cocked her head to the side and said earnestly, ¡°Grandma, think about it, Sister Lan said the person who tries to steal the sister¡¯s marriage opportunity is a bitch, doesn¡¯t that mean she inadvertently cursed herself too?¡±

 Chapter 60: 60 No One to Blame

    Chapter 60: Chapter 60 No One to Blame


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s words caused Xia Lan¡¯s face to undergo a drastic change, and the expressions of the others weren¡¯t much better.


    ¡°I, my situation is different, Brother Qing and I are genuinely in love... It was Sister Mei who stole the marriage...¡± Xia Lan hurriedly argued.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Xia Lan!¡± Aunt Xia exclaimed anxiously.


    ¡°Xia Lan! My situation is certainly different, you and He Qing haven¡¯t settled anything, how can I be accused of stealing? Previously, Chuyi and He Qing¡¯s marriage was arranged, you interfered out of nowhere, that¡¯s the real theft!¡± Xia Mei also quickly jumped in to refute and reprimand Xia Lan, ¡°Shame on you!¡±


    Both exposed each other¡¯s dirty laundry, and all their embarrassing and awkward thoughts were laid bare.


    ¡°A family arguing over and over, what¡¯s the point?¡± Finally, Grandma Xia slammed the table heavily again and yelled, ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m dead?¡±


    ...


    The arguing ceased, Grandma Xia continued, ¡°Parental orders, matchmaker¡¯s words, this marriage was agreed upon by the adults of both families, what is this nonsense about stealing? How ugly does that sound?¡±


    Grandma Xia looked towards Mrs. He.


    ¡°Mrs. He, you see I¡¯m right, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Old Aunt...¡± Although Mrs. He looked uncomfortable, for the sake of face, she had to agree, ¡°What you¡¯re saying makes sense.¡±


    Suddenly, Xia Chuyi clapped her hands, smiled, and said, ¡°Right, Grandma is right!¡±


    The atmosphere took a strange turn.


    ¡°Why talk about stealing or not? I¡¯m not blaming anyone... He Qing and I had mutually agreed to annul the engagement,¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes curved like crescents, she spread her hands and generously said.


    She was implicating everyone.


    In this matter, everyone present owed Xia Chuyi an apology, yet oddly, no one apologized.


    So, Xia Chuyi put on a front as though she was forgiving them despite their actions against her.


    The atmosphere at the scene became stagnant.


    The room fell silent for a long while.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of talking to you!¡± Xia Mei¡¯s face turned from red to white and back, extremely embarrassed, she finally stomped her foot, ¡°Grandma, Mom, I don¡¯t want to marry He Qing, who would want such a vile rogue!¡±


    With a cold snort, she ran out of the room.


    Seeing her daughter storm out, Aunt Xia also became angrily upset, turning to Xia Lan, she gritted her teeth, ¡°Er Lan, since you, a young lady, have already done that sort of thing with him... there¡¯s nothing more to say about this marriage, I hope you¡¯re happy!¡±


    Having said that, Aunt Xia also stormed out.


    The room became even more awkward.


    Mrs. He¡¯s face turned ashen. After a long moment, she said, ¡°Mrs. Xia is right, given the circumstances, let Er Lan marry over.¡±


    Mrs. He¡¯s words clearly intended to absolve herself, pretending not to have known anything before.


    Although she acknowledged Xia Lan, her eyes didn¡¯t even drift towards Xia Lan.


    Clearly, Mrs. He was angry with Xia Lan.


    ¡°Aunt He...¡± At this moment, Xia Lan continued to act pitifully.


    Unfortunately, Mrs. He no longer wanted to pay her any attention.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that, Old Aunt, I¡¯m going back as well.¡± Mrs. He also left abruptly.


    Xia Lan twiddled her fingers, biting her lip, watched Mrs. He¡¯s figure disappear into the Xia Family Courtyard, then turned around and pitifully called out, ¡°Grandma!¡±

 Chapter 61: 61: Showing off My Son

    Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Showing off My Son


    Grandma Xia¡¯s face was clouded with gloom, and her anger had obviously not subsided as she harrumphed and said, ¡°Fine, this is a matter for you young people, I, an old woman, will not get involved anymore.¡±


    This was her way of completely letting go of the matter.


    Xia Lan was shocked and fell to her knees before Grandma Xia with a ¡®thump¡¯.


    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I know I have let down the Xia Family, but Brother Qing and I truly love each other!¡± Xia Lan sobbed, ¡°Brother Qing said once he¡¯s enlisted, he will take me with him to follow the troops... He will give me his salary in the future, he will show filial respect to the Xia Family...¡±


    Give his salary to her? Show filial respect to the Xia Family? With He Qing¡¯s selfish disposition?


    Xia Chuyi shook her head.


    ...


    Xia Lan would say anything to win Grandma Xia¡¯s approval.


    Although Xia Lan¡¯s words were false, Grandma Xia took them to heart.


    After some thought, Grandma Xia¡¯s anger had dissipated, and she said, ¡°What filial respect? Does my family need a soldier¡¯s show of filial piety?¡±


    Grandma Xia looked at Xia Lan with pride, ¡°My second son was posthumously awarded the title of martyr by the military! I receive the military¡¯s holiday gifts and consolation letters every year!¡±


    In Grandma Xia¡¯s words, there was a clear sense of boasting.


    Grandma Xia mentioned her second son, boasting about her second son, something that Xia Chuyi had heard countless times over the years.


    Once she really believed how much Grandma Xia loved her father! Only later did she learn from bits and pieces of others¡¯ conversations that, in fact, Mr. Xia didn¡¯t get along with Grandma Xia and Grandpa Xia at all.


    To please others, Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia nearly sold off Mr. Xia, forcing him to join the revolution at a young age.


    Later, when Mr. Xia married Mother Xia, Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia did not agree, and the Xia Family did not lift a finger to help when Mr. Xia and Mother Xia got married.


    Afterwards, when the bad news arrived, it was only because of the pension that the Xia Family came to take away Mother Xia and the newborn Xia Chuyi.


    Uncle Xia often said that Mr. Xia was the only good shoot from their family of bad bamboo.


    Xia Chuyi made no comment about Grandma Xia¡¯s words.


    She just listened as Grandma Xia continued, ¡°Though we don¡¯t expect others¡¯ filial respect, when one person enlists, it brings honor to the whole family, and if you marry He Qing, the family will still support you as it should.¡±


    Xia Lan¡¯s face suddenly brightened with joy.


    ¡°However...¡± Grandma Xia changed her tone, ¡°About the dowry, what Chuyi gave to He Qing before, consider that your dowry. You said it yourself, the He Family agreed.¡±


    Xia Lan¡¯s expression froze, and she looked uneasy: ¡°Grandma...¡±


    ¡°An additional dowry is not something the family can afford. Besides, could it even be better than what Chuyi already provided before?¡± Grandma Xia cut off Xia Lan¡¯s objection with a single sentence.


    Xia Lan bit her lip, replying with reluctant low voice, ¡°Yes, Grandma, I understand.¡±


    Outsmarted by her own cleverness, did she just shoot herself in the foot?


    Xia Lan had originally said those things to get the family¡¯s agreement on the marriage, but who knew Grandma Xia would be so heartless and actually say no to preparing another dowry.


    Of course, Xia Chuyi felt no sympathy for Xia Lan; she had brought this on herself.


    After sending Xia Lan away, Grandma Xia finally began to look at Xia Chuyi seriously.


    ¡°Chuyi, I¡¯m not criticizing you, but you¡¯re not young anymore, and you need to think before you speak!¡± Grandma Xia took on the elder¡¯s stance, beginning to scold her.


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Xia Chuyi, having achieved her goal for the visit, did not say more and obediently responded.


    Grandma Xia gave her a look, probably curious as to why she was being so compliant.


    ¡°Well then, Grandma, I¡¯m leaving now!¡± Xia Chuyi was even more obedient.


    Xia Chuyi was rarely so well-behaved; Grandma Xia watched her with satisfaction, nodding her head, and waved her off.

 Chapter 62: 62 Waiting for Uncle to Return

    Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Waiting for Uncle to Return


    Returning to her room, Mother Xia hurried forward.


    ¡°Chuyi, the He Family just came over, what did they say to your grandmother and the others?¡± Clearly, Mother Xia had noticed the situation in the main house, but her timid nature prevented her from getting involved.


    ¡°Chuyi, about that matter, did the He Family, or your grandmother, give you an explanation?¡± Mother Xia¡¯s words made Xia Chuyi stop in her tracks.


    ¡°Mom, if there are things you don¡¯t wish to handle, or can¡¯t handle, then don¡¯t ask about them,¡± Xia Chuyi said indifferently.


    Mother Xia¡¯s inquiries and care were always just verbal.


    In the end, it was always her, Xia Chuyi, who ended up battered and fighting over issues.


    ...


    And Mother Xia could only ever cry.


    ¡°Mom knows she is weak...¡± Mother Xia inevitably started crying again.


    Facing Mother Xia¡¯s tears once more, Xia Chuyi was now able to remain composed.


    For Mother Xia, crying was probably as easy as breathing; just like breathing didn¡¯t kill anyone, neither did crying.


    ¡°Mom, the marriage arrangement was canceled by He Qing and me on our own initiative. I don¡¯t care about it one bit,¡± Xia Chuyi spoke frankly with Mother Xia, ¡°From now on, this matter has nothing to do with me. You don¡¯t need to ask anymore.¡±


    Mother Xia paused and wiped her tears, ¡°Then, what about Er Lan...¡±


    ¡°Her affairs are also none of my business. I belong to the second branch of the family. Whether it¡¯s the main branch or the third branch, their affairs have nothing to do with me,¡± Xia Chuyi cut off Mother Xia¡¯s path clearly and decisively.


    Mother Xia hung her head and shrugged her shoulders, no longer asking.


    Xia Chuyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Staying in the Xia Family Courtyard was truly exhausting, every single day.


    Fortunately, with Xia Lan¡¯s matter settled, she could now go to town to do business with a peace of mind.


    But how could she keep it a secret from the Xia Family members?


    After some thought, Xia Chuyi went to Uncle Xia¡¯s house.


    ¡°What, you want to do business and you want your uncle to tell everyone that the business is his?¡± Aunt Xia was startled upon hearing her intentions.


    ¡°Yes, Aunt, you know how the people in my family are. If they found out that the business was mine, wouldn¡¯t they turn the world upside down?¡± Xia Chuyi explained to Aunt Xia.


    Aunt Xia frowned, clearly not quite understanding.


    Seeing Xia Chuyi was firm, she finally said, ¡°Sigh, Chuyi, it¡¯s not that your aunt thinks doing business is bad.¡±


    Aunt Xia sighed.


    ¡°Chuyi, as you know, your uncle has made a fair amount from his business. He¡¯s invested in houses, bought cars, and many are envious of him,¡± Aunt Xia said earnestly, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to be straight with you, your uncle has earned even more than what people see.¡±


    ¡°But...¡± Aunt Xia continued with emphasis, ¡°the hardships involved are endless.¡±


    ¡°How about this, you went to high school, and even though you didn¡¯t graduate, becoming a substitute teacher in the village and teaching primary school would be completely fine,¡± Aunt Xia patted her hand, ¡°Teach for a few years, and then I¡¯ll have your uncle find a way to get you into the civil service.¡±


    Xia Chuyi then held Aunt Xia¡¯s hand in return, ¡°Aunt, I appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for me, but Aunt, I still want to try it on my own.¡±


    Seeing her determination, Aunt Xia had no choice but to say, ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll leave this matter be. You can discuss it with your uncle when he returns.¡±


    ¡°When is Uncle coming back?¡± asked Xia Chuyi.


    In her past life at this time, Xia Chuyi was still in the Provincial City. By the time she returned, Uncle Xia had just gone out again.


    So she knew that in these next few days, Uncle Xia should be returning home for a bit because of some business, then he would leave again before the car accident happened half a month later.


    ¡°The message was he would return in the next few days, but I don¡¯t know the specifics,¡± replied Aunt Xia.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xia Chuyi nodded.


    Uncle Xia, finally he was coming back.

 Chapter 63: 63 Xia Mei Visits

    Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Xia Mei Visits


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t be bothered anymore with the Xia Family¡¯s affairs and for the next few days, she visited Uncle Xia¡¯s home daily, waiting for his return.


    As for the Xia Family, the matter of the betrothal was settled, whether they liked it or not.


    Once the betrothal was confirmed, Xia Lan spent all her time at the He Family, eager to ingratiate herself with them.


    Xia Mei, feeling slighted, spent her days throwing tantrums around the house.


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t care less about these family matters, and on the third morning, she headed to Uncle Xia¡¯s house again. Unfortunately, Uncle Xia still hadn¡¯t returned, and after a while, she left without having seen him.


    Xia Chuyi returned home somewhat disappointed, only to discover an unexpected person waiting for her¡ªit was Xia Mei, who had been acting odd for several days.


    ...


    It seemed that Xia Lan had finally persuaded Grandma Xia, who forbade anyone in the house from gossiping about Xia Lan¡¯s affairs.


    Now, the family¡¯s unified stance to outsiders was that the engagement had always been between Xia Lan and He Qing.


    As for those who were puzzled, the family turned a blind eye, claiming they had either remembered wrongly or misunderstood¡ªthe marriage was always intended for Xia Lan from the start.


    That¡¯s precisely why Xia Mei was even more furious at home.


    Despite this, nothing could change the situation by even a fraction. After all, if He Qing were to succeed in his career in the future, it would truly benefit the Xia Family, and Xia Mei was ultimately just a granddaughter, whom Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia were unwilling to favor at the cost of the family¡¯s interests.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Xia Chuyi asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.


    Xia Mei rarely visited their branch of the family, considering them beneath her notice, and it was unusual for her to descend without a specific reason.


    Xia Mei lounged in a chair, legs outstretched arrogantly, a bag of snacks in her hand, spitting sunflower seed shells all over the floor, and leaving the tabletop a complete mess.


    In spite of this, Mother Xia was happily indulging Xia Mei¡¯s rare show of closeness with a sense of joy.


    Xia Mei, both arrogant and foolish, didn¡¯t catch the faint sarcasm in Xia Chuyi¡¯s voice.


    With a ¡®ptooey¡¯, Xia Mei spat a sunflower seed shell onto the floor and haughtily said, ¡°Chuyi, I¡¯ve got something to talk to you about.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a request; it was a command.


    ¡°You have something to talk to me about?¡± Xia Chuyi followed Xia Mei¡¯s words without hurry, calmly asking, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Seemingly content with her demeanor, Xia Mei eased her expression somewhat, her tone still haughty, ¡°Hmph, Chuyi, you knew about that thing with Xia Lan early on, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    That thing with Xia Lan? About her secret affair with He Qing?


    Xia Chuyi found it amusing.


    Xia Mei had come to her to discuss this matter, and although she phrased it as a question, her tone was full of conviction.


    This Xia Mei seemed to have gained intelligence overnight.


    Or perhaps, someone was coaching her from behind the scenes?


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s gaze flickered towards the main house.


    The only ones who could be advising Xia Lan were likely the elders from that part of the family.


    Such deep concern indeed.

 Chapter 64: 64 This Is Fair

    Chapter 64: Chapter 64 This Is Fair


    This time, Xia Chuyi had no intention of playing along with the Xia Family¡¯s script. She shook her head innocently and said to Xia Mei, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean, Sister Mei.¡±


    Upon hearing Xia Chuyi¡¯s words, Xia Mei¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and with a smack, she threw the melon seeds in her hand onto the ground. ¡°Xia Chuyi, don¡¯t you pretend with me here!¡±


    ¡°That Xia Lan is such a flirt. After she went to the Provincial City with you for just a few days, how could you possibly not have noticed something going on between her and He Qing? Do you really think I¡¯m stupid?¡±


    Xia Mei, when she spoke, was truly unrestrained, and yet she still had an overinflated opinion of herself, thinking she was quite formidable.


    ¡°You clearly know about Xia Lan and He Qing¡¯s affair... Hmph, it¡¯s because Xia Lan stole He Qing from you, and you¡¯re not satisfied, so you pretend you don¡¯t know, right?¡± Xia Mei scoffed angrily, ¡°You don¡¯t tell, wanting Xia Lan to be embarrassed, and also by the way to laugh at me, right?¡±


    Xia Mei stood up, pointed at her nose, and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not Xia Lan, I¡¯m not someone you can bully easily!¡±


    ...


    Xia Chuyi tilted her head, her eyes curving into crescent moons, and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about, Sister Mei. I just want to know, what exactly is your purpose in looking for me?¡±


    Don¡¯t beat around the bush with your words.


    Xia Mei¡¯s intelligence, if she could think of these, someone must be coaching her from behind.


    To say Xia Mei was foolish, her IQ wasn¡¯t high, but to say she was clever, if there was no profit in it, she wouldn¡¯t get involved.


    So her coming here today must have a motive.


    When Xia Chuyi directly pointed out that Xia Mei had an ulterior motive, Xia Mei didn¡¯t show any embarrassment; instead, she raised her head high.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I am indeed looking for you because I have something,¡± Xia Mei said as she sat down again.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, the marriage with He Qing, it¡¯s now Xia Lan¡¯s, considered given up by you.¡±


    ¡°Since it was you who let it go, it¡¯s as if the second branch gave something to the third branch.¡±


    ¡°So, to be fair, shouldn¡¯t your second branch give something to our main branch?¡± Xia Mei spoke with great righteousness.


    Xia Chuyi was on the verge of laughing from anger.


    ¡°Give something to your main branch?¡± she repeated Xia Mei¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xia Mei had the look of someone who respected her and came to ask her for a favor.


    ¡°I heard that your aunt is inquiring everywhere, planning to arrange a job for you, I heard it¡¯s to teach at the village primary school.¡±


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you¡¯ve given up the marriage to Xia Lan, so you should give this teaching job to me, that would be fair.¡±


    What?


    She gave up the marriage to Xia Lan, so she should give up the job to Xia Mei to be fair?


    Ha, what excellent calculating!


    To teach at the village primary school, she even knew the specifics of the job... pray tell, how does Xia Mei, who hasn¡¯t left the house in two or three days, know of these outside village news? Exactly which elder came up with this rotten idea for her?


    Grandma Xia, or Aunt Xia?


    Do they really think she¡¯s easy to bully?


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me... to give the job to you?¡± Xia Chuyi asked with an almost amused expression.

 Chapter 65: 65 Uncle Xia Returns

    Chapter 65: Chapter 65 Uncle Xia Returns


    Aunt Xia finding her a job must have been seen when she went to ask around, and it spread from there.


    Despite her clear refusal, Aunt Xia still went to inquire, probably to provide her with more options.


    ¡°Yes, give the job to me,¡± Xia Mei responded, looking proud and unyielding.


    The room fell silent for a while.


    ¡°Chuyi, did your aunt really find you a job?¡± was the first voice to break the silence, surprisingly, it was Mother Xia¡¯s.


    Xia Chuyi looked at Mother Xia.


    ...


    Mother Xia glanced at Xia Mei, then at her, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°Chuyi, Da Mei¡¯s education is lower than yours, it¡¯s harder for her to find a job, why don¡¯t you let her have it?¡±


    This was the suggestion that Mother Xia gave after seriously thinking it over.


    Xia Chuyi felt her heart might never succumb to heart disease because her heart had been toughened immensely by her closest kin.


    Before Xia Chuyi could react, Xia Mei jumped up in dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Second Aunt, what do you mean? How am I lesser educated than Xia Chuyi? Second Aunt, are you using Xia Chuyi to belittle me, showing that you look down on me? I graduated from town middle school! Check around our village, how many can graduate from middle school? And I¡¯m a girl!¡±


    Xia Mei, as the only doted-on female in the Xia Family, couldn¡¯t stand the slightest grievance and directly dared to refute Mother Xia.


    ¡°You from the second house have no men, just two women, incapable of shouldering burdens or making significant contributions, seldom doing any fieldwork or housework, just idling away!¡±


    ¡°Our third house also lacks a son to carry on the lineage, and the Xia family relies on our main house to continue the heritage! You two women managing to live well here in the Xia Family is all thanks to our main house¡¯s grace!¡±


    ¡°Now that you want Xia Chuyi to step aside from the job for me, Second Aunt, you start demeaning me, what do you mean by that?¡±


    Xia Mei¡¯s barrage of questions made Mother Xia¡¯s eyes well up with tears.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that...¡± Mother Xia sobbed.


    ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± Xia Mei persisted, ¡°And you, Xia Chuyi, are you giving up the job or not?¡±


    ¡°Heh...¡± Just as Xia Chuyi was about to speak, boom, the door was kicked open from the outside.


    ¡°To give up what?¡± came a thunderous rebuke.


    The three of them immediately turned towards the door.


    It was Uncle Xia!


    Uncle Xia¡¯s face was frosty, wrapped in a military-green coat, holding a man by the collar¡ªit was He Qing¡¯s father.


    Throwing Mr. He down, Uncle Xia loudly scolded, ¡°Daughter of the Xia Family, what do you mean by having my niece give up her spot to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what exactly do you want Chuyi to give up to you? Let¡¯s hear it!¡± Aunt Xia added angrily from the side, her eyes full of rage.


    The group that followed Uncle Xia also started clamoring.


    Mr. He and Mrs. He, caught in between, were too frightened to say a word like quails.


    ¡°I...¡± Xia Mei was intimidated by Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia¡¯s imposing manner, momentarily at a loss for words; she had never been treated like this at home.

 Chapter 66: 66: Give an Explanation

    Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Give an Explanation


    Aunt Xia walked up and firmly took Xia Chuyi¡¯s hand, patting it as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your uncle and I will make decisions for you!¡±


    Apparently, they hadn¡¯t expected the Xia Family to be so shameless and aggressive.


    Xia Chuyi felt a warmth in her heart and gave Aunt Xia a slight smile.


    After Uncle Xia gave her a reassuring look, he snorted coldly. Glancing at Xia Mei, who shook like a scared quail, he loudly called out toward the main house,


    ¡°Mr. In-law, Grandmother-in-law, brother-in-law, Third Brother-in-law, I am Zhao Minglang, I just came back home today, and there are some things I don¡¯t quite understand, I would like to ask everyone!¡±


    A single stone caused a thousand ripples; from several rooms in the Xia Family Courtyard, a commotion ensued.


    ...


    The door to the main house quickly opened.


    ¡°Chuyi¡¯s uncle, you¡¯re here?¡± Grandpa Xia, putting aside his usual sternness toward the family, greeted Uncle Xia warmly from afar.


    Though his voice was strong, he deliberately leaned on Uncle Xia to walk, including Grandma Xia, who was normally capable and energetic, pretentiously letting Aunt Xia help her.


    They were clearly pulling rank, displaying their elder status.


    But Uncle Xia was not buying it; he coolly replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here, to ask Uncle Xia if he has any complaints against me, Zhao Minglang?¡±


    ¡°How can you say that... We¡¯re all relatives, one family, how could there be any dissatisfaction? Uncle, why don¡¯t you come inside and sit?¡± Grandpa Xia, with a face full of smiles, spoke very sincerely.


    Grandpa Xia, having once been a minor steward in a landlord¡¯s house, was particularly adept at saying one thing to one person and another to someone else.


    Uncle Xia stood at the doorstep, not moving an inch, and snorted, ¡°Wait until the Third Xia Family arrives, then we¡¯ll all talk.¡±


    Even Grandpa Xia couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s cold and freezing outside, why stand out there? Plus, aren¡¯t Mr. and Mrs. He cold too?¡± Grandpa Xia said trenchantly, pulling the He Family into the conversation.


    Mr. and Mrs. He, initially acting like shrinking violets, widened their eyes wanting to agree with Grandpa Xia. But after a glance from Uncle Xia, they shrank back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s plenty of time, everyone sit down and talk together,¡± replied Uncle Xia, his tone neither warm nor cold.


    Clearly, Uncle Xia was determined to stand up for Xia Chuyi.


    ¡°Uncle...¡± Xia Chuyi softly called out, her voice unexpectedly chocking up a bit.


    Her mind overwhelmed with thoughts, she hadn¡¯t felt this protected by an elder for a long time.


    With all the hubbub in the courtyard, there was strangely no response from the third branch of the family.


    Despite Grandpa Xia¡¯s repeated pleas for Uncle Xia to come inside for a discussion, Uncle Xia firmly refused each time.


    Instead of waiting for the Third Xia Family, they ended up attracting an audience of onlookers.


    Uncle Xia, accustomed to being assertive, didn¡¯t care about being the center of public attention. Moreover, he had brought people with him precisely to discuss matters openly.


    However, the members of the Xia Family, particularly Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia, who always prided themselves as coming from a prominent family different from ordinary villagers, now found themselves humiliated, unable to save face.


    But Uncle Xia adamantly wanted the Third Xia Family¡¯s presence before discussing anything serious.


    ¡°This, this...¡± Grandpa Xia¡¯s face went from red to white and back again, unable to contain himself any longer, he roared toward the direction of the third branch, ¡°Third Xia Family, get out here right now!¡±

 Chapter 67: 67: Everyone is Here

    Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Everyone is Here


    Grandpa Xia flew into a rage, and only then did the door of the third branch creak open slowly. Third Uncle Xia and Third Aunt Xia appeared, heads bowed as usual, without any expression and moved at a snail¡¯s pace.


    Xia Lan bit her lip as she followed behind them. The young ones, Xia Zhu and Xia Ju, peeked into the courtyard, got frightened by the sight, and immediately retreated.


    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma...¡± Knowing she couldn¡¯t rely on her own parents, Xia Lan intended to move toward the main house but was met with a fierce glare from Aunt Xia, stopping her in her tracks.


    ¡°Look, Chuyi¡¯s uncle, everyone is here now, so why don¡¯t we go inside...¡± As soon as the people from the third branch arrived, Grandpa Xia hurriedly suggested to Uncle Xia.


    ¡°No need,¡± Uncle Xia gestured with his hand. ¡°We¡¯ll talk right here.¡±


    ¡°I, Zhao Minglang, act with integrity and sit with dignity. There is nothing that cannot be spoken of under the bright sun!¡± Uncle Xia said powerfully.


    ...


    Grandpa Xia clenched his teeth. Uncle Xia remained unaffected, and Grandpa Xia ultimately had no choice but to concede, saying, ¡°Well then, her uncle, speak your mind. We¡¯re all family here; everything can be discussed and negotiated.¡±


    This was hinting to Uncle Xia that, being relatives, he shouldn¡¯t go too far.


    Uncle Xia didn¡¯t even glance at Grandpa Xia as he began to speak slowly without hurry.


    ¡°Now that all the relevant parties are here, I have a few questions to ask everyone present.¡±


    Uncle Xia¡¯s eyes were ablaze as he spoke each word deliberately.


    ¡°First of all, I would like to ask Mr. He, what is the reasoning behind the He Family calling off my niece Xia Chuyi¡¯s engagement and instead choosing Xia Lan?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Xia, Grandmother-in-law, what is the reasoning for you to have Chuyi pretend as though this engagement never existed?¡±


    ¡°And you, Eldest Xia, your daughter comes to the second branch, bullying Chuyi, demanding Chuyi find her a job, what is the reasoning behind this?¡±


    With three questions asked in a stern tone, the Xia and He families looked at each other, at a loss for words.


    No one answered for a long time, so Uncle Xia first turned his gaze to Mr. He.


    Mr. He dared not speak, so Mother Xia answered in a submissive tone, ¡°This matter, this matter is not my family¡¯s fault; you ask Xia Lan...¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Uncle Xia scoffed, ¡°You are right. So then, Xia Laosan, what¡¯s the matter with your daughter usurping someone else¡¯s marriage?¡±


    Being called out, Third Uncle Xia shrank his shoulders slightly, lifted his eyelids, and with his head bowed, said, ¡°My daughter¡¯s affairs, I don¡¯t manage them; you ask her yourself, don¡¯t ask me.¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± Xia Lan cried out, eyes red.


    Third Uncle Xia and his wife hung their heads, indifferent.


    ¡°If children are untaught, it¡¯s the father¡¯s fault. Xia Lan and Xia Mei lack manners; naturally, I turn to those of you who are parents,¡± Uncle Xia declared coldly.


    ¡°When have I ever lacked manners?¡± Xia Mei, accustomed to being brash at home, countered boldly with the presence of the leading household.


    ¡°Shut up, I didn¡¯t ask you! You interrupt your elders so casually; is this your upbringing?¡± Uncle Xia reprimanded Xia Mei sharply.


    ¡°All of you in-laws, give me an explanation. Bullying a mother and her daughter while I¡¯m away, what exactly are you after?¡±


    Uncle Xia directed all the issues to the adults.


    After all, if it was just a dispute among the younger generation, his involvement wouldn¡¯t be quite appropriate.


    If it¡¯s an issue with the elders, however, he has every right to question them.


    ¡°This matter, it¡¯s a long story...¡± Since Xia Lan¡¯s matter involved the reputation of the Xia family¡¯s daughters, Grandpa Xia had no choice but to try and persuade Uncle Xia again, ¡°So, why don¡¯t we go back inside and discuss this slowly?¡±


    ¡°What, can none of you in-laws speak up?¡± Uncle Xia narrowed his eyes, ¡°Then let me say it for you!¡±


    ¡°The He Family called off the engagement and switched to Xia Lan because He Qing had a questionable relationship with Xia Lan!¡±

 Chapter 68: 68 I am very generous

    Chapter 68: Chapter 68 I am very generous


    Uncle Xia¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it was just loud enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear.


    The crowd suddenly fell silent. Gradually, quiet discussions, like bubbles in boiling water, started, growing more and more numerous and louder.


    ¡°What does that mean? Xia Lan and He Qing?¡±


    ¡°Normally such a demure girl, who would have known, tsk tsk tsk...¡±


    ¡°Could it be true?¡±


    Grandpa Xia hadn¡¯t expected Uncle Xia to be so careless of his dignity, directly spilling the beans.


    ...


    ¡°Her uncle...you can¡¯t just say such things...A girl¡¯s reputation...¡± Grandpa Xia said through gritted teeth.


    Wouldn¡¯t this tarnish the reputation of the entire Xia Family, with Chuyi still being part of the Xia Family? Didn¡¯t Uncle Xia care at all?


    Uncle Xia chuckled softly.


    ¡°A girl¡¯s reputation is earned through self-respect and self-love!¡± Uncle Xia put his hands on his hips and, tilting his head up, continued loudly, ¡°Just like our Chuyi, when he found out He Qing and Xia Lan were unclean, he immediately drew a clear line with He Qing.¡±


    ¡°Folks!¡± Uncle Xia called out to the surroundings, ¡°Today, in front of you all, I¡¯ll make this matter clear.¡±


    ¡°He Family¡¯s son committing such an act, my family¡¯s Chuyi could never continue with him, so this engagement, today, right in front of everyone, I¡¯m calling it off!¡±


    ¡°Good call, good call!¡± someone in the crowd agreed.


    Uncle Xia smiled and continued, ¡°Now, let¡¯s settle the accounts.¡±


    ¡°At the engagement, the Xia Family received a total of 88 gifts from the He Family, and the Xia Family accepted this money.¡±


    ¡°Later, when He Qing needed to pull some strings in the army, I gave the He Family 300 dollars, considering it an advance on the dowry.¡±


    Uncle Xia listed each item, and the people in the crowd gasped at each statement.


    88 gifts? That¡¯s way too much!


    My goodness, 300 dollars for dowry? That¡¯s way, way too much!


    ¡°It should be noted that some of the betrothal gifts from the He Family were financed by me, helping them with merchandise, which after earning a profit, I earned it out,¡± Uncle Xia continued.


    Uncle Xia¡¯s investment, Uncle Xia¡¯s management, and finally, the profit went to the He Family.


    Isn¡¯t that getting something for nothing?


    For a moment, everyone looked at Mr. He and Mrs. He with disdain.


    ¡°No, no, my family also contributed money!¡± Mrs. He hurriedly explained, but nobody believed her.


    ¡°Alright, even if your family did contribute a little, I won¡¯t fuss about that part,¡± Uncle Xia said, staring at Mr. He and Mrs. He, pulling a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes, ¡°There¡¯s also the wristwatch, radio, and all the other necessities I gave to He Qing...¡±


    Waving his hand, ¡°I, Zhao Minglang, won¡¯t bother you about these.¡±


    ¡°But, that three hundred dollars of the dowry, you must return!¡± Uncle Xia stated emphatically.


    Hearing this, the faces of Mr. He and Mrs. He grew extremely unattractive, but the onlookers began to jeer.


    ¡°Return it, it should be returned!¡±


    ¡°A whole 300 dollars!¡±


    ¡°All the other stuff is also worth quite a bit, Zhao Minglang is really generous!¡±


    ¡°Yes, truly generous!¡±


    ¡°This, this...¡± Mr. He and Mrs. He were at a loss for words.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Suddenly, Uncle Xia spoke again, ¡°No? Then no need to return it. When your son He Qing marries Xia Lan, these 300 dollars, consider it the gift money from my family¡¯s Chuyi, just record it in the gift book.¡±


    ¡°What? Gift money?¡± Mr. He and Mrs. He were truly surprised.


    Surprised was also Xia Lan.


    Uncle Xia, far from wanting to ruin her marriage, was actually corroborating her story? A look of surprise flashed in Xia Lan¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 69: 69 Clarifying Clearly

    Chapter 69: Chapter 69 Clarifying Clearly


    Even without a reputation, the marriage was still on!


    Xia Lan swept away her previous gloom.


    Xia Lan was happy, but the He Family was not.


    Though the gift money sent did not have to be repaid now, it was recorded in the gift money book and would still have to be repaid when Xia Chuyi got married!


    Not repay? Not repaying would result in being spat on and vilified.


    Moreover, could Uncle Xia let it go if the gifts were not repaid?


    ...


    Paying a little less was possible, but no matter how little, they still had to give out several dozen yuan, causing Mr. He and Mrs. He immense heartache.


    ¡°How about it, He Family?¡± Uncle Xia asked slowly.


    ¡°My son isn¡¯t necessarily going to marry Xia Lan,¡± Mrs. He said in pain, stammering, and before she could finish, Xia Lan burst into tears.


    ¡°Aunt He, Brother Qing and I truly love each other. Are you trying to drive me to death?¡± she said, about to throw herself against the wall.


    Her words and actions rendered Mrs. He speechless.


    Xia Lan was now beyond caring; her reputation was already damaged, and she could not lose the marriage too.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, didn¡¯t mean that...¡± Mrs. He quickly held Xia Lan back, trying to soothe her.


    Seeing this, the bystanders began whispering.


    ¡°So Xia Lan really does have something going on with He Qing?¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, shameful!¡±


    ¡°The He Family is even more shameless, sleeping with someone¡¯s daughter and then trying to deny it.¡±


    Embarrassed and helpless, Mr. He and Mrs. He had no choice but to accept the marriage.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll listen to Brother Zhao then...¡±


    And so, it was settled.


    ¡°Wait, what is this? Does it mean that Xia Lan, the shameless one, doesn¡¯t have any issue but still received an advance of 300 in gift money?¡± Xia Mei, thoughtless as ever, blurted out angrily.


    Uncle Xia sneered, ready to settle scores with Xia Mei when she impulsively jumped out.


    ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®Better to demolish ten temples than destroy one marriage¡¯, let it be settled then, for both He Family and Third Xia Family.¡±


    He turned to another face, facing Eldest Xia.


    ¡°Next, Eldest Xia, I need to ask, what is your daughter relying on to bully my niece?¡±


    Uncle Xia¡¯s expression was unfriendly.


    Glaring hatefully at his daughter, Uncle Xia apologetically said to Uncle Xia, with a forced smile, ¡°Younger brother, I am sorry, it¡¯s all because Da Mei is ignorant, a child speaking without restraint...¡±


    ¡°Speaking without restraint?¡± Uncle Xia cut him off, ¡°Speaking without restraint, and implying my sister and Chuyi are living off others?¡±


    ¡°And that Chuyi can only survive because of the main house?¡± Uncle Xia stared intensely at Eldest Xia.


    Eldest Xia, rendered speechless, turned the color of liver.


    Then, Uncle Xia continued, ¡°Since things have come to this today, let¡¯s clarify everything once and for all.¡±


    ¡°Father-in-law, mother-in-law, may I ask, when my brother-in-law died, did the military issue any pension?¡±


    ¡°Do I not send hefty gifts to the Xia Family during the holidays? Do I not give a regular allowance to the second household every month?¡±


    At that moment, all the villagers understood that the Xia Family was actually living off the second household¡¯s pension and Uncle Xia¡¯s money, all the while bullying a family of lone women!


    Uncle Xia had no reservations about exposing them, causing Grandpa Xia¡¯s face to turn ashen.


    ¡°Uncle, you can¡¯t say that, over the years, our family has always treated the second household well...¡± Grandpa Xia began, but then, something crossed his mind, and his gaze shifted, landing on Mother Xia who was crying in the back of the crowd.


    ¡°Second son¡¯s family, speak for yourself, has the family not treated you well?¡± Grandpa Xia directly called out Mother Xia.


    Once Mother Xia was called out, Xia Chuyi knew things were about to get worse.

 Chapter 70: 70 I Want to Divide the Family

    Chapter 70: Chapter 70 I Want to Divide the Family


    The once slim and small Mother Xia was behind the crowd, silently wiping away her tears, without any noticeable presence.


    At that moment, when Grandpa Xia called her, she paused, then wiped away another tear.


    Watching the tears on Mother Xia¡¯s face, Xia Chuyi really didn¡¯t know for whom she was crying.


    Mother Xia, timid and frail, stepped forward and glanced at Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia.


    The faces of Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia had already turned very ugly.


    Mother Xia shrank back, then turned to pull on Uncle Xia¡¯s sleeve, saying, ¡°Brother, stop making a scene, grandpa and grandma treat me well... they treat Chuyi well too, we all live well in the Xia Family.¡±


    ...


    Her words completely overturned what Uncle Xia had been saying.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Uncle Xia, frustrated as if she was failing to meet expectations, said, ¡°What do you call living well? Stealing Chuyi¡¯s suitor, stealing Chuyi¡¯s job, is that living well?¡±


    ¡°Brother, I know about this, I am aware of everything... The matter with He Qing, it¡¯s that Chuyi was not meant to be with him... Da Mei, the job that Da Mei spoke of... it¡¯s nothing for family members to give and take...¡± Defending the Xia Family seemed like an ingrained mark in Mother Xia as she hastened to say.


    ¡°Did you hear that? They don¡¯t even care themselves!¡± The foolish Xia Mei once again jumped out, ¡°Exactly, we are all family, what¡¯s wrong with giving and taking?¡±


    ¡°Xia Chuyi gave the marriage arrangement to Xia Lan and even gave her 300 in cash...¡± Mentioning money made Xia Mei grind her teeth in anger.


    ¡°And how about giving the job to me? Second Aunt, you tell me, am I right?¡± The more Xia Mei talked, the more she felt justified, looking angrily at Mother Xia.


    Mother Xia, who was called out, with her eyes reddening, gave a slight nod: ¡°Mmm, Da Mei is... right.¡±


    Uncle Xia was so angry he was practically fuming, but having his own family, especially his own elder sister who once saved his life, undermining him, he was helpless!


    ¡°Do you really want a job, Xia Mei?¡± Xia Chuyi, who had been silent for a long while, suddenly spoke up.


    Everyone looked at her.


    Xia Chuyi slowly walked forward to face Xia Mei, her gaze fixed on her, repeating, ¡°Xia Mei, I¡¯m asking you, do you really want a job?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xia Mei, uncomfortable under her stare, was also confused, ¡°Yes, I want a job, so what?¡±


    With a hook of her lips into a smile, Xia Chuyi casually said, ¡°I can find you a job, not this teaching one, working in a factory in the county town, do you want to go?¡±


    Hearing about working in the factory in the county town, Xia Mei¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Of course she wanted it, why wouldn¡¯t she?


    These days, getting an urban hukou was extremely difficult, going to work in the city and becoming a formal worker was an opportunity to transition from rural to urban status!


    ¡°What can you do?¡± Xia Mei asked eagerly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, I have a condition,¡± Xia Chuyi said indifferently.


    ¡°What condition?¡±


    ¡°Splitting the family,¡± Xia Chuyi said each word clearly, her eyes shining, ¡°I want to split the family!¡±


    Like a stone thrown into water, creating ripples.


    ¡°What? Split the family?¡± Grandma Xia heard this and became anxious, pushing Aunt Xia aside, ¡°I do not agree!¡±


    Uncle Xia on the side, now coming to his senses.


    ¡°Split the family, right, let¡¯s split the family!¡± He came over and patted Xia Chuyi on the shoulder, ¡°Xia Mei wants a job? I can help her, on the condition, let the second branch split off!¡±


    ¡°I do not agree, I do not agree! If you want to split the family, you¡¯d have to do it over my dead body! Wuu wuu wuu, my deceased second son, wuu wuu wuu, is someone forcing your mother to die?¡±


    Grandma Xia struck her thighs, wailing to the heavens.


    ¡°Do you also want to split away, from the second son¡¯s family?¡± Grandpa Xia was comparatively calm, his words hitting the mark once again.

 Chapter 74: 74: Sister-in-law Misses You

    Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Sister-in-law Misses You


    Mother Xia didn¡¯t react, and Uncle Xia was both angry and helpless.


    ¡°Forget it, sister, I¡¯m done worrying about you. You¡¯ll regret it one day.¡± With a flip of his hand, he took Xia Chuyi away from the Xia Family.


    On the road, Xia Chuyi turned to persuade Uncle Xia, ¡°Forget it, uncle, don¡¯t be angry! You know what my mother is like, right?¡±


    Unlike Uncle Xia, she was very calm, constantly trying to console him.


    In the end, Uncle Xia couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Hey, forget it. You¡¯re just a child, yet you seem to see things more clearly than I do.¡±


    Sighing, Uncle Xia said, ¡°Alas, your mother... don¡¯t hold it against her... after all, she has suffered quite a bit.¡±


    ...


    Uncle Xia was decisive and straightforward, but he simply couldn¡¯t deal with Mother Xia, his own sister.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, uncle, I understand,¡± nodded Xia Chuyi with a small smile.


    No matter how Mother Xia treated her, she gave birth to her after carrying her for ten months. She would fulfill her filial duties.


    The atmosphere always became a bit awkward whenever Mother Xia was mentioned.


    ¡°Forget about your mother! As for Xia Mei¡¯s job, I¡¯ll find a way to help her, and I¡¯ll also get the ten yuan you promised to give to the Xia Family.¡±


    Uncle Xia patted her head, shifting the topic.


    ¡°As for you, whether you want to teach in the village, work in the city, or start your own business, your uncle will help you with whatever you decide,¡± Uncle Xia took all the responsibilities upon himself.


    ¡°Uncle...¡± Xia Chuyi softly called out, her heart full of gratitude.


    She was aware of the extent of Uncle Xia¡¯s influence.


    But finding a job, the money spent and the favors owed were not small matters.


    ¡°Uncle, listen to me. I know you mean well, but I have my own ways to deal with Xia Mei¡¯s situation,¡± Xia Chuyi said seriously and firmly to Uncle Xia.


    ¡°The ten yuan for living expenses is a filial duty I must fulfill, and naturally, I should be the one to provide it.¡±


    She spoke calmly and confidently.


    ¡°As for the job,¡± Xia Chuyi smiled, ¡°uncle, I believe Auntie has already told you that I¡¯m thinking of going into business.¡±


    Uncle Xia looked at her for a long time, saw her determined gaze, sighed, and said, ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, with well-laid plans.¡±


    Pride shone in his eyes.


    ¡°If your father knew, he would definitely be happy for you,¡± Uncle Xia looked up into the distance.


    ¡°Okay, no matter what decision you make, your uncle will support you unconditionally!¡± Uncle Xia slapped his chest, generously promising, ¡°If anything goes wrong, your uncle will have your back.¡±


    ¡°Then later on, your uncle will personally find you a good match!¡±


    ¡°This time, we¡¯re definitely not looking for a soldier, what¡¯s so good about soldiers? They¡¯re away from home for months on end!¡± Uncle Xia¡¯s tone was deliberately indignant.


    He was worried she¡¯d be saddened by He Qing¡¯s matter.


    ¡°Uncle...¡± Xia Chuyi shook her head, a bit amused and exasperated.


    Suddenly, Huo Shiqian popped into her mind.


    Huo Shiqian was also a soldier, wasn¡¯t he?


    What would Uncle Xia, who had just emphatically declared his aversion to soldiers, think if he knew Huo Shiqian was pursuing her?


    Wait, why was she thinking of him again?


    Xia Chuyi shook her head, dispelling the thoughts of Huo Shiqian from her mind.


    Somewhere in the Southwest, Huo Shiqian sneezed for no apparent reason.


    ¡°Commander, little sister-in-law must be thinking about you!¡± Driver Xiao Wang said earnestly.


    Huo Shiqian glanced at him, then looked into the distance.


    ¡°Xiao Wang, isn¡¯t there a mission coming up that requires travel? Go tell them, I¡¯m going,¡± he said in a deep, indifferent voice.


    ¡°Yes, understood!¡± Xiao Wang¡¯s voice contained excitement.

 Chapter 76: 76: Your Secret

    Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Your Secret


    Perhaps it was her anxious expression that moved Uncle Xia.


    Uncle Xia pondered for a moment.


    ¡°Actually, what you said is right, running goods is indeed dangerous... and also, it takes away time from home... Well, on this occasion, I will clear the goods I have in hand, and stop running. Like you, I will find a store in the county to sell Southern goods. It will be more convenient to take care of the family, and you can watch over me.¡±


    Without wasting words, Uncle Xia agreed to stop the transport business to take care of her.


    ¡°Uncle...¡± she choked up again.


    ¡°My child, why do you seem to cry so easily now?¡± Uncle Xia laughed heartily.


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she said, breaking into a smile.


    No matter how big a soul is inside one, once in front of a beloved elder, one turns back into that little girl.


    Once Uncle Xia knew Chuyi¡¯s thoughts, he acted efficiently. The next day, he planned to go to the city to find Qian Wei and also asked Qian Wei to help look out for a suitable large store for him to do business.


    ¡°Uncle, let me come with you. I have a clear idea of the kind of store I want to open,¡± Chuyi told Uncle Xia.


    Hearing this, Uncle Xia thought it made sense.


    ¡°Okay, then come with me!¡±


    Once they reached the county town, they found Qian Wei.


    Turns out, Qian Wei had already picked a spot for Chuyi, a noodle restaurant for transfer near the coal mine staff quarters.


    Everyone knows the coal mine workers have money; business here is the best.


    The store came with a small courtyard.


    And it included a second-floor loft, suitable for sleeping or storage.


    Chuyi was very satisfied; this meant she could live directly in the store.


    In the future, when she hired people, they could stay there as well.


    ¡°However, this store will be handed over on the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, two days from now,¡± Qian Wei added.


    Now, unlike the future, at the year¡¯s end, most food shops wouldn¡¯t open.


    That meant after taking over the store, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to open the food shop immediately.


    Chuyi nodded, indicating she didn¡¯t mind.


    After all, she needed to tidy up the store anyway; she wasn¡¯t in a rush to start business immediately.


    Having settled the store matter, Chuyi and her uncle bid farewell to Qian Wei.


    As for Xia Mei¡¯s job, Chuyi kept it a secret for now, saying she would resolve it in time.


    Uncle Xia didn¡¯t ask further, and the two returned to the village.


    In the following days, all was calm, and Chuyi often took advantage of the night to slip into her space to study.


    Time passed slower there, which was a great tool for her to review.


    However, she didn¡¯t dare stay long, fearing a mismatch with real space-time.


    When her head buzzed from reading too much, she would emerge from her space and help Aunt Xia with chores as a way to rest.


    Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia doted on her endlessly; they thought well of her no matter what she did.


    Though the elders indulged her, she didn¡¯t indulge herself.


    Every morning she went for a run to exercise her body.


    Even when it snowed, she still ran as usual, keeping to the flatter roads near the village.


    ¡°Hey, Chuyi!¡±


    While running, Chuyi was suddenly stopped by someone.


    It was Xia Lan, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in days.


    Xia Lan stood with her hands behind her back, eyes sparkling, ¡°Chuyi, I know your secret!¡±

 Chapter 77: 77 You Are Breaking the Law

    Chapter 77: Chapter 77 You Are Breaking the Law


    Xia Chuyi looked at the excited Xia Lan with a calm face.


    A secret?


    She had many secrets, but she didn¡¯t believe that Xia Lan had the ability to know any of them.


    ¡°Xia Lan, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She didn¡¯t stop moving, continuing to run forward, ¡°Step aside, a good dog doesn¡¯t block the path.¡±


    She collided with her directly, causing Xia Lan to stagger.


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Lan¡¯s eyes turned red with anger, ¡°Xia Chuyi, look, what do I have in my hand?¡±


    ...


    Xia Lan took something out from behind her and shook it in front of her.


    Really something?


    Xia Chuyi became somewhat curious and actually stopped her steps.


    Xia Lan smiled triumphantly and said, ¡°Your weakness, are you scared now?¡±


    Ignoring her smugness, Xia Chuyi glanced straight at the thing in Xia Lan¡¯s hand.


    A kraft paper envelope?


    She raised an eyebrow, a weakness, what kind of weakness was this?


    Seeming to notice her confusion, Xia Lan brought the envelope closer to her face and said, ¡°Do you see the mark on the letter? For military use only! And the postmark, mailed from the military.¡±


    Thinking of a possibility, Xia Chuyi frowned.


    ¡°Remember now?¡± Xia Lan hid the letter behind her back, her gaze turning resentful, ¡°Xia Chuyi, I knew you were problematic!¡±


    ¡°That night, you got screwed, didn¡¯t you? And then you pretend nothing happened!¡± Xia Lan¡¯s eyes were filled with insanity, ¡°This letter, it¡¯s from the lover who screwed you, isn¡¯t it? Hmph, why is it that after having slept with someone, my scandal becomes well known, but you, you still pretend to be pure and virtuous?¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, what do you think will happen if I make this letter public in the village?¡± Xia Lan¡¯s face was full of pride.


    Inwardly, Xia Chuyi cursed.


    How could she have forgotten about this!


    It was all Huo Shiqian¡¯s fault, neither writing early nor late, why write a letter at this time!


    Her fists clenched.


    Who knew what Huo Shiqian wrote in the letter that he shouldn¡¯t have?


    Seeing her like this, Xia Lan became even more smug, ¡°Xia Chuyi, are you scared?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that big of a demand. Haven¡¯t you promised to help Xia Mei find a job in the county? Just agree to also find me a job in the county, and I¡¯ll return this letter to you!¡±


    Xia Lan shook the letter in front of her again, her eyes shining.


    Xia Chuyi quickly calmed down, squinted her eyes, and carefully observed the letter.


    The envelope was intact, without a trace of being torn.


    Relieved, she had a plan in mind.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Xia Chuyi put on an icy face and snorted, ¡°Xia Lan, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Suddenly calm, Xia Chuyi confused Xia Lan.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Xia Chuyi let out a cold laugh, put her hands in her pockets, and shaking her head, click her tongue and said, ¡°Xia Lan, do you know what you¡¯re holding in your hand?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a military letter sent from the military.¡±


    ¡°You know what a military marriage is, right?¡±


    ¡°Interfering with a military marriage is a crime, an illegal act, you know that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Who knows if a letter immediately coming out of the military might contain any military secrets?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s casually opened by someone and secrets are leaked, who will be responsible?¡±


    ¡°So, tampering with military mail is also a crime!¡±


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s tone became increasingly stern with each statement, stepping closer with each word, scaring Xia Lan until she lost her color.


    ¡°This, this, I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Xia Lan said, her confidence faltering.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Xia Chuyi stopped walking and nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders, ¡°Don¡¯t believe it? If you don¡¯t believe, then go ahead and tear open the letter to see.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to hide, but if you tamper with military mail, then you¡¯ve committed a crime. As you know, I have no qualms about severing ties with the entire Xia Family. There will be no special treatment.¡±


    ¡°The moment you open the letter, I will denounce you to the police station without mercy.¡±


    Xia Chuyi spread her hands: ¡°Now, go ahead and open it.¡±

 Chapter 78: 78 Such a Letter

    Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Such a Letter


    Xia Chuyi increasingly treated the matter with indifference, an air of letting her do as she pleased.


    Seeing her act like this, Xia Lan became even more uncertain.


    ¡°This... you...¡± Xia Lan bit her lip, stared at her, and continually twisted the letter, unsure of what to do.


    ¡°Just open it,¡± Xia Chuyi said with a smile, her eyes curving into crescents.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it?¡±


    She spread her hands and quietly stepped closer.


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you to open it.¡±


    She stepped closer once more.


    ¡°You, you...¡± Xia Lan hesitated, raising the letter.


    A spark flashed in Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes.


    Now was the moment.


    She pounced swiftly, grabbing the letter, and the moment she touched it, she yanked it forcefully, simultaneously using her thoughts to swiftly tuck the letter into her space.


    ¡°The letter!¡± Xia Lan hadn¡¯t even had time to see how the letter had vanished.


    Xia Chuyi pretended to turn around, miming an action of hiding the letter.


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Lan lunged to snatch it but was dodged by Xia Chuyi, who then countered by grabbing her arm and throwing her to the ground.


    Xia Lan fell face-first into the mud, raising her head with her hair disheveled and her face smeared with mud.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, did you just deceive me?¡± Xia Lan glared at her hatefully.


    Haha, she finally reacted.


    Having secured the letter, Xia Chuyi smiled with relief, tilting her head nonchalantly, ¡°Yes, I deceived you, so what?¡±


    ¡°You, there isn¡¯t really a law against opening military letters, is there?¡± Xia Lan clenched her fists, angrily questioning.


    She looked down at Xia Lan, chuckling lightly, ¡°Xia Lan, Xia Lan, opening someone else¡¯s mail is already illegal, did you know that?¡±


    Opening someone¡¯s mail infringed on their privacy, and as to whether it involved military mail, she didn¡¯t know.


    She had just wanted to retrieve the letter and had blurted out whatever came to mind.


    Xia Chuyi, with her arms crossed, looked down at Xia Lan, warning, ¡°Xia Lan, I¡¯m warning you not to provoke me.¡±


    ¡°It was clearly written before in black and white that I, Xia Chuyi, have separated from the Xia Family. No one from the Xia Family should interfere with me in any matters.¡±


    Her tone gradually turned icy, thick with warning.


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Lan glared at her.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Xia Chuyi was fearless.


    With the letter now retrieved by Xia Chuyi, Xia Lan, having lost her leverage, bit her lip and reluctantly got up from the ground, ¡°Xia Chuyi, don¡¯t be smug, you just have a good uncle, but one day, I¡¯ll make you kneel and beg me!¡±


    Xia Chuyi shrugged, ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Xia Lan left bitterly.


    Xia Chuyi finally sighed in relief.


    Having dealt with Xia Lan, Xia Chuyi took the letter out of her space.


    The envelope was a thin layer.


    She tore open an edge and took out the letter.


    The handwriting was bold and powerful, showing through the paper, clearly displaying a few big characters.


    Chuyi.


    Arrived at the new address, don¡¯t worry.


    Huo Shiqian.


    After reading this letter, Xia Chuyi¡¯s myriad emotions turned to just two words: Haha.


    She flipped the letter over a few times, shook the envelope, and finally confirmed.


    Huo Shiqian, Mr. Huo, had truly written only one line of text.


    She stared at the letter, unable to recover for a long while.


    So Xia Lan was threatening her with such a letter?


    And she, as if facing a great enemy, had lied, acted, and even performed a full martial arts display, all just to retrieve this letter?


    Haha, had she known, she¡¯d have let Xia Lan take a good look!


    For some reason, anger surged in Xia Chuyi¡¯s chest.


    She heavily walked back to Uncle Xia¡¯s house, entered his study, sat at the desk, pulled out writing paper, placed it on the table, and, with a swooshing sound, wrote a reply.


    Comrade Huo Shiqian.


    Letter read.


    Xia Chuyi.

 Chapter 79: 79 Never Allowed

    Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Never Allowed


    Having finished the letter, Xia Chuyi¡¯s anger dissipated.


    Looking at the bold ¡°Letter Read¡± written on the paper, the more she looked, the more she couldn¡¯t help but laugh first.


    How old was she? Still acting childish.


    Upon further thought, she spread out another sheet of stationary and wrote another letter.


    Within it, she briefly described her situation.


    She told Huo Shiqian not to send letters for the time being, until she took over the shop in the county. After that, he could send letters directly to the shop.


    ...


    She carried both letters with her as she made a trip to the post office.


    After purchasing an envelope, she sealed the letter, affixed a stamp, and dropped the one with fewer words into the mailbox.


    The post office collected and sent out mail once a day.


    Therefore, she kept the longer letter in her embrace.


    She planned to mail this letter tomorrow.


    Childish or not, after all, she was ¡°eighteen¡± years old; it was fitting for her to be a bit immature.


    After mentally bracing herself, Xia Chuyi felt perfectly justified to return to Uncle Xia¡¯s home.


    After getting back, Aunt Xia was busy putting away New Year¡¯s goods, so she quickly offered her help.


    While working, she casually asked, ¡°Aunt, where are Uncle and Xiao Gui?¡±


    Aunt Xia neatly stacked the pickles she was handling to the side and answered, ¡°That rascal Xiao Gui is out playing again, of course.¡±


    ¡°As for your uncle, well, someone brought him a message this morning. There was a batch of goods stuck on the road, and they asked for his help to pull it through. Your uncle, thinking of old acquaintances, went out to lend a hand.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively looked up at the calendar hanging on the wall. The date was strikingly that of her uncle¡¯s accident in her past life.


    Her complexion turned pale in an instant, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.


    ¡°No, Uncle can¡¯t go!¡± she murmured.


    Seeing her agitation, Aunt Xia was startled, ¡°Chuyi, what¡¯s wrong with you? Hey, you know how your uncle is¡ªhe can¡¯t refuse favors. But he did say this would be his last trip hauling goods...¡±


    Upon hearing ¡°hauling goods,¡± Xia Chuyi became even more panicked.


    ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m going to find Uncle!¡± She dropped what she was doing, not caring about anything else, and dashed out the door.


    ¡°Chuyi, Chuyi, where are you going? Your uncle is just running a hauling job, don¡¯t worry too much...¡± Aunt Xia called out from behind.


    Once outside the village, the thawing snow had turned the dirt road into a sludge, and she splashed through, steadily following the uneven marks left by trains, sprinting ahead.


    At this time, the public bus had long since departed, and there was no other transportation available. Neither carts nor carriages would be lent out in this weather, especially not to prevent an accident that had yet to happen.


    Such an absurd excuse, no one would believe it.


    Faster, she must be faster.


    Clenching her teeth, she trudged on tirelessly, running forward.


    She didn¡¯t know if she could catch up, but she knew she had to try.


    In her vision, scenes from her past life began to appear.


    The white mourning clothes, the black banners with the word ¡°Condolence,¡± and Aunt Xia¡¯s look of despair.


    No, it couldn¡¯t happen; now that she had been reborn, such a tragedy must not recur!


    She didn¡¯t know how long she had run, her face numbed by the cold wind, her feet leaden as if weighed down with lead.


    Slipping, she fell hard forward.


    Her elbows and knees throbbed with sharp pain; she struggled to rise but found she couldn¡¯t stand on her sore legs for a while.


    She gazed towards the distance, but the hill obstructed her view.


    She fiercely slapped the ground, stubbornly looking ahead.

 Chapter 80: 80

    Chapter 80: 80


    Xia Chuyi bit her lip, clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and, with her hands propping herself up, tried to stand.


    Just as she managed to get up, a sharp pain pulled at her ankle, causing it to give way, and she fell again.


    In her rush to get out, she hadn¡¯t taken any anti-slip measures, and the fall had twisted her ankle.


    Plus, having run in the cold wind for a long time, her body was weak and tired, and now, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t stand up.


    The cold wind howled, growing fiercer as she rose and fell, fell and rose, in a continuous cycle.


    In the end, her clothes were smeared with snow and mud, filthy beyond recognition, her body utterly drained.


    ...


    Her fists were clenched tightly, her nails digging into her flesh.


    She gazed into the distance, filled with reluctance.


    She was reluctant!


    She thought everything was moving in a positive direction.


    She thought she had changed Uncle Xia¡¯s fate.


    The colder the wind blew, the colder Xia Chuyi¡¯s body became.


    If only she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have been so carefree just because Uncle Xia had agreed to stop transporting goods and had stayed in the village recently.


    If only she had stayed by Uncle Xia¡¯s side, ensuring they safely got through this deadly day.


    Biting her lip fiercely, she exerted herself again, continuing to push up her body, trying to stand once more.


    Unfortunately, her feet slipped and she failed again.


    Xia Chuyi felt immensely defeated.


    Suddenly, from a distance came the rumbling sound of an engine starting.


    She abruptly looked up, anxiously and full of anticipation, toward the source of the sound¡ªthe other side of the hill.


    In her hopeful gaze, the sound grew closer and closer... Then, a striking army-green color appeared in view.


    It was a somewhat familiar military sedan, slowly approaching from afar.


    Could it be?


    She stared at the car.


    As the car approached, the engine noise abruptly quieted, and the car stopped.


    A tall and upright figure got out of the car, taking firm and quick strides, step by step, toward her.


    It was as if a beam of light shone upon him.


    She stared dumbly at him.


    In the play of light and shadow, a large hand reached out, and she was suddenly lifted around her waist.


    ¡°Huo... Shiqian?¡± Xia Chuyi belatedly realized.


    He, how was he here?


    Her hands unconsciously clutched Huo Shiqian¡¯s arms.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s expression was grim, his lips tightly pursed, his brows slightly furrowed, but the way he held her was exceedingly gentle.


    ¡°You...¡± she started to speak, but a thousand words choked her, not knowing where to begin.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s deep voice voiced just two words: ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    She pursed her lips as a surge of uncontrollable bitterness rose in her heart, and tears unknowingly slid down her cheeks.


    Without saying much more, she leaned into Huo Shiqian¡¯s warm embrace, his long legs striding towards the military vehicle.


    ¡°Chuyi?¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice came from inside the vehicle.


    Uncle Xia¡¯s voice?


    Uncle!


    Xia Chuyi paid no heed to Huo Shiqian, quickly twisting her body to look towards the direction of the car.


    Indeed, she saw Uncle Xia, his face full of anxiety, poking his head out from the car window and asking, ¡°Chuyi, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°In this freezing weather, why did you go out and end up like this?¡± Uncle Xia¡¯s voice was full of concern.


    ¡°Uncle? Uncle!¡± Xia Chuyi twisted her body, continuously calling out as she looked at Uncle Xia.


    She wanted to know what exactly had happened to Uncle Xia.


    ¡°Stop moving,¡± suddenly, Huo Shiqian holding her coldly said, ¡°Want to fall again?¡±

 Chapter 81: 81 The Military and the People are Inseparable Like Fish and Water

    Chapter 81: Chapter 81 The Military and the People are Inseparable Like Fish and Water


    Xia Chuyi subconsciously glanced at him and stopped writhing.


    She quickly shifted her gaze and shouted into the car, ¡°Uncle Xia, I¡¯m not hurt, just the road was too slippery, and I twisted my ankle. How about you? Are you okay? Where are you hurt?¡±


    If Uncle Xia hadn¡¯t been hurt, he would have come to check on her sooner.


    Hearing she was not injured, Uncle Xia finally felt relieved and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine, just a minor car accident, only broke a leg.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Xia!¡± Although Uncle Xia spoke airily, Xia Chuyi was already scared out of her wits.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Chuyi, don¡¯t worry, these are all trivial matters!¡± Uncle Xia quickly reassured Xia Chuyi, ¡°It¡¯s also because your uncle is blessed with good fortune, running into a nobleman.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s this Mr. Huo... Mr. Huo, could you please put my niece down first?¡±


    After talking for a while, Uncle Xia realized that his niece was covered in mud and was still in someone¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Huo Shiqian responded with a light nasal sound and carefully placed Xia Chuyi on the seat.


    ¡°Chuyi, are you okay?¡± As soon as Xia Chuyi sat down in the car, Uncle Xia confirmed her condition again.


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m fine!¡± Xia Chuyi shook her head and also hurried to check on Uncle Xia¡¯s injury.


    Uncle Xia had his left calf in a splint, but there were no marks on his body, and he was wrapped in a military coat.


    It was apparent that Uncle Xia¡¯s injury wasn¡¯t too serious, and it had been treated.


    After confirming Uncle Xia¡¯s condition, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled on the ground.


    As for Xia Chuyi, she was a mess of mud, with even her little face, reddened by the wind, speckled with dirt, looking utterly disheveled.


    She sat in the seat, smearing the car seat with dirt.


    After confirming that Xia Chuyi wasn¡¯t seriously injured and seeing the mess she had made in the car, Uncle Xia felt embarrassed.


    ¡°This... Mr. Huo, I¡¯ve dirtied your car. When we get to my house, I¡¯ll have my spouse clean it for you...¡±


    Uncle Xia was usually not timid, but he felt somewhat embarrassed facing Huo Shiqian.


    He had been rescued by someone, but now he had caused them trouble.


    ¡°No need.¡± Huo Shiqian replied indifferently with two words, not seeming to care at all.


    ¡°Is that so? Is that so? Hehe.¡± The more nonchalant Huo Shiqian was, the more embarrassed Uncle Xia felt.


    He dreaded being in debt to someone the most.


    Seeing that the atmosphere in the car was becoming unbearably awkward, Xia Chuyi hurriedly jumped in to smooth things over, ¡°Uncle, no need to be so polite with him!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Uncle Xia glared at her.


    Actually, as soon as she finished speaking, she realized something was off.


    ¡°Cough cough, Uncle, what I mean is... the military and the civilians are one family, we don¡¯t need to be so formal with Uncle Liberation Army,¡± Xia Chuyi said, pretending to be calm and not daring to look at Huo Shiqian.


    It seemed like a chill wind blew against the back of Xia Chuyi¡¯s head.


    ¡°This child...¡± Uncle Xia knew there was a flaw in Xia Chuyi¡¯s logic, but he didn¡¯t have the heart to scold her, so he had to laugh it off with Huo Shiqian, ¡°Cough cough, Mr. Huo, the military and the civilians are one family, what Chuyi said isn¡¯t wrong, haha, haha.¡±


    The situation was incredibly awkward.


    And everyone was pretending to be utterly relaxed.


    ¡°Yes, a family of fish and water...¡± Huo Shiqian glanced at Xia Chuyi.


    Fish and water... Haha, very good, she understood the hidden meaning in his words.


    Fish and water... the joy of it, haha, was Uncle Liberation Army implying that? Implying that something had happened between them and now she was in denial?


    How could she acknowledge it! Uncle Xia was right there!


    Huo Shiqian blinked calmly as if to say, you¡¯re overthinking it, I didn¡¯t mean that.

 Chapter 82: 82: The Whole Story

    Chapter 82: Chapter 82: The Whole Story


    ¡°Chuyi, what¡¯s wrong, does your foot hurt a lot? Why does your face look off?¡± Uncle Xia asked with concern by her side.


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine.¡± Xia Chuyi quickly got her emotions under control.


    Her soul was of a certain age, so why did she become so childish whenever she encountered Huo Shiqian?


    Could it really be true that being in love makes one¡¯s IQ drop?


    Bah, spit, spit, spit, she was definitely not in love with Huo Shiqian.


    Xia Chuyi hurriedly brought her thoughts back.


    ...


    ¡°Uncle, tell me how you got into a car accident and met Uncle Liberation Army and the others?¡± she asked Uncle Xia earnestly.


    A blatant diversion.


    Huo Shiqian glanced at her indifferently and said nothing.


    Childishness over, she began concentrating on chatting with Uncle Xia.


    Through Uncle Xia¡¯s recounting, she understood that he had taken on a friend¡¯s request to deliver goods at the last minute, during which another driver, due to fatigue, crashed into the mountainside, causing rocks to thunderously tumble down.


    Uncle Xia, having been resting at home recently and being in good spirits, reacted quickly¡ªa sudden brake spared him from the falling rocks, but he ended up slipping and tumbling over, injuring his leg.


    He managed to crawl out of the vehicle with difficulty, and there was no more movement from inside the other driver¡¯s car.


    At that moment, Huo Shiqian¡¯s car appeared on the road as if heaven-sent.


    And so, Huo Shiqian saved him and even took him to the hospital for treatment.


    As for the other driver, he had died on the spot.


    Uncle Xia recounted this with continual sighs of amazement: without Huo Shiqian, he might well have frozen to death there.


    Xia Chuyi stole glances at Huo Shiqian.


    Was his presence there and saving Uncle a coincidence, or was it deliberate?


    Once they arrived home, Aunt Xia was in a state of panic and gave Xia Chuyi a severe scolding, yet she was more composed about Uncle Xia¡¯s injury.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not the first or second time your uncle has been hurt...¡± Aunt Xia said with a flash of sorrow in her eyes, but she quickly collected herself.


    ¡°I must really thank this officer, thank you for rescuing our family head!¡± Aunt Xia said warmly, offering tea and looking after Mr. Huo.


    Xia Chuyi, covered in mud, went to her room to change clothes and wash up.


    Huo Shiqian declined Uncle Xia¡¯s offer to change into clean clothes, sitting upright and dignified by the stove, holding his teacup, and taking a light sip with an indifferent expression.


    ¡°It was nothing, just lending a hand,¡± Huo Shiqian replied in a deep voice.


    ¡°How can it be nothing? You¡¯re my lifesaver,¡± Uncle Xia said, perhaps feeling more relaxed at home and with the dignity of Mr. Huo diminished by the mud from Huo Shiqian holding Xia Chuyi, he completely eased up.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, stay over tonight and have a few drinks with me!¡± Mr. Huo seemed aloof, but his actions made Uncle Xia feel comfortable, leading him to extend the invitation.


    Huo Shiqian opened his mouth to respond with three words: ¡°On a mission.¡±


    Uncle Xia shook his head regretfully, ¡°That¡¯s really unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°Right, wife, Mr. Huo¡¯s car got dirty because of Chuyi, go help wash it,¡± Uncle Xia suddenly remembered, telling Aunt Xia.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Aunt Xia replied.


    ¡°No need, Xiao Wang should already be cleaning it,¡± Huo Shiqian said placidly.


    ¡°What?¡± Uncle Xia had thought Xiao Wang was just parking the car, only to realize he was cleaning it, and hurriedly said, ¡°Wife, you better go take a look!¡±


    Aunt Xia replied and quickly went to check.

 Chapter 83: 83: No Bride

    Chapter 83: Chapter 83: No Bride


    Uncle Xia began to enthusiastically strike up a conversation with Huo Shiqian.


    As they chatted, Uncle Xia learned that Huo Shiqian had previously been part of the provincial city¡¯s military force and only recently been transferred to another unit.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Uncle Xia asked, ¡°We have someone from our village named He Qing who¡¯s in the provincial city¡¯s military force. Mr. Huo, you served there before. Do you know him?¡±


    A flicker passed through Huo Shiqian¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Originally, he only remembered the face, the person who often followed at the heels of his competitor Qiao Canmou. But after that incident occurred, he had looked into He Qing¡¯s specific circumstances.


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s being considered for a promotion? Do you know anything about that?¡± Uncle Xia continued, seizing upon Huo Shiqian¡¯s acknowledgment.


    Whenever Huo Shiqian thought about He Qing¡¯s promotion, which was due to the money he had given He Qing for his schemes, Huo Shiqian felt extremely displeased.


    A trace of light sarcasm flashed across Huo Shiqian¡¯s lips as he said, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard about it. I guess it¡¯s unlikely to happen.¡±


    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t happen, after he personally intervened.


    ¡°Really? It¡¯s not going to happen?¡± Uncle Xia sounded somewhat surprised and also a bit thrilled, not doubting in the slightest why Huo Shiqian knew so much detail but simply assuming Huo Shiqian had a good memory.


    ¡°Yep, he has character issues, and won¡¯t be promoted.¡±


    Not only would he not be promoted, but by this time next year, He Qing would likely be discharged and returning to his hometown.


    ¡°Hahaha, the military leaders really have discerning eyes, this grandson truly has character issues!¡± Uncle Xia laughed heartily, ¡°Straight talk between us, Mr. Huo, I find you very agreeable.¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t injured my leg and you weren¡¯t on duty, I would definitely have a few drinks with you today!¡±


    In Uncle Xia¡¯s mind, Huo Shiqian had already become an image of a stern yet warm-hearted, proficient military commander.


    A glint passed through Huo Shiqian¡¯s eyes upon hearing Uncle Xia¡¯s words.


    Their conversation became even more casual.


    After a while, Xia Chuyi, having washed up and changed clothes, came out of the room.


    Her cheeks were clean and rosy after washing and changing, and her large dark eyes sparkled.


    Huo Shiqian continued to drink his tea, casually observing her.


    Xia Chuyi really wanted to make a face at him, but because Uncle Xia was there, she refrained.


    ¡°Chuyi, you¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± Uncle Xia was the first to ask upon seeing her.


    ¡°I¡¯m wearing so much, where would I get hurt?¡± she replied with a laugh, ¡°I just twisted my foot a bit.¡±


    The previous disgrace wasn¡¯t solely because of her foot injury; it was more the despair in her heart.


    She had thought that Uncle Xia would repeat his last life¡¯s fate.


    Her rebirth, unable to change the destiny of her loved ones, was the biggest blow to her.


    Thankfully, thankfully... she glanced at Huo Shiqian.


    Thankfully, he came.


    Their eyes met, and though no words were spoken, they miraculously knew what the other was thinking.


    Thank you.


    No need to thank me.


    After the silent exchange of looks between them, Xiao Wang and Aunt Xia also came in from outside.


    Aunt Xia muttered as she walked in: ¡°Young soldier, you really shouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯m used to doing housework, how could it tire me? Yet you insist on not letting me help.¡±


    Her expression was full of cheer.


    Clearly, the two had gotten along very well outside.


    ¡°Auntie, please don¡¯t be polite; this is what I should do!¡± Xiao Wang said earnestly, his hands never stopping. He was holding cleaning tools, and even helped Aunt Xia lift the door curtain.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re such a good comrade!¡± Aunt Xia laughed.


    Uncle Xia looked at Xiao Wang, who had his hands full of tools, and Aunt Xia, who had a beaming smile on her face.


    ¡°Commander Huo, I¡¯d like to ask you something.¡± Uncle Xia diverted from the previous conversation, suddenly speaking out.


    A glint passed through Huo Shiqian¡¯s eyes as he put down his wine glass: ¡°Go on.¡±


    Their tones were noticeably more casual and warm than before.


    Uncle Xia glanced at Xiao Wang and then at Xia Chuyi before turning back to Huo Shiqian, ¡°Commander Huo, this driver of yours, Xiao Wang, is he married yet?¡±


    Click, Xiao Wang seemed to hear the sound of a bullet being chambered.

 Chapter 84: 84 Quite Suitable

    Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Quite Suitable


    ¡°Xiao Wang?¡± Huo Shiqian repeated Uncle Xia¡¯s words.


    His tone was light and shallow, and no emotions could be discerned.


    ¡°I see Xiao Wang isn¡¯t very old, is he?¡± Uncle Xia excitedly looked at Xiao Wang, sizing him up.


    ¡°Looking at his epaulettes, his rank isn¡¯t low either...¡± he added, nodding repeatedly.


    Uncle Xia completely failed to notice that Xiao Wang had stiffened up like a statue.


    Unable to wait for Huo Shiqian to respond, Uncle Xia directly asked Xiao Wang, ¡°Soldier Xiao Wang, are you married yet? If not, I think you and my niece Chuyi would be quite a match. What do you think?¡±


    ...


    His face beamed with a smile.


    Aunt Xia¡¯s eyes lit up, she clapped her hands and echoed, ¡°Hey, now that you mention it, they really do seem suitable!¡±


    The two elders were quite excited, leaving the other three with varying emotions.


    Xia Chuyi bit her lip, trying hard to suppress the laughter between her teeth. Only her eyes, curved into crescents, gave away her thoughts.


    At that moment, Xiao Wang wasn¡¯t just hallucinating auditory but visually too, as though a sniper rifle was aimed at his head.


    Huo Shiqian still wore an expressionless face, but that previously casual and relaxed air had vanished.


    ¡°This...¡± Xiao Wang glanced at his superior officer, hesitating over how to respond.


    Huo Shiqian glanced at him indifferently, lifted his tea cup, and took a gentle sip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, just speak,¡± he said, the tone neither light nor heavy.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Wang immediately stamped his foot vigorously, stood at attention, saluted, and shouted, ¡°Reporting, fellow villagers, I am already married!¡±


    His expression was serious, lying earnestly.


    ¡°What? Already married? You don¡¯t look old enough...¡± Hearing Xiao Wang¡¯s words, Uncle Xia was somewhat disappointed.


    After thinking it over, Uncle Xia turned to Huo Shiqian and asked, ¡°Hey, Huo Commander, do you have any other young soldiers under your command who are older than He Qing, already promoted, and have good conduct?¡±


    Huo Shiqian glanced towards Xia Chuyi who then turned her head away.


    Don¡¯t look at her; she knows nothing.


    Lowering his gaze, Huo Shiqian sipped his tea and asked unhurriedly, ¡°Why must it be someone from my command?¡±


    ¡°Haha, Huo Commander, let me be honest with you.¡± Uncle Xia chuckled heartily and said, ¡°My niece¡¯s previous match was that He Qing, whose character really didn¡¯t cut it, so I took it upon myself to call off the engagement.¡±


    ¡°For that bastard, I almost got turned off by military men,¡± he said, sighing before continuing, ¡°Meeting you today made me realize I was biased.¡±


    Huo Shiqian paused his tea-sipping and asked, ¡°How so?¡±


    Uncle Xia smiled again and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve come to realize that we should judge each individually.¡±


    ¡°He was not good, but that doesn¡¯t mean other military men aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Like you, Huo Commander, upright and righteous, aren¡¯t you a good man?¡±


    Uncle Xia¡¯s face showed sincere appreciation.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s expression eased slightly, just about to say something.


    ¡°Hehe, so, I was thinking, your subordinates, must be well-taught like Xiao Wang,¡± Uncle Xia nonchalantly continued.


    ¡°And following such a good commanding officer like you, their future is surely unworried!¡±


    ¡°Therefore, picking a match for Chuyi from your men definitely can¡¯t go wrong!¡±


    His words carried both flattery and sincerity, and hearing them, to Xia Chuyi, it felt like quite the burden.


    To Xiao Wang, it sounded like a bomb.


    But to Huo Shiqian, only irritation lingered.


    Tapping his finger lightly on the teacup, Huo Shiqian gently cleared his throat.


    Receiving the cue, Xiao Wang immediately stood straight and declared with a strong voice, ¡°Reporting, fellow villagers, all the promising young men under our commander are married!¡±

 Chapter 85: 85: They Got Married

    Chapter 85: Chapter 85: They Got Married


    ¡°What?¡± Upon hearing Xiao Wang¡¯s justified statement, Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia were both shocked.


    Xiao Wang stood tall and proud in front of his superior, continuing, ¡°Report, fellow villagers, it is like this: unmarried military officers easily get lovesick, affecting the morale, not conducive to unity. Therefore, our Commander, when promoting officers, chooses those who are married!¡±


    The implication was that among Huo Shiqian¡¯s subordinates, the unmarried ones were just soldiers.


    Those who got the promotions, meeting Uncle Xia¡¯s expectations, were all settled with families and careers.


    Xiao Wang stood straight, talking nonsense seriously without blinking an eye.


    ¡°This...¡± Xiao Wang spoke so seriously that even the experienced Uncle Xia was confused.


    ...


    Is it not that once married, one has more concerns?


    He could only laugh it off and praised, ¡°Commander Huo has a unique way of managing the troops!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Huo Shiqian slightly smiled, nodding, surprisingly admitting to it.


    He really caught that ball!


    Chuyi bit her lip; she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, almost bursting into laughter from holding it in! Meanwhile, Huo Shiqian continued to sip his tea leisurely, as if nothing was amiss.


    ¡°Ah... In that case, I could only say Chuyi and Chief Huo are not fated,¡± Uncle Xia sighed.


    Huo Shiqian paused noticeably, and although his expression didn¡¯t change, his aura turned increasingly darker.


    Chuyi immediately put away her amused expression and said, ¡°Cough cough, Uncle, didn¡¯t I say? I¡¯m still young, not considering these things yet!¡±


    She quickly clarified her stance.


    Joking around, if she truly annoyed Huo Shiqian and he revealed their relationship on the spot, she would be doomed.


    ¡°Alright, got it, got it.¡± After some expressions of regret, Uncle Xia didn¡¯t bring up the topic again.


    The conversation turned to other matters.


    However, it wasn¡¯t long before Huo Shiqian took his leave.


    ¡°I still have official duties, it¡¯s not convenient to stay long.¡±


    Saying this, he glanced at Chuyi.


    Immediately, Chuyi volunteered, ¡°Uncle is injured and it¡¯s inconvenient for him, let me see Mr. Huo off!¡±


    Uncle Xia didn¡¯t object, just told Aunt Xia to grab a bunch of cured meats and other New Year¡¯s goodies to send off as well.


    Seeing a military vehicle, which was a high-end off-road, was rare in the small village; by the time a few of them came out, the vehicle was surrounded by layers of onlookers.


    Xiao Wang glanced at Huo Shiqian, then at Chuyi, and saluted, ¡°Report, as this is my first time here and the roads are complex, I can¡¯t clearly remember the way out of the village. I request the Commander¡¯s approval to let Comrade Chuyi get on the vehicle to help with directions!¡±


    Chuyi facepalmed; this was truly a barefaced lie.


    There was just one main road into their village. Couldn¡¯t remember the way? Besides, couldn¡¯t he ask? There was a crowd of onlookers!


    ¡°Approved.¡± Huo Shiqian simply didn¡¯t care about these details, nodding his head to Xiao Wang.


    Chuyi had no choice but to turn around and say to Aunt Xia, who also came out, ¡°Aunt Xia, I¡¯ll accompany them out of the village, to prevent them from taking the wrong road.¡±


    Aunt Xia didn¡¯t think much of it, assuming Xiao Wang couldn¡¯t distinguish between the beginning and end of the village, nodded and said, ¡°Go on, go on!¡±


    ¡°Commander Huo, we country folks don¡¯t have much of rarity, these bits and pieces here are just a small token of affection, take them home and eat, don¡¯t be polite!¡± She vigorously stuffed the dried and cured goods she had just brought out into the vehicle.


    Xiao Wang tried to refuse but couldn¡¯t withstand Aunt Xia¡¯s enthusiasm and had to ask Huo Shiqian for help.


    Huo Shiqian was exceptionally agreeable today, nodding and saying, ¡°We¡¯re all family, just accept it.¡±


    Xiao Wang: ¡°...¡±


    Chuyi: ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 86: 86: In War, There Is No Such Thing as Too Much Deception

    Chapter 86: Chapter 86: In War, There Is No Such Thing as Too Much Deception


    Aunt Xia, standing by, hadn¡¯t noticed anything unusual about Xia Chuyi and the other two. She laughed heartily and warmly said to Huo Shiqian, ¡°That¡¯s more like it, the military and civilians are one family, what¡¯s there to be polite about? Besides, you¡¯re our family¡¯s saviors!¡±


    Incredibly, she seamlessly redirected Huo Shiqian¡¯s words back at him.


    Huo Shiqian chuckled but said nothing more.


    Xiao Wang had already taken the local produce from the enthusiastic Aunt Xia and placed it in the car, continuously repeating, ¡°Thank you, fellow villager! Thank you, fellow villager!¡±


    Seeing this, Xia Chuyi also breathed a sigh of relief.


    Thank goodness Aunt Xia didn¡¯t think too much... This Huo Shiqian is really unreliable!


    ...


    She couldn¡¯t help complaining inwardly, but dared not show it on her face.


    She smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Alright, Aunt Xia, everything¡¯s in the car now, and the liberation army comrades still have a mission, you shouldn¡¯t send us off any further.¡±


    Aunt Xia nodded, understanding the importance, but couldn¡¯t help repeatedly saying, ¡°Remember to visit us often!¡±


    Please don¡¯t!


    Xia Chuyi thought, ¡°If Uncle Liberation Army keeps coming, he¡¯ll definitely give her a heart attack.¡±


    Finally, with Aunt Xia¡¯s reluctant gaze, the three of them got into the car.


    Naturally, Huo Shiqian didn¡¯t sit in the passenger seat but joined her in the back.


    The car moved along silently as both occupants remained quiet.


    On the way, as expected, there were no surprises, and they drove out of the village smoothly.


    Of course, they didn¡¯t go in the wrong direction.


    At the village entrance, not far from exiting, Xiao Wang turned off the engine, looked at the rearview mirror, saluted, and earnestly reported, ¡°Report to the battalion commander, the road ahead is too bumpy, requesting the commander to disembark and walk a section. I will drive alone to the front and wait for the officer!¡±


    Huo Shiqian didn¡¯t look at her, just the corners of his mouth curving into a faint smile as he said, ¡°Permission granted.¡±


    After speaking, he twisted open the door handle with his large hand, stretched out his long legs, and got out of the car first.


    As Xia Chuyi was about to get out from the other side, Huo Shiqian¡¯s voice came from across.


    ¡°Come here.¡± He reached out his hand toward her.


    Against the light, she saw his calm demeanor and really wanted to refuse, but how to do so?


    Uh, that¡¯s childish again.


    Shaking her head to dispel her unreliable thoughts, she placed her hand in his, feeling the strength from his large palm. With his other hand guarding her, she smoothly got out of the car.


    Once they were both standing, Xia Chuyi withdrew her hand, but Huo Shiqian didn¡¯t insist. He simply stroked the palm of her hand lightly with his fingertip before letting go.


    She always felt that after she unintentionally flirted with Uncle Liberation Army back in Provincial City, she had switched on something within him, unleashing certain attributes.


    With a ¡°vroom,¡± the engine started, Xiao Wang ignited the car, and began driving at an ants¡¯ pace forward, very steadily.


    The alleged bumpy road conditions were non-existent.


    Xia Chuyi blinked at the snail-paced car, then blinked at Huo Shiqian¡¯s unfazed expression, and couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips, saying, ¡°Uncle Liberation Army, are all your subordinates so good at lying with their eyes open?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Huo Shiqian didn¡¯t deny it, instead, he nodded very seriously and said, ¡°Military matters are special, deception is par for the course.¡±


    Xia Chuyi was momentarily speechless.


    Great, she now understood where Uncle Liberation Army¡¯s previous behavior had come from.


    Without delving further into the matter, she started to walk slowly along the road with him.


    ¡°By the way, how did you come to be here?¡± After taking a few steps, she tilted her head and asked him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d come two months later?¡±


    Huo Shiqian replied nonchalantly, ¡°On a business trip.¡±


    And to see her.


    But the last part, he didn¡¯t say out loud.

 Chapter 87: 87 Did You Believe It?

    Chapter 87: Chapter 87 Did You Believe It?


    ¡°Business trip?¡± She looked at Huo Shiqian¡¯s face, his visage ever so handsome and composed as always.


    Perhaps it was due to Huo Shiqian¡¯s excessive composure that, despite the muddy rural roads, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they had just strolled out of a riverside willow-tree-lined path from a date.


    Tsk, tsk, tsk, what nonsense am I thinking! She shook her head to dismiss this amusing fantasy.


    Her thoughts returned to the right track.


    For some reason she always felt that Huo Shiqian¡¯s sudden appearance in Ling County wasn¡¯t as simple as just a business trip.


    ¡°Was it a coincidence that you saved my uncle on the road?¡± Finally, Xia Chuyi looked up at him and voiced her biggest question.


    ...


    Huo Shiqian stopped walking, turned his head to look at her revealing a faint smile, then lowered his head and asked softly, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    She also stopped and met his gaze.


    Biting her lip, she asked him very seriously and earnestly, ¡°Huo Shiqian, do you really believe that dream I told you about?¡±


    That ridiculous dream, those absurd words, did Huo Shiqian actually believe them?


    The corners of Huo Shiqian¡¯s mouth curled into a slight smile as he said, ¡°Do you want to hear the truth?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Xia Chuyi nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± he retracted his elusive smile and said indifferently, ¡°Saving your uncle was a mere twist of fate.¡±


    While he spoke, Huo Shiqian remained expressionless, as calm as ever.


    ¡°Really?¡± She tilted her head, furrowing her brows, finding it hard to believe.


    ¡°Really.¡± Huo Shiqian nodded and continued, ¡°However, I did indeed have someone inquire about your Uncle Xia¡¯s route.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been a matter of overthinking; upon recalling something Xia Chuyi had once mentioned, he had casually asked someone to check.


    Since he was already in Ling County, knowing Uncle Xia¡¯s route, he contemplated and then told his people to take the same road.


    And they indeed encountered him.


    ¡°Do you believe me?¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes shone, ¡°Can you really believe such a ludicrous dream?¡±


    Still with his calm demeanor, Huo Shiqian glanced at her peacefully and flicked her smooth forehead.


    ¡°Always overthinking, aren¡¯t you, child?¡± His voice contained a subtle doting.


    Xia Chuyi first stiffened, then realizing what he meant, slapped his hand away indignantly, ¡°What¡¯s with you always touching me!¡±


    Seeing her frown in annoyance, the corners of Huo Shiqian¡¯s mouth lifted gently.


    For a moment, Xia Chuyi felt as if ice and snow were melting, and everything was coming back to life.


    Cough, cough, cough, she rubbed her forehead, thinking to herself: This iceberg melting is indeed quite a sight to behold.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± She coughed to cover up her distraction by his handsomeness and looked straight into his eyes, saying sincerely, ¡°Regardless, Huo Shiqian, I want to thank you.¡±


    Whether by coincidence or on purpose, he did save her uncle after all.


    ¡°How will you thank me?¡± Huo Shiqian raised an eyebrow, his deep voice resonating by her ear.


    Xia Chuyi mimicked his raised eyebrow, spread her hands, and quipped, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be saying ¡®you¡¯re welcome¡¯?¡±


    Huo Shiqian nodded, earnestly responding, ¡°Why not be thanked? Gratitude is a virtue.¡±


    Heh heh.


    Hearing this, Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes curved into crescents, and she said with a smile, ¡°Then let¡¯s say debts of the father are to be repaid by the son, and likewise kindness. I¡¯ll have my cousin repay your kindness!¡±


    After her playful remark, her bright eyes sparkled mischievously.

 Chapter 88: 88 Continue Sending Letters

    Chapter 88: Chapter 88 Continue Sending Letters


    Huo Shiqian shook his head, reached out his hand, and gently tugged at her cheek, saying, ¡°Naughty.¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Xia Chuyi quickly slapped his hand away.


    Uncle Liberation Army¡¯s inclination to get handsy was just incurable!


    A few seconds later, Huo Shiqian¡¯s hand reluctantly left her face.


    Xia Chuyi rubbed her cheek, looking at him quite dissatisfied.


    And yet he was the picture of calm, his upright military uniform exuding an aura of integrity, showing no trace of having just teased a young girl.


    ...


    His appearance was truly deceptive!


    She turned her head and walked on, intending to quickly catch up with the snail-paced military vehicle and then send off this Uncle Liberation Army who had no understanding of cherishing the fairer sex.


    A laugh that sounded almost like an illusion came from behind her.


    ¡°Chuyi, did you receive the letter I wrote you a few days ago?¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s voice came from behind.


    He was completely ignoring her anger, skipping over the previous subject.


    However, mentioning the letter made Xia Chuyi even angrier.


    She stopped, hands on her hips, glaring at him with displeasure, ¡°Speaking of that letter, Uncle Liberation Army, you tell me.¡±


    ¡°¡®Have arrived at new location, do not worry.¡¯ Just this simple, six words, what do you mean by that? Are you being serious?¡±


    Her tone was filled with genuine resentment.


    Not far away, and unusually, Huo Shiqian was silent.


    After a while, he walked up to her, touched her head, and said, ¡°Chuyi, I seldom write letters.¡±


    Again with the hands...


    Oh well, she had become immune to Uncle Liberation Army¡¯s touchy habit.


    ¡°Oh, so what?¡± But some habits should not be indulged.


    Seeing she was still dissatisfied, Huo Shiqian continued to explain, lowering his voice, ¡°I have never written to a girl before.¡±


    What he meant was clear; he had no experience in writing letters to girls.


    She looked up at him.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s handsome face was serious and earnest.


    ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡±


    Xia Chu had indeed been furious at first when she saw the letter, but seeing his serious explanation, her anger subsided significantly.


    Besides, hadn¡¯t she sent him a reply that was just as ¡°brief and to the point¡±?


    One tit for tat, they were even now.


    She just wondered what expression Huo Shiqian would have when he saw her letter.


    At that thought, Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but snicker.


    Huo Shiqian looked at her, his eyes filled with question marks.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± She coughed twice, disguising her laughter, ¡°Oh right, I have another one here that I was planning to mail to you tomorrow...¡±


    She pulled out the second letter she had written from her pocket and handed it to him, ignoring the prior incident.


    ¡°Is there something important in there?¡± Huo Shiqian glanced at the letter but didn¡¯t take it, instead, he asked her.


    She thought about it and shook her head, ¡°Nothing important, I just told you in there that you shouldn¡¯t write to the Xia Family address in the future.¡±


    ¡°Wait until I open a shop in a while, then you can write directly to the shop.¡±


    ¡°As for the meantime, just don¡¯t write for now.¡±


    Huo Shiqian stopped in his tracks again, looking at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Send the letter anyway,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°What?¡± Xia Chu was a bit bewildered.


    He was already here, so why send anything? Was mailing letters a joke?


    ¡°I want you to keep replying as usual. I¡¯ve written you a letter every day over there, and you can respond to me every day. Then in a few days, when I return to the troop, I¡¯ll be able to receive your letters daily.¡±


    Huo Shiqian spoke with ease, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Xia Chu was somewhat stunned by his statement, scrutinizing his expression, only to realize he wasn¡¯t just playing around.

 Chapter 89: 89: I Will Write More

    Chapter 89: Chapter 89: I Will Write More


    Suddenly, Xia Chuyi thought of a possibility and asked him, ¡°Huo Shiqian, tell me the truth, you didn¡¯t write me a letter today as well, did you?¡±


    ¡°Um, I did.¡± Huo Shiqian nodded calmly, with an incredibly natural attitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you wrote just a few words again, is it?¡± She was really very curious.


    Huo Shiqian fell silent.


    Xia Chuyi followed suit in silence.


    Very good, this was a moment where silence spoke volumes.


    ...


    ¡°Um, maybe you shouldn¡¯t write anymore...¡± she carefully suggested.


    That profoundly Liberation-Army-Uncle style of correspondence, one or two letters might have been okay, but any more than that, she feared she might go insane.


    Huo Shiqian looked at her with a calm gaze, lifted his hand, and touched her head: ¡°I¡¯ll still write. In the future, I¡¯ll write more words.¡±


    This was a promise.


    Xia Chuyi looked at him skeptically and asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Why couldn¡¯t she bring herself to believe it?


    ...


    Still a little silent.


    Xia Chuyi found that Huo Shiqian was particularly interesting; even though the atmosphere was awkward, seeing his innocent yet awe-inspiring face made everything seem calm and collected somehow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± After a while, Huo Shiqian said.


    Listen to that, even his voice was stern and proper, without a trace of awkwardness.


    She stared at him hard, then stared some more, suddenly feeling an itch in her hand, wanting to pinch his cheek to see if his expression would change.


    She seemed to understand a little why Huo Shiqian liked to be hands-on.


    Of course, give her ten times the courage, and she still wouldn¡¯t dare pinch the face of Uncle Liberation Army.


    Since she was mulling over this and being silent for a moment, the embarrassment grew.


    Suddenly, Huo Shiqian reached out, took off the military coat he was wearing, flung it open, and with a 180-degree swing around her, wrapped her in the coat.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± Huo Shiqian said softly, looking down.


    He buttoned up the coat from top to bottom for her and gently said, ¡°Wear this on your way back.¡±


    Xia Chuyi was stunned, taking a moment to catch up with what Huo Shiqian was doing.


    ¡°Remember to reply to my letter.¡± After saying that, Huo Shiqian turned around and with long strides, walked away from the spot.


    Leaving Xia Chuyi wrapped in Huo Shiqian¡¯s coat, speechless.


    This man...


    She couldn¡¯t help but want to say something. The warmth from Huo Shiqian¡¯s remaining body heat in the coat suddenly warmed her.


    But in the end, she said nothing.


    Xia Chuyi gathered the coat closer and accidentally looked down to see specks of mud on it¡ªstains from when Huo Shiqian had embraced her.


    Wait a second, this man couldn¡¯t be expecting her to wash his clothes, could he?


    Thinking this, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh to herself.


    After laughing, she took off the coat and stored it in her space.


    As a joke, if she were to wear Huo Shiqian¡¯s coat back home, who knows what Uncle Xia might think!


    She paused in her steps.


    Eh, could it be that this was exactly what Huo Shiqian had in mind?


    Shaking her head, Xia Chuyi found it amusing in her heart.


    Whenever she encountered Huo Shiqian, her mind seemed to become overly flexible, imagining too many things.


    Casting off the messy thoughts, Xia Chuyi hurried back home.


    Upon arriving, she found Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia sitting by the stove, still enthusiastically discussing Huo Shiqian.


    ¡°Huo Commander¡¯s presence... tsk tsk tsk¡±


    A spree of free compliments which basically summed up to: saying his every move was impressive, saying he was full of righteousness, saying he seemed like a role model, a fine military officer.


    They also said it was such a pity that there was no suitable match for Xia Chuyi among his subordinates.


    After a long discussion, that last statement turned out to be the crux of the matter.


    Xia Chuyi listened with a mix of laughter and tears.


    She really couldn¡¯t understand how all the preceding praises of Huo Shiqian ended up being linked to whether or not there was someone suitable for Xia Chuyi among his men.

 Chapter 90: 90 The Gap Is Too Big

    Chapter 90: Chapter 90 The Gap Is Too Big


    Elders¡¯ thoughts are truly unpredictable!


    Lifting the door curtain, Xia Chuyi stepped inside,


    ¡°Uncle, Aunt, why, do you really want to marry me off? Am I eating too much?¡± she deliberately pouted, complaining as she walked towards Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia.


    Seeing her return, the two stopped their conversation.


    ¡°Chuyi, you¡¯re back!¡± Uncle Xia smiled, poking Chuyi¡¯s forehead with his finger, ¡°What are you talking about, girl? Who would complain about you?¡±


    Xia Chuyi stepped back, avoiding Uncle Xia¡¯s ¡°devil hand,¡± laughing and shaking her head, ¡°If you don¡¯t complain about me, just keep me for a few more years, no need to rush and find me a match.¡±


    ...


    Aunt Xia and Uncle Xia were amused by her demeanor and burst into laughter.


    After laughing, Aunt Xia explained, ¡°Who is rushing to find you a match? After what happened with He Qing, your uncle is now very cautious! It¡¯s just that Commander Huo is really exceptional.¡±


    Mentioning Huo Shiqian, Aunt Xia¡¯s tone was full of admiration.


    Uncle Xia nodded, his face also full of praise.


    Xia Chuyi felt quite speechless, ¡°If you think Commander Huo is good, why don¡¯t you just set me up directly with him instead of trying to match me with Soldier Xiao Wang?¡±


    Xiao Wang wasn¡¯t suitable, yet they had even inquired if Huo Shiqian had any suitable subordinates.


    She was really curious about the elders¡¯ mindset.


    As her words ended, the room suddenly quieted down.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xia Chuyi blinked, confused.


    Did she say something wrong?


    Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia glanced at each other, looking somewhat troubled.


    ¡°Chuyi, come here, your uncle wants to ask you something.¡± Uncle Xia suddenly became serious, making Xia Chuyi even more baffled.


    Hearing this, she stepped forward and sat next to Uncle Xia, looking at him.


    ¡°Uncle?¡±


    What was it about, to be so serious all of a sudden.


    ¡°Chuyi!¡± Uncle Xia said with profound seriousness, ¡°You haven¡¯t fallen for Commander Huo, have you?¡±


    Xia Chuyi choked.


    ¡°No, absolutely not!¡± She answered without hesitation.


    It wasn¡¯t even close to happening, her involvement with Huo Shiqian definitely couldn¡¯t be revealed.


    Uncle Xia didn¡¯t doubt her words, nodding and saying, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! Actually, your uncle also thinks that Commander Huo is a great person, but...¡±


    Uncle Xia sighed, continuing, ¡°One must know their place, Chuyi. We are just too different from him.¡±


    Xia Chuyi: ¡°...¡±


    This was her uncle, the one who had cherished her the most since childhood.


    Would he really disparage his own niece for Huo Shiqian?


    Seeing Xia Chuyi¡¯s bewildered face, Uncle Xia slowly explained, ¡°Chuyi, let me have a heart-to-heart with you, your uncle is not the kind of person who expects you to climb to a high branch.¡±


    ¡°Commander Huo is indeed honorable, but looking at his demeanor, you know he is not a child from an ordinary family.¡±


    ¡°People from such families, at his age, if they aren¡¯t married, their family surely has a match in mind.¡±


    ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t have a match, he¡¯s not a good match.¡±


    As Uncle Xia said these words, the genuine regret in his eyes was evident.


    Xia Chuyi was even more confused. Why did they say Huo Shiqian wasn¡¯t a good match, yet looked regretful?


    Seeing her doubt, Aunt Xia intervened to explain for Uncle Xia, ¡°Chuyi, you don¡¯t understand your uncle¡¯s hard feelings.¡±


    ¡°Your uncle fears that if you marry into such a prominent and powerful family, he won¡¯t be able to protect you!¡±


    Although Uncle Xia was capable and had his strengths, no matter how able, facing a family of Commander Huo¡¯s stature, he was still incomparable.

 Chapter 91: 91: Encounter with Annoying Person

    Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Encounter with Annoying Person


    Xia Chuyi was moved by Aunt Xia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Uncle, Aunt...¡± she softly called, her eyes slightly red.


    Seeing her like this, Aunt Xia¡¯s eyes also reddened slightly as she said, ¡°You child, why have you been so melancholy and sensitive lately? Always with reddened eyes? You really inherited that from your mom!¡±


    She teased her to lighten the mood.


    Xia Chuyi broke into a smile.


    In her heart, she sighed, truthfully, she didn¡¯t know why!


    ...


    Ever since she had come back to life, facing Huo Shiqian and her uncle and aunt, she found it easy to feel younger, as if she had really returned to being eighteen.


    Perhaps because, in front of them, she could temporarily forget those unbearable parts of her past, returning to a relaxed state, the demeanor of her eighteen-year-old self showing naturally.


    ¡°Alright, Uncle, Aunt, let¡¯s not talk about this,¡± she managed her emotions and smiled, addressing the two, ¡°Regarding marriage, I have my own plans.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t aim too high without basis. To see far, one must stand high.¡±


    ¡°If I can¡¯t stand high, then the view from the hill is also quite beautiful.¡±


    Xia Chuyi spoke each word clearly and firmly.


    However, as soon as she finished speaking, Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia fell silent and then burst into laughter, ¡°You child, your speech is so amusing, just like something out of a TV show, haha.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re making fun of me!¡± Xia Chuyi protested persistently.


    Laughter echoed throughout the room.


    Many things were tacitly understood by everyone.


    When she returned to her room, Xia Chuyi entered her space and prepared medicinal food to feed the little ones, then took out the textbooks she needed to review.


    Opening the book, she found herself unable to concentrate at first.


    She pondered the earlier conversation.


    Actually, on closer examination, Uncle Xia¡¯s thoughts were the same as hers deep inside.


    Wasn¡¯t the reason she and Huo Shiqian had agreed on a two-year period also to have enough time for buffering?


    With her present status to marry Huo Shiqian, she was destined to be seen as a parasitic plant, dependent on him.


    That was not what she wanted to see.


    She had not come back to life to become dependent on anyone, much less to be a fragile parasitic plant relying on someone else to survive.


    She was Xia Chuyi, her destiny should be in her own hands.


    Having figured out these points, she quickly dismissed these thoughts and immersed herself in studying.


    Changing her destiny always began with action.


    The next morning, as Xia Chuyi was on her routine jog, she encountered an unexpected visitor.


    This time, it was Xia Mei.


    Interestingly, did the Xia Family agree to bother her one after another?


    ¡°Hey, about the job you said you¡¯d help me find, why hasn¡¯t your uncle done anything yet?¡± Xia Mei extended her hands around her, looking up with arrogance and asked her.


    Xia Chuyi, long immune to Xia Mei¡¯s brazen attitude, calmly shook her head and responded, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? It¡¯ll be arranged eventually.¡±


    ¡°How can I not be in a hurry? Xia Lan that wretch has found a good match, you¡¯ve moved to your uncle¡¯s house to enjoy good fortune, and I¡¯m the only one left wasting time at home! Xia Chuyi, are you doing this on purpose?¡± As soon as she heard her reply, Xia Mei immediately complained indignantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t think you can deny it¡ªyou signed it in black and white.¡± Xia Mei stepped forward, pointing at her nose, ¡°If you don¡¯t find me a job by the year¡¯s end, I¡¯ll tell everyone that you¡¯re not trustworthy! Humph.¡±


    Xia Mei had a look of righteous indignation.


    She was really brainless, spreading around that she wasn¡¯t helping find a job or keeping promises? Why not consider people might ask, why should your sister have to find you a job in the first place, by what right?

 Chapter 92: 92: Enter the City to Find Someone

    Chapter 92: Chapter 92: Enter the City to Find Someone


    ¡°Fine, since you¡¯re in a hurry, I¡¯ll help you out tomorrow, happy now?¡± Xia Chuyi was too lazy to argue with Xia Mei and casually agreed.


    After getting Xia Chuyi¡¯s agreement, Xia Mei reluctantly nodded, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Xia Chuyi, you¡¯d better get this sorted out quickly! If you don¡¯t secure a job for me before the New Year, I¡¯ll hold you accountable!¡±


    Lazily, Xia Chuyi said, ¡°Got it... But, Xia Mei, I¡¯ll find you a job, but if you can¡¯t handle that job or if anything goes wrong, it¡¯s not on me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Xia Mei looked at her discontentedly, ¡°If my brother can handle a job, why wouldn¡¯t I be able to?¡±


    Xia Chuyi shook her head.


    Xia Mei could have chosen any example, but Xia Chengzu? He was fired from the factory eventually.


    ...


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to play any tricks when finding me a job, are you?¡± Xia Mei suddenly asked.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Xia Chuyi responded indifferently, her voice emotionless.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Xia Mei scoffed, ¡°In any case, you better have this settled before the New Year!¡±


    After this warning, Xia Mei left.


    After Xia Mei left, Xia Chuyi slowly jogged back home.


    The reason she agreed to Xia Mei wasn¡¯t because she feared her persistence, but because it was about time for her to start making preparations to move to the city.


    The next day, after informing her uncle and aunt, she rejected Uncle Xia¡¯s suggestion to seek Qian Wei¡¯s help and took the shuttle bus into the city.


    Once in the city, she headed straight for the Mining Chief¡¯s family compound, and by memory found a light gray building.


    A five-story building was quite something back then, and those allocated apartments there were all influential figures in the mining factory.


    She looked up at the location of apartment 2 on the third floor,


    That was the home of Zhang Chengzhi, the current factory chief of Ling County Mine.


    Zhang Chengzhi, who was the main culprit behind the later Ling County mine collapse for accepting bribes and arbitrarily hiring many unqualified persons.


    It was just at the time of the crackdown; Zhang Chengzhi was not only shot, but his case was publicized for a long time.


    Thus, even though she was not in Ling County at that time, she gradually learned quite a bit about his case.


    Allegedly, Zhang Chengzhi was someone who would accept any bribe, but the deal would go through only if the goods were good.


    The reason Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t ask Uncle Xia to help and was confident about the matter was because she knew about such a man.


    Yet, later, most of the people who were associated with him were purged and laid off.


    That¡¯s why she agreed to Xia Mei so readily.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t setting Xia Mei up; it was merely because Xia Mei was too aggressive.


    If it were genuinely a good job, why would she give it to Xia Mei? Why not go for it herself, or get it for her cousin?


    It was just typical of the Xia Family to take advantage of situations without much second thought.


    However, if someone were earnest and hardworking, they wouldn¡¯t be laid off or fired in the end; it was always those who were deceitful and sneaky.


    But in those times, those who had connections and got into the factory were generally deceitful characters.


    Whether to stay or go would ultimately be up to Xia Mei.


    And for Xia Chuyi, using such a job to distance herself from the Xia Family was well worth it.


    Having thought through each aspect, Xia Chuyi prepared to go upstairs.


    Just as she was stepping up, a woman rushed down the stairs hectically, bumping into her; she could hardly avoid it, her shoulder ached painfully, but she managed not to fall.


    Just as she was about to protest,


    The woman began speaking first: ¡°You country bumpkin, don¡¯t you have eyes to see where you¡¯re going?¡±

 Chapter 93: 93: Looking for Factory Director Zhang

    Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Looking for Factory Director Zhang


    ¡°I was supposed to receive a high-ranking officer from the military today. If I¡¯m delayed, you won¡¯t be able to afford it!¡±


    The woman who had bumped into her stared intimidatingly, the villain playing the victim first.


    Having said that, she snorted coldly and ran off like the wind.


    Xia Chuyi frowned and rubbed her shoulder.


    Why did she always seem to attract weirdos?


    She watched the retreating figure of the woman.


    ...


    ¡°Receiving a military big shot?¡± she muttered, ¡°Could it be Huo Shiqian?¡±


    With that, she laughed at herself.


    What were the odds of that?


    He was on a business trip. He must have just passed through Ling County yesterday; otherwise, why would he have left in such a hurry?


    Shaking her head.


    This habit of unconsciously thinking of him needed to change!


    In Room 2 on the 3rd floor, Xia Chuyi knocked on the door.


    After a while, the sound of footsteps came from inside.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± The woman who opened the door looked to be in her forties, her hair messily done up in a ¡®half-screen mountain¡¯ hairstyle, wearing a brightly colored turtleneck sweater, her lipstick, in Xia Chuyi¡¯s view, a bit too garish.


    After opening the door, the woman furrowed her brows and sized her up from head to toe.


    Xia Chuyi was not poorly dressed, but the countryside was colder than the city. She was bundled up, and with a basket of vegetables in hand, it was clear to see she was from the rural areas.


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Her tone carried a hint of disdain.


    Xia Chuyi pretended not to notice and said with a smile, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m looking for Factory Director Zhang.¡±


    As soon as the woman heard it was for Factory Director Zhang, she became even more impatient and dismissively said, ¡°He¡¯s not in.¡±


    Before she could close the door, Xia Chuyi interjected, ¡°Wait, elder sister, I really need to see Factory Director Zhang!¡± Her anxiety seemed exaggerated, and in her large movements, she accidentally revealed the bright red apples in the corner of her basket.


    The woman paused.


    ¡°Elder sister, I really need to see him!¡± Xia Chuyi looked around nervously, quickly covered the basket with its cloth, and smiled sweetly at the woman.


    The woman glanced at her, then at the basket, her eyes spinning as she said, ¡°Why call me elder sister? I¡¯m more than a round older than you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, haha, I couldn¡¯t tell. Elder sister, you look only about twenty-five, right?¡± Xia Chuyi told a blatant lie, but she did so with an appearance of sincere naivety.


    ¡°My goodness!¡± The woman covered her mouth and kept laughing, ¡°Sister, come on in and take a seat!¡±


    She welcomed her inside and enthusiastically offered her a cup of water.


    ¡°Sister, go ahead, what do you need from my old man?¡± After speaking, the woman added, ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you, I¡¯m Factory Director Zhang¡¯s wife, the vice-chair of the union at the factory, Lin Aiyun. Whatever you need from Old Zhang, you can tell me, it¡¯s all the same.¡±


    The woman probably knew that those who came to her and her husband were always there for that sort of thing.


    ¡°Ah? You¡¯re Factory Director Zhang¡¯s wife? I thought you were his daughter!¡± Xia Chuyi feigned surprise.


    The lies came smoothly.


    She must have picked up some bad habits from Uncle Liberation Army, she thought.


    ¡°Hahaha, sister, are you trying to make me die laughing? How could I be that young? My daughter is just 20 years old. Oh right, she just stepped out; you must have seen her when you came up.¡± The woman¡¯s face brightened even more.


    Factory Director Zhang¡¯s daughter had just gone down?


    That must have been the nasty woman who had bumped into her and then played the victim?


    Like mother, like daughter.


    Thinking this, she kept a smile on her face: ¡°Oh, so it was the beautiful young lady from earlier, the one who is especially pretty! No wonder, she takes after you, very attractive indeed.¡±


    Compliments cost nothing, and Xia Chuyi was not stingy with them.


    After the flattery, Xia Chuyi finally broached the main subject: ¡°You see, union vice-chair sister,¡±


    She unveiled the cloth from the basket, casually showing off the bright red apples inside.


    ¡°These are fruits brought back by my relatives from the north, really sweet. I thought of Mr. Zhang, who always takes good care of my family, and wanted to bring some for him to try.¡±

 Chapter 94: 94: Early Store Handover

    Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Early Store Handover


    When Director Lin saw those bright, full, and large apples, her eyes lit up instantly.


    With a chuckle, she said, ¡°Are your family members working in the factory? Then we¡¯re all family here, no need for such politeness.¡±


    Though she said this, her eyes never left the apples.


    In those days, transportation wasn¡¯t developed, so apples shipped from the north to their area were either withered or small. Fresh and fine-looking ones like these were rare.


    Xia Chuyi smiled, knowing the task was half accomplished.


    She rummaged through the basket and pulled out a bottle of liquor, ¡°There¡¯s also this wine, acquired from another place. It¡¯s specially supplied so it has no label.¡±


    ...


    As she spoke, she deliberately opened the bottle cap, and instantly, the fragrance of the wine filled the air.


    Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t know if Lin Aiyun drank alcohol, but the wine she had taken from the space kitchen was used back when she cooked private meals, a type particularly favored for its sauce flavor.


    The taste of the wine wasn¡¯t top-notch, but its aroma was very rich, appealing even to those who do not drink wine.


    Given the times, when tobacco and alcohol were hard to come by, this wine was indeed a rare treat.


    Lin Aiyun saw the wine and smiled even deeper, taking it without further politeness.


    ¡°Girl, since you¡¯re so straightforward, I won¡¯t put on airs either.¡± She gladly took the basket and said, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need my help with, just tell me directly.¡±


    Xia Chuyi smiled and got straight to the point, ¡°Elder sister, it¡¯s like this. I have a cousin who is looking for a job in your factory.¡±


    Lin Aiyun pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Qualifications? Household registration?¡±


    Xia Chuyi replied, ¡°Middle school graduate, rural household registration.¡±


    Lin Aiyun frowned slightly, ¡°That¡¯s going to be difficult...¡±


    Xia Chuyi smiled, ¡°Elder sister, I don¡¯t want to trouble you, a temporary job would suffice.¡±


    Hearing it was just arranging a temporary job, Lin Aiyun laughed, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s settled. Leave it to me!¡±


    ¡°Girl, I must tell you, even the temporary workers at our factory earn decent wages!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, after working for a few years and achieving some results, there¡¯s a chance to become permanent. Tell your cousin to do her best!¡±


    After some pleasantries, Xia Chuyi declined Lin Aiyun¡¯s insincere offer for dinner and left the Zhang Family.


    Upon descending the stairs, she looked back at the Zhang Family thinking, ¡°Xia Mei, I hope you can fend for yourself.¡±


    Once out of the family building, she didn¡¯t rush off but strolled towards the factory and checked out the condition of the shop she had rented.


    When she reached the shop, the shop owner¡¯s wife immediately recognized her and called out, ¡°Hey, comrade Xia Xiao!¡±


    She ran out and pulled her aside, ¡°Oh, what a coincidence, comrade Xia Xiao, I was just looking for you!¡±


    Xia Chuyi was puzzled, why was she looking for her? The contract had already been signed, and the handover date set. What could she possibly want?


    The owner¡¯s wife chatted this and that to her.


    It turned out that the couple was subleasing the shop because their son got a job and got married in another province, and they were planning to join him for a family reunion.


    Initially, they thought of running the business for a few more days before leaving, but their daughter-in-law suddenly got pregnant, and the urgency surged; they wanted to hand over the shop quickly.


    ¡°Comrade Xia Xiao, can you tell your uncle to take over the shop earlier? We won¡¯t even charge you extra.¡±


    The old couple always believed that the real tenant was her uncle, not Xia Chuyi herself.


    Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t bother to explain.


    After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    Taking over the shop a couple of days early gave her some time to make further plans.

 Chapter 95: 95: Another Encounter with a Perfect Specimen

    Chapter 95: Chapter 95: Another Encounter with a Perfect Specimen


    Because of the early transfer of the store, she lingered around the area for a while longer.


    She wanted to wait for the factory to close, to see the flow of workers and the business situation of the surrounding shops.


    However, before the end of the workday, people had already begun trickling back from the direction of the coal mine.


    Slacking off at work, muddying the waters on the way home, this was a major characteristic of many state-owned enterprises of the era.


    She stood beside the gate of the residential area for the families, silently counting the pedestrian traffic while observing which shops the workers preferred to patronize.


    As she was busy with her task, she suddenly spotted someone she knew.


    ...


    Xia Chengzu?


    Xia Chengzu, the older cousin who took her spot as the child of a martyr to get into the factory, was happily escorting a female comrade, walking towards her.


    That female comrade seemed familiar. It was indeed Zhang Zhicheng¡¯s daughter, whom she had seen that morning.


    Xia Chuyi frowned and thought to herself, what bad luck.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi?¡± Not until he was quite close did Xia Chengzu spot her. His face dropped instantly, filled with dissatisfaction, he said, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    What brought her here? She wanted to ask him the same thing. If he, just an ordinary employee living in the collective dormitories, could come to the family residential area, why couldn¡¯t she?


    ¡°This is no place for kids to play, get yourself home quick,¡± Xia Chengzu waved his hand dismissively, speaking rudely.


    He was impolite, and Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t feel like being polite either: ¡°Yeah, this isn¡¯t a place for me to play, it ought to be my place of work.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for certain people taking her spot, this job should have been hers.


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Chengzu glared at her, fearful that she would say something untoward.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Xia Chuyi said indifferently, not at all intimidated by him.


    It was always thieves who feared the people, never the other way around.


    Xia Chengzu looked at her fiercely but didn¡¯t dare make a scene because of the people around, he just scolded, ¡°Get home quickly, your Second Aunt is waiting for you there.¡±


    This was a reminder that Mother Xia was still at the Xia Family home, telling her to watch her words.


    It seemed he was aware of the family division too.


    Xia Chuyi let out a derisive laugh.


    Did he really think he could threaten her with Mother Xia? Even setting aside whether she wanted to bother with her, Uncle Xia was still there. How could the Xia Family dare to do anything to Mother Xia?


    But she couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on Xia Chengzu.


    Xia Chengzu was a shameless, selfish person who knew nothing but how to play the system. She had no desire to deal with him any more than necessary.


    As for the coal factory job, she truly didn¡¯t care for it.


    Xia Chuyi, without sparing him another glance, shoved her hands in her pockets and walked away.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Perhaps out of a woman¡¯s innate jealousy, Zhang Zhicheng¡¯s daughter spoke behind her back, drawling, ¡°A member of your family?¡±


    Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for her to overhear.


    ¡°What family member, just an ordinary relative,¡± Xia Chengzu snorted coldly, completely disowning her.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Zhang Zhicheng¡¯s daughter chuckled, saying, ¡°Since it¡¯s just an ordinary relative, you should steer clear of such country bumpkins in the future.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the child of a martyr, a person who¡¯s been personally consoled by higher-ups visiting from above. Don¡¯t let those tactless people take advantage of you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll listen to you, Xiao Ling!¡± Xia Chengzu¡¯s voice was clearly joyful, probably feeling that Zhang Xiao Ling cared about him.


    Hmm, those two. She had already steered clear of them, and they were still talking about her behind her back? Even making sure she could hear them.


    Xia Chuyi stopped in her tracks, turned around, and met Zhang Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze.


    Probably not expecting her to actually turn back, there was a moment of surprise.


    Then, Zhang Xiao Ling lifted her head haughtily, her gaze appraising Xia Chuyi from head to toe with extreme impoliteness.

 Chapter 96: 96 Who Bootlicks Whom

    Chapter 96: Chapter 96 Who Bootlicks Whom


    Her gaze lingered particularly long on Xia Chuyi¡¯s braids, clothes, and shoes.


    After sizing her up, Zhang Xiaoling let out a light chuckle, revealing a hint of disdain.


    It meant she looked down on her as a dressed-up country girl.


    Xia Chuyi found it amusing in her heart.


    She also gave the other woman a head-to-toe once-over.


    Then, imitating her, Xia Chuyi let out a light chuckle.


    ...


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s face immediately showed displeasure, discontentedly saying.


    ¡°Nothing much, just that elder sister looks quite pretty,¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes curved into crescents, becoming even more cheerful.


    ¡°You!¡± Young girls never liked being called elder sister.


    Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s eyebrows knitted together and she rebuked sharply, ¡°Where do you come from, bumpkin, knowing me or not, why are you claiming kinship so brazenly?¡±


    ¡°Are you just clinging to Xia Chengzu because he has an opportunity to show his face in front of senior officers?¡±


    Clinging to Xia Chengzu? Xia Chuyi really felt like vomiting blood.


    However, from Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s words, she learned a bit of information.


    So there were dignitaries coming to pay their respects to the martyrs¡¯ children, and that¡¯s why someone as arrogant as Zhang Xiaoling would make nice with Xia Chengzu.


    It was Xia Chengzu himself who was blissfully unaware that he was being used.


    Speaking of riding on coattails?


    It¡¯s really unclear who¡¯s benefiting from whom.


    Senior officers coming to visit the children of martyrs, and Xia Chengzu even dared to make an appearance? As if the records were fake.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re clinging to Xia Chengzu because he has an opportunity to appear in front of senior officers!¡± Xia Chuyi said, feigning an epiphany, acting as if she completely understood.


    As soon as the words were out, Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s face immediately changed, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, you bumpkin?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what do you mean by that? Xiao Ling is not the kind of person you¡¯re saying!¡± Xia Chengzu even jumped out to defend her.


    ¡°Oh dear, my mistake. Such things shouldn¡¯t be spoken about, right?¡± Xia Chuyi made a zipping-lips gesture, acting as though she would keep their secret safe.


    ¡°You, hmph, I can¡¯t be bothered to stoop to the level of a bumpkin like you!¡± Zhang Xiaoling opened her mouth, ready to explode with anger, but then she glanced at Xia Chengzu, thought of something, and forcibly held it back.


    Then she angrily flung her hand and turned to leave.


    Seeing Zhang Xiaoling run off, Xia Chengzu gave Xia Chuyi a fierce glare and quickly chased after her.


    Xia Chuyi shook her head.


    How did the main family manage to produce nothing but brainless fools?


    Xia Mei and Xia Chengzu¡¯s combined IQ probably wouldn¡¯t match Xia Lan¡¯s.


    But their stupidity had nothing to do with her.


    Honestly, with the soul of an older age, Xia Chuyi truly didn¡¯t want to bother getting angry with a young girl like Zhang Xiaoling, but if she was pushed too far, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to push back.


    Respect is reciprocal.


    If someone stepped on her, she would be sure to return the favor.


    Having finished her main business in the city, she didn¡¯t linger and, pressed for time, took the last bus back to Heshan Village.


    As soon as she got home, she talked to Uncle Xia about taking over the store ahead of schedule. Uncle Xia had no objections, simply saying she could make her own decisions.


    The next day, she needed to go to the city to check the inventory and formally take over the store.


    Since Uncle Xia was injured and Aunt Xia had to take care of him, her cousin Zhao Xiaogui was the only one who accompanied her to the city.


    They were busy until the afternoon before returning.


    Once home, a surprise awaited her.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s green military off-roader was parked right outside Uncle Xia¡¯s house.

 Chapter 97: 97: Back Again

    Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Back Again


    What¡¯s going on? Huo Shiqian is back again?


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t believe her eyes as she stared at the car parked in front of her and muttered to herself.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, whose car is parked in front of our house?¡± Her cousin Zhao Xiaogui had already excitedly darted out and was running in circles around the military vehicle, shouting into the house with great excitement.


    He moved too quickly for Xia Chuyi to stop him; she could only hold her forehead in exasperation.


    Such a silly cousin¡ªto ask whose car it was when it was parked right at their doorstep.


    If there were no surprises, the owner of the car would be inside the house.


    ...


    Sure enough, Aunt Xia heard the noise and cheerfully pulled back the door curtain to come out.


    ¡°What are you yelling about!¡± she scolded Zhao Xiaogui first.


    Then, smiling warmly at Xia Chuyi, she said, ¡°Chuyi, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, isn¡¯t it a coincidence? Huo Commander¡¯s mission was to visit and comfort the children of martyrs!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a martyr¡¯s child? So, after a roundabout trip, he¡¯s back at our home!¡±


    Aunt Xia laughed as she spoke, finding the situation too coincidental.


    Xia Chuyi remembered the incident from yesterday in the city.


    Was that official Zhang Xiaoling mentioned really Huo Shiqian?


    As for coincidences... Ling County was such a small place; it hardly necessitated a personal visit by Huo Shiqian for comforting.


    Aunt Xia gestured to her, ¡°Chuyi, come and greet Huo Commander.¡±


    She really wondered what Huo Shiqian was up to.


    Well, when in Rome.


    She entered the house arm-in-arm with her aunt and immediately saw Huo Shiqian sitting in a chair, holding a teacup, composed and at ease.


    As she entered the room, Huo Shiqian casually glanced at her, then turned to Uncle Xia to inquire, ¡°Comrade Chuyi is the orphaned child of the martyr Xia Chenggui?¡±


    He acted as if he didn¡¯t recognize her at all.


    Uncle Xia didn¡¯t suspect anything and hadn¡¯t thought much about it, only sighing and saying, ¡°Indeed, she is.¡±


    ¡°The year my sister was giving birth in the hospital, we received news that her husband had become a martyr... she almost perished along with the child... In the end, she gave birth to Chuyi through gritted teeth.¡±


    ¡°Poor our Chuyi, she didn¡¯t have a father from birth, and her father never got to see his own child.¡±


    Uncle Xia spoke with great emotion.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for my sister either. She and my brother-in-law got married against his family¡¯s wishes and had to rent a place to live outside.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, the army leaders understood the situation and granted my brother-in-law¡¯s wife a military family member slot, but alas, their good days were short-lived...¡±


    Another wave of emotion followed.


    ¡°Anyway, Chuyi and her mother have had a hard life.¡±


    Huo Shiqian tilted his head slightly, listening intently to Uncle Xia¡¯s stories, his gaze growing heavier as he listened.


    ¡°Yes, Comrade Chuyi indeed has a difficult life,¡± Huo Shiqian said, casually glancing at her.


    The stories Uncle Xia told held back much; they weren¡¯t even a tenth of what he knew.


    ¡°The organization will certainly take more care of her in the future.¡± His gaze met Xia Chuyi¡¯s, his tone like a promise.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s gaze flickered slightly.


    Did Uncle Liberation Army mean this on behalf of the organization, or did he mean it himself?


    The entanglement of their gazes seemed to last only a moment.


    Soon, Huo Shiqian turned his head away and began asking about Xia Chuyi¡¯s childhood.


    It was just an excuse to understand the living conditions of a martyr¡¯s orphaned child.


    Xia Chuyi watched Huo Shiqian pretend to be serious, her hands itching to go up and pinch his cheek.


    To let him pretend to be serious all day.


    Of course, that was just a thought. She wouldn¡¯t dare to actually do it, not for all the courage in the world.


    But even just thinking about it made her quite happy.

 Chapter 98: 98 Uncle Gets Suspicious

    Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Uncle Gets Suspicious


    Huo Shiqian listened intently to Uncle Xia¡¯s tales, nodding occasionally to show agreement.


    After a friendly exchange, Uncle Xia had an even better impression of him.


    Towards the end, Huo Shiqian stood up and stretched out his hand to Xia Chuyi, saying, ¡°Comrade Chuyi, hello. On behalf of the organization, I express care and greetings to you.¡±


    His action was so smooth and natural that Uncle Xia didn¡¯t give it much thought, considering it part of a formal greeting process.


    Xia Chuyi glanced at Huo Shiqian¡¯s earnest expression and his outstretched, clearly articulated large palm.


    She secretly stuck out her tongue in her heart.


    ...


    With reverence and anxiety, she stepped forward and took his hand, shaking it up and down while saying, ¡°Hello, Uncle Liberation Army!¡±


    She looked like a primary school student meeting a leader.


    Huo Shiqian raised his eyebrow slightly, his expression unchanged, and said lightly, ¡°Uncle Liberation Army?¡±


    There was a hint of confusion in his tone.


    Uncle Xia immediately stepped in to smooth things over, ¡°Chuyi, child, how can you be so thoughtless? Commander Huo isn¡¯t that old. What is this ¡®Uncle Liberation Army¡¯!¡±


    While speaking, Uncle Xia was giving Xia Chuyi meaningful looks.


    She pouted and forced a smile, ¡°Yes, Uncle, I understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mainly because the textbooks always write ¡®Uncle Liberation Army,¡¯ ¡®Uncle Liberation Army,¡¯ so I got used to it.¡± She explained half-heartedly.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s expression remained natural, showing not even a hint of anger; he instead tightened his grip slightly, inconspicuously pinching her hand as a small punishment before letting go and saying, ¡°Comrade Chuyi, I am not much older than you. If you don¡¯t mind, you can call me Brother Liberation Army.¡±


    Xia Chuyi: ¡°...¡±


    What on earth is ¡®Brother Liberation Army¡¯? Why does he care so much about a title?


    She glared at Huo Shiqian, wishing she could bore a hole through him.


    Huo Shiqian continued to look at her calmly.


    He was indeed not old, so why not call him brother?


    It seemed as if sparks were flying in the air.


    ¡°No, no, no, how can we casually call each other brother?¡± Aunt Xia suddenly jumped in.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt like there was something odd between her niece and Huo Shiqian.


    Hearing what Aunt Xia said, Uncle Xia also felt the title was inappropriate and intervened, ¡°Better call him comrade; it¡¯s both friendly and equal.¡±


    As Uncle Xia spoke, Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes curved into crescents, and she obediently replied, ¡°Mmm, Mr. Huo!¡±


    She looked at Huo Shiqian with a beaming smile.


    Huo Shiqian slightly narrowed his eyes but didn¡¯t react excessively, simply saying, ¡°Whatever suits you.¡±


    Xia Chuyi immediately broke into a laugh.


    This was his own suggestion; he better not regret it later!


    This exchange, though outwardly calm, showed hidden sparks, leaving Uncle Xia feeling uneasy¡ªa knot tightening in his heart.


    Looking at his niece¡¯s fiery gaze towards Commander Huo...


    A man like Huo Shiqian was exactly the type to win over young girls¡¯ hearts; his Chuyi couldn¡¯t possibly be falling for Commander Huo, could she?


    ¡°Chuyi, Commander Huo brought many presents, and your aunt can¡¯t sort them alone; come help her,¡± Uncle Xia quickly gestured to Aunt Xia.


    Aunt Xia immediately nodded happily and stepped forward, saying, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go sort them with your aunt.¡±


    Raising an eyebrow, Xia Chuyi secretly smiled at Huo Shiqian, ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Huo, enjoy yourself.¡±


    Aunt Xia could no longer stand by, pulling Xia Chuyi along, ¡°We¡¯ll go in first, Commander Huo, feel free to do as you please.¡±

 Chapter 99: 99: A Visitor Comes

    Chapter 99: Chapter 99: A Visitor Comes


    ¡°By the time we arrived at the split, Xia Chuyi was looking at the pile of gift boxes and parcels, clicking her tongue in slight amazement.


    These must have been sent by Huo Shiqian. Uncle Xia would buy food and necessities himself, but he wouldn¡¯t spend money on extravagant gift boxes and parcels.


    ¡®So many, huh?¡¯ Xia Chuyi clicked her tongue.


    She hadn¡¯t yet grasped Aunt Xia¡¯s intention in dragging her away.


    ¡®Yeah, these are it,¡¯ Aunt Xia responded perfunctorily. She then glanced around before pulling Xia Chuyi to her side, suddenly lowering her voice to ask, ¡®Chuyi, you and Huo Commander ... you guys ... don¡¯t have something going on, right?¡¯


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she immediately replied, ¡®No, absolutely nothing!¡¯


    ...


    Her answer came out too quickly, making Aunt Xia look at her with even more suspicion. ¡®There¡¯s nothing between you two, but you, girl, you have something, right?¡¯


    Aunt Xia tapped her on the forehead,


    ¡®You think I can¡¯t see it? The way you look at Huo Commander almost gleams!¡¯ Aunt Xia teased.


    ¡®What nonsense? How could I...¡¯ Xia Chuyi was so startled by Aunt Xia¡¯s comment that she almost let out a shout.


    That¡¯s called gleaming? That¡¯s called flashing with anger!


    Aunt Xia, with the air of someone who¡¯d been through it all, advised, ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I understand... It¡¯s normal for you to like Huo Commander; indeed, he has many qualities that are attractive to young ladies... However, let me give you some heartfelt advice: like him as you may, don¡¯t take it too seriously!¡¯


    ¡®You know, when I was young, I also had someone I really liked ¨C not your uncle, oh, but that movie star Di Wei, you know the one always playing the hero?¡¯


    ¡®But look at me and your Uncle Xia, we are the real family.¡¯


    ¡®So, Chuyi, it¡¯s fine for you kids to admire a hero or idol, but you need to recognize the difference between that and reality.¡¯


    Xia Chuyi was incredibly impressed; Aunt Xia had a whole system for doling out advice.


    Knowing it was futile to argue, Xia Chuyi simply smiled and said, ¡®Alright, I¡¯ll heed Aunt Xia¡¯s words and make a clear distinction.¡¯


    Aunt Xia, seeing her clear gaze and natural expression, finally relaxed a bit before turning to the gifts scattered on the ground. ¡®Wow, I never expected the army¡¯s annual consolation gifts to be this abundant! The Xia family has really hit the jackpot over the years!¡¯


    ¡®Too bad... All this will have to be sent back to the Xia family later, since you agreed to do so,¡¯ Aunt Xia tapped her on the forehead again, quite displeased with her previous generosity.


    Xia Chuyi laughed it off.


    She had agreed so quickly at that time simply because she wanted to escape the Xia family as soon as possible.


    Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia would probably never understand the intensity of her desire to break away from the Xia family.


    After all, the events of her past life had not yet happened.


    Uncle Xia was still around, and the Xia family, no matter how they behaved, still had some limits; at least they didn¡¯t dare to tie her up and force her into marriage.


    No, more accurately, they hadn¡¯t tied her up and sold her to someone else.


    Thinking this over, Xia Chuyi said, ¡®There¡¯s no need to give so much, Aunt Xia.


    ¡®The army didn¡¯t provide this much in previous years. We only need to send a bit according to past allocations. We can keep the rest for ourselves!¡¯ She winked at Aunt Xia,


    ¡®What?¡¯ Aunt Xia was a bit slow on the uptake, ¡®Is that okay?¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry.¡¯ Xia Chuyi patted her chest, ¡®As long as the Xia family doesn¡¯t suddenly come barging in to check, it¡¯ll be fine.¡¯


    Some people, no matter what, shouldn¡¯t be mentioned; just say their name, and they¡¯re bound to appear.


    ¡®Hey, Uncle Xia, it¡¯s me, Grandma Xia!¡¯ Grandma Xia¡¯s robust voice came from the Zhao family¡¯s yard, piercing directly into the Zhao family¡¯s inner chamber.

 Chapter 100: 100 Too Much Bullying

    Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Too Much Bullying


    ¡°I heard some high official from the military came to visit martyrs¡¯ families? Why didn¡¯t they visit our Old Xia Family?¡± Grandma Xia shouted from outside.


    As soon as Xia Chuyi heard Grandma Xia¡¯s voice, her brows furrowed, and she exchanged a look with Aunt Xia, who tacitly stepped out from the back room together.


    When they came out, Aunt Xia pulled out her keys and locked the door of the back room.


    Just as they stepped out, Grandma Xia lifted the curtain and entered the living room.


    Aunt Xia hurriedly approached to assist her, laughing joyfully, ¡°Chuyi¡¯s grandma, why have you come? Why didn¡¯t you say anything!¡±


    For the sake of Mother Xia, Uncle Xia, and Aunt Xia, they still had to maintain superficial peace with the Xia Family.


    ...


    Grandma Xia, feigning a smile, scanned the living room and immediately fixed her eyes on Huo Shiqian.


    ¡°Is this gentleman the officer from the military?¡±


    Grandma Xia brushed past Aunt Xia and headed straight towards Huo Shiqian.


    Grandma Xia and Grandpa Xia, who were usually very pompous, seldom visited the Zhao family. If they came today, there must be no trivial matter.


    Who followed Grandma Xia? Xia Chengzu and... Zhang Xiaoling?


    Were they all targeting him?


    He glanced at Huo Shiqian, who appeared calm and composed as if he were firmly seated while fishing.


    In her heart, Xia Chuyi thought, ¡°Huo Shiqian, in a moment, you¡¯ll see what real Xia Family members are like.¡±


    Could he keep sitting then?


    Would he still want to marry her?


    ¡°Hello, officer, I am the mother of martyr Xia Chenggui...¡±


    Grandma Xia extended her hand, appearing as a loving elder, reaching for Huo Shiqian.


    Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Wang swiftly intercepted her, grabbed her hand, and shook it, saying, ¡°Hello, elder!¡±


    Jokingly, as if their officer would be approachable to just anyone?


    ¡°We, on behalf of the military, extend our Spring Festival greetings to the elder...¡± Xiao Wang began with a prepared script.


    Grandma Xia¡¯s expression stiffened, dissatisfied that Huo Shiqian did not come forward to comfort her personally.


    After a flurry of niceties, Xiao Wang let go of Grandma Xia, and stood straight behind Huo Shiqian.


    After this interruption, Grandma Xia could no longer try to ingratiate herself and simply found a place to sit down and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, officer!¡±


    Although Xiao Wang had spoken all the kind words, Grandma Xia directed her thanks to Huo Shiqian,


    Before Huo Shiqian could react, Grandma Xia pulled Xia Chengzu in front of him, telling Huo Shiqian, ¡°Officer, look, this is my eldest grandson, Xia Chengzu.¡±


    ¡°The dearly beloved nephew of martyr Xia Chenggui! My poor son, he died without offspring to carry on the family line¡ªnow it all depends on his nephew to offer paper tributes.¡±


    ¡°So, officer, please do take good care of my nephew!¡±


    After Grandma Xia spoke, the room suddenly went quiet.


    Martyr Xia Chenggui? Is that how a mother should mention her son?


    And to claim in front of Xia Chuyi that Daddy Xia left no descendants to carry on family traditions?


    Xia Chuyi once again witnessed the shamelessness of the Xia Family.


    ¡°Grandmother-in-law, what do you mean?¡± Uncle Xia was furious.


    He never imagined the Xia Family would be so overbearing.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Chuyi my brother-in-law¡¯s child? Can¡¯t she offer paper tributes for my brother-in-law, instead of some distant nephew?¡±


    Uncle Xia pointed at Xia Chengzu¡¯s nose, almost bursting into curse.


    ¡°Chuyi¡¯s uncle, you¡¯re wrong in saying that!¡± Grandma Xia calmly said, ¡°Chuyi is a girl, born to be married off. Once married, she belongs to another family.¡±

 Chapter 101 101: 101 She is an Outsider

    Chapter 101: Chapter 101 She is an Outsider


    ¡°She¡¯s become someone else¡¯s family member, and even if she¡¯s offering incense and paper money to her father, she¡¯s still an outsider.¡±


    ¡°Allowing an outsider to provide for my son? Even if the paper money is burnt for the King of Hell, I¡¯m afraid the King of Hell wouldn¡¯t recognize it.¡±


    ¡°So naturally, it should be her cousin who takes on the responsibility!¡±


    Grandma Xia spoke as if it all made perfect sense.


    Perhaps it was the presence of Huo Shiqian, or maybe it was seeing Uncle Xia injured, but today, Grandma Xia was particularly bold, spilling all the thoughts she¡¯d kept buried in her heart.


    Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia instantly flew into a rage. Zhao Xiaogui, who had been playing with a cart outside, heard the commotion inside and charged in, ¡°Old hag, what nonsense are you talking about! So what if my sister is a girl? Can¡¯t a girl inherit the family line? If it comes to it, my sister can just find a man to marry into our family...¡±


    ...


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Zhao Xiaogui was cut off mid-sentence by a slap from Aunt Xia.


    Stupid child, what are you babbling about!


    Zhao Xiaogui covered his head, feeling wronged; he was just trying to stand up for his sister out of a sense of injustice.


    He sensed eyes on him.


    Xia Chuyi just smiled and blinked: don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.


    Huo Shiqian withdrew his gaze.


    She wasn¡¯t lying or pretending to be strong, hearing these words truly didn¡¯t upset her at all.


    What was there to be upset about? Sorrow, heartache, agony, breakdowns, as well as disappointment and despair, she had experienced them all thoroughly in her previous life.


    Listening now, all she found it to be was interesting: what had given Grandma Xia such sudden confidence?


    Grandma Xia saw Zhao Xiaogui, a junior, daring to curse at her nose-to-nose, and was completely enraged. She said, ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s settle the matter of Chuyi today.¡±


    ¡°Chuyi is a child with a tough life, born to be the bane of her father. As you know, the news of her father¡¯s death from the army arrived just after she was born...¡±


    ¡°Old hag, what drivel are you spouting?¡± Zhao Xiaogui interrupted before she could finish.


    However, it was Uncle Xia who held back his son, his gaze fixed intently on Grandma Xia.


    He wanted to see what else Grandma Xia could say.


    In this moment, Xia Chuyi again caught Huo Shiqian¡¯s gaze.


    I¡¯m really okay.


    She stole a secretive smile at him while no one was paying attention.


    Seeing Uncle Xia restrain Zhao Xiaogui, and thinking she had the upper hand, Grandma Xia tilted her head slightly and smiled before continuing, ¡°When his second daughter-in-law gave birth to her, she was out of sorts at first, and then casually chose the name Chuyi for the child, saying it was to commemorate the child¡¯s father.¡±


    Grandma Xia¡¯s tone suddenly became stern: ¡°Uncle, you also know, in our family, the girls are named in the order of plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum. The second daughter-in-law chose her name without consulting us, that¡¯s like not regarding this child as a member of the Xia family!¡±


    Grandma Xia grew increasingly angry as she spoke.


    ¡°The second daughter-in-law was grieving then, young and naive, not mindful of these traditional customs, which is forgivable. Chuyi is after all my son¡¯s own flesh and blood, letting her live as an idle member of the household, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°But as the child grew up, she stopped seeing herself as part of the Xia family. Not only did she often run off to the Zhao family as a little girl, but recently, she even insisted on splitting from the Xia family.¡± Grandma Xia paused at this point, her eyes filled with accusation, ¡°Tell me, within the three regions and eight villages, where is there a young maiden who lives alone after splitting from her family?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you tell me, can this child still be considered a part of the Xia Family?¡±


    Grandma Xia looked meaningfully at Uncle Xia, as if directly asking whether Xia Chuyi should bear the Zhao surname instead.


    ¡°Of course, we also understand, when a child¡¯s heart runs wild, they can¡¯t be confined, so we just let her go.¡±


    ¡°But having left the family, she can no longer be considered a member of the Xia family. Now, I hear she still wants to bask in the glory of my son?¡±


    In the end, Grandma Xia summarized with an air of an Old Sealed Lord.

 Chapter 102 102: 102: Daughters and Nephews

    Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Daughters and Nephews


    Finally, after Grandma Xia finished speaking, with a ¡°bang,¡± Uncle Xia threw the teacup in his hand forcefully to the ground, shattering it and causing pieces to scatter everywhere.


    ¡°You!¡± Startled, Grandma Xia stepped back, and Xia Chengzu also quickly ducked away.


    Uncle Xia snorted coldly and asked, ¡°Grandmother-in-law, please clarify, what exactly do you mean? I¡¯m a layman, uneducated, and I can¡¯t understand.¡±


    Uncle Xia¡¯s gaze was aggressive and accusing.


    In front of her superiors, Grandma Xia dared to be so arrogant, she paused for a moment before struggling to say, ¡°I¡ªI just think, my son sacrificed himself for the country and left no children. Shouldn¡¯t the state benefits then go to his nephew? After all, he¡¯s a male of our bloodline...¡±


    ¡°Sir, am I right in what I¡¯m saying?¡± Grandma Xia turned and tried to cozy up to Huo Shiqian once more.


    ...


    Since ancient times, daughters could not carry on the family legacy, and Grandma Xia believed she was not in the wrong.


    Besides, with the support of a military commander, what could Uncle Xia dare to do?


    Huo Shiqian remained silent, slightly turning his head, fingers tapping on the desktop, his gaze deep and heavy.


    Xiao Wang immediately received the cue, smiling as he stepped in to separate Grandma Xia, speaking gently, ¡°Old madam, are you really Comrade Xia Chenggui¡¯s mother?¡±


    Not being addressed directly by Huo Shiqian made Grandma Xia feel disappointed, but since Xiao Wang was also a representative of the military, she looked up and smiled saying, ¡°Yes, I am the mother of the martyr Xia Chenggui, his own mother!¡±


    Xiao Wang smiled and said, ¡°Oh, and this comrade here, is she Xia Chenggui¡¯s daughter, his own daughter?¡±


    He purposely mimicked Grandma Xia¡¯s manner of speaking, which made her frown and say, ¡°So what if she is? Such an unfilial daughter!¡±


    Not wanting to talk more about Xia Chuyi, Grandma Xia pulled Xia Chengzu to the front, craning her neck towards Huo Shiqian, ¡°Sir, this is Xia Chenggui¡¯s nephew, his own nephew!¡±


    The pride on her face was evident.


    ¡°Sir, hello, I am Xia Chengzu.¡± Despite Xia Chengzu¡¯s usual swagger at home, in the presence of such an important figure, he actually felt intimidated.


    Seeing Xia Chengzu introduce himself, Zhang Xiaoling also found an opportunity to chime in, ¡°Sir, hello, I am Zhang Xiaoling, Xia Chengzu¡¯s colleague. I work at the county coal plant. The factory specifically sent me to receive you...¡±


    Her voice was so soft that it seemed almost dripping with sweetness, and the smile on her face was more radiant than flowers.


    Huo Shiqian cast a cursory glance at Xia Chengzu, his fingers continuing to tap on the table.


    As for Zhang Xiaoling, he didn¡¯t even spare her a glance.


    Receiving a look from Huo Shiqian, Xia Chengzu immediately became so excited that his voice rose an octave.


    ¡°Yes, sir, I am Xia Chengzu, Xia Chenggui¡¯s own nephew, his martyr uncle¡¯s own nephew!¡±


    Xia Chengzu was filled with pride, just like Grandma Xia when mentioning Xia Chenggui. There was not a hint of sorrow, respect, or yearning¡ªonly boastfulness.


    Huo Shiqian still did not utter a word, his fingers tapping on the tabletop.


    Xiao Wang continued to stand in between them, carrying out his superior¡¯s instructions, ¡°Old madam, you believe that the caring conditions for Comrade Xia Chenggui¡¯s children should all be transferred to Xia Chengzu, right?¡±


    Although Grandma Xia had never thought much of Xiao Wang, hearing this she was pleased to entertain him, ¡°Right, that¡¯s exactly what I mean! Chengzu is Chenggui¡¯s own nephew and rightly deserves his uncle¡¯s care.¡±


    Grandma Xia said this without a trace of embarrassment, while the people in the room, led by Uncle Xia, were already seething with anger.


    Uncle Xia looked towards Huo Shiqian.


    He was too calm.


    Then he looked at Xiao Wang, who was smiling ever so warmly.


    Surely, they wouldn¡¯t side with that old woman from the Xia family, would they?

 Chapter 103 103: 103 Reporting to the Superior

    Chapter 103: Chapter 103 Reporting to the Superior


    Although the exchange was brief, Uncle Xia felt certain that Huo Shiqian was not the kind of person who couldn¡¯t distinguish right from wrong. Given the abnormal behavior of the two, he decided to wait and see, and he even gave a look that stopped Aunt Xia and Zhao Xiaogui, who almost couldn¡¯t contain themselves.


    Xia Chuyi had also been keeping a close eye on Huo Shiqian.


    Since Grandma Xia had come in and spoken those words, Huo Shiqian¡¯s expression had remained unchanged. Though he appeared calm, his eyes had already turned cold, like a deep and bottomless icy pond.


    His fingers tapped on the table, producing a faint yet rhythmic sound.


    Then Xiao Wang would speak according to his instructions.


    Was this Huo Shiqian, hating the Xia Family so much that he didn¡¯t want to speak with them?


    ...


    Were the movements of his hands some kind of signaling method?


    Huo Shiqian continued to tap his fingers. Xiao Wang still stood in front, saying, ¡°Old lady, your eldest grandson, he¡¯s the one who took advantage of Xia Chenggui Comrade¡¯s child¡¯s priority spot to get into the factory, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, that¡¯s right, Officer. I must tell you, my Cheng Gui indeed used the martyr¡¯s child benefits,¡± Grandma Xia was led by the nose by Xiao Wang, not realizing at all how he knew about it.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Xiao Wang said with a smile.


    Then, he stood at attention on the spot, turned around, and saluted Huo Shiqian with a solemn expression, shouting, ¡°Reporting to the battalion commander, the investigation is clear. Please give your instructions!¡±


    Everyone present was taken aback.


    What¡¯s this?


    ¡°Proceed according to regulations,¡± Huo Shiqian nodded and said softly.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Wang stood at ease, then turned back around and said, ¡°Xia Chengzu, for your act of impersonation as a martyr¡¯s child, we will report to our superiors according to the law.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Grandma Xia was bewildered, ¡°Officer, what, what do you mean by this?¡±


    The tone of this young soldier suggested that this report wasn¡¯t going to be good.


    ¡°Old lady, there have been legal violations concerning Xia Chengzu¡¯s employment, so we will report to our superiors according to the law and then issue orders to Ling County to revoke his job.¡±


    Talking about reporting up the chain was actually unnecessary; they just had to mention it to the county officials, and Xia Chengzu¡¯s job would naturally be removed.


    ¡°Grandma!¡± Xia Chengzu¡¯s face turned pale as he heard Xiao Wang¡¯s words, anxiously tugging at Grandma Xia¡¯s sleeve.


    Grandma Xia also panicked, and after realizing what was happening, she immediately stepped forward, insisting on squeezing past Xiao Wang, ¡°Officer, Officer, listen to me, my family is in a unique situation, Chengzu deserves the care he¡¯s been given...¡±


    ¡°Old lady, please don¡¯t do this, don¡¯t do this...¡± Xiao Wang tried hard to stop Grandma Xia.


    Suddenly, the tapping of Huo Shiqian¡¯s fingers on the table stopped.


    His pair of deep, penetrating eyes, sharp as piercing ice, shot directly at Grandma Xia.


    Grandma Xia¡¯s movements paused, and she couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    ¡°Officer, Officer...¡± Grandma Xia couldn¡¯t speak anymore; Huo Shiqian¡¯s look reminded her of those soldiers in wartime, exuding a thick aura of killing intent.


    Huo Shiqian gradually stood up straight, relying on his height advantage to look down at Grandma Xia and her group, ¡°Comrade Xia Chenggui sacrificed himself for the country and can be regarded as a hero. Yet he couldn¡¯t even protect his own daughter¡¯s immediate interest.¡±


    Huo Shiqian enunciated every word with precision, each like a knife, ¡°I, Huo Shiqian, am ashamed before the martyred heroes!¡±


    ¡°Therefore, anyone who infringes upon the rights of the martyr¡¯s child, Xia Chuyi, the military will severely punish them.¡±


    He glanced indifferently at Xia Chengzu, who was so frightened that he hid behind Grandma Xia.


    Such a person, impersonating a martyr¡¯s child?

 Chapter 104: 104 Thats Settled Then

    Chapter 104: Chapter 104 That¡¯s Settled Then


    Huo Shiqian withdrew his disdainful gaze and said, ¡°Since Xia Chengzu¡¯s job was acquired through improper means, let it be taken away.¡±


    The tone was incredibly casual, as if he was merely stating that leaves ought to fall when the wind blows.


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s unacceptable, officer... No, you can¡¯t do this, you have no right to do this!¡± Grandma Xia, who had been calm upon arrival, now cried out in desperation.


    Xiao Wang took a step forward, standing straight, and shouted loudly: ¡°Comrade, are you doubting our battalion commander, doubting the military¡¯s regulations?¡±


    His words carried an air of righteousness.


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t, I just, I am also a martyr¡¯s mother, I should also be cared for!¡± Grandma Xia struggled to keep herself composed, ¡°In past years, the military would specially write condolence letters, specifically to me... I am a hero¡¯s mother...¡±


    As if to embolden herself, Grandma Xia asserted forcefully: ¡°Yes, yes, I am a hero¡¯s mother, you can¡¯t treat me like this!¡±


    After Huo Shiqian had made his stance clear, Uncle Xia scoffed at Grandma Xia: ¡°Hero¡¯s mother?¡±


    ¡°Grandmother-in-law, have you forgotten that year when you almost sold your brother-in-law? Fortunately, he was clever and ran off to join the army and did his part in the revolution... How old was my brother-in-law at the time? Just a teenager, right?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Minglang!¡± Grandma Xia, who didn¡¯t dare confront Huo Shiqian, could only vent her anger at Uncle Xia: ¡°Is your sister still with the Xia Family? If something¡¯s wrong with our Xia Family, would your sister be alright?¡±


    The Xia Family always resorted to this one tactic.


    Yet, this tactic was Uncle Xia¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel.


    But Uncle Xia knew he couldn¡¯t be weak at this moment and snorted coldly: ¡°So what if the Xia Family is in trouble? If necessary, I¡¯ll take my sister to the Zhao family. I¡¯ll support her!¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the grandmother-in-law want to acknowledge Chuyi as her granddaughter? Perfect, just let her change her surname, and she can take my Zhao surname straight away!¡±


    Uncle Xia said dictatorially.


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    His assertive speech made Grandma Xia hesitate.


    And with that hesitation, the previously propped-up aura dissipated completely.


    ¡°Chuyi¡¯s uncle, what do you mean by that? My second daughter-in-law and Cheng Gui had such a good relationship, and you know that, don¡¯t you?¡± Grandma Xia, who had previously served others, was quite adaptable and instantly put on a different face, smiling benignly as she spoke.


    ¡°The thing back then, why my second daughter-in-law refused to remarry no matter what was else but to remain faithful to Cheng Gui for her entire life?¡±


    ¡°If you take your sister away from the Xia Family, how hurt would she be!¡±


    ¡°And Chuyi, after all, is a child of our Xia Family. Blood is thicker than water, how could she easily change her surname? If she truly changed her surname, wouldn¡¯t that mean Cheng Gui truly has no descendants?¡±


    At this moment, Grandma Xia finally acknowledged Chuyi as a descendant of Daddy Xia.


    Hearing this, Uncle Xia¡¯s expression softened slightly.


    ¡°Then, her uncle, what about the matter with Chengzu?¡± Seeing Uncle Xia¡¯s softened expression, Grandma Xia quickly asked.


    Grandma Xia dared not turn to Huo Shiqian, so she could only hope that Uncle Xia would speak a few good words on her behalf.


    She had figured out that this military officer was clearly on Uncle Xia¡¯s side.


    Who knows, maybe he even knew Uncle Xia!


    Upon hearing the question, Uncle Xia instantly understood Grandma Xia¡¯s intention, but he said: ¡°The military has its regulations, we need to follow the rules, and I can¡¯t really say anything.¡±


    He had no intention of helping and even intentionally glanced at Huo Shiqian, shrugging his shoulders to show his helplessness.


    Huo Shiqian sat there expressionless and silent, but the pressure emanating from him was immense.


    Grandma Xia glanced at him and was frightened enough to shudder.

 Chapter 105: 105: Who Are You?

    Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Who Are You?


    Grandma Xia had been a servant in her younger years and had seen war, so she was particularly sensitive to the aura emitted by someone of Huo Shiqian¡¯s standing.


    Yet, after some thought, she still felt unwilling to let it go and had no choice but to grit her teeth and ask Uncle Xia, ¡°Then, that condolence gift...¡±


    Chengzu¡¯s job, they could look back on that later to see if there was a way.


    As for the condolence gift, it was that damn girl Xia Chuyi who had promised it in the first place¡ªit should be fulfilled, right?


    ¡°Old lady, you might have a bit of a misunderstanding.¡± Suddenly, Xiao Wang stood up, ¡°Today¡¯s visit to see Comrade Xia Chuyi was a private schedule set by our commander, and the gift was purchased out of our commander¡¯s own pocket. The army will have the same condolence procedures as before.¡±


    Everyone present took Xiao Wang¡¯s words as an excuse.


    Only Xia Chuyi glanced at Huo Shiqian.


    Could it be that this was the actual truth?


    At Grandma Xia¡¯s, with what Xiao Wang had said, she was left with no choice but to say, ¡°Then, we must have disturbed you today...¡±


    Afterward, she left with Xia Chengzu.


    Zhang Xiaoling did not leave with them.


    ¡°That, Mr. Huo, these Xia Family people, they¡¯re really too outrageous!¡± She pouted, feigning a face full of anger.


    ¡°Hmph, I knew someone like him couldn¡¯t possibly be the child of a martyr! Turns out he was an imposter!¡±


    Zhang Xiaoling spoke indignantly, ¡°Mr. Huo, I¡¯m sorry, I was fooled by her before too!¡±


    ¡°This Comrade Xia Chuyi, she¡¯s the true child of a martyr, right? Later, I¡¯ll have a word with my dad and arrange for you to work in the factory, giving you an easy job.¡±


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã?


    Her words were amiable, devoid of the earlier disdain and contempt.


    Hearing this, Huo Shiqian finally turned his gaze towards her.


    Zhang Xiaoling was secretly thrilled and quickly put on what she thought was her most beautiful expression, smiling more radiantly than flowers.


    ¡°All of this is what I should do... And this young man here, is he Chuyi¡¯s cousin? Are you still studying? If you¡¯re not, I can also have my dad help arrange for you to work at the factory!¡±


    Zhang Xiaoling acted like the generous and empathetic older sister who was ready to solve any problem.


    Huo Shiqian glanced at her twice and asked indifferently, ¡°And you are?¡±


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s indifferent words made Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s expression momentarily freeze.


    ¡°I, I work at the county coal factory, my dad is...¡± Zhang Xiaoling, her face red, reintroduced herself.


    What if the commander had just momentarily forgotten?


    However, before she could finish speaking, Aunt Xia interrupted her.


    ¡°Oh my, I say, big sister, didn¡¯t you come with Xia Chengzu? You¡¯re his girlfriend, right?¡± Aunt Xia said with a smile.


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, you country woman!¡± Zhang Xiaoling was provoked by Aunt Xia and suddenly revealed her true colors.


    ¡°You better hurry and find him then. You see, our house is crowded, we really can¡¯t accommodate you...¡±


    As Aunt Xia spoke, she pushed Zhang Xiaoling out of the house with brute force.


    Her niece Chuyi was interested in Commander Huo, and if Commander Huo suddenly took a fancy to this woman, Chuyi would be heartbroken.


    Zhang Xiaoling, being delicate and frail, simply couldn¡¯t withstand Aunt Xia and was quickly pushed out the door.


    ¡°You... I...¡± Zhang Xiaoling was furious, feeling that she had never been so embarrassed and looked down upon in her life.


    Aunt Xia pushed her out the door and closed it behind her, then turned to look.


    Indeed, her own niece displayed a face that said ¡°Auntie did a great job.¡±


    Aunt Xia began to worry: Could Chuyi be falling too deep?


    Or, should they just drive Commander Huo away too?

 Chapter 106: 106: Forming Enmity Without Cause

    Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Forming Enmity Without Cause


    Outside, Zhang Xiaoling stood there, staring fiercely at the door.


    It must be that Xia Chuyi!


    It must be that Xia Chuyi who seduced Mr. Huo first!


    Otherwise, how could Mr. Huo possibly care about her, a mere child of a martyr?


    Even coming to her house in person?


    Hmph, she had more charm and was more beautiful and fashionable than that bumpkin. If it weren¡¯t for her tricks, how could Mr. Huo not spare her a single glance?


    Xia Chuyi, just you wait, you went through all that trouble to seduce Mr. Huo, wasn¡¯t it just to get the coal factory quota back?


    Once you enter the factory and Mr. Huo leaves Ling County, then you¡¯ll see how I deal with you!


    Finally, Zhang Xiaoling left the Zhao family with a face full of anger.


    ¡°Xiao Ling!¡± Xia Chengzu, realizing Zhang Xiaoling wasn¡¯t following, ran back to find her.


    ¡°Xiao Ling, could you talk to your parents about this for me, help me think of a solution?¡± Xia Chengzu asked, grinning as he tried to grab Zhang Xiaoling.


    Zhang Xiaoling shook off her sleeve, ¡°Help what? You are impersonating a martyr¡¯s child, you know that¡¯s illegal?¡±


    ¡°This...¡± Mentioning illegality made Xia Chengzu falter; the law was very strict these days.


    Xia Chengzu was furious but didn¡¯t dare vent it on Zhang Xiaoling.


    He could only blame it on Xia Chuyi, that damned girl!


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    If it weren¡¯t for her, wouldn¡¯t the quota rightfully be his?


    Back when Second Aunt had a difficult labor, why didn¡¯t this damned girl die during childbirth!


    Meanwhile, Xia Chuyi, sitting comfortably at home, had no idea she had unwittingly become the target of such hatred.


    In the house, after the recent events, Uncle Xia grew even more fond of Huo Shiqian and directly instructed Aunt Xia to prepare a feast, wanting to have a good drink with Huo Shiqian.


    Aunt Xia stopped him timely.


    ¡°You¡¯re still injured, what are you drinking for?¡± Aunt Xia disapproved.


    Uncle Xia felt his leg where the splint was, rather regretfully.


    ¡°Ah, I was so happy I forgot about that.¡±


    ¡°No worries, there will be other chances to drink,¡± Huo Shiqian casually said.


    Uncle Xia thought Huo Shiqian was just being polite.


    But even if it was polite, it sounded very pleasant!


    Uncle Xia smiled and replied, ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll have a good drink next time!¡±


    He was growing even fonder of Huo Shiqian.


    Huo Shiqian nodded, calmly responding with one word: ¡°Good.¡±


    Xia Chuyi glanced at him.


    Good? Good what?


    Does he know about her uncle¡¯s drinking capacity, just saying good?


    Her uncle, who had been through all sorts of experiences, could drink terrifyingly...


    She secretly shook her head.


    Speaking too full, Uncle Liberation Army better not regret it later!


    In the end, the drinking did not happen as Huo Shiqian was on official duty and did not stay long, soon taking his leave.


    This time, without needing Xiao Wang to say anything, Aunt Xia took the initiative to say, ¡°Chuyi, go send him off, and don¡¯t go the wrong way again.¡±


    Uncle Xia, recalling his niece¡¯s scorching gaze towards Huo Shiqian, hesitated a bit and thought of sending Zhao Xiaogui instead.


    Just as he was about to suggest it, he caught a look from Aunt Xia and after slightly considering it, he nodded, ultimately agreeing.


    After Xia Chuyi saw the guest out, Aunt Xia leaned close to Uncle Xia and whispered, ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for a girl her age, like our Chuyi, to admire military men. Forcing her to stay might backfire. Better to let her go on her own.¡±


    Seeing Uncle Xia still somewhat uncomprehending, Aunt Xia continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if Chuyi has such thoughts, isn¡¯t there still Commander Huo?¡±

 Chapter 107: 107: All Excellent

    Chapter 107: Chapter 107: All Excellent


    ¡°Huo Commander seems very upright at a glance, not only good-looking and well-behaved but also a high-ranking officer. How could he ever fancy a child like Chuyi?¡± Aunt Xia said with a knowing smile to Uncle Xia,


    ¡°The little crush Chuyi has will fade away once Huo Commander leaves and it becomes difficult to meet again...¡±


    Uncle Xia listened, found the logic sound, nodded, and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Xia Chuyi, who was seeing Huo Shiqian off, couldn¡¯t imagine that the two elders at home had already scripted a drama titled ¡®Unrequited Love for the Commander, a Heartbroken Farewell, Silently Forgotten¡¯ for her.


    The military vehicle drove to the outskirts of the village, the usual spot, where Xiao Wang shut off the engine again.


    ¡°Reporting, my leg suddenly cramped; I request to get out of the car to stretch!¡± Xiao Wang seriously applied.


    ¡°Granted,¡± Huo Shiqian approved calmly and naturally.


    Xia Chuyi: ¡°...¡±


    Once Xiao Wang got out of the car, Xia Chuyi turned her head to look at Huo Shiqian. ¡°Where did you find this Xiao Wang?¡±


    Pure talent!


    It was as if he knew what she was thinking to herself.


    ¡°My subordinates are all very excellent,¡± Huo Shiqian calmly replied.


    The corner of Xia Chuyi¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Who self-praises like that?


    She thought to herself that Uncle Liberation Army was the biggest talent of all, and his subordinates must have learned from him ¡ª their skins thick enough to go through walls.


    ¡°Chuyi.¡± Huo Shiqian suddenly reached out his hand, gently stroking her head.


    Xia Chuyi immediately put on a ¡°there you go again, making your moves¡± expression.


    But, let him touch. It¡¯s not like I¡¯d lose a piece of meat.


    What she didn¡¯t realize was that whenever she was alone with Huo Shiqian, she would easily fall into a relaxed state, her facial expressions particularly rich.


    Huo Shiqian watched her, a faint smile spilling from the corner of his mouth.


    Uncle Liberation Army... smiled? For some reason, Xia Chuyi always had a bad premonition.


    Sure enough, Huo Shiqian increased his strength, vigorously rubbing her head.


    ¡°Eh eh eh?¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s head swayed back and forth with his movements.


    ¡°Thwack!¡± Xia Chuyi finally ran out of patience and patted his hand away, ¡°Huo Shiqian!¡±


    The hand on top of her head that had been shaking her brain ceased.


    ¡°What did you call me?¡±


    From Huo Shiqian¡¯s indifferent voice, she sensed a threat.


    ¡°Huo Shiqian... buddy,¡± Xia Chuyi squeezed out a forced smile, intentionally slurring her words.


    Honestly, having been reborn for a while now, Xia Chuyi felt that her psychological age seemed to be getting younger and younger due to the hormones in her adolescent body.


    But what of it?


    I¡¯m just ¡°eighteen¡± after all!


    ¡°Pot?¡± Huo Shiqian repeated the word, neither lightly nor heavily.


    ¡°You heard wrong... it¡¯s brother, brother.¡± A smart person doesn¡¯t court trouble ¡ª play dumb first, sending the person away is the smart move.


    Huo Shiqian stopped rubbing her head, it seemed he decided not to fuss over it.


    However, his large hand slid down from her head and, with a spread palm, caught the back of her head and forcefully pulled her into his embrace.


    Her body involuntarily tipped forward, plunging into his arms.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Xia Chuyi let out a soft yelp, trying to retreat, only to be encircled by his other hand wrapping around her waist.


    ¡°Be good,¡± the low male voice sounded in her ear.


    The breath on the edge of her earlobe made her feel ticklish inside for a moment.


    ¡°Huo Shiqian... ow!¡±


    Her head was lightly yet firmly slapped.


    The hand on her waist tightened its grip.


    Fine, she gave up struggling and quietly leaned against him, inhaling the fresh scent of laundry detergent from his clothes.


    Even though it was winter, his embrace felt as warm as a furnace.

 Chapter 108: 108 This is Very Cheap

    Chapter 108: Chapter 108 This is Very Cheap


    Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for all that messy business, she might have been willing to have a proper romance with Huo Shiqian.


    But now, their beginning was wrong, their statuses were wrong, and the control over the beginning and end was entirely in his hands; she had already lost her right to equal speech.


    A pat on her head, neither too light nor too heavy, brought her back to her senses.


    She just heard him say indifferently, ¡°Chuyi, remember, no matter where, you must write every single day.¡±


    Look, just like now, every word from Huo Shiqian was an order.


    Xia Chuyi blinked.


    ¡°But, uh, postage stamps are expensive, so are writing paper and envelopes.¡± She still wanted to struggle a bit over this matter.


    Don¡¯t look at how a few cents for a stamp or envelope, a few dimes for a stack of writing paper might seem trivial, but the daily cost of writing added up to a considerable expense.


    Her store in the city hadn¡¯t even opened yet, and here she was facing an additional everyday expense, which was certainly not cost-effective.


    The patting on her head paused for a moment.


    Silence hung in the air for two seconds.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you the postage stamps, envelopes, and writing paper.¡±


    Meaning she still had to write.


    Xia Chuyi pursed her lips.


    Alright, she had anticipated this outcome.


    But at least it would save her some money.


    ¡°Then okay, I¡¯ll just respond to your letters.¡±


    You write however much, I¡¯ll write that much!


    She thought with a sly smile.


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s movement paused again, clearly having read her inner monologue.


    But in the end, he said nothing about it, just patted her head again and said, ¡°Be good, wait for me.¡±


    Then he let go of her.


    Just when she thought it was all over, that she could breathe a sigh of relief, he swiftly took her left hand and slipped an exquisite small ladies¡¯ quartz watch onto her wrist.


    Eh?


    When had he taken that out?


    ¡°What is this?¡± she raised her hand, her gaze catching the foreign language logo on the watch, ¡°Foreign goods?¡±


    And it was a top-tier brand she recognized.


    ¡°You know?¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    ¡°Cough cough... I don¡¯t know, I just saw the foreign letters on it and guessed.¡±


    She certainly couldn¡¯t say that she not only knew the brand but also knew that, decades later, it was still a super popular brand all over the world.


    At this moment, as an unsophisticated village girl, she wasn¡¯t supposed to know these things.


    ¡°This is too valuable, I can¡¯t accept it.¡± Xia Chuyi raised her hand, preparing to slide the watch off her wrist.


    Barely had she moved when Huo Shiqian caught her hand.


    ¡°Not expensive,¡± Huo Shiqian said seriously, his tone indifferent, ¡°These things are very cheap abroad. I had someone bring it back, just a few bucks.¡±


    Xia Chuyi: ¡°...¡±


    Uncle Liberation Army, can¡¯t you draft your lies before telling them? Do you really think I¡¯m an inexperienced village girl?


    A few bucks... please bring me a dozen, okay!


    If she could get a dozen, she¡¯d become a ten-thousand-yuan household in a minute.


    ¡°Uh, this watch, it looks even better than the Shanghai brand... Uh, I think it should probably...¡± Xia Chuyi carefully chose her words, but before she could finish, her hand was suddenly enveloped by his large palm.


    ¡°Keep it,¡± Huo Shiqian said, his expression unchanging, his tone calm and steady, ¡°It¡¯s not a purchased brand, it¡¯s privately made, really not expensive.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A private order from some brand... wasn¡¯t that even more expensive?


    She no longer needed to mince her words; Huo Shiqian was convinced that she wasn¡¯t aware of international prices and planned to bamboozle her into accepting it.


    And as a ¡°village girl,¡± it seemed that indeed she shouldn¡¯t know.


    Great, she clearly received a gift, yet somehow felt aggrieved.

 Chapter 109: 109: Do You Believe Me?

    Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Do You Believe Me?


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll just accept the watch, considering Chuyi could actually use one,¡± Xia Chu decided and then earnestly said to Huo Shiqian, ¡°I¡¯ll pick out a gift for you in return.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he responded very quickly.


    Xia Chu tugged at the corner of her mouth.


    He couldn¡¯t have planned for this all along, could he?


    ¡°But just so we¡¯re clear, Uncle Liberation Army... Ouch!¡± Her head got knocked, and she glared at him, rubbing her sore spot.


    Inside, she rolled her eyes and then cutely said, ¡°Let¡¯s get this straight, Brother Shiqian, I don¡¯t have much money, so I can¡¯t buy any fancy gifts, okay?¡±


    There¡¯s no way it could compare to the value of this designer watch anyway.


    ¡°It¡¯s no issue,¡± Huo Shiqian patted her head and said, ¡°Next time I write to you, I¡¯ll send some money along, so you can take your time choosing.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She didn¡¯t have enough eye-rolls for this.


    ¡°Chuyi, I¡¯m a soldier; I can¡¯t be by your side all the time,¡± he paused, a chilly glint flashed through his eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the Xia Family issues before I go.¡±


    Xia Chu faintly sensed a killing vibe.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t bother!¡± she reacted promptly, grabbing his sleeve with her hand, and earnestly meeting his gaze, ¡°Huo Shiqian, let me deal with the Xia Family matters by myself. Please?¡±


    She didn¡¯t want him to knock everyone over with a single strike, nor did she want to rely on his help for everything.


    ¡°Huo Shiqian, you can trust me; I can handle these matters on my own.¡± She looked at him with utmost seriousness, ¡°Huo Shiqian, do you trust me?¡±


    Huo Shiqian¡¯s expression was shadowed and inscrutable until he finally tapped her forehead lightly and said, ¡°Call me ¡®brother.''¡±


    Xia Chu¡¯s expression crumpled.


    Uncle Liberation Army, you¡¯re really not playing fair!


    But she knew he had agreed.


    ¡°Brother Shiqian.¡± With her eyes curved like crescents, she beamed and said, ¡°For the Xia Chengzu matter, just follow the rules, and for everything else, I understand in my own heart.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Huo Shiqian replied tersely.


    Xia Chu glanced at Huo Shiqian¡¯s handsome face, unsure if he would actually do as he said.


    She had found that once Huo Shiqian wanted to hide what he was thinking, she couldn¡¯t detect a thing.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that then, Brother Shiqian, I¡¯m heading back now.¡± Xia Chu opened the car door and stepped out.


    This time, Huo Shiqian didn¡¯t stop her but watched her with a solemn gaze, saying, ¡°Chuyi, remember to write, tell me if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    She got the message and felt a warmth inside, smiled back, and said, ¡°I got it, Uncle Liberation Army, take care!¡±


    She saluted militarily.


    Huo Shiqian stared at her, calling out in a deeper voice, ¡°Chuyi!¡±


    Xia Chu¡¯s smile gleamed, ¡°Oops, I misspoke, Brother Shiqian, take care!¡±


    Finally, Huo Shiqian shook his head with a slight air of helplessness.


    As she alighted from the vehicle, the ¡°crampy¡± Xiao Wang ran back in high spirits.


    ¡°Goodbye, little sister-in-law!¡± Xiao Wang saluted her, ¡°Please make sure to write to our regiment commander; it¡¯s crucial for the peace of mind of all our soldiers to know if we¡¯re living in heaven or hell!¡±


    ¡°Stop that racket!¡± Huo Shiqian¡¯s low voice came from the vehicle.


    Xia Chu chuckled.


    ¡°Thank you, take care, and goodbye little sister-in-law!¡± After shouting, Xiao Wang hopped into the vehicle.


    Watching the green military vehicle fade into the distance, Xia Chu felt very pleased.


    Finally, that deity was sent off!


    When the car was completely out of sight, she lifted her wrist and took off the watch, examining it from every angle.


    Well, you have to admit, it¡¯s a really nice watch.

 Chapter 110: 101 Causing Trouble Again

    Chapter 110: Chapter 101 Causing Trouble Again


    The delicate watch chain, the exquisite watch body... She hadn¡¯t had time to look closely before, but now as she took a closer look, she found that at the bottom inside of the watch, there was a row of initial letters engraved.


    HSQ XCY


    Was it really customized?


    Xia Chuyi helplessly shook her head, ¡°It seems I need to think seriously about a return gift now.¡±


    Huo Shiqian, oh Huo Shiqian, why did you give me such a valuable thing?


    She didn¡¯t want it at all... well, actually, she really did need a watch.


    After her rebirth, without a mobile phone or a watch, she often felt uncomfortable.


    And the design of the watch, well, she was quite fond of it too.


    As she walked back to the village, she played with the watch in her hands. When she was about to enter the village, she looked around to make sure no one was watching. Then, with a flip of her hand, she put the watch into her pocket together with her overcoat.


    She would wait for some time, find a way to fabricate a backstory for the watch, and then she could wear it openly.


    After Huo Shiqian left, Xia Chuyi¡¯s life returned to its usual tranquility.


    During the day, she ran, helped Aunt Xia with the New Year goods, wrote and mailed letters, and personally went to the post office to collect Huo Shiqian¡¯s letters¡ªshe had bribed the postman with a bottle of liquor to keep her letters aside, without notifying the Xia family.


    Having settled everything, at night, she would dive into her space to study, and incidentally continue to explore the recipes in the Heavenly Book.


    Initially, during her morning runs, she had seen Xia Chengzu several times rushing to catch a carriage, carrying bags of stuff in his hands.


    Just a glance from a distance was enough for her to guess that he was using the gifts given by her Uncle Xia and the gifts from the army to curry favor.


    It was a pity that Xia Chengzu was bound to be disappointed.


    Once the army intervened, his job was definitely not going to continue.


    Perhaps blaming her for his impending job loss, whenever they bumped into each other, Xia Chengzu would glare at her severely before storming off.


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t be bothered with him.


    A few days later, apparently having exhausted all his connections, Xia Chengzu stopped going to the city.


    She thought she wouldn¡¯t see him in the mornings anymore, but to her surprise, Xia Chengzu specifically started to appear on her jogging route, standing at a distance watching her pass by, cursing indirectly with filth in his words.


    ¡°Xia Chengzu, what are you saying?¡± One day she encountered him again, and Xia Chuyi decided not to tolerate it anymore, stopping and asking him coldly.


    ¡°What am I saying? What can I say? I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± Xia Chengzu was a coward at heart. Seeing that she was serious, he immediately backed down.


    Then, as she walked away, she could hear him cursing again.


    Hehe, Xia Chuyi was almost amused into laughter.


    She didn¡¯t feel like running anymore, went home, spoke to Uncle Xia, and the next day, she went to the county town.


    She found her way to Mr. Zhang¡¯s home, where Lin Aiyun greeted her with great enthusiasm.


    ¡°Oh my, Chuyi, dear, you¡¯re here!¡± Lin Aiyun took her hand, ¡°Let me tell you, that liquor of yours, the taste is simply to die for.¡±


    ¡°My husband took it to give as a gift, and people actually thought it was foreign liquor!¡±


    Lin Aiyun chuckled, her eyes gleaming, ¡°Dear, do you still have that liquor at your relative¡¯s place? If so, how about selling a couple of bottles to me? Here¡¯s the price I¡¯m offering.¡±


    Xia Chuyi glanced at the numbers Lin Aiyun was suggesting, they were indeed not low.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t your relative have connections to get this special supply? If possible, it would be best if we could make this a long-term business!¡± Lin Aiyun added with hopeful eyes.


    A long-term business?


    Xia Chuyi inwardly found it amusing.


    Her space didn¡¯t have two bottles of that liquor left to conduct long-term business.


    Besides, even if it did, she wouldn¡¯t dare.


    This was futuristic liquor, and if someone decided to keep it as a collectible, and it resurfaced in the future, she wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it.

 Chapter 111: 111: Giving a Big Gift

    Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Giving a Big Gift


    ¡°Ah, this liquor? I got just two bottles from a relative. Last time one bottle, this time one bottle¡ªI¡¯ve brought them both for Director Lin!¡± Xia Chuyi took out the liquor from his bosom and handed it to her, putting on a sad face.


    ¡°My relative isn¡¯t anyone special, just happened to luck into a connection... Director Lin, I¡¯d like to do the business you mentioned, but, alas, I¡¯m sorry, Director Lin...¡± as if he were upset about not making money.


    Lin Aiyun¡¯s gaze flickered, revealing a hint of contempt, but she quickly hid it away.


    ¡°No problem, no problem, if you don¡¯t have it, then forget it.¡± Lin Aiyun took the liquor, unscrewed the cap, sniffed it to confirm it was the same as before, and then nodded in satisfaction, saying, ¡°This liquor money...¡±


    She intentionally spoke in a leisurely tone.


    ¡°How could I take your money, Director Lin!¡± Xia Chuyi fluttered his hands in panic, then lowered his head, shyly smiled, and said, ¡°Actually, I still have a favor to ask of you, Director Lin.¡±


    Upon hearing that there was another matter, Lin Aiyun¡¯s facial expression turned a bit sour.


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s hear it, is it about a job again?¡±


    People¡¯s appetites always grow larger. Last time Xia Chuyi gave Lin Aiyun a bottle of liquor, Lin Aiyun agreed to help with the hiring, but this time it seemed clear she was displeased with Xia Chuyi¡¯s smaller gift.


    Xia Chuyi smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that. Director Lin, it¡¯s about my sister. She can¡¯t sit still at home and wants to start working early to contribute to the country.¡±


    ¡°So I came to ask if you might be able to recruit her into the factory ahead of schedule?¡±


    Upon hearing it was just about advancing someone¡¯s recruitment, Lin Aiyun immediately brightened, casually saying, ¡°Is that all? No big deal!¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s what I¡¯ll do, I¡¯ll write you a letter of introduction right now. Take it to the factory, and they¡¯ll give you an appointment letter.¡±


    ¡°When you get it, have your sister fill it out, and she can come to report for work at any time!¡±


    Since it wasn¡¯t a difficult favor, Lin Aiyun agreed very readily.


    Goal achieved, Xia Chuyi, holding the letter of introduction, went to the factory office.


    Lin Aiyun¡¯s letter proved effective, and the temporary employment letter was quickly in hand.


    Xia Chuyi left the office with the employment letter for Xia Mei, feeling relaxed and happy.


    Just as he stepped outside, he bumped into Zhang Xiaoling coming over.


    ¡°Is it you?¡± Zhang Xiaoling was a little surprised at first.


    Then, looking down on the employment letter with contempt, she said, ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t go to the factory.¡±


    Obviously, she mistook the letter as being for Xia Chuyi herself.


    After all, anyone would think Huo Shiqian had taken Xia Chengzu¡¯s job away to give it back to her.


    Little did she know, Xia Chuyi had never intended to enter the factory from beginning to end.


    Xia Chuyi just smiled without explaining anything.


    Little did she know her indifference would further provoke Zhang Xiaoling.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, do you know who I am? Do you know who my parents are? Once you¡¯re in the factory, it will be my turf!¡± Zhang Xiaoling glared at her fiercely, threatening, ¡°Be smart and leave on your own, or else, hmph!¡±


    Xia Chuyi rolled her eyes. Zhang Xiaoling had to be suffering from princess syndrome, right?


    Let her say whatever she wants; it wasn¡¯t like she planned to work in the factory anyway.


    Not bothering with Zhang Xiaoling any longer, Xia Chuyi walked away directly.


    ¡°You!¡± Zhang Xiaoling fumed helplessly from behind, but Xia Chuyi quickly disappeared from view.


    After returning to the village, she didn¡¯t go straight to Xia Family.


    The next day, as expected, Xia Chengzu came to provoke her again.


    Heh, Xia Chuyi sneered in her heart and changed her course, heading directly toward the Xia Family¡¯s place.


    She was ready to deliver a ¡°big gift¡± to the Xia Family.

 Chapter 112: 112: Favoring Sons over Daughters

    Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Favoring Sons over Daughters


    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯m back!¡± As soon as Xia Chuyi entered the Xia Family¡¯s doorway, she shouted, almost wishing her voice wouldn¡¯t carry.


    No sooner had her voice faded away,


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you damned girl, why are you even back? Weren¡¯t you going to change your surname to Zhao?¡± Grandma Xia¡¯s angry scolding came blasting out from the main room.


    Having offended Grandma Xia¡¯s beloved grandson, Xia Chengzu, this treatment upon returning to the Xia Family was expected.


    She saw this coming and just laughed it off nonchalantly.


    ¡°Sister Mei, Sister Mei, are you there? The matter written in the partition agreement about finding you a job is settled, your appointment letter has arrived!¡± She stood at the entrance to the courtyard, cupping her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, and yelled energetically inside.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± The three words echoed from all directions.


    The door creaked open, and Xia Mei rushed out like a gust of wind.


    ¡°Really? Give me the appointment letter quickly!¡±


    Before she could get her hands on it, she was shoved from the side, and she nearly stumbled and fell.


    ¡°Big brother, what are you doing!¡± It was Xia Chengzu who had pushed Xia Mei.


    Xia Chuyi had come to the Xia Family¡¯s home, trailed by Xia Chengzu, who had also rushed up upon hearing her words.


    ¡°What¡¯s a girl like you doing getting a factory job?¡± Xia Chengzu reprimanded Xia Mei fiercely.


    Then, he turned his head, looked at Xia Chuyi with arrogance, and said, ¡°Xia Chuyi, give me the appointment letter.¡±


    Seizing what they wanted by force was the usual way of the main household.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, it¡¯s mine!¡± Xia Mei¡¯s eyes were red with urgency.


    The siblings were at a standstill.


    Xia Chuyi took a couple of steps back, not handing it over to either of them.


    Soon, Grandma Xia and Aunt Xia also came out of the house.


    ¡°Mom, look at big brother! That¡¯s my appointment letter!¡± Xia Mei tugged at Aunt Xia, stamping her foot and whining.


    Aunt Xia looked somewhat embarrassed, glancing at Grandma Xia and not daring to speak up.


    But Xia Chengzu twisted his neck around and yelled at Grandma Xia, ¡°Grandma, look at this situation!¡±


    His tone was full of determination to get what he wanted.


    Grandma Xia smiled kindly at her well-behaved grandson, patted his hand, and soothed him with her words, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma understands. What¡¯s yours will be yours.¡±


    Meanwhile, Xia Mei, fuming with anger, also called out, ¡°Grandma!¡±


    But Grandma Xia simply ignored her.


    ¡°Chuyi, is that appointment letter in your hand real?¡± Having calmed down Xia Chengzu, Grandma Xia stared intently into Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes and asked.


    Blinking seriously, Xia Chuyi replied, ¡°Of course it¡¯s real. Why would I lie to you? If I were to lie, wouldn¡¯t it be exposed the moment you visit the county office?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t use the martyr quota for that appointment letter, did you?¡± Grandma Xia asked again.


    She had learned from past mistakes.


    She was already afraid of using the martyr quota again.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Xia Chuyi shook her head, ¡°Why would I dare to just give away the martyr quota?¡±


    She had long before refused that quota.


    A gleam flashed in Grandma Xia¡¯s eyes, and she said, ¡°In that case, give the appointment letter to Chengzu.¡±


    These days, job substitutions were common, and since the appointment letter Xia Chuyi had wasn¡¯t tied to a martyr quota, anyone could claim it.


    After Grandma Xia finished speaking, Xia Mei immediately shouted in anger, ¡°Grandma! That¡¯s mine!¡±


    Seeing that Grandma Xia remained unmoved, she called out to Aunt Xia, ¡°Mother...¡±


    Sadly, Aunt Xia looked from one to the other, torn between her son and her daughter, at a loss for words.


    Xia Mei bellowed furiously, ¡°You favor boys over girls! Biased!¡±


    Knowing she couldn¡¯t rely on the elders, Xia Mei stepped forward and faced Xia Chuyi directly, saying, ¡°Xia Chuyi, you promised me this job!¡±


    ¡°You must give me that appointment letter!¡±

 Chapter 113: 113: Help from the Maternal Family

    Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Help from the Maternal Family


    Xia Chuyi purposely showed a look of embarrassment: ¡°Ah, this, I...¡±


    But inside, she was overjoyed.


    Just look, Grandma Xia was such a person.


    She favored the first household over the second and third households with no condition, and within the children of the first household, she showed unconditional favoritism towards Xia Chengzu.


    Sadly, Grandma Xia didn¡¯t know that the more she behaved like this, the less her grandchildren appreciated her favor.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already separated from the Xia Family, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t decide this matter for you,¡± Xia Chuyi frowned and cocked her head.


    After thinking a bit, Xia Chuyi added, ¡°Well, it was agreed upon when we divided the family assets to help Xia Mei find a job.¡±


    ¡°So, this appointment letter should go to her.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Grandma Xia immediately frowned, and Xia Chengzu¡¯s face fell, ready to say something.


    But Xia Chuyi continued, ¡°I¡¯ll give the appointment letter to Xia Mei, and what you do with it afterwards is your affair.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, there¡¯s no name written on the appointment letter,¡± Xia Chuyi added cheerfully.


    This statement elicited entirely different reactions from different people.


    Xia Mei¡¯s eyes lit up: With the appointment letter in her hands, it was naturally hers, and no one could snatch it away!


    Grandma Xia: Once the appointment letter was in the Xia Family¡¯s possession, wouldn¡¯t it still be up to her to distribute and arrange it?


    Xia Chengzu: This vile woman, Xia Mei, letting her go to the city for work? What a waste! Hmph, this job must be his.


    Aunt Xia: As long as the job was given to her child, she didn¡¯t care who received it.


    Each harboring their own ulterior motives.


    ¡°Fine, then give it to me!¡± Xia Mei reached out unabashedly, her face brimming with immense excitement.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Xia Chuyi extended the appointment letter halfway, then pulled it back on purpose, ¡°You have to write me an acknowledgment.¡±


    ¡°To prove that I¡¯ve fulfilled my part in arranging the job.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, what if you deny it later? Who will I turn to?¡±


    The Xia Family members¡¯ eyes flickered.


    This damn girl, so cunning!


    Just from their glances, Xia Chuyi understood they must be cursing her in their hearts.


    So what?


    Dealing with the Xia Family required extreme caution.


    Of course, having an acknowledgment wouldn¡¯t stop them from acting shamelessly.


    But at least, it would make her actions more convenient.


    Xia Mei glared at her, itching to snatch it.


    Intentionally or otherwise, Xia Chuyi held the letter in such a way that if they dared to grab it, she would tear it up.


    Biting her lip, Xia Mei finally said, ¡°I can give you an acknowledgment, but you must hand the letter over to me.¡±


    Actually learning to be cautious.


    Xia Chuyi nodded slightly, replying, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Assured, Xia Mei stomped her foot and quickly ran back to her room.


    Xia Chengzu, who had been standing by impatiently, directly confronted her, spreading out his hands: ¡°Xia Chuyi, hand over the appointment letter!¡±


    His tone was very displeased.


    Xia Chuyi took two steps back: ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    She made a show of preparing to tear up the letter.


    ¡°If you try to take it by force, I¡¯ll tear it up!¡±


    After stating this and motioning as if to tear it, she scared Xia Chengzu into hastily backing off.


    ¡°You damn girl!¡± He cursed, but didn¡¯t dare to act.


    He knew all too well that any damage to the appointment letter would render it invalid.


    Grandma Xia pulled Xia Chengzu back and, after calming him down, turned around with a gentle demeanor towards Xia Chuyi.


    ¡°Chuyi, my child, you¡¯re still young and don¡¯t understand these things.¡±


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re a girl, and if you get married one day, how will you manage without a reliable family to support you?¡±


    ¡°Blood is thicker than water, and you and Chengzu are siblings after all. If Chengzu does well, won¡¯t you also benefit in the future?¡±

 Chapter 114: 114 Better to Change Surname

    Chapter 114: Chapter 114 Better to Change Surname


    ¡°Having an older brother with a job in the county gives us face, it means people won¡¯t dare to bully you, right?¡± Grandma Xia said with an air of heartfelt concern, the quintessential elder offering thoughtful advice.


    Heh, Xia Chuyi scoffed inwardly.


    What did it mean if Xia Cheng was doing well, that she too would benefit from it?


    Previously, Xia Cheng had a job in the county, yet she never saw any advantage come her way.


    As for Xia Cheng, if he didn¡¯t exploit his siblings¡¯ love and the favoritism of Grandma Xia in the future, that would truly be a miracle.


    ¡°No.¡± Xia Chuyi shook her head calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to Xia Mei; she still has to give me a written promise.¡±


    Seeing her ¡°obstinately ignorant,¡± Grandma Xia¡¯s face immediately darkened.


    Xia Cheng tried again and again to snatch the opportunity but never succeeded.


    Suddenly, the silent Aunt Xia spoke up, ¡°Mom, Chengzu, don¡¯t be upset.¡±


    ¡°Actually, where could Chuyi possibly go, what connections to make? Just give Chengzu a slot and that would do it, right?¡±


    She said this, but her implication couldn¡¯t be clearer: This job offer surely came from Uncle Xia, so why not just ask Uncle Xia for one more favor?


    Sure enough, as soon as Aunt Xia finished speaking, the eyes of Grandma Xia and Xia Cheng lit up.


    ¡°Mom, think about it, we were wrong before, insisting on keeping the martyr¡¯s slot,¡± continued Aunt Xia. ¡°In fact, don¡¯t we have another way to get into the factory without the martyr¡¯s slot?¡±


    Grandma Xia nodded, saying, ¡°You¡¯re right, we got it wrong before.¡±


    After saying that, she looked at Xia Chuyi with a kind expression.


    ¡°Chuyi, you see, could you ask your uncle to maybe secure another slot, to get Chengzu into the factory?¡± Grandma Xia said to Xia Chuyi with a beaming smile.


    The people of the Xia Family really were the epitome of thick-skinned.


    What did they say when Xia Cheng wanted the martyr¡¯s quota? It was just asking Uncle Xia for help to transfer the quota, not a favor since it was supposedly the Old Xia Family¡¯s rightful place.


    They claimed to be people of status, not the kind to trouble others without good reason.


    And now?


    Xia Cheng is jobless and the Old Xia Family has suddenly lost their dignity?


    ¡°Or maybe, Da Mei, you could still arrange for her to be a teacher at the village school, and Chengzu could use the offer letter to get a job back in the county,¡± seeing that Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t respond, Grandma Xia offered what she thought was a more reasonable solution.


    Xia Chuyi remained in a posture ready to tear up the employment letter, unmoved.


    ¡°Grandma, Aunt, have you forgotten? The written agreement we had when we split the family only mentioned finding a job for Xia Mei,¡± Xia Chuyi said with a cold laugh. ¡°Besides, this job wasn¡¯t obtained via my uncle¡¯s connections, I secured it.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Aunt Xia exclaimed in surprise.


    Clearly, nobody believed she could have pulled this off.


    Xia Chuyi shrugged, with an attitude of ¡®believe it or not¡¯, and continued, ¡°Speaking of which, the approach was simple. Look, the path I took was through that woman Xia Cheng brought back last time, Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°You all know that my uncle has been fond of me since I was little, giving me many valuable gifts. To secure a job for Xia Mei, I spent all my assets. That¡¯s what got us this job.¡±


    ¡°Sigh,¡± Xia Chuyi deliberately sighed, ¡°Honestly, Grandma, Aunt, from the beginning, I always felt I couldn¡¯t ask my uncle for help with Xia Mei¡¯s job.¡±


    ¡°Think about it? Xia Mei¡¯s surname is Xia, not Zhao. If our Old Xia Family relies on my uncle for everything, won¡¯t the villagers mock us, suggesting our entire family might as well change our surname to Zhao just like my uncle?¡±


    By the end, her gaze had turned icy, and her words were as sharp as knives.

 Chapter 115: 115: Let Her Have Her Way

    Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Let Her Have Her Way


    ¡°You brain-chopping wretch, what nonsense are you spouting!¡± Having heard her words, Grandma Xia shouted in a fit of rage.


    Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t care at all, saying indifferently, ¡°Truthful words are unpleasant to the ear, but what I¡¯m saying is all for the good of our Old Xia Family. I hope you can take it to heart, Grandma. As for Aunt Xia, don¡¯t come up with such bad ideas anymore.¡±


    Everyone in the Xia Family knew she was shirking responsibility, but they really couldn¡¯t find a convincing excuse.


    Was it that our Old Xia Family just had to depend on Uncle Xia to survive?


    Grandma Xia glared furiously at Aunt Xia, clearly dumping all her resentment on her.


    Aunt Xia was too angry to speak and could only glare back at Xia Chuyi with venomous eyes.


    Such trivial and ineffective glares, Xia Chuyi truly didn¡¯t take seriously.


    Suddenly, Xia Chuyi smiled, her eyes curving like crescents, and said, ¡°Actually, Grandma, once Sister Mei gets the employment letter, she can just let Chengzu have it.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, haven¡¯t you always said that Sister Mei is the most obedient girl in the family? If you talk to her, she¡¯ll surely listen to you when the time comes!¡±


    Aunt Xia trembled with anger. Xia Chuyi was clearly setting a trap for her two children!


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t be bothered to spare her a glance and continued, ¡°As for my uncle, you really shouldn¡¯t trouble him.¡±


    ¡°His cart was wrecked in the accident, and he was injured; he won¡¯t recover his vitality any time soon, and people won¡¯t take his word for it.¡±


    She stressed her pity to guard against the Xia Family members not getting their way with her and then turning to Mother Xia to plead with Uncle Xia.


    ¡°Mother...¡± Aunt Xia wanted to persuade further, but Grandma Xia stopped her with a look.


    Aunt Xia had to consider her two children and was afraid they would make a fuss, but for Grandma Xia, the choice was much simpler; between the two children, the boy was naturally more important.


    There was no helping it, as Xia Chuyi¡¯s previous words had hit Grandma Xia¡¯s soft spot.


    Even though the Xia Family¡¯s reputation had already fallen in the village, she was still a martyr¡¯s mother; could she really stoop to the point where the entire village would point their fingers and laugh?


    Grandma Xia had already made her plans.


    What the Xia Family members were scheming wasn¡¯t Xia Chuyi¡¯s concern; out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Xia Mei had finished writing the deed and was coming back.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi!¡± Xia Mei came over, waving the paper, ¡°Here, I¡¯ve written the deed!¡±


    Xia Mei carefully read through the deed, confirming that it was indeed written by Xia Mei herself. She nodded approvingly and exchanged the papers with her.


    As soon as the employment letter reached Xia Mei¡¯s hands, she burst into a joyous smile.


    ¡°Ha ha, I can finally go work in the factory!¡±


    ¡°Xia Mei, give that here!¡± Xia Chengzu immediately aimed his demands at Xia Mei.


    ¡°Why should I? It¡¯s mine!¡± Xia Mei instantly shouted in protest.


    Xia Chengzu was used to throwing his weight around at home, and his temper flared up instantly. He reached out to grab Xia Mei¡¯s hair.


    Xia Mei was no pushover and, keeping the employment letter tucked against her chest, took shelter behind Aunt Xia.


    ¡°Mom, look, brother is going to hit me!¡±


    How could Aunt Xia stand to watch her precious daughter get hit by her own elder son? She quickly stepped in between them and pleaded, ¡°Chengzu, Chengzu, Da Mei is your own sister! Can¡¯t a family sit down and sort things out peacefully?¡±


    Xia Chengzu couldn¡¯t care less and reached out his hand to grab her regardless.


    Xia Mei, seeing that Aunt Xia was utterly incapable of restraining her big brother, pushed her towards Xia Chengzu with all her might.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Aunt Xia staggered from the impact and had to quickly grab hold of Xia Chengzu to keep her balance.


    Tripped by his mother, Xia Chengzu failed to catch Xia Mei.

 Chapter 116: 116: Stop Provoking Me

    Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Stop Provoking Me


    ¡°You wretched girl!¡± Grandma Xia, who had been watching Xia Mei¡¯s every move very clearly, pointed at Xia Mei and cursed her loudly.


    But Xia Mei, she wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone.


    ¡°Wretched girl, wretched girl, since you all like cursing so much, you might as well pretend I¡¯m dead!¡± Xia Mei shouted angrily as she ran out, quickly disappearing through the gate.


    Xia Chengzu grew even more furious, trying desperately to chase after her, but was frustratingly held back by Aunt Xia.


    As Xia Mei¡¯s figure vanished completely from sight, Xia Chengzu grew ruthless and fiercely pushed his own mother to the ground.


    This push was forceful, flipping Aunt Xia over.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Aunt Xia cried out in pain, gnashing her teeth.


    Xia Chengzu didn¡¯t care about his mother, his eyes red with rage, he shouted, ¡°Xia Mei, you damn woman, get back here!¡±


    And he dashed out of the yard.


    ¡°Chengzu?¡± Grandma Xia saw her obedient grandson running out too and slapped her thigh while shouting, ¡°Chengzu! Chengzu!¡±


    But there was no one in sight.


    ¡°Look at the wonderful daughter you¡¯ve raised!¡± Unable to see her grandson, Grandma Xia began to loathe Aunt Xia as well.


    After spitting at Aunt Xia, Grandma Xia hurriedly chased out the gate to find Xia Chengzu.


    One by one, the Xia Family caused a commotion, and Xia Chuyi¡¯s lips slightly curved up: She wondered if they were satisfied with this ¡°generous gift.¡±


    Catching sight of her smile, Aunt Xia snapped back to reality, and without caring about the pain in her body, she struggled up, pointing at Xia Chuyi¡¯s nose while scolding, ¡°Did you do this? It was intentional, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You troublemaker, you wretched girl!¡± Aunt Xia lunged to grab her, ¡°You brute born of a mother but without a father¡¯s teaching!¡±


    Xia Chuyi stood her ground, grabbing Aunt Xia¡¯s hand and glaring coldly, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said you...¡± Aunt Xia opened her mouth but said nothing, frightened into silence by her icy stare.


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m the little brute? Then what about my father who sacrificed himself for the country? What is he? Aunt, aren¡¯t you insulting a revolutionary martyr?¡± Xia Chuyi rebuked her sharply.


    ¡°What, the army officials just left, and Xia Chengzu¡¯s job has been taken away, and now, do you want to take a turn at the Police Station?¡±


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t!¡± Aunt Xia quickly tried to argue.


    ¡°Whether you did or not, you know yourself.¡± Xia Chuyi forcefully shoved Aunt Xia¡¯s hand away and coldly looked at her, saying, ¡°I can pretend I didn¡¯t hear what you said today.¡±


    ¡°But there absolutely won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    ¡°Now that there are no outsiders here, Aunt Xia, I¡¯m not afraid to speak my mind to you.¡±


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s lips curved into a smile: ¡°I, Xia Chuyi, have no desire whatsoever to be involved with you, the Xia Family.¡±


    ¡°Deliberately target Xia Chengzu? Heh, please inform your precious son and daughter that as long as they stop bothering me, I have no intention of setting foot on Xia Family grounds.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Aunt Xia instinctively glanced toward the second house.


    Mother Xia was someone who rarely went out, so she must undoubtedly be inside the house at this moment.


    Xia Chuyi followed her gaze to the door of the second house.


    From the moment she entered, she didn¡¯t bother to hide the commotion, and the yard had been a scene of ceaseless drama and quarreling.


    Even from the third house, people had long since cracked open a door, secretly peering out at the spectacle.


    Only the door of the second house remained closed from beginning to end.


    However, she couldn¡¯t care less.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Xia Chuyi let out a light chuckle, her eyes curving into crescents while hiding the coldness within, she said, ¡°Aunt, if anyone from the Old Xia Family bothers me again, be careful, or I might turn this place upside down.¡±


    Xia Chuyi spoke casually, but Aunt Xia shivered uncontrollably for no reason.

 Chapter 117: 117 Start Fighting

    Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Start Fighting


    Leaving the Xia Family, Xia Chuyi went straight to the post office to retrieve the letter sent by Huo Shiqian.


    Clutching the thin envelope, she flicked her wrist a couple of times.


    The letter was still very light.


    Clearly, Huo Shiqian had sent it before their meeting.


    She tore open the letter to find, as expected, the sparse and telegraph-like few words.


    ¡°Today is cold; training with the troops; all is well.¡±


    It was really tough for Uncle Liberation Army, he had self-taught himself from two sentences to three¡ªgood job!


    She folded the letter and stashed it in a dedicated spot in her space¡ªcoat, watch, letters; now, this corner was reserved for his belongings.


    Without going back, she pulled out some money and handed it over directly to the uncle at the post office.


    The uncle, familiar with the drill, gave her in return a piece of paper, a pen, an envelope, and a stamp.


    Xia Chuyi took them, spread open the paper, and swiftly penned her response.


    ¡°Ran today, encountered a rabid dog, fought it off, feeling great,¡±


    She looked at the letter with satisfaction.


    Look at her, so kind, even adding an extra sentence.


    She sealed the letter, stuck on the stamp.


    ¡°Uncle, thank you,¡± she said with a smile to the post office uncle.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to thank me for?¡± The uncle, taking the envelope and noticing its thinness, chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Chuyi lass, you young people nowadays are really something.¡±


    ¡°Every day, the incoming letters I see are just this tiny bit; and you reply the same tiny bit as well.¡±


    ¡°Why not save it up every few days and write a long one instead? It¡¯d also save money!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I really don¡¯t understand your young people.¡±


    The uncle wore a look of exasperation, as if the generational gap was too wide to bridge.


    Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t respond to the uncle¡¯s question.


    Honestly, she wasn¡¯t sure how to respond; this ¡°concise and to the point¡± spy-like correspondence was actually started by Huo Shiqian.


    Young people?


    Thinking of this term, Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips in a sneaky smile.


    Would Uncle Liberation Army burst into laughter if he heard this?


    Well, good, she now had content for a reply tomorrow.


    To be honest, initially, she didn¡¯t quite see the point of writing letters daily.


    However, these past few days, she found that jotting down daily events and sharing them with someone far away could actually be quite fun.


    Now, she was beginning to look forward to what Huo Shiqian¡¯s letters would be like after their meeting.


    Would the word count in his letters increase?


    After all, she had told Huo Shiqian, he writes more, she replies more.


    Xia Chuyi leisurely strolled back to her uncle¡¯s home.


    Upon arriving home, she went to change her clothes first. Then, coming out, she heard her cousin Zhao Xiaogui shouting in the hall.


    ¡°Hey, dad, mom, you gotta hear this, it¡¯s so interesting...¡± Upon seeing Xia Chuyi, Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly rushed over, grabbing her arm and pulling her along.


    ¡°Sister, come quickly, listen to this! The Xia family really made a scene today!¡± Zhao Xiaogui said excitedly, clearly enjoying himself. ¡°Sister, sit down, I¡¯ll tell all three of you together.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± Xia Chuyi asked calmly as she sat down and sipped her water.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Zhao Xiaogui pretended to cough mysteriously, his eyes gleaming mischievously. ¡°Hehe, sister, you might not know this, but Xia Chengzu and Xia Mei, the siblings, they started fighting!¡±


    Xia Chuyi blinked, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui: ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you excited?¡±


    Excited about what? She was the one who had started it.

 Chapter 118: One Hundred Eighteen: Its Because of Me

    Chapter 118: Chapter One Hundred Eighteen: It¡¯s Because of Me


    Although he did not get the reaction he wanted from his own sister, Zhao Xiaogui was still unable to hide his excitement and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, Sis, let me tell you about this Xia Chengzu guy. He might look decent usually, but who knew he would actually lay hands on his own sister!¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui described the scene vividly and continued, ¡°Luckily, our squad leader just happened to pass by and apprehended him, preventing him from succeeding.¡±


    ¡°Who knew,¡± he said, ¡°Xia Mei instead became relentless, jumped up, and scratched Xia Chengzu¡¯s face, leaving big marks, then she ran off.¡±


    ¡°After the old lady of the Xia Family arrived and saw Xia Chengzu¡¯s face all scratched up, yet not seeing Xia Mei around, she immediately blamed the squad leader, which really angered him.¡±


    ¡°Also, I heard that today, the wife of the Eldest Xia fell at home for no reason and twisted her back!¡±


    Aunt Xia looked incredulous and asked hurriedly, ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui chuckled and said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true! Would I mishear or forget the Xia Family¡¯s misfortunes?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s awesome! Which deity blessed this and dealt the Xia Family their comeuppance!¡± Aunt Xia clapped her hands joyously and laughed, ¡°I should offer more incense and bow a few more times to this deity!¡±


    Chuyi choked on the water she was drinking.


    ¡°Chuyi, be careful, be careful,¡± Aunt Xia said as she patted her back and handed her another glass of water, ¡°Here, drink some water, take it slow.¡±


    ¡°Kids, always choking on water,¡± Uncle Xia remarked lovingly as he shook his head watching her.


    Zhao Xiaogui shook his head and, used to the privilege of elder affection towards his cousin, could not help but laugh and say, ¡°Hehe, sis, you must have choked from happiness upon hearing about the Xia Family¡¯s misfortunes!¡±


    ¡°Sis, when mom goes to kowtow to that deity on the first day of the New Year, you should go too! Kowtow a few extra times, let¡¯s pray that the Xia Family encounters more retributions!¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Chuyi choked even more violently.


    Seeing this, Aunt Xia became alarmed, grabbed Zhao Xiaogui, and started beating him, exclaiming, ¡°I told you not to annoy your sister, I told you not to bother her!¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop!¡± Chuyi intervened quickly, her breath easing, and said, ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s not Xiao Gui¡¯s fault, it was me.¡±


    Aunt Xia, still holding Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s ear, said, ¡°How is it not his fault? Who listens to rumors all day and speaks nonsense?¡±


    This could mean she still cared about the Xia Family.


    Chuyi chuckled and said, ¡°Aunt, I meant to say that the fight between the siblings of the Xia Family was because of me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± All three people in the room were stunned.


    ¡°Chuyi, tell us, what¡¯s the real situation?¡± Uncle Xia was the first to come to his senses.


    So she explained the whole situation.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it should¡¯ve been done!¡± Aunt Xia took great satisfaction from the story. Uncle Xia, on the other hand, remained silent, probably recalling Mother Xia.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the Xia Family, it¡¯s depressing,¡± Aunt Xia quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s not talk about the Xia Family anymore,¡± Chuyi picked up the cue and said to Uncle Xia, ¡°Oh, Uncle, speaking of which, I was just about to discuss something with you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Uncle Xia, came back to reality and asked.


    ¡°The Lunar New Year is coming, and that shop of mine in town is sitting idle, which is quite a waste. I was thinking of starting it up,¡± Chuyi slowly said.


    This had been on her mind for a while.


    ¡°You mean, before the New Year?¡± Uncle Xia frowned and asked again.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Chuyi nodded, ¡°I¡¯m actually planning to earn some holiday money.¡±


    Uncle Xia pondered for a moment.


    ¡°So, what do you plan to do exactly?¡± As someone experienced, he did not just shoot her down but instead asked in detail.

 Chapter 119: One Hundred and Nineteen: A Tattered Book

    Chapter 119: Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen: A Tattered Book


    ¡°Uncle, I won¡¯t lie to you, I plan to sell some braised delicacies. With the New Year coming, ordinary families usually have more cured meats, and braised ones are too troublesome to make¡ªa large pot at a time, so not many households do it.¡±


    Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t hide her intentions and laid out her plans.


    ¡°If I sell braised delicacies, those with a bit of financial ability would be willing to spend money to try something new, while also adding some variety to their New Year dishes.¡±


    A look of surprise flashed in Uncle Xia¡¯s eyes. He looked at her and said, ¡°Chuyi, you seem to have a good head for business, but when it comes to cooked food, it all comes down to taste. Are you confident? The Old Xia Family¡¯s braising method isn¡¯t anything special.¡±


    Chuyi smiled and lowered her voice, ¡°Actually, there is something, Uncle, Aunt Xia, Xiao Gui, I¡¯m telling you this here, but you mustn¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    Seeing how secretive his niece was, Uncle Xia became incredibly curious: ¡°Eh, what is it?¡±


    Aunt Xia and Zhao Xiaogui were equally curious.


    Chuyi calmly asked Uncle Xia, ¡°You know that my grandparents used to be servants in a landlord¡¯s house, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Uncle Xia nodded.


    She continued, ¡°When that landlord¡¯s house was raided back in the day, my grandparents secretly hid some things. Of course, many items were turned over to the authorities, sold, or wasted in the past years, so there¡¯s hardly anything left.¡±


    ¡°But one time, when we were doing a big cleanup at home and clearing out old items, I found an old, tattered book that nobody in the Xia Family cared about. I flipped through it, saw that it was a recipe book, found it interesting, and decided to keep it.¡±


    ¡°I made a friend when I previously went to the Provincial City¡ªa foodie... well, someone who loves to eat. She told me that the recipes in this book are all essences.¡±


    ¡°After coming back, I thought it would be a waste not to use this recipe book, and that¡¯s why I decided to open the shop.¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui listened in amazement and blurted out: ¡°Ah, such a thing exists? Where is the recipe book?¡±


    Young people love these kinds of magical tales the most.


    With a slight smile and a thought flashing in her heart, Xia Chuyi took out a book from her chest that wasn¡¯t too big or too small, yellowed and missing corners, with pages damaged beyond repair, and passed it along for everyone to see.


    ¡°...It really is a wreck of a book,¡± Zhao Xiaogui murmured.


    Not only the Xia Family looked down on it, even a junk collector might not think highly of it.


    Meanwhile, Uncle Xia carefully took the recipe book, but his hand shook inexplicably, as if the book was about to fall apart.


    ¡°Forget it!¡± Uncle Xia handed the book back to her, saying, ¡°You better keep it.¡±


    He felt that the fragile book would crumble at a single touch.


    Chuyi took back the ¡°wreck of a book¡± with a beaming smile and tucked it back into her chest.


    No one noticed that as soon as the book was put away, it transformed into a jeweled book with a cover embroidered with mountain and water landscapes¡ªthe very Heavenly Book Recipe.


    The Heavenly Book now looked more glamorous than before, only, due to the presence of others, it refrained from shining. Otherwise, it would have surely manifested a radiant aurora.


    Truly, it, being a magnificent Heavenly Book, was indignant at having to masquerade as a wreck of a book, an insult to its dignity!


    With the help of the Heavenly Book¡¯s concealment, Uncle Xia readily agreed to Chuyi¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Speaking of which, such a treasure and the Xia Family were blind to it, only for it to end up in your hands,¡± Aunt Xia laughed, ¡°It really must be the heavens protecting you!¡±


    ¡°Mm, perhaps it¡¯s the spirit of your father in heaven who saw his precious daughter being bullied and specially sent this to you!¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Chuyi nodded.


    She caressed the Fake Heavenly Book around her neck and thought to herself: This Heavenly Book, wasn¡¯t it a gift from her father?


    Her rebirth, perhaps, was also given by her father.

 Chapter 120: 120 Booming Business

    Chapter 120: Chapter 120 Booming Business


    Over at the Xia Family, they were so caught up in the chaos of a single appointment letter that they couldn¡¯t spare a moment to pay attention to anything else.


    This was perfect for Xia Chuyi, as she could now concentrate on starting up her marinated food business.


    Since she was going to run the business in the county, she naturally had to live there.


    Her initial plan was to go to the county by herself first and move Uncle Xia¡¯s family over after the New Year¡ªthe shop Uncle Xia was renting was already arranged.


    But Uncle Xia wasn¡¯t at ease and insisted on Zhao Xiaogui accompanying her.


    Zhao Xiaogui, eager as a monkey, seemed ready to try anything. Xia Chuyi thought about it and realized that there were tasks she probably couldn¡¯t handle alone, so she agreed.


    The shop was previously a noodle restaurant, equipped with all the necessary stoves and kitchenware.


    When she used the big pot originally for boiling noodles to cook the marinade and added all kinds of spices, the delicious aroma began to waft through the air.


    ¡°Comrade, what are you selling in your shop? Why does it smell so good?¡± asked a nearby worker while Xia Chuyi was still preparing the marinade.


    Xia Chuyi smiled at the person and replied, ¡°Hello, comrade, we sell marinated food here, but we aren¡¯t open for business just yet. We¡¯ll start selling tomorrow.¡±


    The marinade recipe came from the Heavenly Book, and to make a great first impression, she used the high-quality ingredients from the storage space in her secret stash, which made it taste extraordinary.


    Even the meats and vegetables were from the storage.


    Of course, to avoid suspicion, she also purchased a bunch of ingredients from the market and the countryside.


    Those ingredients were now being purified in the Purification Array.


    After a while, once the ingredients were purified, they¡¯d be used to create equally delicious flavors.


    Zhao Xiaogui was at the back of the yard handling the chicken, working with exceptional enthusiasm.


    ¡°Sis, sis, all the meat is prepared! When can we eat?¡± The aroma from the not yet steeped marinade was already tempting him to scoop it up and pour it over rice.


    Xia Chuyi shook her head with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? It needs at least one night.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long to cook the ingredients, but they needed to be soaked in the marinade overnight.


    Zhao Xiaogui was a bit disappointed, but Xia Chuyi quickly whipped up a few small dishes, and upon eating them, his eyes lit up, ¡°Oh my, sis, how can your cooking be so good!¡±


    He gobbled down the meal, almost to the point of tears, ¡°Sis, what am I going to do? After having your cooking, I feel like my mom¡¯s food is just pig swill... And the worst part is, how am I supposed to live if I can¡¯t eat this delicious food again?¡±


    ¡°Smack,¡± Xia Chuyi slapped his head lightly, ¡°Talking nonsense, huh? So the food Aunt prepares is pig swill, and we¡¯re all pigs?¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui put on a serious face, setting aside his glibness, ¡°Sis, I think we¡¯re definitely going to make a fortune.¡±


    Xia Chu¡¯s smile widened as she responded, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a good omen.¡±


    Just like Zhao Xiaogui said, they made a fortune.


    The next day, as soon as the shop opened, customers came in a never-ending stream.


    No surprise there¡ªonce she opened the doors, the scent of the fresh marinade spread far and wide, tempting passersby who couldn¡¯t help but stop and ask.


    Xia Chuyi sliced up small plates for customers to taste.


    The folks from the coal factory weren¡¯t short on cash and nearly everyone who tasted bought some.


    In the end, by midday, the marinated food had all sold out.


    Xia Chuyi could only apologize to the later arrivals.


    After tidying up and closing the shop, Xia Chuyi was too exhausted to continue. Pretending to rest, she quickly slipped into the space for a refreshing sleep.


    After waking up refreshed and clear-headed, she began writing a letter to Huo Shiqian.


    ¡°Today, my shop opened, and I made a clean twenty-five dollars and sixty cents.¡±


    Then, a sudden inspiration struck her, and she added with a flourish, ¡°Comrade Huo Shiqian, I believe if we truly end up together in the future, you can be responsible for looking as lovely as a flower, and I¡¯ll handle earning the money to provide for our family, how about that?¡±


    Having written this, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from chuckling.


    Hehe, what expression would Uncle Liberation Army make when he gets this letter?

 Chapter 121: 121: Seeing Acquaintances Again

    Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Seeing Acquaintances Again


    The business was good on the first day, and on the second day, there were quite a few returning customers.


    Some returning customers brought their neighbors and colleagues to patronize the store.


    Because there were many customers, those who came later had to wait and chatted nearby.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, this newly opened marinated food shop has really delicious flavors. My daughter, who usually doesn¡¯t like eating, had two extra bowls of rice yesterday,¡± said a middle-aged woman who was buying marinated meat.


    Another customer who came with her took over the conversation, ¡°Exactly, my husband ended up pouring himself two drinks yesterday, saying that with such good dishes, it would be a shame not to drink. He made me laugh so much!¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha!¡± Everyone present started laughing.


    Xia Chu, with her smile, didn¡¯t join the conversation but diligently sliced the marinated dishes and plated them.


    ¡°However, the comrade at the counter, although looking quite young, is very efficient in the business,¡± the conversation turned to her. ¡°Hey, young comrade, I think your shop should have a sign too. Yesterday when I recommended your place, I could only say it was at the old rice noodle shop.¡±


    This was a well-meaning reminder.


    After Xia Chu finished preparing a dish for one customer, she handed it over and said, ¡°Comrade, here is your marinated dish, cold mixed with spice.¡±


    After the transaction, she turned with a smile to reply to the earlier customer, ¡°Hello, elder sister, actually, our shop isn¡¯t officially open yet.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Not officially open yet?¡± The people present were surprised.


    As she weighed the marinated meat chosen by the second customer, she continued, ¡°Yes, the store will officially open after the New Year. These past few days, I thought since the New Year is approaching, I¡¯d start selling a bit as an additional dish for everyone¡¯s celebration! It also helps to attract some New Year¡¯s luck.¡±


    While she spoke, another person¡¯s marinated dish was ready. The shop was bustling with activity, and business was exceptionally brisk.


    Even though more ingredients were prepared, by noon, all the marinated food had sold out.


    ¡°Hey, young comrade, your marinated dishes sell so well, you should have prepared more!¡± the later customers felt quite regretful.


    Xia Chu apologized with a smile, ¡°Sorry, we didn¡¯t have enough hands on deck and didn¡¯t prepare too much, but we will prepare more tomorrow.¡±


    Though that¡¯s what she said, she had never intended to increase the amount of ingredients from the beginning.


    What a joke; she wanted to make money, but not to exhaust herself.


    The shop wasn¡¯t even officially open yet, no sign had been hung, there was no need to expand the business too much, and besides, a certain amount of hunger marketing was necessary.


    Anyway, now that the business was up and running, the feeling of small coins clinking into her pocket was exceptionally delightful.


    After sending off the customers, she began to clean up, preparing to close the shop, when she heard voices not far from the entrance.


    ¡°It¡¯s the marinated dishes from this shop, I heard they are delicious!¡± a particularly young girl¡¯s voice said, full of excitement.


    ¡°What¡¯s so tasty? Can it be better than the dishes made by the chefs at the state-owned grand restaurant?¡± a proud female voice responded, filled with disdain for the small shop and pride in having dined at state-owned grand restaurants.


    Funny, the voice sounded quite familiar.


    ¡°Definitely cannot compare, but places like the state-owned grand restaurant aren¡¯t accessible to ordinary people, right?¡± the girl¡¯s voice said, somewhat ingratiatingly, ¡°Xiao Ling, only someone like you would have the chance to go there!¡±


    Xiao Ling?


    Xia Chu looked up and saw.


    Well, it was an old acquaintance¡ªZhang Xiaoling.


    She wasn¡¯t surprised at all.

 Chapter 122: 122: Princess Syndrome Flares Up

    Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Princess Syndrome Flares Up


    Doing business outside the coal factory, it was only a matter of time before we ran into Zhao Xiaoling.


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? What do you mean ¡®ordinary people can¡¯t get in¡¯?¡± Zhao Xiaoling hadn¡¯t seen Xia Chuyi, her head half-raised as she said to her girlfriend, ¡°Later, I¡¯ll take you to try it! It¡¯s much cleaner and tastier than these roadside stalls that don¡¯t make it to the big leagues!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡± her girlfriend flattered her, ¡°But this braised meat shop is really good, everyone who has eaten here says so!¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so.¡± Zhao Xiaoling feigned interest, walking over with the plump girl.


    ¡°Boss, do you have any more braised meat?¡± Just as the plump girl shouted out, Zhao Xiaoling¡¯s eyes met with Xia Chuyi¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± As soon as she spoke, Zhao Xiaoling¡¯s tone was very unfriendly.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Xia Chuyi replied indifferently.


    It¡¯s her, so what?


    ¡°You know each other?¡±


    Zhao Xiaoling¡¯s girlfriend noticed the two knew each other; initially surprised, she looked back and forth and realized their gazes were off, so she kept quiet.


    Zhao Xiaoling looked at Xia Chuyi with unmistakable contempt.


    She scoffed and said, ¡°Are you here to help out?¡±


    Zhao Xiaoling held her head high, scanning the shop that was neither big nor small, and said, ¡°At least you know your place, gave up on working in the factory, otherwise...¡±


    Her attitude became increasingly overbearing.


    ¡°This is my shop.¡± Xia Chuyi lifted her eyelids and glanced at her casually, her tone neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°May I ask if there¡¯s anything I can do for you two ladies?¡±


    ¡°What? Your shop?¡± Zhao Xiaoling exclaimed in surprise, her face filled with incredulous disbelief.


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t be bothered with her, continuing, ¡°If you¡¯re here to buy braised dishes, we¡¯ve sold out for today, please come early tomorrow.¡±


    Having said that, she still busied herself with the work at hand.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, is this really your shop?¡± Zhao Xiaoling clearly still refused to believe it.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re not mistaken, this is my shop,¡± Xia Chuyi answered unhurriedly, her voice incredibly calm, ¡°If you ladies don¡¯t have any other business, please leave, we¡¯re about to close.¡±


    Her nonchalant tone instantly sparked Zhao Xiaoling¡¯s displeasure.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, what kind of attitude is that? Is that how you treat people? Do you think just because you¡¯re the daughter of a martyr, you can look down on everyone else?¡± Zhao Xiaoling confronted her aggressively, ready to make accusations.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s status as the daughter of a martyr, and her connection with Huo Shiqian, had always been a sore point for Zhao Xiaoling.


    Xia Chuyi arched an eyebrow.


    Who¡¯s the one really looking down on others?


    Does she think she¡¯s a princess, expecting everyone else to hold her up?


    ¡°Xiao Gui, come over, let¡¯s close up!¡± Not wanting to indulge Zhao Xiaoling¡¯s princess-like temper, she called out loudly.


    Hearing this, Zhao Xiaogui immediately ran over: ¡°Okay, sis!¡±


    When he arrived and saw Zhao Xiaoling, he frowned: ¡°Why is it this woman?¡±


    Clearly, he wasn¡¯t too fond of Zhao Xiaoling either.


    Seeing Zhao Xiaogui, the treatment Zhao Xiaoling received from the Zhao family flashed through her mind.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, do you think that just because you¡¯ve stopped working in the factory and opened your own shop, I can¡¯t do anything about you?¡± With new grievances piling on top of the old, Zhao Xiaoling¡¯s gaze darkened.


    Xia Chuyi looked at her without saying a word.


    Has Zhao Xiaoling¡¯s princess syndrome reached a terminal stage?


    ¡°What¡¯s with you, woman, how do you speak?!¡± Zhao Xiaogui burst out, shouting.


    Seeing he was just a kid, Zhao Xiaoling ignored him and continued to talk to Xia Chuyi, raising her chin, ¡°Xia Chuyi, you¡¯d better speak to me with some respect, and beg for my forgiveness. Maybe then I¡¯ll consider letting you off.¡±

 Chapter 123: One Two Three Whose Letter

    Chapter 123: Chapter One Two Three Whose Letter


    ¡°Otherwise, just wait and see your store close,¡± Zhang Xiaoling openly threatened in the end.


    No sooner had her voice died away than Xia Chuyi had no reaction, it was Zhao Xiaogui who couldn¡¯t contain his dissatisfaction first, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, woman! Are you sick or something?¡±


    ¡°Last time at our house, you just had to inexplicably set your sights on Huo Commander!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, upset because he didn¡¯t take a fancy to you?¡±


    The youth¡¯s aggressive tone was quite hurtful.


    ¡°Hmph, puh, just look at your face smeared with powder like a ghost and it still can¡¯t cover up how ugly you are. Compared to my sister, you¡¯re miles and miles away!¡±


    ¡°If Huo Commander isn¡¯t blind, he¡¯d definitely fancy my sister over you!¡±


    ¡°You old lady, better look at yourself in the mirror more often to see what you look like before you even think about showing your face in public!¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, just looking at your noble face makes people want to throw up, ghosts to sigh, and even beasts would hurry away...¡±


    Xia Chuyi tugged at his arm.


    She warned him with her eyes, that¡¯s about enough.


    ¡°You! You!¡± Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s face turned blue with rage, ¡°You two just wait!¡±


    After throwing a fierce glare and issuing her threat, Zhang Xiaoling turned and ran off.


    Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s girlfriend paused, then hurried after her.


    ¡°Humph! Spit! Bullying my sister! Don¡¯t they see who¡¯s here?¡± Once the two had left, Zhao Xiaogui, acting like a little adult with his sleeves rolled up, said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sis, my dad sent me here to protect you!¡±


    ¡°With me around, I¡¯d like to see if that old woman dares to bother you again.¡±


    Xia Chuyi shook her head, ¡°Do you know who she is?¡±


    ¡°Just a shameless woman trying to hook up with an army officer!¡±


    Thwap! He was hit on the head again.


    ¡°Her dad is the manager of the coal factory, and her mom is the deputy director of the labor union.¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui didn¡¯t seem to care, ¡°So what? Outside of the coal factory, can she really cover the sky with one hand?¡±


    Xia Chuyi shook her head and said, ¡°What¡¯s most important is that her uncle is the chief of Ling County Public Security Bureau.¡±


    This was precisely why Lin Aiyun dared to be so arrogant in accepting bribes, and why Zhang Zhicheng could have his way in the coal factory.


    As the saying goes, officials protect each other. If Zhang Xiaoling really wanted to do something, Xia Chuyi had to be on guard.


    ¡°Then, sis, did I cause you trouble?¡± In these times, being associated with the Police Station meant something very serious.


    ¡°No worries,¡± Xia Chuyi smiled, comforting him, ¡°We are law-abiding good citizens, there¡¯s no need to be afraid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± Zhao Xiaogui brightened after hearing her words, ¡°I only said a few words to her, what could she do, have me arrested?¡±


    Xia Chuyi inwardly thought: It was actually quite possible.


    But Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s anger was more directed at her, so the likelihood of her directly targeting Zhao Xiaogui was not too high.


    As for her, if troops come, she¡¯ll block them; if water comes, she¡¯ll cover it with soil.


    Suddenly, at the door, the sound of a bicycle bell rang.


    ¡°Comrade Chuyi, your mail!¡± It was the county postman.


    The day before yesterday, as soon as Xia Chuyi arrived, she had first gone to the post office, bribed the postman with a bottle of liquor, and asked if he could deliver letters to her shop.


    ¡°Xiao Gui, you don¡¯t have to feel burdened about this, don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± she reassured Zhao Xiaogui with her final words before going to fetch the letter,


    The letter was naturally from Huo Shiqian.


    The content of the letter: ¡°I have a mission, must travel to Ling County, may have a chance to see you.¡±


    It seemed that he had written this before he set off for Ling County.


    Since the letter was written before his departure, then meeting her after that must be happening soon, right?


    Thinking of that, she couldn¡¯t help but curl the corner of her mouth.


    Hmm, she was feeling a bit of anticipation.


    ¡°Sis, who is the letter from? Why are you smiling so oddly?¡± Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s gaze was as piercing as an X-ray, fixed on his own sister.

 Chapter 124: 124: Dont Overthink It

    Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Don¡¯t Overthink It


    ¡°You little brat, why are you so nosy?¡± Xia Chuyi tapped his head with the letter.


    ¡°Hey, sis, what are you saying, who¡¯s a little brat! You¡¯re only three years older than me, just three years! If I¡¯m a little brat, then you¡¯re just a yellow-haired girl... Ouch!¡±


    The last hit, Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t hold back, hurting Zhao Xiaogui so much that he grimaced in pain.


    ¡°No respect for elders!¡± Having said that, Xia Chuyi kicked the letter into her pocket and ignored her cousin.


    Zhao Xiaogui rubbed his head for a long time, and finally behaved, coming over with a grin, saying, ¡°Sis, where¡¯s the spiced meat you kept for me!¡±


    His eyes were slyly bright,


    ¡°...¡± Uh, there seemed to be such a thing, she had completely forgotten about it.


    When the spiced meat was freshly out of the pot yesterday, Zhao Xiaogui tried a piece of pig¡¯s head and kept nagging that if it didn¡¯t sell out, it would be perfect for him to eat!


    But it all sold out before noon, leaving him disappointed.


    Seeing him like that, Xia Chuyi promised on the spot to keep some meat dishes for him today, to let him feast to his heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°Ahem, well, Xiao Gui, sorry, I didn¡¯t think of it,¡± she admitted.


    She was really too happy making money, she inadvertently sold out all the dishes, not even leaving scraps behind.


    ¡°No worries, sis, you can keep some for me tomorrow!¡± she guaranteed, patting her chest.


    Zhao Xiaogui turned his head away, clearly not believing her.


    The little brat was even throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°Sigh, Xiao Gui, let me do the math for you,¡± she decided to come clean, ¡°Yesterday I cleared twenty-five dollars and sixty cents, and I haven¡¯t calculated today¡¯s yet, but roughly estimating, it should be over thirty.¡±


    ¡°So, indeed, my mistake, I only had eyes for the money, I¡¯ll definitely...¡±


    Thinking of how her cousin had helped her out a lot, she felt quite guilty, but before she could finish speaking, he interrupted her with an exclamation.


    ¡°What, sis, you made over fifty in two days?¡± Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s eyes widened, his face lit up with excitement as he exclaimed, ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t that like a worker¡¯s monthly wage in just two days?¡±


    ¡°No wonder my dad wants to do business! So it really is so profitable!¡± His eyes sparkled. ¡°Sis, I¡¯ve decided, I¡¯m not going to school anymore, I want to learn from you and dad, I want to do business and make big money!¡±


    Watching his ready-to-drop-out-and-make-big-money demeanor, Xia Chuyi finally understood why his mother always beat him up.


    Honestly, her hand was itching too.


    She laughed helplessly, ¡°What are you thinking? How old are you? You haven¡¯t even graduated middle school, what business can you do?¡±


    ¡°Let alone you, even I am planning to study on my own and take the university entrance exam!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hearing this, Zhao Xiaogui was puzzled, ¡°Sis, why would you want to torture yourself like that?¡±


    ¡°Thump!¡± She finally couldn¡¯t hold back and gave him a knock on the head.


    It wasn¡¯t a hard knock, and Zhao Xiaogui touched his head with a grin, his eyes rolling as he said, ¡°Eh, sis, since you¡¯re going to take the university entrance exam, does that mean you¡¯ll have to leave the shop to someone else to manage?¡±


    ¡°Sis, you see, of all the people around you, who¡¯s the closest to you, the most family, the most reliable? That¡¯s me!¡±


    ¡°When you go to university, just leave the shop to me to manage!¡±


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Wow, thanks to him for really hitting where it hurt.


    Thinking about it, indeed, there was no one around she could truly trust.


    But Zhao Xiaogui definitely wouldn¡¯t work, he was his uncle¡¯s only hope, no matter what help he offered, it would ultimately still be for his uncle.


    Moreover, it truly was an era where one could make a fortune with just the guts and determination.


    However, one¡¯s level of knowledge, education, and worldview, that¡¯s what decided the ultimate ceiling.


    He, well, he should focus on his studies first!

 Chapter 125: 125 Medicinal Food Recipes

    Chapter 125: Chapter 125 Medicinal Food Recipes


    ¡°Done, don¡¯t spend all day dreaming up nonsense, or I¡¯ll send you straight home,¡± Xia Chuyi scolded him lightly.


    Zhao Xiaogui pouted, his face full of grievance.


    She shook her head and could only say, ¡°Fine, no need to stay tomorrow either. When the braised food is ready, I¡¯ll serve you a big bowl first. How¡¯s that?¡±


    A single sentence indeed brightened Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve got a deal!¡± Zhao Xiaogui clapped his hands and called out.


    Seeing Zhao Xiaogui dance with joy, Xia Chuyi shook her head again.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired at all?¡± she couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Honestly, if she hadn¡¯t had some extra rest in her space, she would have been exhausted long ago.


    In her previous life, although she ran her own restaurant, she had staff to help out with her private kitchen menu, and she cooked whatever she felt like based on her mood, so it wasn¡¯t tiring.


    Now, making these basic braised foods from dawn till dusk was exhausting.


    No wonder they say the food industry is indeed profitable but also truly exhausting.


    Zhao Xiaogui shook his head like a rattle: ¡°Not tired, not tired at all, nothing¡¯s more tiring than studying!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Mental fatigue, generational gap.


    ¡°Just work hard, and during New Year¡¯s, I¡¯ll give you a big red envelope as New Year¡¯s money,¡± Xia Chuyi said.


    ¡°Really, sister? That¡¯s great!¡± Cousin Zhao cheered.


    Not sure whether it was the allure of the braised food or the charm of a little money, but in the afternoon, Zhao Xiaogui was particularly ecstatic, working hard and vigorously.


    Looking at the potfuls of freshly washed ingredients, his eyes shone as if he saw delicious braised food and shimmering red envelopes.


    Working was tiring, but thinking about the money to be made brought a little excitement.


    However, his excitement wore him out, bustling around until he collapsed from fatigue.


    Come mealtime, as Zhao Xiaogui looked at the feast Xia Chuyi had prepared, he watered at the mouth and teared up, his hands trembling as he reached for the food.


    Thud, a meatball fell.


    ¡°Waaaah, I can¡¯t live like this!¡± Zhao Xiaogui threw down his chopsticks in outrage, his eyes brimming with tears.


    With delicious food in front but unable to use his hands, it was a human tragedy!


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, then handed him a spoon, saying, ¡°Use this instead!¡±


    Although the spoon was much more convenient, Zhao Xiaogui found it effeminate and was quite displeased. Fortunately, the delicious dishes comforted him, and soon he was eating happily with lip-smacking sounds.


    Watching her cousin¡¯s way of eating, Xia Chuyi felt quite moved.


    Only children born into happy families can be so carefree.


    In this life, she would definitely protect her uncle¡¯s family and let her cousin continue to be happy.


    Thinking it over, Xia Chuyi headed to the kitchen.


    In the past few days, there were only two people in the shop, herself and Zhao Xiaogui. Strictly speaking, both were still quite young, and their bodies naturally felt some fatigue.


    So she planned to prepare a Medicinal Food to relieve fatigue and let Zhao Xiaogui give it a try.


    Speaking of which, the Heavenly Book Recipe had various functions, not only common ones like relieving fatigue, enhancing physique, beautifying, and nourishing¡ªthere were even recipes for direct treatment of certain diseases!


    Besides, the most interesting thing was that there were even poisonous diets. Yes, the kind that could cause hives, make your body weak, cause blindness and deafness, and the like.


    On the recipe, it was specifically noted that the effects were quite good.


    Medicinal Food, she had tried it herself, but only just tasted and was satisfied knowing the flavor. She never verified the actual effects.


    Today, she happened to be able to make and test it.


    If the positive effects worked, then the negative effects likely worked, too.

 Chapter 126: 126: The Medicines Effect Goes Awry

    Chapter 126: Chapter 126: The Medicine¡¯s Effect Goes Awry


    The taste of the medicinal food wasn¡¯t as rich as marinated dishes, but with the addition of various herbs, it had a unique refreshing fragrance.


    ¡°Sis, what are you making? It smells amazing,¡± Zhao Xiaogui, utterly exhausted, had initially collapsed in his room to rest, but the faint scent eventually overwhelmed his cravings, and he dragged himself up and into the kitchen.


    ¡°Something good, you¡¯ll find out soon.¡±


    Today, she had stewed Rejuvenation Soup, choosing chicken as the main ingredient, with spices and medicinal herbs all taken from her storeroom.


    For all the medicinal food recipes, there were the Basic Version, Intermediate Version, Advanced Version, and Special Edition, each providing different levels of effectiveness.


    Based on the version, the Basic Version herbs were generally found on Earth, the Intermediate Version included some ingredients that were hard to find, and starting with the Advanced Version, some ingredients definitely weren¡¯t available on Earth.


    Because she was unsure of the effects, she had opted for the Advanced Version¡ªfor Zhao Xiaogui, who only cared about eating, wouldn¡¯t notice what was used.


    As for the Special Edition, she always felt the effects were exaggerated and didn¡¯t dare to try it.


    Soon, the chicken in the medicinal food was stewed until it was very tender and fell apart easily; she served it and placed it on the table.


    Despite not being hungry, the aromatic scent of the medicinal food was enticing and salivation-inducing.


    The siblings sat down, and quickly, they divided and finished a bowl of medicinal food.


    Xia Chuyi primarily drank the soup, savoring it while feeling the changes in her body¡ªto experience the effects of the medicinal food, she had specially avoided resting in her special space today.


    As she steadily consumed the clear broth... gradually, she felt a subtle stream spread throughout her body, it was exceptionally comfortable.


    After a while, her body felt warm and cozy, sweeping away the fatigue.


    This medicinal meal was indeed effective!


    Looking up, she saw that her cousin across the table had devoured the chicken, both the meat and the soup, entirely.


    If it weren¡¯t for trying a bite of the herbs and realizing they were inedible, he would have eaten all the accompaniments as well.


    ... this kid could eat a fortune.


    After eating their fill, Zhao Xiaogui slumped over his chair, looking utterly contented like a lord.


    How come, he didn¡¯t feel the effects?


    Just when Xia Chuyi was wondering, she heard her cousin excitedly say, ¡°Sis, anyone who marries you would be so lucky!¡±


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re beautiful, tall and slender, kind, virtuous, smart, and you have such great culinary skills...¡±


    Xia Chuyi felt somewhat speechless, it was like Wang Po boasting about her own melons.


    ¡°Sis, you have to let me help you vet your future husband!¡± Zhao Xiaogui became more excited as he spoke, bouncing up.


    ¡°Your husband must be tall, handsome, hold a good position, come from a good family, be gentle, and capable!¡±


    ¡°He must treat you well, oh, and he must be good to me too!¡±


    Xia Chuyi twitched the corner of her mouth; he really had quite the imagination.


    ¡°Also, he should possess a strong presence to subdue all the monsters and ghosts in the Xia Family! Hey, right, Huo Commander, who that bad woman fancies, is really not bad!¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui went on, speaking to himself.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know if he can outdrink my dad! Also, he must appreciate food, otherwise, wouldn¡¯t your cooking skills be wasted?¡± Zhao Xiaogui prattled on endlessly.


    ¡°Zhao Xiaogui!¡± Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t take it anymore and yelled.


    What, the effects of the medicinal food had gone awry on her cousin?


    In the distance, somewhere in the Southwest, Huo Shiqian¡¯s ears tingled slightly.


    His slender fingers tapped on the desktop, his brow slightly furrowed.


    Xiao Wang: ¡°Commander, you... have been staring at that letter for quite a long time.¡±


    Huo Shiqian glanced up indifferently.


    Xiao Wang immediately stood at attention: ¡°Commander, good day, you¡¯ve worked hard!¡±


    Huo Shiqian: ¡°Go, gather the officers from the publicity department for a meeting here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, received!¡±

 Chapter 127: 127 What a Coincidence to Know Each Other

    Chapter 127: Chapter 127 What a Coincidence to Know Each Other


    The third day after opening.


    Zhao Xiaogui, invigorated after eating Medicinal Food, was bouncing around the shop early in the morning, wiping here, sweeping there.


    Xia Chuyi made good on her promise and filled a big bowl with the freshly uncovered braised meat for him.


    The deep brown braising sauce poured over the fat and tender chicken pieces, along with the yellow and white layers of pig¡¯s head meat, the braised dried bean curd, plump and soft from soaking up the sauce, the round and adorable braised potatoes...


    Zhao Xiaogui felt he was going to die of happiness.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re truly the best and most dear sister I have!¡± After saying that, he didn¡¯t even use chopsticks; he washed his hands and just started grabbing with his hands.


    He bit into the braised meat in big mouthfuls, chewed and chewed, the fragrant flavors filling his mouth before swallowing.


    With every bite Zhao Xiaogui took, he was overwhelmed with satisfaction.


    As the cook, Xia Chuyi watched her cousin eating with such relish, which was gratifying, but she couldn¡¯t help shaking her head.


    ¡°Eating so much so early in the morning, aren¡¯t you feeling sick?¡± she said as she poured him a cup of tea and gently patted him, ¡°Keep the leftovers for the afternoon; no one will fight you for them.¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui couldn¡¯t spare the attention to listen to what his sister was saying; he just buried his head in eating meat, absentmindedly responding with ¡°mm-hmm¡±.


    Xia Chuyi walked away helplessly to open the shop¡¯s door.


    It wasn¡¯t long before customers started coming in.


    Perhaps because Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s eating was so eye-catching, the customers, seeing how delicious he was finding it, couldn¡¯t help but order extra.


    His cousin had this wonderful use?


    Xia Chuyi felt as though she¡¯d opened a new door.


    Most people buying braised flavors took them to eat at home, but there were also a few who sat down to eat slowly.


    Around ten o¡¯clock, a young man with a crew cut and Triangular Eyes swaggered in and yelled at Xia Chuyi, ¡°Hey, boss, cut two plates of braised dishes for me; I¡¯ll eat here!¡±


    After sitting down, he rolled up his sleeves and said, ¡°Bring a few cups too, and some drinks; I¡¯m going to have a few buddies over to drink later!¡±


    His tone sounded a bit ruffian-like.


    Seeing this, Zhao Xiaogui frowned and was about to say something when Xia Chuyi stopped him.


    ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t sell alcohol,¡± Xia Chuyi replied, giving her cousin a signal.


    It¡¯s not good for business to offend people lightly.


    The crew-cut man glanced at her and smirked condescendingly, ¡°Little boss lady, you sell dishes that go with drinks but not the drinks, that isn¡¯t quite right!¡±


    ¡°Who told you my dishes are meant to be eaten with drinks? They¡¯re meant to be eaten with meals!¡± Cousin Zhao couldn¡¯t hold back and stepped forward to say.


    The crew-cut man immediately scoffed, ¡°Young brother speaks quite boldly. Aren¡¯t braised dishes typically taken home to accompany drinks?¡±


    He made a reasonable point.


    Because braised meat was rare, many people indeed bought it to entertain guests, especially as an accompaniment to alcohol.


    ¡°But whatever, no drinks then,¡± he said in a boisterous manner. ¡°Just cut the braised dishes for me, and as for the drinks, my brother will bring his own bottle later!¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui wanted to say something more, but Xia Chuyi quickly cut him off, raising her voice to the crew-cut man, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go cut the meat.¡±


    She finished speaking and dragged her cousin away.


    How could they simply turn people away when doing business?


    Moreover, it was clear that this was trouble coming their way.


    Since trouble had arrived, she was determined to accompany it to the end to see what this person was really up to.


    Overruled by his sister, Zhao Xiaogui stood by huffily, blocking the crew-cut man¡¯s line of sight.


    His cousin was clearly aggrieved, but Xia Chuyi remained very calm. It wasn¡¯t long before the braised dishes were cut, and at this time, two more young men walked into the shop.


    One dressed like a worker, a mature young man who seemed to be from a factory, smiling slyly.


    The other, a young man with a buzz cut, had a fierce look about him, with the same thuggish air as the crew-cut man.


    It just so happened that she knew this buzz-cut thug.


    ¡°Xia Chengzong?¡±

 Chapter 128: 128: The Young Girl Finds the Way

    Chapter 128: Chapter 128: The Young Girl Finds the Way


    ¡°Xia Chengzong, is that you?¡± Zhao Xiaogui cried out in surprise.


    Xia Chengzong, the second son of the Xia family main branch, Chuyi¡¯s second paternal cousin, was the one in the family known for having the worst temper.


    If it were Xia Chengzu acting tough because of the elders¡¯ favoritism, typical insubordination within the clan,


    Xia Chengzong was the one who, without that familial affection, recklessly mixed in with all sorts and dared to act domineeringly both inside and outside the family nest.


    As soon as he heard the voice, Xia Chengzong¡¯s gaze shifted to the two persons, the ferocious look on his face softened slightly, revealing a hint of surprise.


    ¡°You know each other?¡± the crew-cut man asked with a raised brow.


    Frowning, Xia Chengzong spoke with a touch of discontent, ¡°My sister.¡±


    The crew-cut guy obviously paused, then asked, ¡°Really related?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Xia Chengzong nodded gravely.


    ¡°Ha! Ha! Ha!¡± The crew-cut man suddenly burst out laughing, saying, ¡°Looks like the flood has hit the Dragon King Temple now.¡±


    At this time, the man dressed in work clothes had an even uglier expression and said with displeasure, ¡°Brother Qiang, what about this?¡±


    Ban Cunqiang raised his hand and said, ¡°Alright, I know the deal, but she¡¯s my brother¡¯s sister, which makes her my sister too. So, for this matter, we need to reconsider.¡±


    ¡°Brother Qiang!¡± the man in work clothes, now with an ashen face, exclaimed, ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°Enough, Li Cai, I know what you¡¯re going to say, but we folks of Jianghu have our codes,¡± Ban Cunqiang said with the air of a Jianghu elder, ¡°Tell the person behind you that I¡¯m not interested in his small change.¡±


    Li Cai glanced at Xia Chengzong, then at Ban Cunqiang, gritted his teeth, and finally said, ¡°Brother Qiang, you really should think this over. You might not know who sent me...¡±


    Before he could finish, he was cut off again by Ban Cunqiang, ¡°What? The person behind you is that powerful? Are you threatening me now?¡±


    Ban Cunqiang was a genuine roughneck who valued face above all. Offended by Li Cai¡¯s words, he was thoroughly displeased and slapped the table with such force that it sent a thunderous bang through the air.


    Li Cai took a step back, his face turning even more livid, and managed to say, ¡°Fine, Brother Qiang, pretend I didn¡¯t say anything. Just hope you don¡¯t regret it!¡±


    With a flick of his wrist, he stormed off fuming.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Ban Cunqiang spat on the ground and said disdainfully, ¡°What kind of trash, now threatening me?¡±


    After saying this, he looked at Xia Chengzong, then turned to Chuyi and said, ¡°Hey, Sister Xia, you¡¯re Chengzong¡¯s sister, so you¡¯re Brother Qiang¡¯s sister too.¡±


    ¡°By that logic, we can consider ourselves family,¡± Ban Cunqiang said with a sleazy air as he walked towards her. ¡°Brother isn¡¯t afraid to lay things out for you today.¡±


    ¡°Sister, here¡¯s the thing, you¡¯re new around here and might not know the ropes yet. You¡¯ve managed to offend some deity or other who paid to have me hassle you.¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui couldn¡¯t stand Ban Cunqiang¡¯s thuggish demeanor, stepped forward, and stood in front of his sister.


    Ban Cunqiang didn¡¯t mind and said over Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s shoulder, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, sister. As long as you play nice, I¡¯ll sort this out for you.¡±


    Chuyi looked indifferently over her cousin, then back at Ban Cunqiang and said, ¡°Brother Qiang, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also got some fine homemade liquor at my place. I¡¯ll bring some out for you guys.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ban Cunqiang immediately broke into a grin and said, ¡°Ha! Ha! Good sister, smart move!¡±


    ¡°From now on, you¡¯re under Brother Qiang¡¯s protection. Let¡¯s see who dares to trouble you again!¡± Ban Cunqiang boasted loudly, slapping his chest with pride.

 Chapter 129: 129 Thank You for Your Patronage

    Chapter 129: Chapter 129 Thank You for Your Patronage


    Patted his chest and made a promise, Ban Cunqiang walked back, sat down, and casually called out, ¡°Sis, bring out the dishes!¡±


    He then pushed Li Cai¡¯s matter to the back of his mind.


    Ban Cunqiang¡¯s attitude almost infuriated Zhao Xiaogui, but Xia Chuyi remained unusually calm.


    She had Zhao Xiaogui deliver the cut dishes while she herself went to the back kitchen. There, she discreetly took out a special clay pot from a hidden space, opened it, poured two bowls of wine, and brought them out.


    ¡°Come on, eat, eat, eat!¡± As soon as the wine and dishes were served, Ban Cunqiang picked up his chopsticks and started eating.


    Xia Chuyi continued to do business at the counter.


    Because of Ban Cunqiang¡¯s presence, some people saw him, scorned him from afar, and left without even buying the braised dishes.


    Seeing the business being affected made Zhao Xiaogui even angrier, and he was held back by Xia Chuyi several times; otherwise, he would have sought out people to argue with much earlier.


    Especially Xia Chengzong¡ªCousin Zhao deeply resented him in his heart.


    ¡°Hmph, those Xia Family people, always bullying the girls in their house!¡± he muttered under his breath.


    Xia Chuyi just shook her head, amused.


    It¡¯s different; it¡¯s different.


    Xia Chengzong, indeed, was the real good-for-nothing of the Xia Family, yet unexpectedly, he was the only one among those people who still had a bit of a spine.


    Last time, when she was locked in the Xia Family¡¯s house, calling for help but getting no response, it was Xia Chengzong who quietly let her go.


    ¡°You can leave, don¡¯t come back,¡± Xia Chengzong didn¡¯t talk much, but he had given her some money to help her escape.


    After that, she never returned to her hometown. At a casual gathering, she heard that Xia Chengzong had taken the blame for someone else and was executed.


    She had no feelings for the Xia Family, but to repay kindness was her principle.


    If he could still be saved, it was best to realize his errors early; if he was stubborn, then she would at least try her best to help him avoid the tragedy of execution.


    Having eaten and drunk his fill, Ban Cunqiang stood up, satisfied, and said, ¡°Sis, your food and drink really do taste good! As long as you keep this up, I, Brother Qiang, will cover your place! If anyone troubles you again, just mention my name, Brother Qiang!¡±


    This was his plan to eat for free for a long time.


    Xia Chuyi smiled and said nothing.


    Ban Cunqiang took her silence as an agreement, and then, with a toothpick in his mouth and his belly sticking out, he left the restaurant.


    Xia Chengzong, behind him, glanced at Xia Chuyi, about to follow.


    ¡°Second Brother!¡± she called out.


    Xia Chengzong frowned, not knowing why she was calling him.


    Xia Chuyi was completely calm.


    ¡°Second Brother, stay, I have something to discuss with you,¡± Xia Chuyi hinted at him.


    Perhaps because he was very satisfied with his meal there, Ban Cunqiang patted Xia Chengzong on the shoulder and said, ¡°Then you siblings catch up, I¡¯ll head back first.¡±


    In an incredibly generous and understanding manner.


    With Ban Cunqiang gone, Xia Chengzong turned to her and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    His tone was very stiff, not pleasant at all.


    Zhao Xiaogui blocked him, ¡°Xia Chengzong, speak politely!¡±


    Xia Chengzong huffed disdainfully at Zhao Xiaogui¡ªafter all, he was still just a lad.


    ¡°What is it, hurry up and say!¡± Xia Chengzong became even more displeased.


    Knowing his story, she wasn¡¯t afraid of him at all. She calmly said, ¡°Consider the wine on me. Two plates of braised dishes for one yuan, I¡¯ll give you a discount, one yuan.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Xia Chengzong dug his ear, somewhat incredulous.


    ¡°I said, one yuan total, thanks for your patronage,¡± Xia Chuyi was even calmer.


    Xia Chengzong finally reacted, his eyes bulging: ¡°Are you asking me for money?¡±


    ¡°Paying for meals is only natural, or¡ªdo you plan to dine and dash?¡± she looked at him with contempt.


    Xia Chengzong: ¡°...¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui... scratched his head, confused.

 Chapter 130: 130 You are a Scoundrel

    Chapter 130: Chapter 130 You are a Scoundrel


    He never expected her to say that.


    Xia Chengzong¡¯s face turned pale, then red, red, then pale, but in the end, he stiffened his neck and coldly huffed, ¡°Have you ever seen someone from Jianghu pay for their meal?¡±


    He was planning not to pay.


    Xia Chuyi glanced at him and asked, ¡°Are you a hoodlum?¡±


    Her tone was full of suspicion.


    Xia Chengzong was so choked up he didn¡¯t know whether to reply or not.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi!¡± he grimaced fiercely, threatening her, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    She chuckled lightly and countered, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Stunned for a moment, Xia Chengzong hurriedly said, ¡°What am I doing? My boss, Brother Qiang, just helped you solve a big problem! And you¡¯re asking me what I¡¯m doing?¡±


    He had the look of her, the ungrateful girl, not knowing how to repay kindness.


    With a cold snort, Xia Chuyi twirled the knife in her hand into an intricate pattern and slammed it onto the chopping board with a thud, ¡°Trouble? What trouble? The trouble you caused in my shop?¡±


    He must have forgotten that the ¡°trouble¡± he referred to was himself and Brother Qiang.


    ¡°You... you¡¯re the one who provoked others first, and they turned to Brother Qiang! We just helped them out,¡± Xia Chengzong wouldn¡¯t admit it and defended himself.


    ¡°Oh, so after receiving benefits, you come to trouble a weak woman like me? Is that the kind of help you offer?¡± she said with a mild sarcasm.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t...¡± Xia Chengzong tried to squirm his way out but found himself at a loss for words.


    Suddenly, he realized she was right.


    He and Brother Qiang were essentially there to bully a weak woman.


    ¡°Let me guess, there are only two possible reasons you¡¯re here,¡± Xia Chuyi spoke calmly.


    ¡°One, to deliberately dine and dash and then cause trouble on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Two, to pretend you have stomachaches, headaches, and leg pains after eating and drinking, trying to scam and extort money from me.¡±


    She analyzed each possibility, leaving Xia Chengzong wanting to stomp his feet in frustration yet unable to do so.


    After all, these were indeed their original plans, and anything he did would only serve to further reveal his guilt.


    ¡°Xia Chengzong, the times of turmoil have passed, and this is an era of peace. Don¡¯t think that by dressing up your antics in loyalty, you can pretend to be a knight-errant,¡± Xia Chuyi calmly added.


    Xia Chengzong was so angry his chest heaved violently, and he desperately wanted to hit someone.


    She was just short of pointing at his nose and calling him a hooligan.


    But Xia Chuyi was still his sister, and he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to lay a hand on her.


    Most importantly, deep down he knew that everything she said was correct.


    ¡°What do you know? You have a high school education, and an uncle to pave the way for you, saying you can open a shop with just the blink of an eye.¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m not like you, I have to start everything from scratch, to build up from nothing.¡±


    He stared intensely into her eyes, and finally couldn¡¯t help but spill out the honest feelings he had been harboring for a long time.


    Xia Chuyi looked at him and shook her head, ¡°Forget it, if you don¡¯t want to pay, then don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t regret it,¡± she added with a hint of significance in her voice.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xia Chengzu was startled.


    Was he having terrible luck today, previously threatened by his employer, and now being threatened by the very person he¡¯s extorted?


    Did he really look like a hoodlum with no pride?


    Xia Chuyi shrugged her shoulders, seemingly nonchalant, ¡°It means nothing much.¡±


    Xia Chengzong left with a darkened face, gritting his teeth, ¡°I will pay you back for the money, someday!¡±


    He had unexpectedly acknowledged the debt.


    After declaring this fiercely, he flung his hand and stormed out of Xia Chuyi¡¯s shop.

 Chapter 131: 131: Taking the Blame for You

    Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Taking the Blame for You


    ¡°Jie, I realized you¡¯re pretty incredible.¡± As soon as Xia Chengzong left, Zhao Xiaogui complimented his cousin, ¡°That scoundrel Xia Chengzong... Ouch!¡±


    His head was hit yet again.


    ¡°...Why can you say it and I can¡¯t... I won¡¯t say it anymore!¡± Seeing Xia Chuyi about to hit him again, Zhao Xiaogui hurriedly scampered off.


    After running for a while, he crept back and asked her, ¡°Jie, are you really letting Xia Chengzong go just like that, not worried he¡¯ll welsh on the deal?¡±


    Although he couldn¡¯t understand why his cousin initially said she wouldn¡¯t take any money, yet ended up asking for it.


    Xia Chuyi just smiled lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll come back.¡±


    ¡°Ha? Jie, are you so sure?¡± Zhao Xiaogui didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± With a mysterious smile, she said, ¡°I added a little something to the wine.¡±


    Xia Chuyi remained composed.


    ¡°Jie!!¡± Zhao Xiaogui exclaimed, ¡°You poisoned him?¡±


    She glanced at her cousin, and said nothing.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly poison; she had just mixed a little bit of ¡®poisonous diet¡¯ ingredients into the wine, which only had some minor side effects.


    Seeing her like this, Zhao Xiaogui thought she really poisoned him, and his face instantly turned pale.


    ¡°Jie... Jie... what kind of poison did you give them?¡± Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°Could it, could it kill someone?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s serious, really serious, I¡¯ll say it was me!¡±


    ¡°Jie, when the time comes, I¡¯ll say, I¡¯ll say it was me who poisoned, it was me...¡± He was completely incoherent.


    Xia Chuyi stopped her work, feeling both amused and touched.


    ¡°Alright, Xiao Gui, don¡¯t imagine crazy things. Am I that kind of person?¡± she soothed him gently with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just a laxative, what were you thinking?¡±


    Hearing it was just a laxative, Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s expression immediately normalized and he said, ¡°Just a laxative? You scared me to death!¡±


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t a laxative, but she couldn¡¯t say that.


    She said laughing, ¡°But no matter what, I¡¯m quite touched, thank you, Xiao Gui.¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui chuckled and scratched his head, ¡°Thank for what? I just thought, if you really poisoned someone to death, my parents would probably definitely make me take the blame for you.¡±


    ¡°After all, I¡¯m not yet eighteen, and won¡¯t be sentenced to death; I won¡¯t die.¡±


    Hehe, you thought of so much in such little time.


    ¡°Alright, well, I still appreciate your sentiment. Tonight, I¡¯ll make you a delicious meal!¡± Xia Chuyi told her cousin.


    Hearing about the delicious meal, Zhao Xiaogui immediately cheered.


    With Brother Qiang, that plague, gone, the customers started coming back gradually.


    Soon, the two of them were busy again.


    It was still around noon when the food sold out, and they began to close up shop.


    As they were cleaning up, Zhao Xiaogui suddenly asked Xia Chuyi curiously, ¡°Eh, Jie, who invited that Brother Qiang?¡±


    She thought to herself: Who else could it be?


    ¡°Zhang Xiaoling.¡± She answered directly, not planning to keep her cousin in the dark.


    ¡°What?¡± Zhao Xiaogui was stunned, saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t her parents leaders at the coal plant, and her uncle in the Police Station? She¡¯s involving gangsters?¡±


    Though he had his suspicions about Zhang Xiaoling, considering her status, he thought she would never associate with riffraff, especially since her uncle was in the police!


    The police?


    Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s uncle wasn¡¯t a qualified policeman.


    In his past life, when Zhang Zhicheng had an accident, her uncle was the first one implicated.


    As for Zhang Xiaoling, she was probably used to acting recklessly, which is why she resorted to thugs to create trouble.


    Who knew, by coincidence, she got involved with Xia Chengzong¡¯s faction.

 Chapter 132: 132: Pre-Year Promotion

    Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Pre-Year Promotion


    Xia Chuyi guessed that Zhang Xiaoling would probably have more tricks up her sleeve.


    After all, for someone with ¡°princess syndrome,¡± the world not revolving around her and things not going according to her plans was simply intolerable.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry about it so much,¡± Xia Chuyi said after rinsing the rag in her hands, addressing her cousin.


    She didn¡¯t want him to get too involved.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Zhao Xiaogui replied somewhat listlessly.


    He wondered if what he had said to Zhang Xiaoling earlier had brought trouble to his cousin.


    Seeing him like this and after working for a while, Xia Chuyi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll hang up a sign that says it¡¯s the last day of business before the New Year.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s cook all the remaining ingredients and sell them all, then we¡¯ll head home and come back after the New Year.¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui was startled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean earning a lot less money?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month; we¡¯re not missing out on many days,¡± she comforted him.


    Actually, she hadn¡¯t told the truth. She had originally planned to continue until the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month because the closer it got to the New Year, the better the cooked dishes should sell.


    But there was no choice, her attempt to find someone today hadn¡¯t worked out, and Zhang Xiaoling would surely try to find someone else to cause trouble.


    She needed to avoid the sharp edge and also needed to start preparing.


    Since Zhang Xiaoling had struck first, she wouldn¡¯t hold back either.


    Zhao Xiaogui thought his cousin was afraid of Zhang Xiaoling, nodded, and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll talk to my dad about this, and let him come up with a solution!¡±


    This tendency of his to push problems onto his father made her want to smack her cousin again¡ªwhat was she to do?


    She sighed.


    Ultimately, it was still because she wasn¡¯t strong enough; even Zhao Xiaogui always felt she had to rely on Uncle Xia.


    Xia Chuyi sorted the remaining ingredients, documented everything clearly, and cooked them all following a specific sequence.


    The next day, she wrote on a wooden board ¡°End-of-Year Clearance, Extra Discounts for Bulk Purchases¡± and placed it at the door.


    Pedestrians who saw these words, even those who hadn¡¯t planned to buy anything, stopped in their tracks.


    ¡°Comrade, is your store having a clearance sale today?¡± a customer asked.


    ¡°Yes, the New Year is almost here,¡± Xia Chuyi explained with a smile. ¡°These two days were just to test the waters, our shop officially opens after the New Year.¡±


    The customer had heard about this earlier, nodded, and showed understanding.


    ¡°So how are the discounts calculated?¡± the customer asked further.


    ¡°For individual purchases, the price remains the same. Buy two pounds and get a 5% discount; for three pounds, a 10% discount and a free cooked egg; for five pounds, a 20% discount, plus another cooked egg.¡±


    ¡°Above that, no further discounts, but every five pounds still gets two more cooked eggs.¡±


    People were used to state-owned store procedures, where goods were sold at fixed prices with no bargaining. This promotional approach was very novel for current times.


    Seasoned foods, especially when bought in quantities from two to three pounds, were easy to achieve, and with the added allure of cooked eggs and discounts, customers started making calculations in their minds.


    Some, having freezers at home, began considering how much to buy, fitting it into their storage space.


    Others, more cunning, went back to gather neighbors and friends to discuss and combine their purchases.


    Regardless of whether customers purchased individually or combined, Xia Chuyi honored the discounts as announced.


    Thus, most of the seasoned meats sold were cheaper than usual, enticing even the more frugal customers to join in and purchase.


    Unexpectedly, even though there was three times the usual amount of ingredients, they were all sold out around one in the afternoon.


    This time, the siblings were thoroughly exhausted.


    Yet, there were still customers making inquiries.


    Xia Chuyi gathered her energy, explained the situation to each customer, sent them off, and told them, ¡°During the first three days after we officially open after the New Year, there will be promotional activities too, with even better discounts than before.¡±


    After sending off the customers, the figure of Zhang Xiaoling suddenly appeared at the shop entrance.


    Following her today was the same man in work clothes from before¡ªLi Cai.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, don¡¯t be so smug!¡± Zhang Xiaoling didn¡¯t have a pleasant tone as soon as she appeared.


    Xia Chuyi glanced at Li Cai behind Zhang Xiaoling, pretended to be surprised, and said, ¡°Was the man yesterday someone you brought?¡±

 Chapter 133: 133: The Pitfall of Strength

    Chapter 133: Chapter 133: The Pitfall of Strength


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhang Xiaoling raised her head. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, I¡¯m the one who sought him out. What about it?¡±


    She admitted it directly, without any pretense.


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s like that.¡± Xia Chuyi showed an expression of realization and nodded.


    Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Zhang Xiaoling immediately snorted coldly and said, ¡°Xia Chuyi, what are you implying?¡±


    ¡°Do you think just because you hooked up with that punk Liu Qiang that I won¡¯t be able to do anything to you?¡±


    Zhang Xiaoling strode into the shop, facing her.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, even if you hook up with a dozen like the small-time thug Liu Qiang and sleep with a bunch of them, it¡¯s useless. As for me, taking them down would be a matter of minutes.¡± Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s words carried an unmistakably strong hint.


    ¡°What are you babbling on about, you made-up ugly woman!¡± Zhao Xiaogui, who had been trying to control his impulses, fearing he would say something wrong, eventually couldn¡¯t hold back and stepped forward, pointing his finger at Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s nose.


    With a quick step, Li Cai moved to protect Zhang Xiaoling. ¡°You little brat!¡±


    He grabbed Zhao Xiaogui and raised his fist, ready to strike.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s boning knife gleamed, casting a light towards Li Cai.


    Li Cai was startled by the flash, pausing and releasing his grip.


    ¡°Thwack!¡± The knife plunged forcefully into the cutting board. Xia Chuyi¡¯s gaze fixed on Li Cai, enunciating each word clearly, ¡°You, what are you trying to do?¡±


    Her eyes were icy cold, sending an involuntary shiver down Li Cai¡¯s spine.


    Everyone has a weakness, and Xia Chuyi stared at Li Cai.


    In her past life, it was during a quarrel that she met with an accidental death.


    This life, she definitely wouldn¡¯t let her relatives be involved in such accidents.


    The fierce fear the ruthless, the ruthless fear those who have nothing to lose.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes looked fiercely desperate.


    Li Cai immediately turned cowardly.


    It was Zhang Xiaoling who, being shielded, had not faced Xia Chuyi¡¯s gaze directly and thus did not feel this terror. She was even more enraged and said, ¡°What am I trying to do? Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, I gave you a chance to apologize to me, but you didn¡¯t take it.¡±


    ¡°Now, even if you want to apologize, it¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°Because I won¡¯t accept it.¡±


    Zhang Xiaoling pushed Li Cai aside, directly confronting Xia Chuyi. Her voice paused for a moment before she continued.


    ¡°If you¡¯re wise, you¡¯d better close up shop quickly and disappear from Ling County from now on, never appear in my field of vision again, or else, hmph!¡±


    What use was it for a country bumpkin to act tough?


    She was the Public Security Bureau Chief¡¯s niece! Her parents were both high-level managers at the coal plant!


    So what if Xia Chuyi hooked up with some sleazy men? Her uncle could take them out in a snap!


    Thinking this, Zhang Xiaoling felt very self-assured as she looked down on her.


    Even without dissecting Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s brain, Xia Chuyi could already guess what she might be thinking.


    Suddenly, she curved her lips lightly: ¡°Zhang Xiaoling, do you know what ¡®digging your own grave¡¯ means?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Zhang Xiaoling clearly didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°It means nothing.¡± Xia Chuyi smiled faintly.


    Zhang Xiaoling was ¡°so concerned¡± about her. Naturally, she should return the favor. Since it was the end of the year, she would prepare a ¡°great gift¡± for Zhang Xiaoling, a very, very special one.


    Originally, she had planned to act after the New Year.


    Tsk tsk, what a pity, Zhang Xiaoling has become a classic case of ¡®digging your own grave.¡¯


    What sort of things had Zhang Zhicheng been involved in, what kind of people had he implicated, and what connections had he exposed? The newspapers had reported it so clearly, thus, she remembered it all too well.

 Chapter 134: 134 Indeed Ill

    Chapter 134: Chapter 134 Indeed Ill


    Xia Chuyi stopped talking.


    Zhang Xiaoling thought she was scared, so she said triumphantly, ¡°In any case, don¡¯t let me see you again, hmph!¡±


    Having said that, she turned around with her nose in the air and walked away with Li Cai strutting beside her.


    ¡°Does she have something wrong with her brain?¡± Zhao Xiaogui asked his cousin, pointing at Zhao Xiaoling¡¯s retreating figure, not understanding at all.


    ¡°Mmm, she does.¡± Xia Chuyi nodded calmly and said, ¡°Princess Syndrome.¡±


    ¡°...What is that? It sounds so weird.¡± Zhao Xiaogui scratched his head, not really understanding.


    She just smiled and didn¡¯t explain but instructed, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not worry about her. Let¡¯s hurry and tidy up the store and go to the department store, then catch the shuttle bus back.¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Sis, can you give me my red envelope early? I also want to buy some stuff!¡±


    Eating, buying, the dreams of boys and girls during a shortage of goods, strikingly similar.


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°Sure, once we finish up here, I¡¯ll prepare a red envelope for you,¡± she told her cousin.


    Inspired by the prospect of having some money, Zhao Xiaogui immediately became a diligent little pioneer, running up and down energetically.


    In the afternoon, after they had tidied up the store, the two siblings rushed to the department store while they still had some time.


    ¡°Here, this is thirty yuan; ten for your hard work these past few days, ten as your New Year¡¯s money, and ten as your bonus.¡± Xia Chuyi took out four steel worker and five mechanic notes and handed them to him.


    A steel worker, also known as Mawu, is five yuan. A mechanic, also known as a blue note, is two yuan.


    In those days, an average family giving a child one yuan tractor note was considered pretty good. More affectionate and slightly wealthier families might give a blue note or Mawu.


    Uncle Xia typically practiced the ¡®poor sons, rich daughters¡¯ method of upbringing, giving his niece Xia Chuyi the best of everything, while being very strict with his own son about money.


    Thirty yuan, in an era when a worker¡¯s salary was only around thirty to fifty yuan, was absolutely a huge sum for Zhao Xiaogui.


    ¡°Ah ah ah, sis, I love you the most, you are my living Bodhisattva, my Red Sun, my idol...¡± Zhao Xiaogui babbled.


    What nonsense was he talking about?


    Xia Chuyi knocked him on the head.


    ¡°Xiao Gui, the money is yours now, I won¡¯t control how you spend it. But I think, now that you are fifteen, and soon to be sixteen after the New Year, you should have some planning for your finances. How much money to spend and how to spend it, you should have an idea in your mind,¡± she took the opportunity to instill some financial planning concepts in him.


    Zhao Xiaogui scratched his head.


    ¡°...It¡¯s just spending money, okay, okay, I got it!¡± Seeing that she was about to hit him, he quickly changed his tone.


    After all, being a boy, with the thirty yuan substantial amount given by Xia Chuyi, he dashed to the industrial counter.


    Since they had agreed to meet at the entrance later, Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t bother with him.


    Though the food business wasn¡¯t ostentatious, and she hadn¡¯t been doing it for long, the net profit was still a good hundred or so, and even after giving thirty to her cousin, she still had about a hundred left.


    Thinking it over, she first went to the women¡¯s clothing department and bought Aunt Xia a silk scarf from the southern region for fifteen yuan.


    Then she went to the shoe department and bought Uncle Xia a pair of genuine leather shoes for thirty-two yuan.


    No matter the era, luxury goods were always the most profitable business.


    After buying New Year gifts for her uncle and aunt, she visited the food counter.

 Chapter 135: 135: Save Some Money

    Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Save Some Money


    The counter was lined with several cans of fruit, including peaches, bayberries, and pears.


    Xia Chuyi took two of each kind, which impressed the cashier with her bold and extravagant spending.


    Beyond that, she also bought a tin of malted milk powder and some assorted pastries.


    For Xia Chuyi, these foods were neither particularly tasty nor nutritious. But there was no helping it; these were the kinds of high-end gifts people liked to give during this era.


    She bought them simply so her aunt and uncle could have something to give to others.


    Because she didn¡¯t have food coupons, she had to pay double the usual price for these items.


    As she paid, she felt a pain in her flesh.


    Especially when she thought about how the food coupons would soon be cancelled and the prices of goods would drop significantly, she felt an even greater pain.


    Ah, but she still had to buy them!


    Soon, after she had nearly finished buying all the gifts to take home, she finally made her way to the counter specializing in foreign goods¡ªto pick out a gift for Huo Shiqian.


    Ling County was small, and the foreign goods section of the department store had very few items.


    Just a few bottles of alcohol, a few kinds of cigarettes, and that sort of thing.


    There were watches too, but they weren¡¯t foreign brands, they were Shanghai-made, simply displayed here for sale.


    Seeing her carrying a large and small bag full of items, the cashier was quite enthusiastic.


    He suggested this and that, but after looking around, she realized that the value of the things here were nothing compared to the watch Huo Shiqian had given her.


    After some thought, she decided not to buy anything after all.


    Otherwise, giving Huo Shiqian these ¡°cheap¡± gifts in return, she¡¯d always feel like she was repaying a diamond with a piece of glass.


    And moreover, these ¡°cheap¡± items would still cost her quite a bit of blood and sweat!


    She was just a small business owner selling spiced meats, earning a hard-fought income, and this kind of frivolous spending just didn¡¯t seem right.


    Upon further thought, regardless of what she bought, the value of the gift couldn¡¯t match the value of Huo Shiqian¡¯s watch anyway¡ªif there was anything of equal value, she couldn¡¯t afford it!


    So, closing her eyes and steeling her heart, she decided to simply knit him two sweaters by hand!


    That would save her a good deal of money!


    Yes, she was happily settled on that decision.


    Having figured this out, Xia Chuyi went to the yarn counter.


    After choosing black and grey yarn, she asked the cashier how many pounds would be needed for a sweater. Following the cashier¡¯s advice, she bought enough yarn and also picked up a set of knitting needles.


    Then, with the yarn and needles in hand, she walked to a corner where no one would notice and threw the yarn into the void.


    What a joke it would be if her younger cousin saw the yarn and knitting needles¡ªhe would definitely ask whom she was knitting for.


    The matter of her and Huo Shiqian had to be kept as secret as underground party activities, absolutely not to be disclosed.


    After everything was sorted, she hummed a light tune and holding her purchases, went to wait for Zhao Xiaogui at the entrance.


    ¡°Xiao Gui, you didn¡¯t buy anything?¡± Seeing that Zhao Xiaogui came out empty-handed, she asked curiously.


    Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s face was a picture of misery: ¡°Sister, I want to buy a bike, but I don¡¯t have enough money... and I need industry coupons too!¡±


    Xia Chuyi was startled for a moment before she realized that Zhao Xiaogui was probably talking about buying a bicycle.


    ¡°Well, as for the coupons, I¡¯ll think of a way later, but about the money...if you do well on your middle school exams, I¡¯ll buy you one as a gift!¡± Xia Chuyi made a solemn promise to motivate her cousin to study.


    ¡°Really, sister? You¡¯re not lying to me? But sister, where are you going to get industry coupons?¡± Back in those days, only those with government wages received a fixed allotment of industry coupons each month.

 Chapter 136: 136: Pen Pal

    Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Pen Pal


    ¡°You better not go to my dad, if he finds out I asked you to buy me a bicycle, he¡¯ll break my damn legs!¡± Zhao Xiaogui said, shaking his head.


    Calling his own legs ¡®dog legs¡¯... my cousin sure isn¡¯t one for details.


    There should be plenty of factory coupons in the army; most soldiers don¡¯t actually use them all.


    I should be able to get quite a few from Huo Shiqian.


    Thinking of this, she suddenly realized that her attitude towards their correspondence had subtly changed over this period.


    At least, in her heart, she had started to see Huo Shiqian as someone she could ¡°reach out to.¡±


    ¡°Sis, what¡¯s going on with you?¡± Zhao Xiaogui waved his hand in front of her, prompting her to refocus.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Xia Chuyi calmly replied as if the daydreaming person hadn¡¯t been her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we still need to catch our ride,¡± she said, smoothly bypassing the previous subject.


    Before heading back, they passed by the post office. Xia Chuyi went in to collect her mail and took the opportunity to inform the postal worker that her shop would be closed for a while. She asked that, if any mail came for her, to have it collected by the village post, and she would pick it up from there.


    After finishing all this, the siblings, with their big and small parcels, finally caught their ride back to Heshan Village.


    On the ride, Zhao Xiaogui cautiously said to her, ¡°Sis, you¡¯ve been acting all secretive lately, getting and sending letters...¡±


    She knew her cousin couldn¡¯t be kept in the dark about the letters, but she had no intention of spilling the details.


    ¡°Mind your own business, kid,¡± Xia Chuyi sternly told her cousin with a righteous look on her face.


    Her cousin looked at her, wanting to say something but stopped.


    She calmly stared straight ahead, pretending not to notice her cousin¡¯s unease.


    The more suspicious someone was, the more composed one had to appear.


    ¡°Sis... I accidentally caught a glimpse of the postmark on the letter... it¡¯s from the army... Sis, you¡¯re not, you couldn¡¯t be still writing to He Qing, could you?¡± his hesitant voice came.


    What?


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s expression fell apart, and the corner of her mouth twitched.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much... it¡¯s not He Qing,¡± she said to him with a bit of resignation.


    She had only been thinking about keeping Huo Shiqian a secret, but her cousin had jumped to the conclusion it was He Qing.


    Why on earth would she still be in contact with such a scumbag?


    ¡°He¡¯s a pen pal,¡± Xia Chuyi declared, resorting to the excuse she had prepared in advance.


    ¡°Pen pal?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Mhm, pen pal,¡± she confirmed with a nod, ¡°I met a soldier from the liberation army by chance during my last family visit, and we got along well, so we started writing letters.¡±


    She explained the situation with the letters, with a mix of truth and fiction.


    At this time, having pen pals was quite popular, so her explanation was believable.


    He seemed convinced after hearing her explanation, ¡°Really? A comrade from the liberation army?¡±


    She nodded and confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s composed demeanor completely persuaded her cousin.


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡± Like his uncle, her cousin was an army fan too. He was delighted to hear her pen pal was from the liberation army and eagerly asked, ¡°So, sis, what does this comrade from the liberation army look like? Is he tall? Handsome? Does he rank higher than He Qing? Does he have a good family background? Good education? Does he like you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Why didn¡¯t she remember her cousin from the past life being such a chatterbox?


    In her memory, he was just like a mischievous monkey.


    ¡°We¡¯re just pen pals,¡± Xia Chuyi said helplessly.


    ¡°Right, pen pals! And writing to each other could lead to being boy and girlfriend!¡± he exclaimed.


    What to do, her hand started itching again.


    ¡°Or are you saying, sis, that you don¡¯t even like this pen pal?¡±

 Chapter 137: 137 What Side Effects

    Chapter 137: Chapter 137 What Side Effects


    ¡°You little brat, why do you care so much!¡± For some reason, she felt a mix of annoyance and embarrassment and reached out to knock Zhao Xiaogui on the head.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Zhao Xiaogui clutched his head and, fearlessly muttered, ¡°If you don¡¯t like him, why are you writing letters to him?¡±


    He was used to being hit; he had become immune to it.


    But that caught Xia Chuyi off guard.


    Although her cousin definitely hadn¡¯t asked that question on purpose, it was truly a trap question for her.


    ¡°Xiao Gui, you¡¯re fifteen years old, what on earth is filling up your brain? Always talking about liking this and not liking that, tell me, are you puppy-loving at school?¡± Xia Chuyi turned the tables, questioning her cousin with righteous indignation.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhao Xiaogui had no idea how the topic had turned to him.


    ¡°Focus more on your studies, and don¡¯t think about all that nonsense. Study hard to live up to the party and the country, your teachers and parents, and your future self!¡±


    She lectured him so much that Zhao Xiaogui surrendered on the spot.


    ¡°Okay, okay, Sister, I beg you, stop talking, I got it!¡±


    He just realized that his sister was even more talkative than he was!


    Seeing her cousin capitulate, Xia Chuyi nodded with satisfaction and said, ¡°Good boy, take a little nap, we¡¯ll be home soon.¡±


    With that, she closed her eyes to rest and didn¡¯t speak further.


    Only Zhao Xiaogui was left feeling wronged.


    Why had his cousin changed so much since coming back from Provincial City?


    Before, she was the sister he could play and cavort with, but now, she gave off the feel of another adult!


    His sister thought and did things with such maturity, making him appear immature... no, rather, not mature enough.


    He already felt insignificant at home, and now his future seemed even bleaker.


    As soon as the siblings returned home, Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia were extremely surprised.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to come back on the twenty-seventh?¡± Aunt Xia said, very happy.


    Carrying their things, they entered the house, just sat down, and prepared to chatter away.


    Suddenly, the loud voice of Xia Chengzong came from outside: ¡°Xia Chuyi, come out here!¡±


    Hearing this, Uncle Xia immediately frowned, snorted coldly, and said, ¡°What is this, the Xia Family is bullying their way into my house now?¡±


    He looked ready to get angry.


    ¡°No!¡± Xia Chuyi quickly said to her uncle, ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s nothing like that! Um, actually, it¡¯s my second brother looking for me.¡±


    Both were people who had shown her kindness, and she didn¡¯t want Uncle Xia to be hostile towards him.


    ¡°What would he want with you?¡± Uncle Xia had no good impression of anyone from the Xia Family.


    In his eyes, they were probably a bunch of leeches that couldn¡¯t be shaken off. If Mother Xia weren¡¯t still with the Xia Family, he would¡¯ve dealt with those scumbags long ago.


    Xia Chuyi was about to explain when Zhao Xiaogui shouted first: ¡°Ah, I know! He must be here to confront you, about that poisoning thing!¡±


    ¡°Poisoning?¡± Uncle Xia was taken aback.


    ¡°Yep, my sister put poison in the drinks for Xia Chengzong and that hoodlum Brother Qiang!¡± Zhao Xiaogui boasted as if sharing in the glory.


    Uncle Xia was silent.


    Xia Chuyi was silent too.


    Something felt off.


    Xia Chengzong continued shouting outside, and after some thought, Uncle Xia asked, ¡°Chuyi, that medicine, was it serious?¡±


    Before she could answer, he continued, ¡°If it¡¯s serious... Xiao Gui isn¡¯t eighteen yet, if someone comes after us, let him take the blame.¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui pouted and looked towards his sister.


    See, he knew his dad would say something like that!


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s heart was touched, but she definitely couldn¡¯t agree. Besides...


    ¡°Uncle, the little devil is exaggerating, poison? It was just some extra ingredients, just a side effect,¡± she explained.


    ¡°What side effect?¡± Uncle Xia went straight to the point.


    Xia Chuyi coughed, ¡°Well, you feel really good.¡±


    Uncle Xia, Aunt Xia, Zhao Xiaogui: ???


    A hive of question marks.

 Chapter 138: 138: Afraid Youll Renege on the Debt

    Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Afraid You¡¯ll Renege on the Debt


    Upon opening the door, Xia Chengzong stood outside, his posture as forbidding as a malevolent deity, yet he was smiling with an uncanny sense of peace... Yes, as eerie as it could get.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, great, you finally came out!¡± Xia Chengzong couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly as he spoke.


    However, in the next instant, he burst into fits of laughter like thunder on the spot, shouting, ¡°Ah! Xia Chuyi! Ahh!!¡±


    Xia Chengzong was seen doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach, his whole body uncontrollably shaking.


    Uh, as the instigator, Xia Chuyi was stunned.


    She really didn¡¯t expect the effect of Wuyou to be this strong.


    Wuyou, an ingredient for Medicinal Food that adjusts moods, could make people excited and happy without worries¡ªsuch an ingredient doesn¡¯t exist on Earth.


    Usually, just a small cup of Wuyou is needed for one dose of Medicinal Food, but she wasn¡¯t clear on the effects, so she had served Xia Chengzong and Ban Cunqiang two large bowls at that time.


    Once Xia Chengzong had laughed enough and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, he struggled to control his emotions and said in a suppressed voice, ¡°Xia Chuyi, did you put something in the wine?¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Although she regretted using too much Wuyou, at this moment, she was firmly in denial.


    Seeing her act so nonchalant, Xia Chengzu wanted to rage, but his body felt light and buoyant, and his mood inexplicably pleasant.


    He took a deep breath, suppressed the wave of emotions and then said, ¡°Stop pretending, that day when you told me not to regret it, was this what you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°After Brother Qiang went back, he would laugh for no reason, laugh at sleeping animals, laugh even when he lost money playing mahjong!¡±


    ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t think much of it, but then I noticed I was the same, I couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh no matter what happened, and then I felt something was off.¡±


    ¡°I suddenly remembered what you said and your expression at that time.¡±


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, tell me, did you put some kind of drug in it?¡± Xia Chengzong became excited and could hardly hold back his laughter.


    ¡°Haha, I heard that doing drugs can make people feel excited.¡± He tried hard to suppress his emotion, his body trembling as he stared at her, ¡°Did you mix drugs in the wine?¡±


    Hearing this, Xia Chuyi faced Xia Chengzong.


    She saw his face wearing a smile, but there was an unmistakable irritation in his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not drugs, second brother.¡± She didn¡¯t want Xia Chengzong to misunderstand and plainly said, ¡°It¡¯s just a medicinal agent that adjusts mood, not a drug.¡±


    ¡°A medicinal agent?¡± Tears of ¡°joy¡± streamed down Xia Chengzong¡¯s face, ¡°It was indeed your doing!¡±


    Now that the truth was out, Xia Chuyi just shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°I had no choice, I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t pay your debts.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Xia Chengzong was speechless.


    ¡°Just for that? I¡¯m Xia Chengzong, a real man, would I renege on my debt to you? I said I¡¯d pay you back, and I will!¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    Xia Chuyi shook her head and spread her hands, ¡°Second brother, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just, you are a big boss in Jianghu!¡±


    ¡°You yourself said it, who in Jianghu pays for their meals? So, who in Jianghu would pay back their debts?¡±


    Her face serious, she spoke with earnest tone.


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Chengzong really wanted to argue, but in the end he just said, ¡°How about I write you an IOU then?¡±


    ¡°An IOU? Is that thing useful?¡± Xia Chuyi continued shaking her head, ¡°When it¡¯s time for debt collection, the amount will probably be much more than this.¡±


    She carried an air of absolute clarity.

 Chapter 139: 139: Work to Repay Debt

    Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Work to Repay Debt


    Xia Chengzong was extremely frustrated.


    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± He hated his stupid, ever-smiling face!


    Finally, they got to the point.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes curved into crescents as he smiled and said, ¡°Simple, you work at my shop and use your wages to pay off the debt.¡±


    ¡°Only one yuan? You want me to work for you?¡± Xia Chengzong looked at him in disbelief.


    Waving his hand, Xia Chuyi said, ¡°You know it¡¯s just one yuan, but look at you, mixed up in Jianghu, you can¡¯t even produce one yuan. It¡¯s better to work for me!¡±


    Xia Chengzong fell silent.


    Indeed, following Brother Qiang, he could always eat and drink well and live leisurely, but it was always Brother Qiang who paid.


    ¡°...Just one yuan, according to the county¡¯s wage level, I¡¯ll help you for at most three days!¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    She answered too quickly, Xia Chengzong immediately looked at her suspiciously.


    Xia Chuyi remained calm as usual.


    ¡°What about the antidote?¡± Xia Chengzong hurriedly asked, still most concerned about that.


    ¡°What? Antidote?¡± She widened her eyes in surprise, ¡°Brother, have you been reading too many comics? The little drug I gave you, just go to the toilet a few more times and you¡¯ll flush it out!¡±


    She said this with utter nonchalance.


    ¡°No antidote needed?¡± Xia Chengzong repeated dumbfoundedly.


    ¡°There really isn¡¯t any need.¡± Xia Chuyi calmly replied.


    Xia Chengzong finally realized he¡¯d been tricked.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you are too despicable!¡± He said through clenched teeth, full of hatred.


    ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t like to hear that, from start to finish, I was just following your words.¡± Xia Chuyi raised an eyebrow, posing as if she was about to lecture, ¡°Look, you asked me what drug I gave you, and I answered.¡±


    ¡°You asked me why, and I said it was because I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t pay your debt.¡±


    ¡°You asked what I wanted, and I said I wanted you to work off the debt.¡±


    ¡°From start to finish, you never asked about the antidote.¡±


    ¡°Brother, I advise you, don¡¯t focus on what you shouldn¡¯t, life isn¡¯t a novel, where does all this mysterious mumbo-jumbo come from?¡±


    Xia Chuyi said earnestly.


    Xia Chengzong was furious, but he couldn¡¯t control his body¡¯s buoyancy, his face turning red with frustration and discomfort.


    Seeing him reluctantly coming to terms, Xia Chuyi clicked her tongue and shook her head, ¡°Looks like you aren¡¯t planning on keeping your promise?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, after all, your big room¡¯s people, turning their backs and playing dirty isn¡¯t the first or second time.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Upon hearing this, Xia Chengzong immediately became angry, but his facial muscles just couldn¡¯t adjust to an angry expression.


    It was too stifling.


    Taking a deep breath, he gave up struggling and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll work for you! Who am I afraid of!¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t know how to work; I¡¯ll just supervise for you, supervise for two days, and then we¡¯ll call it even!¡±


    Hearing this, Xia Chuyi smiled obediently and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She was unexpectedly easy to talk to.


    Xia Chengzong looked at her, wanted to say something, but ultimately gave up.


    This cousin of his was incredible, not seen for long, and now whatever he says or does, she ends up leading him by the nose.


    He was supposed to settle scores, yet not only did he fail to get what he wanted, but he also ended up immersed in her schemes.


    Forget it, it¡¯s time to leave!


    Not wanting to stay another second, he quickly turned and ran away.


    ¡°Second cousin, I¡¯ll notify you about the shop¡¯s opening time after the New Year!¡± She called out from behind as he bolted.


    Xia Chengzong stumbled nearly falling.


    Clapping her hands, Xia Chuyi revealed a sly smile.


    Handled!


    Turning back to the house, she had barely turned around when she saw a dark head leaning by the door.


    ¡°Sis, you are really awesome!¡± Zhao Xiaogui said sincerely.


    A few words, and she had Xia Chengzong completely handled.


    He was often cleaned up by her, it was only to be expected.


    But...


    ¡°Sis, you being so fierce, how will you ever get married... Ouch!¡±


    Xia Chuyi hit him hard.


    Still needed a beating.


    Back in the room, she briefly reported the events to her uncle and aunt¡ªnaturally omitting the details, just the overview.

 Chapter 140: 140: The Letter Arrived Again

    Chapter 140: Chapter 140: The Letter Arrived Again


    ¡°He could come and help out in my store when he arrives, and consider it repaying a debt,¡± Xia Chuyi said.


    Uncle Xia nodded and replied, ¡°That sounds good. With him holding down the fort at the store on the official opening days, we won¡¯t have to worry about any trouble.¡±


    ...her second brother¡¯s idea surprisingly matched hers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him anymore. Uncle, Aunt Xia, I brought you gifts!¡±


    She had just entered earlier and hadn¡¯t yet had the chance to mention the gifts when Xia Chengzong arrived, so she quickly spoke up now.


    Hearing there were gifts, both Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia were especially thrilled.


    Xia Chuyi pulled out a scarf for Aunt Xia and leather shoes for Uncle Xia from her bag.


    Aunt Xia, receiving the bright red scarf, couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    ¡°You really are a little padded jacket to the heart!¡± Aunt Xia hugged Xia Chuyi, laughing, ¡°Chuyi, Aunt Xia is growing fonder and fonder of you by the day, almost wishing you could take our Zhao surname!¡±


    Good feelings between people are mutual.


    In her previous life, Aunt Xia¡¯s kindness toward her was more because of her love for Uncle Xia.


    In this life, she could feel Aunt Xia¡¯s love growing more and more heartfelt.


    After praising her, Aunt Xia turned to complain about her own son, ¡°Having a son is so useless. He never shows filial respect, and later we still have to provide him a house and a wife, and after marrying, we even have to help raise his children...¡±


    ¡°Hmph, and even then, who¡¯s to say he won¡¯t forget all about his mother once he has a wife!¡±


    Collateral damage.


    Zhao Xiaogui was indignant!


    See, he knew his status at home was getting lower and lower!


    The family burst out laughing looking at his expression.


    Uncle Xia, holding the leather shoes, couldn¡¯t stop caressing them.


    He didn¡¯t lack a pair of shoes, but being a gift from his niece made him involuntarily happy just looking at them.


    Unfortunately, his foot injury hadn¡¯t healed, so he couldn¡¯t try them on.


    Otherwise, he definitely would have worn them out to strut around and show off.


    He couldn¡¯t wear the shoes, but Aunt Xia could wear the scarf.


    She wrapped the scarf around her neck, contentedly looked in the mirror and came back, circling around in the room until Uncle Xia complimented her on looking good.


    Xia Chuyi smiled obediently.


    Present by present, Aunt Xia couldn¡¯t help but scold playfully, ¡°You kid, you¡¯ve only been in business for a few days and you¡¯re already buying so much. You haven¡¯t learned how to earn yet, but you¡¯ve already learned how to spend, huh?¡±


    Though she said this, her smile never faded.


    Uncle Xia immediately defended, ¡°That¡¯s what you don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s the purpose of earning money? It¡¯s meant to be spent!¡±


    ¡°Besides, to know how to earn money, you first have to learn how to spend money!¡±


    ¡°Look how good Chuyi¡¯s taste is? Everything she bought is what you and I like, and what we need for the New Year.¡±


    ¡°Perfectly balances aesthetics with practicality.¡±


    Hearing this, Aunt Xia burst out laughing, ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right!¡±


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but laugh along.


    Only Zhao Xiaogui, shaking his head, muttered, ¡°Sister¡¯s eloquence is exactly like learning from my dad... Ouch.¡±


    Unsurprisingly, he got a bump on the head.


    Is this any way to live?


    Zhao Xiaogui was outraged.


    Back at home, Xia Chuyi¡¯s life once again settled into a routine of jogging, helping Aunt Xia, writing and replying to letters, and studying in her space.


    In this routine, the festive atmosphere grew thicker, and the New Year approached closer.


    Several mornings, she was woken by the cries from slaughtering the New Year pig in the village.


    Slaughtering the New Year pig, eating stew from the pot.


    As the footsteps of the year grew nearer, the first letter from Huo Shiqian since they had met finally arrived.

 Chapter 141: 141: Received the Package

    Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Received the Package


    Along with the letter, there arrived a remittance receipt, bearing an amount of one hundred.


    Xia Chuyi shook her head.


    He actually sent money?


    Setting aside the remittance receipt, her attention was more drawn to the letter.


    Holding it cursorily, she eyed it with curiosity.


    It still used the same military-exclusive kraft paper envelope, stamped with a vivid red postmark and familiar handwriting.


    What was different, however, was that this letter was unusually thick.


    The letter hadn¡¯t yet been opened, but the paper inside seemed about to burst out of the envelope.


    Her bright eyes sparkled with curiosity.


    Was Uncle Liberation Army really able to write such a thick letter?


    A tinge of itchiness stirred in her heart.


    Using the excuse of needing to rest, she returned to her room, closed the door, and with a flick of intention, entered her personal space.


    She was ready to read the letter slowly.


    Carefully tearing open the seal, she shook out a stack of thick letter paper.


    Then, the corner of her eye twitched, and she fell silent.


    The letter paper inside the envelope was just that ¡ª clean, unwritten-on letter paper.


    Floating out with the stack of thick paper was a thin letter.


    It read:


    ¡°Chuyi, it¡¯s inconvenient to write on the way back, hence the brief message, please understand. Enclosed are letter paper and a postage stamp for your reply.


    Huo Shiqian.¡±


    Inside the envelope was a single postage stamp, yet a stack of letter paper.


    So, did Uncle Liberation Army mean for her to use these papers to write a single letter back?


    Wasn¡¯t that a bit too hopeful?


    Ha, she felt like swearing.


    Xia Chuyi pulled out a single sheet from the stack and replied, ¡°Before New Year, consumed daily with cooking hot pot soup, too busy to write back, please understand.¡±


    After writing the letter, she dried the ink of her fountain pen, sealed it, and affixed the postage stamp.


    Well, Xia Chuyi was always one to honor her promises!


    With the reply handled, her gaze inadvertently fell on the hundred-yuan remittance receipt.


    She paused.


    In an era where a level-one worker earned less than thirty yuan, the sum Huo Shiqian sent was indeed substantial.


    She remembered the ladies¡¯ watch from before.


    Suddenly, she felt that her reply letter seemed too thin.


    Truly, short favors make long friends.


    Resigned, Xia Chuyi sat down, took out a knitting needle and yarn, and began to knit a garment.


    In her last life, she had unearthed her culinary talents and mastered many crafts under her Master and his wife, yet she had never learnt to knit sweaters.


    Her only memories of knitting were from a distant childhood, a merit learned routinely... after all, knitting was a common skill among contemporary women.


    Xia Chuyi fumbled with the memories for a while, and awkwardly managed to knit a lumpy, uneven patch.


    Ugh, it was ugly.


    That wasn¡¯t the point though; the point was that at a glance, this thing had no connection to a sweater.


    After some thought, she simply took the patch, sewed it together to make a half glove that exposed the fingers.


    Then, she used yarn to stitch the character ¡°Qian¡± and an added a five-pointed red star on the glove ¡ª her first time embroidering on yarn proved somewhat challenging, mainly because the knitting was uneven.


    However, her embroidery skills were strong, and after examining it, she felt confident that the glove was presentable.


    She took a deep breath.


    Good, one task completed.


    Once out of the space, she went directly to the post office, packed the gloves with the letter, and sent them afar.


    The package with the letter reached the military unit just after the New Year.


    ¡°Captain, look, a New Year¡¯s gift from little sister-in-law!¡± Xiao Wang shouted excitedly upon seeing Xia Chuyi¡¯s letter and package arriving together.


    Little sister-in-law!


    Sister-in-law!


    New Year¡¯s gift!


    Gift!


    Instantly, rumors of the captain having a young wife who sent him things spread throughout the camp.


    Huo Shiqian was usually as stern as the King of Hell, but receiving letters always seemed to give him a moment of spring-like relief.


    As usual, Huo Shiqian received the letter, in quite a good mood.


    Seeing there was also a package, a faint smile graced his lips.


    ¡°Captain¡¯s opening the letter, opening the gift!¡± Xiao Wang, along with a group of soldiers, peeked from outside secretly.


    Huo Shiqian had noticed them, but today, upon receiving a gift from Xia Chuyi, he didn¡¯t mind being watched.


    First the letter, with just a few brief words.


    Then the gift, an object that looked like a glove or perhaps a pouch?


    Huo Shiqian fell into a curious silence.

 Chapter 142: 142: Clever Hands and Keen Mind

    Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Clever Hands and Keen Mind


    Suddenly, with a clatter, Xiao Wang, who had been peeping at the doorway, was accidentally pushed into the room.


    He stumbled in, his gaze meeting that of his own regiment commander.


    ¡°Report to the commander! There¡¯s a group of guys outside peeking in!¡± Xiao Wang quickly stood at attention, saluting and sternly reported his comrades.


    Outside, the guys looked at each other in bewilderment.


    In the blink of an eye, the group swiftly scattered from the spot, sprinting a hundred meters to flee the scene.


    Huo Shiqian ignored these troublesome soldier underlings and directly took out a package in his hand, starting to examine its use.


    ¡°Eh, is this the thing that the little sister-in-law sent? What is this?¡± Xiao Wang finally glanced at the gift, and due to sheer surprise, blurted out.


    A chill of cold light suddenly struck towards him.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve heard that an artist¡¯s creation is always quite unique.¡± Xiao Wang praised earnestly, his eyes bright and shining, as if from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡°Little sister-in-law is really ingenious and skillful!¡±


    His will to survive was indeed very strong.


    Huo Shiqian remained noncommittal, only turning the object over and over before finally figuring out how to wear it on his hands.


    The elastic properties of the wool allowed his hands to slip in easily, with his fingers half-exposed, moving flexibly.


    On the back of the gloves, his name was embroidered, along with a five-pointed star.


    Wearing this pair of creative gloves, Huo Shiqian, with an unchanged expression, said lightly, ¡°Indeed, ingenious and skillful.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law is ingenious and skillful, commander has good taste indeed!¡± Xiao Wang immediately responded loudly.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Huo Shiqian unapologetically concurred.


    ¡°Call over the regiment¡¯s propaganda team. It¡¯s time for a response from the last mission.¡± After complimenting his wife, he directly instructed Xiao Wang, ¡°Remember to tell them that no more lousy ideas like ghostwriting and copying love poems are needed.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Wang responded loudly and quickly left the room.


    The scene shifts back to Xia Chuyi¡¯s perspective.


    This year was Xia Chuyi¡¯s first New Year at Uncle Xia¡¯s house.


    Moreover, it was also the first time in her two lifetimes she could celebrate New Year with her family after many years away, making it especially meaningful.


    The Zhao family was not large, but the years she spent there were far more relaxed and joyful than those she remembered with the Xia Family.


    There were no intense rivalries nor unfair traditions.


    Killing the New Year¡¯s pig, eating stew from the scraped pot, stuffing sausages, making New Year cakes ¡ª the family busily prepared together, soon welcoming the New Year.


    On the fourth day of the New Year, Xia Chuyi was helping Aunt Xia welcome the Kitchen God when there was a knock at the courtyard gate.


    ¡°Coming!¡± She put down what she was doing, went out, and opened the door to find Xia Lan standing there.


    She glanced at Xia Lan¡¯s attire.


    She saw her dressed in a red floral jacket, wrapped in a red scarf, wearing a small flower made of red fabric on her head, her face made up ¡ª a typical bride¡¯s attire.


    Was Xia Lan¡¯s big day today?


    She hadn¡¯t heard any movement at all.


    It turned out, the affair between Xia Lan and He Qing was now well-known in He Mountain Village, and both the He and Xia families hadn¡¯t planned anything grand. They just had He Qing file a marriage report, taking advantage of the New Year holiday to come back and get married straight away.


    Because of past events, both the He and Xia families felt awkward about sending a wedding invite to Uncle Xia¡¯s side.


    At this moment, Xia Lan smiled radiantly, meeting Xia Chuyi and, seeming not to see her cold face, said, ¡°Chuyi, today is your sister¡¯s big happy day. Let¡¯s forgive and forget any past resentments between us, sisters.¡±

 Chapter 143: 143: Really Thick-skinned

    Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Really Thick-skinned


    Xia Lan couldn¡¯t care less about Xia Chuyi¡¯s reaction and continued on her own: ¡°Think about it, why did we have conflicts in the past? Wasn¡¯t it all because the main branch of the Xia Family was biased?¡±


    ¡°Now, not only have you fallen out with the main branch, but you¡¯ve also plotted and caused them chaos, which is truly satisfying!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, that letter of appointment, in the end, nobody got their hands on it!¡±


    ¡°Xia Chengzu and Xia Mei, those two fools, destroyed the letter of appointment while fighting over it!¡±


    As she spoke, Xia Lan¡¯s face immediately lit up with schadenfreude.


    ¡°Now, nobody can take the position!¡±


    ¡°Because of this, Xia Mei spends every day at home smashing bowls and tables, cursing at the grandparents for being unfairly biased and shouting at my elder uncle and elder aunt for favoring sons over daughters.¡±


    Perhaps Xia Lan hadn¡¯t noticed that her spiteful tone made her bride-made-up face look incredibly ferocious.


    To be honest, when hearing of all the Xia Family¡¯s antics, Xia Chuyi felt no ripples in her heart.


    Having already left the Xia Family, she didn¡¯t want to pay too much attention to anything related to them.


    ¡°Their issues have nothing to do with me, I haven¡¯t orchestrated anything,¡± Xia Chuyi innocently said.


    She certainly didn¡¯t want to play by Xia Lan¡¯s script.


    Xia Lan was taken aback at first, then chuckled.


    Clearly, Xia Lan didn¡¯t believe her.


    Xia Lan, thinking that speaking ill of the Xia Family would provoke Xia Chuyi¡¯s solidarity, continued: ¡°That prodigal son Xia Chengzu, blames the family for not securing the appointment letter for him and not helping him salvage the job¡ªall because they were incompetent.¡±


    ¡°That idiot, believing he was destined for great things, took a sum of money from our grandparents and went into the city, claiming he was going to do something big, huh, he didn¡¯t even come back for the New Year.¡±


    At this point, Xia Lan paused, her eyes revealing resentment.


    ¡°When they prepared my dowry before, the grandparents claimed they had no money, but in the blink of an eye, they gave Xia Chengzu hundreds to splurge on starting a business!¡±


    Xia Lan leaned in, attempting to take Xia Chuyi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Chuyi, look at the people from the main branch, how biased and shameless they are!¡±


    ¡°You did the absolutely right thing by leaving the Xia Family!¡±


    ¡°Now, I am about to get married and leave, and soon I won¡¯t be part of the Xia Family anymore, no longer under the oppression and exploitation of the main branch.¡±


    ¡°As someone else who has been bullied by the main branch of the Xia Family, let¡¯s not hold grudges over the past and be on good terms again.¡±


    In the end, Xia Lan squeezed out a full-faced smile, grabbing hold of Xia Chuyi: ¡°Now that we¡¯ve made up, why don¡¯t you bring your uncle¡¯s family and come to my wedding, to share in my happiness?¡±


    She spoke as if she were magnanimous.


    Xia Chuyi let out a cold laugh, shook her off violently, and her face darkened, her eyes deep and shadowed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Chuyi, are you still angry with your sister?¡± Xia Lan pretended not to see her discontent and continued with a fake smile.


    Shaking her head, Xia Chuyi inwardly clicked her tongue.


    Where on earth did Xia Lan get the courage to erase all the past with a single stroke?


    In her past life, the Xia Family sinned against her by being unsympathetic, kicking her while she was down, planning to sell her to a crippled widower as his bride.


    And Xia Lan, she was the ringleader behind her loss of chastity, the true mastermind behind a series of tragedies that followed her!


    In this life, she had avoided the tarnishing of her reputation and left the Xia Family; it could be said that the Xia Family had lost any control over her future.


    And what Xia Lan did, in two lifetimes, had not changed.


    Was this person, who¡¯d repeatedly schemed against her, really talking about making amends?


    Xia Lan, oh Xia Lan, just how thick is your skin!

 Chapter 144: 144: The Secret Behind

    Chapter 144: Chapter 144: The Secret Behind


    She certainly hadn¡¯t forgotten the words He Qing uttered before her death in her past life.


    He Qing had said it was Xia Lan who asked him to cause her trouble.


    Under the circumstances at the time, she was already close to death; there was no reason for He Qing to lie to someone who was dying.


    So the question arose, why would Xia Lan, whom she had not had any contact with, not even seen, for decades, seek out He Qing to deal with her?


    She pondered over it, but couldn¡¯t come to any conclusion.


    Could there possibly be something she didn¡¯t know about?


    What exactly was hiding behind all this?


    If she didn¡¯t figure this out, she wouldn¡¯t know whether the accidental death from her past life would happen again!


    After all, if there truly was such a secret behind the scenes, as long as it existed, it would inevitably threaten her life.


    Since her reincarnation, she had observed Xia Lan in secret, but nothing unexpected had turned up.


    The resentment and fury Xia Lan bore seemed to stem more from her own selfishness and jealousy than any secret she might be hiding.


    Therefore, this secret must relate to something that happened to Xia Lan after she left Heshan Village in her previous life.


    Since the ¡°event¡± had not yet happened, Xia Chuyi would wait for the day when the ¡°event¡± arrived and the truth revealed itself.


    But before that, she had no interest in playing the part of sisterly affection with Xia Lan.


    ¡°Xia Lan, today is your wedding day with He Qing... my former fiance??¡± Xia Chuyi asked languidly.


    A reminder to Xia Lan.


    Even without bringing up those covert matters, how could the woman who stole her fiance? have the audacity to speak of reconciliation, to invite her to the wedding of a mistress and a scoundrel?


    Xia Lan¡¯s expression turned awkward, then she immediately said, ¡°Chuyi, you still remember that incident... After all, Brother Qing doesn¡¯t like you; even if you two were together, happiness wouldn¡¯t follow.¡±


    ¡°I and Brother Qing have also worked hard to get to where we are today.¡±


    ¡°Chuyi, you¡¯ve never experienced true love; you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Those in love have no control over their feelings; we¡¯re simply helpless to them...¡±


    Tears brimmed in Xia Lan¡¯s eyes, but fearing they would ruin her makeup, she skillfully let them hang on her lashes, refusing to fall, making her look exceptionally pitiable.


    Huh, Xia Lan¡¯s acting skills have improved after not seeing her for some time.


    Unfortunately, Xia Chuyi was not one to pity or indulge a woman.


    Helpless to feelings? Does being helpless to feelings justify becoming the other woman, stealing someone¡¯s fiance??


    What an absurd robber¡¯s logic!


    ¡°Chuyi!¡± Xia Lan cried out pitifully.


    Xia Chuyi did not respond, merely observing Xia Lan¡¯s performance with a cold eye.


    After Xia Lan called out ¡°Chuyi¡± a couple more times, she suddenly stepped past her, looked over Xia Chuyi¡¯s shoulder, and pathetically called out, ¡°Uncle Xia, Aunt Xia...¡±


    Xia Chuyi turned her head and saw that Uncle, supported by a cane, was coming out.


    Uncle¡¯s leg injury had healed quite well, and he had begun to gradually walk on a cane and exercise.


    At the sound of Xia Lan calling for Uncle Xia, Uncle Xia¡¯s brows immediately furrowed.


    Uncle Xia didn¡¯t speak, but Aunt Xia snorted coldly first, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t call out randomly; your mother¡¯s surname is Liu, not Zhao; don¡¯t address people carelessly.¡±


    Xia Lan¡¯s face stiffened, but she still said, brazenly, ¡°I and Chuyi are blood relatives, so her uncle can certainly be considered mine.¡±


    ¡°Besides, I have a good relationship with Second Aunt; Second Aunt told me to address Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia this way to seem more affectionate.¡±


    As soon as she heard it was Mother Xia¡¯s suggestion, Aunt Xia¡¯s face immediately turned colder.

 Chapter 145: 145: Are They Biological

    Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Are They Biological


    Aunt Xia had been dissatisfied with Mother Xia for many years, yet her own husband owed Mother Xia his life, so she had to revere her like a deity.


    Aunt Xia glanced at Uncle Xia.


    Uncle Xia¡¯s face looked terrible.


    Aunt Xia turned her head and said, ¡°Chuyi¡¯s mother has always been a bit muddled¡ªeveryone knows that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool to take her words seriously,¡± she added.


    Though Aunt Xia spoke cheerfully, her words were blunt and insulting.


    Xia Lan bit her lip, still not giving up, ¡°Today, Second Aunt is my matron of honor, and I was thinking, if Uncle and Auntie are willing...¡±


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve told you not to call us that anymore, why do you keep saying it?¡± Aunt Xia interrupted her.


    ¡°Third Xia Family¡¯s daughter, you should head back. You know how your marriage has come about. It¡¯s really not convenient for our family to attend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can understand that.¡±


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not just us, many people in the village will find it inconvenient to go, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°After all, which family doesn¡¯t have a decent, unmarried daughter? Who would want to attend your wedding ceremony without fearing the gossip?¡±


    Her words were just short of directly saying Xia Lan¡¯s marriage was a result of her selling her body to secure it.


    As Aunt Xia grew fonder of Xia Chuyi, her dislike for the Xia Family deepened, and she was not mincing words.


    Seeing that everyone was resolute, Xia Lan could only walk away sulkily.


    As soon as she left, Aunt Xia said to Xia Chuyi, ¡°During such a festive period, this is truly bad luck!¡±


    ¡°Alright, Chuyi, you go back to your room. Don¡¯t let these kinds of people ruin your mood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll accompany your uncle for a stroll outside.¡±


    Worried that she might be upset over He Qing¡¯s matter, she did not say much, only, ¡°Then, Uncle and Auntie, please be careful.¡±


    ¡°We know, we¡¯re two grown-ups, we don¡¯t need a child worrying about us,¡± Aunt Xia said. Then everyone laughed.


    Afterwards, Xia Chuyi went back to her room, and Aunt Xia supported Uncle Xia as they slowly exited the house. They hadn¡¯t gone far when they saw the frail Mother Xia approaching from the opposite direction.


    Mother Xia, who seldom left home, had actually gone out today.


    Aunt Xia and Uncle Xia exchanged glances, both harboring the same guess.


    As they got closer, they saw the surprised joy on Mother Xia¡¯s face.


    Mother Xia said to them, ¡°Brother, is your leg healed? Sister-in-law, are you here to attend Er Lan¡¯s wedding? I was just about to go look for you.¡±


    It was indeed about this matter.


    Aunt Xia¡¯s face darkened.


    Uncle Xia¡¯s expression was also very ugly as he said, ¡°Sister, we¡¯re just out for a walk, we¡¯re not planning to go to the Xia Family.¡± Let alone to attend that damn wedding.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Mother Xia was clearly stunned, ¡°We¡¯re all relatives, why wouldn¡¯t you go?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we go? You have the nerve to ask why we wouldn¡¯t go?¡± Aunt Xia¡¯s years of pent-up resentment finally erupted as she furiously questioned Mother Xia.


    ¡°Zhao Chunxiao, is this how a mother behaves? Chuyi was forced by the Xia Family to split from the household, and you did nothing about it!¡±


    ¡°That would have been bad enough, but in a blink, you went on to be the matron of honor for Xia Lan, who stole your daughter¡¯s suitor!¡±


    ¡°Tell me, who is your real daughter?¡±


    Mother Xia weakly tried to interject, ¡°I...¡±


    Aunt Xia cut her off, continuing, ¡°Stop using your brother-in-law as an excuse! Talking about being afraid of being kicked out by the Xia Family, of dying and being unable to become a ghost of the Xia Family...¡±


    ¡°If brother-in-law knew what you were doing to his daughter from the underworld, he would disown you the day you met him again!¡±


    Aunt Xia was truly furious and spoke without restraint.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Uncle Xia shouted sternly, and Aunt Xia fell silent, glaring at him.


    ¡°Hmph, so I¡¯m an outsider and can¡¯t talk about your sister, is that it?¡± Aunt Xia said angrily, leaving Uncle Xia behind.


    Uncle Xia¡¯s body swayed and he quickly steadied himself with his cane, watching Aunt Xia storm off and heaving a sigh.


    ¡°Sister, although Shufen¡¯s words are harsh, they aren¡¯t unreasonable,¡± he said earnestly to Mother Xia, ¡°You have really been too much with Chuyi.¡±


    Mother Xia, who had been crying since earlier, replied with reddened eyes, ¡°Brother, I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t... you don¡¯t understand... you don¡¯t know, Chuyi, she isn¡¯t really...¡±

 Chapter 146: 146: Its Not Her

    Chapter 146: Chapter 146: It¡¯s Not Her


    ¡°Chuyi, she, she simply isn¡¯t...¡±


    Mother Xia hadn¡¯t finished her sentence when Uncle Xia interrupted her, ¡°Sister, what more do you want to say? Do you really dislike Chuyi that much?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all... Chuyi is a good child,¡± Mother Xia meekly replied, losing the courage to reveal the secret after being interrupted.


    Seeing her weak demeanor, Uncle Xia sighed, ¡°Sister, I know what you think. You just dislike Chuyi for not being a boy, thinking she can¡¯t carry on the family lineage, right?¡±


    ¡°But no matter what, when you get old, won¡¯t you still have to depend on Chuyi?¡±


    Hearing this, Mother Xia was taken aback and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to depend on her. I just want to stay with the Xia Family, at least... they are the real Xia Family.¡±


    Uncle Xia interpreted this to mean: since Chuyi would marry and belong to another family, Mother Xia didn¡¯t want to depend on her.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Uncle Xia couldn¡¯t help losing his temper, ¡°Since you dislike Chuyi so much, why not just let her change her surname and join my Zhao family¡¯s household registry!¡±


    ¡°What? No, no!¡± Mother Xia quickly waved her hands, ¡°She cannot change her surname to Zhao!¡±


    Becoming somewhat emotional.


    Uncle Xia let out a deep sigh, feeling quite helpless, and said, ¡°Sister, what do you really want to do?¡±,


    ¡°Chuyi is your brother-in-law¡¯s only blood, even though she isn¡¯t a boy, you should still cherish her!¡±


    This statement struck a nerve in Mother Xia, and tears in her eyes started falling like pearls off a string.


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ve said my piece. If you won¡¯t cherish Chuyi, I will. So don¡¯t expect me to attend Xia Lan¡¯s wedding.¡±


    He was already being generous by not causing a scene.


    ¡°Sister, think it over.¡±


    After that, he didn¡¯t bother with Mother Xia anymore and, leaning on his walking stick, hobbled slowly home.


    Mother Xia watched her brother¡¯s retreating figure, opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing, wiping her tears as she returned to the Xia Family.


    Upon reaching the Xia Family Courtyard, Xia Lan hurriedly came to meet her.


    ¡°Second Aunt, where are Uncle and the others?¡± When she saw Mother Xia¡¯s red eyes, Xia Lan realized it probably hadn¡¯t gone well, but she still asked hopefully.


    ¡°Er Lan, your Uncle is still a bit upset about you and He Qing...¡± Mother Xia wiped her tears, forcing a smile.


    Xia Lan bit her lip, her head drooping sadly. Once out of Mother Xia¡¯s sight, her face twisted with contempt and resentment.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Second Aunt. It¡¯s my fault... Brother Qing and I shouldn¡¯t have fallen in love.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Mother Xia quickly responded, ¡°No, no, Er Lan, there¡¯s nothing wrong with falling in love! It¡¯s just that Chuyi and He Qing aren¡¯t meant to be.¡±


    During Chuyi¡¯s absence, Xia Lan hadn¡¯t been shy about currying favor with Mother Xia, and now, Mother Xia not only forgave her, but also genuinely accepted her.


    ¡°If they won¡¯t come, then so be it. Second Aunt still has some nice things here, I¡¯ll give them to you as part of your dowry,¡± Mother Xia said, taking the initiative.


    A flash of eagerness appeared in Xia Lan¡¯s eyes as she looked up, surprised.


    ¡°Really?¡± She then acted a bit embarrassed, ¡°Maybe not... Second Aunt, you should keep these for Chuyi, otherwise, if she finds out, she¡¯ll surely be angry.¡±


    She had already decided to take the items, but on the surface, she feigned difficulty.


    Seeing Xia Lan act so ¡°meek and gentle,¡± Mother Xia felt happy and said, ¡°Why should she be angry?¡±


    ¡°These things shouldn¡¯t have been hers in the first place.¡±

 Chapter 147: 147: Revealing the Secret

    Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Revealing the Secret


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xia Lan looked somewhat puzzled at Mother Xia.


    Perhaps because she had just been rebuked by her own brother, Mother Xia felt wronged and said to Xia Lan, ¡°Er Lan... Second Aunt has something on her mind, something I need to tell you, but after you hear it, you mustn¡¯t tell anyone else!¡±


    Xia Lan sensed that Mother Xia was about to reveal something shocking.


    This matter had weighed on Mother Xia¡¯s heart for many years.


    Before she could speak, her tears started to fall.


    Xia Lan showed a hint of disgust.


    On her joyful day, Mother Xia¡¯s crying and sobbing really was an omen of bad luck!


    However, she quickly hid her disdain and, acting like a considerate little cotton-padded jacket, said, ¡°Second Aunt, don¡¯t cry. Whatever it is, tell me, and let¡¯s see if I can share some of the burden with you.¡±


    Comforted by her gentle and soft-spoken manner, Mother Xia cried even harder. After a while, she managed to calm down somewhat and told Xia Lan, ¡°Er Lan, the truth is, Chuyi... Chuyi is not a child of the Xia family!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xia Lan was shocked. ¡°Second Aunt, what did you say?¡±


    Chuyi wasn¡¯t a child of the Xia family? Could it be that Mother Xia had her with someone else? Did she even have the audacity?


    While she was scornfully speculating, Mother Xia, choking back sobs, said, ¡°Chuyi, she¡¯s not my biological child.¡±


    Not her biological child?


    Xia Lan thought to herself: No wonder, no wonder Mother Xia cared so little for Xia Chuyi.


    Turning the thought over in her mind, she mused that it would be great if she also weren¡¯t biologically related to her side of the family. Perhaps she could find powerful and influential biological parents.


    But she resembled her parents closely, there was no denying it.


    She quickly shifted her gaze and asked Mother Xia, ¡°Then, who are Chuyi¡¯s biological parents?¡±


    Mother Xia wiped her eyes and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°At that time, when I heard about your Second Uncle¡¯s accident, I was in no state to care for a child.¡± Mentioning Mr. Xia still brought her unbearable sadness. ¡°By the time I recovered from the grief, the child... had already been switched.¡±


    ¡°Switched?¡± Xia Lan exclaimed.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Mother Xia nodded and said, ¡°I noticed the birthmark was different, and the swaddling was wrong before I realized.¡±


    Mother Xia began to cry again.


    ¡°Just at that time, your Grandpa and Grandma came to the military hospital to pick me up, and I didn¡¯t dare let them know about the mix-up... I was scared, so scared...¡± Mother Xia sobbed inconsolably.


    Xia Lan inwardly despised: Grandpa and Grandma came to pick her up? They were probably there to claim compensation!


    But Mother Xia had a point to be worried. If Grandpa Xia and Grandma Xia found out she had lost the child, they would definitely use it as an excuse to drive her away and justifiably take the compensation for themselves.


    ¡°Later on, I quietly made some inquiries and heard that there had been child traffickers in the hospital, stealing many babies.¡± Mother Xia grew even more sorrowful. ¡°My poor girl must have been taken away by someone!¡±


    Xia Lan quickly asked, ¡°But what about this child? What about Xia Chuyi?¡±


    Was it that the hospital¡¯s traffickers took one baby and left another in return?


    Mother Xia looked confused and murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Xia Lan rolled her eyes thinking: Don¡¯t know?


    She was beginning to suspect that Mother Xia was the trafficker herself ¨C that she took someone else¡¯s child because hers had gone missing!


    ¡°Second Aunt, do you still have Chuyi¡¯s swaddling clothes?¡± Xia Lan¡¯s eyes darted around as she suddenly asked.


    Mother Xia was startled again: ¡°I kept them...¡±


    Xia Lan quickly coaxed her to take out the swaddling clothes for a look.


    Without suspicion, Mother Xia took out a light blue little swaddling cloth from the bottom of the wardrobe.

 Chapter 148: 148: Scheming and Calculating

    Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Scheming and Calculating


    The swaddling clothes were very soft to the touch, quite comfortable.


    Xia Lan had never seen this fabric before and couldn¡¯t determine its quality, incapable of making heads or tails of it.


    However, at the bottom of the swaddling clothes, a simple ¡°Ou¡± character was embroidered.


    After fiddling with the swaddling clothes for a moment, she handed them back to Mother Xia.


    But in her heart, she silently noted down the character.


    If she ever got the chance and found people who seemed like Xia Chuyi¡¯s biological parents¡ªpoor, mischievous scoundrels¡ªshe would definitely make Xia Chuyi return to her roots and claim her inheritance!


    But if the family turned out to be decent, then she, ha, would certainly never let Xia Chuyi learn the truth.


    Her gaze flickered, and she stepped forward to grab Mother Xia¡¯s hand, comforting her, ¡°Second Aunt, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all in the past. Rest assured, I will definitely keep this secret for you!¡±


    ¡°You, you mustn¡¯t talk to anyone else about it again, otherwise, if it reaches grandma and grandpa¡¯s ears, you know...¡±


    She deliberately made it sound alarming.


    Sure enough, Mother Xia became frantic with panic.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, you have me,¡± Xia Lan continued to pacify Mother Xia, saying, ¡°Chuyi isn¡¯t our Xia Family¡¯s child, but I am!¡±


    ¡°In the future, I will definitely be filial to you!¡±


    With this hoodwinking, Mother Xia couldn¡¯t help but to hug her and cry, and in the end, she agreed to give Xia Lan all her saved-up wealth.


    On the other hand, Xia Chuyi at home was totally unaware that the mystery of her birth had just been concealed by Xia Lan.


    When Xia Chuyi saw Aunt Xia return home in a huff without Uncle Xia¡¯s company, she curiously asked, ¡°Where¡¯s uncle? Why aren¡¯t you together with Aunt?¡±


    Aunt Xia was also infuriated and snapped, ¡°Why should he be with me? I¡¯m an outsider! Isn¡¯t it enough for him to be with that pack of ungrateful Xia Family wolves?¡±


    After saying this, she realized that Xia Chuyi was also a Xia Family member and quickly added, ¡°Chuyi, don¡¯t take it to heart, you know I¡¯m talking about those people.¡±


    Xia Chuyi smiled faintly and said, ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re talking about my mom, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Aunt Xia looked at her, shook her head after a while, and said, ¡°You, child, are so sensible it¡¯s heartbreaking!¡±


    ¡°And your mother, she¡¯s not as sensible as you are.¡±


    ¡°What good will that Xia Family pack give her? Clearly, you are her biological daughter!¡±


    Her tone was filled with indignation.


    Xia Chuyi stepped forward and hugged Aunt Xia, saying, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t be angry, I stopped caring a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°If mom doesn¡¯t love me, isn¡¯t it enough that you all care for me? Only if mom doesn¡¯t want me anymore, and neither do you, would I be truly devastated!¡±


    After a bout of pretend crying, she successfully made Aunt Xia burst into laughter.


    ¡°You child!¡± Aunt Xia tapped her forehead and said,


    ¡°You know, your mom and dad both saved your uncle.¡±


    ¡°Your mom might be foolish and clueless, but your uncle sees things clearly.¡±


    ¡°The debt of gratitude your uncle owes should be repaid to you, not to the Xia Family.¡±


    Xia Chuyi put on a pitiable face and said, ¡°Oh, so uncle and aunt are nice to me because they want to repay a debt of gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Have you been learning bad habits from that mischievous Xiao Gui?¡± She was gently knocked on the head.


    She stuck out her tongue and blinked, unable to hold back her laughter first.


    Aunt Xia also laughed, shaking her head and saying, ¡°Affection between people grows through interaction. Even if your parents hadn¡¯t saved Ming Lang, would we just ignore you?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, if it weren¡¯t for that debt, your uncle would have been able to make more decisive choices.¡±


    Both fell silent.


    Xia Chuyi understood Aunt Xia¡¯s implication: had it not been for those two added debts of gratitude, Uncle Xia wouldn¡¯t have compromised so endlessly with her mom, would he?

 Chapter 149: 149 Auntie Cannot Tolerate

    Chapter 149: Chapter 149 Auntie Cannot Tolerate


    After the talk, Aunt Xia¡¯s anger had pretty much dissipated.


    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll go bring your uncle back home! Otherwise, as an injured man, who knows when he¡¯ll be able to walk back!¡±


    Xia Chuyi snickered and said, ¡°Yeah, yeah, go ahead, otherwise if Uncle walks back on his own, Aunt, you¡¯ll definitely die of worry!¡±


    ¡°You child!¡± Aunt Xia scolded.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s head received a knock.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± she exclaimed softly, this time, Aunt Xia truly hadn¡¯t held back.


    Yet Xia Chuyi smiled even more joyously.


    Aunt was right, affection, is something built through spending time together.


    In the end, no one from the Zhao family attended Xia Lan¡¯s wedding, and the Xia Family, without even setting off a string of firecrackers, simply married Xia Lan off.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the tenth day of the first lunar month, the date she had set for her return trip had arrived.


    According to the almanac, the twelfth day of the first lunar month this year was a particularly auspicious day for all undertakings, and she planned to officially open for business on that day.


    On the day she returned to the city, she encountered He Qing on the bus.


    He happened to be on his way back to the military base.


    For some reason, Xia Lan hadn¡¯t come to see him off.


    Xia Chuyi took just one glance at him, then as if he didn¡¯t exist, she found a seat far away from him, sat down, and closed her eyes to rest.


    She hadn¡¯t planned on talking to this man, but who would have thought that upon disembarking, He Qing suddenly approached her.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, give up already, I will not fall for you,¡± he said disdainfully, standing before her with a haughty tone, ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m already married and will never betray my family and my spouse.¡±


    ¡°No matter what you do, I won¡¯t be tempted by you!¡±


    His tone was truly as righteous as it could get.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Xia Chuyi felt like spitting out a mouthful of old blood, ¡°Me, tempt you?¡±


    He Qing looked her up and down, snorted, and said, ¡°Dressing up all fancy like that, finding out when I¡¯m returning to the base, and following me to the county town, isn¡¯t it because you like me?¡±


    Perhaps it was due to eating a lot of space food recently, Xia Chuyi¡¯s skin had become even more fair and tender, with lips red and teeth white like applied makeup.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, just give up, I will absolutely never like you.¡± He Qing emphasized again with a deliberate stress on his words, ¡°Even if you make yourself look prettier, I still won¡¯t fancy you.¡±


    His words were utterly decisive, yet his eyes couldn¡¯t help but steal glances at Xia Chuyi now and then.


    It was hard to say exactly what kind of response he was anticipating.


    Xia Chuyi felt amused inside, truly, she could tolerate this charade no longer!


    She mimicked him, scanning him from head to toe.


    Now He Qing, dressed in his military uniform, looked quite the part, yet his self-assuming expression was the exact same as it would be decades later.


    ¡°He Qing, did you forget to look in the mirror before leaving home?¡± Xia Chuyi casually asked, looking at him sideways.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± He Qing was clearly taken aback.


    ¡°I said, did you forget to look in the mirror when you left home!¡± Xia Chuyi said slowly, coolly.


    ¡°Dressed in that green military uniform, you think you¡¯re the cutest person around? The green toads in the fields would disagree.¡±


    ¡°Having a...¡± Her gaze briefly swept below his waist.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re a hero? That any woman would throw herself at you? Toads with two legs are hard to find, but men with three legs are a dime a dozen.¡±


    ¡°I urge you to take a good look at yourself before you leave the house each time, see if you¡¯re worthy of wearing that uniform, if you¡¯re worthy of being a man!¡±


    Her speech became faster and faster, and the He Qing opposite her couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise!

 Chapter 150: 150: Stay Away from Me

    Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Stay Away from Me


    Until Xia Chuyi finished speaking, He Qing finally reacted, his face turning ugly as he yelled at her, ¡°Xia Chuyi, you shameless shrew! Indecent!¡±


    Xia Chuyi raised an eyebrow, amused, ¡°Indecent, me? I haven¡¯t messed around with anyone before marriage, nor have I stolen someone¡¯s fiance?. How am I indecent?¡±


    People around slowly began to notice the disturbance.


    He Qing pointed at her, stuttering for some time, too frightened to speak freely.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the stuttering? Do you really think you¡¯re some great catch that any woman would be blind enough to fall for?¡± Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t hide the disdain in her eyes.


    He Qing froze, seemingly only then believing that Xia Chuyi truly didn¡¯t like him.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you disgusting woman!¡± Angrily and embarrassed, he yelled and then reached out to grab her.


    Thinking of getting physical?


    Xia Chuyi acted first, hurled her suitcase violently at him.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± she cursed.


    While her throwing motion provided cover, she conjured a handful of chili powder and sprinkled it directly at He Qing.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± He Qing groaned, covering his eyes.


    Taking advantage of his blindness, Xia Chuyi dashed forward, lifted her foot, and viciously kicked his groin.


    ¡°Ah...¡± He Qing screamed. Losing concern for his eyes, he instinctively covered his groin and squatted down, curling up.


    Xia Chuyi did not stop there; she picked up her fallen suitcase and swung it repeatedly, furiously smashing it against him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you to be narcissistic, to be a hooligan, to be shameless!¡±


    People around the station were shocked by her actions.


    However, hearing her continually accuse him of being a hooligan, they discussed:


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a soldier, and still a hooligan?¡±


    ¡°People can look decent but have rotten cores, surely there are bad apples in the military too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true; maybe that hooligan just stole some military clothes to wear.¡±


    The onlookers exchanged words among themselves.


    Anyway, most of them sided with Xia Chuyi. Seeing her as a young girl who couldn¡¯t do much harm, they simply stood by without interfering.


    Once Xia Chuyi had beaten He Qing to the point he scurried away holding his head and she was also exhausted, she finally stopped.


    By then, He Qing was beaten to a pulp, his face swollen and his eyes still stinging intensely, barely able to open them as he glared at Xia Chuyi and threatened through gritted teeth, ¡°Xia Chuyi, do you know what crime it is to attack a soldier?¡±


    Xia Chuyi gave him a cold look and retorted, ¡°And do you know what crime it is to act like a hooligan?¡±


    Her tone was even more threatening than his.


    Flustered and defensive, He Qing said, ¡°I did not act indecently toward you! How could a proud soldier like me do such a thing?¡±


    Xia Chuyi shrugged and smiled lightly, ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t hit you either. I¡¯m just a delicate young woman; how could I possibly hit someone? Unless, of course, I¡¯m pushed too far.¡±


    She showed no fear on her face.


    If it really came down to it, it was indeed him who had disrespected her verbally first¡ªverbally harassing a young woman also counts as hooliganism.


    ¡°You!¡± He Qing glared at her, but finding the bystanders whispering and pointing, he was momentarily at a loss for words.


    It was Xia Chuyi who spoke, brushing off her suitcase and slinging it back on, ¡°He Qing, I advise you to steer clear of me in the future, or else, be careful I might really accuse you of being a hooligan... Don¡¯t forget how you and Xia Lan got married.¡±


    The implication was, if he continued to bother her, she would report him to the military.


    ¡°You!¡± He Qing clearly understood, his voice significantly weaker.


    Not wanting to deal with him any longer, Xia Chuyi huffed coldly and walked away.

 Chapter 151: 151: Inquiring About Something

    Chapter 151: Chapter 151: Inquiring About Something


    Xia Chuyi left, leaving He Qing at the original spot, half a day unable to snap back to reality.


    When the burning sensation in his eyes had subsided enough for him to slightly open them, he was already sporting a bruised nose and a swollen face.


    The people around him were still pointing and making remarks about him.


    He Qing felt extremely embarrassed and was seething with rage.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you just wait for me!¡± His expression was so ferocious that it caused his face to hurt from the strain.


    Then, he left the train station in a most disgraceful manner.


    The next day at noon, Zhao Xiaogui brought Xia Chengzong into Provincial City at last¡ªthe very reason his cousin was a day late.


    ¡°Big sis, we¡¯re here!¡± Compared to Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s excitement, Xia Chengzong huffed in a less than pleased way, which passed for a greeting.


    Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t mind and simply said, ¡°You¡¯ve come at the right time. The ingredients in the storeroom need to be sorted out quickly!¡±


    The storeroom¡¯s contents were those she had swapped from the Purification Array¡ªthose stored before the New Year.


    The new batch of ingredients just delivered, she had already put into the space, waiting for the next delivery to exchange.


    Because these ingredients were not purely space-grown foods anymore; they were purified foods.


    She worried that people might think they didn¡¯t taste as good as before, so she planned to put extra effort into the marinade.


    Having simmered all morning, the marinade was already very rich in flavor.


    Zhao Xiaogui, lured by the aroma, seemed to lose his soul and happily responded, ¡°Big sis, I¡¯m off to work!¡±


    His voice was filled with joy.


    However, Xia Chengzong¡¯s reaction was to freeze for a moment, then incredulously ask, ¡°Start working now? Am I supposed to work too?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t he just here to check things out?


    Xia Chuyi glanced at him and calmly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to work, but if you don¡¯t, then there won¡¯t be any dinner for you.¡±


    Xia Chengzong¡¯s face turned ashen as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re not providing dinner?¡±


    She glanced at him without a direct answer, merely chuckling, ¡°You¡¯re not going to work?¡±


    Meaning, no work, no dinner.


    Xia Chengzong gritted his teeth and glared at her fiercely.


    He had come into the city without any money from home, and over the New Year, he felt too embarrassed to ask Brother Qiang for help.


    So he had no choice but to follow Zhao Xiaogui to work.


    Just as Xia Chengzong, filled with resentment, resigned himself to work, no one noticed that not far from the shop, He Qing was glaring this way with a face full of spite.


    It turned out that yesterday, worried about potential lasting damage to his eyes because of his injury, he had gone to the hospital. This had delayed him for a night, and he hadn¡¯t returned to Provincial City for the time being.


    Today, as he headed to the train station, he had just happened to run into Zhao Xiaogui and his companion entering the city.


    Almost as if guided by fate, he followed them and arrived here.


    Sure enough, as he had speculated, they were here to find Xia Chuyi.


    But what was Xia Chu doing here?


    He casually stopped someone and asked, ¡°Hey, comrade, I¡¯d like to ask you something!¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± The person responded impatiently at first, then, upon noticing his military uniform, replied with a bit of reluctance, ¡°What is it?¡±


    He Qing wasn¡¯t offended by the rude tone.


    He had always been adaptable, and with a smile he said to the woman, ¡°Comrade, hello, I am a soldier from the Provincial City military. I just wanted to ask you what this shop sells? And that woman with the apron, what is she doing inside? Is she a worker?¡±


    He pointed at Xia Chuyi.


    The woman opposite him glanced at him sideways, dissatisfied, ¡°You know Xia Chuyi? What are you to her?¡±


    ¡°You know her as well?¡± He Qing, observant, noticed that this woman seemed to dislike Xia Chuyi?


    Indeed, this comrade was none other than Zhang Xiaoling.

 Chapter 152: 152: What Did I Do Wrong?

    Chapter 152: Chapter 152: What Did I Do Wrong?


    Somehow, Zhang Xiaoling struck by insight, suddenly asked He Qing, ¡°Your injury wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with Xia Chuyi, would it?¡±


    He Qing revealed a slightly embarrassed expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because that damned girl is unreasonable!¡± He Qing said, his tone full of indignation.


    Their gazes met, reading the expression in each other¡¯s eyes¡ªthey both had a gripe with Xia Chuyi.


    Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s eyes darted around, then she said, ¡°Xia Chuyi really thinks she¡¯s above the law, daring to hit a soldier? Humph, she really needs to be taught a lesson!¡±


    After her spiel, He Qing was momentarily startled, then feigned helplessness and said, ¡°Hey, comrade, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    His eyes, however, were brimming with slyness.


    At this time, Xia Chuyi was busy preparing for the opening of her business the next day, utterly unaware that she had again attracted a villain behind her back.


    The signboard ordered before the new year was ready, with the words ¡°Youwei¡± painted in red lacquer, written personally by her with vigorous and bold strokes.


    Just this sign alone made the place look not like a new store, but an established brand.


    Xia Chuyi nodded, satisfied with her work.


    The ingredients, pot by pot, sorted and sequenced, had all been stewed to perfection.


    The next day, early in the morning, the crackle of firecrackers announced the grand opening of Xia Chuyi¡¯s ¡°Youwei¡± braised meat shop.


    With the new year almost over, some households had nearly finished their holiday provisions, but for others with many relatives and friends still to visit, ¡°Youwei¡± opening was perfect timing to add a dish to the table.


    ¡°Full of flavor, a delightful eat, 20% discount to celebrate the opening!¡± Xia Chuyi wrote on a piece of paper and posted it on the door.


    This slogan quickly brought in a steady stream of customers to the shop.


    The business was so good that Xia Chengzong was forced to run around, playing the role of a server.


    By midday, when the rush had eased, Xia Chengzong finally came to a realization and said, ¡°Xia Chuyi, I came to look after the place, not to serve as your errand boy!¡±


    He dropped the cleaning rag with a scowl on his face, ready to stop working.


    Xia Chuyi, meanwhile, was busy writing ¡°Braised Goods Sold Out¡± on a piece of cardboard, not even lifting her head.


    After hanging the sign at the front, she stepped inside and said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who said you¡¯d watch the place, I only ever mentioned you coming to work.¡±


    Meaning, he was meant to help out from the very beginning.


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Chengzong glared at her.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Xia Chuyi replied, undaunted.


    Xia Chengzong gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Just you wait. If someone comes to make trouble in the shop, I¡¯ll see you sort it out yourself!¡±


    Some people really do have a gift for jinxing¡ªno sooner had Xia Chengzong¡¯s words left his mouth than a commotion arose outside the shop.


    Someone asked, ¡°Is this the place?¡±


    Xia Chuyi looked outside to see two uniformed police officers¡ªreal police¡ªheading toward her shop.


    Beside the police were He Qing, whom she had pummeled the day before, and Zhang Xiaoling, who, for some inexplicable reason, had become her enemy.


    Police, He Qing, Zhang Xiaoling; these three terms appearing together could only mean bad news.


    ¡°Which one of you is Xia Chuyi? Come with us to the Police Station,¡± one of the officers called in, his tone stern.


    Xia Chuyi raised an eyebrow, eyeing the incoming officers and her two old adversaries.


    Wiping her hands on a towel calmly, she asked, ¡°I¡¯m Xia Chuyi. May I ask, officer, what law have I broken?¡±


    The two officers exchanged looks, and one stepped forward and said, ¡°Someone has reported you for assaulting a soldier and undermining national security and unity.¡±


    Quite a hefty accusation was suddenly slapped onto Xia Chuyi.

 Chapter 153: 153: Shameless or Not

    Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Shameless or Not


    ¡°Destabilizing national unity?¡± Xia Chuyi glanced at He Qing.


    He really had the nerve to say that.


    She stared at He Qing and asked lightly, ¡°Was it you who reported me? Saying I beat you?¡±


    Being beaten by a woman is hardly honorable.


    ¡°Cough, cough.¡± He Qing covered his mouth, pretended to cough twice, avoided her gaze, and masked his embarrassment.


    ¡°What, you reported my sister for beating you?¡± Zhao Xiaogui was dumbfounded.


    Xia Chengzong frowned, glanced at the two police officers and He Qing, and finally snorted coldly, ¡°He Qing, you¡¯re a grown man, how can you say my sister beat you? Could she even overpower you?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaogui seemed to understand and jumped up, cursing at He Qing, ¡°Exactly, He Qing! You¡¯re a big, burly man and a soldier, yet you claim my sister, a gentle and delicate woman, hit you? You¡¯re shameless!¡±


    The first part made sense, but the second part... Xia Chengzong fell silent.


    Xia Chuyi, however, was quite happy.


    Hmm, Xiao Gui is such a good kid. I¡¯ll give him an extra chicken leg later.


    ¡°Gentle and delicate?¡± He Qing couldn¡¯t pretend anymore and pointed at his bruised face, ¡°More like a shrew! These injuries on my face were all caused by her!¡±


    ¡°Officer, I testify that it was this person right here, Xia Chuyi, who hit me yesterday.¡± He Qing turned his head, struck a serious pose, and said to the officer, ¡°This woman is my wife¡¯s sister. She has always been jealous of my wife, so when she ran into me yesterday, harboring dissatisfaction, she attacked me.¡±


    ¡°No doubt, I am a grown man; of course, I could overpower her.¡±


    ¡°But I am also a soldier. How could I raise a hand against a girl? Because I didn¡¯t retaliate, she ended up beating me like this.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to report initially, but then I thought, I am, after all, her brother-in-law, how could I condone this? How could I let her thoughts plummet into the path of crime?¡±


    ¡°So I decided to report to the police because I felt I needed to educate her a bit. Only then will she understand and learn to grow.¡±


    His words were logically sound and conveyed with moral righteousness.


    Hehe, am I really supposed to thank him?


    Such a lame excuse would not be believed by anyone who knows a bit about the situation, like Zhao Xiaogui.


    ¡°He Qing! You scumbag, have you no shame? What do you mean my sister is jealous of Xia Lan?¡± Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s face twisted with anger, ¡°And my sister holds grudges against you? Ridiculous! If my sister were dissatisfied, would she have broken off the engagement to favor you and He Xia?¡±


    ¡°Really shameless! Thinking we¡¯re young and foolish, huh?¡±


    ¡°Officers, if anyone should be arrested, it should be He Qing, this ungrateful, shameless villain!¡±


    The two officers, clearly not expecting things to turn out this way, glanced at Zhang Xiaoling.


    Only to hear Zhang Xiaoling chuckle and say, ¡°Who is right and who is wrong, why not find out slowly through interrogation at the Police Station?¡±


    After all, the decision was made to have Xia Chuyi visit the station.


    Her uncle was the chief, and once Xia Chuyi was detained, wouldn¡¯t everyone listen to her?


    This, Xia Chuyi was well-aware of, so she started to strategize in her mind on how to avoid going to the Police Station.


    ¡°Comrade He Qing, regarding you being a soldier and my actions endangering national stability, I ask you, were you on official duty?¡± Xia Chuyi ignored Zhang Xiaoling and directly questioned He Qing.


    ¡°...No.¡± He Qing¡¯s eyes flickered, not daring to lie.


    ¡°Then, since you were not on duty, how can you claim I was endangering national stability?¡± Xia Chuyi suddenly raised her voice and sternly questioned.

 Chapter 154: One Fifty-four: Hitting the Nail on the Head

    Chapter 154: Chapter One Fifty-four: Hitting the Nail on the Head


    ¡°He Qing, do you think I don¡¯t understand the law?¡± Xia Chuyi scolded even more severely, ¡°By making such false accusations, I could sue you for defamation!¡±


    With her imposing manner, He Qing immediately felt weakened.


    ¡°This...¡± He Qing quickly glanced at Zhang Xiaoling.


    It was she who had instigated this!


    If it weren¡¯t for her saying she had connections at the Police Station, would he have foolishly reported Xia Chuyi?


    Zhang Xiaoling was momentarily at a loss for words and looked at the two police officers.


    From the reaction of the two police officers and He Qing, she realized that Xia Chuyi was probably right,


    ¡°You!¡± Zhang Xiaoling felt furious inside.


    This bumpkin actually knew the law!


    She bit her lip, realizing that her wishful thinking was most likely going to be in vain, and couldn¡¯t help but shift her gaze around Xia Chuyi¡¯s shop.


    Suddenly, she said, ¡°Even if we dismiss this case, what about her store operation? Are all her procedures complete? I remember that this place was a rice noodle shop not long ago!¡±


    Xia Chuyi: ...


    Well, this offhand remark by Zhang Xiaoling really hit the nail on the head.


    She indeed hadn¡¯t processed the business procedures because the rice noodle shop owner¡¯s operating permit hadn¡¯t expired yet.


    Usually, when a shop is transferred, the operating permit is also transferred.


    However, this is a legal loophole.


    Strictly speaking, the name on the operating permit isn¡¯t hers, so she has no right to use this permit.


    Xia Chuyi thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to the Police Station.¡±


    Everybody looked at her in surprise.


    A flash of coldness in her eyes, Xia Chuyi said, ¡°I think it¡¯s necessary to clear up this assault incident.¡±


    With that one sentence, she pulled everyone¡¯s attention away from the operating procedures.


    Taking off her apron and handing it to Xia Chengzong, she stared into his eyes and said, ¡°Second brother, I¡¯ll leave the shop matters to you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said and then turned to the police.


    Zhang Xiaoling didn¡¯t understand why Xia Chuyi suddenly agreed to go to the Police Station, but as long as they could take her away, her purpose was achieved, so she nodded and said to the police officers, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Older sister!¡± Zhao Xiaogui called out anxiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. Wait for me to come back,¡± Xia Chuyi comforted her cousin.


    She already had an idea of what might happen at the Police Station.


    For beating up He Qing, she wasn¡¯t guilty of a crime; it was at most a civil dispute.


    If the other party tried to fabricate charges against her, she also had come up with countermeasures.


    Only the matter of the operating permit was more troublesome.


    This could truly be considered illegal operation, also known as profiteering¡ªa major crime.


    Before leaving, she looked meaningfully at Xia Chengzong.


    After Xia Chuyi was taken away, Zhao Xiaogui, a teenager, suddenly panicked and grabbed Xia Chengzong¡¯s arm, saying, ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    Xia Chengzong¡¯s face was stern as he tightly held Xia Chuyi¡¯s apron¡ªthe money Xia Chuyi collected was all inside.


    When she handed the apron to him earlier, Xia Chuyi intentionally stuffed her bulging wallet towards his hand.


    He understood that Xia Chuyi was telling him to take the opportunity while she was being taken away to hurry to the Bureau of Industry and Commerce to change the name on the operating permit.


    As for whether the Bureau of Industry and Commerce would agree?


    She had quite a business turnover today.


    This matter wasn¡¯t difficult to handle; following Brother Qiang, he had contacts with many people on both the legal and illegal sides, and had managed many matters.


    He just wondered why this girl trusted him so much? Giving him all the business turnover without fearing he might steal it?


    Brother Qiang never handed him money.


    Shaking his head, he grasped the apron and said to Zhao Xiaogui, ¡°I¡¯ll step out for a bit.¡±


    Leaving Zhao Xiaogui alone, on the verge of tears.


    He was still just a kid!

 Chapter 155: 155 I Want to File a Counterclaim

    Chapter 155: Chapter 155 I Want to File a Counterclaim


    Soon, a group of people arrived at the Police Station.


    Throughout the journey, Xia Chuyi was utterly serene, which upon seeing, made Zhang Xiaoling feel even more suffocated.


    ¡°Hmph, bumpkin, I want to see if you can still be so composed once you¡¯re inside the Police Station!¡± Zhang Xiaoling sneered at her before marching through the main entrance.


    He Qing followed behind, unable to conceal the mad thrill of impending vengeance in his eyes.


    Xia Chuyi raised an eyebrow, these two fools, blissfully unaware of how long their arrogance would last.


    She followed the two police officers inside.


    As soon as she entered, she heard a cheerful inquiry.


    ¡°Vice Director Chang...¡± The two police officers hurried to greet the person.


    Vice Director Chang nodded his head and casually asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation here?¡±


    The two officers didn¡¯t dare to withhold the details and said, ¡°This comrade, Xia Chuyi, is reported for assaulting a soldier and undermining national stability and unity.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Xia Chuyi... Pfft!¡± Vice Director Chang spewed out his tea in shock, staring at her, ¡°You are Xia Chuyi?¡±


    His gaze was strange; did he recognize her?


    ¡°Yes, my name is Xia Chuyi.¡± She answered.


    ¡°From Heshan Village, Qingshan Town?¡± he asked again.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xia Chuyi nodded, growing more puzzled.


    Did he truly recognize her?


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, little sister-in-law...¡± Vice Director Chang exclaimed with wide eyes, letting the words slip out unconsciously.


    ¡°What?¡± The people around didn¡¯t catch what he had said clearly.


    ¡°Cough cough, young comrade, young comrade.¡± Vice Director Chang hurriedly corrected himself.


    Only Xia Chuyi narrowed her eyes slightly.


    Little sister-in-law, a very familiar way of addressing her.


    Could this man be one of Huo Shiqian¡¯s?


    She recalled Huo Shiqian telling her before he left to write to him if there was an issue¡ªimplying he would take care of matters for her.


    Was this the person he was referring to?


    ¡°Hello, my name is Chang Luhui.¡± Chang Luhui introduced himself with an unusually warm and friendly demeanor.


    Chang Luhui? That name sounded very familiar.


    Chang Luhui, the Vice Director of the Ling County Public Security Bureau, had made significant contributions in the Zhang Zhicheng case, and later on, became a relentless member in purging the entire Ling County of corrupt forces.


    Could it really be him?


    This man, if she remembered correctly, was an adversary to the current Public Security Bureau Chief Lin Aiguo.


    And he was one of Huo Shiqian¡¯s men?


    It was just too coincidental.


    ¡°This comrade Xia Chuyi looks like a law-abiding good citizen at first glance; how could she possibly attack someone?¡± Now aware she was one of their own, Chang Luhui spoke with complete confidence.


    ¡°Vice Director Chang, you may be a vice director, but perhaps your discernment isn¡¯t all that clear, is it?¡± Zhang Xiaoling, upon hearing this, hastily interjected.


    She obviously knew Chang Luhui but considered him inferior to her uncle and thus spoke quite rudely.


    ¡°Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be my uncle assuming the role of the bureau chief.¡± Zhang Xiaoling glanced at Xia Chuyi¡¯s youthful and attractive face and scoffed, ¡°In my view, this Xia Chuyi doesn¡¯t look like a decent person at all!¡±


    Chang Luhui glanced at Zhang Xiaoling and replied with a smiling face, ¡°My big niece is quite interesting, aren¡¯t you? You mean to say you have better judgment than your uncle? Your vision is better than mine? If you see someone as a villain, they must be a villain?¡±


    Zhang Xiaoling was momentarily at a loss for words.


    ¡°I think Comrade Xia Chuyi here is a fine comrade, surely this is all a misunderstanding, let her go, let her go,¡± Chang Luhui gestured dismissively to the two officers.


    The two officers glanced at each other, unsure of what to do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare let her go!¡± Zhang Xiaoling called out hastily.


    Xia Chuyi gave a cold smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but even if you wanted to release me now, I wouldn¡¯t leave. I still have scores to settle slowly.¡±


    Having allies in high places made handling affairs much easier.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Vice Director Chang. I wish to file a countercharge for defamation against this gentleman here named He Qing.¡±

 Chapter 156: One Hundred and Fifty-Six: Take it Down for Me

    Chapter 156: Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Six: Take it Down for Me


    ¡°Slander?¡± He Qing was startled by Xia Chuyi, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Xia Chuyi gave him a sidelong glance and said, ¡°I asked you before if you were on official duty, and you said no. So, is accusing me of undermining national security and stability not slander?¡±


    ¡°But you assaulting me is a fact! So many people at the station saw it!¡± He Qing could no longer care about his dignity, desperately arguing.


    Xia Chuyi chuckled lightly and said, ¡°Heh, you are right, I did hit you, but why don¡¯t you mention why I hit you?¡±


    She paused deliberately before slowly continuing, ¡°Officers, I took action against He Qing because this person¡¯s language was filthy, and he harassed me.¡±


    With a clang, the cup lid in Chang Luhui¡¯s hand slipped and struck the cup, making a noticeable noise.


    ¡°Harassed you? He harassed you?¡± Chang Luhui¡¯s smile stiffened.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± He Qing¡¯s eyes reddened as he tried to explain, ¡°She¡¯s such a shrew, I didn¡¯t want her even when she threw herself at me, so why would I harass her?¡±


    ¡°Shrew? Threw herself at you?¡± Chang Luhui¡¯s face took on an indescribable expression, glancing between He Qing and Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Chuyi ignored him, chuckled lightly, and said, ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t harass me? Then why would a weak woman like me hit you for no reason?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because you¡¯re jealous of Lanlan, jealous that Lanlan married me, so you...¡± He Qing argued with self-righteous indignation.


    Xia Chuyi cut him off directly, ¡°Jealous of her marrying you?¡±


    She looked He Qing up and down, ¡°You?¡±


    Her gaze was filled with naked scorn and disdain.


    ¡°Comrades of the police, I would like to take the initiative to clarify my past with Comrade He Qing.¡± Xia Chuyi spoke earnestly.


    ¡°This Comrade He Qing was once my fiance?, but our engagement was called off after I discovered him having an improper relationship with my cousin.¡±


    As soon as she said this, He Qing immediately became agitated, shouting, ¡°Xia Chuyi, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Officers, it¡¯s not like she says...¡±


    Chang Luhui glanced at him and said, ¡°There will be plenty of time for you to explain later.¡±


    Meaning he should not interrupt.


    ¡°Since I called off the engagement with him, I have never had any contact with him again,¡± Xia Chuyi continued. ¡°Yesterday, I ran into him by chance. He came up to talk to me, but I ignored him. Then he said a lot of indecent things, and in anger, I laid hands on him.¡±


    ¡°He Qing, today, in front of the police, I want to tell you seriously that I have absolutely no interest in a shameless scoundrel like you. Do not flatter yourself into thinking that I would be blind enough to like you.¡±


    Her tone was filled with clear loathing.


    ¡°You!¡± He Qing ground his teeth, ¡°You dare say you didn¡¯t like me before?¡±


    Xia Chuyi chuckled lightly and said, ¡°You said it yourself, that was in the past. When you¡¯re young, who doesn¡¯t love a few jerks?¡±


    With that remark, Chang Luhui coughed outright: ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s leave it at that.¡±


    He then pointed at two policemen and ordered, ¡°Take him in for interrogation, whether it¡¯s for the crime of harassment or slander. Lock him up and investigate him thoroughly!¡±


    The two policemen exchanged looks, hesitating to move.


    ¡°What, I, the Deputy Director, can¡¯t command you?¡± Chang Luhui shouted loudly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t arrest him!¡± Zhang Xiaoling shouted out in panic.


    The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.


    Xia Chuyi shook her head inwardly: This Zhang Xiaoling really is brainless.

 Chapter 157: 157: I Dont Recognize You

    Chapter 157: Chapter 157: I Don¡¯t Recognize You


    He Qing had also come to his senses by now. To clear his own name, he could only rely on Zhang Xiaoling.


    He hastily said to her, ¡°Mr. Zhang, believe me, I really didn¡¯t harass Xia Chuyi! It was she who seduced me!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still hung up on me, unwilling to let go. That¡¯s why she¡¯s come down so hard on me, slandering me!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaoling glared fiercely at Xia Chu, soothing He Qing, ¡°I understand, I¡ª¡±


    Her words were not yet finished.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Suddenly, Xia Chuyi let out a light laugh and said, ¡°Interesting, really interesting. Vice Director Chang, isn¡¯t this the Police Station? Why isn¡¯t He Qing explaining things to you but instead talking to this female comrade? Who is she in your station?¡±


    Chang Luhui: ¡°This...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the niece of the Public Security Bureau Chief, what about it?¡± Zhang Xiaoling immediately retorted.


    Everyone: ¡°...¡±


    Xia Chu raised her eyebrows, laughing, ¡°The Public Security Bureau Chief¡¯s niece has the qualifications and the authority to deal with the affairs of the Police Station?¡±


    ¡°Of course...¡± Halfway through her sentence, Zhang Xiaoling also felt something was not right, ¡°You¡¯re deliberately setting a trap for me!¡±


    She turned the blame on her.


    Xia Chuyi, not in the least bit intimidated, faced her and said, ¡°Comrade Zhang Xiaoling, go ahead and tell us, can you manage the affairs of the Police Station?¡±


    Zhang Xiaoling, realizing it was a trap, could only bite her lip and say, ¡°I certainly cannot manage the affairs of the Police Station.¡±


    Seeing her backing down, He Qing¡¯s eyes grew red with urgency, he cried out, ¡°Zhang Xiaoling, how can you just turn your back on someone? The report against Xia Chuyi was your idea! If anyone is to blame, you¡¯re the mastermind!¡±


    Driven to desperation, he implicated her directly.


    Burned with rage by Xia Chuyi¡¯s pressing, and seeing He Qing¡¯s outburst, Zhang Xiaoling could not help but angrily retort, ¡°What instigation? And you say I¡¯m the mastermind? Vice Director Chang, I don¡¯t even know this man; I was just kindly helping him find his way!¡±


    With one sentence, she absolved herself completely.


    Chang Luhui chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear niece, we will certainly get to the bottom of this.¡±


    After speaking, he glanced at the two police officers under his command.


    Sensing how the wind was blowing, they immediately took out handcuffs and fastened them on He Qing.


    The situation took a dramatic turn. He Qing never anticipated that, in trying to frame Xia Chuyi, he would end up implicating himself.


    ¡°Zhang Xiaoling!¡± he called out in desperation.


    By this time, Zhang Xiaoling was also feeling frustrated. Not only was He Qing useless, but now he had dragged her into this!


    With the situation having reached this point, there was no need for her to help He Qing anymore. She quickly shifted her gaze and said, ¡°Why are you shouting? I don¡¯t even know you! Humph, your issues have nothing to do with me; I¡¯m going back now!¡±


    Having said this, she turned on her heel and straightaway left the Police Station.


    He Qing was stunned for a moment and realized only after Zhang Xiaoling had left the building that she had truly run off.


    He began to feel anxious; he couldn¡¯t afford to get himself in trouble for the sake of dealing with Xia Chu!


    Somehow, recently he had fallen out of favor with his superiors. Not only had his promotion stalled, he had also hit roadblocks at every turn.


    With this current incident, even if he wasn¡¯t ultimately convicted, he would still end up with a stain on his record.


    His mind raced, and then he remembered something and shouted at Chang Luhui, ¡°I am a military officer, you have no right to interrogate me!¡±


    Not a bad excuse.


    However, Chang Luhui simply smiled and said, ¡°Interrogate? We¡¯re just having a chat. Later on, we¡¯ll submit the statement to the military, and they¡¯ll naturally take care of it.¡±

 Chapter 158: 158 Too Many Flaws

    Chapter 158: Chapter 158 Too Many Flaws


    Report the matter to the military?


    He Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    If this matter was reported to the military, he would at least receive a demerit, or at worst, he could be immediately dismissed.


    Wouldn¡¯t this completely destroy his future prospects?


    Coming from a rural background, he was most aware of how much his life had changed since he put on the military uniform.


    Not to mention how his family revered him, every time the villagers saw him, their attitude toward him was exceptionally warm.


    Even a beautiful girl like Xia Lan had gradually taken a liking to him.


    Even Xia Chuyi, initially, had been compliant with him.


    All of this was thanks to his military status.


    If he were to be dismissed from the military and take off his uniform... his life would be ruined!


    Thinking this, his legs went weak.


    No, no, no, he couldn¡¯t let himself fall into such a dismal situation!


    He suddenly lunged towards Xia Chuyi.


    ¡°Chuyi, Chuyi, look, I¡¯m your brother-in-law, we¡¯re family. If not for my sake, then for your sister¡¯s sake, spare me this once, please?¡± He Qing pleaded, his face shameless, ¡°Chuyi, let¡¯s reconcile, okay?¡±


    ¡°Reconcile? For Xia Lan¡¯s sake?¡± Xia Chuyi scoffed, dodging the lunging He Qing, ¡°The face of a homewrecker?¡±


    Hearing this, He Qing instantly changed his tune, he said, ¡°You care about that? If that¡¯s the issue here, I can break up with her, I can divorce her, then, can we get back together? I¡¯ll marry you, and we¡¯ll love each other...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    With too many pitfalls in his plea, Xia Chuyi really didn¡¯t want to respond.


    ¡°Chuyi, deep down, I really do love you the most! My relationship with Xia Lan has been her enticing me from the start; I don¡¯t love her! Otherwise, why would I have come to talk to you yesterday? It¡¯s because you¡¯re the one I like the most!¡±


    He Qing said, starting to believe his own words.


    Yes, he must still be concerned about Xia Chuyi, otherwise why would he have inexplicably sought her out yesterday to talk?


    Thinking this, he immediately wore a face that he believed looked affectionate.


    ¡°Chuyi, I love you, let¡¯s make up!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Chang Luhui, gritting his teeth, couldn¡¯t listen anymore, ¡°Take him away!¡±


    Daring to encroach on his superior¡¯s territory?


    In the absence of Zhang Xiaoling, the two policemen very much obeyed Chang Luhui, restraining He Qing, ready to leave.


    ¡°Chuyi, Chuyi!¡±


    However, He Qing clung desperately to the table, refusing to leave.


    ¡°I actually do like you, really, I¡¯ve always liked you, I have no feelings for Xia Lan at all! As long as you agree to let me go this time, in the future...¡± He Qing pleaded stubbornly.


    ¡°He Qing!¡± Suddenly, Xia Chuyi shouted.


    He Qing turned with hopeful ¡°affectionate¡± eyes to look at her.


    Xia Chuyi shook her head and said, ¡°He Qing, you really have outdone yourself, you are disgustingly despicable.¡±


    The expression on He Qing¡¯s face stiffened instantly.


    Xia Chuyi glanced at Chang Luhui, and said, ¡°Vice Director Chang, thank you for your trouble.¡±


    Chang Luhui nodded, gesturing with his hand, ¡°No trouble at all, I serve the people.¡±


    ¡°Take him away.¡± He directed his subordinates.


    This time, He Qing had no choice but to leave.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi! You can¡¯t treat me this way, I¡¯m your brother-in-law! Xia Chuyi, aren¡¯t you afraid you won¡¯t be able to return to the Xia Family? Aren¡¯t you afraid the Xia Family will loathe you?¡± His pleas having failed, He Qing switched to threatening.

 Chapter 159: 159: Speculation and Profiteering

    Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Speculation and Profiteering


    He Qing called out several times, but Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t respond, acting as if it was just wind blowing in her ears.


    He had no choice but to desperately seek help, turning to Chang Luhui and shouting, ¡°Vice Director Chang, I want to report, I confess, I wasn¡¯t the mastermind behind this, it was Zhang Xiaoling who instructed me, she is the true mastermind! I¡¯m just an accomplice, my report is meritorious, you should be lenient with me... Vice Director Chang...¡±


    Chang Luhui didn¡¯t pay any attention to him either.


    He Qing kept struggling and screaming until his entire being was taken into the interrogation room, finally cutting off his disgusting voice.


    The hall suddenly regained its tranquility.


    ¡°Cough cough.¡± Chang Luhui coughed and called out, ¡°Hello, little sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°...Don¡¯t call me that, you¡¯re much older than us.¡± Xia Chuyi twitched the corner of her eye and said, ¡°Just call me Xia Chuyi.¡±


    The word ¡°us¡± included Huo Shiqian.


    Chang Luhui smiled and said, ¡°Haha, it¡¯s all Xiao Wang and those kids, they talk about ¡®little sister-in-law¡¯ every day, I got used to saying it too!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call you Xia Chuyi!¡± Chang Luhui readily agreed.


    ¡°No matter what, Vice Director Chang, I really appreciate your help with today¡¯s matter.¡± Xia Chuyi looked at him and earnestly thanked him.


    Chang Luhui was pleasantly surprised, quickly stepped back, and waved his hand, ¡°No, no, no, I dare not accept it. It¡¯s just what needed to be done!¡±


    ¡°Right, Comrade Chuyi, about today¡¯s matter, I need to trouble you to give a statement.¡± Chang Luhui immediately changed the subject.


    ¡°Sure, okay.¡± Xia Chuyi nodded, agreeing to cooperate.


    The statement was recorded personally by Chang Luhui, and naturally, the final testimony was polished to appear flawless for her.


    ¡°With this statement, He Qing¡¯s life is over.¡± Whenever Chang Luhui talked about He Qing, his tone couldn¡¯t help but fill with disdain, ¡°Comrade Chuyi, rest assured, I¡¯ll definitely ¡®take good care¡¯ of him.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She knew what he meant and thanked him again.


    If it weren¡¯t for him this time, things would have been much more complicated.


    Chang Luhui scratched his head and laughed, ¡°Heh, we¡¯re all family, why be polite? No need for thanks.¡±


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    The subordinates of Uncle Liberation Army were all as thick-skinned as he was.


    Now that the statement was finished, and Chang Luhui had official duties to attend to, Xia Chuyi took her leave and left first.


    After leaving the Police Station, she thought about it and decided to stop by the Business Administration to see how her second brother¡¯s issue was being handled.


    Who knew that when she got to the door of the Business Administration, she would run into Zhang Xiaoling.


    What is she doing here?


    Xia Chuyi intended to avoid her, but Zhang Xiaoling spread her arms and directly blocked her path.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi!¡± Zhang Xiaoling called out.


    Since she couldn¡¯t avoid her, she stood still and calmly asked Zhang Xiaoling, ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhang Xiaoling snorted coldly and then, with a gleam of triumph in her eyes, said, ¡°I¡¯ve come to realize that the reason you went to the Police Station voluntarily before was to cover up the issue with your business license, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Xia Chuyi laughed lightly.


    Her train of thought was a bit too delayed, realizing it now?


    Of course, she would never admit it and responded with an innocent face, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me!¡± Zhang Xiaoling rebuked, ¡°You shameless yokel!¡±


    Zhang Xiaoling approached forcefully and grabbed her, demanding, ¡°You go to your store right now and show me your business license!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have it, then you¡¯re a capitalist speculator and a bad element!¡±

 Chapter 160: 160 Impossible

    Chapter 160: Chapter 160 Impossible


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±


    Xia Chuyi deftly dodged her hand and frowned, ¡°Zhang Xiaoling, you can eat whatever you like, but you can¡¯t just spout nonsense!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense!¡± Zhang Xiaoling was utterly confident in her speculation. ¡°Otherwise, tell me, what are you doing here at the Bureau of Industry and Commerce? Aren¡¯t you here to complete your paperwork?¡±


    Triumph written all over her face.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s expression grew cold as he said, ¡°What I am doing here, what¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, feeling guilty, huh? If you can¡¯t show me the business permit, I¡¯ll...¡± Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s tone became more and more smug.


    However, before she could finish, Xia Chuyi interrupted her sharply: ¡°Zhang Xiaoling!¡±


    ¡°What gives you the right to check my business permit? Do you really think you¡¯re some princess of the Police Station?¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s tone was quite stern. ¡°I had no idea that employees of the coal plant could now do the job of the police.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Zhang Xiaoling glared at her hatefully. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling guilty, then show me the permit! I guessed right, didn¡¯t I? You don¡¯t have a business permit!¡±


    Xia Chuyi glanced from the corner of his eye and saw a familiar person coming out of the Bureau of Industry and Commerce hall, waving a piece of paper at her,


    A smirk played across her lips, and she narrowed her eyes, staring at Zhang Xiaoling as she whispered, ¡°Zhang Xiaoling, do you know that He Qing, being held at the Police Station, is charged with a crime called defamation?¡±


    ¡°I would advise you, without solid evidence, it¡¯s best not to make wild accusations with empty talk.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯d believe you just because you say that? I won¡¯t fall for your tricks!¡± Zhang Xiaoling snorted arrogantly, utterly convinced of herself. ¡°Xia Chuyi, just wait to be jailed!¡±


    She said and reached out to grab her again.


    Xia Chuyi quickly took control, pushing her aside, and called out, ¡°Second brother!¡±


    Xia Chengzong, who was behind Zhang Xiaoling, came forward and handed her something.


    Xia Chuyi took it and smiled faintly.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zhang Xiaoling looked at her suspiciously.


    ¡°Reap what you sow. You wanted to see the business permit, right?¡± Xia Chuyi unfolded the license and flaunted it in her face.


    ¡°Here, take a good look.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Zhang Xiaoling screamed in disbelief.


    Her prediction was clearly not wrong! She moved closer, scrutinizing the red official seal, the black letters.


    Zhang Xiaoling was suddenly stunned. ¡°How could this be?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± She still refused to believe it, her eyes almost trying to bore a hole through the permit, but alas, the seal was genuine, and so was the name.


    ¡°Eh, wait, the date is wrong? This date is today?¡± Zhang Xiaoling screamed suddenly.


    ¡°I understand now, you colluded! While Xia Chuyi distracted me, he took the opportunity to complete the business procedures!¡±


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, you¡¯re so despicable!¡± Zhang Xiaoling cursed.


    She¡¯s despicable?


    Xia Chuyi almost laughed out loud.


    From start to finish, who started this whole thing?


    Xia Chuyi calmly put away the permit and said, ¡°Zhang Xiaoling, now that you¡¯ve seen the permit, if you keep running your mouth, I won¡¯t mind making another trip to the Police Station to sue you for defamation.¡±


    She countered with a veiled threat to Zhang Xiaoling.


    ¡°You!¡± At these words, Zhang Xiaoling was so angry that she hopped in place.


    ¡°Miss Zhang, is there anything else you would like to say?¡± Xia Chuyi gave Zhang Xiaoling a sidelong glance, clearly implying that if she dared to talk nonsense, she¡¯d dare to report her.


    At this point, Zhang Xiaoling knew she had been played, her anger was uncontrollable, yet she couldn¡¯t do anything to Xia Chuyi.


    ¡°Xia Chuyi, don¡¯t get cocky with me, just you wait!¡±


    She definitely wouldn¡¯t let it go!


    With that, she flicked her hair violently and left angrily.

 Chapter 161: 161: Wait for Me

    Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Wait for Me


    After Zhang Xiaoling left, Xia Chuyi finally let out a sigh of relief and said to Xia Chengzong, ¡°Second brother, today, thank you.¡±


    Fortunately, he understood her meaning, otherwise, Zhang Xiaoling would not have let it go easily.


    When she suddenly thanked him seriously, it really gave Xia Chengzong a fright.


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Rarely thanked so sincerely, Xia Chengzong felt a bit uncomfortable.


    Xia Chuyi gave him a smile, ¡°Alright, second brother, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    By the time they got back to ¡°Youwei,¡± Zhao Xiaogui had been waiting anxiously for a long time.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Zhao Xiaogui rushed over like an abandoned pitiful child.


    ¡°Sis, are you alright? I wanted to come see you, but the shop can¡¯t be left unattended,¡± he said, pitifully.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before I left that I was fine?¡± Xia Chuyi patted him.


    ¡°The Police Station, that is!¡± Despite Zhao Xiaogui¡¯s usual bluster, the mention of the police still scared him quite a bit.


    ¡°Okay, I know you were worried and scared, let¡¯s chalk up a merit for you!¡± She said with a smile.


    ¡°Alright, today was tough on everyone, the opening day¡¯s business was not bad. Later, I¡¯ll cook something delicious as both a celebration and to calm the nerves!¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui immediately cheered.


    The atmosphere on Xia Chuyi¡¯s side was incredibly harmonious, but it was entirely different on Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s end.


    After leaving the Business Bureau, Zhang Xiaoling fumed as she walked: Ever since she met that bumpkin Xia Chuyi, she had not had one moment of satisfaction!


    Every single time she had to swallow her anger because of that dead bumpkin.


    Xia Chuyi, just you wait!


    With fury in her eyes and heavy footsteps, she made her way back to the coal factory.


    As soon as she entered the factory, one of her admirers, the lapdog Li Cai, came up to greet her, ¡°Comrade Xiaoling, hello, you¡¯re back?¡±


    With a big grin on his face, he greeted her.


    Zhang Xiaoling was furious and found everyone annoying. She took it out immediately on him, barking, ¡°What¡¯s good? Li Cai, didn¡¯t you tell me before that you had a way to deal with Xia Chuyi? To make her close the shop and leave! What now? Where¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°Humph, and now, her shop is still up and running just fine!¡± Zhang Xiaoling said, getting more and more angry.


    It made her have to take action herself... and ended up with her getting played and swallowing a bellyful of frustration.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Li Cai, you must find someone for me, make it so her shop can¡¯t continue. Otherwise, when the time comes, you¡¯ll be the one to leave, get out of this factory!¡± She might not have a say in matters with the Police Station, but she still had the power to call the shots in the factory!


    ¡°This, this...¡± Li Cai, having been sprayed with a torrent of anger, could only manage an awkward smile, ¡°The people I found before... sigh, who knew Ban Cunqiang¡¯s men would know Xia Chuyi.¡±


    And that she was Ban Cunqiang¡¯s sister.


    ¡°Those mixed up in the underworld preach about loyalty; once they know this is Ban Cunqiang¡¯s territory, nobody else wants to take the job,¡± Li Cai hurriedly explained.


    Zhang Xiaoling couldn¡¯t care less, she snapped coldly, ¡°Li Cai, don¡¯t make excuses! If you can¡¯t get things done, it¡¯s because you¡¯re stupid!¡±


    ¡°With great rewards come brave men, if you spend more money, are you afraid you can¡¯t find someone? Li Cai, let me tell you, I can give you the money, but you must get this done for me.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, turn around and get lost, roll out of this coal factory!¡±


    Zhang Xiaoling¡¯s eyes flashed with sparks as she said, ¡°Anyway, I must vent this anger no matter what!¡±


    A trace of displeasure flashed in Li Cai¡¯s eyes, but he dared not show it and could only obsequiously grin and nod, ¡°Xiaoling, why bother yourself like this? It wouldn¡¯t be good if you got sick from anger.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, I will definitely accomplish this for you!¡±


    He slapped his chest, guaranteeing, with a hint of malevolence in his eyes.


    Since Zhang Xiaoling had said so much, Xia Chuyi might as well get ready to close up shop.


    Zhang Xiaoling snorted coldly, ¡°Humph, then I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news!¡±

 Chapter 162: 162: The Choice Is Yours

    Chapter 162: Chapter 162: The Choice Is Yours


    In the evening at the ¡°Youwei¡± shop.


    Braised pig¡¯s head meat, stewed chicken, cold tofu slices... A meal full of color, aroma, taste, and generous portions left everyone extremely satisfied.


    After a full meal and plenty to drink, Xia Chuyi said to Xia Chengzong, ¡°Second Brother, I owe you big time for what happened today. You¡¯ve made up for your mistakes; consider your debt paid off.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t need to come help starting from tomorrow.¡±


    Xia Chengzong looked up at her, ¡°Really?¡±


    He obviously couldn¡¯t quite believe that the girl had become so easygoing.


    Xia Chuyi nodded, ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°Second Brother, I know that you don¡¯t want to help out here. You¡¯d rather go find Brother Qiang.¡±


    ¡°In your eyes, the loyalty of the Jianghu and camaraderie must be far more enjoyable than working in our little shop.¡±


    Xia Chengzong paused for a moment and hesitated, ¡°Not really...¡±


    He didn¡¯t feel that way.


    To be honest, even though working in the shop was hard, there was a feeling of solidity that was completely different from his gangster days.


    Xia Chuyi could ignore his expression and continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter either way. Second Brother, although I hope you won¡¯t be a gangster anymore, if that¡¯s your dream I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my own path, and you can walk your single-plank bridge.¡±


    Xia Chengzong: ¡°...¡±


    Why did that sound so off?


    ¡°However, if you want to come back and help out, I¡¯ll welcome you anytime. I¡¯ll pay you a salary directly, thirty yuan a month.¡±


    ¡°Do well, and I¡¯ll give you a percentage based on the business.¡±


    ¡°And bonuses at the end of the year.¡±


    A series of offers made Xia Chengzong look at her very cautiously.


    Seeing his look, Xia Chuyi knew he must think it was a trap. She smiled and said, ¡°The choice is yours; I won¡¯t force you.¡±


    And with that, she ended the subject.


    The next day, in accordance with her promise, Xia Chuyi let Xia Chengzong go. She didn¡¯t say anything superfluous the entire time, just smiled beamingly.


    Her manner made Xia Chengzong look back every three steps, leaving amidst hesitation and reluctance.


    ¡°Sis, were you just pulling his leg with what you said yesterday?¡± As soon as he was gone, Zhao Xiaogui quickly came over and asked curiously, ¡°Xia Chengzong is alright as a person, but he¡¯s still part of the Xia Family, so were you saying all that on purpose yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, to let him work here, offer him a high salary, and then let the rest of the Xia Family, especially Xia Mei and Xia Chengzu, know about it, heh heh, that¡¯ll certainly stir up chaos... ow!¡±


    After smacking her cousin with complete composure, Xia Chuyi said serenely, ¡°You¡¯re really missing out not writing domestic drama scripts.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zhao Xiaogui didn¡¯t understand.


    Xia Chuyi shook her head and didn¡¯t explain.


    Indeed, having Xia Chengzong work for her had its extra benefits. But her initial intention was still to get Xia Chengzong to leave Ban Cunqiang and avoid his fateful troubles down the line.


    Without dwelling on the issue, she removed the door plank and set it aside. Open for business!


    Being one person short, Xia Chuyi and Zhao Xiaogui got even busier than the day before.


    But being busy meant making money.


    The two of them were quite happy despite the rush.


    The only unhappy incident involved Zhang Xiaoling.


    After the rush of the work day, Zhang Xiaoling came out from the family compound and arrived at the shop¡¯s doorstep. Seeing the thriving business, she looked on unhappily.


    She stared at everything ¡°Youwei¡± had to offer with resentful eyes.


    The customers all felt uncomfortable under her gaze.


    ¡°Ah, maybe I¡¯ll buy next time!¡±


    Whether it was the pressure or purely because Zhang Xiaoling spoiled their appetites, business suddenly slowed by half.

 Chapter 163: 163: Ancestral Secret Recipe

    Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Ancestral Secret Recipe


    ¡°Ouch, how did this wild sparrow get so ugly? It¡¯s so ugly that we even have fewer customers! Seriously, if you¡¯re ugly, you should hide and not wander around, it¡¯s too off-putting!¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, so he draped a towel over himself, stood at the door with hands on his hips and looked up at the sky with a complaining expression.


    Bird?


    Xia Chuyi stayed silent.


    The new year had just passed, and the land hadn¡¯t awakened yet; the birds hadn¡¯t returned yet.


    ¡°You!¡± Zhang Xiaoling knew this was aimed at her, but she couldn¡¯t very well own it by responding directly, and her anger intensified.


    ¡°Comrade, if you¡¯re not buying anything, please step aside!¡± Xia Chengzong¡¯s voice suddenly came from the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± asked Zhao Xiaogui in surprise.


    ¡°I saw you all working too hard, so I came to help,¡± Xia Chengzong said seriously, ¡°but let¡¯s be clear, once you find someone, I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    Xia Chuyi glanced at him coolly and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    With his exit provided, Xia Chengzong directly stepped in front of Zhang Xiaoling and said, ¡°Move aside.¡±


    After all, Xia Chengzong used to be a gangster, and his fierce face was quite persuasive.


    Zhang Xiaoling had no choice but to shrink back a bit.


    She bit her lip and stomped her feet hard, fueled by anger, and went into the factory to find Li Cai.


    ¡°Li Cai, I¡¯m giving you three days, within three days I want you to find someone to smash Xia Chuyi¡¯s shop, smash it hard!¡±


    She issued her ultimatum.


    ¡°This... okay, I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Li Cai hurriedly assured her, ¡°Actually, Xiao Ling, I¡¯ve already gotten some leads on finding someone.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoling was moderately satisfied and nodded, her smile revealing her anticipation of revenge.


    Meanwhile, ¡°Youwei¡±.


    After driving the plague spirit away, customers really did come back.


    The three began to be busy again.


    ¡°Hey, comrade, your braised pork is pretty tasty, is it your family¡¯s secret recipe?¡± asked a heavily made-up woman, cracking sunflower seeds.


    For customers attempting to pry out the recipe, Xia Chuyi always handled them with a smile.


    ¡°May I ask, dear customer, would you like it spicy or not?¡± With one sentence, she shifted the topic.


    ¡°Add a little mild spice,¡± the heavily made-up woman replied casually and then asked, ¡°I heard your surname is Xia, right?¡±


    Xia Chuyi just smiled, nodded, and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Her surname being Xia was known by her regulars anyway, so there was no need to hide it.


    ¡°Comrade, did you start this shop on your own? You look quite young!¡± continued the heavily made-up woman.


    ¡°Yes, my sister was just eighteen when she started this shop! Impressive, right? And the braised recipe is her family¡¯s secret as well! It tastes great, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Before Xia Chuyi could react, Zhao Xiaogui jumped in and answered.


    He intentionally mentioned the family secret recipe to increase the shop¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°Xiao Gui!¡± Xia Chuyi scolded softly, warning him with a look.


    Since there were outsiders, she chose not to act then.


    Zhao Xiaogui made a face and ran off.


    Xia Chuyi shook her head secretly, thinking: I¡¯ll need to give my cousin a serious talk later; if he keeps running his mouth, he might bring trouble.


    Fortunately, the heavily made-up woman didn¡¯t ask any more questions, picked up her braised dish, and leisurely left.


    She reached the corner of the street and was pulled into it by a man.


    ¡°How did it go, did you find out?¡±


    The heavily made-up woman frowned, playfully complaining, ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±

 Chapter 164: 164: Encountering Calculations Again

    Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Encountering Calculations Again


    ¡°I¡¯m in so much pain!¡± the heavily made-up woman rubbed her arm before she continued, ¡°That store, indeed, is owned by that woman.¡±


    ¡°She indeed has the Xia surname.¡±


    ¡°That little boy who waits tables claimed the brine recipe is an ancestral one from her family.¡±


    By the end, the woman¡¯s eyes shone brightly, and she asked, ¡°Chengzu, that girl, is she really your cousin?¡±


    This person was none other than Xia Chengzu, Chuyi¡¯s older cousin.


    ¡°If she really is your cousin, using the ancestral recipe, wouldn¡¯t that mean it belongs to your Xia Family?¡± the woman cooed, hooking her arm around Xia Chengzu¡¯s. ¡°And also, how could a girl like her have the money to open a shop?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not married yet, right? Then isn¡¯t her shop technically part of your Xia Family¡¯s assets?¡±


    ¡°Chengzu, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re the favorite at home, that everyone defers to you?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just go directly to your cousin and take over the shop?¡±


    The woman kept egging him on.


    Xia Chengzu gazed at ¡°Youwei¡± from afar, gritting his teeth and said fiercely, ¡°You think I don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just because my second brother is here!¡±


    ¡°Your second brother?¡± the woman exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Someone already beat you to it?¡±


    Xia Chengzu shared her thoughts.


    Xia Chengzong was at ¡°Youwei,¡± and had surely already made some arrangement with Xia Chuyi.


    Hmph, after all, as a girl, wouldn¡¯t she need her family¡¯s support?


    It was rumored that Uncle Xia had broken his leg, probably couldn¡¯t keep an eye on Xia Chuyi, so Xia Chengzong took the opportunity to step in.


    ¡°That second son, always acting all emotional, secretly eyeing Chuyi¡¯s store, and he didn¡¯t even tell the family!¡±


    Xia Chengzu spoke righteously angered.


    ¡°Oh, in that case, Chengzu, you should hurry and approach your cousin!¡± the woman shook his arm, saying, ¡°You¡¯re the oldest brother; the Xia Family¡¯s property should rightfully be yours! Just make your second brother give it up, can¡¯t you?¡±


    Hearing this, Xia Chengzu¡¯s face twisted with discomfort.


    She was right, the Xia Family¡¯s property should be his.


    But making Xia Chengzong give it up was out of the question.


    His second brother, who always pretended to be so emotional, in reality, didn¡¯t respect him and wouldn¡¯t listen to the elders in the family.


    At home, the only ones who dared to really stand up to him were two people, Xia Chuyi and Xia Chengzong.


    Xia Chuyi relied on Uncle Xia¡¯s influence, and Xia Chengzong, solely on his reckless courage.


    He could be ignored, but not insulted; otherwise, he truly dared to throw punches... Xia Chengzu had been punched by him more than once!


    Xia Chengzu was ostensibly fierce but actually quite timid on the inside, especially when it came to someone like Xia Chengzong.


    ¡°Qianqian, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got my eye on the shop! But, as an older brother, going after my sister¡¯s things directly doesn¡¯t look good. Let¡¯s go home and let my grandparents handle it.¡± He absolutely didn¡¯t mention that he was afraid to face Xia Chuyi directly because he feared Xia Chengzong.


    Ding Qianqian snickered to herself upon hearing his words. An older brother taking his sister¡¯s belongings isn¡¯t good, but grandparents taking their granddaughter¡¯s is fine?


    But it doesn¡¯t matter who takes action, she would be unaffected; all she wanted was to get the money.


    ¡°Okay, Chengzu, as long as you¡¯re clear about it. But do you remember that business deal I mentioned earlier? You were always worried about not having enough capital to invest, regretting not being able to earn that money... Now isn¡¯t this a perfect opportunity?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s only someone like you who¡¯s so lucky to get just what you need!¡±


    ¡°With your luck, what business couldn¡¯t you succeed in? Anything you do will surely flourish!¡±


    Xia Chengzu was buoyed up by Ding Qianqian¡¯s flattery, feeling as if he had already become a wealthy man.

 Chapter 165: 165: Holding the Winning Ticket

    Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Holding the Winning Ticket


    ¡°Chengzu, once we pass this village, there won¡¯t be another shop like this. If you don¡¯t hurry up and get the money, this deal¡¯s really going to fall through.¡±


    Xia Chengzu pinched her waist and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just did the math quietly, and ¡®Youwei¡¯ has already earned a good amount from the marinated dishes in just a short while!¡±


    ¡°With the business doing so well, even after subtracting the costs, we¡¯re making quite a bit! Once we take over the shop, the capital you need will surely be enough!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re the smart one, Chengzu, always good at crunching numbers in your head.¡± Ding Qianqian, thinking no one was paying attention, smooched him.


    ¡°You saucy thing, don¡¯t tempt me, or I¡¯ll show you what¡¯s what later!¡± The two exchanged some vulgar banter and left the alley with flushed cheeks and somewhat disheveled clothing.


    ¡°Qianqian, you head back first, I need to make a trip back home,¡± said Xia Chengzu to the woman.


    Ding Qianqian understood what he meant, nodded, and replied, ¡°Chengzu, I¡¯ll be waiting for you at home.¡±


    ¡°Qianqian, rest assured, in a couple of days, I¡¯ll make sure you become the boss lady of ¡®Youwei¡¯!¡± Xia Chengzu gloated, as if he held the winning ticket.


    Meanwhile, Xia Chuyi inside ¡°Youwei¡± remained unaware of the coming storm, simply preoccupied with her own business.


    ¡°Sorry comrade, the marinated dishes are sold out.¡± After the last disappointed customer left, Xia Chuyi finally got to rest.


    Zhao Xiaogui came bounding over energetically and said, ¡°Sis, why is it I don¡¯t feel tired at all after a whole day¡¯s work?¡±


    He swung his arms, feeling like he had limitless energy.


    ¡°Hehe, it must be because making money is such a joy! How about this, sis, when school starts, talk to dad and let me continue working with you... Eh, don¡¯t give me that look!¡± Seeing Xia Chuyi¡¯s stern glance, he quickly scampered off.


    ¡°Sis, I¡¯m serious, think about it!¡± he called out, then ran straight into the courtyard, keeping his distance from Xia Chuyi.


    Xia Chengzong watched the playful banter between the two siblings with a hint of envy, ¡°I¡¯m going in to help Xiao Gui with the ingredients.¡±


    Having sold all of today¡¯s stock, of course they needed to prepare for the next day.


    After they went in, Xia Chuyi smiled to herself, thinking: Not tired? That¡¯s because she had been making them drink the Medicinal Food every day to replenish their energy.


    However, relying on Medicinal Food to replenish physical strength was not a long-term solution.


    In time, she would have to find one or two helpers.


    After all, once school started, Zhao Xiaogui wouldn¡¯t be able to come help.


    And she, after registering at school, would also have to make a show of reviewing high school textbooks¡ªeven though she had a space learning tool, if she didn¡¯t study and read books, and still aced the university entrance exam, she¡¯d definitely be accused of cheating.


    While she was contemplating, Zhang Xiaoling got off work and passed by ¡°Youwei,¡± catching Xia Chuyi¡¯s eye quite inadvertently.


    The other¡¯s gaze, unsurprisingly, was none too friendly.


    She couldn¡¯t be bothered with her and simply bowed her head to continue her work.


    Yet she thought to herself: With Zhang Xiaoling being so narrow-minded, she had to be cautious of her stirring up trouble again.


    She sought out her second brother, avoiding her cousin, and said, ¡°Zhang Xiaoling is very self-absorbed, and she holds grudges. We made her lose face yesterday, she definitely won¡¯t let it go easily.¡±


    ¡°So, big brother, I want to ask you, aside from us, is it possible for Zhang Xiaoling to find someone else to make trouble?¡±


    Xia Chengzong shook his head, ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be able to.¡±


    ¡°People on the street see me here, they know ¡®Youwei¡¯ is Brother Qiang¡¯s turf, and they definitely won¡¯t take the job.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± She wasn¡¯t quite convinced and asked again.

 Chapter 166: 166: Up to No Good

    Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Up to No Good


    Xia Chengzong thought carefully, then nodded firmly, saying, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any, people in ¡®that¡¯ world value these things the most.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Chuyi also nodded after hearing this.


    After all, her older brother was a ¡°professional hooligan¡±; he knew more about these tricks than she did.


    ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s just be careful about what needs attention,¡± Chuyi concluded in the end.


    The next day, when she saw Zhang Xiaoling again, those with ¡°Youwei¡± were able to face her calmly, doing what they needed to do without giving her any extra glances.


    As for Zhang Xiaoling, for some unknown reason, besides still putting on an arrogant demeanor as she passed by, she had stopped provoking any further trouble.


    Seeing this, Chuyi breathed a sigh of relief.


    However, when one is down on their luck, even drinking water can cause problems between the teeth.


    Zhang Xiaoling had temporarily ceased her mischief, but the Xia Family had come again.


    The Xia Family arrived at the store when ¡°Youwei¡¯s¡± business was almost ending.


    ¡°Chuyi, your grandma has come to see you!¡± Grandma Xia had come with Aunt Xia, and as soon as the two appeared, Aunt Xia cheerfully called out to Chuyi.


    ¡°You old... why are you here?¡± Zhao Xiaogui, who was busy, almost cursed upon seeing the Xia Family, but he held it back in consideration of the customers present.


    Compared to Zhao Xiaogui, Chuyi was much calmer, ¡°Grandma, why have you come?¡±


    ¡°Look at this child, how can you speak like that? Is it wrong for your grandma to come and see you?¡± Aunt Xia scolded.


    With a sanctimonious smile of kindness, Grandma Xia said, ¡°Yes, Chuyi, Grandma just came to see you.¡±


    To see her?


    Chuyi snorted at that thought.


    They came to see her store and her money, no doubt.


    It was expected that the Xia Family would come looking for her; she just didn¡¯t expect them to come so soon.


    It seems that the Xia Family was really well-informed.


    Sharing her thoughts, Zhao Xiaogui also suspected someone had tipped them off, casting a suspicious glance at Xia Chengzong.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me!¡± Xia Chengzong responded with a dark face.


    Chuyi shook her head, whispering to her cousin, ¡°It¡¯s not him.¡±


    Xia Chengzong wasn¡¯t that type of person.


    And as for who it might be? She guessed it was likely Xia Chengzu, who had been loitering around the county for a while.


    After all, only he could prompt Grandma Xia to step in.


    ¡°Grandma, Mom, why have you come?¡± Xia Chengzong stepped forward, blocking the two, and asked.


    ¡°Second kid is also here?¡± Grandma Xia seemed to have just noticed him standing boldly in front of her.


    Aunt Xia also expressed surprise, ¡°Chengzong, why are you here?¡±


    This is what real mothers and grandmothers are like.


    Only seeing money, they fail to notice their own grandson and son standing right in front of them.


    Without waiting for Xia Chengzong to answer, Aunt Xia¡¯s eyes shifted, and she added, ¡°Ah, I said it. Chuyi has opened a store in the city; how could the Old Xia Family not know?¡±


    ¡°Only, Chengzong, why didn¡¯t you come home to tell us?¡± Aunt Xia questioned her own son.


    Zhao Xiaogui didn¡¯t like this.


    ¡°What business is it of yours whether my sister opens a store or not!¡± Zhao Xiaogui retorted loudly.


    ¡°Xiao Gui!¡± Chuyi chastised lightly, then calmly said to Grandma Xia, ¡°Grandma, since you came to see me, you¡¯ve seen me, now you may leave.¡±


    She was directly ordering them out.


    Grandma Xia and Aunt Xia¡¯s expressions immediately turned ugly.


    They hadn¡¯t expected Chuyi to be so heartless!


    After their faces stiffened, Aunt Xia tried to smooth things over, ¡°Child, what are you talking about? Your grandma came to see you because she cares!¡±


    Caring for her? A weasel praying for a chicken really.

 Chapter 167: 167 Xia Familys Brine Recipe

    Chapter 167: Chapter 167 Xia Family¡¯s Brine Recipe


    ¡°Concerned about me? No need.¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s voice was so calm it was almost indifferent, ¡°When the family split happened, it was clearly written in black and white, after I left the Xia Family, everything I did, whether good or bad, had nothing to do with the Xia Family.¡±


    Grandma Xia and another person came to find her, naturally having prepared their reasons in advance.


    As Grandma Xia stepped forward, adopting the posture of an elder, she said to her, ¡°You can¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°When the family split, it was merely the lenient heart of the elders, tolerating a child¡¯s tantrum.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was written in black and white, once you left the Xia Family we would no longer manage you. Whatever you do, we would not interfere.¡±


    ¡°But...¡± Grandma Xia¡¯s tone shifted, ¡°Chuyi, the shop you opened in the city, you used our Xia Family¡¯s recipes!¡±


    ¡°True, your uncle funded most of the shop, but since you used my Xia Family¡¯s recipes, shouldn¡¯t the Old Xia Family also have a share in the business?¡±


    At this point, Grandma Xia finally showed her fangs and revealed her true intentions.


    ¡°Just now I counted outside, in one hour, you must have sold this much.¡± Grandma Xia extended a hand, gesturing.


    ¡°As a child alone, don¡¯t be too greedy. Using the Old Xia Family¡¯s recipes and doing such good business, isn¡¯t it right to share some of the profits with the family?¡±


    This was said with reason and evidence.


    Hmm, no wonder they timed their entry just right, having already observed from outside for a while.


    After hearing this pile of ¡°elderly advice,¡± Xia Chuyi, with a smile that did not reach her eyes, replied to Grandma Xia, ¡°Who said I used the Xia Family¡¯s recipes?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Grandma Xia didn¡¯t catch on.


    Suddenly, Xia Chuyi flipped the knife in her hand sharply, deftly slicing off a thick piece of braised pork head, speared it with the knife, and swiftly extended it towards them.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± The two were quite frightened by her action, Aunt Xia reflexively stepped back, hiding behind Grandma Xia, who was so angry she gritted her teeth,


    ¡°I am not trying to do anything.¡± Xia Chuyi, too lazy to care about their foolishness, just twirled the knife, focusing on the meat on the blade, leisurely said, ¡°I just want Grandma to taste this meat and see if it¡¯s really made using the Old Xia Family¡¯s recipes?¡±


    The shiny sharp knife reflecting the light, Grandma Xia forcefully stood her ground, ¡°You, you!¡±


    This girl¡¯s tone and demeanor were truly frightening!


    Suddenly, Xia Chuyi patted her head, chuckled lightly, and said, ¡°Oh, look at me, I really am thoughtless. How can one taste it like this?¡±


    She withdrew the knife.


    Grandma Xia and Aunt Xia immediately sighed in relief.


    Xia Chuyi, calm and unhurried, chopped, sliced, and re-cut the meat into ultra-thin continuous slices, placed them into a dish, and set it on the table.


    She casually said, ¡°Here, Grandma, try this and see if my marinade is the Old Xia Family¡¯s.¡±


    The skillful knife work made Grandma Xia and her companion uneasy.


    After hesitating for a long while, Grandma Xia finally braced herself and approached, ¡°I¡¯ll try it.¡±


    She picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try it too!¡± Aunt Xia, not to be outdone, picked up two-thirds of the meat with chopsticks and stuffed it into her mouth.


    Even if the shop was not theirs to claim, at least she could take advantage of eating some meat! After swallowing a few bites, she reached for more but was slapped by Grandma Xia.


    After glaring at her, Grandma Xia herself picked up the small dish, finishing all the remaining meat, making Aunt Xia swallow her saliva as she watched.


    Xia Chengzong watched the elders in his family behave like this, his lips pursed, not uttering a word.


    Xia Chuyi¡¯s eyes curved into crescents, her smile not reaching her eyes, as she asked them, ¡°How is it? Is this the Xia Family¡¯s braising recipe?¡±

 Chapter 168: 168 Grandma Xias Evasive Arguments

    Chapter 168: Chapter 168 Grandma Xia¡¯s Evasive Arguments


    Neither of them replied at first, so Xia Chuyi singled out one person and asked, ¡°Grandma?¡±


    Grandma Xia remained silent.


    She smiled and then looked towards Aunt Xia, ¡°Elder aunt?¡±


    Aunt Xia¡¯s eyes darted around, and she stammered, ¡°I, I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    ¡°Oh, elder aunt can¡¯t taste the family flavor? So, you¡¯re saying that my flavor is different from that of the family?¡± She smiled slyly upon hearing this.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant...¡± Aunt Xia said in panic, looking at Xia Chuyi.


    That wasn¡¯t her intention!


    She quickly looked towards Grandma Xia, who indeed had an unpleasant expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s not? Not the same flavor?¡±


    ¡°Everyone already knows it¡¯s not the same flavor as at home, so there¡¯s no need for you to repeat it, elder aunt!¡± Xia Chuyi wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook and kept her eyes locked on her, saying, ¡°Or do you think the flavor is the same?¡±


    Aunt Xia bowed her head to avoid her gaze and didn¡¯t speak.


    How could she say they were the same?


    This glaring lie could be easily exposed.


    Grandma Xia was scary, and the girl from the second son¡¯s family was getting even more formidable; she didn¡¯t dare to provoke her.


    Aunt Xia moved behind Grandma Xia and said, ¡°Better if mother says it!¡±


    What a coward!


    Grandma Xia gave her a sharp look before turning to face Xia Chuyi, her face masked with kindness, and said, ¡°The flavor is indeed a little different from that at home.¡±


    She paused deliberately then continued, ¡°However, the marinade recipes are quite similar, once you have the basic spices, it¡¯s easy to adjust.¡±


    What she meant was, the flavor was different because Xia Chuyi¡¯s marinade was an improvement on the Old Xia Family¡¯s recipe.


    Anyway, she insisted on taking credit for herself.


    Anticipating the Xia Family¡¯s shamelessness, Xia Chuyi said, ¡°That¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? In our village, doesn¡¯t every household use the marinade recipe from my production team, modified slightly?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Chuyi¡¯s words shut Grandma Xia up.


    Indeed, in earlier years during the communal kitchen period, the production team chef in the village was very generous and taught the members many cooking methods.


    Though what was taught was the most basic version, as Grandma had said, it was possible to create new marinade recipes by making adjustments.


    ¡°Grandma, elder aunt? Do you have anything else? If not, I need to get back to work, since I¡¯ve left the Xia Family, I must fend for myself,¡± Xia Chuyi continued.


    ¡°Surely unlike you, who have my father¡¯s pension and the money and grain sent by my uncle.¡± She looked innocently, ¡°Oh, right, I also have to save up for my mother¡¯s living expenses.


    Every word reiterating: the Xia Family was living off the flesh and blood of the second branch.


    Grandma Xia¡¯s face reddened with shame and she dropped her pretense of kindness, raising her voice, ¡°Chuyi, have you ever thought about it? When you get married as a girl, you¡¯ll need support from your maternal home.¡±


    ¡°Without a strong maternal home, stepping into a marriage would be endlessly difficult.¡±


    ¡°The shop you¡¯ve worked hard to establish will also become someone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°So you see, my visit today is to give you a chance to come back to the Xia Family.¡±


    ¡°As for the shop, hand it over to the family to manage, and when you¡¯re married, Chengzu, Chengzong, and the Cheng Family will all be your pillars, ensuring you aren¡¯t bullied by your in-laws!¡±


    Her speech was delivered with profound sincerity and force.


    Hehe, Xia Chuyi sneered internally, just about to speak.


    Meanwhile, having been silent, Xia Chengzong stepped forward and said, ¡°Even if Chuyi doesn¡¯t return to the Xia Family, I¡¯m still her brother. If anyone bullies her in the future, I will naturally help her.¡±

 Chapter 169: 169: The Cousins Angry Rebuttal

    Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Cousin¡¯s Angry Rebuttal


    Zhao Xiaogui refused to be outdone and jumped out, neck craned, saying, ¡°I¡¯m her support too! Hmph, whoever dares to bully my sister, be it man or woman, mother-in-law or own mother, I¡¯ll beat them all the same!¡±


    ¡°You blockhead!¡± Grandma Xia was itching with anger at being sabotaged by her own people and cursed Xia Chengzong.


    Then, turning to point at Zhao Xiaogui, she said, ¡°You kids, not heeding the words of elders, will suffer for it right before your eyes!¡±


    Zhao Xiaogui certainly didn¡¯t give Grandma Xia any face and snorted, then continued, ¡°I think it¡¯s by listening to you that one suffers right before their eyes! You old woman, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you are scheming!¡±


    ¡°All you¡¯re after is my sister¡¯s booming business, trying to take advantage of her, wanting my sister¡¯s shop?¡±


    ¡°Ptui! Look in a puddle at your own worthiness, does the Xia Family have the gall to demand the shop after treating my sister like that?¡±


    ¡°Got the nerve to start your own business with your own money? Oh wait, that¡¯s wrong, your family is just plain bad through and through. Even if you start a business, the heavens definitely won¡¯t bless it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bound to be loss after loss until you¡¯re ruined!¡±


    ¡°You, you, you... Aiyo, poor old me is being bullied.¡± Grandma Xia clutched at her chest and intentionally fell onto Aunt Xia, crying and wailing as if her life depended on it.


    Xia Chuyi gave Zhao Xiaogui a warning glance from the side; once this kid got going, he was unstoppable, although she admittedly found his rant rather pleasing.


    Of course, she still had to put on an act on the surface.


    ¡°Oh dear, Xiao Gui really is something! So thoughtless, what is he saying?¡± Xia Chuyi scolded her cousin, then put on a look of concern and said to Grandma Xia, ¡°Grandma, Xiao Gui is still a child, you as an adult are magnanimous, so you won¡¯t hold it against him, right?¡±


    Having said that, she switched to a look of anger and said to Aunt Xia, ¡°Elder aunt, why can¡¯t you see what¡¯s happening! Can¡¯t you see that grandma is about to faint? Hurry and help her into the car to go home! No, better yet, take her to the hospital. Spend some money, get some shots, maybe she¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Aunt Xia was utterly confused.


    ¡°Elder brother!¡± Xia Chuyi glanced at Xia Chengzong, ¡°Come on, help. Take grandma to the hospital! What if something terrible happened?¡±


    As soon as the words fell.


    ¡°You!¡± Grandma Xia pointed at her, too angry to speak.


    Xia Chengzong¡¯s face had turned so dark it was hard to look at, but he responded and stepped forward to carry the two away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you back.¡±


    Saying this, he directly ushered the people out.


    Before the two realized what was happening, they were already out of the shop.


    ¡°Chengzong, what are you doing, let go of Mom!¡±


    ¡°You fool, what are you up to?¡±


    Both of them cursed in a breath, but Xia Chengzong didn¡¯t listen.


    It was only when passersby began to point and stare that the two, unable to save face, finally swallowed their words and were reluctantly led away by Xia Chengzong.


    ¡°Have to say, Xia Chengzong is actually quite useful!¡± After the people left and the shop quieted down, Zhao Xiaogui stretched his neck and said.


    Useful? Xia Chuyi shook her head.


    Useful was an understatement.


    When Xia Chengzong acted fierce, even the people of the Xia Family had to be wary of him.


    But, he was also emotional and still showed sentiment towards his elders.


    It was not until evening that Xia Chengzong returned to the shop, with a darker mood and a glum expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± As he entered, he apologized to her.


    Xia Chuyi knew what he meant and responded lightly, ¡°This matter has nothing to do with you.¡±


    His apology couldn¡¯t represent the people of the Xia Family.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it, elder brother, have you eaten? There¡¯s leftover food in the kitchen.¡± Xia Chuyi said with an even tone.


    Xia Chengzong looked at her, his guilt deepening.

 Chapter 170: 170: Mother Xia Arrives

    Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Mother Xia Arrives


    ¡°My mom and grandma... might still...¡± He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it outright. On the way here, his mom and Grandma Xia had been cursing nonstop,


    the way they were acting, they¡¯d probably come again.


    Since Grandma Xia already knew about her shop and had secretly calculated her revenue, she definitely wouldn¡¯t let things slide.


    But it didn¡¯t matter; she, Xia Chuyi, had already made plans.


    ¡°An invading army can be met with strategy, rising waters with earth and stones,¡± she said with a nonchalant smile.


    Xia Chengzong nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if they come again, I¡¯ll send them back. After a few trips, Grandma will start worrying about the travel expenses.¡±


    It made sense.


    ¡°...Alright,¡± she agreed, nodding, ¡°If they don¡¯t cooperate and need to be driven to the village, I¡¯ll reimburse you for the travel expenses out of petty cash.¡±


    They quickly came up with a plan to deal with the enemy.


    The next day, the Xia Family came again.


    But this time, the person who came was different¡ªit was Mother Xia.


    And as always, Aunt Xia was with her.


    ¡°Chuyi girl, have a chat with your mother.¡± Aunt Xia said pleasurably, ¡°You cut some meat for me; I¡¯ll sit over here and wait for her.¡±


    Everyone: ...


    Xia Chengzong scowled, ¡°Chuyi, just pack up the scraps for my mom, and deduct the cost from my wages.¡±


    ¡°Wages?¡± Aunt Xia¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at her son, ¡°Chengzong, how much is Chuyi paying you a month?¡±


    Then, with a crafty glint in her eye, she added, ¡°Hey, it doesn¡¯t look good for a boy to be working as an assistant... How about letting your sister replace you? Chuyi, what do you think? Da Mei¡¯s a girl, she¡¯s definitely more diligent than boys...¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Xia Chuyi slammed her cleaver hard into the cutting board, creating a loud noise.


    The blatant favoritism of the Old Xia Family was truly outrageous.


    Aunt Xia silenced herself, embarrassed.


    After wiping her hands with a cloth, Xia Chuyi took Mother Xia into the backyard.


    ¡°Speak whatever you want to say.¡±


    There was no one around to witness any embarrassment.


    Mother Xia, who had been looking down all this time, finally raised her head.


    Just one glance from her was enough to make her eyes well up.


    Annoyed by the sight, Xia Chuyi impatiently said, ¡°If there¡¯s something to say, say it. If not, leave!¡±


    At her sharp tone, Mother Xia hesitated briefly and then murmured apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chuyi, your mom is useless.¡±


    ¡°Chuyi, your grandma is right, a girl ultimately has to rely on her maternal family.¡±


    Xia Chuyi pursed her lips, growing more agitated by the moment.


    ¡°Look, if it wasn¡¯t for your uncle, Mom would have been thrown out of the house by your grandparents long ago.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of your uncle that we, mother and daughter, have been able to live well in the Xia Family for so many years.¡±


    Her mother ironically curved her lips into a smile; so she understood this principle?


    Seeing that Chuyi didn¡¯t respond, Mother Xia thought she was being persuasive and continued, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t insisted on splitting the family, your grandparents wouldn¡¯t have driven you out for the sake of your uncle¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°So you see, Chuyi, having brothers from your maternal family is really important, and besides...¡±


    Unable to listen any longer, she cut Mother Xia off, ¡°Just get to the point. Don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡±


    Mother Xia faltered again, ¡°I¡¯m not beating around the bush; I¡¯m doing this for your good...¡±


    ¡°For my good? So you¡¯re helping those from the main house to take over my shop?¡± Xia Chuyi said coldly.


    ¡°What? You¡¯ve got it all wrong!¡± Mother Xia was taken aback, waving her hands and quickly clarifying, ¡°No, it¡¯s just about having the family help you run it, the shop will still be yours.¡±


    ¡°Look, Chengzong is with you, right? Just like him, he¡¯s only here to help.¡±


    Mother Xia glanced at the shop, then at her, and whispered, ¡°Besides, this shop was opened with your uncle¡¯s money; how could Mom let you give it to the Xia Family?¡±


    Xia Chuyi was utterly speechless.

 Chapter 171: 171 Lady Bos Schemes

    Chapter 171: Chapter 171 Lady Bo¡¯s Schemes


    Xia Chuyi stared at Mother Xia, speechless for a long time.


    ¡°Chuyi, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at mom like that? I had no other choice¡ªwithout a male heir in our branch of the family. If only your dad hadn¡¯t died...¡± Every time she mentioned Daddy Xia, Mother Xia became so sorrowful that she couldn¡¯t restrain herself and started to weep, covering her eyes.


    Don¡¯t look at her face; she really didn¡¯t want to see Mother Xia¡¯s expression again.


    ¡°Mom, go back. As for the shop, tell Grandma and Grandpa to give up on that idea.¡±


    ¡°It was written in black and white when I left the Xia Family; whatever I do has nothing to do with them.¡±


    With that, she strode out of the courtyard.


    ¡°Chuyi!¡± Mother Xia called out to her in a panic from behind.


    She walked over to the counter with an indifferent expression.


    ¡°Get to work and tidy up what needs to be tidied. We¡¯re closing up to rest.¡±


    She began to work without any unnecessary chatter.


    Aunt Xia watched her and pursed her lips.


    Just by looking at this ungrateful girl, she knew the talk with the second son¡¯s family hadn¡¯t been successful¡ªuseless.


    She hurriedly stuffed the remaining marinated meat into her mouth and chewed it down quickly.


    She hadn¡¯t completely swallowed the meat in her mouth when Mother Xia followed outside, her eyes red from crying, ¡°Elder sister, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Aunt Xia sneaked another glance at Xia Chuyi and saw her still indifferent, cursing in her heart: Heartless girl!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Aunt Xia said, quite annoyed.


    Since today was not a forced handover, Xia Chengzong did not come out with them.


    After walking a distance, Aunt Xia looked back at the ¡°Youwei¡± sign.


    The marinated meat smelled so good!


    And the location of the shop was good too, the business as well!


    The more Aunt Xia looked, the more envious she became. Suddenly, she got an idea and caught up with Mother Xia, ¡°I have a thought about the second son¡¯s family; what do you think?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Still immersed in sorrow, Mother Xia didn¡¯t catch on.


    Aunt Xia whispered a few words in her ear.


    Only to see Mother Xia¡¯s eyes gradually light up with surprise, ¡°Elder sister, are you serious?¡±


    Aunt Xia sighed deliberately, nodding with feigned sadness, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not for you that I¡¯m doing this. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t bear to!¡±


    ¡°Elder sister, thank you so much!¡± Mother Xia grasped her arm tightly, her voice filled with excitement. ¡°I never thought, never dared to even think about it in all these years.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, elder sister!¡± Tears streamed down Mother Xia¡¯s face again, but this time, they were tears of joy.


    What on earth did Aunt Xia say to make Mother Xia so happy?


    Xia Chuyi found out about this news the next afternoon, through a message brought by the village-to-city bus driver from Uncle Xia.


    ¡°Your mom wants to adopt a son, come back immediately.¡±


    Adopt?


    Hearing this news, Xia Chuyi was incredibly shocked.


    There was no such adoption in her previous life.


    Of the three branches of the Xia Family, it was only the household of the elder aunt that had three sons.


    To adopt one of them? Don¡¯t even think about it.


    It was only because the elder branch had sons that they received the affectionate attention of Grandma and Grandpa Xia.


    If they were to adopt a child, they would no longer be the sole heirs.


    However, Xia Chuyi knew too well how calculated the elder branch¡¯s plans were.


    Adopting someone? Who? Xia Chengzu? Grandma¡¯s darling? Adopting him to the elder branch wouldn¡¯t be to their advantage.


    Xia Chengzong? He was still with Xia Chuyi, and they received the news at the same time.


    So, there was only one choice left¡ªXia Chengjia, the youngest son of the elder branch, a 14-year-old child who loved taking advantage of others.


    Adopting him would effectively mean handing over the second branch entirely to the elder branch.


    ¡°Wow, the Xia Family is so despicable!¡± Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaogui hopped madly in anger. ¡°If they really do adopt a son for my aunt, knowing her character, she¡¯ll certainly make you give up the shop!¡±


    ¡°¡±

 Chapter 172: 172: Creating Nuisance and Trouble

    Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Creating Nuisance and Trouble


    Zhao Xiaogui was so angry that he no longer looked kindly upon Xia Chengzong.


    ¡°Look, these are your dear grandparents and parents, always trying to drive my sister to her death, is that what makes you happy?¡± Zhao Xiaogui, a young teenager, his eyes blood-red with rage, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Listen to my dad and go back quickly to stop my aunt!¡±


    ¡°Absolutely cannot agree to the adoption!¡±


    Xia Chuyi pursed her lips, took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    My cousin is right, this person must definitely not be adopted.


    Given Mother Xia¡¯s nature, if she didn¡¯t have a ¡°son,¡± Xia Chuyi could still handle her to some degree, but if she really had a ¡°son,¡± who knows how crazy she could become.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back with you,¡± Xia Chengzong suddenly said with a stern face.


    She glanced at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to help you,¡± Xia Chengzong said.


    After pondering for a moment, Xia Chuyi nodded, ¡°Xiao Gui, you watch the shop. Second Brother and I will go back for a bit and try to return by tonight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister, the braised dishes are almost sold out, and I¡¯m good at packing up!¡± Zhao Xiaogui puffed out his chest, striking a mature pose, and promised.


    Before leaving, Xia Chuyi meticulously instructed him with many words and then left with Second Brother Xia.


    Due to time constraints, the daily bus to the village had not yet reached its departure time.


    Xia Chuyi thought it over and ultimately decided to take a shortcut, walking home with Second Brother Xia.


    Because they were preoccupied, what was usually over an hour¡¯s walk only took about fifty minutes for the pair to reach the village.


    As soon as they arrived home, without even catching their breath, they headed straight for the Xia Family.


    From a distance, they could see quite a few figures moving around in the Xia Family Courtyard.


    As they approached, they could hear people talking inside.


    ¡°Big brother, why do you only adopt a son for the second branch and not for our third branch?¡± It was Third Uncle Xia, who usually didn¡¯t speak up much.


    ¡°Yes, big sister-in-law, since you are willing to let go of a son, letting go of one is the same as letting go of two. Adopt one for the second branch, and one for our third branch too,¡± Third Aunt Xia spoke up, her tone no longer as gentle as usual.


    Third Uncle Xia and Third Aunt Xia, obsessed with only one thing in their lives, sons.


    ¡°Third brother, Third sister-in-law, how can you compare to me?¡± Mother Xia¡¯s voice came with a sobbing tone, ¡°You are alive and can still have children. What about me? I am a widow. If our third branch doesn¡¯t adopt, you still might have descendants, but our second branch, without adoption, truly means the end of our line!¡±


    Perhaps because she was about to have a ¡°son,¡± hope had risen in her heart, making Mother Xia¡¯s voice also louder.


    Xia Chengzong quickly looked at Xia Chuyi.


    The term ¡°end of our line,¡± Aunt Xia truly did not take her into consideration.


    Xia Chuyi stared ahead, her expression emotionless.


    Angry? Not really.


    Sad? Maybe a bit in the past.


    Now, she was likely just profoundly disillusioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, ultimately, my parents must be fair. If the second branch adopts, the third branch must also adopt. Big brother and big sister-in-law have three sons, just right, one for each family!¡± Third Uncle Xia insisted doggedly.


    Third Uncle Xia and Third Aunt Xia, incessantly causing trouble, finally enraged Uncle Xia.


    ¡°Wanting to adopt a son? On what basis! What good things can you provide for the child?¡± Uncle Xia spoke recklessly.


    Upon hearing this, Mother Xia couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore and hurriedly followed Uncle Xia¡¯s words, ¡°The child, adopted by the second branch, would directly be the child of a martyr, a military family.¡±


    ¡°And also the shop, the city shop that Chuyi opened. Once the child is adopted over, naturally, it will be his.¡±


    As soon as Mother Xia¡¯s words were out, the people of the main branch immediately looked at each other.


    It indeed was as expected, Mother Xia would give everything to her ¡°son.¡±

 Chapter 173: 173: Shes Not a Xia

    Chapter 173: Chapter 173: She¡¯s Not a Xia


    The eldest branch couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smug look on their faces.


    Uncle Xia immediately changed his tone and coughed before saying, ¡°Third Uncle¡¯s family, did you see that? We agreed to let our child be adopted by the second branch because the second branch can provide him with a better life; it¡¯s all for the child¡¯s benefit.¡±


    The very image of a caring elder.


    ¡°Big brother, don¡¯t make it sound so nice!¡± Third Uncle Xia snorted coldly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just about adopting a son to the second branch, where they can offer benefits? When all is said and done, it¡¯s just selling a son.¡±


    Stung by Third Uncle Xia¡¯s accusation, Uncle Xia immediately became agitated and retorted, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean ¡®selling a son¡¯? You don¡¯t have a son; you simply don¡¯t understand a parent¡¯s love for their child!¡±


    His words struck straight at Third Uncle Xia¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Big brother...¡± Third Uncle Xia tried to say more.


    From the side, Xia Chengzong¡¯s face grew progressively darker.


    ¡°Doing it for the son¡¯s best interest?¡± Xia Chengzong took a quick step forward, entering the inner circle, and said loudly, ¡°Then Dad, I also want to be adopted, let me be adopted by the second branch.¡±


    ¡°Chengzong, when did you come back?¡± Aunt Xia exclaimed with shock.


    She¡¯d already experienced this son¡¯s indifference to kinship and hurriedly said, ¡°Chengzong, this doesn¡¯t concern you, it¡¯s adults¡¯ business.¡±


    He ignored his mother and continued, ¡°Being adopted by Second Aunt, with status and wealth, what a good deal... Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, adopt me out, let me also enjoy the good life with the second branch.¡±


    He said this deliberately.


    The Xia Family were momentarily at a loss for words.


    Eldest branch: Adopt the second son? With his attitude, if they adopt him, could they still take advantage of the second branch?


    Third branch: Xia Chengzong is just a hoodlum; who would want to adopt him?


    It was Mother Xia herself who paused before saying, ¡°Chengzong?¡±


    The person originally agreed upon was from the Cheng Family, however...


    ¡°That¡¯s also possible,¡± said Mother Xia, with a gentle smile.


    She just wanted the second branch to have a son, who it was didn¡¯t really matter.


    And in terms of appearance and temperament, Chengzong did somewhat resemble his second uncle.


    As soon as Mother Xia spoke, everyone else fell silent.


    ¡°Since Second Aunt wants to adopt Chengzong, then our third branch will adopt someone from the Cheng Family then,¡± Third Uncle Xia hurriedly seized the opportunity to say.


    After all, the person from the Cheng Family was in junior high school and was bound to be successful, much better than the hoodlum Xia Chengzong.


    ¡°Third brother, when did the second son¡¯s family say they wanted to adopt Chengzong? She only said it¡¯s possible...¡± Aunt Xia quickly retorted.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Standing outside the circle, Xia Chuyi shouted, ¡°Ha, do all you elders thinking of giving the second branch an adopted son ever ask my opinion on this?¡±


    Everyone hastily turned around, only then noticing her at the edge of the circle.


    Indeed, since Xia Chengzong had been helping out in her shop and he had returned, she must have as well.


    ¡°Chuyi!¡± Mother Xia¡¯s eyes were full of confusion, ¡°You, why have you come back?¡±


    She knew very clearly that her daughter would never agree to the adoption.


    Xia Chuyi didn¡¯t even give her a glance.


    Towards this woman who gave her life, she had been disappointed time and again.


    ¡°During the last division of the family, I remember, I said that I, representing the second branch, would separate from the Xia Family,¡± Xia Chuyi walked forward step by step, speaking slowly.


    Everyone looked at her, not understanding what she meant.


    ¡°Now that everyone has acknowledged that I represent the second branch, how can such a big issue as adoption proceed without asking for my opinion?¡± Xia Chuyi said, extremely calm and with an expressionless face.


    ¡°What are you talking about, you child, with your mom still here, how could it be your turn to call the shots?¡± Aunt Xia said with a forced smile, trying to smooth things over.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Xia Chuyi sneered, showing no regard for anyone, and said word by word, ¡°My mother, she doesn¡¯t carry the Xia surname; she¡¯s not truly a member of the Xia Family!¡±


    ¡°I am the one who can represent the second branch!¡±


    Her words resonated with a thud.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Mother Xia¡¯s eyes instantly reddened, she trembled with rage and couldn¡¯t hold back from saying, ¡°You ungrateful child, what nonsense are you spouting? I am not a Xia? You are the one who isn¡¯t...¡±

 Chapter 174: 174: Severing Ties of Gratitude and Righteousness

    Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Severing Ties of Gratitude and Righteousness


    ¡°Second Aunt!¡± Xia Lan, who had been spectating for quite a while, suddenly burst out with a shout, interrupting Mother Xia¡¯s words.


    She stepped forward to support Mother Xia, saying with a face full of concern, ¡°Second Aunt, don¡¯t be angry, Chuyi is young and doesn¡¯t understand.¡±


    After pacifying Mother Xia, she turned around to Xia Chuyi, frowning as she admonished, ¡°Chuyi, what you just said was not right.¡±


    ¡°A daughter married off is like water poured away. Once a girl is married, she belongs not to her parents¡¯ family, but to her husband¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Since Second Aunt married into the Xia Family and has remained faithful to Second Uncle, she naturally is part of the Xia Family.¡±


    ¡°As for you, one day you will get married, and by then, you won¡¯t be considered part of the Xia Family.¡±


    With someone to stand up for her, Mother Xia clung to Xia Lan like a lifeline, wailing, ¡°Er Lan, Er Lan, Second Aunt has such a hard life...¡±


    Her voice trailed off, and tears streamed down unstoppable.


    Xia Lan gently patted Mother Xia, saying, ¡°Second Aunt, I know, I know...¡±


    She seemed even more like Mother Xia¡¯s own daughter than Xia Chuyi.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Xia Chuyi let out a light laugh, looked at Xia Lan, and said, ¡°You¡¯re quite right, Sister-in-law He.¡±


    Xia Lan had not been married long and was not used to being addressed this way; she did not react immediately.


    ¡°So, Sister-in-law He who is already married, please do not meddle in the affairs of the Xia Family,¡± Xia Chuyi raised her voice suddenly, her gaze ice-cold.


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Lan was taken aback by Xia Chuyi¡¯s retort.


    Xia Chuyi couldn¡¯t be bothered to look any longer at her and Mother Xia; she turned her attention directly to the main branch of the Xia Family.


    These scoundrels, they were the real crux of the matter.


    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, elder uncle, elder aunt,¡± she declared resolutely as the representative of the second branch, ¡°I want to make our stance clear on this matter of adopting a son; I do not agree.¡± Her words were clear and firm, allowing no room for negotiation.


    ¡°Chuyi, you wretched child, are you trying to kill your mother?¡± Seeing her daughter¡¯s unyielding stance, Mother Xia, eyes red, rushed forward again, ¡°Chuyi, your mother is begging you, I¡¯ll kneel to you, please agree to the adoption, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Chuyi, I know you don¡¯t want to give up your shop; rest assured, no matter who is adopted over, I will make it clear to him, to let you continue working in the shop. When you get married, you will have a generous dowry.¡±


    The ¡°son¡± who had not yet arrived had already become ¡°we¡± in Mother Xia¡¯s words, while Xia Chuyi had become just ¡°you,¡± an outsider.


    Seeing her daughter unmoved, Mother Xia ¡°thump¡± fell to her knees.


    ¡°Chuyi, your mother is begging you!¡± Her plea was accompanied by a heartrending cry.


    Everyone was startled by Mother Xia¡¯s actions, even the instigators from the main branch couldn¡¯t help but be astonished: This woman is simply mad!


    Xia Chuyi was taken aback for a moment, then immediately stretched out her hand to pull her mother up forcefully.


    ¡°Get up!¡± she said sternly.


    Seeing her daughter helping her up, Mother Xia¡¯s tears stopped instantly, looking up at her with hope.


    For the first time, Xia Chuyi saw something that could be called warmth in Mother Xia¡¯s eyes.


    So, this woman was not devoid of emotion, not without maternal love, it¡¯s just that all her love was for a ¡°son,¡± even one still out of reach.


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    Maintaining a normal mother-daughter relationship was simply her own wishful thinking.


    Heh, since that was the case, so be it¡ªshe would fulfill Mother Xia¡¯s wish.


    From this moment on, she would sever all ties of kindness and duty with this woman.


    Opening her eyes again, her gaze was clear, all emotions carefully concealed.


    ¡°Fine, I, agree to the adoption,¡± she articulated each word distinctly.