《The Divine Healer Gets a Divorce after Reincarnating!》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Xia Wan, go to hell!¡± The medicine bottle in her hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. Xia Wan spat out blood from the corner of her mouth. She turned around with great difficulty. The man holding the dagger was her senior brother, who had betrayed her master. ¡°Why?¡± she opened her mouth to ask for the reason. Tang Ming¡¯s grip on the dagger tightened, and his eyes were fierce. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. You¡¯re always better than Bingbing. With your medical skills, Bingbing will never be first.¡± As he spoke, his eyes became even fiercer, and he spun the dagger into Xia Wan¡¯s body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bingbing will go to the Xia family in your place and become their daughter. The credit of you saving old Master Mu will go to Bingbing. As long as you die, all of this will be Bingbing¡¯s!¡± She vomited even more blood, and everything in front of her became blurry. The scenes of the past appeared in her mind. Her mother, who had a face full of love, waited for her at the entrance of the village, and her two brothers, who held sticks to protect her, and¡­ Chen Mo, who had mistaken Xia Bing for her savior and even got engaged to her. The last one that entered his eyes was Tang Ming, whose face was filled with madness and hatred. ¡°Xia Bing, you stole everything from me. If there¡¯s a next life, I¡¯ll definitely make you pay back double!¡± The last bit of resentment dissipated, and Xia Wan completely lost consciousness. ¡°Bang!¡± The door of the laboratory was kicked open from the outside. Looking at Xia Wan lying in a pool of blood, Chen Mo¡¯s entire body turned cold. He raised his eyes, and his fierce gaze made Tang Ming shiver. ¡°Chen Mo, weren¡¯t you on a holiday with Bingbing?¡± Before Tang Ming could finish his sentence, he was kicked over by Chen Mo. The broken glass pierced deeply into Tang Ming¡¯s exposed body, causing him to grimace in pain. Wanwan, wake up. I was wrong. It¡¯s all my fault. I was blind to recognizing the wrong person. Wanwan, wake up, please. Chen Mo held the person in his arms carefully. His hands trembled as he tried to cover her bleeding wound. Tang Ming stood up and wanted to run away. Bingbing had promised him that as long as he killed Xia Wan, she would leave Chen Mo and marry him. He slowly picked up the container on the table and wanted to throw it at Chen Mo. Since Chen Mo was here, he would die with Xia Wan! He raised his hand high. Just as it was about to fall, a figure rushed over and broke his wrist. The person¡¯s eyes were filled with ruthlessness. It was the Xia family¡¯s young master, Xia Ze. ¡°If you dare to touch the Xia family¡¯s daughter, I¡¯ll make you wish you were dead!¡± Xia Ze grabbed Tang Ming¡¯s collar and glared at him like a bloodthirsty monster. Tang Ming¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No! Bingbing is the real daughter of the Xia family.¡± Impossible. How could they know? He had helped Bingbing hide the truth. Sensing that Xia Wan was no longer breathing, Chen Mo stood up and stared at Tang Ming emotionlessly. He said word by word, ¡°Wanwan¡¯s gone. We¡¯re all sinners. We should all go to hell!¡± The vicious aura that he was exuding terrified Tang Ming. The only thought left in his mind was to escape. ¡­ ¡°This shameless brat. She doesn¡¯t work all day and knows only how to hook up with men. She deserves to fall into the water. I don¡¯t have any eggs for her!¡± ¡°Mom, Wanwan isn¡¯t that kind of person. How can you trust an outsider but not your own granddaughter?¡± Xia Wan was awoken by the argument between two women. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of half-worn furniture and family photos on the wall. She felt cold and weak all over. She remembered that this was her home when she was still in the countryside. The corners of her mouth pulled up into a bitter smile. Was this a remnant of memory after death? ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re awake! Is there anywhere else that hurts? Are you hungry?¡± While she was still in a daze, Xia Wan¡¯s mother, Yan Han, had already walked over and placed her rough and large hand on Xia Wan¡¯s forehead. ¡°Good, it¡¯s not burning anymore. Thank God.¡± Yan Han¡¯s eyes were filled with relief. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes widened at her mother¡¯s touch. This, was this real? Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and the woman standing at the door with her nose up, and eyes full of disdain was her grandmother, Li Jin. I told you, this brat is stubborn. She said she wanted to eat eggs when she was sick. She doesn¡¯t want to work and is looking for excuses. Her studies are not as good as her two sisters, yet she is so lazy!¡± Yan Han quickly shielded Xia Wan behind her and looked at Li Jin. ¡°Mother! Dr. Niu has checked her. Wanwan really has a fever. She didn¡¯t lie to you.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes turned red. She didn¡¯t die! She had just been reborn into a time eighteen years ago! She remembered this scene. She was supposed to be on duty, so she left a little late, but when she walked to the stream, she was blocked by three girls. They surrounded her, beat her, and scolded her, just because the boy she liked had confessed to her. She was pushed into the river, and the girls were frightened. In order to shirk their responsibility, they told the public that they saw her leaving the school with a few delinquents. Since then, her reputation had been completely ruined, and she, an already poor student, was even more isolated at home ¡­ In the 1990s, everyone was conservative. Since then, Xia Wan had been even more silent. If she had not met her master, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve anything in this life. It was so good that her parents were still around. Everything she had was still around. Xia Wan laughed. In this life, she would protect her family. No one could take them away from her! Yan Han and Li Jin¡¯s argument attracted the attention of Song Yan, their aunt. She tried to persuade them, ¡°That¡¯s enough, mother, Yan Han. You two should stop talking. Wanwan has just woken up. Even if she¡¯s wrong, just educate her properly.¡± Second Aunt Chen Lian also came over, her face filled with gloating.¡±Yan Han, this is your fault. No matter how big the matter is, how could you quarrel with your mother? you¡¯re being disrespectful to your elders, and you¡¯ll get retribution. Everyone knows that your Wanwan isn¡¯t good at her studies. If you¡¯ve done something wrong, just admit it. It¡¯s not a big deal, but you have to beat around the bush.¡± He said he was trying to stop the fight, but in fact, he completely believed Li Jin¡¯s words and believed that Xia Wan fell into the water because she had gone out to play with a group of hooligans. Even the usually weak Yan Han was angered by this, and she retorted loudly, ¡°My Wanwan isn¡¯t a bad girl. She¡¯s usually so sensible and never does such things. You have no evidence, so what right do you have to say that about my Wanwan? ¡± Yan Han¡¯s shouting angered Li Jin, who immediately rolled up his sleeves. ¡°What? You¡¯re still shouting at me? You¡¯re a rebel!!! ¡°I¡¯ll show you the rules of the Xia family today!¡± As he spoke, Li Jin¡¯s palm was raised, about to land on Yan Han¡¯s face. Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The next moment, Xia Wan grabbed Li Jin¡¯s wrist. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were cold, and she looked at Li Jin as if he was a dead man. ¡°I¡¯ll see who dares to touch my mother today!¡± Her soft voice pierced through everyone¡¯s ears, and Li Jin¡¯s hand was flung away by her. After the initial shock, Li Jin¡¯s anger rose. He put his hands on his waist and became even angrier. ¡°Good. Both mother and daughter dare to fight me, right?¡± ¡°Someone come and take a look. Yan Han has brought her daughter along to bully! ¡°She seduced her own man and wouldn¡¯t let anyone speak. Everyone, come and take a look. Xia Wan, an unfilial daughter, hit her own grandmother!¡± Yan Han was a little flustered, and he hurriedly whispered to Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, quickly apologize to your grandmother. If she continues shouting like this, your reputation will be ruined.¡± Chen Lian and Song Yan also chimed in and criticized Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, how can you be so insensible? How dare you hit grandma? Are you going to hit first aunt and second aunt too? ¡± Xia Wan stopped Yan Han and looked at the three of them with a cold smile. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t cry yet. Let me tell you the truth. I fell into the water not because I had an affair with a man. It was Xia Ru and Xia Ye, your own granddaughter and first aunt and second aunt¡¯s daughter, who pushed me! ¡°They were jealous that their idol confessed to me, and they pushed me into the water. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask them to confront me and see if I¡¯m right or not!¡± ¡°What?¡± Yan Han was shocked. She pulled Xia Wan over and reminded her, ¡°Wanwan, you can¡¯t just say that as you like.¡± Xia Wan gave her a reassuring look. ¡°Mom, I never slander people.¡± Although it was true that Xia Ru and Xia Ye were not the ones who pushed her into the water, they were right beside her. Not only did they not even speak about saving her, they even watched her drown. They knew that she couldn¡¯t swim, yet they didn¡¯t even call for help, as though afraid that they would have to take responsibility. ¡°Fine, since you don¡¯t want to help, then I¡¯ll change the indirect manslaughter charge to conspiracy to commit murder.¡± She would like to see if these two people had the guts to confront her! Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s confidence, Chen Lian and Song Yan panicked. They pulled Li Jin over. ¡°Mother, stay calm. Let¡¯s wait for the two children to come back and ask them first.¡± At that time, they suddenly realized that something was wrong. Usually, the two children should have returned early. Why did they take so long today? In a corner that no one noticed, Xia Ye covered her mouth. It was over. Xia Wan was starting to exact revenge on her. She was so flustered she didn¡¯t know what to do. She did not even dare to come out and to confront her grandma. ¡°I¡¯m going to find big brother! He definitely has a way!¡± Xia Ye hardened her heart. As long as Xia Wan¡¯s bad reputation was solidified, she could get away with it! Xia Wan, don¡¯t blame me. Who asked you to drag me into this? Soon, Xia Ye found Xia Yu and said angrily, ¡°Brother, go and get Xia Wan. She was clearly pushed into the lotus pond by Julie, but she told grandma that it was me and Xia Ru who pushed her in!¡± ¡°Brother, she framed us in front of grandma. You have to help us!¡± Xia Ye knew that her brother, Xia Yu, was the favorite grandchild of her grandmother. As long as her brother went over, Xia Wan would have to step aside no matter how powerful she was. Xia Yu was indeed angry and clenched her fat fists.¡±Alright! How dare you bully my sister Xia Wan? She¡¯s getting bolder. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll make the decision for you!¡± He was born tough, and his family doted on him a lot. He would always come first when it came to delicious food, but they often bullied Xia Wan. A smile appeared on Xia Ye¡¯s face as she confidently followed Xia Yu. At this time, Xia Wan was still confronting Li Jin. Neither of them was convinced. Xia Yu walked over angrily. When Li Jin saw that it was Xia Yu, he grinned so widely that the wrinkles on his face appeared. ¡°Good girl, why are you here? Did Xia Wan wake you up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, grandma, but my sister is not. She came back with me. How did she become the one who pushed Xia Wan? She¡¯s lying!¡± With Xia Yu¡¯s testimony, Xia Ye looked at Xia Wan smugly, as if to say,¡±You¡¯re the only one who knows how to frame people. I can even get help!¡± Xia Ye was from Xia Wan¡¯s second uncle¡¯s family. Her second aunt, Chen Lian, immediately smiled and said, ¡°I told you. The girls from both our families are good girls. Why would they do such an immoral thing?¡± Then, she looked at Xia Wan with an unfriendly gaze. ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re already 18 this year. You¡¯re an adult. Lying is a bad habit. Today, you have to apologize to us in front of everyone and we¡¯ll let this matter go. ¡°I remember that your dad is about to get his salary. He just so happens to have money to buy things for us.¡± Xia Wan laughed coldly. ¡°Second aunt, you¡¯re a real good schemer. My dad¡¯s salary hasn¡¯t been paid yet, and you¡¯re already thinking about it. In the past, this money was always given to grandma, right? Now that you¡¯re asking for money, did grandma agree?¡± This simple sentence caused Li Jin to glare at Chen Lian. Clearly, this sentence had struck a chord in Li Jin¡¯s heart. The money that her son earned was meant to be filial to her. How could she give it to her daughter-in-law? Even if she had given birth to a good grandson for her, she still couldn¡¯t do so! Chen Lian¡¯s expression immediately changed. She put on a fawning smile and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t believe her words. How would I dare to spend mother¡¯s money? This girl is scheming. She¡¯s trying to sow discord between us.¡± Xia Wan snorted coldly and ignored her. She looked at Xia Yu with a fierce gaze. ¡°You said that you came back with Xia Ye. Then why did you ignore me when I called for help? Why did you watch me get pushed into the water by Xia Ye and Xia Ru?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s sudden outburst stunned Xia Yu, and she retorted, ¡°Bullsh*t! It was Julie who pushed you. My sister only saw it and didn¡¯t do anything.¡± After she finished speaking, Xia Yu realized that she had said the wrong thing and almost slapped herself. Xia Ye pursed her lips and glared at Xia Yu. My good brother, did you just sell your sister out? Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan retracted her aura and said with a faint smile, ¡°Oh, so it wasn¡¯t Xia Ye who pushed me? She clearly saw me fall into the water but didn¡¯t save me.¡± ¡°First aunt, Second aunt¡­ the daughter you¡¯ve raised is really not bad. Grandma has always said that we¡¯re a family, and even if we¡¯re doing well, we should take care of the other families. So, my father gave all the money he earned to grandma, afraid that she would say that he doesn¡¯t care about the family. ¡°But my two cousins watched as my younger sister was pushed into the water. They didn¡¯t save her, nor did they call for help. If uncle Liu hadn¡¯t happened to pass by and saved me, I¡¯m afraid I would have died in the lotus pond!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s questioning rendered first aunt and second aunt speechless. First aunt glared at second aunt and Xia Yu. These two idiots couldn¡¯t even speak properly. Li Jin saw that the situation wasn¡¯t right, so he took advantage of his seniority and said directly, ¡°Alright, alright. Your two sisters were too shocked to save you. Aren¡¯t you fine now? Let¡¯s forget about this.¡± ¡°No, I want eggs and money to buy medicine. Otherwise, I¡¯ll let everyone know that the two sisters of the Xia family are so selfish and cold, they don¡¯t care about their own sister¡¯s life!¡± Li Jin¡¯s body twitched in anger. ¡°You stinky girl, I can¡¯t do anything to you, can I? When your dad comes back, you¡¯ll see how he deals with you!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes darkened at the mention of her father, Xia Hai. Xia Hai was an honest man, but he was filial to a fault. Every time Li Jin and Yan Han had a conflict, he would always side with Li Jin. At that time, Xia Wan was still young and couldn¡¯t stand Xia Hai¡¯s favoritism. She had a lot of complaints, but she never talked to him. Instead, she only became more and more rebellious. The young Xia Wan didn¡¯t understand the ways of the world. She would bully whoever bullied her. Xia Ru and Xia Ye were the ones who started the trouble, but in the end, it was all Xia Wan¡¯s fault. Xia Wan refused to admit her mistake. Her mother was the one who took all the punishment. In this second life, she was determined to protect her mother. This family of trash, she would pay them back for how they treated her in the past! Li Jinchan left after saying those harsh words, and the two aunts also took Xia Yu and Xia Ye away. The house was empty in an instant, leaving only Yan Han and Xia Wan. ¡°Don¡¯t quarrel with your grandma in front of her. If the people in the village spread rumors, it will affect your reputation. Your father doesn¡¯t care about anything. You should be more obedient in the future. Your grandma will treat you better.¡± Yan Han tried to persuade Xia Wan, and then said with a pained heart, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Mom¡¯s here. I¡¯ll go find you something to eat.¡± Yan Han was about to make his move, but Xia Wan pulled her back and forced a smile. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go. There¡¯s a lot of food on the mountain. I¡¯ll get some meat. We can have a good meal too.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. You just fell into the river, and your body is weak. How can you go up the mountain? Rest well. I¡¯ll go.¡± Xia Wan stopped her. ¡°Mom, I know what my body is capable of. A few days ago, I ate a piece of fruit on the mountain. My body felt very warm from it. I¡¯m going out now to bask in the sun to get rid of the cold. Maybe I¡¯ll be fine when I come back. Yan Han still wanted to persuade her, but Xia Wan simply picked up her basket and jogged out. After she walked out of the house, the smile on Xia Wan¡¯s face disappeared. She calmly analyzed the situation. In her previous life, she had fallen ill because of this incident. Whenever the weather was cold or rainy, she would feel chilly and uncomfortable all over. The cold air that seeped into her bones was especially torturous. It took her more than ten years to completely recuperate. Now that she had medical skills, she could go up the mountain to pick some medicine and cure the disease. Thinking of this, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little emotional. The illness that had tortured her so much in the past was now back, and it wasn¡¯t so easy to eradicate. It was clear that she had to be more careful in the future to avoid making mistakes again. If she did, there would be no chance of repeating it. She had thought that her heart would be filled with hatred when she reincarnated. That hatred, however, had been diluted by a lot. She felt extremely grateful to be alive, and all she wanted was for her illness to cure a healthy body. Now that her parents and brothers were fine, she still had a chance to save them. Thinking of this, Xia Wan could not help but smile. She needed to become stronger as soon as possible so that she could better protect her family! Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation There were mulberry branches in the back of the mountain. As long as they were picked and soaked in medicine, the roots would be removed after a few days of drinking. Xia Wan did not know much about medicine when she was young and treated all the herbs in the back mountain as weeds. Now that she thought about it, it was really a waste. As long as she looked carefully, she might find other herbs that could help her family earn some money. Thinking of this, Xia Wan walked even faster, looking for the position of the mulberry branch in her memory. After walking for a while, there was a sudden smell of blood in the air. Xia Wan immediately straightened her body and followed the smell of blood to the wild grass in front of her. A man in a suit with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes was curled up on the ground with a pained expression. Although only half of his face could be seen, he could still tell that the other party was very handsome. Xia Wan¡¯s intuition told her that the man in front of her was not an ordinary person. If she saved him, there would be a lot of trouble. However, as a doctor, she could not just watch a patient die in front of her. Just as Xia Wan was about to step forward to check on the situation, her wrist was grabbed by someone. The man turned over, and she was directly pinned under him. With eyes full of vigilance, he obviously thought Xia Wan was a bad person. Xia Wan¡¯s body reacted faster than her brain, and she directly kicked the man¡¯s wound. ¡°Oww!!!¡± The man cried out in pain and immediately loosened his grip on Xia Wan. Xia Wan took the opportunity to break free. The knife in her hand was on the man¡¯s neck. If she used a little force, the man would be dead. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I don¡¯t mean to hurt you. I¡¯m here to save you.¡± When Xia Wan finished speaking, she realized that the man in front of her was extremely familiar. It was none other than Chen Mo, the man who had mistaken Xia Bing for his savior and even got engaged to her. Xia Wan¡¯s expression was complicated. He did not expect Chen Mo to have come to the village at this point in time in his previous life, and he had even been injured. If she had not come today, someone else would have come and saved Chen Mo instead. After hesitating for a moment, Xia Wan still decided to save him. After all, Chen Mo had helped her many times in her previous life. When she was kidnapped, he was the one who met her by chance and saved her. She was accidentally involved in the robbery, and he was the one who rescued her. Even if he mistook her for someone else, it was only because Xia Bing had somehow hidden the truth. The misunderstanding between them notwithstanding, Chen Mo was still a kind and upright person. ¡°I¡¯m here to check on your wound. Don¡¯t tighten your body.¡± Xia Wan put her thoughts aside and started to examine Chen Mo¡¯s wound. Chen Mo looked at the fair and beautiful girl in front of him and was a little surprised. He did not expect that there would be such a beautiful woman in this mountain village. He quickly let his guard down. For some reason, he subconsciously felt close to this girl. Xia Wan lifted his clothes. There was a wound on the man¡¯s abdomen that was simply bandaged, but blood was seeping out from the inside. It was obvious that the bleeding had not been properly stopped. ¡°You wait here, I¡¯ll go find some medicine.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan stood up. There were herbs that could stop bleeding nearby. She would grind them with a stone, tear off Chen Mo¡¯s clothes, then bandage his wound again. Once the bleeding stopped, she would send Chen Mo to the village. Someone should probably come to pick him up. He looked at her back as she left, and his eyes were filled with doubt. ¡°She looks like a teenager, and she must¡¯ve grown up in the village. Could she really know about medicinal herbs?¡± Chen Mo could not be blamed for being suspicious. According to the current conditions, it was difficult enough for a woman who grew up in a village to be able to study in a school. There was not even one in ten villages who knew medical skills. He didn¡¯t stay puzzled for too long, for soon, Xia Wan came to Chen Mo¡¯s side with the ground medicine. She removed the cloth that was wrapped around him, wiped it briefly, and applied the medicinal herbs. She raised the knife in her hand and cut off a piece of his clothes, then bandaged his wound again. She had also cut the inner layer of his body. A part of his waist was exposed, and his face was a little red. ¡°Young lady, aren¡¯t you¡­ s little too bold?¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the sincerity in her eyes, he would have suspected that this woman was trying to take advantage of him. After all, countless women had pursued him since he was young, and they had used all kinds of means to attract his attention. Hearing this, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°Have you heard that there¡¯s no gender in a doctor¡¯s eyes? In my eyes, you¡¯re a patient. All I have to do is to treat you the best I can. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little too much of a narcissist?¡± Xia Wan continued. What makes you think that you can attract my attention in the sorry state you¡¯re in?¡± Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When she met Chen Mo in her previous life, he was dressed in casual clothes. With just one look, he managed to make the kidnappers who were holding her tremble in fear. At that time, Chen Mo was cold, handsome, and her savior. He left a very good impression on Xia Wan¡¯s heart. The Chen Mo in front of her, however, still retained some childishness. He was only twenty. Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Chen Mo¡¯s face turned even redder. He had never expected that his most confident charm would be completely useless in front of this girl. He smartly caught Xia Wan¡¯s words and asked, ¡°You said doctor? So you¡¯re a doctor? I¡¯ve only heard of doctor Niu from your Shichun village, but I¡¯ve never heard of a young female doctor.¡± Xia Wan squinted. She did not expect Chen Mo to be so smart even when he was injured. She smiled, but one that was obviously perfunctory. ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m a genius. I only read a few medical books, and I¡¯ve learned it all. Congratulations! You¡¯re my first patient.¡± Her smile was bright, but Chen Mo¡¯s face froze. He lowered his head and looked at his already bandaged wound, not knowing whether to be happy or worried. ¡°I, I trust in your skills,¡± Chen Mo finally said. Xia Wan raised her eyebrows, her eyes full of doubt. ¡°You seem to trust me. Why?¡± Chen Mo also smiled. ¡°If I said that I thought you looked kind when I saw you, would you believe me? I believe you¡¯re a good person and have awesome medical skills.¡± Xia Wan rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be cheeky. I think you don¡¯t have any other choice. You had to trust me whether you wanted to or not. After all, no one can save you now except me.¡± Chen Mo sighed. ¡°Little girl, being too smart is not always a good thing.¡± An ordinary girl would have long bought the guy¡¯s praises, but not this girl. Her clear eyes seemed to be able to see through the illusion. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Chen Mo asked. Xia Wan didn¡¯t want to say it at first, but when she thought about how they would have to deal with each other again in the future, and that Xia Bing was the one who took the credit in her previous life, she knew she had to take all the credit for saving people in this life! ¡°Xia Wan. What about you?¡± ¡°Chen Mo.¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°You can go down the mountain after you rest. I still have things to do. I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± After saying that, she turned around and left without giving Chen Mo a chance to speak. Looking at Xia Wan¡¯s back, Chen Mo was very surprised. The watch he was wearing was inlaid with diamonds. It was obviously very expensive, but this girl didn¡¯t even look at it. She had saved him, but she did not even have the intention to ask for any reprisal. If he hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to ask for her name, this girl probably wouldn¡¯t have even wanted to tell him. ¡°Xia Wan,¡± the man repeated and then smiled. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good name. I¡¯ll remember it.¡± After walking for a distance, Xia Wan¡¯s face turned pale, and her breathing became rapid. She found a tree trunk to lean against and finally had time to catch her breath. She already got a cold after falling into the water, and she had to struggle to save Chen Mo just now. Thus, whatever remaining strength she had was completely gone. Chen Mo¡¯s appearance reminded her of Xia Bing. Just thinking of this person filled Xia Wan¡¯s eyes with hatred. After Chen Mo had saved Xia Wan¡¯s life twice, she was filled with gratitude and always wanted an opportunity to repay him. That year, Xia Wan officially finished her apprenticeship. Her master said that there was nothing else he could teach her, so she chose to travel the world to help people in need. It was also that year that Xia Wan received a special patient. His breathing was weak and had a body riddled with wounds, especially a deep one near his heart. Many doctors said that they didn¡¯t dare to fix him, nor did they have the ability to do so. This patient was Chen Mo, the man Xia Wan wanted to repay her kindness with. In order to save him, Xia Wan put in all her effort and concentration, and after over ten grueling hours of surgery, she finally managed to save him from the hands of the grim reaper. After the operation, Xia Wan fainted due to exhaustion. When she woke up again, she found herself locked in a small dark room with only a dark window and someone bringing her food every day. There, she saw Tang Ming, her senior brother whom she had always respected. ¡°Why?¡± she asked, her eyes full of confusion. Tang Ming¡¯s indifference at that time still made her feel cold all over. ¡°There¡¯s no reason. Your credit goes to Bingbing. Remember, Bingbing is the one who saved Chen Mo. If you promise to keep this a secret, I¡¯ll let you go. I¡¯ll even help you prepare the equipment and funds needed to save your brother.¡± Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Tang Ming glanced at the pale-faced Xia Wan and continued, ¡°Of course, Bingbing is behind all this. You know, Bingbing is a noble. You can¡¯t save your brother who has terminal cancer in time. As long as you agree to give up your reputation, you can exchange it for your brother¡¯s health. You can still make money with your medical skills in the future. This is a good deal.¡± Xia Wan smiled bitterly. At that time, she had no other choice. Her brother¡¯s illness could not wait. Tang Ming was right. Xia Wan, who had just finished her apprenticeship, had no money or connections. No one would believe her. It was difficult for her to save her brother on her own. Hence, Xia Wan made a compromise. She didn¡¯t expect that this would allow Xia Bing to completely steal her life. Later on, Xia Wan heard that Chen Mo and Xia Bing got engaged only because Xia Bing was the person who had saved his life. Xia Wan tried to tell Chen Mo the truth. She wanted to tell him that she had saved him. However, she also knew that Chen Mo wouldn¡¯t believe her. Xia Bing had bribed everyone related to the operation that year, to which, all said that Xia Bing was the one who saved Chen Mo. At that time, Xia Wan realized the significance of having money and power. After she saved her brother, he became healthy, and she became famous. More and more people came looking for her, and her life improved. However, the man she had a crush on would never belong to her again. Xia Wan had already recovered some strength as she put away those memories. She picked the mulberry leaves and was about to go home when she saw a familiar medicinal herb on a nearby cliff. Her eyes widened, and her heart began to thump in excitement and joy. ¡°It¡¯s ginseng!¡± The initially frail girl was suddenly filled with fighting spirit. She climbed towards the cliff. Even if there was danger, she was not afraid Upon closer inspection, she realized that the wild ginseng was actually fifty years old! In that era, wild ginseng was very expensive, but because it was very difficult to find, very few would spend the effort to find it in the mountains. The probability of finding wild ginseng was like winning the lottery. Xia Wan did not expect her luck to be so good that she would actually run into one. It must be because she had just saved Chen Mo. This was a blessing in disguise. Now, God was giving her back. If he were to sell this wild ginseng, it would be worth a few years of her father¡¯s earnings! The overjoyed Xia Wan became even more cautious of her surroundings. The ginseng grew in a dangerous place, and the soil nearby was loose. If she made a mistake, she would roll down the cliff with it. Hence, she dug carefully and dug out the ginseng bit by bit. Xia Wan employed masterful techniques, and the ginseng was basically undamaged. Holding the root in her arms, Xia Wan was as happy as a child. However, it was then that her feet slipped, and she began to slide down the hill. Her first reaction was to wrap the ginseng in her clothes. Even if she was injured, the ginseng must not be damaged! Just as she thought she was going to fall, a soft cushion caught her. She slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by Chen Mo¡¯s handsome face. ¡°You! Why are you here?¡± Xia Wan asked in surprise. Chen Mo¡¯s face was filled with pain. After putting Xia Wan down, he said, ¡°When I tried to save you, my wound reopened.¡± Xia Wan followed his line of sight. As expected, the wound that she had bandaged earlier was bleeding again. The girl looked a little embarrassed as she thought about the intimacy between the two of them just now. In this era, everyone was still very conservative. Hugging or anything of that sort was enough to be considered outrageous behavior. Just now, she had fallen directly into Chen Mo¡¯s arms. Her face pressed so hard against the man¡¯s chest, she could even hear his heart beating. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll treat your wound for you.¡± As Xia Wan spoke, she quickly turned around and placed her ginseng into the basket. Then, she covered the ginseng with the wild grass she picked on the road. She looked at Chen Mo and moved closer to check on his wound. As she got closer, his face turned red. At first, his wound hurt a lot when he was lying down. However, he could feel that the pain had reduced, probably thanks to the medicine that she had used. As the two of them stood face to face, Chen Mo¡¯s senses were so heightened that his heart was beating much faster. Xia Wan, on the other hand, was focused on checking the wound and had no time to think about anything else. After the examination, she nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve checked it. It¡¯s nothing serious. All you have to do is go down the mountain and find a proper hospital to deal with it. It¡¯s almost dark, and there are wild animals at night. It¡¯s not safe here. Chen Mo smiled and looked at her. ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡± Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan looked at him in confusion. even if it was someone else on the mountain, I would still remind them to go down the mountain as soon as possible, let alone you. I realized that you always like to overthink things. Stop thinking about all those unnecessary things in the future. It¡¯s a waste of brain space. Chen Mo could no longer smile. He also realized that the charm he was so proud of was of no value to Xia Wan. When other girls looked at him, they either admired him or liked him. In short, they all wanted a chance to talk to him to get closer. However, when it came to Xia Wan, she always seemed to be in a hurry to cut off all ties with him. This Xia Wan was very special, and it was deeply imprinted in Chen Mo¡¯s heart. ¡°No matter what, I have to thank you,¡± Chen Mo said. Xia Wan waved her hand nonchalantly. ¡°Whatever. We¡¯re even now. I saved you once, and you saved me once. It¡¯s all good. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, do as you please.¡± After Xia Wan finished speaking, she turned around and left without any hesitation. Xia Wan quickly went down the mountain and went home to hide the wild ginseng. The Xia family hadn¡¯t split up yet, and her eldest uncle and second uncle¡¯s families were also living with them, so she had to protect this treasure. She had just opened the door when she saw Xia Yu rummaging through her closet. ¡°Xia Yu! What are you doing?¡± Xia Wan roared. Xia Yu, this b*stard, actually rummaged through her things when she wasn¡¯t around and entered her room without asking her first. This was what a thief would do! Seeing that Xia Wan had returned, Xia Yu did not panic at all. She looked at her in disdain. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I don¡¯t have anything to eat at my place. I heard that you need to nurture your body now, so your mother must have prepared something for you. Where is it? Hurry up and take it out, save me the trouble of looking for it. ¡± Xia Wan was so angry that she laughed. ¡°Xia Yu, you also know that I need to nurture my body when I¡¯m sick? Now, you¡¯re here to snatch my nourishing food just because you¡¯re hungry?¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan glared at Xia Yu with hatred, which made Xia Yu feel a little afraid. The more Xia Wan thought about it, the angrier she became. At that time, the family was generally poor. The boys ate more, and the families did less work. The money earned by the three families had to be handed over to Li Jin, but how he spent it depended on his mood. Li Jin had always been biased towards Xia Yu. Xia Wan was sick, and all she wanted was an egg, but Li Jin wouldn¡¯t even let her. Xia Yu, on the other hand, could get an egg every day. Xia Wan also had older and younger brothers, but none of them were as lucky as Xia Yu. It was difficult enough to have eggs every two days. Every time it was time to eat, Xia Yu would never be full and snatched other people¡¯s food. Li Jin never scolded him when he saw this and instead acquiesced to his behavior. Xia Yu said disdainfully, ¡°You¡¯re a girl. You don¡¯t eat much, to begin with. I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll waste it. Don¡¯t be ungrateful. Hurry up and hand over the food.¡± He started to stare at the basket on Xia Wan¡¯s back. ¡°What did you go up the mountain for? Did you look for food? Let me see if there¡¯s anything good in there!¡± As he spoke, he was about to snatch it from her. Xia Wan naturally wouldn¡¯t let him get it, so she took a step back to avoid him. ¡°You must be hiding something. Otherwise, what are you hiding for?¡± Xia Yu laughed. He was about to rush over again when a boy rushed into the room next door and nudged Xia Yu away with his body. ¡°You can¡¯t bully my family. Get lost!¡± Xia Wan looked at the small and scrawny guy standing in front of her. It was her brother, Xia Feng. Her eyes reddened, and she subconsciously called his name. ¡°Xiafeng.¡± Xia Feng turned around and glanced at her. Then, his little face tensed up, and he turned around and went back into the house. Xia Yu also stood up. He did not expect to be attacked by Xia Feng. His expression became ferocious, and she shouted, ¡°Xia Feng, how dare you sneak up on me? I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m capable of today!¡± As he spoke, he was ready to go after Xia Feng. Xia Wan¡¯s face darkened. She could tolerate it if they wanted to hit her, but if they wanted to hit her brother, Xia Yu would be finished! Xia Wan picked up a book from the table and was about to throw it at Xia Yu when suddenly, somebody rushed in from outside and pounced on Xia Yu fiercely. He held Xia Yu in place and yelled, ¡°You¡¯re bullying my brother and sister in front of me? Xia Yu, I¡¯ll beat you up today!¡± Xia Wan saw the man clearly. He was tall, and his skin was a little dark due to his frequent exposure to the sun. He had short, neat hair that basically needed little care. His facial features were completely defined, and he was a handsome boy. This was her older brother, Xia Chen. He was 20 and had graduated high school, but didn¡¯t continue to study in college. In this era, it was impressive enough if a village had one college student. Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Looking at the person, Xia Yu panicked. Although he was a year older than Xia Chen, he was no match for Xia Chen in terms of fighting. It was mainly because Xia Yu was always slacking off in the fields. Xia Yu stopped what he was doing and warned him. ¡°Don¡¯t hit me, or I¡¯ll tell grandma that your whole family is bullying me.¡± Xia Chen laughed in anger. ¡°You¡¯re an adult, yet you still want to complain to grandma? What, you¡¯re relying on grandma to support you for the rest of your life? ¡°You snatch other people¡¯s food when you eat but can¡¯t even solve a small problem. Are you even a man? ¡°Weren¡¯t you so fierce when I wasn¡¯t around? Why did you stop fighting the moment I came?¡± Originally, Xia Yu really didn¡¯t intend to fight with Xia Chen, but after being provoked by him, Xia Yu suddenly grew a backbone. He immediately rolled up his sleeves and looked at Xia Chen fiercely. ¡°You really think I can¡¯t beat you? I¡¯ve always been letting you win, but you¡¯ve become stronger. Today, I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m capable of!¡± After saying that, the two of them started wrangling and fighting. Xia Wan was a little nervous as she stared at the two guys going at it. She was afraid that something would happen to her brother. Then, Xia Wan realized that Xia Yu was fat and only had brute force. Every time they fought, he would use one fat arm, but he would be too slow. Xia Chen could easily dodge him without using much strength. After exchanging two moves, Xia Chen was fine, but Xia Yu was so tired that he started to pant. ¡°Xia Chen, you only know how to dodge. What kind of skill is that? If you¡¯re so capable, come fight me!¡± Xia Yu couldn¡¯t hit Xia Chen, so she started to attack him with words. Xia Chen snorted and kicked Xia Yu against the wall when he wasn¡¯t paying attention. Xia Yu screamed in pain. The commotion here quickly attracted the attention of the others. Li Jin and Chen Lian rushed over. Seeing that Xia Yu was injured, Chen Lian immediately ran over to help her up, her face full of heartache. ¡°My son, what happened to you? Did Xia Chen hit you?¡± As she spoke, Chen Lian looked at Xia Chen again. She concealed the anger in her eyes and, instead, played victim. ¡°Xia Chen, my Xia Yu is older than you, and he¡¯s also your brother. He usually knows his limits and always lets you guys have your way, yet you¡¯re so cruel. ¡°Just because my Xia Yu is too honest, your family ganged up to bully him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Xia Hai about this today. How does he usually discipline his children?¡± Li Jin¡¯s eyes were filled with heartache when he saw that the usually lively Xia Yu was now in so much pain that her face was scrunched up and her body curled up. Hence, she agreed with Chen Lian¡¯s words without even thinking. She roared angrily, ¡°Xia Chen, how dare you bully your brother. Are you going to bully me in the future?¡± ¡°Today, I¡¯ll teach you a good lesson and let you know some rules!¡± Li Jin was about to attack, but Xia Chen didn¡¯t dare to fight back. This was his grandmother. Once he made a move on his elders, he would be considered an unfilial son, and he would be ostracized to death. Xia Wan stood in front of Xia Chen, shielding him behind her. She stared at Li Jin as if she had just returned from hell. Li Jin couldn¡¯t help but feel frightened. ¡°Grandma, you didn¡¯t even ask what happened, and you think my brother is in the wrong? I know you¡¯re biased, but I didn¡¯t know you were so obvious. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being laughed at?¡± Xia Wan then looked at Chen Lian. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what kind of person your son is?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you. Since you said that we bullied Xia Yu, why did Xia Yu appear in our room?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. What¡¯s he doing in our room?¡± ¡°More importantly, this is my room. Even if Xia Yu is my cousin, there are still differences between men and women. He barged into my room just like that. Is he trying to ruin my reputation? ¡°When I fell into the river, my cousin just watched and didn¡¯t save me. Now that I¡¯m alive, does my cousin still plan to ruin my reputation? ¡± ¡°Are you guys trying to force me to my death!¡± Xia Wan shouted the last sentence. After she finished speaking, her tears flowed out. On one hand, she was already in such a state of mind, and if she didn¡¯t cry, she wouldn¡¯t look pitiful. On the other hand, she really felt sorry for her family. Her father was usually the most filial, and her mother was also honest, but Li Jin¡¯s heart was partial towards her eldest and second uncle. He had never sided with them. Wasn¡¯t she just playing victim, Xian Wan thought? What Chen Lian could do, she could too! Chen Lian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She wondered why Xia Wan¡¯s personality had changed after she fell into the river. Now, she was even acting pitifully in front of everyone. Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Wasn¡¯t this what Chen Lian was best at? Xia Ye¡¯s grades were better than Xia Wan¡¯s, so Chen Lian often told Li Jin how promising her two children were. It was also because Xia Ye had helped Li Jin gain a reputation, and she had also coaxed him very well, so Li Jin had always been biased toward her family. But now, Xia Wan actually used her usual tactic to make herself look pitiful and call Xia Yu the culprit. ¡°Wanwan, you can¡¯t just say that. How did it become our Xia Yu bullying you? He has always been an honest person! How could she do something like that!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s emotions were at their peak, and she cried naturally. Her tears continued to flow, and Xia Chen¡¯s heart ached for her. He wanted to kick Xia Yu again. Xia Wan continued, ¡°Second aunt, I was very weak after I fell into the river. There was no food at home, so I went to go to the mountains to see if there was anything to eat. But there¡¯s nothing on the mountains now, so I only brought back some wild grass. ¡°But as soon as I returned to my room, I saw a man. I was so scared that I thought there was a thief and that someone had come to steal my things. ¡°However, when I saw that it was Xia Yu, I asked him what he was doing there. In the end, he said that I was sick, so there had to be good food around. He wanted to take my food away because he wanted to eat more. ¡°But second aunt, I¡¯m still sick. I¡¯m feeling very uncomfortable. I didn¡¯t get any food, yet he came here to snatch it from me. Second aunt, what did I do to offend you? It¡¯s fine that no one thought about treating my illness, but now, am I not even worthy of eating?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s questioning made Chen Lian lose face. She understood Xia Yu and knew that Xia Wan was telling the truth. However, she could not admit that it was Xia Yu¡¯s fault in front of everyone. She immediately smiled and said, ¡°Wanwan, this is probably a misunderstanding. Your brother is still growing, so he eats a lot. Didn¡¯t Yan Han ask for eggs from me today? He must have thought you had extra eggs, so he came to ask.¡± ¡°Second aunt, don¡¯t you know if grandma even gave me any eggs?¡± Xia Wan sneered. Xia Wan then looked at Li Jin. ¡°Grandma, did you give me any eggs?¡± Li Jin¡¯s expression became a little unnatural. Of course, she hadn¡¯t given her any eggs. It was just falling into the water, and it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Why did she need to eat eggs? Just drinking some warm water would do the trick. However, Xia Wan¡¯s attitude made Li Jin very unhappy. She questioned her in front of so many juniors, making her lose face as an elder. ¡°I already said that I don¡¯t have any extra eggs. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to give you any. I also don¡¯t have anywhere else I could get those for you,¡± Li Jin said impatiently, but he admitted that he didn¡¯t give Xia Wan any eggs. Xia Wan looked at Xia Yu. ¡°You heard that, right? Grandma didn¡¯t give me any eggs at all. This is your fault. If you didn¡¯t come to my place to look for food, I wouldn¡¯t have thought that there was a thief. As for the fight with my brother, you were the one who started it. ¡°You did something wrong, yet you still hit me. You got injured because you were too weak and couldn¡¯t win. ¡°Just because you¡¯re injured, does that mean my brother is in the wrong? Alright, then I¡¯ll bang my head against the wall right now, so the public will know that you forced me to do this!¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan really did hit her head against the wall. Xia Chen reacted quickly and immediately pulled Xia Wan back. His face was full of love. ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here. No one can bully you!¡± Chen Lian and Li Jin were dumbfounded. He had only said a few words to her. How did he end up hitting the wall? If something really happened to Xia Wan today, their family¡¯s reputation would be completely ruined. Li Jin, too, was a little scared. He felt that Xia Wan had changed since she was rescued. In the past, Xia Wan would, at most, throw a tantrum in front of Xia Hai and Yan Han. Now, she dared to rebuke her in front of so many, and even threatened her with death. However, she was really afraid. Xia Wan had become too ruthless now. At that moment, the voices of three people could be heard from outside the door. The three men from the Xia family had returned. ¡°Mother, why are you all in our room? What are you talking about?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s father, Xia Hai, asked with a smile. He had not yet realized the seriousness of the matter. When he entered the house, he realized that his two children were standing together, and Xia Wan was still crying. ¡°Wanwan, what¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Lian¡¯s husband, Xia He, was also standing beside her. Seeing Xia Yu¡¯s miserable state, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xia Yu? who did this?¡± Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia He¡¯s arrival put Chen Lian¡¯s heart at ease. ¡°Our son was beaten up by Xia Chen,¡± she said hurriedly. ¡°Now Xia Wan¡¯s like a crazy person. She¡¯s even banging her head against the wall. She wants to embarrass the entire Xia family.¡± As she spoke, she looked at Li Jin as if she was protesting his injustice. ¡°Sigh. We really pity our mother. She¡¯s already so old, but she still has a troublesome granddaughter. These children are just playing around. How did it get to this extent? If word gets out, how will others look at the Xia family?¡± ¡°I thought that the girls raised by the Xia family were all shrewd and showed no respect to their elders. She would say ten words when the elders say one.¡± Hearing Chen Lian¡¯s words, Li Jin felt that she was right. She went up to Xia hai and lectured him, ¡°Look at the good daughter you¡¯ve raised. How dare she disobey me, her elder? I can¡¯t control her now, can I?¡± ¡°When your father passed away early, I raised the three of you by myself. I washed your clothes when you were young and cooked every meal. In order to take care of you, I lived a hard life, harder than the animals at home. Now that I¡¯m old, your children can bully me, right?¡± As he spoke, Li Jin continued to hit Xia Hai, as if she had been wronged. Unlike Xia Wan, Li Jin couldn¡¯t cry. He could only say how pitiful he was, but in reality, he couldn¡¯t squeeze out any tears. Xia Hai didn¡¯t completely believe Li Jin and Chen Lian. He knew his daughter well. She was usually very obedient. Why would she seek death and even talk back to Li Jin? ¡°Mother, is there a misunderstanding? Wanwan is not an insensible child. She¡¯s always been very obedient. How could she have wanted to commit suicide? Why did it become Wanwan who tried to destroy the family¡¯s reputation? ¡°Wanwan is also a part of this family. Why would she ruin its reputation? Isn¡¯t that something only a fool would do?¡± Seeing that Xia Hai did not believe him, Li Jin sat down on the floor and started acting shamelessly. ¡°I¡¯m old now. You don¡¯t believe me anymore. Now that you have your own children, you¡¯re biased. You want to give everything good to your children. I¡¯m old now. You all looking down on me. ¡°I¡¯ve worked so hard to raise you two and watched you get married and have children. I didn¡¯t expect that you would have everything now, except for me. Xia Wan said that she wanted to hit her head on the wall just now. Everyone heard it, but you still think I¡¯m talking nonsense. ¡°In your heart, am I a person full of lies? Xia Hai, I¡¯m your mother!¡± Seeing Li Jin¡¯s reaction, Xia Hai was at a loss. As the eldest son, Xia Jiang immediately stopped Li Jin and advised him, ¡°Mother, what are you doing? Let¡¯s talk this out. We¡¯re all family. What can¡¯t we talk about? There¡¯s no need for all that fuss. If the neighbors hear this, they¡¯ll be laughing at our family.¡± Li Jin didn¡¯t seem to care and continued to shout regardless. Xia Wan looked at him coldly, then at Xia Hai¡¯s conflicted expression. She knew that it wouldn¡¯t be that easy to make Xia Hai¡¯s heart turn to them. At that moment, Chen Lian had already explained the situation to Xia He. Xia He knew that his son, Xia Yu, had done something wrong, but he didn¡¯t take it seriously. Xia Wan was just a little girl, and no matter how important she was, she could not be compared to Xia Yu. Hence, Li Jin would definitely side with Xia Yu. Today, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t escape. Even those who were protecting Xia Wan couldn¡¯t. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t make a fuss. Can¡¯t we talk things out properly? Can we sit down and talk?¡± Xia Hai lowered his body and pleaded. Li Jin did not get up. Instead, he glared at Xia Wan. ¡°Xia Wan did something wrong today. She hooked up with another man and ruined her reputation. She even wanted to ask for eggs from me. Where would I get eggs for her? ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s holding a grudge against me. Now that she has the chance, she¡¯s threatening an old woman like me. I¡¯m so pitiful. How did I meet such an insensible and shameless granddaughter? Xia Hai furrowed his brows and quickly said, ¡°Mother, what are you saying? How did Wanwan hook up with a man? You can¡¯t say this blindly. If this gets out, then Wanwan¡¯s reputation will be ruined.¡± Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Jin glared at him. ¡°She¡¯s already done this. Why can¡¯t she let people talk about it?¡± When Xia Hai heard this, he looked at Xia Wan and asked, ¡°Wanwan, what¡¯s going on?¡± Xia Wan also pretended to be pitiful as her tears fell. ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t hook up with any man. It¡¯s because the man that Julie likes confessed to me, but I didn¡¯t accept. Julie thought that I was stealing her man, so she made someone push me into the water. ¡°Dad, you might not know that I actually can¡¯t swim. At that time, my sister Xia Ru and Xia Ye were right beside me, but they didn¡¯t save me. They only took a few glances and ran away. ¡°I kept struggling in the water, hoping that someone would come and save me. I thought that the two sisters must have left to find someone. ¡°But no, they just got scared and ran away. They didn¡¯t even think of saving me. If uncle Liu didn¡¯t save me, I would have been dead. ¡°Mom saw that I was very sick, so she wanted to ask grandma for an egg. But grandma said that I was a girl and didn¡¯t deserve to eat eggs. She said that I just fell into the water and would be fine in a while. Xia Wan then wiped her tears and said, ¡°Dad, am I really your biological daughter? Why doesn¡¯t grandma care about me? Why do I feel that she hopes I might as well just die?¡± Xia Hai¡¯s heart ached when he heard this and saw Xia Wan crying so pitifully. He almost cried as well. ¡°Wanwan, it¡¯s all Dad¡¯s fault. I didn¡¯t protect you well.¡± Xia Hai stood up and pulled Xia Wan into his arms. After hearing what she had said, he was still afraid. If Liu Shan hadn¡¯t rushed over to save his child, he would not have been able to see Wanwan today. Just thinking about it made Xia Hai¡¯s heart ache. Seeing that Xia hai was no longer comforting him and was instead protecting Xia Wan, Li Jin became enraged. Chen Lian saw that Xia Wan was bringing up this matter again and knew that if she did not let it go, it would have a bad impact on Xia Ye¡¯s reputation. She looked at the pitiful Xia Yu and said, ¡°That matter has already passed. Aren¡¯t you fine now? Look at our Xia Yu. She can¡¯t move her entire arm now. She must have broken it. If we go to the doctor, it will cost a lot.¡± ¡°How about this, we¡¯re all at fault for what happened today, but Xia Hai, you¡¯ll have to pay for Xia Yu¡¯s medical expenses.¡± When Xia Wan heard this, she was so angry that she wanted to give Chen Lian a slap. How could she be so shameless? It was clearly Xia Yu who came to steal the food. If this were to have happened a few years later, she would¡¯ve been sentenced, but Chen Lian still felt that it was a misdemeanor and a small deal. On the other hand, now that Xia Yu¡¯s arm was injured, she could ask their family for money? What a joke. Xia Yu was trying to steal from them now. Xia Wan peeked her head out from Xia Hai¡¯s embrace and sneered at Chen Lian, ¡°Second aunt, do you think that you can bully my father as you please because he¡¯s honest? ¡°I¡¯ve already explained clearly why your Xia Yu was injured. If my brother Xia Chen was the one who was injured today, would you pay for his medical treatment? ¡°Not only do you know how to do it, but you even know how to say that this is just child¡¯s play. How can you take anything seriously?¡± Before Chen Lian could say anything, Xia Wan had already finished her sentence. Chen Lian choked. If Xia Chen was the one who was injured today, she would have done as Xia Wan said and let the matter go. How could she pay Xia Chen¡¯s medical fees? She should stop dreaming. However, the situation was different now. The one who was injured was their precious Xia Yu. Xia Hai¡¯s family had two sons, but their family only had one. They were counting on Xia Yu to support the family in the future, so how could something like that have happened to him? At this moment, Yan Han rushed over and stood beside Xia Wan. He held her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wanwan. With mommy here, no one can bully you.¡± Then, she glared at Xia Hai as if he was an accomplice. Xia Hai felt a little aggrieved. He was in a difficult position as well. Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yan Han protected Xia Wan behind him and looked at the others with dissatisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. Our Wanwan needs to rest. If Xia Yu didn¡¯t come, there wouldn¡¯t have been such a big commotion.¡± Chen Lian was completely unconvinced. She looked at Li Jin and said, ¡°Mother, you have to say something fair. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s our Xia Yu who¡¯s badly injured. Look at what Xia Wan said. Why doesn¡¯t she think about the family at all?¡± Li Jin refused to let the matter rest either. He pulled Xia Hai aside and started complaining. Xia Hai, it¡¯s not that mother doesn¡¯t love Xia Wan, but look at the way she talks. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s going to eat someone up. I¡¯m her grandmother, after all, and Xia Yu is her cousin. What bad intentions could Xia Yu have? Why wouldn¡¯t she want a more tolerant family?¡± Xia Wan sneered and asked, ¡°Grandma, you still remember that we¡¯re a family? Then why didn¡¯t my two older sisters save me when I fell into the river? Grandma, you didn¡¯t let me eat eggs when I was sick. Grandma, if this so-called family is for us to be infinitely tolerant of the other two, why don¡¯t we split? ¡°Dad, we won¡¯t suffer any more grievances.¡± She wiped her tears and looked at Xia Hai. Li Jin had originally planned to cry and make a scene so that Xia hai would teach Xia Wan a lesson. But now that Xia Wan said she wanted to split the family, Li Jin was dumbfounded. ¡°What? You still want to split the family?¡± Li Jin repeated loudly, staring at Xia Wan with eyes full of anger and shock. This brat just wanted Xia Hai to teach her a lesson, and she actually dared to mention splitting the family. No one was splitting up now. If word got out that their family was on bad terms, they would be laughed at. Moreover, she was now holding the monthly wages of her three sons and held the power of the family. Everyone had to listen to her. If the family split, she would have no status in this family. Xia Hai was stunned for a moment before he snapped back to his senses and scolded Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t talk nonsense. It¡¯s just a small matter. How can you make it to the point of splitting up the family?¡± Xia Wan pouted, feeling wronged. grandma is right. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have been so noisy. Since grandma thinks that I¡¯m embarrassing myself, then let¡¯s move out. There¡¯s an empty space behind the house. I¡¯ll ask the two uncles to pay each of us some money so we can build a house.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words stunned both Xia Jiang and Xia He. Putting aside the matter of moving out, why did they have to pay for Xia Wan¡¯s family? The two men didn¡¯t know how to say it directly, so Chen Lian immediately shouted, ¡°Xia Wan, how dare you say such things? Even if you want to move out, you should live separately. Don¡¯t you have rooms now? Why do we have to build a new house for your family? Besides, why should we pay for your family?¡± Xia Wan immediately retorted, ¡°We¡¯re living in the same courtyard now. They say it¡¯s our house, but Xia Yu comes and goes as she wishes. We have zero privacy. Xia Yu hasn¡¯t taken anything for now, but what if she takes something important in the future? What would I say then?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we split up? This piece of land will be given to your family. We can¡¯t afford to offend you, but we can always hide. This way, grandma won¡¯t always say that I¡¯m in trouble and blame me for blowing up such a small matter. We won¡¯t have to fight every day if we live separately.¡± Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s determination, Li Jin couldn¡¯t help but humble his attitude. He looked at Xia Hai and said, ¡°Xia Hai, can¡¯t you just watch your daughter? What is she saying? No one in our village wants to move out. Is she trying to turn our family into a joke?¡± Although Xia Hai¡¯s heart ached for his daughter, he naturally wouldn¡¯t want to be separated from the family. He immediately said to Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t mention it anymore. We¡¯ll be laughed at if we move out. You¡¯ll be looked down upon in school too.¡± Xia Wan pursed her lips and looked aggrieved. ¡°After what Grandma¡¯s said today, everyone looks down on me. Why am I the only one whose reputation is damaged? Why don¡¯t we just move out? Everyone¡¯s reputation will be ruined. Aren¡¯t my two older sisters in school too? Let¡¯s go together!¡± Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s fearless expression, Chen Lian and Li Jin panicked. Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Jin immediately scolded her. ¡°You stupid girl, how can you compare yourself to your two sisters? She¡¯s good at her studies and has a mild temper, and she¡¯s one of the top students in the class. She will marry into a good family and lead the Xias to a good life. You can¡¯t compare to her!¡± Xia Wan sneered in her heart. Li Jin was just short of saying that he would groom Xia Ru and Xia Ye so that they could marry into rich families. In her previous life, Xia Ye was the one who snatched her marriage away. Although she didn¡¯t love him, he was rich and powerful. After Xia Ye got the marriage, he started to take revenge on her family. Her father lost his job and couldn¡¯t survive in the village. His life was particularly difficult, and he even met with an accident because of the other party¡¯s evil designs. Thinking of this, the hatred in Xia Wan¡¯s eyes only deepened. She lowered her head and tried hard not to let her hatred be noticed by others. Wasn¡¯t she always bragging about how powerful her two sisters were? Alright, she would trample on their most outstanding aspects and deny their pride completely! As the eldest son, Xia Jiang stood up and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t mention the separation again, Wanwan. There¡¯s nothing that we can¡¯t discuss as a family.¡± Then, he handed the 110 yuan to Li Jin. ¡°Mother, you can keep this month¡¯s salary.¡± Chen Lian gave Xia He a look, and Xia He gave Li Jin 80 yuan as per the previous rules. Xia Jiang¡¯s monthly salary was 220 yuan. If he handed half of it to Li Jin, Xia He¡¯s salary would be 200 yuan. However, since Xia Yu was his son and Chen Lian was the best at coaxing Li Jin, he only gave her 80 yuan a month. The reason was that Xia Yu had to spend money, and Xia Jiang¡¯s family didn¡¯t have a son, so they didn¡¯t need that much. On the other hand, Xia Wan had two sons and a daughter. Xia Hai earned 300 yuan a month, but all of it was given to Li Jin. Every time their family wanted to buy something, they had to ask Li Jin for help. Originally, Xia Hai¡¯s salary was the highest in the family, and their family¡¯s quality of life should be the best. However, because he was usually quiet and honest, he would really pay for everything when Li Jin asked him to. Xia Hai went to work every day, and Li Jin couldn¡¯t let him go hungry. However, the rest of the family would have a hard time. Besides, Li Jin either spent the money that Xia Hai handed in himself or gave it to the other two companies. In terms of clothes, Xia Ru and Xia Ye had more than Xia Wan. When it came to the food, however, Xia Yu ate the most in the family but did the least work. The more Xia Wan thought about it, the angrier she became. However, everyone in this era valued filial piety and felt that children should obey their parents unconditionally. Her parents were the ones who would choose her suitor, and his work and future plans were the ones he had to deal with. If she dared to say anything about pursuing freedom, she would immediately be branded a freak in the eyes of the entire village. The cities in the coastal areas were much more unrestricted than her hometown, but Xia Wan didn¡¯t have enough money to settle down over there. She still had to take the college entrance examination, and if she wanted to completely solve her family¡¯s problems, she still had to plan slowly. Seeing that everyone else had already contributed their share of their salaries, Xia Hai also took out 300 yuan and prepared to give it to Li Jin. Li Jin¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the money. Xia Wan began to cough violently. She gently pressed an acupoint on her body, and her face suddenly turned pale. She coughed as if she was going to die the next moment. Yan Han hurriedly held onto Xia Wan, her voice filled with anxiety. Wanwan, what¡¯s wrong with you, Wanwan? Don¡¯t scare mommy!¡± Yan Han snatched the money from Xia Hai¡¯s hands and said in a rare domineering tone, ¡°Wanwan is so sick. I asked Mother to give her an egg, but she wouldn¡¯t let me. We¡¯ll keep the money to ourselves from now on. I have to take Wanwan to the hospital for a check-up!¡± Xia Hai¡¯s heart ached when he heard Xia Wan coughing. When Yan Han came to take his money, he immediately followed his orders. Even though Yan Han had never complained to him, he knew that Li Jin was more inclined toward Chen Lian and her family. In the past, he only thought that Li Jin might be biased toward the other two families and would not be too harsh on the children in the family. But now, he saw with his own eyes how gravely ill Xia Wan was, but Li Jin didn¡¯t care at all and didn¡¯t even give her food. It was obvious that Xia Wan¡¯s life was insignificant to Li Jin. Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Hai¡¯s daughter was about to lose her life, but Li Jin didn¡¯t seem to care one bit. He even thought that Xia Wan was pretending. Xia Yu only had an arm injury, but Li Jin started to make a scene and slander her, as if he wanted his child to pay double the price. Xia Hai was hurt. He wanted to ask Li Jin, ¡°In her heart, if my brothers¡¯ children are his own, then are my children not? Aren¡¯t they all my grandchildren?¡± Li Jin didn¡¯t see Xia Hai¡¯s emotional state. All she saw was the money that originally belonged to her being taken away by Yan Han. Li Jin immediately pounced over and tried to snatch it away. ¡°This is my money. My son gave it to me as a gift. Why don¡¯t you give it to me?¡± Yan Han immediately stuffed the money into his pocket, not letting Li Jin touch it. She held Xia Wan tightly. ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t give you this money. This is for saving my daughter¡¯s life! Xia Hai stopped Li Jin and sighed. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve given you all the money I¡¯ve earned all these years, more than what my two brothers have given me, but how much have you actually spent on our family? Mother, you should be clear that although there are some things that your son is not willing to mention, it doesn¡¯t mean that he doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Mother, if you still acknowledge me as your son, then pass the money to Yan Han.¡± Hearing Xia Hai¡¯s heartless words, Li Jin was frightened. She couldn¡¯t figure out why her son had started to distance himself from her. When she had argued with Yan Han before, Xia Hai had always asked Yan Han to speak less. But now, she was just taking the money normally, so why did Xia Hai want to cut off all ties with her? Li Jin couldn¡¯t figure it out, but when he saw Xia Wan, he understood. It was all because of this girl! Xia Wan pretended to be upset, but she was actually shocked. She thought that her father was beyond saving and didn¡¯t expect that he still cared about them. Now, in order to protect them, he even dared to fight against Li Jin. Although Chen Lian was angry, Xia Wan was in a terrible state, so she didn¡¯t say anything. She rolled her eyes and said to Li Jin, ¡°Mother, the money for Xia Yu¡¯s medical treatment has to be paid from public funds, right? We¡¯ll give you all of our wages. Xia Ye has to study hard when school starts. She¡¯s a social animal, so she¡¯ll have to spend a lot of money. ¡°Mother, you know that our Xia Yu is very successful. The money we spend on him now will be doubled when she returns it in the future. Li Jin understood the meaning behind Chen Lian¡¯s words and agreed with her. He said magnanimously, ¡°Yes, Xia Yu is my grandson. He¡¯s sick now, so I¡¯m taking his money from public funds.¡± In the end, he didn¡¯t mention Xia Wan¡¯s matter, which meant that he had silently agreed to let her family come to see her. ¡°We can¡¯t delay treating Xia Yu¡¯s arm. I¡¯ll go get the money now. Go to the county hospital and find the best doctor to treat Xia Yu.¡± Li Jin seemed to be trying to provoke Xia Wan, as he deliberately spoke loudly. Xia Wan didn¡¯t care at all, which only made Xia Hai feel more disheartened. When Wanwan was sick, why didn¡¯t Li Jin ask her to go to the county hospital? After everyone else had left, only Xia Hai and his family were left in the house. Yan Han was anxiously pacing around the room, his hands occasionally slapping the floor. ¡°What should we do about Wanwan¡¯s condition? should we go to the county hospital as well? But we only have 300 yuan. Will it be enough for the county hospital?¡± Xia Chen also frowned, looking anxious. Although Xia Feng didn¡¯t say anything to show his concern, he stayed by Xia Wan¡¯s side the whole time. He just deliberately put on a stern face and didn¡¯t talk to Xia Wan. In fact, Xia Feng had been secretly observing Xia Wan¡¯s condition several times, and she had seen it all. When everyone else had left, Xia Wan¡¯s cough gradually subsided, but her face was still pale. She pointed to the basket on her back. ¡°Mom, you can boil the mulberry leaves into medicine. After taking it for a few days, I will be completely fine. I don¡¯t need to go to the hospital. Xia Feng was worried but still said proudly, ¡°You¡¯re not a doctor. How do you know that it¡¯ll work? Don¡¯t make your condition worse. We¡¯ll have to spend more money to treat you then.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just hope for the best for your sister?¡± Yan Han glared at him and scolded him. Xia Chen said, ¡°I think what Xia Feng said makes sense. Wanwan, don¡¯t worry about not having enough money. Let¡¯s go to the hospital first. If it¡¯s too expensive, we can ask Grandma for it. She can¡¯t refuse to pay.¡± Xia Hai thought the same and was ready to carry Xia Wan to the hospital. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± Xia Wan quickly said,¡± Grandpa taught me before.¡± Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation His grandfather used to be a soldier on the battlefield, and at that time, he specialized in treating soldiers ¡®illnesses. He had a lot of experience. Moreover, the conditions were tough, and few medicinal herbs were available. Being able to find those nearby would be of great help to the team. However, it was a battlefield, after all, and even though his grandfather was a military doctor, he had suffered many injuries. Because of the harsh conditions, he also had many old illnesses. Therefore, when he returned home, Li Jin was the one who had to work hard both inside and outside. He was also the one who took the money for his grandfather¡¯s treatment in the village. Seeing how serious Xia Wan was, Yan Han believed her and took the initiative to go to the basket to take out the mulberry leaves to boil the medicine. Xia Chen smiled and touched Xia Wan¡¯s head. ¡°Our Wanwan also learned her medical skills from Grandpa. She¡¯s amazing!¡± Xia Wan smiled sweetly. Xia Feng didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°When did you learn medicine from Grandpa? Why haven¡¯t you mentioned it before? With your personality, you wouldn¡¯t have kept such a low profile if you really knew medicine. Hearing this, Xia Wan was a little embarrassed. In the past, she had been a little willful and wanted the whole family to know what she knew. Xia Feng was right. ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to tell you, but Grandpa didn¡¯t let me. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve shown off to you long ago!¡± Xia Wan once again used her grandfather as a shield without hesitation. ¡°Hmph, as expected,¡± Xia Feng said arrogantly, but in his heart, he believed her. Grandfather had always been a reasonable person. When he was still around, everyone listened to him. Thinking of this, Xia Feng felt a little dejected. Ever since his grandfather passed away, his grandmother had been in charge of the family, and their days had only gotten worse ever since. Xia Feng stood up and walked back to his little house. Very quickly, Yan Han finished boiling the medicine. Xia Wan smelled the bitter taste in the air and couldn¡¯t help but think how great it would be great if there was sugar. However, she could only think about it. Candy was very expensive, and they couldn¡¯t afford it. Xia Wan finished the medicine in one go and frowned. ¡°Wanwan, are you sure we don¡¯t need to get a doctor?¡± Xia Hai asked worriedly. I¡¯m quite familiar with doctor Niu¡¯s side.¡± ¡°There¡¯s really no need. Dad, even if you don¡¯t believe me, you have to believe in Grandpa. Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s repeated emphasis, Xia Hai finally gave up.¡± Seeing that Xia Wan had finished her medicine, Yan Han smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll go get you something to eat. I¡¯ll get you two eggs with your dad¡¯s salary.¡± ¡°Okay, Thanks, Mom,¡± Xia Wan smiled. It felt great to spend one¡¯s own family money! The kitchen in the house was shared, so when Yan Han came back with the eggs, Song Yan happened to see them and was shocked. ¡°Sister-in-law, why do you still have eggs at home? Haven¡¯t the eggs been distributed by Mother? I remember you ate all the eggs at home!¡± Song Yan couldn¡¯t be blamed for being surprised, mainly because Li Jin usually didn¡¯t treat Yan Han¡¯s children that well, and it was impossible that he¡¯d secretly leave eggs for them. ¡°Sister-in-law, don¡¯t tell me the chicken laid eggs again. You didn¡¯t tell your family, and you secretly ate them!¡± Yan Han protected the two eggs in his arms and quickly explained, ¡°Sister-in-law, these aren¡¯t the eggs at home. We bought them with our own money. Wanwan¡¯s not in good health now, so we bought them for her.¡± Because Song Yan wasn¡¯t there when everyone was arguing, she asked, ¡°But didn¡¯t you give all of your family¡¯s salary to Mother? Why do you still have your own money?¡± Yan Han felt a little uncomfortable when he heard her interrogative tone. Song Yan¡¯s family only paid half of their salary every month. It was unfair for her family to give all of it to Li Jin every time. But now, Song Yan¡¯s attitude made it seem as if her family should give all the money to everyone to spend and that they could not spend money on their own. If Yan Han was the one who was being wronged, she wouldn¡¯t mind, but since this was something her daughter craved, Yan Han decided to be tough for once. ¡°My Wanwan almost died, and it¡¯s all because of your Xia Ru. Speaking of which, you guys are partly responsible for Wanwan¡¯s illness. ¡°If our Wanwan can recover this time, then everything will be fine. But if she¡¯s contracted a chronic illness, then your Xia Ru and second sister-in-law¡¯s Xia Ye will be responsible! ¡°You will all be accomplices to Wanwan¡¯s death!¡± Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Song Yan saw that even the usually gentle Yan Han had lost his temper and knew that Xia Wan¡¯s illness must be really serious. She knew Yan Han well. She was willing to suffer but not the child. If Yan Han was really forced into a corner and spread rumors, it would surely affect Xia Ru¡¯s reputation. Song Yan didn¡¯t care about Xia Wan, but Xia Ru was her precious baby. She still had a bright future ahead of her. ¡°Ah, sister-in-law, look at my mouth. It¡¯s all my fault. How could I doubt you? You¡¯ve always been the most honest one. It¡¯s all Sister-in-law¡¯s fault. Since Wanwan is in poor health, then you should quickly give her some nourishing food.¡± With that, Song Yan turned around and left to look for her husband, Xia Jiang. ¡°Xia Jiang,¡± Song Yan asked, ¡°Why did I hear from Yan Han that Xia Hai¡¯s salary this month will be for himself? Didn¡¯t he give all of it to mother before?¡± Xia Jiang briefly explained the matter and concluded, ¡°I think Wanwan¡¯s really angry. She actually said that she wanted to move out of the family. Every time we give up our salary, third brother indeed pays the most. Also, between our family and second brother¡¯s family, Mother is actually more partial towards second brother¡¯s family. ¡°That¡¯s why I think it¡¯ll be better if third brother doesn¡¯t give us the money. Otherwise, Mother will give all the money to second brother¡¯s family because of Xia Yu¡¯s injury.¡± When Song Yan heard this, her anger toward Yan Han completely disappeared. ¡°Xia Yu is such a glutton. It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t have a son. It¡¯s all my fault for not being able to live up to expectations,¡± Song Yan said regretfully. Xia Jiang consoled her. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t have a son. Xia Ru is a good girl too. She¡¯ll definitely marry a good man in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± At the mention of her daughter, Song Yan¡¯s face filled with pride. Xia Jiang didn¡¯t mind, but Chen Lian was in the wrong. Thus, no one mentioned Xia Hai¡¯s salary again. Yan Han brought two boiled eggs over to Xia Wan. Knowing that her body was weak, and she had to recover her strength first before she could do more things, Xia Wan finished up the eggs. As she ate, she wondered how great it would be if only there were pickled cucumbers and carrots. The thoughts were so vivid she could actually imagine those condiments next to her. However, Xia Wan could only rely on her own imagination and ate the two eggs pretending they were delicious. Yan Han had been looking at her gently the whole time, and after Xia Wan finished the egg, she said, ¡°Sleep early. There¡¯s still more tomorrow. You should rest well first and don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡± ¡°Okay, Thank you, Mom,¡± Xia Wan replied obediently, which made Yan Han very happy. Her Xia Wan was so obedient. Those people who said that her Xia Wan was bad must have very poor eyesight. After Yan Han left, Xia Wan looked at Xia Chen and Xia Feng¡¯s room, which was very close to hers, raising her voice slightly. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go to the county tomorrow.¡± Before Xia Chen could say anything, Xia Feng impatiently said, ¡°Why do you have to be so nosy? You¡¯re still sick, but you¡¯re already thinking of going out. Why? Are you thinking of spending dad¡¯s money?¡± Xia Chen wasn¡¯t happy to hear this. He stared at Xia Feng, who was lying next to him and growled sternly, ¡°Xia Wan is your sister. How can you talk to your sister like that?!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s my sister? She¡¯s not my sister. I wouldn¡¯t dare to have such a sister.¡± Xia Feng turned his face away, preventing Xia Chen from getting a good look at his face. ¡°Xia Feng! What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Xia Chen¡¯s expression did not look good. Xia Wan knew what Xia Feng was feeling uncomfortable about, but it was late now, and it was not nice to say it in person. It was better to wait until tomorrow. Thus, she immediately advised, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be mad at Xia Feng. It¡¯s all my fault. Alright, let¡¯s go to bed. We still have a lot of work to do tomorrow.¡± Xia Chen originally wanted to ask Xia Wan what she was doing in the county, but now that she said this, he didn¡¯t ask anymore and went straight to bed. The three children fell asleep very quickly, but Yan Han kept sighing, her face stained with worry. Seeing her like this, Xia Hai naturally couldn¡¯t fall asleep. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°When I went to buy eggs for Xia Wan today, I heard people talking about our Wanwan. They said that she stole someone else¡¯s boyfriend and likes to hook up with men, especially those who already have girlfriends. ¡°Our Wanwan was pushed into the pond and almost died, but no one cared. They¡¯re even talking about her behind her back, but they don¡¯t know the truth. That boy isn¡¯t Julie¡¯s boyfriend, so why did they say that our Wanwan hooked up with someone else¡¯s boyfriend?¡± ¡°If they continue to spread such things, our Wanwan¡¯s reputation will be ruined completely. How would she get married in the future? ¡± ¡°What?!¡± Xia Hai was shocked to hear this. ¡°How can they talk about a child behind her back like that? How can they be so black-hearted!¡± Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°I also heard it from those people. Xia Yu is the person who deliberately spread these rumors,¡± Yan Han said after some hesitation. ¡°Xia Yu is Wanwan¡¯s cousin, so how could he be so cruel and ruined her reputation? ¡°In the past, Mother discriminated against their family, so I didn¡¯t say anything. But now that this matter concerns our daughter, I can¡¯t just watch them ruin the rest of her life!¡± Xia Hai didn¡¯t say anything immediately. He was upset. He was so angry that he wanted to go to his second brother, Xia He, and ask him how he had been educating his son. However, he also thought that if he dared to, Li Jin would definitely make a scene with him in front of everyone. He would say that he was unfilial and that he didn¡¯t want his mother anymore since he had a wife. Sighing, Xia Hai said with self-blame, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being so useless.¡± He thought of a compromise. ¡°Why don¡¯t I go to the village¡¯s prestigious master Xia tomorrow? He has some connections with our family. With master Xia¡¯s seniority, it will definitely be useful for him to prove Wanwan¡¯s innocence.¡± Yan Han looked at him helplessly as she heard this. ¡°You¡¯re still too naive. This time, we might find someone to explain it to her and let things slide on old master Xia¡¯s account, but what about the future? If someone slanders our Xia Wan again, are we still going to look for old master Xia?¡± As he spoke, Yan Han began to cry, musing over the events that had taken place today. Initially, Xia Wan was the one who was wronged. Xia Ru and Xia Ye stood by and watched, not knowing how to help save her. She asked for some eggs for Xia Wan, but Li Jin was biased and refused to give them to her. Later, Xia Yu even turned around and slandered Xia Wan, saying that Xia Wan had done something sinful by seducing someone¡¯s boyfriend. The truth was out there, but no one believed it. Li Jin and the other two families were like one family, but theirs was like an outsider who would be bullied by them. Then, she looked at her husband, Xia Hai. If it wasn¡¯t for Xia Wan¡¯s coughing today, he would¡¯ve handed over all his salary to those heartless people. Thinking back to what Xia Wan had said today, Yan Han became determined. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do as Wanwan said and split the family? In the future, we can spend our own money and feed the children whatever we want. We don¡¯t have to give in to their whims. ¡°You might not know this, but when I was cooking eggs for Wanwan today, Song Yan even called me a thief and accused me of stealing eggs from the house. Usually, they¡¯re the ones who eat the most eggs, but now she¡¯s saying that about me. Xia Hai, how am I going to live out my life now?¡± At this point, Yan Han cried even harder. Xia Hai felt even more guilty when he saw his wife crying so hard. However, he had never been good at coaxing people, nor did he know how to say nice things. He couldn¡¯t bear to look at Yan Han, and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°But what if our mother can¡¯t think things through and make a fuss about hitting the wall?¡± Every time Li Jin couldn¡¯t reason with them, he would use his own way to imply that they were unfilial and that it wasn¡¯t easy for Li Jin to raise them. Yan Han looked at Xia Hai, who was always thinking of Li Jin, and felt even more depressed. He was being filial to Li Jin, but he had wronged her and the children. However, when he thought about it carefully, other than being too filial and obedient to Li Jin, Xia Hai really had no other shortcomings. He was extremely good to his children and wanted to give them everything he could. Seeing this, Yan Han couldn¡¯t say anything more. She couldn¡¯t bad-mouth Li Jin in front of Xia Hai, or Xia Hai would blame her for it. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll think of a way tomorrow. I¡¯ll find a few morally upright sisters-in-law and ask them to put in a good word for our Wanwan. But my poor Wanwan. Her two aunties won¡¯t side with her, and now, she has to find non-blood-related aunts to help her.¡± The more he thought about it, the more upset Yan Han felt. She simply turned her face away from Xia Hai, her back facing him. Xia Hai could only sigh, not knowing what to say. He was caught in the middle and was in a dilemma. The next day, Xia Wan woke up before the sun rose. She did not look too good. The mosquitoes had been buzzing the night before, and she had not slept on a hard bed for a long time. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. For the entire night, she was either rolling around or trying to slap away the swarm of vampiric mosquitoes. ¡°Sigh.¡± Xia Wan sighed. It seemed that she had to earn money quickly so that she could bring her family to a better place. Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Chen was working out in the courtyard, and when he saw that Xia Wan was awake, he quickly asked, ¡°Wanwan, are you feeling better?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. I¡¯m fine now. I don¡¯t feel as cold as before. I woke up after a night¡¯s sleep, and I¡¯m still sweating.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Xia Chen was relieved. ¡°Brother, where¡¯s mom and dad, and eldest uncle and second uncle¡¯s families?¡± Xia Wan asked after noticing how quiet the courtyard was. ¡°Dad and Mom said they went out to do something, but they didn¡¯t say what. Second uncle¡¯s family took Xia Yu to the hospital yesterday, and they haven¡¯t returned yet. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because Xia Yu¡¯s illness is serious or if there¡¯s something else. ¡°As for the eldest uncle¡¯s family, they went out early in the morning. I don¡¯t know what they went to do, but they looked quite happy when they left. Something good must have happened.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Xia Wan agreed. She could not remember the details of her previous life, but the situation had changed. At least Xia Yu was not injured in her previous life. Now that she was reborn, it was only right for her to collect some interest. As for her parents, Xia Wan guessed that they had gone out to work because of her. Thinking of this, Xia Wan¡¯s heart ached, and she felt touched. With his family around, even if something happened, everyone would think of a way to shoulder it together. Just thinking about it warmed his heart. He was not afraid even if the sky fell. ¡°Wanwan, Mom left us some food. You should go and eat,¡± Xia Chen reminded. ¡°Alright, brother.¡± Xia Wan went to the kitchen happily and finished all the steamed buns and eggs that Yan Han had left for her. Then, she wrapped the ginseng from yesterday and placed it at the bottom of the basket, covering it with mulberry leaves and other medicinal herbs. She waved at Xia Chen, who was working out. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go to the county.¡± Xia Chen looked at the basket she was carrying and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you planning to go to the county to sell the herbs?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you arrive,¡± Xia Wan smiled. Just as the two were about to set off, Xia Feng walked out of the house. He still had on a straight face, but his tone was determined. ¡°I want to go with you.¡± Xia Wan blinked, wondering if they really needed so many people. However, since Xia Feng was willing to go with her, she was willing to do the same. It would be a good opportunity to ease the tension between them. Xia Feng glanced at the basket on her back, saying, ¡°Let me carry it. You¡¯re already sick, and you¡¯re still carrying this. If it gets worse, you¡¯ll be in a lot of trouble.¡± Xia Chen smiled. ¡°As expected, Xia Feng still cares about Wanwan. But as your brother, I¡¯ll carry it for you.¡± As he spoke, Xia Chen took the basket from Xia Wan¡¯s back. He was much taller than her, and before she could say anything, the basket was already on Xia Chen¡¯s back. As the trio trundled along the village road, they ran into a familiar neighbor, Li Hua. When she saw Xia Wan, she looked at her in surprise. ¡°Wanwan, didn¡¯t you fall into the water yesterday? Why didn¡¯t you rest at home? Why are you out? Your grandma wants you to work now?¡± Li Hua knew about Xia Wan¡¯s family situation. She heard that Xia Jiang¡¯s family had gone to the county town early in the morning for dinner, and they must have rewarded her after getting paid. Hence, Li Hua mistakenly thought that Xia Wan was ordered by Li Jin to work in the fields. Xia Wan took the initiative to smile at Li Hua and explained, ¡°Thank you for your concern. I¡¯m feeling much better now. I picked some more herbs when I went to the mountain yesterday. I¡¯m planning to go to the county to see if I can sell them for money.¡± Li Hua was shocked to see Xia Wan being so polite and thoughtful. She had never been so enthusiastic before. Usually, when you greeted her, she would only respond with a nod and say nothing else. Today, she had taken the initiative to answer questions and even thanked her for your concern. This was the first time it happened. Noticing Li Hua¡¯s strange expression, Xia Wan understood something. Because Li Jin was so biased and treated her so unfairly in her previous life, she felt aggrieved and became depressed. After that, she didn¡¯t like to communicate with people around her. She was afraid that other people would think that she was a girl who liked to seduce men. She didn¡¯t know how to greet others, and she couldn¡¯t say those polite words either. Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation But things were different now, and she would cherish the kind-hearted neighbors in the village. As the saying went, one would never suffer a loss when one made more good friends. Moreover, her knowledge of herbs and medicine would be discovered sooner or later, and instead of being seen as a monster in the future, it was more prudent that preparations were made to make the village folk believe that she knew medicine. Li Hua was very satisfied with Xia Wan¡¯s current state and couldn¡¯t help but praise her. ¡°Wanwan¡¯s so sensible now. Your parents are in luck. ¡°You are also blessed, Auntie,¡± Xia Wan smiled. After exchanging a few more words with Li Hua, the three set off. As they continued on their way, Xia Feng couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You¡¯re quite good at talking now.¡± Xia Wan glanced at him but did not say anything. Her relationship with Xia Feng had always been good. Xia Feng was 13 this year, and when he was 11 two years ago, he would follow her around and always call her ¡°sister¡± sweetly. Xia Feng liked to tell her everything. Sometimes, when he went to the mountains to find food, he would bring it to Xia Wan as quickly as he could. Two years ago in the summer, Xia Wan had just been in her first year of high school. She was in her puberty and fell in love with Liu Jie, a hunk from the same high school. In order to get on Liu Jie¡¯s good side, she built a good relationship with a few of Liu Jie¡¯s friends and even invited them to dinner. At that time, Xia Wan had saved up little money and could only afford a meal in the county. She chose a restaurant that had a good reputation and was located near their school. At that time, the dishes were already served, and Xia Wan had already paid for them. Xia Feng did not know about Xia Wan¡¯s arrangements. The meals they ate at school every day had actually been prepared by Yan Han in advance. When Xia Feng saw that Xia Wan did not bring any food, he thought that she had forgotten about it. His school was very far from Xia Wan¡¯s, but he took the opportunity during the afternoon break to run all the way here to bring food to Xia Wan. Because Xia Feng was wearing Xia Chen¡¯s old clothes, the size was not very suitable. Plus, he had dashed in a hurry, so when he arrived at the restaurant where Xia Wan and the others were eating, he looked like a beggar. When Xia Wan saw Xia Feng, she felt terrible. Today, in order to get into Liu Jie¡¯s good books, she pretended to be rich in front of her classmates. If she and Xia Feng were to acknowledge each other, everyone would know that she was just an ugly duckling from the village, a poor country bumpkin. Forget about getting into Liu Jie¡¯s good books, he would probably even despise her. Xia Wan turned her eyes away from Xia Feng. At that time, Zhao Lin, a girl who was close to Xia Wan, covered her nose and said with a look of disgust, ¡°Where did this little beggar come from? Why is he here? What a bummer. Hurry up and go away. As she spoke, Zhao Lin tried to drive him away with eyes full of disdain. Hearing this, Xia Wan was even more afraid of confessing to Xia Feng. Xia Feng was already prepared to call her ¡°sister,¡± but after hearing Zhao Lin¡¯s words, he clutched the lunch box in his hand uneasily, not daring to speak to Xia Wan. Another rather large and tall boy, Song Qing, had already started shouting. ¡°Get out of the way, you hear me? Don¡¯t interrupt our meal! Liu Jie, the school hunk that Xia Wan was after, glanced at Xia Feng and asked Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, do you know him? I think he¡¯s looking at you.¡± Xia Wan was shocked. She didn¡¯t expect Liu Jie to be so observant, and she didn¡¯t dare to recognize him. Before she could say anything, Zhao Lin, who was beside her, said with even more disdain, ¡°Liu Jie, are you kidding me? how could Xia Wan know a beggar?¡± Xia Feng was stunned for a moment when Xia Wan didn¡¯t refute him. Then, he turned around and ran away from this embarrassing place. Seeing that Xia Feng had run away, Xia Wan¡¯s heart turned upside down. She stopped eating and told those people that she just remembered that she had something to do and had to go. She quickly chased after Xia Feng and, when she caught up to him, tried to apologize. However, Xia Feng¡¯s self-esteem had already been hurt, and he didn¡¯t listen to her explanation. He only asked her to leave. From then on, Xia Feng never treated Xia Wan well and even often said unpleasant things to make her feel uncomfortable. Thinking of the past, Xia Wan felt a dull pain in her heart. She was Xia Feng¡¯s most trusted sister. Back then, his heart must¡¯ve been in great agony. Thinking of this, Xia Wan¡¯s tears rolled down her cheeks without her realizing it. Chapter 20 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Chen saw her crying and asked in a panic, ¡± ¡°Wanwan, what¡¯s wrong? are you not feeling well?¡± Hearing Xia Chen¡¯s words, Xia Feng subconsciously looked at Xia Wan. However, when Xia Wan looked at Xia Feng, he immediately looked away, not wanting her to see him worried. Xia Wan shook her head and said to Xia Chen, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that the wind is a little strong, and sand got into my eyes.¡± Xia Chen saw that Xia Wan didn¡¯t seem to be lying, so he was relieved. Xia Wan, who was walking at the back, made up her mind. She would protect her brothers well and let them live healthy and happy lives. The three walked for an hour before they finally reached the county. The sun was already high in the sky, and the three were drenched in sweat. There were many people setting up stalls on the street, each of them shouting. The fragrance of different food drifted into the noses of the three, and they were unable to help but feel a little tempted. Some people were selling candied fruits on the street, and Xia Wan saw Xia Feng¡¯s eyes stop at the stall for a few seconds. She smiled, thinking that after she sold the ginseng, she could buy some candied gourd for Xia Feng to eat. Kids rode back and forth on their bicycles, helping to deliver letters. Xia Chen looked at the bustling street and was in a good mood. He looked at Xia Wan, asking, ¡°Where are we going next? Which pharmacy are you going to sell the herbs to?¡± Although he had gone to school in the county, he didn¡¯t know much about pharmacies. After all, he was in good health and rarely fell sick. Even if he was, he would just endure it, and he¡¯d get better in a few days. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother, I know the way,¡± Xia Wan smiled and nodded. As she spoke, she realized that Xia Chen¡¯s gaze had already shifted in another direction. Following his gaze, she saw the busy bicycles shuttling across the street. For people in this era, bicycles were not particularly rare. Even those who were of average income could afford them. With the vehicle, it would make the journey much more convenient for the children in the village who needed to go to school in the county. The price of a bicycle was about 150 yuan. The Xia family didn¡¯t even own a bicycle. Everyone in the family did physical labor, which meant they earned very little. After having to pay for their school fees and foot living expenses, there was basically nothing left of the children¡¯s monthly salary. Hence, at that time, the bicycle was an extremely practical tool. There was a black iron bar between the front and the seat, where a child could be seated. Another child could also be put on the seat at the back, which meant one bike could carry two children. It was the same for their village, where most of its residents owned bikes. Xia Feng glanced at the bikers, but he knew his family¡¯s financial situation better than anyone. There was nothing they could do in the near future. Xia Wan took in their expressions and made up her mind to get them a bicycle each after the separation. Under Xia Wan¡¯s lead, the trio walked for another ten minutes before they arrived at a relatively large pharmacy in the county. A middle-aged man of about 40 was fiddling with the herbs in the shop. Xia Wan subconsciously looked at the herbs and could tell that most of them were used as supplements. Hearing footsteps, the boss put down his work and walked towards the three of them. ¡°What medicine do you want to buy? Where do you feel uncomfortable?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not here to buy. We¡¯re here to sell,¡± Xia Wan shook her head and told the owner. With that, the boss started to size up the three youths. They were obviously wearing old clothes and didn¡¯t seem to be from a rich family. Could it be that their family was so poor that they had no food to eat, so the three children just cut some weeds from the mountain and planned to try their luck in his shop? With this thought in mind, the boss¡¯s smile disappeared, and his expression was clearly that of an impatient man. The boss¡¯s change in attitude was obvious, and both Xia Chen and Xia Feng were a little uneasy. Xia Chen knew that it was just some common herbs that Xia Wan had picked. Although it could quickly cure Xia Wan¡¯s illness, it should still carry some value. Xia Feng pursed his lips. This scene reminded him of the time when he was looked down upon by the county folk. Xia Wan looked at Xia Chen with a calm expression. ¡°Brother, take off the basket.¡± Chapter 21 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The basket was placed on the ground, and the contents could be easily seen. After seeing that it was just some mulberry leaves and ordinary herbs, the boss was obviously disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s just some mulberry leaves. These aren¡¯t worth much, and we are not short of them either. The other herbs are pitifully few and basically useless. Even other shops won¡¯t buy them, what more mine.¡± Hearing the boss¡¯s words, Xia Chen and Xia Feng both looked disappointed. Xia Chen felt a little regretful. He had thought that he could sell it for some money and not let them go through the trouble of running here. He could have a nice meal in the county, and it would be even better if there was meat. Xia Wan smiled and took out the wild ginseng from the basket. She showed it to the owner. ¡°I¡¯m not selling mulberry leaves. I¡¯m selling wild ginseng. It¡¯s 50 years old and just dug. Please take a look, boss.¡± The boss¡¯s eyes widened as he carefully took the wild ginseng. His previous contempt had disappeared, replaced with a serious look. Xia Chen and Xia Feng were also dumbfounded. Was there ginseng in this basket? Oh my God. How did Xia Wan find that? The more he looked at it, the more shocked the boss became. This wild ginseng was of very fine quality. It was authentic wild ginseng, with the roots and whiskers well preserved. Just by judging how it was dug out, it was obvious that the other party was an expert. The boss calmed down and turned to Xia Wan, ¡°Young lady, who dug this up?¡± ¡°I did, boss. What do you think?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Is it well preserved?¡± The boss actually wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t just good¡­ it was simply wonderful! However, he didn¡¯t believe Xia Wan and even stared at her suspiciously. ¡°You dug it? You¡¯re so young. How did you know how to dig for wild ginseng? Young lady, lying is not a good habit.¡± Seeing that the boss didn¡¯t believe them, Xia Chen and Xia Feng were a little unhappy. Since Xia Wan said she found the ginseng, then it must be her. No one else in the family had the ability to do so. Xia Wan was not in a hurry and slowly explained, ¡°Digging wild ginseng isn¡¯t that difficult. As long as you know its structure and be cautious when you dig, you can just get it out slowly with your hands. I didn¡¯t bring any tools with me at that time, so I only used my hands.¡± As she spoke, she showed her hands to the boss. The skin under her nails was slightly purple and swollen. Seeing this, Xia Chen and Xia Feng both felt sorry for her. ¡°Wanwan, let me do such damaging things in the future. You¡¯re a girl. You have to protect your hands,¡± Xia Chen couldn¡¯t help but comment. Xia Wan looked at Xia Chen and comforted him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, brother. I wasn¡¯t prepared this time. Finding the wild ginseng was purely an accident. I¡¯ll bring more things up the mountain in the future.¡± She had only wanted some mulberry leaves and had not expected to find ginseng. When compared to getting the ginseng, however, the small injuries on her fingers were nothing. The boss saw that the two of them didn¡¯t seem to be lying when they spoke, so he was half-convinced. However, it was ginseng after all, and the price wasn¡¯t low. He still had to check it carefully. So, he relented a little. ¡°Let me check first.¡± ¡°Okay, no problem,¡± Xia Wan said with a smile. About five minutes later, the boss finished the examination. Xia Wan knew that it was time to bargain. The boss put on a very serious expression and began to bid, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, girl. Your wild ginseng is indeed fifty years old, and there¡¯s no problem with its origin. How about this, I¡¯ll give you three thousand yuan. ¡°3000!¡± Xia Chen and Xia Feng¡¯s mouths dropped wide open in disbelief. Oh my God, wild ginseng that actually sold for 3000 yuan?! It was their entire family¡¯s annual income. At that time, Xia Chen and Xia Feng were 20 and 13 years old, respectively. 3000 yuan was a huge sum of money to them. Even if it was 300 or 30 yuan, they would be happy for a long time, let alone 3000 yuan. However, the boss had said it himself. It was 3000 yuan! Seeing Xia Chen and Xia Feng¡¯s shock, the owner couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the price he gave was a little too high. He looked at the two silly boys, who obviously knew nothing about how much ginseng was worth. Chapter 22 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan smiled and said to the boss, ¡°Although this is my first time here selling ginseng, I¡¯ve already asked around in other pharmacies. The price of fifty-year-old wild ginseng fluctuates around 5000 yuan. I know that you have a good reputation and your store is big. I believe we can have a long-term cooperation in the future, so I came directly to your store. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t take advantage of me. This ginseng is 5000 yuan. It will save us a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°You should know how hard it is to find 50-year-old wild ginseng. I just had a little luck and managed to come across it.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, the boss smiled bitterly. He didn¡¯t expect this girl to be so good. The price she mentioned was exactly the bottom line he was thinking of. From the girl¡¯s calm expression, she seemed to be experienced. The boss believed that since she could find 50-year-old wild ginseng, she might just be able to find other precious herbs in the future. Moreover, the way she dug up the ginseng showed that there was an 80% chance that this girl¡¯s family had an elder who knew medicine. If he could work with this girl for a long time, it might just grant him an extra supplier. Thinking of this, the boss sighed and said, ¡°Alright, 5000 it is. Wait, I¡¯ll get you the money.¡± Soon, the boss counted fifty 100 yuan bills and handed them to Xia Wan. ¡°Count them, girl. See if it¡¯s right.¡± Xia Wan unabashedly counted the money in front of the owner. This was also a rule of doing business. Settle the score in person, so as not to come back for it in the future. The boss realized that although this girl was young, her words and actions showed she was serious. ¡°Boss, the amount is right.¡± Xia Wan smiled after she counted the money. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡± the boss called out. ¡°I¡¯m Zhou Tian. You can come to me if you have any good stuff in the future. I¡¯ll definitely give you a good price.¡± Xia Wan smiled and replied politely, ¡°My name is Xia Wan. Okay, Uncle Zhou. I got it. If I have any good medicinal herbs, I will come to you immediately.¡± Suddenly, Xia Wan thought of something. She handed Zhou Tian a red note. ¡°Uncle Zhou, can I trouble you to break this into small change? The three of us are just kids, and if we go out with a 100 yuan bill, people will think that we stole from our family. ¡°Alright,¡± Zhou Tian nodded. Originally, each note was worth 100 yuan, but Zhou Tian changed them into a 50 yuan note, a 20 yuan note, and a 10 yuan note. The remaining six were one yuan notes, and the remaining four yuan notes were changed into a pile of coins. With the money in her hands, Xia Wan said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhou.¡± After bidding farewell to Zhou Tian, the siblings walked out of the restaurant. Xia Chen and Xia Feng still couldn¡¯t react. Xia Wan knew that they were in a complicated mood, so she led them to a quiet corner and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. If grandma finds out, we won¡¯t be able to keep the money.¡± Xia Chen nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wanwan. We won¡¯t tell anyone. But where did you get that wild ginseng? How did you know it could be sold for so much?¡± Xia Chen realized that his sister seemed to have changed a lot. She was more mature and sensible than before. Xia Wan appeared to know a lot of things that even he didn¡¯t. Although Xia Feng said nothing, he was actually very curious. Two pairs of eyes were fixed on Xia Wan. Xia Wan knew that the two had noticed her changes, so she sighed and said, ¡°I had a dream. In my dream, our family was very miserable. It was all because dad was too soft-hearted and grandma was too prejudiced. Our family was too honest and never thought of taking advantage of others. ¡°But the human heart is the most complicated thing in this world. You might not take advantage of others, but that doesn¡¯t mean others would leave you alone. ¡°We don¡¯t harm others, but we must be vigilant and give no one the chanceto harm us!¡± Seeing that Xia Wan was serious, Xia Chen and Xia Feng listened intently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Xia Chen said. ¡°As your brother, I¡¯ll protect you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect this family,¡± Xia Feng said in a low voice, ¡°not you.¡± Chapter 23 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan knew that Xia Feng was only saying it. If something really happened to her, Xia Feng would definitely not leave her alone. It was just that Xia Feng still had a knot in his heart about what had happened in the past. However, children were always easy to coax. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go eat now. Do you guys want to have beef noodles?¡± she asked with a smile. Xia Chen couldn¡¯t help but drool when he heard this. In the past, the meat at home was all fought over by Xia Yu, and they couldn¡¯t get it at all. Now, he could eat a bowl of beef noodles with all the meat in it. Just thinking about it excited Xia Chen. He nodded repeatedly. ¡°I want it!!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so rich now anyway,¡± Xia Feng said arrogantly. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva as well. Meat, he hadn¡¯t had it in a long time. The moment the three arrived at the restaurant, their noses were assaulted with the powerful aroma of beef noodles. Its fragrance, together with a tinge of spiciness, made them drool uncontrollably. Xia Chen and Xia Feng couldn¡¯t help but gawk at the restaurant¡¯s hungry patrons. Everyone was eating with big mouthfuls, and their faces were filled with satisfaction. It was obvious that the beef noodles in this restaurant were very good. Xia Wan picked a seat and sat down. Xia Chen and Xia Feng quickly followed to sit on her left and right. A shop assistant saw that it was three children and they were wearing old clothes. His eyes were filled with doubt, but he still asked, ¡°Are you three here for beef noodles? How many bowls do you want?¡± From the waiter¡¯s point of view, the three only needed one bowl. It didn¡¯t even look like they could afford it. Xia Wan was displeased with the shop assistant¡¯s attitude. She was now a rich woman with 5000 yuan in her pocket. She immediately raised her voice and said, ¡°Three bowls of beef noodles. Please put more meat in it, thank you.¡± She knew this restaurant. It cost one yuan a bowl, and the meat was abundant. She took out three one-yuan notes and placed them on the table. The shop assistant¡¯s expression immediately changed. He took the money with a smile and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare them for you.¡± Xia Chen felt a little guilty the moment he saw Xia Wan take out three yuan. One yuan for a bowl of beef noodles would be enough to bear their family¡¯s living expenses for a day. After the man left, Xia Chen asked nervously, ¡°Wanwan, should we just cancel our orders? The noodles are way too expensive. We can still leave before they¡¯re ready. Hearing Xia Chen¡¯s words, Xia Feng also said, ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t feel like eating anymore. It¡¯s too expensive, and beef noodles aren¡¯t that delicious anyway.¡± Though he had said that, Xiafeng still couldn¡¯t help but gulp when he smelled the fragrance in the air. Xia Wan smiled. ¡°You guys can eat in peace. I earn so our family can live a good life. If I only earn and don¡¯t spend, then what is this money for? Do you want to put it in my coffin after I die?¡± After that, Xia Wan didn¡¯t care what the two people thought and asked directly, ¡°Do you want soy milk? If the beef noodles are too spicy,drink a cup of soy milk, and it¡¯ll suppress the spiciness.¡± This time, Xia Chen and Xia Feng both shook their heads. ¡°No, it¡¯s a waste of money.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go buy it for you now.¡± Xia Wan immediately stood up. By the time Xia Chen and Xia Feng reacted, Xia Wan had already gone out. They wanted to pull Xia Wan back, but they were afraid that after they left, the waiter would serve the beef noodles to someone else. Hence, the two sat carefully in their seats, not daring to leave. Soon, Xia Wan came back with the soy milk. Seeing Xia Chen and Xia Feng¡¯s nervous expressions, she placed a cup in front of each of them and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It was cheap¡­ 20 cents a cup.¡± Before this, they would have considered a 20-cent cup of soy milk to be very expensive. Now, when compared with a bowl of beef noodles that cost one yuan, soy milk seemed very affordable. The two brothers knew that they could not persuade Xia Wan, so they didn¡¯t say anything more. When the beef noodles were served, the two brothers just looked at it without moving their chopsticks. Seeing this, Xia Wan deliberately said with a straight face, ¡°If you guys aren¡¯t eating, I¡¯m not eating either. You know that I¡¯m not in good health. I fell into the water, and if I don¡¯t eat my fill, I¡¯ll definitely get sick.¡± After being threatened by Xia Wan, the two boys picked up their chopsticks and immediately dug in. Seeing that they had started eating, Xia Wan followed suit with a smile. Chapter 24 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The steamed buns they usually had in the morning were as rough as they were hard, and it would hurt their throats. Now, though, smooth noodles were in her stomach, accompanied by warm, spicy soup. It was so delicious that Xia Wan almost bit her tongue. After finishing the noodles, she even finished the soup. When she looked at the two brothers, she found that they had only eaten the noodles, but left the meat alone. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you eat the meat?¡± Xia Wan looked at them in confusion. Beef noodles, of course, were meant to be eaten with beef. They usually didn¡¯t even get to eat meat. It couldn¡¯t be that they disliked the meat in the noodles, right? ¡°Mom and dad work hard every day,¡± Xia Chen explained. ¡°We want to save the meat for them.¡± Xia Feng nodded in agreement. Xia Wan¡¯s heart ached when she heard this. She thought of her parents, who worked hard every day, and her eyes turned red. Li Jin only bought meat during festivals every year. He didn¡¯t buy much each time, and most of it went to his first and second uncle¡¯s families. Xia Hai was an honest man, so his family didn¡¯t like to snatch away his share. The meat that was given to his family, however, would always be taken away by the other two families. Every year, the number of times the family could eat meat could be counted on one hand. Now that they had the chance to eat a big bowl of meat, Xia Chen and Xia Feng were not used to it. Xia Wan understood why, but the more she understood, the more her heart ached. She took a deep breath, adjusted her mood, and said to the two, ¡°You guys should finish this. If we bring it back, it¡¯ll go bad before mom and dad can eat it. ¡°Besides, this meat is some strong-smelling stuff. You know how voracious Xia Yu is. If he catches a whiff, our parents can forget about having a bite.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m rich now. I¡¯ll definitely let mom and dad have meat to eat.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Xia Chen and Xia Feng finally finished the meat in their bowls. After eating, Xia Chen reminded her, ¡°Wanwan, you found this ginseng, so its proceeds are naturally all yours. However, don¡¯t be spendthrift just because you have a bit of money. There will be many places where you might need it, which is why you should save it. Xia Wan knew that her brother advised her out of kindness, so she nodded. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. I have a plan. I won¡¯t waste the money.¡± Xia Wan then looked at Xia Feng and stared into his eyes. ¡°Xia Feng, it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have ignored you for the sake of my reputation and let those people laugh at you. You did it for my sake, but I still treated you like that. I was wrong. Will you forgive me?¡± ¡°I promise that I will never be vain again. I will live my life in peace. You will always be my cutest and smartest little brother!¡± Xia Feng didn¡¯t expect Xia Wan to tell him this. He was both touched and embarrassed. When he first arrived at the noodle restaurant, Xia Feng felt awkward and uncomfortable. The last time his sister brought her classmates to the restaurant, he happened to deliver food to them and was looked down upon by his sister¡¯s classmates. They were also having a meal now, but the waiter from before also looked down on the three of them. However, when his sister took out the three yuan just now, he instantly changed his attitude. Now, his sister was apologizing to him. Xia Feng¡¯s eyes reddened at the thought. Xia Wan reached out and rubbed Xia Feng¡¯s head, her voice exceptionally gentle. ¡°My good little brother, I will definitely protect you in the future. I will teach a hard lesson to whoever dares to laugh at you and let them know that my little brother is the best brother in the world.¡± Xia Feng sniffled and slapped Xia Wan¡¯s hand away. ¡°Who needs your protection? I¡¯m strong enough.¡± Although he said that, his tone was much more contrived than before. Xia Wan smiled. She knew that her brother must be feeling shy. alright, let¡¯s go home quickly after you¡¯re done eating. Mom and dad will be worried if we¡¯re late. Xia Feng said as he rose to his feet. Xia Chen smiled. He was happy to see Xia Wan and Xia Feng making up with each other. They were all bounded by blood, after all, and were of the same parents. Previously, when the two of them had a conflict, he was worried, but he couldn¡¯t change anything. Now, Xia Feng seemed to have forgiven Wanwan. After the three left, Xia Ru and her family ate at a noodle stall not far away. Xia Ru¡¯s sharp eyes spotted the three siblings and couldn¡¯t help but them. After confirming that they were the siblings, she stood up in shock. Meanwhile, Song Yan was eating soup noodles with an egg in them. In her eyes, it was already considered a fine meal. She almost buried her whole face in the bowl and slurped the noodles in big mouthfuls. Xia Jiang looked better when she ate than Song Yan, but she was too focused on eating her noodles to care about anything else. Chapter 25 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Mom, I just saw Xia Wan and her siblings. They actually came out of a beef restaurant! Where on earth did they get the money to eat beef noodles?¡± As Xia Ru spoke to Song Yan, she couldn¡¯t help but shake Song Yan¡¯s arm. Song Yan stuck her face out of the bowl and immediately denied it. ¡°Impossible. How can the three have any money to eat beef noodles? Are you seeing things?¡± Seeing that Song Yan did not believe her, Xia Ru became a little anxious. ¡°Mom, I grew up with them. How could I be wrong? I just saw them. It really was the three of them, wearing the same clothes as yesterday.¡± Song Yan knew that her daughter had good eyes, and now that she said it so confidently, she was sure that it must be true. It made Song Yan furious. ¡°Xia Hai¡¯s family sure knows how to spend. They even said that they wanted to treat Xia Wan¡¯s illness with their salary. Yesterday, Yan Han used the money to buy eggs, and today, the three went to eat beef noodles. They¡¯re not using their salary to treat Xia Wan¡¯s illness; they¡¯re clearly looking for an excuse not to pay their share so that they can keep it for themselves to spend! Xia Ru had been working in the county for the past few days, so she didn¡¯t know what had happened yesterday. The family had gone out for noodles today, so Song Yan and the others didn¡¯t have time to tell her. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s going on?¡± Xia Ru asked. Song Yan told Xia Ru about the argument between Xia Yu and Xia Wan, as well as the reason why Xia Hai did not hand in his salary. Xia Ru also felt angry after hearing this and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mom, third uncle¡¯s family is so smart now. They¡¯ve even learned a new excuse not to part with their salary. Hence, the three children in their family can now afford beef noodles. If we don¡¯t pay our salary, we can also afford beef noodles ourselves!¡± Then, she looked at Song Yan¡¯s face with some disdain, ¡°One bowl of beef noodles is with three bowls of our noodles!¡± Hearing Xia Ru¡¯s words, Song Yan got even angrier. She glared at Xia Jiang and said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Why did you take the initiative to pay your share yesterday? If you paid later, Xia Hai would have started it. If our family didn¡¯t pay, mother wouldn¡¯t have been able to say anything. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. ¡°That¡¯s not right. Xia Wan was coughing her lungs out yesterday, and she¡¯s fine now. Xia Ru, did you get a good look? How was Xia Wan¡¯s health? Are you coughing?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not. I look very healthy,¡± Xia Ru said unwillingly with eyes filled with jealousy. In her opinion, Xia Wan had pretended to be sick to deceive Li Jin and keep her family¡¯s salary. On the other side, Xia Wan and the other two were walking slowly. With the money in her pocket, she wanted to buy some nutritious food for her parents, so she went to the cheaper market and bought some dried beef and pork. The smell of the meat was relatively mild, so Xia Yu wouldn¡¯t find out even if she took it home. Nonetheless, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but worry. It was clearly their own money, and they were using it to buy meat. Now, they were like thieves, sneakily trying to prevent Xia Yu from eating it. These were really tough days. She couldn¡¯t help but complain. I really want to part with the family now. I can¡¯t live like this. Xia Chen was stunned, and his expression became serious. ¡°Wanwan, do you really want to move out?¡± When Xia Wan told him yesterday, he thought she was just angry. Looking at Xia Wan¡¯s expression, she was obviously serious. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Of course. Now that we¡¯re all living together, we can¡¯t even eat anything good. We have to give it to eldest uncle and second uncle¡¯s family, and grandma won¡¯t let us eat. If we move out, we can make our own money. How wonderful would that be?¡± She blinked and looked at Xia Chen and Xia Feng curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to?¡± Xia Chen was a little hesitant. Of course, it was good to move out, but no one in the village had ever moved out before. If their family became the first, the villagers would definitely start rumors that something must¡¯ve happened to their family. These were certainly not the best of times. Xia Feng understood Xia Chen¡¯s concern, so he just pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything. Xia Wan could see the wavering in the brothers¡¯ eyes. Obviously, they also wanted to split the family. She had felt the need to tell them so that they could be prepared to move out. Chapter 26 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°It¡¯s like this. It¡¯s inevitable that we¡¯ll split up. I think we should set that as our goal now and work hard to earn money.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Xia Chen sighed helplessly. ¡°Wanwan, I want to make money too. I¡¯ve been looking for work these days, but everyone¡¯s fighting to do jobs that make a lot. I don¡¯t stand a chance at all. Some jobs don¡¯t make much money after a busy day, and no one is doing it. ¡°If we move out, we won¡¯t have a place to live. Besides, when you and Xia Feng start school, there are the school fees, your living expenses, and new clothes to think about. All these require money. We only have dad¡¯s 300 yuan salary this month. It¡¯s not enough at all. ¡°Even if I find a job now, I¡¯ll have to wait until next month to get my salary.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Xia Wan continued, ¡°don¡¯t you still have the 5000 yuan from the ginseng sale?¡± ¡°We know you have 5000 yuan,¡± Xia Chen said. ¡°But you can¡¯t show it to the public, especially not before the separation. ¡°When we move out, you can make whatever arrangement you want with that money you have. But since we haven¡¯t, grandma definitely won¡¯t agree. She might even be waiting to laugh at us. If we pull out 5000 yuan out of thin air, she¡¯ll definitely suspect we did something.¡± Hearing Xia Chen¡¯s words, Xia Wan¡¯s eyes lit up with a smile, and she praised, ¡°My brother is so thoughtful.¡± At the same time, Xia Wan felt a warmth in her heart. Xia Chen was thinking of using the money he and Xia hai earned to complete the money needed for the separation of the family. This was so that the fact that she was earning wouldn¡¯t be exposed. She was lucky to have such a brother who would protect her. Yingluo was no longer a child, however, and she had her own ways. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother,¡± Xia Wan consoled. ¡°Since I said so, I¡¯ll definitely make arrangements. Didn¡¯t I say it before? I¡¯ve learned medicine from Grandpa, and our village is short of doctors. When the time comes, I¡¯ll use my medical skills and sell some herbs to earn. Grandma won¡¯t be able to say anything. ¡°As long as I keep going into the mountains and keep busy, even if Grandma sees that I¡¯ve earned money, she¡¯ll be too embarrassed to ask me for it. After all, it¡¯s all my hard-earned money!¡± Xia Feng stared at the confident Xia Wan. He felt that his sister seemed to have really changed. If it was his sister in the past, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have been so firm and resolute, especially when she knew that they would face insurmountable difficulties in separating from the family. In the past, his sister cared a lot about the opinions of others, and moving out would obviously cause their family to be criticized. Now though, his sister wasn¡¯t afraid anymore. She even took the initiative to find a way to hide it from Li Jin. Xia Feng couldn¡¯t help but admire his intelligent and bold sister. His sister was indeed the strongest woman out there. ¡°But,¡± Xia Chen suddenly chimed in. ¡°Wanwan, dad won¡¯t agree. With one sentence, the previous atmosphere was immediately shattered. Xia Feng¡¯s mood also sank. Xia Wan recalled some of her memories from her previous life. Soon, her dad would be disappointed in her grandma. She smiled and comforted the brothers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I believe that dad will change. We¡¯ll just do what we have to do.¡± Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s smile, the brothers felt much better, and they stopped thinking about it. Anyway, today was a happy day. She made money, ate beef noodles, and even bought meat for her parents. They were already looking forward to going home to see how happy their parents were. The three trundled along in a good mood, and the journey home felt much lighter than when they left. When they returned to the village, Xia Wan saw a familiar figure buying things at the small store. She sneered. He had returned so quickly. Chapter 27 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing Xia Wan looking at the snack bar, Xia Chen thought she wanted some, so he asked, ¡°Wanwan, do you want to buy some snacks?¡± Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°No, I thought I saw Xia Yu just now. Didn¡¯t he go to the hospital yesterday? he didn¡¯t come back the whole night. I thought it was serious. I didn¡¯t expect to be able to go to the grocery store to buy food so soon. It didn¡¯t seem that bad.¡± Xia Chen nodded. ¡°He eats a lot, so he¡¯s recovering quickly. Wanwan, you¡¯ve walked such a long way today. Take a nap when you get back. Don¡¯t tire yourself.¡± Knowing that Xia Chen was concerned about her, Xia Wan nodded and smiled sweetly. When she got home, Xia Wan looked around vigilantly. After making sure that there was nobody from her first and second uncle¡¯s families around, she hid the pork, beef jerky, and some delicious dried fruits that she had bought in the county on the pillars of the roof. The location was high and hidden, and after thinking for a bit, Xia Wan decided to hide the money there. Being rather light, and with the cabinets in the house stacked high, she could reach the beam by stepping on the cabinet with the help of the bench. She also didn¡¯t want to arouse the suspicion of the other two families by climbing up the beam with a ladder. This was the safest place where Xia Wan could hide her things. After she was done with everything, she waited for Xia Hai and Yan Han¡¯s return. However, it was then that a discordant voice could be heard. Li Jin was shouting loudly. Before he even entered the house, his loud voice was audible. ¡°Xia Chen, Xia Wan, Xia Feng! You three scoundrels, get out here! ¡°You¡¯re really bold. You actually dared to steal my money?! Today, I¡¯m going to beat up you three monkeys! The door was closed, and Li Jin couldn¡¯t enter, so she began banging on it. The three people in the room looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion. Xia Wan thought of Xia Yu, who she had met before, and came to a conclusion. Xia Feng pursed his lips and said in a slightly aggrieved tone, ¡°We didn¡¯t steal any money. Why didn¡¯t you ask us nicely? Why did you have to accuse us?¡± Xia Chen sighed and comforted him. ¡°Grandma is biased. You¡¯ll get used to it. In her eyes, the three of us are the worst children in the family.¡± Xia Wan looked at the two of them, her eyes full of encouragement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it. I won¡¯t let grandma implicate us.¡± Xia Wan walked towards the door and was about to open it, but Li Jin was slamming the door so hard that she could feel the door shaking violently even from a distance. Are you going to pin the blame on us without investigating, she thought to herself as her eyes turned cold. She suddenly opened the door. Li Jin, who was about to kick the door, lifted his foot and fell to the ground. Xia Wan pretended to be surprised and asked with concern, ¡°Are you alright, grandma? I saw that you were knocking on the door in a hurry, so I wanted to open it quickly for you. Grandma, you just¡­ Were you about to kick the door?¡± Xia He and Xia Ye, who were behind Li Jin, quickly helped her up. Xia Ye acted like an obedient girl and asked, ¡°Grandma, are you okay?¡± Then, she looked at Xia Wan and complained, ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re really wrong. Even if grandma knocked on the door in a hurry, she¡¯s still your grandma. How could you be so stubborn?¡± Xia Wan interrupted her before she could finish. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t understand what you mean,¡± she said with a look of confusion. ¡°I¡¯d already said that I heard grandma baning on the door, so I quickly went to open it. Did you think that I anticipated that grandma was going to kick the door down, and I opened it quickly to make her fall? ¡± With tears in her eyes, she said with a wronged look, ¡°Sis, how could you say that about me?! And grandma, why did you say that we stole? When did we do such a thing?¡± Xia Wan lowered her head slightly to hide the hatred in her eyes. In her previous life, it was Xia Ye who plotted to snatch her marriage away. So be it if she stole it away, but she still tried her best to oppress their family, thereby causing the death of her parents. She had no choice but to settle the score with Xia Ye. In this life, she wanted Xia Ye to live for a long time in pain. She didn¡¯t even have the right to die! Putting away the hatred in her heart, Xia Wan still put on a pitiful look. Chapter 28 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Ye frowned as she watched. She felt that Xia Wan seemed to have changed. In the past, Xia Wan would always speak up whenever she encountered something. Even if she was wronged, she would not cry. Instead, she would shout that Li Jin was being unfair. However, no one would sympathize with her. Instead, they would think that Li Jin was right to teach Xia Wan a lesson. In their eyes, she was being unfilial and insensible. But now that Xia Wan was crying, it was as if Li Jin was the one in the wrong. At this time, Li Jin finally stood firm, but her body was still staggering. He looked at Xia Wan with anger in her eyes. ¡°You brat, you actually dared to attack your grandmother? I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today!¡± As she spoke, she raised her hand, as if she was going to hit Xia Wan. Seeing this, Xia Chen and Xia Feng subconsciously stood in front of Xia Wan to prevent Li Jin from touching her. ¡°Mother, what are you doing!¡± At this moment, a voice rang out. It was Yan Han, who had just returned from outside. Long before she entered the house, she heard Li Jin¡¯s yelling. Just now, Yan Han¡¯s heart ached when she saw that Li Jin was going to hit Xia Wan. She stood in front of Xia Wan and said to Li Jin, ¡°Mother, if you have something to say, just say it. Why do you have to fight?¡± Li Jin laughed coldly and reached out to twist Yan Han¡¯s ear. you¡¯re in no place to interrupt me when I¡¯m talking. You¡¯ve got some guts. ¡°Ahh, mother, it hurts!!!¡± Yan Han had been twisted suddenly, and the pain in her ear made her cry out subconsciously. Seeing Yan Han¡¯s ear being pulled, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t be bothered to act pitiful anymore. She directly shouted at Li Jin. ¡°Let go of my mother!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s sudden sternness startled Li Jin, and she subconsciously let go of Yan Han¡¯s ear. She had never seen such a terrifying side of Xia Wan. The way she stared at her was as if she was about to tear Li Jin apart. Xia Ye, who was the closest to Xia Wan, was even more shocked. If she had only suspected that Xia Wan had changed before, now that she saw the look in Xia Wan¡¯s eyes, she was even more certain that Xia Wan had grown up and was much more scheming than before. Such a change wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. In the past, Xia Wan was so naive that she usually took the blame for a lot of things, wanting to avoid any trouble. By the time Li Jin returned to her senses, she had already let go of Yan Han and felt a little embarrassed. Xia Wan was just a little girl. Why would she be afraid of her? Although she felt that something was wrong, her body was subconsciously afraid just now. When Xia Wan saw Li Jin let go of Yan Han, she also retracted her frightening gaze. She then stared at Li Jin seriously and said word by word, ¡°I¡¯ll only say it once. We didn¡¯t steal your money.¡± Although Li Jin¡¯s imposing manner had weakened, he still shouted, ¡°If you didn¡¯t steal the money, then who did? I heard that you three went to the county to eat beef noodles. Even I feel it¡¯s expensive. I¡¯ve never eaten beef noodles before, but you three actually had it? If it wasn¡¯t you who stole the money, what else could it be?¡± ¡°I just happened to lose 10 yuan, and you guys went for beef noodles. You must have stolen it.¡± In fact, Li Jin didn¡¯t have enough evidence to prove that the three were the thieves, but it was a fact that her money was gone. Undoubtedly, immediately pinned the blame on the three of them. Looking at Xia Chen and Xia Feng, who were protecting Xia Wan, Li Jin felt more and more annoyed. Although Xia Chen and Xia Feng were also her grandsons, she really couldn¡¯t bring herself to like them. Xia Chen always looked depressed in front of her. He didn¡¯t speak much and kept everything to himself, just like his father, Xia Hai. Of her three sons, Xia Hai was the one she cared the least about. Naturally, she disliked her grandson, who looked like Xia Hai, even more. As for Xia Feng, he was quite talkative at such a young age. Sometimes, when Xia Yu ate Xia Wan¡¯s meat, he would make a fuss, saying that it was Xia Wan¡¯s meat and that he wouldn¡¯t let Xia Yu eat it. What a joke. Xia Wan was just a little girl. She would be married off sooner or later and become the problem of another person. What right did he have to eat their meat now? The meat in their house should be given to their sons and grandsons. As for her granddaughters, if they were like Xia Ru and Xia Ye, they would¡¯ve been obedient, studied hard, and make her happy and proud. If they ate meat, then so be it. If they married well in the future, they could help the family. But Xia Wan? She couldn¡¯t see what greatness Xia Wan held in store. The more she thought about it, the angrier Li Jin became. She snapped unabashedly, ¡°You stole ten yuan from me. I have to teach you a lesson. Call your father, Xia Hai, over. I want him to pay ten times the amount you stole! Chapter 29 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yan Han¡¯s eyes were filled with bitterness when she heard this. ¡°Mother, Wanwan has said that she didn¡¯t steal the money. How could you just ask us to pay for it? And ten times the amount? That¡¯s a hundred yuan!¡± Xia Wan sneered. This old woman was indeed a good schemer. She had not received her father¡¯s salary, so she was now vying to get it back. She said he wanted ten times the compensation, but all she really did want was the money. Discounting the fact that she didn¡¯t steal the ten yuan, she now felt that even if Li Jin knew that the three of them didn¡¯t steal it, she would still blame it on them. To think that she could be so shameless at her age. As the eldest child in the family, Xia Chen stood up and told Li Jin gravely, ¡°Grandma, we didn¡¯t steal your money. We swear it.¡± Li Jin sneered, ¡°Swear? If you didn¡¯t steal my money, then where did you three get the money for beef noodles? ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Xia hai gave it to you. I know my son well. He would never let you eat beef noodles.¡± Hearing this, Xia Chen said, ¡°I earned the money. I¡¯ve been looking for a job, but I couldn¡¯t find a permanent one, so I took some part-time ones. I helped the people on the dock move goods every day and calculated the money. It just so happened that I got paid today, so I invited my brother and sister to dinner.¡± They couldn¡¯t let Li Jin find out that Xia Wan was selling ginseng, or she would lose that large sum of money. That was why Xia Chen chose to step forward and take the blame. As an older brother, he felt that this was what he should do. Xia Wan heard Xia Chen¡¯s words and felt touched. Her brother was so thoughtful and warm. There was a tacit understanding between the siblings. Xia Wan also knew that it was inappropriate for her to reveal too much of herself at this time. To Xia Chen¡¯s surprise, Li Jin became even angrier when she heard this. She looked at him with hatred. that¡¯s great. ¡°When I had money, I would give it to you. I would give you pocket money every month and even pay for your education. Now that you¡¯re earning your own, you don¡¯t even want to give it to me? ¡°I¡¯ve never had beef noodles before, and you three went to have it yourselves? ¡°How did I, Li Jin, raise such an unfilial grandson?¡± Xia Chen didn¡¯t dare to say too much. He just kept silent and let Li Jin scold him. He just wanted to gloss over this matter. As long as Li Jin believed that he earned the money and not they stole it, nothing else was important. However, after Li Jin finished her scolding, she still didn¡¯t believe him and insisted that the money had been stolen by the three of them. Xia Wan had heard enough of Li Jin¡¯s scolding and said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t grandma want to know who stole your money? You don¡¯t know, but I do. I¡¯ll take you there, and you¡¯ll see who stole your money.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Li Jin was stunned. ¡°You know who stole my money?¡± Li Jin asked subconsciously, feeling a little uneasy. Xia Wan nodded and chuckled, but her smile was filled with ridicule, ¡°Of course. It¡¯s just a simple act. As long as it¡¯s done, there will be traces. If you use your brain, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t find.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan walked out. She turned around and saw that Li Jin didn¡¯t follow her. She deliberately provoked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? is grandma afraid to go?¡± Li Jin made up her mind and followed Xia Wan out, shouting, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡± Xia Ye and Xia He was one step behind, but they quickly followed suit. On the way, Li Jin¡¯s mouth was not idle. She asked Xia Wan, ¡°You know who stole my money? How did you know?¡± Xia Wan said she should¡¯ve used her brain. What did that mean? Was she saying that she didn¡¯t have a brain? ¡°Grandma, do you really want to know?¡± Xia Wan looked at Li Jin. ¡°Of course!¡± Li Jin snorted. ¡°Okay, then let me ask you. When you went to the hospital with Xia Yu¡¯s family yesterday, did you bring all the money with you?¡± ¡°Of course. I was going to see Xia Yu. I had to bring enough,¡± Li Jin said. In actual fact, she was worried that if she left the money at home, the others would steal it. Chapter 30 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan smiled. that¡¯s right. Since you went to the hospital yesterday, I¡¯ve only just met you. I didn¡¯t have the chance to steal your money. ¡°The only ones who had the chance to steal money were those who were with you yesterday. ¡°That is, Xia Yu¡¯s family.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s conclusion, Li Jin immediately retorted, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense! Xia Yu is so obedient. How could she steal my money? you must be talking nonsense!¡± Xia Ye and Xia He were also a little flustered, and they quickly explained, ¡°We didn¡¯t steal any money. Xia Wan, don¡¯t talk nonsense! Xia Wan didn¡¯t even look at them and asked Li Jin, ¡°Then, grandma, was the ten yuan note that you threw away a ten yuan note or small change?¡± Under Xia Wan¡¯s intense gaze, Li Jin subconsciously told the truth. ¡°Two five-yuan notes.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± she said. Xia Wan agreed and didn¡¯t say anything else. Very soon, they arrived at the convenience store. Xia Yu had brought a few of his friends and was eating crispy noodle snacks at the store entrance and had lollipops in his pocket. He was drooling. Furthermore, Xia Yu was fat, to begin with, so he looked like a pig that was scouring for vegetables. Li Jin saw Xia Yu eating and immediately walked over. ¡°Xia Yu, eat slowly. No one¡¯s snatching it from you. You¡¯re injured, and your body is weak, so you really should eat more.¡± She then looked at Xia Yu¡¯s friends with a loving look in her eyes. She smiled and said, ¡°Did you guys treat Xia Yu to a meal because you knew he was sick?¡± The few kids looked at each other and nodded in tacit agreement. Xia Yu, on the other hand, was panicking. One of his arms was bandaged, and he looked a little disheveled. Thus, seeing that many people had gathered behind Li Jin, Xia Yu¡¯s intuition told her that something was wrong. Xia Wan chuckled and directly asked the boss of the small shop. ¡°Boss, who paid for the snacks just now?¡± The boss, Wang Ju, smiled. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Xia Yu. This child is very generous. He bought a lot of snacks for his friends. ¡°How much did he pay?¡± Xia Wan asked again. ¡°Two five-yuan notes, ¡± Wang Ju said. I even gave him three yuan of change. Xia Yu panicked. His face turned pale, and he subconsciously tried to hide. Li Jin¡¯s smile disappeared, and he grabbed Xia Yu, feeling both angry and anxious. She slapped Xia Yu¡¯s back. ¡°You little brat. Grandma¡¯s been so nice to you, but you actually dared to steal my money? Have I spoilt you too much? You actually dare to steal my money! Although Li Jin was old, she had been working for a long time and had a lot of strength. In addition, Xia Yu was injured and couldn¡¯t move at all, so Xia Yu couldn¡¯t dodge at all. Xia Wan just stood there coldly. Though the misunderstanding had been resolved, she didn¡¯t seem to be happy. Li Jin secretly hated Xia Yu for being such a disappointment. Not only did she steal the money, but she also caused her to lose face in front of Xia Wan. After all, she had previously insisted that Xia Wan and her two brothers were the ones who stole the money. The truth was out, and the thief turned out not to be the three grandchildren she disliked, but her most valued grandson, Xia Yu. This enraged Li Jin, and her attacks became much more ruthless. Normally, even if Xia Yu had stolen money, she wouldn¡¯t have been so ruthless. Not planning to let Li Jin go, Xia Wan continued, ¡°Grandma, didn¡¯t you say before that if someone stole your money, you had to make the other party pay ten times the amount? Since it was Xia Yu who stole the money, then let his father, Xia He, pay for it.¡± ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re the justest one around here. You won¡¯t go back on your word, right?¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Li Jin stopped hitting Xia Yu and started to act shamelessly. Xia He¡¯s salary has all been handed to me. Unlike your family, however, you kept your own. Xia He doesn¡¯t have any money to give me. Xia Wan sneered. Li Jin had been cruel enough to her family. However, once it came to Xia Yu¡¯s family, they would immediately be partial to them. Xia he and Xia Ye were relieved. It was a good thing that Li Jin was on their side. They had originally wanted Li Jin to punish Xia Wan¡¯s family, but now, it was their family who had stolen the money. This was simply ridiculous! Xia Wan stared coldly at Xia Yu¡¯s friends. Chapter 31 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The reason the group of girls bullied her, causing her to fall into the water, was that Xia Yu¡¯s friend, Liu Shi, had spoken to Julie. This time, Liu Shi was not here, but she remembered this incident. She had to teach Liu Shi a lesson and let him understand that some words shouldn¡¯t be said so arbitrarily! After Li Jin took the rest of the money from Xia Yu¡¯s pocket, he cursed a little more and then went home. Obviously, this matter was considered over. When she reached home, Xia Ru was already home. When she saw Xia Wan, Xia Ru¡¯s eyes darkened. She was the one who had asked someone to tell Xia Ye that Xia Wan and the others were eating beef noodles. When she got home, she heard that Li Jin¡¯s money had been stolen and that Xia Wan was the culprit. Now, the perpetrator turned out to be Xia Yu. However, that was fine too. Xia Yu was second uncle¡¯s daughter, and grandma had always been biased towards second uncle¡¯s family. If this incident could make grandma less biased towards Xia Yu, it would be a good thing. Xia Ru handed the 50 yuan in her hand to Li Jin and smiled sweetly. ¡°Grandma, this is the money I earned from my work. It¡¯s for you.¡± Li Jin took the money with a smile and praised, ¡°My Xia Ru is such an obedient child.¡± Then, she looked at Xia Wan and Xia Chen and chided them. ¡°Look at Xia Ru, and take a good look at yourselves. Xia Ru knows how to give me the money she earns, but you guys only know how to eat beef noodles. How could you be so selfish?¡± Xia Chen didn¡¯t say anything and let Li Jin rant on. Xia Wan seems to be fine now, ¡°Li Jin suddenly said. why don¡¯t you ask Xia Hai to return my salary to me?¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Xia Wan suddenly started coughing again. Her face was frighteningly pale. grandma, I¡¯m not fully recovered yet. I¡¯m just holding it in. As Xia Wan spoke, she started to cough violently again. It was so serious that she felt like she was going to suffocate at any moment. Li Jin subconsciously kept her distance from Xia Wan, as if he was afraid that she would be infected. She felt very unlucky. Li Jin looked at Yan Han unhappily, ¡°What are you waiting for? Go and cook. The men in the house are coming home. If you don¡¯t cook, what are they going to eat?¡± Yan Han didn¡¯t dare to disobey Li Jin, and he also knew that Li Jin was currently in a fit of anger, so she responded by going to cook. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes darkened. This family clearly had three wives, Song Yan, Chen Lian, and Yan Han. All three had to go out to work, but Yan Han was always the one in charge of cooking, and her children were the ones who ate the least. The more Xia Wan thought about it, the more she felt how unfair it was. However, Xia Hai and Yan Han never complained. She knew that Li Jin and the others were bullying her parents for being honest and kept trying to take advantage of them. She just wanted to split the family as soon as possible, so that these people wouldn¡¯t be like blood-sucking bugs, squeezing her family out of a bottomless pit. After Yan Han went to cook, Li Jin called Xia Yu over. Xia Yu went to Li Jin¡¯s side and started coaxing her. grandma, I really know my mistake. It¡¯s just that I was hurt this time and felt that I was wronged, so I went to buy some food. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry. They used to pay for the food at the convenience store.¡± ¡°I¡¯m paying this time so that they¡¯ll pay for me in the future. Anyway, your grandson is very smart. He won¡¯t ask our family to pay more.¡± Li Jin smiled and was quickly coaxed by Xia Yu. Look, who was her good grandson again? ¡°Just remember this. Don¡¯t ever steal money again, understand? ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandma. I won¡¯t steal again!¡± Xia Yu nodded. Xia Wan was originally preparing to go out to pick herbs, but she happened to hear these words and sneered. Li Jin was really biased. It was clearly a big mistake like stealing money, but Xia Yu just had to say a few good words to appease her. She prepared the medicinal herbs at the river, and When she returned home, she saw Li Jin with Xia Ru and Xia Ye. Chen Lian and Song Yan were also standing beside him. The whole family looked very happy. Her mother, Yan Han, was cooking in the kitchen. Li Jin was complimenting Xia Ru when he saw Xia Wan return. She said with spite, ¡°You¡¯re both my granddaughters, but why is Xia Ru so outstanding while you¡¯re so lousy? you¡¯re not good at your studies, and you¡¯re not as hardworking as her. How are you going to get married in the future?¡± Chapter 32 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan¡¯s lips twitched, and she produced a sarcastic smile, saying somewhat vaguely, ¡°Yes, sister Xia Ru is so capable that I made her my role model. It¡¯s a pity that she is such an outstanding person. Grandma, you always praise her for her good grades, but why didn¡¯t she get into high school? ¡°On the other hand, my grandmother always said that my grades were bad, but it turned out that I lucked out during the exam and got into high school. ¡°It seems that I was indeed quite lucky. Sometimes, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re strong or not¡­ it¡¯s not as good as being lucky.¡± Xia Wan looked as if she was feeling sorry for Xia Ru, but Xia Ru¡¯s heart ached when she heard this. She didn¡¯t want to work, and she certainly didn¡¯t want to be earning money so early. However, it just so happened that she was unwell while taking the high school entrance exam and performed poorly. She was supposed to be able to get into high school, but she failed. Xia Wan, who she usually looked down on, had actually gotten into high school. This matter had always been a thorn in Xia Ru¡¯s heart. Her family had never talked about this in front of her, afraid of upsetting her. Now that Xia Wan had brought this up publicly, Xia Ru¡¯s expression immediately turned. Li Jin also noticed the change in Xia Ru¡¯s mood and quickly scolded Xia Wan. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Even if Xia Ru didn¡¯t get into high school, she¡¯s still a hundred times better than you! ¡°Our Xia Ru has been so sensible and obedient. She knows how to respect her grandmother with the money she earns. How could such a good child have any bad luck in the future?¡± ¡°Xia Wan, you just got lucky when you were in high school. You¡¯re still a student. Don¡¯t you know what humility is?¡± Xia Wan let Li Jin scold her and only lowered her head, showing an attitude that she would listen to whatever she said. She knew that no matter how Li Jin scolded her, it would not change the fact that Xia Ru didn¡¯t get into high school. Perhaps it didn¡¯t make much of a difference whether they did or not. It would always be difficult for their village to produce a college student. In the future, however, Xia Ru would discover the difference between a college student and a middle school student. Xia Ru suppressed the discomfort in her heart and took out a piece of candy for Xia Wan. ¡°Here, this is the candy I saved you. Eat it.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t take it. Before entering the house, she had already noticed that there were bite marks around the sweet. It looked sticky, and when she looked at Xia Yu, who was drooling not far away, Xia Wan quickly guessed that Xia Yu had most likely bitten into the candy. His goal was to monopolize these candies. At this time, candy was a rare commodity. Children loved it, but Xia Wan didn¡¯t. She had bought a lot of good things today. In addition to the meat for her parents, she also bought some high-quality candy, which she had specially reserved for herself, Xia Chen, and Xia Feng. It was far more costly than Xia Ru¡¯s candy, and it tasted much better. Xia Wan waved her hand and said humbly, ¡°Sister Xia Ru, I¡¯m sorry to have made you unhappy. I won¡¯t be eating the candy. Besides, I¡¯m sick, and I¡¯m coughing all the time. Eating candy won¡¯t be good for me. As soon as she finished, Xia Yu immediately snatched the candy from Xia Ru¡¯s hand, peeled off the wrapper quickly, and stuffed it into his mouth, saying, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t eat it, I¡¯ll eat it. If she doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her, she won¡¯t have the life to eat candy.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s indifferent attitude made Xia Ru feel frustrated again. In the past, Xia Wan had been a little tsundere. Grandma didn¡¯t love her, so she would be grateful to you if you showed her a little concern. But now, she had taken the initiative to give candy to Xia Wan, but Xia Ru still looked unhappy. She was surprised by Xia Wan¡¯s reaction, and her dislike for her only grew. Xia Wan didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer, so she coughed a few more times, looking very weak. Li Jin was afraid that she would infect others, so she quickly said, ¡°Hurry back to your room. If you¡¯re not feeling well, don¡¯t appear in front of everyone. You might just infect others.¡± Xia Wan nodded and headed straight back to her room. Li Jin was a little surprised. Previously, Xia Wan had to reply to her with a few words, but now she was obediently going back to her room? Li Jin thought it was strange, but she didn¡¯t take it to heart. In her opinion, Xia Wan¡¯s business wasn¡¯t worth her attention at all. Half an hour later, Xia Hai returned from work. Xia Wan excitedly called him and Yan Han to her room. Chapter 33 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Chen and Xia Feng were looking forward to it, and they followed Xia Wan. Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s mysterious look, Yan Han laughed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you have something nice to say?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a good thing! She gave Xia Chen a look and immediately locked the door in case someone tried to break in. After doing all this, Xia Wan took out the dried meat, dried fruits, and other food that she had hidden on the beam of the house. When the beef jerky and pork jerky were presented to him, Xia Hai¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Where did you get so much meat?!¡± He didn¡¯t suspect that the children obtained the meat through improper means, but he was very shocked. After all, he knew how much money they had. The money they spent on the meat was worth a few days¡¯ wages. Xia Wan didn¡¯t let Xia Hai think too much about it and told him and Yan Han about her selling wild ginseng. The two of them were dumbfounded. Yan Han even exclaimed in a low voice, ¡°5000 yuan? Oh my God, how is the price that high!¡± Even though she and Xia Hai had been working for many years, they had never had more than 1000 yuan in their hands. Their monthly salary was given to Li Jin. When the family needed money, they would ask Li Jin dollar by dollar. Ten yuan was considered a lot. Yan Han was shocked at first, then ecstatic, but he quickly calmed down. The expression on his face became serious as he warned Xia Wan seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else about this. And don¡¯t even think about showing off. Otherwise, this money will hurt you.¡± Xia Wan nodded solemnly. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Xia Chen had seen how mature and steady Xia Wan was today, so he spoke up for her. ¡°Mom, Wanwan is very capable now. The owner was only willing to pay 3000 yuan at first, but Xia Feng and I were stunned. We were still wondering how ginseng could sell for so much. ¡°It was only when Wanwan haggled with the boss that we realized that the boss¡¯s offer was still too low.¡± Hearing Xia Chen¡¯s words, Yan Han looked at Xia Wan in confusion. ¡°Wanwan, how did you know the price of wild ginseng?¡± Even she and Xia Hai didn¡¯t know how much it was worth, let alone the children. Xia Wan had already thought of an excuse and said, ¡°Grandpa told me before that ginseng is a very effective herb, so I know a bit. When I went to the pharmacy to buy medicine, I specifically asked about the price of ginseng.¡± Yan Han believed her immediately and complimented her with a smile. ¡°Our Wanwan is so smart.¡± Xia Hai laughed along, revealing his white teeth. ¡°Wanwan, that¡¯s a lot of money. I¡¯ll make a passbook for you tomorrow. You can save the money and get interest.¡± Even though he knew that it was 5000 yuan, Xia Hai did not think of asking for it. To him, this was the child¡¯s own money, so it was natural for them to keep it for themselves. Xia Wan did not plan to give the money to Xia Hai. It was not that she did not trust her father, but if she left the money in his hands, Li Jin would easily find out. She didn¡¯t want all her hard-earned money to go to the grandmother that didn¡¯t love her. Xia Wan thought of something and said tentatively, ¡°Dad, with this money, we won¡¯t have to worry about having nowhere to live when we move out. We can rent a house.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Xia Hai¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°Child, why do you want to move out of the family? Your grandmother was indeed a little biased through your illness, but we¡¯re still a family. If something really happens, we only have each other to rely upon.¡± Yan Han had been very happy at first, but when he heard Xia Hai¡¯s words, she became unhappy and glared at him. ¡°You¡¯ve been working every day, so you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on at home. Your mother isn¡¯t just biased; she doesn¡¯t even treat us as her family!¡± Thinking of the grievances that Xia Wan had suffered, Yan Han¡¯s voice also sounded a little aggrieved, causing Xia Hai to be dumbfounded. He subconsciously asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Did something happen while I was at work?¡± Chapter 34 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°What is it?¡± Yan Han laughed coldly. ¡°Your mother lost ten yuan today. She didn¡¯t even ask and said that our Wanwan stole it just because our three children ate a bowl of beef noodles at the county.¡± ¡°Our Wanwan is rich now. Your salary is in my hands even if she and the others don¡¯t have money. I¡¯ll give the three children cash and let them eat beef noodles. They can afford it.¡± ¡°But what about mother? She didn¡¯t even ask. She just said that there are only a few children in the family. No one else would do such a thing other than our three children.¡± ¡°In the end, it was Xia Yu who stole the money. Wan Wan brought your mother and happened to catch Xia Yu eating snacks at the convenience store. With the boss¡¯s testimony, it was confirmed that Xia Yu stole the money.¡± The more Yan Han spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. She had seen Li Jin¡¯s expression at that time as if he wanted to eat someone up. Her three children were clearly good, honest, obedient, but why couldn¡¯t they get Li Jin¡¯s favor? Yan Han even blamed herself for being too stupid. Li Jin didn¡¯t like her, so she didn¡¯t like her children as well. Seeing Yan Han¡¯s aggrieved expression, Xia Hai felt a little guilty. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t protect you well enough.¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t bear to see her parents so unhappy. She immediately handed the dried meat snacks to Xia Hai and Yan Han. ¡°Dad, Mom, take it. We don¡¯t eat much usually, but we do the most work. You should eat some meat every day to replenish your energy. As long as you don¡¯t get sick, it¡¯ll save you money!¡± Looking at Xia Wan¡¯s adorable appearance, Yan Han and Xia Hai were filled with gratitude. Their daughter was so sensible. However, they did not take the dried meat. Xia Hai subconsciously handed it to Xia Wan and said, ¡°We understand your kind intentions, but you¡¯re still growing and need to eat more nutritious food. You guys can eat this. It¡¯s the same for mom and dad.¡± Xia Hai and Yan Han¡¯s thoughts were simple. Whenever there was something good, they would always want to share it with their children. They were willing to suffer for their children as long as they lived well. Xia Wan naturally knew what the two were thinking. She handed the items to them and said, ¡°Take it. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll give it to Xia Yu. When he finds out I have money to buy food, he¡¯ll kick up a fuss. Dad, mom, you don¡¯t want to cause me trouble, right?¡± After being threatened by Xia Wan, the two could tell that they had to take the dried meat, so they took it immediately. Xia Wan smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll find a lot of herbs in the future and sell them for lots of money. I can also help the villagers earn. Once this thing is gone, I¡¯ll buy it for you. Don¡¯t save it.¡± Yan Han and Xia Hai agreed. In reality, they didn¡¯t dare to be so wasteful. Xia Wan also knew that it was impossible to change their living habits immediately, so she said nothing more. Xia Feng was smart. He immediately stared at Yan Han and Xia Hai and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, hurry up and eat it. Eat it in front of us. Otherwise, who¡¯ll know if you¡¯d really eait it?¡± Xia Wan and Xia Chen both looked at him. Xia Hai and Yan Han were touched, and they put the beef jerky into their mouths. The meat was dry, but it wasn¡¯t old. It was fragrant, and it even had a little spiciness. Even if it had been swallowed, the fragrance of the beef jerky lingered in the mouth, causing one to reminisce on the good old days. Yan Han had never eaten such high-class food ever since she had married into the Xia family, and her eyes immediately turned red. She had been tolerating the Xias ever since she married Xia Hai, and now, her child was the one who bought her the precious food she was having. At this time, Yan Han¡¯s mood was particularly complicated. She regretted not being able to give the three children a better life, hated her own weakness, and was pleased with the three children¡¯s sense and filial piety. After Yan Han had eaten it, she stuffed another piece into Xia Hai¡¯s mouth. Subconsciously, Xia hai took the piece of beef jerky. As soon as he put it in his mouth, the aroma stunned him for a long time. He realized that Yan Han was smiling brightly, and so did the three children. Such days were really good, he thought to himself, and his eyes were filled with joy. As Xia Hai looked at the remaining beef jerky, he showed some hesitation in his eyes. Chapter 35 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan reacted quickly. Her face was a little cold as she asked, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re not thinking of giving the dried meat to grandma, are you?¡± Xia Hai had to admit that the thought did cross his mind, but after thinking about it for a while, he understood that if he really brought the beef jerky to Li Jin, not only would she not praise them, but she might even scold them for being selfish by having the money to eat, but not the money to be filial. Before Xia Hai could say anything, Yan Han immediately took the dried meat over and said firmly, ¡°No, this is what our Wanwan bought with her hard-earned money. We can¡¯t give it to anyone else from the Xia family. ¡°Even if those people took advantage of our family, they still think it¡¯s right. It¡¯s as if they are all big shots, and we are their slaves. ¡°Xia Hai, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t you hurt our Wanwan!¡± Seeing Yan Han was angry, Xia Hai quickly shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t have such thoughts. Even if I did, I won¡¯t have such thoughts in the future.¡± Only then did Yan Han smile. Then, seeing that it was getting late, she brought Xia Hai back to their room. The first thing the two did when they returned to their room was to hide the jerky. After they had put everything down, the two of them lay on the bed, but Yan Han¡¯s face was full of worry. Sensing something was amiss, Xia Hai asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yan Han looked at Xia Hai. I think Mother is not happy with the two of us. She doesn¡¯t like the three children either. If Mother wants grandchildren, she should also like Xia Chen and Xia Feng. But she just refuses to like them. ¡°You don¡¯t say much, and I don¡¯t know how to say nice things. Your big brother and second brother will always say nice things in front of Mother. Song Yan and Chen Lian also often coax Mother.¡± ¡°Our children are already having a hard time. As their parents, we can¡¯t hold them back anymore.¡± Xia Hai understood Yan Han loud and clear. In the past, he had always thought that Li Jin was a little biased. If something really happened to the children, Li Jin would still protect them, but after the money-stealing incident today, he felt that Li Jin had really gone too far. Li Jin clearly knew what kind of personality he had. Ever since he was young, his two elder brothers had taken advantage of him, and he had always been at a disadvantage. He had married a wife and had a child. They were all honest. Everyone knew that their family would never do something like steal money. Li Jin clearly understood this, but he still wanted to get money from them. It was clear that no matter who stole the ten yuan, Li Jinwouldo get it back from him. Yan Han noticed that Xia Hai was deep in thought, so he added, ¡± Did you know? At that time, mother said she wanted you to pay her ten times the amount. She lost ten yuan and wanted you to give her a hundred yuan. Wasn¡¯t she trying to get back the salary you didn¡¯t hand in? ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯ve been paying her monthly for over twenty years. She¡¯s tacitly agreed that all the money you earn belongs to her. But in reality, she took our family¡¯s money and mistreated our child. ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. You should think about it yourself.¡± After that, Yan Han turned to sleep and did not speak to Xia Hai again. Xia Hai sighed and couldn¡¯t help but recall the past. When he was young, his two older brothers told him that he had fallen seriously ill when he was young. At that time, the family had no money, so his mother had gone to the neighbor¡¯s relative to borrow some. To get them to lend some money to her, she had even kowtowed to the other party. It was all thanks to his mother that he was able to cure his illness. Therefore, ever since he started working, he gave all the money he earned to her, feeling obligated to her. This was what he owed his mother. However, what Yan Han said made sense. He was already the father of three children, and he had already paid back what he owed his mother for decades. It was time for him to think about himself and his family. After a long day¡¯s work, Xia Hai was exhausted, and he fell asleep after thinking for a while. On the other side, Xia Wan counted the time and changed into dark clothes. She held something wrapped in a cup and quietly walked out of the room. She had just reached the door and had not even stepped out of the courtyard when she realized that Xia Ru had also come out of her room and was walking straight out, looking around very carefully. Xia Wan was puzzled. It was already so late. What was Xia Ru doing? Xia Wan let her go first and quietly followed behind Xia Ru. Soon, Xia Wan realized that she was on a road that led to Liu Shi¡¯s house. Could it be that Xia Ru and Liu Shi were together, Xia Wan wondered? Chapter 36 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Then, she saw Xia Ru come to the back door of Liu Shi¡¯s house. She threw a stone in, and Liu Shi quickly came out. Xia Wan then realized that Liu Shi had apparent bruises on his face and how he walked was a little off, as if he had been beaten up. When Xia Ru saw him, she was about to speak when Liu Shi slapped her and scolded, ¡°B*tch, it¡¯s all thanks to what you asked me to do that Xia Chen and Xia Feng beat me up. The two of them are shameless. They actually fought me together.¡± Xia Ru was dumbfounded and felt humiliated. However, Liu Shi was very tall, and she was definitely not as strong as him. Moreover, if this matter were to blow up, it would not be good for her. Hence, Xia Ru had no choice but to bear with it. She pretended to be gentle and asked, ¡°Liu Shi, what¡¯s going on? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Xia Wan, watching silently behind him, also widened her eyes in shock. Did her brothers beat Liu Shi up? No wonder Xia Yu didn¡¯t bring Liu Shi with her to the convenience store today. It was because he had been thrashed. Those rumors about her seducing men were spread by Liu Shi. So, her brother and brother were helping her vent her anger? Thinking of this, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but admire Xia Chen and Xia Feng. They were so quick! Wait a minute! Xia Wan suddenly realized that Liu Shi had said that Xia Ru had asked him to spread the rumors. Xia Ru clearly saw someone pushing her into the water, but not only did she not find help, she even spread the rumor that the man¡¯s girlfriend taught her a lesson because she seduced him. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes turned cold. She couldn¡¯t remember how much she hated Xia Ru in her previous life. Why did Xia Ru hate her so much? While Xia Wan was thinking, Xia Ru had already learned the truth from Liu Shi. Xia Ru looked at Liu Shi with heartache and guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Liu Shi. I didn¡¯t think this through and caused you to suffer. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll remember your kindness, and I¡¯ll definitely repay you in the future.¡± Liu Shi snorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about the future. Give me some remittance now. I know you¡¯re working now. You got your salary today, right?¡± Hurry up, give me some money, or I¡¯ll spread this news. By then, everyone will know how cruel you are.¡± Xia Ru cursed in her heart but continued to act pitiful. She whined, ¡± Liu Shi, you can¡¯t say that. At most, we¡¯re just cooperating. When I asked you to do this, you were actually very happy, weren¡¯t you? ¡°I remember that you once confessed to Xia Wan, but she rejected you. After that, you started to hate her. So, if you have the chance to take revenge on her, you definitely won¡¯t miss it. ¡°You would have done this even without me. Besides, would you have done such an immoral thing if you were a good person? Don¡¯t you have a conscience?¡± Xia Ru¡¯s words made Liu Shi lose his advantage. In fact, he didn¡¯t really intend to tell anyone. After all, Xia Ru¡¯s reputation would indeed be affected if he did. However, at the same time, others would know that Xia Wan didn¡¯t hook up with any man and that he and Xia Ru were the ones who did it. Why did he have to fight with Xia Ru while Xia Wan had the advantage? With this thought in mind, Liu Shi¡¯s attitude also softened a little, and he said, ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to say it. I¡¯m going easy on you for the sake of our friendship.¡± Xia Ru laughed when she heard this and immediately took out the candy from her pocket and handed it to Liu Shi. ¡°I know you¡¯re the best. These are candies I saved for you. Eat it.¡± At the sight of the candy, Liu Shi¡¯s eyes brightened. He immediately grabbed the sweets and counted them carefully. There were actually five. Liu Shi was overly pleased with the bribe and had quickly forgotten his previous unhappiness. Xia Wan sneered in the corner and thought to herself, ¡°This Liu Shi is really a fool.¡± Chapter 37 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation If Liu Shi had initially insisted on her, Xia Ru would definitely have compromised. However, Xia Ru seemed to be much smarter than Liu Shi. From the start, Liu Shi failed to scare Xia Ru. Initially, he wanted to threaten Xia Ru but in the end, he was threatened by her instead. However, after Xia Ru threatened Liu Shi, all she had to do was give him a few candies, and he was already very grateful to her. What a complete idiot. Just as they were talking, Xia Ru suddenly felt a drop of water on her neck. She touched it subconsciously and looked up at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s not raining, why is there water?¡± Liu Shi also felt the water falling on his neck. He raised his head and looked at the door beam above him, saying, ¡°It might be because it rained a few days ago. There¡¯s water on the door beam. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s clean. It¡¯s not dirty. Xia Ru smiled and started to put in a good word for Liu Shi, as if she was very concerned about him. ¡°Liu Shi, you know about our family¡¯s situation. My wages have been given to grandma, and the fact that I¡¯m able to fork out money to buy you candy shows my sincerity. If there¡¯s anything in the future, we¡¯ll have to work together. Liu Shi ate his candy and looked at Xia Ru with a perverted gaze. He reached out and touched her waist. I knew you knew how to care for people. When Liu Shi touched her, Xia Ru¡¯s body stiffened, but she quickly put on a fake smile. Liu Shi was no ordinary person. Although he did not live up to expectations and was not good at his studies, his uncles were doing quite well. Liu Shi was the youngest son in their family and was the most doted on. Being on good terms with Liu Shi would bring many benefits in the future. As he ate the candy, he looked at Xia Ru¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but think of Xia Wan. Although Xia Ru was good-looking and had a great body, she still fell far short of Xia Wan. If Xia Wan was considered a beauty, then Xia Ru would be average, at most. His eyes were filled with ruthlessness. ¡°This time, I was beaten up by Xia Wan¡¯s brother. I must get my revenge. If word gets out, people will think that I¡¯m a pushover.¡± Xia Ru¡¯s eyes flickered. She was obviously interested in this as well. ¡°How do you want to take revenge on them?¡± Hearing Xia Ru¡¯s question, Liu Shi looked at her with some vigilance. ¡°Why? You¡¯re asking so many questions¡­ are you going to tell them?¡± As he said that, Liu Shi¡¯s eyes had already changed, and they were now filled with a bit of ruthlessness. Xia Ru¡¯s heart tightened, and she immediately smiled. ¡°Liu Shi, what are you talking about? I¡¯m on your side. Although Xia Chen and Xia Feng are my relatives, our families don¡¯t have a good relationship. I don¡¯t like them either.¡± ¡°Even grandma doesn¡¯t like them, let alone me. I asked you about your plan because I thought that if you need my help, I¡¯ll try my best to help you.¡± After hearing Xia Ru¡¯s words, Liu Shi¡¯s mood improved a lot. He smiled wretchedly. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the most sensible one.¡± After saying that, Liu Shi did not forget to touch Xia Ru¡¯s body again. ¡°How about this? You keep an eye on Xia Chen and Xia Feng for me. If there¡¯s a good opportunity, I¡¯ll bring my men to surround them. If they bully me, I¡¯ll take revenge in the same way.¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know how to shout for help?¡± Xia Ru nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I understand. Liu Shi, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back first. If I¡¯m out for too long, my family will be suspicious.¡± Liu Shi wanted to continue asking Xia Ru more questions. If he couldn¡¯t get Xia Wan, he could at least cozy up to Xia Ru. However, Xia Ru did not give him the chance and quickly left after saying that the family was very strict. Xia Wan watched Xia Ru leave and chose to take the small path home first. Along the way, Xia Wan recalled the events of her previous life. At that time, her reputation was ruined after she fell into the water. Everyone in the village thought that she was a bad girl who loved to seduce men. In order to protect her safety, her brother Xia Chen would pick her up every time after class. However, at that time, Xia Chen was working overtime at the factory, so he had little time to pick her up. She had to go home alone. The road was long, and there were many secluded paths. Just as they were about to reach home, Xia Wan was surrounded by a group of hooligans. First, they insulted her verbally, saying that she was a woman who could sleep with anyone. Then, they beat her up and tried to take advantage of her. Chapter 38 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At that time, Xia Wan was so shocked that she shouted at them to get lost, but these people only laughed harder. Xia Wan was thin and frail, and she was no match for these people. Her clothes were in tatters, and she was even slapped by one of the men. Fortunately, Xia Feng knew that Xia Chen didn¡¯t have time to pick her up, so he rushed over in a hurry. Who knew that he would see Xia Wan being dragged into the woods? Like a madman, Xia Feng picked up a brick and threw it at the hooligans. Seeing Xia Feng, Xia Wan found the courage to resist. Although the siblings were frail, they were forced to fight with all their might. Finally, they managed to escape from the hands of those people. Since then, Xia Wan¡¯s reputation had been even worse. People said that she not only seduced other people¡¯s boyfriends but was also a lustful woman who couldn¡¯t resist seducing men. And the source of all this started from the rumor about her in the village. Now, she knew that the source of the rumors was her cousin, Xia Ru. And that Liu Shi, who had confessed to her, held a grudge against her because she rejected him. These two evil people¡­ Xia Wan clenched her fists just thinking about, and her eyes flashed with bloodthirsty ruthlessness. She really wanted to kill those two. Xia Wan took a deep breath and warned herself to abide by the law. Evil people like them would naturally get what they deserved. She could not ruin her life because of these two scumbags. Along the way, Xia Wan kept consoling herself. When she got home, she had completely calmed down. Not long after she sat down, there was a sudden scream in the courtyard. ¡°Aaa!¡± The lights that had been turned off immediately lit up, and the screams in the house continued. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that a thief had broken in. Xia Chen and Xia Feng were also woken up by the noise and walked out of the room. Xia Chen was confused. ¡°Why do I hear Xia Ru¡¯s voice? What¡¯s wrong with her? Did she meet a thief?¡± Xia Feng couldn¡¯t help but guess when he heard the tragic voice. ¡°Did you burn yourself with the hot water?¡± Xia Wan took the lead and walked out, saying to the two, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll know when we see.¡± She was walking in front, so the two brothers couldn¡¯t see her expression. At this time, Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were filled with a smile. Hehe, she dared to scheme against her and ruin her reputation. Tonight, she would collect some interest. When they arrived at Xia Ru¡¯s room, Li Jin and the rest had also rushed over. Xia Ye and Xia Ru slept in the same room. At that time, Xia Ru¡¯s room was surrounded by Xia family members. The door opened from the inside, and a scared Xia Ye walked out. Song Yan was worried about Xia Ru and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xia Ru?¡± ¡°Her.¡± Just as Xia Ye was about to speak, another figure rushed out of the door. Her hair was disheveled, and she kept waving her hands around. ¡°Ah, ah, it itches!!! I¡¯m in so much pain. Help me, help me!¡± Xia Ru shouted as she rushed in front of Song Yan and Xia Jiang. ¡°Dad, mom, I¡¯m so uncomfortable. Help!¡± As she spoke, she reached out to grab Song Yan and Xia Jiang. Xia Jiang pulled Song Yan back and looked at Xia Ru warily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Tell us first.¡± Xia Ru¡¯s heart turned cold when she saw Xia Jiang¡¯s actions. This was her biological father. What did he mean by that? Did he suspect that she had caught an infectious disease? But at that moment, her body began to itch again. She was so uncomfortable that her eyes were full of tears. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m itching all over like a million ants biting me. I feel so uncomfortable, I feel uncomfortable everywhere. ¡°But when I tried to grab it, it hurts so much. It was like I was cutting my body with a knife. Dad, mom, please save me. I¡¯m so uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that I don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡± Seeing this, Li Jin also started to command and said to Song Yan, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get a doctor for Xia Eu. ¡± Xia Ru had just contributed her salary today. Now that she had the ability to earn money, she couldn¡¯t fall sick. Song Yan responded and quickly went to find Doctor Niu. Xia Ru burst into tears and looked at Xia Jiang. ¡°Dad, take me to the hospital. I think I¡¯m very sick.¡± Seeing Xia Ru approaching, Xia Jiang took a step back and said, ¡°Xia Ru, go no further. No one knows what¡¯s going on with you. If it¡¯s really contagious, the whole family will be affected. I¡¯m fine, and I¡¯m not afraid of getting sick, but your grandma is old.¡± ¡°For everyone¡¯s safety, you should hold back first. Don¡¯t touch it yet, just bear with it.¡± Chapter 39 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Ru felt a little upset when she heard Xia Jiang¡¯s heartless words. However, she knew that she was still a girl, and her future was still in the hands of her parents. Even if Xia Jiang disliked her now, she couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I know, Dad,¡± Xia Ru said in a low voice, before frowning in pain. Li Jin didn¡¯t forget to praise her. ¡°Look at our Xia Ru. She¡¯s so sensible. She¡¯s so good that people¡¯s hearts ache for her, unlike some who pretend to be dying from a minor illness.¡± Xia Wan knew that Li Jin was referring to her, but she didn¡¯t care. She took the initiative and said, ¡°Sister Xia Ru, look at your hair. Aren¡¯t they falling out?¡± Xia Ru subconsciously grabbed a lock of her hair and pulled it off. ¡°Argh! My hair, what¡¯s going on!¡± Xia Ru shrieked. To the girls of this era, hair was very important. If someone¡¯s hair was suddenly cut off, they would cry for a long time. Now, with just a light grab, so much had fallen off. Was she going to be bald in a while? Yan Han and the others had also rushed over at this time. When they heard Xia Wan¡¯s words, they asked, ¡°Wanwan, do you know Xia Ru¡¯s illness?¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Sister Xia Ru¡¯s condition is very similar to one of the symptoms that Grandpa mentioned before. When Li Jin heard this, he immediately shouted at Xia Wan impatiently, ¡°Since you know how to treat her, then hurry up and tell Xia Ru. You¡¯re happy to see her in pain, aren¡¯t you? How could you be so heartless and selfish?! Before Xia Wan could say anything, she was already scolded by Li Jin. Xia Wan sneered and immediately shut her mouth as if too angry at Li Jin to speak. Xia Ru didn¡¯t want to suffer anymore. She immediately lowered her posture and pleaded with Xia Wan, ¡°My good sister Wanwan, you¡¯ve always been the kindest. You can¡¯t bear to see your sister suffer, can you?¡± ¡°Quickly tell me, How do I treat this illness?¡± Itchy, it was really too itchy. It itched so bad that she wanted to faint. Xia Wan¡¯s expression relaxed, as if her heart had softened after hearing Xia Ru¡¯s words. She said with a bit of hesitation, ¡°I do know of a way, but it¡¯s a bit extreme. Many people might not accept it.¡± Li Jin didn¡¯t have much patience and immediately said, ¡°What is it? If you know, tell me. Why are you dawdling here? Why did you make the whole family wait for you and let Xia Ru suffer?¡± ¡°Xia Wan, are you trying to get Xia Ru killed?¡± After being scolded by Li Jin, Xia Wan seemed to make up her mind and said, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re the one who asked me to say it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one way, and that is to prepare some dandelions, mugwort, and Kasaya.¡± After saying the names of several herbs, Xia Wan hesitated for a moment before she continued, ¡°The most important ingredient is dried feces.¡± ¡°What? What did you just say?¡± Li Jin¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief. ¡°Yes, feces, and they have to be dry,¡± Xia Wan repeated. The Xia family members were all dumbfounded. This set of medicinal ingredients was beyond their understanding. Xia Ru¡¯s expression changed. She obviously didn¡¯t believe that this was the correct prescription. Her face was ferocious, and she looked like she was about to rush towards Xia Wan. Xia Wan, how dare you trick me! Li Jin also reacted. He picked up a stick and was about to hit Xia Wan. ¡°Your sister is sick here, and you still dare to tease her? I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Yan Han, Xia Chen, and the others quickly came to stop her, but Xia Wan was not stupid and immediately dodged. At the same time, she didn¡¯t forget to put on an aggrieved look and said, ¡°Grandma, sister Xia Ru, I¡¯m telling the truth. I didn¡¯t want to say it, but you forced me. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve said it, you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Xia Hai blocked Li Jin¡¯s way, not letting her hit Xia Wan. With a face as bitter as bile, he told his mother, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s talk this out. Why are you hitting her?¡± Li Jin glared at him. ¡°Great, now you know how to feel bad for your daughter. You can ignore me as a mother, right? Can¡¯t you do something when your daughter is lying here? ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to discipline him, I, as his grandmother, will discipline him for you today! Xia Hai quickly stopped her. He thought to himself that Xia Wan had just fallen sick and could not be injured again. Li Jin saw how protective Xia Hai was of Xia Wan, so he didn¡¯t slow down, and the stick landed squarely on Xia Hai. Chapter 40 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Chen and Xia Feng quickly went to stop him. ¡°Grandma, why did you hit my dad? He didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± Xia Chen shouted. Xia Feng chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. Grandma, you were the one who wanted to ask sister. She¡¯s told you, but you¡¯re still not satisfied. Now, you want to hit her. Grandma, how could you be so prejudiced?¡± ¡°Xia Ru is your granddaughter, but isn¡¯t my sister your granddaughter too? Are my brother and I not your grandsons?¡± Xia Feng had long been dissatisfied with Li Jin¡¯s favoritism. He wasn¡¯t a talkative person, but after seeing Li Jin attack Xia Hai in public, he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. This was their father, and he was considered an elder in the family. Now, because of Xia Ru¡¯s illness, she wanted his father to be beaten up. What kind of logic was this? Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were filled with anger. She was good at fighting and was confident that Li Jin wouldn¡¯t be able to hit her, but she didn¡¯t expect her father to rush up and take the hit. She quickly rushed forward and grabbed the stick in Li Jin¡¯s hand. Her eyes were fierce and cold. ¡°Stop!!!¡± Being glared at by Xia Wan¡¯s cold eyes, Li Jin felt a sense of fear. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that this is an extreme prescription. Whether Xia Ru can use it or not has nothing to do with me and my father. ¡°If the person who gave this prescription was doctor Niu, would you also do something to him, Grandma? ¡± ¡°At the end of the day, you just don¡¯t trust my family and me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you because you¡¯re my grandmother. But if you dare to touch my father again, I won¡¯t let this matter go so easily.¡± Being stared at by Xia Wan and hearing her threatening words, Li Jin felt a little guilty. Speaking of which, this matter had nothing to do with Xia Hai. She had been a little impulsive. The main thing was that Xia Wan was simply too terrifying in her current state. She was like a vengeful ghost that came for revenge. Li Jin didn¡¯t make any more moves, and Yan Han immediately brought Xia Hai away. ¡°Mom, remember to apply the medicine for dad,¡± Xia Wan reminded her. ¡°Yes, Mom will remember,¡± Yan Han responded, her eyes full of heartache. Xia Ru glared at Xia Wan¡¯s family with hatred. She felt that this family was deliberately taking revenge on her and humiliating her! Xia Wan glanced at her before she left, but did not say anything. No one in this world could cure the poison she had prescribed. Not to mention doctor Niu, even the hospital couldn¡¯t do anything. The antidote could be made without feces, but ¡­ Since Xia Ru had provoked her, she naturally had to plan her revenge skillfully. Soon, Song Yan arrived with doctor Niu, and the doctor asked about Xia Ru¡¯s condition in detail. After hearing Xia Ru¡¯s answer, doctor Niu frowned. I¡¯ve never encountered such a situation before. Xia Ru was shocked. ¡°What? You¡¯ve never seen this before? That¡¯s impossible. Doctor Niu, can you prescribe me some medicine first? I¡¯m in too much pain. I can¡¯t stand it for a moment longer.¡± However, doctor Niu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what caused it yet, and I can simply just give you some medicine. It might just aggravate it. ¡°Well, tell me what you ate and drank today.¡± Doctor Niu asked Xia Ru a series of questions and realized that there was nothing wrong with Xia Ru¡¯s food and drink. She had never come into contact with anything special. This illness came in a very strange way. ¡°How about this, you should hurry to the hospital. I really don¡¯t have a choice,¡± doctor Niu said helplessly. He didn¡¯t have the ability, so he couldn¡¯t blindly prescribe. He would be irresponsible to the patient if he did so. ¡°What? How long will it take to go to the county hospital? doctor Niu, I¡¯m already feeling so uncomfortable.¡± Xia Ru¡¯s expression changed drastically as she exclaimed. At this time, the neighbors were also woken up by Xia Ru¡¯s screams, and they cursed and swore across the courtyard wall. ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night. What are you shouting for? Can¡¯t you let me sleep?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s so insensible? Are you sick? why are you screaming in the middle of the night?¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t fall asleep immediately. She smiled as she listened to the neighbors¡¯ curses. This was just the beginning. Chapter 41 - 41 Looking For A Job 41 Looking For A Job When Li Jin heard those curses, her already frustrating mood became even more anxious. She directly shouted at the top of her voice, ¡°My Xia Ru is sick! Are you all so heartless? Has your child never been sick?!¡± The neighbors all knew how fierce Li Jin was, and after hearing her outburst, they didn¡¯t make a fuss for the sake of Xia Ru¡¯s illness. That night, Xia Ru still went to the county hospital. However, just as Xia Wan had guessed, even after an examination, the doctor couldn¡¯t find any problems. He only told her to control herself and not scratch. He also prescribed her some anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medicine. The next morning, Xia Wan woke up to see Xia Chen in formal clothes. Seeing Xia Wan awake, he took the initiative to greet her. sister, you¡¯re awake. I¡¯m going to the county to see if there¡¯s any work. Even you make money. As an older brother, I can¡¯t just stay at home and eat for free.¡± Xia Wan smiled and didn¡¯t stop him. She said, ¡°Then, brother, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± It just so happened that she had some money on hand now. 5000 yuan was a lot for this era. She could use it to open a shop, but she hadn¡¯t thought about what business she would dabble in. She could take the opportunity to think about business opportunities while she went to the county with Xia Chen. Xia Wan felt full of energy as she thought about it. Xia Feng heard the commotion and wanted to go with them, but he remembered that Xia Ru had been sick last night. If the three went to the county today, no one would be able to do the work at home. Then, grandma would scold them again. So, he chose to stay at home and not go out. Xia Wan and Xia Chen had only walked for a while when they saw a few women chatting under a big tree in the village while eating carrots. At the sight of Xia Wan, the woman immediately waved at her happily. Xia Wan, come here, come here. I have something to ask you. Xia Wan said to Xia Chen, ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll go take a look. Wait for me here. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t listen to women¡¯s gossip.¡± In fact, she had already guessed why these women were looking for her. If her brother were beside her, it would only affect her performance. As expected, when Xia Wan walked over, the old woman immediately asked, ¡°Xia Wan, I heard that your cousin Xia Ru fell sick last night. What are her symptoms?¡± Xia Wan showed a worried look and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with my cousin. She suddenly started to itch all over. She¡¯s making a lot of noise. Even doctor Niu couldn¡¯t stop her. I don¡¯t know if my cousin has an allergic reaction. I heard she went to the county hospital last night and hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s not back yet. That sounds quite serious. But Xia Wan, did you know that your cousin¡¯s illness is the same as Liu Shi¡¯s? Liu Shi is also in the county hospital now. How could it be such a coincidence that they fell sick at the same time? Could they have gone somewhere?¡± The woman stared at Xia Wan as she spoke, her eyes full of anticipation. It was obvious that she wanted to get some information out of her. Xia Wan, on the other hand, pretended to be shocked. ¡°Ah, how could that be? My cousin is usually very well-liked by grandma. Why would she go out alone with Liu Shi? Juan Zi, where did you hear this from? my cousin is still unmarried. If this gets out, it¡¯ll be bad for her reputation.¡± When the women heard that Xia Wan was still trying to protect Xia Ru, they secretly thought that this girl was really honest. There were rumors in the village that Xia Wan seduced someone else¡¯s boyfriend and was pushed into the river. Now it seemed that the real indecent person in the Xia family was clearly Xia Ru! Seeing Xia Wan being so honest, the woman couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Xia Wan, do you know why everyone in the village has a bad impression of you after you fell into the water last time?¡± Xia Wan pretended to be innocent. I don¡¯t know. Everyone might have misunderstood me. I really didn¡¯t steal anyone¡¯s boyfriend. Chapter 42 - 42 Acting 42 Acting ¡°Sigh, child. I¡¯ll be honest with you. Your reputation is bad because someone deliberately spread the news that you fell into the water in the village and that you were behaving inappropriately. This Liu Shi is the one who spread the most rumors. Look. This is his retribution. He didn¡¯t control his mouth and spoke ill of others behind their backs. Xia Wan, you¡¯re such an obedient child. How could you do such a thing?¡± The woman¡¯s face showed that she trusted Xia Wan. Xia Wan¡¯s face revealed a hurt look. So, it was all Liu Shi¡¯s words. In reality, she did not take the women¡¯s so-called goodwill and sympathy seriously at all. These gossipmongers were now talking about Xia Rui because of her incident, which meant her previous bad reputation had been washed clean. However, even if Xia Rui¡¯s incident had not happened, these gossipmongers would still be talking about her. Having little care about the feelings of the people involved, these women only wanted to blab to their heart¡¯s content. ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t be sad. Now, everyone knows that you¡¯re innocent. Your cousin always looks serious, and your grandmother keeps praising her. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so cavalier. The woman comforted Xia Wan, who lowered her head and replied, ¡°Thank you, aunts. My brother and I will go to the county to see if there is a place for us to work. You can take your time and sit down.¡± ¡°Ah, go on. You¡¯re a good child.¡± Xia Wan turned around and walked toward Xia Chen. She could still hear the mumbling of the women behind her. Previously, Liu Shi had deliberately spread rumors that Xia Wan was seducing men. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Xia Rui to be the one who¡¯d do such a shameless thing. She and Liu Shi did such a shameless thing and even tried to frame Xia Wan. These two people are really a shameless couple.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Otherwise, what would happen to the two of them now? This is karma.¡± After Xia Wan walked to Xia Chen¡¯s side, Xia Chen asked, ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Xia Wan smiled mysteriously and happily shared the news with Xia Chen. ¡°Brother, they said that they believe that I didn¡¯t do such a shameless thing and that Xia Rui did it. Last night, Xia Rui and Liu Shi got sick. The aunts said that they must have done something to cause them to get sick together.¡± ¡°Ah, Liu Shi also contracted this disease.¡± Xia Chen was surprised, but then he smiled. good, let him talk bad about you behind your back. Realizing that he had said something wrong, Xia Chen quickly urged, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hurry to the county.¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Brother, I know you and little brother went to stand up for me. Thank you.¡± Xia Chen felt even more embarrassed when Xia Wan said it out loud. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me for avenging my sister. It¡¯s what we should do.¡± After arriving in town, Xia Chen decided to go to the factories to see if there were any vacancies. Even if it was not a permanent job, something short-term was also good. He did not have high expectations, though, where ten yuan a day would be enough to make him happy. Xia Wan, on the other hand, wanted to take a look at the more prosperous streets and observe which shops were more popular. The two had different goals, so Xia Wan took out ten yuan from her pocket and handed it to Xia Chen. ¡°Brother, take the money and find a job. If you¡¯re hungry, go eat. Don¡¯t save it for me. I have many ways to make money in my head.¡± Xia Chen refused, but he couldn¡¯t argue with Xia Wan, so he had to accept the money. At the same time, he made up his mind to find a good job and not let Xia Wan down. After Xia Chen left, Xia Wan began to stroll along the streets. She realized that the living areas and business people were mixed together on the streets. There was no special commercial street, and the clothes sold were more rustic and piled up messily. One look at them and no one had the urge to go in and shop. Xia Wan thought that girls were the easiest to spend money on. Selling clothes was a good idea, but she needed to rent a shop. If Li Jin and Xia Rui found out that she had rented a shop, they would¡¯ve definitely come up with bad ideas. Hence, if she rented a shop, she would pretend that she was helping to look after it. At the same time, she would find herself a strong backer. She would say that her boss was a big businessman and owned several shops. This way, Li Jin and the others wouldn¡¯t dare be so rash. After walking for about two hours, Xia Wan had already seen all the shops in the area. They were very scattered. She happened to see a restaurant and walked in directly. Chapter 43 - 43 Giving An Idea 43 Giving An Idea Xia Wan glanced at the few dishes that the boss had written on the small Blackboard and said, ¡°Boss, I¡¯d like a tomato fried egg and a bowl of rice.¡± Ah, okay. Take a seat here first. I¡¯ll serve it to you later.¡± The boss responded and recorded the order in the small notebook in his hand. The chef behind him began to stir-fry the vegetables. Xia Wan randomly found a seat near the door where she could enjoy the scenery while she ate. Just as the dishes were about to be served, she happened to hear the discussion at the table at the entrance. One of the slightly chubby men was holding a newly made can and fawning over another man who was dressed fashionably. ¡°Brother Xu, look at this. I learned how to do this. Does the canned food look good or what? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll attract everyone¡¯s attention. By then, your brand will definitely be able to regain its past glory.¡± The fashionable man looked like he was only 18 years old, while the chubby man looked almost 30. However, from the way the chubby man was trying to please him, it was obvious that the fashionable man was of high status. From his clothes, he should be from a rich family. The fashionable man, Xu Ye, looked at the can he handed over and frowned. ¡°Zhou Shu, do you think I¡¯ve never seen the world? What¡¯s the difference between this and the one you gave me last time?¡± There¡¯s no change in the taste. Do you think others will be interested in our canned food just by changing its label? ¡°If you can¡¯t think of a good idea, then say it. Don¡¯t try to fool me. Do you really think I don¡¯t know anything?¡± Zhou Shu noticed that Xu Ye was a little angry, so he quickly tried to appease him. ¡°Brother Xu, please don¡¯t say that. Everyone knows that you go to the more prosperous places. It¡¯s not something people from small places like us can compare to. I¡¯ve really tried my best.¡± While Xia Wan was eating, she glanced at the Xu family¡¯s canned food and remembered that they were once a company with a conscience. The Xu family¡¯s canned food was very popular in the county a few years ago. However, many people began to use imported goods, greatly impacting domestic products and subsequently causing their total elimination. If they weren¡¯t quick to change, they would be eliminated. Such was the characteristic of this era. ¡°It¡¯s just a small change, of course. It won¡¯t help it survive. Sometimes, danger represents new opportunities. It depends on whether or not you can grasp it,¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but say. When Uncle Zhou heard the voice, he looked toward the source of the voice. When he saw that it was a little girl, he immediately looked a little displeased. The way she treated Xu Ye was completely different from how he treated him. ¡°Who are you? Is it your place to speak? What qualifications do you have to guide us?¡± Xu Ye¡¯s eyes brightened when he heard what Xia Wan said. It was exactly what he was thinking. He had an intuition that the cannery needed to make changes in order to survive. However, he was troubled by the question of making a successful change. Xu Ye glared at Zhou Shu, then looked at Xia Wan with a gentle gaze and said to her, ¡°Little sister, I wonder what you have in mind? Can you tell me? This can factory is very important to our family. My grandfather built it.¡± Xia Wan smiled and pointed at the food that had been served. ¡°Okay, this meal is on you. I¡¯ll talk to you about it.¡± Hearing her words, Zhou Shu snorted coldly. ¡°I thought you were capable, but it turns out you just can¡¯t afford your food. Now that you¡¯ve heard our conversation, you¡¯ve come to cheat us.¡± Xia Wan squinted dangerously and shot Zhou Shu a warning look. ¡°Just because you¡¯re incapable doesn¡¯t mean that others are. I¡¯m not talking to you. You have no right to interrupt.¡± Even though Xia Wan was young, the aura that she burst out immediately intimidated Zhou Shu. It was as if the little girl in front of him could end his life anytime. Xu Ye also warned Zhou Shu. ¡°Don¡¯t talk too much.¡± The next moment, Xu Ye sat directly next to Xia Wan and said with a smile, ¡°Little girl, order whatever you want. It¡¯s okay even if you can¡¯t say it well. Today¡¯s meal is on me.¡± Chapter 44 - 44 Combination of Characteristics 44 Combination of Characteristics Thanks to Xu Ye¡¯s magnanimity, Xia Wan¡¯s impression of him was good and she was willing to talk to him more. She said, ¡°Is it because of those imported snacks and that everyone likes to eat them? Are they not interested in your canned food?¡± Xu Ye¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°That¡¯s right. Now, everyone doesn¡¯t like our canned food anymore. They like snacks with fresh packaging and unique flavors. Little girl, what do you think we should do? Learn packaging design from those foreigners?¡± Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°We make local products, and those are foreign products. Our country has a long history of culture, so why can¡¯t we utilize it for packaging design?¡± Upon hearing this, Xu Ye went deep in thought. Xia Wan continued to enlighten him. ¡°Also, our people pay more attention to practicality. They like to make pickled vegetables and chili sauce when they have nothing to do. If they buy your cans that can be used to store things and water, don¡¯t you think more will buy it?¡± Xu Ye¡¯s eyes brightened as he listened. ¡°You mean, we can change the can bottles to plastic ones? It can also be made in different sizes. In this case, the big ones can be used to store pickled vegetables and the likes of it, and the small ones can be used for drinking water?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Of course you can. You can also design the exterior packaging. We have so many myths and legends, so we can use them as a source of packaging design to create a batch of canned food with local characteristics. We can also design some gift boxes, but with more exquisite packaging. We can raise the price for those who want to buy them for gifts. ¡°This way, we can meet the demand for gifts from the Chinese. People will want to buy the canned food produced here during festivals. Naturally, we won¡¯t have to worry about sales.¡± The more Xu Ye listened, the more he felt that Xia Wan made a lot of sense. At first, Zhou Shu looked down on Xia Wan and thought that she was just here to cheat him of his food. However, after listening to Xia Wan, Zhou Shu realized that she was actually very pragmatic. ¡°Thank you, little sister. I¡¯ve learned a lot from you. It¡¯s not something that can be repaid with a meal.¡± As Xu Ye spoke, he took out all the cash in his wallet and stuffed it into Xia Wan¡¯s hands. ¡°Take this. It¡¯s your consultation fee.¡± Xia Wan took a quick glance and saw that it was about a thousand yuan, and she didn¡¯t reject it. If Xu Ye really took her advice, the wealth he would bring to the Xu family wouldn¡¯t be as humble as a few thousand. While she was talking to Xu Ye, Xia Wan had already finished her rice. She took the money and said with a smile, ¡°Then I¡¯m done answering. Bye.¡± She then turned around and left. Xu Ye didn¡¯t have the time to ask for her name, and his eyes were full of regret. ¡°She¡¯s such a smart girl. If only she could work in our factory. I¡¯ll definitely pay her well,¡± Xu Ye couldn¡¯t help but mutter. Zhou Shu heard him and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Brother Xu. I¡¯ll keep an eye on her for you. The next time we see her, I¡¯ll definitely ask her for her name and address.¡± Xu Ye nodded. He couldn¡¯t help but want to go home and tell his father about this idea so they could carry out the next step of their plan. The next moment, Xu Ye¡¯s phone rang. He took out a black palm-sized object, an old phone from a goneby era. The caller ID wasn¡¯t visible. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± In a hurry to get home, he sounded a little impatient. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone. Xu Ye¡¯s expression changed immediately. He looked happy. ¡°You finally know how to contact me. When I heard that something happened to you, I sent so many people to look for you, but no one found you. Where are you now? Are you seriously injured?¡± Chen Mo could hear the concern in his voice and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I was saved by a little girl. I¡¯m going to thank her properly.¡± Xu Ye¡¯s tone was ambiguous when he heard this. ¡°Young lady¡­ is it that young lady pretty? Do you have a crush on her? Tell me honestly!¡± When Chen Mo heard him, Xia Wan¡¯s cold face appeared in his mind. He seemed a troublesome person in her eyes. He did not know if she would like him to see her this time. He didn¡¯t even know where she lived. Although he was thinking about Xia Wan, Chen Mo did not hold back. ¡°I¡¯m different from you. I fall in love with every girl I see. Your ex-boyfriend can go form an army. I just want to thank him.¡± Chapter 45 - 45 Something Happened To Someone 45 Something Happened To Someone Xu Ye was unhappy when he heard that. ¡°I don¡¯t have that many girlfriends. We just like each other. Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m a scumbag.¡± ¡°I met a little girl today,¡± Xu Ye continued excitedly. ¡°Not only was she pretty, but she came with a ton of new ideas. I think her suggestion can solve our cannery¡¯s crisis. I¡¯m telling you, if this works, I¡¯ll have to thank her. Chen Mo couldn¡¯t help but cut him off. ¡°That¡¯s enough. There are too many girls who can attract you. I can¡¯t even count them. I¡¯m not calling to hear you talk about this. I¡¯m calling to tell you that the business at Lingnan is now ours. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. I still have some personal matters to attend to. If it¡¯s nothing serious, don¡¯t bother me.¡± Chen Mo then hung up the phone. Xu Ye smiled as he held his phone. Chen Mo must have taken a fancy to her, but he was still not admitting it. From what he could remember, Chen Mo was a very powerful person. Take the business at Ling Nan for example. The people who were competing with them had sent out dozens of people to scare Chen Mo away but in the end, Chen Mo chased them away, and they even successfully took over the business. Xu Ye believed these people were probably about to die of anger. However, Chen Mo was different from him. Over the years, all kinds of women surrounded him. Some were good-looking, some were talented, and some had good family backgrounds, making each one that pursued Chen Mo a goddess. Chen Mo, however, never took a liking to them. Now, it was rare for someone to attract Chen Mo¡¯s attention. For the sake of his brother¡¯s happiness, Xu Ye was willing to do all the work that he had to do. Chen Mo, who had just ended the call, was frowning as he looked at the various accessories in the store. He had asked a friend what girls liked, and his friend had told him that girls liked jewelry. However, looking at the various hairpins and bracelets in front of him, he felt that they were a little tacky and didn¡¯t match Xia Wan¡¯s temperament. In his eyes, Xia Wan was like a lotus flower on a snowy mountain, fresh and refined. To be able to match Xia Wan, one had to be unique enough. On the other side, Xia Wan also happened to walk into a silver jewelry shop in the town. At that moment, she looked at the various silver ornaments in the shop and felt that the design styles were actually similar. There was nothing that could attract attention at first glance. The color was not bad, but it was too ordinary and not eye-catching enough when worn. Xia Wan wondered if she should collect some money and find a master to design unique silver jewelry for her to create her own jewelry brand. She didn¡¯t think that it¡¯d be a big problem, though she did not have that much money. ¡°Boss, let me see this ring,¡± Xia Wan and another girl said almost at the same time. Xia Wan looked at the other party and smiled. you pick first. The girl looked to be around 25 years old, and there was a man beside her who looked to be her husband. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. The girl said gently and reached out to take the ring. The next moment, the girl¡¯s vision suddenly turned black, and she fell to the ground. ¡°Xiao Rou, Xiao Rou, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The man immediately stepped forward in concern and shook the girl very hard. don¡¯t touch her! Xia Wan frowned. she¡¯s not in a good condition now. The harder you push, the worse she¡¯ll feel. The man looked at Xia Wan unhappily and said impatiently, ¡°Who are you? She¡¯s my wife. Now that my wife is in trouble, of course I¡¯m concerned. Who are you? It¡¯s not your place to care.¡± ¡°My grandfather is a doctor, and I¡¯ve learned medicine from him since I was young. I wouldn¡¯t say things without evidence. If you really care about her, what you should do now is to put her outside. There are too many people inside, and the air is stale. It¡¯ll only be harmful to her. There were other customers in the shop, and they all spoke up for Xia Wan when they saw this. ¡°Yes, the young lady is right. Look at your wife¡¯s pale face. You should move her out and listen to the young lady.¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that if a person suddenly falls ill, you can¡¯t touch them. It¡¯s really easy to get into trouble. You better listen to the young lady.¡± Chapter 46 - 46 The Man Is Pretending 46 The Man Is Pretending Seeing that everyone was speaking up for Xia Wan, the man had no choice but to help the girl up and put her in an open space outside. Xia Wan had always been observant, and she didn¡¯t miss the impatience that flashed across the man¡¯s eyes. However, she was a little confused. This man was the girl¡¯s husband, yet, now that the girl was in a coma, all he did was express a little concern before quickly becoming impatient. It seemed that this was a man who only seemed to care for his woman on the surface when he actually had his own thoughts. At this time, Xia Wan defined this man as a scumbag. This only made her more sympathetic to the girl who had fainted. Xia Wan quickly followed her outside, and after checking her pulse, she took out a handkerchief, rolled it up, and put it into the girl¡¯s mouth. The man saw Xia Wan¡¯s actions and immediately questioned, ¡°What are you doing? Sure, my wife is unconscious, but you can¡¯t just humiliate her.¡± Xia Wan glared at him coldly. Then, before she could say anything, she suddenly started twitching all over, with the veins on her face popping. If Xia Wan had not stuffed the food into her mouth, the girl would have probably chewed her lips to bits. The people around them also exclaimed when they saw this. ¡°Oh my God¡­ this is epilepsy.¡± The girl¡¯s limbs twitched as she kicked around randomly. There was even white foam coming out of her mouth. When the man saw this, he was also shocked. If you looked closely enough, you could even see the disdain in his eyes. When Xia Wan saw that the girl¡¯s convulses had increased, she quickly pressed her hands on her legs. However, she had not trained much and didn¡¯t have much strength. It was obvious that she could not hold the girl down. She looked at the man beside her with dissatisfaction and scolded, ¡°What are you still looking at? Isn¡¯t she your wife? Your wife is twitching all over. Were you just pretending to be concerned about her?¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, the man¡¯s eyes flickered and he immediately helped to massage her, not forgetting to explain himself. ¡°I was just too surprised. I didn¡¯t expect that something like this would happen to my wife. Who said I don¡¯t care about my wife? We have a good relationship. I don¡¯t need you to lecture me.¡± Xia Wan snorted coldly and ignored him. She had taken the girl¡¯s pulse just now and found that it wasn¡¯t just a simple case of epilepsy, but poison. It had a slow-acting toxin that would slowly erode the body without anyone noticing. Just as Xia Wan was confused, she saw a familiar figure rushing over. She recognized him. He was Zhou Tian, the boss who sold ginseng to her. Zhou Tian looked straight at the unconscious woman on the ground, his eyes filled with concern as he said, ¡°Xiao Rou, what¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t scare dad.¡± Xia Wan suddenly remembered. No wonder the last time she went to the store to sell ginseng, she saw that there were many medicinal herbs in the store that were specially prepared for the body. It seemed that they were all prepared for this girl. ¡°Boss Zhou, is this your daughter?¡± Xia Wan asked. Only then did Zhou Tian see Xia Wan. Due to the previous incident, Zhou Tian still had a deep impression of her. She was a girl who knew her medicinal herbs. ¡°Girl, it¡¯s you. Sigh. My daughter¡¯s health isn¡¯t good. I¡¯ve been looking for all kinds of tonics for her, and she¡¯s been taking them for so long, yet there¡¯s still no effect. Xia Wan nodded and said thoughtfully, ¡°Some medicines won¡¯t work. Could you have used the wrong method?¡± Zhou Tian¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard her words. ¡°Do you know how to treat her? My daughter¡¯s illness has been lingering for a long time. Even the hospital could do little for her. Xia Wan nodded slightly. ¡°My grandfather used to be a village doctor in the village. He has treated similar diseases before. Maybe I can give it a try.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯d be so grateful if you could,¡± Zhou Tian said excitedly. The man from before disagreed. ¡°Dad, she looks so young. How can you let a little girl treat Rou? Even the hospital can¡¯t cure her disease. What can she do? We can¡¯t delay Rou¡¯s treatment.¡± Zhou Tian looked at the man unhappily after he heard that. He criticized, ¡°Li Yan, how can you say that? Are you looking down on this little girl? Her grandfather is the village doctor and has seen many diseases. Besides, Rou¡¯s illness has been lingering for a long time. Now, as long as there is a chance, I will not let it go. I will treat Rou well.¡± Chapter 47 - 47 Save Her, I Beg Of You 47 Save Her, I Beg Of You Zhou Tian no longer looked at Li Yan. He turned to Xia Wan with a pleading look and said, ¡°I beg you. Please save my daughter. I only have one daughter. If anything happens to her, how am I supposed to live?¡± Zhou Tian¡¯s eyes welled up. ¡°I¡¯ve taken Rou to many hospitals, but they all said there was nothing wrong with her. She was just a little weak and would be fine after taking some supplements. However, I gave her many good medicinal herbs, but she didn¡¯t get better. Instead, she became weaker. It¡¯s not the first time she¡¯s had a relapse.¡± ¡°My only wish now is to cure little Rou¡¯s illness. I¡¯m willing to spend all my money. ¡°Xia Wan, as long as there¡¯s a chance, don¡¯t hesitate to save her. She¡¯s really a kind and obedient girl.¡± Xia Wan saw how sincere he was and thought of her parents. If she were sick, her parents would surely be very worried and would try their best to save their child. Hence, Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll try my best to cure her. She should rest, so it¡¯s better if you take her home. I went out with my brother today. I¡¯ll bring him with me when we meet later.¡± Xia Wan still had some concerns about going to a stranger¡¯s house. Only with Xia Chen around could she be completely at ease. Zhou Tian had a favor to ask of Xia Wan, so he naturally agreed when he heard her words. He immediately wrote down the address for Xia Wan and then left with Zhou Xiao Rou in a hurry. After Zhou Tian and the others left, Xia Wan was no longer in the mood to shop at the jewelry store. She went straight to the place she agreed to meet Xia Chen. After waiting for about an hour, Xia Chen finally arrived. Seeing that Xia Wan was waiting for him, Xia Chen quickened his pace and rushed over. ¡°You must have waited a long time. I went to take a look, but I couldn¡¯t find a suitable job. People don¡¯t want short-term jobs. There are too few short-term jobs, which have all been taken away,¡± Xia Chen said, a little embarrassed. He felt a little useless, unable to find a job when his sister was already making money. Xia Wan smiled and comforted him, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re family, and we don¡¯t have to be so rigid about this.¡± ¡°By the way, brother, I¡¯m going to the previous owner¡¯s house to treat his daughter. Come with me. You just have to look after her when we get there and leave the rest to me.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he said. Xia Chen agreed almost immediately. He had never refused his sister. Then, Xia Chen suddenly realized something. He looked at Xia Wan strangely and asked, ¡°Sister, did you really learn all your medical skills from Grandpa? Why haven¡¯t I seen you use them?¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t expect her brother to be so sensitive. She still had to rely on her medical skills to make money in the future, and this matter couldn¡¯t be kept a secret. After thinking for a while, Xia Wan said, ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve actually been learning medicine from Grandpa. Although my grades aren¡¯t that good, it¡¯s not because I¡¯m stupid. It¡¯s just that I wasn¡¯t focused on my studies.¡± Grandpa told me that I¡¯m still young and that others might not believe me if I say that I know a lot. Also, if something happens because of my treatment, it will greatly impact me.¡± Xia Wan looked troubled. ¡°But the situation is different now. Our family is always getting bullied. Grandma doesn¡¯t support us at all. If we don¡¯t work hard, our family will definitely plot against them. So, brother, I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Even if my medical skills might put me at risk, I have to use them to earn and lead our family to live a better life. ¡°Brother, do you want our parents to be looked down on every day? Do you want grandma to despise us every day? ¡°We¡¯re so filial and the kindest ones in the family, yet those people bully us at will. Brother, I really want to stop enduring this.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were red. It was obvious that she had been wronged for many years. Xia Chen¡¯s heart ached as he watched on. He said, ¡°These are things I should have done, but it¡¯s all on your shoulders now. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. I promise I¡¯ll do my best to protect you. Just use your medical skills to make money, and I¡¯ll give you my full cooperation.¡± Chapter 48 - 48 Ill Listen To My Sister 48 I¡¯ll Listen To My Sister He couldn¡¯t say anything against his sister because their family was in need of money. His sister and brother were still studying, but he hadn¡¯t found a job. If the burden of the family were placed on his parents, it would only wear them out faster. Their parents also seemed much older than their peers. Bogged down all year round, they always did more than others and had an honest temperament, making them easy targets for schemers and bullies. His sister was right. They couldn¡¯t tolerate it any longer. His parents would grow old. He didn¡¯t want their bodies to be destroyed when he had some achievements in the future. Now that his sister had the ability to make money, he certainly wouldn¡¯t stop her. Seeing that Xia Chen had listened to her, Xia Wan felt much more at ease. The two of them arrived at a three-story house according to the address given by Zhou Tian. Only a select few could afford to build a three-story house these days. Xia Chen was immediately dumbfounded. He could not help but look at the house with envy. ¡°This house is really well-built. It¡¯s spacious and bright, and the decoration is completely different from our village¡¯s,¡± Xia Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°If you want one, brother,¡± Xia Wan said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one when I have money.¡± Xia Wan was serious. She knew that men were interested in houses and cars. A house was the most secure existence. Without a house, they would always feel that they did not belong. Furthermore, they were now living with their grandma, who was usually prejudiced against them. They had to be very careful in their actions, or she would be quick to reprimand them. Xia Chen thought Xia Wan was joking, so he smiled and said, ¡°Sure, then I¡¯ll wait for you to build me a house.¡± Their conversation didn¡¯t affect the progress much. Xia Wan went up and knocked on the door. Soon, Zhou Tian came to open the door. He was very excited to see her arrive. ¡°Xia Wan, you¡¯re finally here!¡± ¡°How¡¯s sister Xiao Rou doing?¡± Xia Wan nodded and asked. ¡°Thank God you saved Xiao Rou in time and stopped her from hurting herself,¡± Zhou Tian sighed in relief. ¡°In the past, every time Xiao Rou¡¯s illness acted up, she would hurt herself uncontrollably. I felt awful each time I saw that.¡± ¡°Sister Xiao Rou¡¯s husband seems to adore her a lot,¡± Xia Wan said, feigning surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t he here to help watch over her?¡± Zhou Tian didn¡¯t know that Xia Wan was testing him. He said, ¡°He still has to work and is quite busy. Now that Rou is in poor health, he¡¯ll be taking a break for a while. Rou used to be very busy, but now that they both have things to do, even my granddaughter Xinxin has to ask Rou¡¯s best friend, Song Ya, to pick her up.¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°I see. I understand.¡± She began to digest the information. It seemed that Rou had a stable job before she was struck with the illness. No thanks to that, she was now forced to take a long vacation. At the same time, Xiao Rou also had a daughter named Li Xin and a good friend called Song Ya. Combined with what she already knew, Xiao Rou¡¯s husband was called Li Yan. Xiao Rou¡¯s network of connections immediately appeared in Xia Wan¡¯s mind. Xia Wan had already deduced the poison in Xiao Rou¡¯s body from her pulse. However, the person who could poison her must¡¯ve been someone who had the opportunity to get close to her. Treating her was a small matter. What she needed to do was to catch the mastermind and let Zhou Tian and his daughter see the real person. If that didn¡¯t happen, she would save Xiao Rou this time, but the other party would harm her again. ¡°Then let¡¯s go take a look,¡± Xia Wan said to Zhou Tian, careful not to raise suspicions. Zhou Tian led Xia Wan into Xiao Rou¡¯s room on the second floor. It was in a good location, and there was a large floor-to-ceiling window in the room, giving her a good view. The room was vast, almost as big as the place where Xia Wan and her family lived. Xia Chen was surprised to see Xiao Rou¡¯s room. He had lived in the village before, and even if there were some differences between the villages, they weren¡¯t that apparent. Now that he¡¯d seen Xiao Rou¡¯s room, Xia Chen realized the stark difference between a rich family and them. He would¡¯ve never imagined it if he had not seen it with his own eyes. At this moment, Xiao Rou was lying quietly on the bed. Her face was still a little pale, but it was obvious that she had stopped going crazy. On her face was a demure expression. Chapter 49 - 49 The Gentle Sister 49 The Gentle Sister She looked at Xia Wan with a gentle expression and said, ¡°I heard from my father that you were the one who helped me in time. Thank you, Wanwan.¡± Rou ¡®er¡¯s voice was gentle. Just by listening to her voice, one could feel that she was a gentle and understanding girl. Xia Wan¡¯s impression of her only got better. Li Yan happened to come over with a bowl of medicine in his hand, and when he saw Xia Wan, a touch of disgust flashed across his eyes, but he still hid it. He walked to Xiao Rou¡¯s side and said gently, ¡°The medicine is ready. Come, I¡¯ll feed you.¡± Perhaps it was because Xia Wan and the others were there that Xiao Rou looked a little shy, but she still let Li Yan feed her the medicine. Zhou Tian was very satisfied when he saw this. He felt that he had found the right son-in-law. He had always been very considerate when it came to taking care of his daughter. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes flickered. This Li Yan was different from the one she had seen in the store. Xiao Rou¡¯s illness had already escalated in the store, but he was unhappy because of her half-commanding tone. He didn¡¯t even want to care about Xiao Rou, who was lying on the ground, because he didn¡¯t want to listen to her. But now, he was clearly the image of a good husband who was infatuated and gentle. Xia Wan didn¡¯t have a good impression of Li Yan. After Li Yan finished feeding her the medicine, Zhou Tian immediately asked Xia Wan to take Xiao Rou¡¯s pulse. Xia Wan already knew about Xiao Rou¡¯s condition, but she still pretended to be very serious in diagnosing. At the same time, she also asked about Xiao Rou¡¯s usual symptoms and when they started. From Xiao Rou¡¯s explanation, Xia Wan understood that she had suddenly fallen ill a month ago. When she relapsed, she was unconscious and did not know what she was doing. Every time it happened, her body would become weak, and she would feel weak all over. She would often want to rest and lose her appetite. Xia Wan listened patiently. After Xiao Rou finished speaking, Zhou Tian looked at Xia Wan with anticipation. ¡°How is she? Can Xiao Rou be cured?¡± Xia Wan looked at Zhou Tian with a comforting look in her eyes. ¡°It should be curable. The situation Sis Xiao Rou described is very similar to a patient Grandpa told me about before. However, I need to prepare the medicinal herbs, and it will take some time. Sis Xiao Rou, you can just rest and recuperate for the next few days. I will come back to officially treat you.¡± When Li Yan heard this, he showed a little disbelief and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve always heard about it from your grandfather, but you¡¯ve never treated her before, have you? If Rou¡¯er¡¯s body is damaged, will you bear the responsibility?¡± Zhou Tian immediately reprimanded Li Yan, ¡°How could you talk to Xia Wan like that? She is the only chance we¡¯ve got to save Rou. Don¡¯t you want her to get better?¡± When Li Yan saw Zhou Tian¡¯s grave attitude, he immediately restrained his temper and said patiently, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m just worried that she doesn¡¯t know medicine at all and only said she can cure Rou for the benefit. In the past month, many people have said that they can cure Rou¡¯s illness, but in the end, it¡¯s useless. ¡°And she¡¯s so young. I¡¯ve heard that the older one dabbles in Chinese medicine, the more experienced one becomes. She¡¯s so young. What skills can she have?¡± Xia Wan looked coldly at Li Yan¡¯s provocation and did not immediately reply. She also wanted to see Zhou Tian¡¯s attitude. Although she thought Rou was a good girl, if the whole family were suspicious of her and thought Rou couldn¡¯t be cured, she would just ignore the entire matter. Zhou Tian immediately became serious and reprimanded, ¡°Li Yan, don¡¯t let me hear such words again. As long as there¡¯s a chance to save Xiao Rou, we shouldn¡¯t let go of it!¡± Then, he looked at Xia Wan guiltily. ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t take his words to heart. Just treat her. Even if you can¡¯t cure Rou in the end, I¡¯ll definitely remember your kindness.¡± He took out a red packet from his pocket and handed it to Xia Wan. ¡°This is the deposit. Take it. As long as you can cure Rou, I will give you more money.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t accept it and pushed it back to him. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t cured Sis Xiao Rou yet. How can I accept your money? Please take it back.¡± Chapter 50 - 50 Too Much Money 50 Too Much Money This time, Zhou Tian¡¯s attitude was very firm. ¡°You must keep the money. If you need any medicinal herbs, just let me know. If I don¡¯t have them, I¡¯ll use all my connections to find them for you. I believe that you won¡¯t lie to me, and I also believe that you can save Rou.¡± Looking at Zhou Tian¡¯s determined eyes, Xia Wan was touched. She was no divine doctor and was just a teenage girl, but the other party was the boss of a pharmacy, and he trusted her so much. Xia Wan put herself in Zhou Tian¡¯s shoes. If she were Zhou Tian, she might not be able to trust someone so much. In the end, she still accepted the red packet and said to Zhou Tian solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sis Xiao Rou. I can cure you.¡± After telling Xiao Rou some things to take note of, Xia Wan left with Xia Chen. They had agreed to come back a few days later. Only after they walked out of the building did Xia Chen dare to breathe. Xia Wan opened the red packet containing a stack of red notes amounting to about 3000 Yuan. Xia Chen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why¡­ Why did he give so much money?¡± Zhou Tian¡¯s grandfather used to be a village doctor, and whenever he treated the poorer village folk, he would only ask for eggs or potatoes. However, this time, Zhou Tian gave them three thousand Yuan directly, and it was only the deposit. If his sister really cured the person, how much money would Zhou Tian have to pay? Xia Wan was also a little surprised. Zhou Tian had indeed given her a lot of money. She put the money away and said to Xia Chen, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t tell mom and dad about this money first. If they know that I¡¯m going to treat people, they won¡¯t believe me. We¡¯ll tell them the truth after I cure Sister Xiao Rou¡¯s illness.¡± Xia Chen immediately nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± The two subsequently headed back to the village together. Because they had made money on this trip, they were in a good mood. However, this changed when they saw two groups of people fighting not far from their house. ¡°It¡¯s obviously your girl who¡¯s the mean one, and you still dare say it¡¯s our son¡¯s problem? Our son is good in every way. How can your Xia Ru compare? All girls are worthless goods, and your Xia Ru is only more lowly!¡± ¡°How dare you insult my Ruru?! I¡¯m going to tear your mouth apart today. My daughter earns her keep and is pretty, unlike your Liu Shi? You¡¯re usually lazy and don¡¯t know anything. How can you compare yourself to our Ruru?¡± The two groups gloated about their children¡¯s achievements while looking down on each other. Worse, the two women pulled each other¡¯s hair while the men started to fight. Upon closer inspection, Xia Wan realized that most of the Xia family were present except her parents. Xia Chen¡¯s heart tightened, and he quickened his pace. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look. It seems our family is fighting with someone.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xia Wan nodded. In fact, she could roughly guess who the person was in her heart. When she left the village, the women in the village were discussing Xia Ru and Liu Shi. They felt that it was a coincidence that they had contracted a strange disease at the same time and that the two of them must have done something indecent. The two families weren¡¯t deaf, so they naturally heard these remarks and found each other more than unsavory. Meanwhile, Liu Shi¡¯s mother, Liu Hua, was pulling Song Yan¡¯s hair, angrily cursing. ¡°This shameless girl raised by your family seduced our Liu Shi in the middle of the night. I was wondering why there was movement then. So, she¡¯s from your family. You said that our Liu Shi seduced your Xia Ru, so why is she coming to our house? Our Liu Shi didn¡¯t go out last night.¡± Song Yan didn¡¯t know that Xia Ru had gone out last night. When she heard Liu Hua¡¯s words, she immediately retorted, ¡°Stop bullshitting. Our Xia Ru didn¡¯t even go out last night. Your Liu Shi must have sneaked out. You couldn¡¯t watch over your own son, and now you¡¯re trying to frame our Ruru. Look at your son. Who would like him?¡± Liu Hua was furious. This Song Yan actually dared to call her son ugly. ¡°You¡¯re scolding my precious son? I¡¯m going to tear your mouth apart today!¡± As they spoke, the two of them continued their aggrieved tussle. With wildly disheveled hair, they looked no different from two lunatics. Chapter 51 - 51 Embarrassing Even In A Fight 51 Embarrassing Even In A Fight Li Hai was also crying and shouting. ¡°Someone¡­ Liu Shi¡¯s family is bullying us. They¡¯re ganging up on an old lady. Do you think you can look down on us just because my old man¡¯s passed away, and there¡¯s no one to back us up?¡± Hearing Li Hai¡¯s screams, Xia Wan realized that Li Hai was lying on the ground and acting shamelessly. Xia Wan could tell that Li Hai wasn¡¯t injured at all. She was just taking advantage of her seniority to be a scoundrel. However, there was no point in judging who was the one being bullied. Both families were losing face by the minute. Seeing his brother and sister return, Xia Feng quickly jogged over. He didn¡¯t forget to glance at Li Hai before saying, ¡°You guys don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s been really lively today! When Liu Shi¡¯s family heard that Xia Ru was sick and was in the same situation as Liu Shi, they thought she must¡¯ve seduced him and even infected him with this strange disease. They came here today to ask for money.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were filled with a smile. Liu Shi¡¯s family must be really shameless to be asking for such money. ¡°Grandma definitely won¡¯t give them money,¡± Xia Wan said. Xia Feng nodded. ¡°Of course. Not only did grandma refuse to give it to her, but she even started arguing with the other party. Neither side was at a disadvantage. In the heat of the moment, Liu Hua pushed grandma, and she fell to the ground. Our family couldn¡¯t take it and started fighting with the other party.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s mom and dad? ¡± Xia Wan asked. ¡°It¡¯s getting serious. They should be back soon.¡± Xia Feng replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to inform her. Mom will be back soon. I just couldn¡¯t find Dad at his workplace. I don¡¯t know where he went.¡± Xia Wan was a little surprised. Her father usually came back with her uncle. Why didn¡¯t he come back today? She was still worried, so she said to Xia Feng, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand here and watch. This has nothing to do with our family. Go and stop Mother. Don¡¯t let her get involved. Xia Ru¡¯s family has always looked down on ours, let alone our mother. Now that they¡¯re in trouble, let them solve it by themselves. You guys stop Mother and bring her back to the room to wait. I¡¯ll go and find Father.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. You and Xia Feng should stop Mom. I¡¯ll go find dad,¡± Xia Chen said. Xia Wan didn¡¯t hesitate, saying, ¡°Alright, brother. You go then.¡± The three siblings split up, and Xia Feng and Xia Wan stopped Yan Han halfway. At this moment, Yan Han¡¯s eyes were filled with anxiety. ¡°I heard that your grandmother got into a fight! What¡¯s going on? Quickly take me to see her.¡± However, Xia Wan stopped her with a pitiful expression. ¡°Mom, this has nothing to do with our family. You know that Liu Shi has also contracted Xia Ru¡¯s illness. His family is saying that Xia Ru seduced him and passed on the illness to him. Now, they¡¯re clamoring for compensation from us. If you go over, they¡¯ll definitely think you¡¯re a pushover and you¡¯ll get bullied. You should go back to your room and rest. We¡¯ll keep an eye on grandma.¡± Yan Han was a little conflicted after hearing this. ¡°How can I do that? Although Xia Ru¡¯s family doesn¡¯t usually treat our family well, we¡¯re still a family, after all. How can I not help when something happens to our family?¡± Xia Wan knew Yan Han was soft-hearted, so she immediately squeezed out tears and said, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re not in good health, to begin with. If you go, not only would she be unhappy, but she¡¯ll even think you¡¯re useless. By then, Song Yan won¡¯t be grateful to you. Mom, if you go over, you¡¯ll only be criticized. If you get angry and something happens to your body, we¡¯ll be the only ones who¡¯ll feel bad for you. ¡°I¡¯m going to take my college entrance examination soon. Mom, you have to prepare for it. I just want you and dad to take care of yourselves. Let¡¯s not get involved with their family matters, okay?¡± Looking at Xia Wan¡¯s pitiful expression, Yan Han thought of Li Hai¡¯s usual favoritism and finally nodded. ¡°Alright. Mom will listen to you. I¡¯ll wait at home. By the way, where¡¯s your dad? ¡°Has he already gone over?¡± After being persuaded, Yan Han realized that she did not see Xia Hai. Chapter 52 - 52 Xia Hais Part-Time Job 52 Xia Hai¡¯s Part-Time Job When Yan Han mentioned her father, Xia Wan was afraid that she¡¯d worry, so she said, ¡°I heard someone¡¯s gone to look for Dad. Brother has gone to look for him and he should be back soon. Mom, you should go home and wait for him. Yan Han had never doubted Xia Wan, so she immediately returned home to wait in peace. About an hour later, Li Hai and the others returned. She was panting in anger, and her clothes were in a mess. It was obvious that the battle had been intense. Li Hai became enraged when she saw Yan Han and Xia Wan at home. She directly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys? We¡¯ve been bullied all the way to our doorstep, yet you guys are still resting at home? Aren¡¯t you a part of this family?¡± If it were any other time, Yan Han would have panicked when Li Hai questioned her. However, when she thought about what Xia Wan said, she put on a wronged expression, saying, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve just returned. I really don¡¯t know what happened.¡± Li Hai¡¯s face was cold. ¡°We were fighting in front of our house. Are you blind?¡± Yan Han stared at her with a pair of innocent eyes. ¡°Mother, I always go home from the back door. As you know, the back door is closer to our land. Today, I was supposed to go to the fields with my two sisters-in-law, but they didn¡¯t come. I was alone, so I stayed a little longer. I was afraid that something would happen to their land.¡± When Xia Wan heard Yan Han¡¯s reply, she began to reveal a small smile. She knew it. Yan Han was so smart. It was said that she inherited her intelligence from her mother. How could her mother¡¯s brain not be good? She was very smart to say that she was fooling Li Hai. When Li Hai heard Yan Han¡¯s words, she recalled that Song Yan and Chen Lian were indeed lazy and would sometimes leave the chores of both families to Yan Han. Thus, at that moment, she felt that he was in the wrong and didn¡¯t continue to hold Yan Han accountable. She turned to look at Xia Wan unhappily. ¡°What have you been doing? It¡¯s so late, and you¡¯re running about instead of studying at home. Why are you so free?¡± Xia Wan wasn¡¯t afraid of her. She smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been out every day, but I¡¯ve never seduced any wild men. On the other hand, Xia Ru¡¯s been beaten up. The Xia family has completely lost their reputation. Xia Wan then put on a mocking smile. ¡°Grandma, have you forgotten how you scolded me when they accused me of seducing a wild man? Why aren¡¯t you accusing Xia Ru for the same thing? Instead, we¡¯re the ones taking the blame. Is this how you handle things? Grandma, aren¡¯t you afraid the neighbors will say you¡¯re biased?¡± Although Li Hai¡¯s favoritism was plain to see, and the neighbors knew it, Li Hai¡¯s pride didn¡¯t allow her to admit it. Hence, when Xia Wan questioned her, Li Hai naturally had some reservations. She was furious but could not vent it out on Xia Wan. She thought of Xia Ru, who was the cause of today¡¯s incident, and immediately wanted to find her. Xia Wan immediately followed behind Li Hai. Yan Han tugged at her arm and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Grandma must be going to settle scores with Xia Ru now, but Xia Ru is too talkative. I¡¯m afraid that a few words from her will make Grandma think that it¡¯s our family who¡¯s in the wrong, or that she¡¯ll direct bad things to us. So I have to follow her to take a look. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t go. I¡¯m a little hungry. Can you make me something to eat?¡± When she heard that her daughter was hungry, Yan Han immediately went to prepare some food. On the other hand, Xia Wan followed Li Hai to Xia Ru¡¯s room. At this time, Xia Ru was wrapped up tightly and sitting on the bed, depressed. Seeing that Li Hai had arrived, Xia Ru, immediately pretending to be pitiful, whined, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m still in pain. What should I do? Why don¡¯t you ask Dad and Mom to take me to see a doctor in the city? Grandma, I can only earn more money for the family after I recover.¡± If Xia Wan hadn¡¯t said that, Li Hai would have analyzed the situation. Should he pay a sum of money to cure Xia Ru¡¯s illness in the city, then get her to work to pay her back, or something else? However, Xia Wan¡¯s words reminded Li Hai that Xia Ru ended up like this because she seduced a man. Because of this, the Xia family was completely humiliated, and she was pushed to the ground in her old age. Chapter 53 - 53 Li Hais Scolding Of Xia Ru 53 Li Hai¡¯s Scolding Of Xia Ru The furious Li Hai wasted no time analyzing if it was worth it to treat Xia Ru and immediately started her scolding. ¡°You still have the face to tell me I¡¯m taking you to treat your illness? It¡¯s all your fault. Liu Shi¡¯s family is here, saying that you seduced their child. Now that he¡¯s sick, they want our family to pay for his treatment.¡± ¡°You deserve this illness. It¡¯s all because of you that our family has been disgraced.¡± Xia Ru¡¯s expression turned ugly. In the past, she had always been praised by Li Hai. She was the smartest among the children and knew how to please her, and Li Hai would always scold others while she watched from the side. However, now that she was the one being scolded, Xia Ru felt very embarrassed, especially when Xia Wan was watching with a smile. Even though Xia Ru hated Xia Wan to the core, she still said in front of Li Hai, ¡°Grandma, I really didn¡¯t seduce Liu Shi. What right does their family have to say that I infected Liu Shi? Why can¡¯t it be Liu Shi who infected me? besides, I really didn¡¯t meet Liu Shi in private. I went to bed early last night. ¡°Maybe their Liu Shi is sick, and his symptoms happen to be the same as mine. They said I infected him, but I¡¯ve really never come into contact with him at all!¡± ¡°Xia Ru was adamant on not admitting that she had met Liu Shi in private. If she did, even if she recovered in the future, the people in the village would gossip about her being a seductress. How could she get married in the future? At that time, she¡¯d also be looked down upon. Even though Xia Ru didn¡¯t get into high school, she was very ambitious. Constantly feeling that she didn¡¯t do well because of bad luck, she was the best of the three girls in the family, so her future husband had to be the best as well. Li Hai hesitated after hearing Xia Ru¡¯s words and asked, ¡°You really didn¡¯t meet Liu Shi in private?¡± Xia Ru said firmly, ¡°I really didn¡¯t, Grandma. With Xia Ru¡¯s guarantee that she didn¡¯t do anything to him, Li Hai shifted her hatred onto Liu Shi¡¯s family. She felt that this family was too much of a bully. Thier son happened to have the same illness as Xia Ru, yet they wanted to take advantage of their family. What an amazing happenstance that was. ¡°It¡¯s our fault that there aren¡¯t many people in our family today,¡± Li Hai growled in anger. When your father comes back, we¡¯ll go to his family again and find out the truth about today¡¯s matter.¡± Xia Ru panicked when she heard that Li Hai was going to Liu Shi¡¯s house again, unable to guarantee if Liu Shi would keep his mouth shut. After all, she and Liu Shi had really met in private. If he accidentally revealed this, it might not affect him, but for a girl like her, it would bear grave consequences. In the village, even if a man engaged in prostitution, no one would have any opinion about it. They¡¯d even think that it was normal. However, if a girl hooked up with someone else before marriage, everyone would consider the girl was a slut, and a shameless one at that. Xia Ru knew that her reputation could not be affected, so she pretended to be kind and advised, ¡± grandma, let¡¯s not bother with them. Liu Shi is sick now, so his family must be worried, just like how you are worried about me when I¡¯m sick. Li Hai felt a little guilty when he heard her words. In fact, he was not that worried about Xia Ru. In his opinion, no matter how complicated the illness was, it would be over after a while. The conditions were so tough in the past, but didn¡¯t everyone get through it? Why couldn¡¯t they do it now? It was because of the better living conditions that everyone had become pretentious. Xia Ru was still so young. What big problem could there be? However, Li Hai knew he couldn¡¯t say that in front of Xia Ru. After all, Xia Ru¡¯s salary would still be paid to him in the future. What if she didn¡¯t give him money if he made her unhappy? Li Hai looked at Xia Wan when he thought of her salary. Xia Hai¡¯s salary was in their hands now. Now that Xia Ru was sick, she had a reason to ask Xia Hai¡¯s family to pay for her. Xia Wan knew Li Hai was up to no good when he looked at her, but he didn¡¯t say anything immediately. He only said to her, ¡°Wanwan, your mother has worked hard today. Go and help feed the chickens at home.¡± Xia Wan knew that Li Hai was trying to send her away. Since she had heard what she wanted to hear, she did not stay any longer. As she fed the chickens, she thought that Li Hai must be up to no good again. She could only pray that her parents would not fall for it. Chapter 54 - 54 I Make Money From Medicine 54 I Make Money From Medicine Her mother was still fine and listened to her. It was just that her father was a little too filial. He always felt he should listen to everything Li Hai said since she was the mother of the children. However, Li Hai did not only have one son. She had three, and it was obvious that she disliked her husband the most. However, the father thought little of it and continued to give in foolishly. Xia Chen didn¡¯t return with Xia Hai until it was dark. Seeing the fatigue on her father¡¯s face, Xia Wan asked, ¡°Dad, what did you do?¡± I think our family¡¯s in a tough spot now. I couldn¡¯t even afford to treat you when you were sick,¡± Xia Hai said with a smile. ¡°So, I thought I should make more while I still have the energy. I ran into a part-time job offering 50 yuan a month, and I immediately accepted it.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s heart ached when she heard these words. Her father had worked so hard and given so much for their family. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t tire yourself out. I can earn money, but I don¡¯t need to break my back for it. In fact, I earn more than you. So, dad, can you stop working in the future?¡± Although his parents were not that old, they still had to work in the fields and the factory. It was all physical labor that would drain them of whatever remaining life they had! Since she was reborn and had medical skills, how could she let her family suffer such grievances? She wanted her parents to live a healthy life, and it would be best if they could live to a hundred years old. She wanted to protect her family and not let them get hurt. Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s grave expression, Xia Hai was a little stunned. He scratched his head and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that tired. Besides, this job doesn¡¯t always require any labor, not to mention that I might not have any work after two months.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°No, Dad, you really can¡¯t do this job.¡± Xia Wan pursed her lips. She didn¡¯t plan to tell her parents about her medical skills so soon, but now that her father insisted on working part-time, she had no choice but to tell them in advance. Xia Wan said, ¡°Dad, I actually went to town to find a job today. I used to learn medical skills from Grandpa. It just so happens that the daughter of a rich family in town I know is sick. The illness is the same as what Grandpa told me before. I know how to cure her. Once I cure her, I can get a reward of 1000 yuan. You can¡¯t even earn this after working a few months, Dad. ¡°So, Dad, I really hope that you don¡¯t work part-time anymore. You can punch above your weight while you¡¯re still young, but as you get older, you¡¯ll be the one suffering from all kinds of diseases. ¡°Besides, my brother and I will have our own families in the future. You and Mom will have to help us look after them. Do you want to tire yourself out so early that you don¡¯t even have the ability to take care of your grandchildren?¡± Before Xia Wan said this, Xia Hai did not realize the problems he would face when he grew old. He only thought that his two sons were going to get married in the future, so he had to buy a house for them. Although Xia Wan was a girl, when she married in the future, he would have to give a large dowry. If that didn¡¯t happen, she would be looked down upon by the other party. However, after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Xia Hai felt that his daughter was capable and could make a living with her medical skills. On the other hand, he felt inferior. He was the father of several children and should take up the responsibility of the family, but now he had to put such an important task on Xia Wan. As he looked at Xia Wan, Xia Hai¡¯s eyes were filled with guilt. ¡°Wanwan, it¡¯s all my fault. If I had learned your grandfather¡¯s medical skills, I might have been able to give you a better life.¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Dad, I can learn medicine because I inherited it from you and Mom. You two were smart, to begin with.¡± Xia Wan thought to herself, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Dad didn¡¯t learn medicine. Otherwise, with his personality, he would spend all the money he earns on Li Hai and the other two families. He might as well not make any money.¡± Why was it their family that had to work so hard while the other two families got all the benefits? Chapter 55 - 55 I Cant Fight My Conscience 55 I Can¡¯t Fight My Conscience ¡°By the way, Wanwan, you said that you can treat people. Is that true? Why would they give you so much money? It was a thousand yuan. Only then did Xia Hai realize what Xia Wan meant by ¡°earning.¡± He could only obtain that after working for a year. It was not a small sum. The patient¡¯s illness must be serious. At the thought of this, Xia Hai¡¯s face turned serious. Wanwan, even though our family doesn¡¯t have that much money, we can¡¯t make money out of it. Don¡¯t force yourself if you can¡¯t cure her illness. It¡¯s not a big deal if we don¡¯t earn, but it¡¯ll be a huge problem if we prolong her illness. We can¡¯t do such immoral things for money.¡± ¡°Although money is important now, morality supersedes that. I don¡¯t have high expectations for you. I don¡¯t expect each of you to become rich and powerful, but I hope you can live up to your conscience and not let anyone down.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s heart was moved upon hearing Xia Hai¡¯s words.¡± In her previous life, she had always lived according to her father¡¯s words. No matter who she dealt with, she¡¯d be very sincere and never thought of getting any benefits. However, one by one, they used her kindness to deceive her. They stole her identity, stole her marriage, killed her parents, and took her credit. Could these evil people¡¯s actions live up to their conscience? After all, Dad¡¯s living environment and thinking were also somewhat limited. It was not wrong to be a good person, but he should not lose his guard against the bad. You don¡¯t want to harm others, but it doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t want to harm you. Those who consider you outstanding will be jealous of you. They¡¯ll want you to fall from the top, to step on you as ruthlessly as they can. It was precisely because she had gone through so much gloom that Xia Wan could say nothing else when she met the simple and honest Xia Hai. She was only touched and cherished him more. Even if she would be schemed against in the future, she would grow up and become strong. She would let her parents maintain their good hearts. She would not let anyone hurt them! ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m only treating her because I¡¯m confident. Dad, Grandpa left behind many medical books when he was alive. I want to read them, but those books are with grandma. Dad, can you come with me to get them?¡± Xia Wan wrung her hands and said uneasily, ¡°Dad, you know that Grandma doesn¡¯t like me very much. If I go alone, she might not give it to me.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Xia Hai agreed immediately. ¡°My daughter holds great potential. She can save lives with her medical skills. Of course, I¡¯ll do my best to help you.¡± Soon, Xia Hai and Xia Wan arrived at Li Hai¡¯s side. Li Hai was still sulking. Xia Jiang and Xia He¡¯s two sons had just come by and told her not to work too hard today. However, she had suffered so much, so how could her sons just let it go? ¡°Sure enough, you have your own little family and have forgotten about me, your mother. All of you are useless.¡± Li Hai was still mumbling to herself when she saw Xia Hai and Xia Wan arrive. Li Hai¡¯s face turned even more unsightly as she said impatiently, ¡°What are you doing here? I didn¡¯t see you coming to help during the fight just now, and your daughter was so good at hiding. Now that it¡¯s all over, what are you doing here? To see if I¡¯m seriously injured?¡± Xia Hai did not expect to be scolded by Li Hai as soon as he entered the room. He asked in confusion, ¡°Mother, what happened? I just got home, so I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Xia Wan was afraid that Li Hai¡¯s words would affect Xia Hai¡¯s judgment, so she said, ¡°Father, it¡¯s actually quite simple. Liu Shi contracted the same illness as Xia Ru. His family came looking for him, saying she seduced him and even passed on the strange illness to him. They wanted Xia Ru¡¯s family to pay for it. ¡°Grandma has never been willing to suffer losses, so how could she let them make such a fuss? It¡¯s just that you, your uncle, and the others were still working at that time, so there were no men in the house, so she didn¡¯t get any advantage. Grandma is probably still angry now.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve always been a reasonable person. I¡¯m sure I know that you guys didn¡¯t come home because you wanted to earn money for the family. I¡¯m sure I can understand you. Besides, if this matter blows up, both families will be embarrassed. It¡¯s best we minimize the possibility of that happening.¡± Chapter 56 - 56 Arguing With Li Hai 56 Arguing With Li Hai Li Hai was just about to say something to describe himself in a more miserable way, but Xia Wan had already spoken and told him everything. If she said anything more that didn¡¯t match Xia Wan¡¯s words, she was obviously making things up. Li Hai looked at Xia Wan unhappily. ¡°You¡¯re the only one with a big mouth. Why didn¡¯t you come out and argue with those people when they came to bully us?¡± Xia Wan pretended to be confused and looked at Li Hai, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re wrong. This has nothing to do with me. Liu Shi¡¯s family only caused trouble for our family because of Xia Ru. It¡¯s her fault. How am I involved?¡± Xia Wan pursed her lips and pretended to be aggrieved. ¡°Grandma, how can you treat me like this? Xia Ru made a mistake, and I¡¯m the one who¡¯s being scolded. When I went out today, I even heard the aunts at the village entrance saying that Liu Shi was the one who spread the rumors about me seducing men. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Liu Shi to be in a relationship with Xia Ru. Grandma, if they are so close, does Xia Ru know about Liu Shi¡¯s intentional rumors and bad-mouthing about me in the village?¡± ¡°Xia Ru is my cousin. Shouldn¡¯t she stop Liu Shi from spreading rumors behind my back?¡± Li Hai didn¡¯t know about this. Now that Xia Wan had asked her, she was dumbfounded. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know about this. Why didn¡¯t you mention it before? Besides, if Liu Shi¡¯s family came to find us, does that mean that Xia Ru and Liu Shi are together? Other people don¡¯t believe in your cousin, but you don¡¯t believe in her? How can you say that about your cousin?¡± Li Hai immediately retorted, but she still seemed a little unconfident. After a few days of observation, she realized that Xia Wan didn¡¯t seem like the type to hook up at will. However, Xia Hai didn¡¯t pay Xia Wan her salary because she was sick. This only made her dislike Xia Wan even more. Even though she was angry with Xia Ru, she was still more biased towards Xia Ru than Xia Wan. Naturally, she would take Xia Ru¡¯s side. Xia Wan sneered in her heart, but she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She still pretended to be pitiful, ¡°Grandma, you really believe my cousin, don¡¯t you? Even when everyone in the village criticized her, you still protected her. When will I be protected by you too?¡± Seeing how aggrieved his daughter was, even though Xia Hai was very filial to Li Hai, he couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t say so much. Wanwan is still sick, so please don¡¯t say anything that will upset her.¡± Seeing that the usually docile and obedient Xia Hai dared to question her, Li Hai immediately shouted, ¡°Fine! So you¡¯re only thinking of protecting your daughter and not me, right? Someone pushed me, and I¡¯m still feeling uncomfortable. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t come to help, but now you¡¯re making sarcastic remarks. Hurry up, give me some money and let me see a doctor.¡± Xia Wan was shocked at Li Hai¡¯s shamelessness. She was already acting so aggrieved, yet Li Hai could still pretend she didn¡¯t see her and even dared to ask her father for money. Thus, Xia Wan made up her mind and looked like she was about to faint. Xia Hai quickly held her up. ¡°Wanwan, what¡¯s wrong, Wanwan?¡± Xia Wan held her head. ¡°Dad, my head hurts. My heart is beating so fast, and my breathing is a little short. Dad, I think my illness has gotten worse.¡± Xia Hai didn¡¯t know that Xia Wan was acting and immediately panicked. Wanwan, hang in there. I¡¯ll go get Doctor Niu to take a look at you. Xia Wan held her head weakly and looked at Li Hai, ¡°Grandma, Grandpa left a lot of notes and medical books when he was alive, and there are symptoms similar to what I¡¯m suffering now. You¡¯re illiterate, so can you leave these books for me? If I learn to read, my family can ask me to help them treat their illnesses directly. This way, they won¡¯t need to see Doctor Niu anymore. It¡¯ll save money.¡± Li Hai was in a dilemma. She did not want to give Xia Wan anything, but looking at how upset she was, she did not know what she would do if she didn¡¯t give her anything. Hence, she reluctantly took out the notes and some books she did not understand and stuffed them all into Xia Wan¡¯s hands. ¡°Take them. If you¡¯re sick in the future, treat yourself. Don¡¯t waste money. You said it yourself. If you fall sick, I don¡¯t have any money to pay you.¡± Chapter 57 - 57 Obtaining The Notebook 57 Obtaining The Notebook Li Hai¡¯s words were very heartless. If she had given Xia Wan the notes and medical books, then she wouldn¡¯t need to bother the doctor if Xia Wan fell sick in the future. Otherwise, the notes and medical books would have been in vain. Xia Wan laughed coldly in her heart. She had achieved her goal, so she didn¡¯t care what Li Hai said. At this moment, she had no affection for Li Hai at all. They were two opposing forces. ¡°I know, Grandma. I¡¯ll treat myself,¡± Xia Wan said. After getting the medical book, Xia Wan didn¡¯t want Xia Hai to stay with Li Hai, fearing she might try to scam his money. She said, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go back first. I want to lie down for a while. I¡¯m too tired.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Daddy will help you back,¡± Xia Hai said immediately. When they returned to their house, Xia Wan immediately acted like her condition was much better. She said, ¡°Dad, I feel much better after coming out of Grandma¡¯s place. Give me Grandpa¡¯s medical book. I¡¯ll be fine after reading it.¡± Xia Hai was a little surprised. ¡°What? Reading can cure diseases? Didn¡¯t you have a headache and a heart attack before?¡± Xia Wan said calmly, ¡°Dad, have you ever heard of mental illness? It¡¯s when a person is particularly afraid of the existence of something. They will subconsciously be nervous, and even their body will show symptoms.¡± ¡°I was always chided by Grandma when I was young. Now that Xia Ru is in trouble, Grandma keeps blaming our family. I feel like I¡¯m under too much pressure, and my body feels uncomfortable. Now that I¡¯m back in my own room, I don¡¯t feel any more pressure, and I feel much better.¡± Xia Hai felt that Xia Wan¡¯s words made sense, but he also felt he owed the children. He said sadly, ¡°It¡¯s all because I¡¯m useless. Your grandmother doesn¡¯t like me, so she doesn¡¯t like you guys. You¡¯re all good kids. Xia Wan smiled and consoled him, ¡°Dad, what are you talking about? You¡¯re the best dad. Grandma¡¯s likes or dislikes don¡¯t determine the standard. I think you¡¯re a good person, Dad. You¡¯re upright and have your own principles. You can¡¯t deny yourself just because grandma doesn¡¯t like you. ¡°Dad, do you have to change yourself just so you can win grandma¡¯s love? Do you have to become the kind of person who only thinks about taking advantage of others?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words touched Xia Hai. He knew that Li Hai¡¯s views were wrong. For example, she liked to take advantage of others and valued money. However, Xia Hai also felt that it was because Li Hai had suffered a lot in the past that she developed such a personality. In the end, Li Hai was his mother, and she raised him. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t leave her alone. Xia Hai was a little conflicted. He was happy that his daughter was mature and sensible, but at the same time, he felt that he was a burden to her. At this moment, Yan Han had already finished cooking. She brought it over and said with a smile, Wanwan, aren¡¯t you hungry? Your dad is back now. Let¡¯s eat. We can talk after dinner. ¡°Yes, sure.¡± Xia Wan responded and sat down at the table. Xia Feng also came out of the house and sat down obediently. He was actually a little curious about what Xia Feng and Xia Wan had been doing in town today. However, many things happened at home today, so he didn¡¯t have the chance to ask. After the meal, Xia Wan suddenly said, ¡°Dad, Mom, there¡¯s something I need to tell you. I hope I can get your support.¡± ¡°What is it, Wanwan?¡± Yan Han and Xia Hai looked at her at the same time. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Dad, Mom, I want to go to the city to buy some clothes. Then, I¡¯ll sell them in town. The clothes in our town are a little out of date. Clothes from the city will definitely be popular.¡± After Xia Wan finished speaking, she looked at Yan Han and Xia Hai¡¯s expressions, and as expected, the smiles on their faces froze. Wanwan, ¡± Xia Hai said directly, ¡°No one in our family knows how to do business. If you buy these clothes and can¡¯t sell them, won¡¯t it be a massive waste?¡± Yan Han¡¯s eyes were firm as he said, ¡°I think what Wanwan said can be done. You don¡¯t understand. Many families in our town are living well and have disposable income. Of course, they¡¯d want to wear nice clothes. Your taste is definitely not wrong. As long as you want to do it, you will have my support. Chapter 58 - 58 Hosting Her Business 58 Hosting Her Business Xia Wan was a little surprised. She didn¡¯t expect her mother to be so supportive of her. In fact, for ordinary people, doing business was indeed a risky thing. Most people were unwilling to take this risk, especially rural families. They were not used to making money by trickery. They preferred to make money in a solid way and then save it. They only felt at ease when they had this money in their hands. On the other hand, some people with business brains thought it was useless to keep the money in their hands. They thought that they should invest in other places, to use the money to make more money. Xia Hai saw that even Yan Han was in favor of Xia Wan¡¯s actions. He thought about it for a moment and felt that since Xia Wan had earned the money herself, she should have the right to spend it however she wanted. He should not interfere too much. Besides, his daughter was smarter than the others, and he should trust her. Even if he had to lose money, it would be a learning experience. With that in mind, Xia Hai added, ¡°Since your mother supports it, of course, I can¡¯t object. Wanwan, go ahead and do it. You don¡¯t have to worry about Dad and Mom. Even if you lose money, I can still work and earn for us. It won¡¯t be a problem to support the three of you. Xia Wan smiled, feeling satisfied. In this era, parents had a strong desire to control their children. Your reputation would be greatly affected if word got out that you were unfilial. Very few people could understand and support her like her parents. For example, if her two cousins, Xia Ru and Xia Ye, were the ones who wanted to start a business, their parents would¡¯ve definitely disagreed and would even think that they were wasting money. Of course, if the son wanted to start a business, the treatment would be different. In this era, people generally believed that the boy was the one who could support the whole family. The daughter would get married sooner or later, so the boy could get all the family property. However, if the daughter got married, it would depend on the mood of the family on whether they would give her a dowry. Xia Wan looked peaceful, but Xia Ru was crying in bed. She had wrapped herself up tightly, but she still itched all over, as if ants were crawling back and forth on her body. However, she couldn¡¯t see them and couldn¡¯t do anything. Song Yan looked at her daughter in pain and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Xia Wan say she had a way? Why don¡¯t we try it?¡± Song Yan had only mentioned it briefly but did not expect Xia Ru to resist. Her eyes were red as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t want to use Xia Wan¡¯s method. How could she really do it for my own good? She must be trying to mess with me on purpose. I¡¯ve never heard of someone using feces to cure their illness. ¡°Mom,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Please take me to the city for treatment. I can¡¯t take it anymore. Song Yan was a little hesitant after hearing her words. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to bring you to the city, but your illness isn¡¯t that serious. You¡¯re just feeling unwell and might recover in a few days. Doctor Niu also said there was no problem when he examined you, so it might be an allergic reaction. People with allergic reactions will recover in a few days, so why should we waste this money?¡± Xia Ru felt wronged. She knew that Song Yan didn¡¯t want to take her to the city because she was afraid of spending. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Mom, my current salary is three yuan a day. If I continue to delay, not only will I not be able to make money, but the factory will definitely not want me. We can go to grandma and ask for some money first. If grandma doesn¡¯t give me the money, I won¡¯t give her next month¡¯s salary. Song Yan¡¯s eyes glimmered when she heard her words. The main reason she didn¡¯t bring Xia Ru to the city to see a doctor was that she couldn¡¯t bear spending any money. The fare would be way more expensive if the three were to go to the city. Besides, it sounded very expensive to see a doctor in the city. Xia Jiang might even have to spend a month¡¯s salary. Xia Ru¡¯s words reminded her that when Xia Wan was sick, Xia Hai found an excuse not to hand in his salary. Now that Xia Ru was sick, why couldn¡¯t he get the same treatment? With that in mind, Song Yan and Xia Ru muttered a few words and immediately went to Li Hai¡¯s room. Chapter 59 - 59 Li Hai Refuses To Pay Up 59 Li Hai Refuses To Pay Up Li Hai had a bad feeling when she saw the two of them, but she still asked them what the matter was. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xia Ru followed Song Yan¡¯s instructions and immediately started crying. ¡°Grandma, I feel so awful that I can¡¯t get a wink of sleep. If this continues, I think I¡¯m going to die. Even if I can survive, what if I become disfigured? I won¡¯t be able to get married then. ¡°Grandma, you always say that I¡¯m smart, and I think I¡¯m quite capable myself. How many girls in our village can find a stable job like mine? I just need to work for another year, and the factory manager said he would raise my salary. Maybe he would even let me be a leader and manage others.¡± ¡°Grandma, I have a bright future ahead of me. I can¡¯t just let it go like this.¡± Li Hai didn¡¯t understand what she meant when she heard her words. She asked, ¡°If you¡¯re feeling unwell, you should seek a doctor. Your grandma can¡¯t cure you even if you tell her about it. Xia Ru stopped crying and looked at Li Hai with puppy eyes. ¡°Grandma, I want to see a doctor in the city, but I have no money. Can you pass me some? Once I cure my illness, I¡¯ll still hand you my monthly salary. Please, Grandma, I beg you.¡± Li Hai¡¯s expression changed immediately. After all that talk, she was now trying to ask her for money? She had always been the one taking money from her three sons. She had never heard of anyone trying to take money from her. Li Hai immediately followed suit. ¡°You guys don¡¯t know how much our family has to spend. So many people need to eat. When Xia Yu fell sick, we even took her to the hospital to see a doctor, which cost a lot of money. Also, when people hold weddings and funerals, they have to pay. I foot all the expenses in our family, which is a big burden in itself. There¡¯s also the money for the children¡¯s school fees and clothes. These are all money.¡± Xia Ru understood Li Hai¡¯s implication. She didn¡¯t want to pay. ¡°Your father doesn¡¯t pass me all his money every month. He should still have some. Ask him to take you to the city for a check-up. Don¡¯t be reluctant,¡± Li Hai said. Nnot only did she not take all of her three sons¡¯ wages but she definitely left some for them. How could she not even have the money to go to the city to see a doctor? Seeing that Li Hai was unwilling to come up with the money, Song Yan said, ¡°Mother, Xia Ru¡¯s trip to the city to see a doctor would cost more than 10 yuan. The facilities there are very advanced and the doctors there are all graduates from good universities, so it¡¯s only natural that it would be more expensive. If she heads to the city now, she would probably have to spend over 100 yuan.¡± Li Hai¡¯s mouth dropped open in horror. ¡°What?! A hundred? Why do you need so much?¡± That was almost a month¡¯s salary for her sons. ¡°I don¡¯t have that much. You guys think of a way. I don¡¯t have that much.¡± Li Hai¡¯s tone became more determined. Even if she only received a few hundred yuan from her three sons a month, collecting money and taking it out were two different things. The money that went into her pocket was hers. Xia Ru was just a girl. Why should she spend so much money on her just because she was feeling unwell? As for whether Xia Ru could recover, Li Hai was mainly unconcerned. All she wanted was to keep the money in her pocket. Even though she knew that Li Hai would not agree to it, the determination she displayed deeply saddened Xia Ru. Among the three girls in the family, she was the most respected by Li Hai. Li Hai would always praise her in front of the other two. Xia Ye was her little follower. In her opinion, Xia Ye was very stupid and someone she could manipulate easily. But now that she was sick and needed money, Li Hai turned out to be so stingy that she refused to part with a little money. She didn¡¯t even look worried. Therefore, in Li Hai¡¯s heart, she was still nothing. After thinking about this, Xia Ru didn¡¯t feel embarrassed and said directly, ¡°Grandma, since you don¡¯t have the money, I can only borrow it from someone else. Our family doesn¡¯t have that much, so I¡¯ll return it with my salary next month. It means I can¡¯t hand you my salary next month.¡± Li Hai was unhappy when she heard Xia Ru. She glared at her and said, ¡°Your father hands me half of his salary every month. He still has half of it. How could he not have such a small amount and has to borrow?¡± Chapter 60 - 60 Negotiating Conditions 60 Negotiating Conditions Song Yan noticed the change in Xia Ru¡¯s tone. It seemed that this girl was still young. Hence, she could no longer pretend. She quickly continued from where Xia Ru left off and said to Li Hai, ¡°Mother, that¡¯s not what Xia Ru meant. She used to have a good personality, but her illness these past two days has made her very uncomfortable, so her emotions have been affected. She remembers how much you usually love her, but she¡¯s just a little anxious now. Song Yan gave Xia Ru a look. Even if Xia Ru was unwilling, she knew she could not afford to offend Li Hai. After all, Li Hai was her grandmother, and if she told the public that she was unfilial, her reputation would be ruined, and the people in the village would look down on her. At the end of the day, Xia Ru and Song Yan didn¡¯t get any money from Li Hai. However, from Li Hai¡¯s attitude, it appeared she had tacitly agreed that Xia Ru didn¡¯t need to pay her next month¡¯s salary. Song Yan and Xia Ru subsequently returned to the house. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to the city to see a doctor. Let Dad pay for me,¡± Xia Ru said to Song Yan. ¡°We can¡¯t do that. We really don¡¯t have any money. Xia Wan said that she studied medicine from your grandfather. Why don¡¯t we let her treat you first? if you¡¯re cured, we won¡¯t go to the city. If not, we can ask her father, Xia Hai, for some money and say that Xia Wan didn¡¯t cure you but made your condition worse. If it were any other time, Xia Ru would have liked Song Yan¡¯s idea, but the situation was different now. Xia Wan had said that feces would be needed to treat her illness, but she did not want it. If feces were really used, it would leave a stain in her heart that would never be erased for the rest of her life! Xia Ru and Song Yan were in a stalemate. One was unwilling to see Xia Wan, while the other was unwilling to go to the city to see a doctor. On the other hand, Xia Wan was sleeping very well. The more money she had, the more secure she felt. Today, she first took Xia Chen to the mountain to get some medicinal herbs. These herbs were considered tonics, but others didn¡¯t know they also had detoxification effects. She packed the medicinal herbs, put them in her bag, then went to town with Xia Chen. She arrived at Zhou Tian¡¯s house by following the familiar address and knocked on the door. When the door opened, it was not Zhou Xiaorou but a fashionable girl who looked to be about nineteen. The girl eyeballed Xia Wan and Xia Chen with disdain. ¡°Who are you? Buying medicine? Boss Zhou is in the medicine shop. Don¡¯t come home if you have nothing to do. Our boss has been very clear about the difference between the medicine shop and the residence.¡± The other party¡¯s tone seemed a little stiff, an obvious indication that he looked down on Xia Wan and Xia Chen. Xia Wan looked at her and asked, ¡°As far as I know, Zhou Tian only has one daughter. Since you called him Boss Zhou, it must mean you work for his family. Now that a customer has come, you chased him away without asking him why. Judging from your attitude, I think you treat yourself as the boss. The girl did not want to fall out with her, but considering Xia Wan¡¯s attitude, she never expected that Xia Wan was actually Zhou Tian¡¯s distinguished guest. Hence, she said even more rudely, ¡°So what if I¡¯m working for Mr. Zhou Tian?¡± Wang Yao said. I¡¯m still better than you, the one who¡¯s buying medicine. My boss¡¯s medicine is authentic. You might not be able to afford it. If you are poor, you should just bear with it if you¡¯re sick. You don¡¯t even have the money to see a doctor. Xia Wan squinted her eyes dangerously. This girl¡¯s attitude was bad enough, but her words were a testament that she looked down on the poor. It was obvious that she had a personality issue. ¡°I¡¯m not here to buy medicine. I¡¯m a guest invited by your boss. If you still carry such a rude attitude and offend your boss¡¯s guests, do you think you can keep your job?¡± The girl didn¡¯t take her words seriously. She merely looked at Xia Wan with more disdain and said arrogantly, ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me here. Do you think you can lie to me? You were still playing in the mud at home when I came out to mingle in the underworld!¡± ¡°Look at the clothes you¡¯re wearing. What kind of clothes are these? They¡¯re so old and rustic. Are you poor relatives who came to ask for benefits? You want to come to our boss¡¯s house to ask for benefits when you¡¯re not doing well? It¡¯s so embarrassing!¡± Before the girl could finish, a person walked out from behind her. It was Zhou Xiaorou. Chapter 61 - 61 Shes A Guest 61 She¡¯s A Guest Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s eyes were filled with joy upon seeing that Xiawan had arrived. ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re here! Come in and take a seat. Why are you standing at the door?¡± As she spoke, Zhou Xiaorou looked at the girl and asked, ¡°Luo Xing, why did you let the guest stand at the door? Hurry up and let her in.¡± Luo Xing finally realized that these two disheveled-looking people were actually her boss¡¯s customers. She immediately felt embarrassed. She quickly put away her previous arrogance and revealed a kind smile. ¡°Ah, it turns out they¡¯re your friends. I thought they were here to buy medicine, but they came to our house from the shop. I even wanted to persuade them to go to the pharmacy to get the medicine. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Luo Xing then turned to Xia Wan. ¡°Miss, please come in. What would you like to drink? I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t move. She just stared at Luo Xing. Luo Xing felt a little nervous. ¡®This little girl doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s out in the world. She shouldn¡¯t be so scheming as to complain to Zhou Xiaorou, right?¡¯ Just as Luo Xing was praying in his heart, she heard Xia Wan say to Zhou Xiaorou, ¡°Sis Xiaorou, who is she to your family?¡± Zhou Xiaorou did not know what had happened, but she could tell that the atmosphere between Xia Wan and Luo Xing was not right. She said, ¡°She¡¯s the nanny our family hired. My husband and I have to work, but we have a two-year-old child at home, and we can¡¯t leave her alone. My father found us a nanny. Luo Xing takes care of Yueyue.¡± Luo Xing smiled awkwardly, but she was a little nervous, afraid that Xia Wan would really say something. Xia Wan did not intend to indulge her and said to Zhou Xiaorou, ¡°Sis Xiaorou, I know you and Uncle Zhou have good personalities. Although you run a business, you have never lied to your customers. You keep your word and pay attention to your reputation. However, the nanny you hired really has a bad attitude. ¡°Just now, when she saw that we were dressed in old and tattered clothes, she looked at us with disdain. First, she thought we were here to buy medicine and ridiculed us for not being able to afford it. Then, she thought we were poor relatives who came to ask for benefits. Her words were full of disdain for us. Sister Xiaorou, I think even if Uncle Zhou were here, he wouldn¡¯t treat us with this attitude, would he? As a nanny, who is she to look down on us?¡± Luo Xing didn¡¯t expect Xia Wan to actually tell Zhou Xiaorou this. She quickly put on a pitiful look and said, ¡°Sis Xiaorou, I¡¯ve been working in your house for so long. You should know my character best. How could I look down on poor people? My family¡¯s financial situation is not good, to begin with. If you didn¡¯t give me this opportunity, I would¡¯ve never had a monthly income.¡± ¡°Sis Xiaorou, I might have said something impolite just now, but I really saw a lot of people recently saying that some poor relatives like to borrow money from rich relatives. I know you and Boss Zhou are soft-hearted, so if you really encounter such a situation, you definitely won¡¯t refuse. However, if somebody has to take the fall, then I¡¯ll gladly take it.¡± Xia Wan saw that Luo Xing was pretending to be a good person and sneered in her heart. However, she also knew Luo Xing had been in Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s house for a long time. Right now, she was still an outsider. If she said too much, it would seem a little overboard. Xia Wan only twitched her mouth and said, ¡°You¡¯re quite a selfless person, aren¡¯t you? But you¡¯re amazing too. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to pretend to be a bad person even if I wanted to. Just now, you really made me feel that you¡¯re a bad woman who¡¯s true to your appearance. Because Xia Wan had a smile on her face and said it in a joking tone, Luo Xing couldn¡¯t really back down on her. Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s eyes had a little doubt in them, though she didn¡¯t think much about it and directly invited Xia Wan into the house. Xia Wan smelled the faint scent of medicine in the air. She frowned and asked, ¡°Sis Xiaorou, what medicine are you taking? This doesn¡¯t seem to be the medicine your father prepared for you, right?¡± Chapter 62 - 62 Zhou Xiaorous BFF 62 Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s BFF Zhou Xiaorou smiled and said, ¡°Our Li Yan specially made this for me. He said this was a secret recipe she begged for and could help me recuperate. My father has also seen it and said it¡¯s full of tonics. Many of them were obtained from other places, and he said he put in a lot of effort. When Zhou Xiaorou mentioned Li Yan, Xia Wan saw that her face was filled with a happy smile. It was obvious that Zhou Xiaorou cared a lot about Li Yan and thought he was very good to her. Just as Xia Wan was thinking about something, she saw a flash of jealousy in Luo Xing¡¯s eyes. Combined with Luo Xing¡¯s previous attitude, Xia Wan could basically guess that she was most likely pretending to be submissive in front of Zhou Xiaorou, but he was very arrogant in her bones, believing that she simply wasn¡¯t as lucky as her boss¡¯ wife. Xia Wan used to think that no matter what kind of family one was born into, one would always have a kind and sincere heart. However, after experiencing so much in her previous life, she slowly realized that some people were born evil. They couldn¡¯t bear to see others better than themselves. Xia Meng, for instance, in her previous life, took her identity and all the credit all because of jealousy. Looking at Zhou Xiaorou, who she thought was rather happy, Xia Wan saw a shadow of her past. However, she was still unable to determine who had poisoned her, so she could not say anything. At this moment, the villa¡¯s door opened, and Li Yan came in with his daughter in his arms. Next to him was a girl with shoulder-length hair who looked intelligent, beautiful, and elegant. Combined with the situation that Zhou Tian had told her before, this should be Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s best friend, Song Ya. As expected, Zhou Xiaorou stood up and looked at her with a gentle gaze. ¡°Yaya, why are you here? You didn¡¯t tell me in advance.¡± Song Ya also showed an elegant smile and placed the fruit in her hand on the table. She said gently, ¡°I happened to go shopping today and saw Li Yan picking up Xin Xin. I remembered I hadn¡¯t seen you in a few days, so I came to see you.¡± ¡°Then, she turned to look at Xia Wan. this must be the doctor Uncle¡¯s found. I heard that her grandfather used to be a village doctor. I also know from the elders in my family that it¡¯s not easy to be one. The number of difficult and complicated illnesses a village doctor has seen sometimes surpasses those in hospitals. ¡°Also, the doctors in our hospital need to use all kinds of instruments to see patients, but village doctors can see patients even without instruments. This is all based on experience, unlike certain doctors who think they are more knowledgeable than village doctors due to their high qualifications. ¡°The elders also said that it¡¯s hard work to be a village doctor. Most of the time, you do a lot of work, but you get little pay. In short, your grandfather is really amazing.¡± Putting everything else aside, the way Song Ya spoke was very likable. Even though she knew that the other party was just being polite, Xia Wan got really comfortable with how she spoke. At the same time, she found that when Song Ya was talking about this, Li Yan¡¯s eyes were full of admiration, while Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s were full of praise. ¡°Yaya knows more,¡± she said. As for Luo Xing, a familiar look of jealousy flashed in her eyes. She even glanced at Li Yan as if displeased with his attitude. Xia Wan realized that Zhou Xiaorou had a really complicated family relationship. As for Song Ya, she had a high EQ and was very comfortable with her words. However, she felt that perhaps Song Ya might not be all she seemed. Xia Wan¡¯s intuition toward Song Ya was perhaps unclear because she had experienced too much in her previous life. It was hard to get along with such a person, and you didn¡¯t know whether the other party was telling the truth. Zhou Xiaorou, however, was different. She had a gentle personality, and when she spoke, her eyes showed sincerity, leaving her inner emotions clear for all to see. Song Ya, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t like that. She was also gentle, but that was just an illusion. She hid all her true emotions, so her true thoughts remained concealed. In short, she was scheming. After quickly thinking it through, Xia Wan smiled and said to Song Ya, ¡°My grandfather just happened to know a little. He¡¯s not as good as you claim.¡± Zhou Xiaorou said, ¡°Quickly sit down and talk. Why are you always standing? What do you want to drink?¡± Chapter 63 - 63 The Scheming Song Ya 63 The Scheming Song Ya Song Ya glanced at Luo Xing and said to her, ¡°Make me a cup of green tea. Thank you, Luo Xing.¡± Although Song Ya was smiling as she spoke, she still handed the task of making tea to Luo Xing. Logically speaking, this was a task a nanny like Luo Xing should do. However, Xia Wan saw the unwillingness that flashed in Luo Xing¡¯s eyes and the pride in Song Ya¡¯s. What sort of enmity could Song Ya and Luo Xing have between them? With this doubt in her heart, Xia Wan did not say it out loud. She had always felt that the Zhou family was much more complicated than it looked, though Zhou Xiaorou could not feel anything. No¡­ maybe her body had been weak recently, and her head was clouded most of the time, causing her to lack the energy to feel it. ¡°Here¡¯s your tea, Miss Song.¡± Luo Xing placed the brewed tea in front of Song Ya. Song Ya nodded slightly, then looked at Xiao Rou and asked with concern, ¡°Rou¡¯er, how are you feeling? Getting any better?¡± Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s face looked slightly bitter, ¡°It¡¯s always been like this. I¡¯m actually used to it, but I also want to spend more time with Xinxin. Her loving eyes fell on the child in Li Yan¡¯s arms. Luo Xing happened to smile at her and even opened her arms as if she wanted Zhou Xiaorou to carry her. Zhou Xiaorou held the child in her arms, her eyes filled with gentleness. Song Ya sighed and immediately looked at Xia Wan and asked, ¡°How should I address you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Xia Wan.¡± Xia Wan said lightly. ¡°Miss Xia, since your grandfather is a village doctor, have you ever seen Rou¡¯s condition? She¡¯s always in a poor state of mind. I¡¯ve been worried and consulted many doctors, but they all said they¡¯d never seen this before.¡± Song Ya asked, her face showing concern for Zhou Xiaorou. Xia Wan smiled shyly. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve heard Grandpa say that he treated a patient that had a similar situation to Sister Xiaorou.¡± Song Ya¡¯s eyes paused for a moment before they opened wide in surprise. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. If Rou¡¯er¡¯s condition can be controlled, at least she¡¯ll regain a little normalcy in her life. ¡°Well, it¡¯s actually not too difficult. I¡¯ve made some medicine for Sis Xiaorou to drink. It¡¯ll stabilize her condition for now. As she spoke, Xia Wan handed the medicine to Zhou Xiaorou. ¡°Sis Xiaorou, I suspect you might have a diet problem. How about this? From now, you can only eat after the people around you have eaten.¡± Her eyes flickered between Li Yan and Luo Xing, and she continued, ¡°Your husband and the nanny are both in good health. Let them taste the food first. Remember, you have to have each of them, and it¡¯s best if it¡¯s water. If it¡¯s made from the same teapot, each should have its own cup, and so should you. You should only drink it after you ensure they are both okay.¡± ¡°But Uncle Zhou is very old, and you shouldn¡¯t let him do the tasting,¡± Xia Wan reminded Xiaorou. Li Yan retorted unhappily, ¡°What do you mean? Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with the things in our house? Xiao Rou has been eating at home all the time, but the problem surfaced only recently. If what you said makes sense, why don¡¯t we have any problems? Do you actually know how to treat illnesses?¡± Zhou Xiaorou didn¡¯t expect her husband to suddenly get angry, so she quickly tried to persuade him. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t be so mean. Xia Wan must have her reasons for saying that. Since we can¡¯t find a cure, why don¡¯t we listen to her?¡± Li Yan snorted coldly. ¡°What can she do? If she¡¯s really that good, why is she dressed so shabbily? A village doctor is also a doctor. They can earn money too. Besides, how old is she? I know that the older one gets, the more one learns about Chinese medicine. ¡°Even if she¡¯s been with her grandfather and has seen a lot, how much can she learn? I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t even distinguish between medicinal herbs.¡± Xia Wan merely looked at Li Yan quietly. Meanwhile, Song Ya stayed silent on Li Yan¡¯s poor attitude, simply watching the dispute from the side quietly. This convinced Xia Wan even more that this woman was very scheming. Before she was sure of her strength, Song Ya would not speak easily. If she spoke up for Li Yan now, she would be slapped in the face if Xia Wan turned out to be really capable. If she spoke up for Xia Wan, she would offend Li Yan. So the best way was to say nothing, so nobody would be offended. Chapter 64 - 64 Arguing with Li Yan 64 Arguing with Li Yan Xia Wan waited for Li Yan to finish and then began to reply, ¡°Although I¡¯m young, I¡¯ve been studying medicine for a long time and gained a lot of experience. If you look down on my skills, why not compete with me in medicine or identify medicinal herbs with me? As Zhou Tian¡¯s son-in-law, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know some medicinal herbs, right? ¡°If you¡¯re better than me, I¡¯ll do whatever you say, but you lack the strength, don¡¯t let an outsider give blind commands here. ¡°If you had the ability to cure Sister Xiaorou¡¯s illness, would you even need me? ¡°You lack the ability, yet you want to drive away the only person who can treat Sister Xiaorou. Li Yan, what do you mean? Do you even want Sister Xiaorou to get better?¡± Xia Wan sounded like she was angry after being provoked by Li Yan, but she had, in fact, deliberately said it out loud as it was what she really thought. Li Yan¡¯s expression immediately changed, but he hurriedly explained to Zhou Xiaorou. ¡°Xiaorou, don¡¯t listen to her. I really care about you. I¡¯m just afraid that she will prolong your illness.¡± Luo Xing chimed in, ¡°Miss Xia Wan, even if Sis Xiaorou¡¯s condition is difficult to treat, there¡¯s no need to be so serious. We have to taste everything that Sis Xiaorou eats? Only the emperors of ancient times would do that.¡± Her attitude was no longer as arrogant as before, but the meaning in her words was obvious¡ªshe felt that Xia Wan¡¯s request was unreasonable. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your Sister Xiaorou¡¯s food?¡± Xia Wan retorted. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it that troublesome to take a bite before she does? I¡¯m really starting to wonder if you two really care about Sis Xiaorou¡¯s health.¡± The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense, where it seemed Li Yan, Luo Xing, and Xia Wan were now confronting each other. Song Ya chuckled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not argue anymore. We¡¯re all doing this for Rou¡¯s health. Let¡¯s do as Xia Wan said and let Rou try. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll do as you said. I hope you won¡¯t let us down.¡± ¡°In other words, Li Yan and Luo Xing would do as Xia Wan asked, but if Rou¡¯er couldn¡¯t be cured, it would be Xia Wan¡¯s responsibility.¡± Xia Wan nodded her head lightly. ¡°Miss Song Ya is still the most sensible. The upbringing and bearing of a young lady raised by a big family are indeed outstanding.¡± Luo Xing¡¯s expression immediately changed when she heard this. This Xia Wan was obviously mocking her, implying that a big family did not raise her and that she had no upbringing or direction. Thus, considering that things were almost settled, Xia Wan left the medicine with them and left with Xia Chen. Zhou Xiaorou wanted to send her off, but Xia Wan rejected her. As the two walked on the road, Xia Chen, who had been silent, finally couldn¡¯t hold it in and asked, ¡°Sister, why did you make them Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s food tasters? Did you really not find the cause?¡± To be honest, Xia Chen couldn¡¯t understand his sister¡¯s approach. If she could really cure Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s illness, she could have just prescribed the right medicine. According to his sister¡¯s character, she wouldn¡¯t have delayed it if she couldn¡¯t, but would have quickly admitted that she couldn¡¯t cure it. Hence, Xia Wan¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°Brother, that¡¯s because Sis Xiaorou isn¡¯t sick. She¡¯s poisoned. There are actually only four people who came in close contact with Sis Xiaorou. One is Uncle Zhou, then nanny Luo Xing, her husband Li Yan, and the last is her best friend, Song Ya. ¡°We¡¯ve seen everyone today. Brother, what do you think of them?¡± Xia Chen was a little shocked when he heard Xia Wan. He did not expect Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s condition to be caused by poisoning. Thus, instead of answering Xia Wan¡¯s question directly, he asked, ¡°Are you sure she was poisoned? these are all Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s family and friends. If they were the ones who poisoned her, then she would be living in a wolf¡¯s den!¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m certain.¡± Xia Chen saw that she wasn¡¯t joking, and he started to seriously analyze her thoughts. Chapter 65 - 65 Xia Chens Pragmatism 65 Xia Chen¡¯s Pragmatism Xia Chen said, ¡°If you¡¯re sure that Zhou Xiaorou was poisoned, then uncle Zhou can be ruled out. His concern for Zhou Xiaorou wasn¡¯t fake. As for her best friend, Song Ya, I don¡¯t think she can be in contact with Zhou Xiaorou all the time, so it might not be her. ¡°But her husband and the nanny at home feel that something is wrong. Let¡¯s think about it from another perspective. You were the one who was sick, and we¡¯d taken you to all the major hospitals, yet they couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with you. At this time, someone came to our house and said that you might have a problem with your diet and needed us to help you taste it. ¡°I¡¯m afraid everyone in the family will fight to help you taste it. As long as there¡¯s a chance, everyone would go out of their way to help because we all love you and hope you¡¯ll be healthy.¡± ¡°But Li Yan and Luo Xing first felt that your decision was unreasonable. They did not care about Zhou Xiaorou as much as they appeared to.¡± Xia Wan was very satisfied upon listening to Xia Chen¡¯s analysis. She also wanted to train her brother, hoping he¡¯d see the problems in other families and that he wouldn¡¯t be so na?ve and trusting. Fortunately, her brother was intelligent, and his analysis was sharp. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re so smart. I agree with you on this point. It appears we¡¯ll have to visit Sister Ciaorou¡¯s house more often to determine who wants to harm her. ¡°Brother, since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s go shopping. I want to see if I can get some business,¡± Xia Wan suddenly said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you,¡± Xia Chen now had complete trust in Xia Wan. Even if she told him to hit the wall, he would still think that there must be treasure in it. On the other side, a black car drove into the village. In that era, people who could drive a car were not ordinary. Not to mention the village, even the town had few cars. The villagers gathered around as they broke into a feverish discussion. ¡°Oh my God, that¡¯s a car! When has a car ever entered our village? It also looks expensive.¡± ¡°Wow, he¡¯s rich. I wonder who they¡¯re looking for in our village. It would be great if the occupants could come out. I really want to see who can afford to drive a car.¡± The villagers gawked at the car with envy. Some of them could not help but tail the car closely to see where it was going. In the car, Xu Ye frowned and said to Chen Mo. ¡°The road ahead is too narrow. I¡¯ve heard that Xia Wan¡¯s family lives right in front, but the road ahead is too difficult to walk on. If our car goes in, we¡¯ll be blocking the villagers. It¡¯s better to park the car at the side.¡± Chen Mo nodded. He held a box in his hand containing the gift he had chosen for Xia Wan. He didn¡¯t know what a girl liked, so he asked the waiter to help pick it out. When he thought about how he would be able to see that girl with clear eyes later, Chen Mo¡¯s heart started to beat faster. In the past, he didn¡¯t believe in fate. However, after meeting Xia Wan, he felt that other girls were ordinary and lacked the spiritual aura that Xia Wan had. Xia Ye happened to be in the crowd, and her eyes widened when she saw the car stop and two handsome men get out. Xia Ye felt that Xia Ru¡¯s life was over ever since she fell ill. Her face was full of pimples, and her reputation was bad. Grandma did not like Xia Wan either. When the time came, she would definitely be the most pampered girl in the family. So now that she saw these two handsome men, Xia Ye believed they were the prince charmings God had arranged for her! Without waiting for the others to say anything, Xia Ye squeezed through the crowd and rushed to the two of them. She pretended to be shy and asked, ¡°Who are you looking for? I¡¯m very familiar with the village. I¡¯ll take you there. When he saw the girl who had suddenly appeared in front of him, her eyes were filled with schemes, even though she had a shy expression. She was looking at them as if they were juicy pieces of meat. This kind of gaze made Chen Mo very uncomfortable. His eyes instantly turned cold, and his aura spread. ¡°Get out of the way. I don¡¯t need you.¡± Even if he had to go from house to house, he would never want to talk to this kind of girl. It disgusted him. Chapter 66 - 66 Xia Ye Ridiculed 66 Xia Ye Ridiculed Xia Ye¡¯s expression stiffened. She didn¡¯t expect him to reject her so directly. There were still many people around watching. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re from the village,¡± she said a little bashfully. ¡°I¡¯m from the village, so I know the way around. I can definitely help you.¡± Xia Ye revealed a smile she thought was friendly. However, little did she know that Chen Mo was actually disgusted by it. Ever since he was young, he had been surrounded by all kinds of girls, and they all tried to get close to him. However, none of them did it because they really wanted to be friends or because they admired him. He had once believed them. However, when they had asked him to put in a good word for them and give them some support for their family business, Chen Mo understood that these people had approached him with the sole purpose of obtaining benefits from their family. Slowly, he met more people and experienced more things and could tell whether those people were looking at him with innocence or with other intentions. The girl standing in front of him now, for instance, had obvious greed and vanity in her eyes. What attracted her was the car they drove and his appearance. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help with who I¡¯m looking for. The village is so big that I can ask anyone. Please step aside, or don¡¯t blame me for being impolite.¡± Chen Mo¡¯s tone became even colder. His meaning was obvious. Even if he asked someone else, it wouldn¡¯t be Xia Ye. The onlookers weren¡¯t stupid. They all understood what he meant and started to laugh at her. ¡°Xia Ye, can¡¯t you tell what I¡¯m trying to say? I just don¡¯t want to talk to you,¡± they jeered. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why are you so thick-skinned? Whenever you see a handsome and rich man, you¡¯ll take the initiative to get close. Are all the ladies in your Xia family so shameless? All of you like to hook up with men.¡± When Xia Ye heard this, she immediately turned around and retorted, ¡°Their shameless deeds have nothing to do with me. I¡¯m not that kind of person. I just want to help. Stop talking nonsense!¡± After retorting hoarsely, Xia Ye ran away in a hurry. She did not want to see those people criticizing her anymore. In the past, when the villagers criticized and badmouthed Xia Wan, she felt it deserved, but when these gazes landed on her, she finally understood how hurtful they were. Xu Ye also rolled his eyes toward where Xia Ye had left. He had thought that the girl Chen Mo cared about was from this village and that this village might be different from the people in other places. However, he realized that he had been overthinking things. The people here were also so vain. ¡°Turn left over there,¡± he said, pointing ahead. ¡°You should be at Xia Wan¡¯s house. Let¡¯s go.¡± Chen Mo followed behind him. On the way, neither of them mentioned what had happened. When they arrived at their destination, Xu Ye looked at the old wooden door and frowned. ¡°Chen Mo, are you sure the girl you like lives here? No matter how you look at it, she doesn¡¯t seem to be very wealthy.¡± The surroundings were built with mud walls, and the worn door looked like it stood for an eternity. Moreover, it was only so tall and definitely not burglar resistant. Xu Ye felt that since Chen Mo had taken a liking to someone, that person must be extraordinary. No matter what, she must be a special existence in the village. ¡°She saved my life. She¡¯s not the girl I like,¡± Chen Mo corrected him immediately. He admitted that whenever he thought of Xia Wan, his heart would beat faster, and he would feel other emotions, but he was unsure if he liked her. All he knew was that he cared about her. Xu Ye¡¯s lips twitched. He knew Chen Mo very well. Of course, he could tell that Chen Mo cared about her, but since he was unwilling to admit it, he would take his feelings into account and not say too much. Just as Xu Ye was about to knock on the door, he happened to see Xia Ye walking in from another direction. Xia Ye was stunned momentarily when she saw the two of them. Chen Mo¡¯s expression immediately froze. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave? Why are you following us?¡± Xia Ye did not expect that she would run in the wrong direction when she was just running away randomly. Now, she was about to go home when she saw these two people again. Chapter 67 - 67 Xia Yes Conjecture 67 Xia Ye¡¯s Conjecture Her mouth was slightly agape, and there was shock and joy in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my own home. So you¡¯re looking for my home? Who are you looking for? I don¡¯t remember having such relatives like you.¡± After saying that, Xia Ye quickly realized it was inappropriate to say that, so she quickly added, ¡°I know. You must be the people my grandfather saved before. He said he saved many people when he was a soldier. Did your family¡¯s seniors also serve in the army?¡± The more Xia Ye thought about it, the more she felt that her guess made sense. Chen Mo¡¯s expression also became more serious. Xu Ye immediately retracted his hand from knocking on the door and said to Xia Ye, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. We just didn¡¯t find the place and wanted to knock on the door to ask for directions. Now that we¡¯ve seen you, we don¡¯t want to ask anymore. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll come back another day. What a disgusting face. Ugly.¡± Xu Ye and Chen Mo left without looking back, leaving Xia Ye standing there awkwardly. What did that man just say about her? She was ugly? Why? Even if she was indeed the ugliest of the three sisters, it had nothing to do with being ugly. She had paid attention to taking care of her skin since she was young and would protect her face when the weather was hot. Besides, there were not many people in the village who could attend high school. She was one of them, and she did even better than Xia Ru. When she started to study and go on to earn, she would be the cultured person in the village, better than most people. Why did these two men not like her? The more Xia Ye thought about it, the more indignant she felt. Just then, the door opened, and Xia Feng walked out. He heard some movement at the door and thought Xia Wan and the others must¡¯ve returned. He could not help but open the door to take a look. He did not expect to see Xia Ye. The anticipation in Xia Feng¡¯s eyes immediately disappeared. Xia Ye even said in disgust, ¡°What are you looking at? Have you finished all the chores at home?¡± Xia Feng didn¡¯t want to spoil her and said, ¡°We¡¯ve already finished with that. I just don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve finished yours. Don¡¯t expect our family to help you with everything. We don¡¯t have that much free time. You¡¯re in high school, and so is my sister. You¡¯re no better than her.¡± Perhaps it was because he had seen Xia Wan¡¯s ability to make money that this gave Xia Feng some confidence. In the past, Xia Hai and Yan Han had always been gentle and polite to the other two families, even a little humble. Ultimately, it was all because of Xia Hai¡¯s blind filial piety to Li Jin and his innate obedience to his two brothers. However, in the past two days, his sister had told him a lot. She said that when they separated in the future, they would be independent and have their own house. They would no longer need to live with these people who always took advantage of them. Meanwhile, Xia Wan brought Xia Chen to a wholesale market. In this era, there were all kinds of people setting up stalls. Before arriving at the wholesale market, one could already hear all kinds of shouts. There were an abundance of snacks and all manner of miscellaneous trinkets on display. Xia Wan saw someone selling candy, so she asked for the price and bought some. Xia Chen smiled when he saw it. ¡°You still like candy.¡± ¡°These are for Xia Feng, ¡°Xia Wan said. ¡°He couldn¡¯t come with us, so we must bring him something when we go home. We have to let him know that he¡¯s still in our hearts.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Xia Chen smiled. Even if I don¡¯t buy it, Xia Feng won¡¯t say anything.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t say anything else. She thought she could only buy candy for Xia Feng because she had limited money. Once she earned enough money, she would buy Xia Feng even better things. Then, the two of them walked further in. Almost all the stalls here were selling clothes. The uncountable variations of clothes sold would make even the most avid shopper spoilt for choice. The merchants used some shelves to hang the clothes so that everyone could see them directly. The boxes at the bottom were filled with piles of clothes. Xia Wan looked at them one by one. The clothes here were inexpensive, and the quality wasn¡¯t the best. Hence, she hoped that the clothes she sold were not only beautiful but also of good quality, believing this would surely attract customers. Chapter 68 - 68 Buying Clothes Wholesale 68 Buying Clothes Wholesale ¡°Young lady, you¡¯re here to buy clothes? Come and take a look at our stock. They¡¯re all popular designs among the youth. Look at what you¡¯re wearing. What era is this? Young lady, you¡¯re so pretty. Once you wear our clothes, you¡¯ll definitely be the prettiest on this street!¡± Some people saw Xia Wan and Xia Chen looking around for clothes and took the initiative to call out, hoping that Xia Wan would come here to buy. Although they were doing wholesale, they also sold it separately. This girl looked like a newbie, so maybe he could get some money out of her. Xia Wan smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯m just looking.¡± She continued to lead Xia Chen inside. As they went deeper, the vendors were surrounded by many people, each holding a big bag in their hands, haggling to the edge of their lives, ready to leave with a pile of clothes at any time. Xia Chen was a little surprised. Wanwan, do they just put these clothes in big bags? I¡¯ve seen clothes sellers, and they¡¯ve all tidied up their clothes.¡± As he spoke, he noticed that his sister had also taken out a big bag, the same as the others. Xia Chen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wanwan, where did you get this? How do you know that they use bags to store clothes?¡± Xia Wan gave an honest smile. ¡°I asked this when I was talking to Sis Xiaorou. I¡¯ve already told her that the clothes I bought will be with Boss Zhou first, and I¡¯ll get them when I sell clothes in the future.¡± Xia Chen still didn¡¯t know how he should react. ¡°Wait. When did you agree with Sister Xiaorou? I don¡¯t remember hearing you guys talk about this.¡± ¡°We were whispering. We couldn¡¯t let you guys hear everything, could we?¡± Xia Wan smiled mysteriously. She didn¡¯t intend to put all these clothes in Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s house because there was a traitor there. Her husband and nanny might get in trouble. If she exposed who harmed her, these people would definitely hate her. If they knew that the clothes were in Sis Xiaorou¡¯s house, they might just find out that she intended to sell clothes. It wasn¡¯t difficult to find out where she lived. If someone were to target her and tell Li Jin and the others about her selling clothes, all the money would go to her. She couldn¡¯t do such a stupid thing. Zhou Tian¡¯s shop was the safest. Xia Wan looked at a few stalls, but there was nothing that she was satisfied with¡­ until a plaid shirt caught her attention. She walked towards the stall and realized that the women¡¯s clothes they were selling seemed very fashionable. They had their own distinct style from the other stalls and had their own characteristics. When she got closer, she touched one and realized it was good quality. ¡°Oh, you have good eyes, little girl. Do you want to buy this plaid shirt, or¡­ you¡¯re also here to restock?¡± a girl with makeup that looked to be about 27 or 28 years old asked. With lipstick on and an excellent figure, she was like a living signboard. Xia Wan looked at her and smiled politely. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here for wholesale. May I know how much this shirt, long dress, and this pair of cropped pants cost?¡± The woman was a little surprised. She had high hopes for all three items. ¡°The shirt is twenty-five, the long dress is thirty, and the cropped pants are twenty-five. If you want them all, I¡¯ll give you a discount,¡± the woman said lazily, but there was no disdain in her tone. It seemed to be her style. Xia Wan smiled. ¡°How should I address you, pretty lady?¡± The woman¡¯s smile deepened. Anyone would be flattered when their beauty was praised. ¡°You can just call me Sister Hong.¡± Xia Wan continued to smile. ¡°Sister Hong, I¡¯m not buying just this one. I¡¯m buying ten pieces of each. Also, this long dress can go with this short sleeve. I¡¯m buying ten pieces of these four. I¡¯ll try selling them first and see the results. If it¡¯s encouraging, I¡¯ll come back to you again. ¡°Of course, sister Hong, you can also show me other goods. I¡¯ll see if I can come up with a good set.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan took the initiative to demonstrate to Sister Hong. She matched the short-sleeved shirt with the long skirt and the shirt with the cropped pants. Sister Hong¡¯s eyes lit up. The four pieces of clothing were initially placed separately, but with Xia Wan¡¯s pairing, they instantly looked much more desirable. Chapter 69 - 69 You Have A Good Eye 69 You Have A Good Eye ¡°Not bad, young lady. You have a good eye for pairing. Where did you learn that?¡± She couldn¡¯t be blamed for asking this. This girl really didn¡¯t look like she was born into a rich family, so she could only have learned it from somewhere. Xia Wan had already thought of an excuse, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it in school before. People in school wear all sorts of things. That was when I realized similar clothes could have different styles by matching them differently. ¡°My family is poor and can¡¯t afford to buy so many clothes for me to try and match, so I can only think about it every day. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find a girl who doesn¡¯t like to look pretty. Now that my family has some money, I want to set up a clothing stall. Not only would my pairing skills be on display, but I could also help my family make more.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Sister Hong¡¯s eyes were filled with relief. She also had a three-year-old girl. It would be great if she could be as sensible as this girl when she grew up. ¡°Alright. Sister Hong will give you a discount then.¡± As sister Hong spoke, she began to calculate the price. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll give you these for the price of twenty yuan. You take ten sets. How does it sound?¡± Xia Wan smiled and tried to bargain. ¡°Sister Hong, don¡¯t try to scam me. I¡¯ve asked around in advance. 20 yuan is too high. You could find these elsewhere for less. I¡¯ve taken a fancy to your clothes at first sight, so I didn¡¯t go to other stalls. If I had asked, the price would definitely be lower.¡± When sister Hong heard this, she lifted her chin slightly and said with some confidence, ¡°My clothes are different from theirs. Theirs are inferior quality while mine is high. I guarantee your good reputation once you sell them. Xia Wan began to analyze. ¡°That¡¯s right. Once these are sold, they will be worn for a long time, and customers will naturally know whose clothes are of better quality. But now, families are not that rich, and when buying clothes, the first thing to consider is the appearance and price. Sister Hong, your clothes all look good. As for the price, I think it can be lowered way more. How about this. 13 yuan. How about it?¡± Xia Wan haggled away while Xia Chen watched on with widened eyes. In fact, he was already shocked when Sister Hong said 20 yuan. After all, Sister Hong had previously said that some of these clothes were 25 yuan and some were 30 yuan. Reducing it all the way to 20 yuan would be considered a steal. He didn¡¯t expect that his sister could haggle too. She actually asked for 13 yuan? This was even less than half the price. Although he was shocked, Xia Chen didn¡¯t dare to say anything. He was afraid that if he did, it would delay his sister¡¯s bargaining. It was at that time that Xia Chen realized the huge gap between him and his sister. Sister Hong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. How did this little girl know her base price? In fact, 13 yuan was the lowest she could offer for these clothes, and it wasn¡¯t something she would offer to ordinary people. Sister Hong looked a little hesitant. ¡°I have to make a profit myself. I have a child to raise at home. You¡¯re too ruthless in bargaining.¡± Xia Wan smiled and continued to persuade her. ¡°Sister Hong, we can work together. As long as I make good business, you¡¯ll have lots of clothes to sell. If these clothes can¡¯t be sold even after a price cut, then won¡¯t it be a loss to keep them? Are you going to wait until the season is over, and you¡¯re forced to sell them at a loss? ¡°Sister Hong, trust my vision. If I can sell all the clothes I buy, I¡¯ll be able to restock very quickly. If I can sell a pile every day, do you think you¡¯ll be earning any less, Sister Hong?¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Sister Hong was a little moved. She had once dreamed that if her clothes were of good quality, they would definitely be snatched up by many people. However, the place was littered with stalls, and some people would always shamelessly lower their prices to a loss, greatly reducing her competitiveness. However, the girl in front of her had good taste. If she could really sell as much as she said she could, she stood to make a handsome profit. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust you this time. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me. As she spoke, Sister Hong had already started helping Xia Wan get her clothes. Xia Chen was dumbfounded when he saw this. Chapter 70 - 70 Helping Sister Hong See A Doctor 70 Helping Sister Hong See A Doctor ¡°Sister, you can even bargain like this. Why did she give you such a discount? Does she even earn any profit?¡± Xia Chen asked in confusion. At this time, Sister Hong had already gone in to get Xia Wan some clothes, and Xia Chen could not hide his surprise. Xia Wan smiled mysteriously. ¡°Brother, there are people who are naturally talented at running small businesses. Brother, have you ever heard of small profits but high turnover? for example, one Yuan is not much, but if 100000 people give you one Yuan each, it will be a huge sum of money. ¡°When it comes to selling clothes, the quality may be very high, but they¡¯re only sold to the rich. The rich don¡¯t lack money, and they prefer the feeling of being unique. But the living conditions of the people here aren¡¯t very good, and if it¡¯s cheap, everyone will be willing to spend. If it¡¯s slightly more expensive, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll give up. ¡°Similarly, the quality and designs in my stall beat the rest. This way, everyone will naturally choose something that looks better and is more comfortable to wear when they spend the same amount.¡± Xia Chen nodded. Although he didn¡¯t know how to do business, he understood what Xia Wan said. Xia Wan didn¡¯t teach Xia Chen anything on purpose, but when Xia Chen had questions, she would help him in time. If she could inspire her brother more, he could one day land a big deal himself. Earning money was secondary. Xia Wan didn¡¯t want her brother to feel inferior because he didn¡¯t get into college and felt he wasn¡¯t capable enough. Doing business to earn could improve the living conditions of the family and, at the same time, help her brother become more confident and charming. Of course, the most simple point was that an incapable man would find it hard to get a wife no matter how handsome he was. Meanwhile, Sister Hong quickly brought out the clothes and showed them to Xia Wan one by one. After confirming that there were no quality problems, Xia Wan put all the clothes into the bag and paid Sister Hong simultaneously. In addition to these styles, Xia Wan also chose some jeans and long-sleeved t-shirts, ten of each. There were two reasons for choosing 10. First, if the sales weren¡¯t good, it didn¡¯t matter, even if they didn¡¯t sell. Second, even if this design were very popular, it would lose its value if everyone bought the same design at the same place. Just think about it. Who would like to wear the same clothes as others? Seeing Xia Wan give the money so readily, Sister Hong was all smiles, feeling that although this little girl looked young, she was very decisive and had good taste. Xia Wan didn¡¯t hide anything from Sister Hong when choosing her pick. She even took the initiative to tell Sister Hong which ones looked better, and she agreed to all the suggestions in the end. Just as Xia Wan was about to leave, Sister Hong suddenly started coughing violently. Xia Wan quickly handed the things in her hands to Xia Chen, then quickly went to Sister Hong and helped her massage her back. At the same time, Xia Wan¡¯s hand was already on Sister Hong¡¯s wrist as she began to take her pulse. Sister Hong naturally noticed Xia Wan¡¯s movements, but she couldn¡¯t say anything because she was coughing. When she recovered, her eyes were still teary. She looked at Xia Wan in surprise and asked, ¡°Are you checking my pulse?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°My grandfather is a village doctor, so I have medical skills as well. Sister Hong, you must have eaten something wrong. What have you been eating for the past two days?¡± Sister Hong¡¯s face immediately showed some doubt, but she turned serious and thought, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten anything unusual recently. It¡¯s the same as before.¡± All of a sudden, Sister Hong¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I remember now. Two days ago, my father-in-law heard from a master outside that he had ginseng that could prolong one¡¯s life. My father-in-law had some money and was easily fooled, so he bought a lot. Now, we add this to our porridge every day. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s effective, but my father-in-law said he felt much better after eating it. He even slept longer. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling nauseated for the past two days. My husband thought I was pregnant again and even took me to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor, however, said that I wasn¡¯t pregnant and that it was my appetite that might have been bad recently. He prescribed me some medicine to ease my stomach.¡± Chapter 71 - 71 Thats A Scammer 71 That¡¯s A Scammer Hearing her words, Xia Wan felt a little helpless. She didn¡¯t expect that someone would be selling and promoting fake medicine in this era. She didn¡¯t hide it and said directly, ¡°Your father-in-law might have been deceived. According to your body¡¯s condition, you couldn¡¯t have taken ginseng. It should be a kind of wintercrow root that is very similar to ginseng. ¡°If it¡¯s real ginseng, there will naturally be many benefits after taking it,¡± Wang Yao said. ¡°The saying that it can prolong one¡¯s life is not false. However, this wintercrow root is harmful to the human body. It carries some toxins, and if taken for a prolonged period, it will cause organ failure. Sister Hong¡¯s face turned pale when she heard this, but she still asked with uncertainty, ¡°Girl, are you telling the truth? Then why didn¡¯t the doctor find out?¡± Xia Wan knew that the equipment in this era was not advanced enough. If they did not accurately examine Sister Hong¡¯s body, they would not be able to diagnose her condition from her description. However, it would be disrespectful to the doctors if she said it directly. She couldn¡¯t say it was because the doctors were inexperienced, right? No matter what, that was a doctor from a proper hospital, while she was just the granddaughter of a village doctor. Therefore, Xia Wan said humbly, ¡°The doctors in the hospital might not be able to see what¡¯s in your body without the help of medical equipment. My grandfather is a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and he doesn¡¯t use those. ¡°Of course, he has also encountered your situation before. I happened to overhear about it, so I¡¯m very familiar.¡± Sister Hong immediately looked at Xia Wan gratefully. ¡°Thank you. How should I address you, benefactor?¡± However, after Xia Wan diagnosed her problem, Sister Hong immediately changed the way she addressed Xia Wan. ¡°My name is Xia Wan. You can call me whatever you want, Sister Hong. I can also prescribe you some medicine. In the future, don¡¯t take any fake ginseng.¡± As Xia Wan spoke, she asked for a pen and paper from Sister Hong and started writing the prescription. As for the gang that sold the fake herbs, there was no need to expose them. First, she had no status, and her words carried no authority. If she did, the gang would hate her and might take revenge on her family. She could only save them when she saw them. However, Xia Wan still remembered this matter in her heart. She asked Sister Hong in detail about the time and place where the seller usually sold his goods. When Sister Hong heard her question, she replied, ¡°That master¡­ no, that scammer doesn¡¯t come here often. He seems to come only once a month, and he sells a small amount of medicine each time. According to him, his medicine is precious, and not just anyone can buy it. The more he does this, the more people want to buy it.¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°If you take a small amount over a long period of time, it won¡¯t be so easy to notice. Sister Hong, you¡¯ve had a violent reaction, and it has something to do with your body. I¡¯ll also prescribe some medicine for nourishment. You¡¯ll be fine after taking it for a month.¡± The gratitude in Sister Hong¡¯s eyes deepened. ¡°Thank you, Xia Wan. You¡¯re really our family¡¯s benefactor. I¡¯ll return the money you just gave me to you now. Take these clothes as a gift from me.¡± As she spoke, Sister Hong was about to take out the money but was stopped by Xia Wan. ¡°There¡¯s no need, Sister Hong. If you¡¯re willing to pay for my treatment, you can pay according to the medical fees. We¡¯ll be doing business again, so you can¡¯t mix them up. Otherwise, if I come to you to buy clothes in the future, you¡¯ll always think that I¡¯ve cured your illness on account of the favor you owe me, so you should give me less or not take my money. ¡°If it¡¯s just a few dollars, you might not feel anything. But if we cooperate more and more in the future and your losses reach hundreds or thousands, you might not be grateful to me. Instead, you might feel that you¡¯ve suffered a loss. ¡°Sister Hong, I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re an ungrateful person. I just feel that everything must have principles. I¡¯ll prescribe you medicine today, and Sister Hong, you¡¯ll pay for my services. I¡¯ll buy clothes from you some other day, and you¡¯ll offer me the lowest price you can afford. We¡¯ll both profit from each other. This is the only way we can work together in the long run.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words were very sincere, and they touched Sister Hong. Chapter 72 - 72 She Likes Sincerity 72 She Likes Sincerity At first, she only thought that Xia Wan was good at bargaining and had good taste. However, later on, she found out the cause of her illness, which made her even more careful of her. She didn¡¯t expect Xia Wan to know so much at such a young age. Now, Sister Hong had already treated Xia Wan as a senior. She couldn¡¯t even repeat what Xia Wan had said. ¡°Sister Hong will acknowledge you in the future. As long as you say what you want to do, I will actively cooperate with you! We¡¯ll be good business partners from now on!¡± Sister Hong gushed in a very straightforward manner. She had set her eyes on Xia Wan and felt she was poised to be more successful than others in the future! Xia Wan smiled slightly. In her previous life, she was a miracle doctor, and throngs of people lined up to see her. Some even directly invested 100 million yuan. However, at that time, she did not lack money or fame and it was completely up to her mood if she wanted to see the patients or not. She didn¡¯t feel anything when so much money was thrown around her. But now, looking at Sister Hong¡¯s sincere and trusting eyes, Xia Wan suddenly felt that her chest was filled with strength. As expected, only the most sincere feelings were the easiest to move. It was only now, when she had nothing, that others would not have schemes on her. Those who were good to her were the ones who were truly good to her. Such a simple life made Xia Wan rather contented and happy. After talking to Sister Hong, Xia Chen took the bag from Xia Wan¡¯s hand, and the two headed to another place. Xia Wan had her eyes on a stall that specialized in selling hats. In this age, very few people wore hats, even in the hot season However, if you wore a handsome outfit with a hat, you would be the most eye-catching existence in the crowd. Xia Wan stopped and asked, ¡°Boss, how much is this hat?¡± The stall owner was a man in his forties. Seeing that Xia Wan was just a little girl, he thought she was buying a hat for Xia Chen, who was behind her, so he said directly to Xia Chen, ¡°You¡¯ll look good in our hat. I guarantee you won¡¯t get tanned. Look at your handsome face. You won¡¯t look good if you get tanned. My hat is only eight yuan. A massive bargain.¡± ¡°What? Eight yuan? That¡¯s too much. I¡¯m not buying, not buying.¡± Xia Chen waved his hands. His father had to break his back for a month just to earn a measly 300 yuan. This was just a hat, and it cost eight yuan! His father could only afford one with the money he earned every day. The stall owner looked at the bag in his hand and thought that Xia Chen was also a wholesale businessman, so he was ready to continue persuading him. ¡°Two yuan each,¡± Xia Wan said directly. ¡°If you give me that price, I¡¯ll take ten. If they sell, I¡¯ll come back for more.¡± The stall owner was dumbfounded. He stared at Xia Wan for five seconds and then looked at Xia Chen. ¡°You ¡­ You¡¯re the one making the decision?¡± The stall owner pointed at Xia Wan in surprise. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to take the money. This hat costs two yuan at most. If it¡¯s expensive, no one will buy it. If you give them to me for two yuan, I can sell them, and when the sales are good, you can buy more. The more I sell, the more you¡¯ll earn. I¡¯m young too, and I understand the aesthetics of young people better.¡± The stall owner was a little hesitant. He felt that Xia Wan¡¯s words made sense, but two yuan was indeed obscenely low. He stretched out three fingers. ¡°Three yuan. I can¡¯t go any lower.¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving then. We¡¯re not buying.¡± She pulled Xia Chen and was about to leave, but Xia Chen followed her obediently. Unlike Xia Wan¡¯s departure, which was just a means of bargaining, Xia Chen really felt that there was no need to buy this hat. It was hot in the summer, and so be it. They were boys anyway, and they didn¡¯t care if they got tanned. On the contrary, in their village, the tanner one was, the more manly he would seem. The stall owner saw that the two were really leaving and immediately panicked. He quickly shouted, ¡°Argh! Hey, it¡¯s two yuan for you. Come back, come back.¡± This time, Xia Chen was dumbfounded. Even though he had seen Xia Wan¡¯s bargaining skills at Sister Hong¡¯s side, he still found it hard to believe. With just a few short words, this stall owner had changed his mind. From eight Yuan to two Yuan, a hat was cut down to six Yuan. It was really magical. Xia Chen felt his worldview being washed away. Xia Wan came back and happily, gave the stall owner the money. She chose five styles, and she purchased two of each. Then, Xia Wan picked out a variety of jewelry, hairpins, leather ropes, and nail polish that girls would wear and put them all into the bag. Xia Chen slowly recovered from the initial shock. He was getting used to this. Chapter 73 - 73 Inventory 73 Inventory By the time Xia Wan and Xia Chen returned home, three big bags had been filled, and they had spent two thousand yuan. Xia Chen had a conflicted expression on his face. Xia Wan saw his hesitation and said directly, ¡°Brother, just say what you want to say.¡± In the end, Xia Chen said, ¡°Sister, you earned all this money. I shouldn¡¯t say anything, but I¡¯m just worried that if these things really don¡¯t sell, will the 2000 yuan be in our hands? And when we get the goods the second time, they might not sell them to us.¡± Xia Wan actually understood Xia Chen¡¯s worries because their family was poor. To them, it was already good enough to have meat to eat. the occasional candy was enough to make them happy for a few days. To their family, buying clothes was something that only happened during the new year. The family would only take them to buy clothes during the new year, and they would pay special attention to the price. A good example would be the clothes Xia Wan had chosen today. If Xia Chen were to be the one, he would¡¯ve never bought them because he thought they were too expensive. However, Xia Wan had memories of her previous life, where she had met all kinds of people and understood all kinds of things. Thus, she was also very clear that although there were many poor people in this era, there were equally as many rich people. Some of them were in the process of slowly becoming rich. For example, the construction of factories gave many people a chance to find jobs. Factories were a relatively fair working environment. The more work you did, the more money you would get. At the same time, the education industry and small vendors were all about finding ways to make money. Thus, Xia Wan decided she¡¯d take her brother out more so he could better understand the current environment he was living in. However, she would not say these words out loud, afraid her brother would feel inferior. Although Xia Chen didn¡¯t say it clearly, Xia Wan understood that Xia Chen felt bad when he saw that his sister was making money while he, as her brother, had yet to find a job. She smiled and explained, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. When I was studying, I had a classmate whose cousin came from a very rich family. She told me about the spending standards of the people in the county. Our family is considered relatively poor, so we can¡¯t afford these things. But that¡¯s not the case for the county people. They are richer and can afford it. ¡°Besides, even if I can¡¯t sell it, I might find ginseng on the mountain,¡± Xia Wan half-joked. Xia Chen saw that she didn¡¯t seem to be nervous, so he forced himself not to mind. They carried the items to Zhou Tian¡¯s shop. There were not many people in the shop at the moment, and when Zhou Tian saw Xia Wan, he immediately came over to greet her. ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re here. I¡¯ve heard from Rou that you¡¯ve prescribed medicine for her. I also heard that you¡¯re planning to sell things in the county. You¡¯re such a sensible girl.¡± Zhou Tian looked at Xia Wan with eyes full of love and admiration. He felt that although this girl was young, she would definitely achieve great things in the future. Seeing how good she was at medicine and her diligence, he also believed that Xia Wan could cure his daughter. After Xia Wan had put the things away, she decided to talk to Zhou Tian first. ¡°Uncle Zhou, there¡¯s something I think I should tell you in advance so that you can be mentally prepared,¡± she said with a serious expression. Zhou Tian immediately had a bad feeling when he saw her expression. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Has Xiao Rou¡¯s condition gotten worse? ¡± Zhou Tian immediately asked. At the same time, he also felt a little worried. In fact, he was mentally prepared. After all, even the hospital couldn¡¯t find the cause of Rou¡¯er¡¯s illness. It was already good enough that Xia Wan could find out, or it¡¯d be nearly impossible to cure her. While Zhou Tian was still lost in his thoughts, Xia Wan interrupted him and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that the situation is serious. It¡¯s not difficult to treat Sister Xiaorou¡¯s illness. The difficult thing is whether or not someone will harm her again.¡± Zhou Tian¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked at Xia Wan in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean? What did he mean by someone else would harm her? You mean someone deliberately harmed Rou¡¯er? She was poisoned?¡± Zhou Tian owned a pharmacy, so he immediately understood what Xia Wan meant. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°When I went to deliver the medicine to Sis Xiaorou, I said that in the future, all of her food and drinks should be tasted by the people close to her. Uncle Zhou, you should have guessed it by now, right?¡± Chapter 74 - 74 Both Are Possible 74 Both Are Possible A pained expression appeared on Zhou Tian¡¯s face, but he quickly recovered. ¡°Are you saying that the person who harmed Xiaorou was the person beside her? Could it have been Li Yan?¡± Without waiting for Xia Wan to speak, Zhou Tian immediately denied it. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I saw how Li Yan cared for Rou when he was pursuing her. There are many things that I didn¡¯t think of, but Li Yan did. Every time the season changes, Rou¡¯s body feels a little cold. Li Yan will go to a faraway place to find a prescription for her. ¡°Also, when Xiaorou was in confinement, Li Yan didn¡¯t let her do anything. He didn¡¯t even let the nanny wash her personal clothes. Instead, he washed them. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a man who loves his wife so much. If it was Li Yan, then he¡¯s got to be the master pretender.¡± Although Zhou Tian had been denying Xia Wan¡¯s guess, he had already subconsciously followed her train of thought. The only person who could poison Xiao Rou was someone close to her. If he didn¡¯t do it, then the most likely person was Li Yan. ¡°It¡¯s not just him,¡± Xia Wan said. I realized that your nanny, Luo Xing, is humble and sensible in front of Sis Xiaorou. But when my brother and I visited her last time, she was very rude and looked down on us. Just because we were dressed shabbily, she thought we were there to take advantage of her. ¡°But when Sis Xiaorou came out, she immediately changed her expression and acted like it was a misunderstanding. ¡°Uncle Zhou, as you know, we haven¡¯t spent much time with Sis Xiaorou, but Luo Xing has been by her side every day. In terms of feelings, I think Luo Xing and Sis Xiaorou have a deeper relationship. Besides, Luo Xing has been by her side for a long time, so she must know her temper very well. ¡°Even if Sis Xiaorou had some suspicions after the incident, she would no longer suspect her after Luo Xing said a few words.¡± Zhou Tian furrowed his brows. ¡°Luo Xing? She actually dared to harm Xiao Rou. If Xiao Rou didn¡¯t take pity on her and taken her in, we wouldn¡¯t have used her. Even though it¡¯s a villa, we can still clean it ourselves. ¡°If she really did this, then she can just wait to go to jail!¡± Xia Wan realized that Zhou Tian¡¯s attitude toward Li Yan and Luo Xing differed. It was obvious that Zhou Tian trusted Li Yan. After all, Li Yan was the son-in-law he was most satisfied with. If Li Yan really did it, it meant he had deceived Zhou Tian. ¡°Uncle Zhou, this matter still needs to be observed. I think that the first thing we need to do is to find evidence. I heard that some big cities had installed surveillance cameras. Uncle Zhou, why don¡¯t you spend for one and quietly observe the situation to see if anyone would do something to Sis Xiaorou?¡± ¡°Also, I hope to get some of the residues of the medicine they gave Sis Xiaorou. It would be best if Uncle Zhou could investigate where they bought the medicine from. That way, our evidence will be complete. Just as you said, if we find out who harmed Sis Xiaorou, we will let them get what they deserve.¡± After listening to Xia Wan¡¯s analysis, Zhou Tian¡¯s heart slowly calmed down. However, he could not help but feel disappointed. Whether it was Li Yan or Luo Xing, he had always treated them as family, but now they were actually the murderers who might have harmed Xiao Rou. Xia Wan saw that he was upset, but she couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°Also, I think we can investigate Sister Xiaorou¡¯s best friend, Song Ya, to see if this has anything to do with her. She¡¯s a very scheming girl. I can¡¯t tell what kind of person she is.¡± Zhou Tian nodded in silence. ¡°Thank you, Wanwan. I¡¯ll take care of this. I¡¯ll leave Rou¡¯s side to you.¡± After a long time, Zhou Tian seemed to have finally recovered and accepted the truth as he spoke to Xia Wan. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Zhou. This is what I should do.¡± After leaving the Zhoutian store, Xia Wan¡¯s mood was a little complicated. Perhaps many would envy Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s good family conditions, having a loving husband, a good friend, and a nanny to take care of her. However, no one would have thought that the people around her would actually want to kill her. Xia Wan deeply understood that different families would have different conflicts. Compared to Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s family, her family was more relaxed. After all, the people around her did not pretend. For example, Li Jin¡¯s disgust was very obvious. Chapter 75 - 75 Meeting Chen Mo Again 75 Meeting Chen Mo Again Just as they arrived at the bus stop, a familiar male voice rang out behind her. ¡°Little girl!¡± Xia Wan turned around and saw that it was Xu Ye, the man who had helped her come up with the idea to save the canned food business. Chen Mo was standing beside Xu ye. Seeing Chen Mo, Xia Wan¡¯s heart was filled with complicated emotions. She subconsciously avoided looking at him, afraid that the memories of the past would disrupt her current peaceful life. She wanted revenge, but now wasn¡¯t the time. She was still not powerful enough and needed to be patient. She was not on the same level as Chen Mo. She did not want to provoke him. Getting involved with him would only bring her endless trouble. However, she did not expect that Xu Ye, who she had casually helped the other day, would actually know Chen Mo. Xia Wan nodded at Xu Ye. Hello, we meet again. Just as Xu Ye was about to speak to Xia Wan, he saw Chen Mo walking toward her, blocking his view. Xia Wan, I went to your house to look for you, but you weren¡¯t there. I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you this time, but it seems we were really fated to meet.¡± Xu Ye stood behind Chen Mo with his mouth wide open. So, the girl he was talking about was Xia Wan? Xu Ye felt his heart shatter to pieces. He finally knew the girl¡¯s name, but at the same time, he discovered that the girl his brother cared about was Xia Wan. ¡®I can¡¯t do it. Chen Mo is my brother,¡¯ Xu Ye thought to himself. It was easy for him to fall for a girl, but that wasn¡¯t the case for Chen Mo. For so many years, there had been many girls around him, but none moved his heart. Now that one had finally appeared, he could not snatch her away from his good friend! Now, Xu Ye could only feel bursts of heartache. Xia Wan looked into Chen Mo¡¯s eyes, and she could feel her heart beating faster. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Xia Wan asked. She wanted to cut off all ties with him, but when she found out that he had gone to look for her, she couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it. She wanted to know if he cared a lot about her. ¡°You saved me, so I bought you a gift. See if you like it,¡± Chen Mo said as he took out a gift box and opened it for Xia Wan. Xia Wan looked at the box. There was a silver bracelet with a few small stars on it. It was made of gold, and it was obvious that it was not cheap. ¡°No, I can¡¯t take it. This bracelet is too expensive,¡± Xia Wan rejected immediately. Chen Mo passed the box to her. ¡°You saved my life. Is my life not worth a bracelet? Aren¡¯t you looking down on me too much?¡± Xia Wan was in a difficult position. Chen Mo¡¯s words made sense, but with her family¡¯s current situation, if she accepted the bracelet and Li Jin found out, he would definitely scold her again. Then, she would not be able to keep the bracelet. However, Chen Mo¡¯s attitude was firm, so Xia Wan had to lie and say, ¡°I can¡¯t accept it, not just because it¡¯s expensive, but also because I can¡¯t keep it.¡± Chen Mo furrowed his brows. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xia Wan saw his expression and knew that he didn¡¯t know anything. She sighed and said, ¡°My family¡¯s environment is more complicated. My grandmother is very biased. I have two uncles, and my grandmother favors their children more. If I take your bracelet and my grandmother sees it, she will scold me and confiscate it. ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t accept it. You should take this bracelet back.¡± Xia Wan pushed the box back. Chen Mo didn¡¯t expect Xia Wan¡¯s family to be in such a situation. Then, he recalled the annoying girl he had met today and asked, ¡°Do you have cousins at home?¡± Xia Wan was surprised. ¡°How did you know?¡± Xu Ye saw that he finally had a chance to speak, so he took the initiative to squeeze over and tell Xia Wan about his encounter with Xia Ye today. Of course, Xu Ye and Chen Mo did not know Xia Ye¡¯s name yet. They only roughly described the girl¡¯s appearance to Xia Wan. Xia Wan could not help but laugh. ¡°That should be my cousin, Xia Ye. She¡¯s quite vain. It¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t tell her that the person you¡¯re looking for is me. Otherwise, I¡¯d be in trouble when I got home. She¡¯ll definitely ask me how I met you guys and even want to be related to you. ¡°She likes handsome and rich guys. It so happens that you two are both.¡± Xia Chen looked at Xia Wan and the two of them talking happily and couldn¡¯t help but wonder when these two sisters had met. He remembered that he¡¯d tag along whenever his sister went to the county. Chapter 76 - 76 Meeting Xia Wan 76 Meeting Xia Wan When the two of them, who did not have a good impression of Xia Ye, to begin with, heard Xia Wan¡¯s description, they could not help but feel a little scared. Xu Ye touched his chest exaggeratedly and said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t talk to her. Otherwise, she¡¯d be chasing me to marry her.¡± Xu Ye was joking, but Xia Wan said seriously, ¡°If you really did something with her, she might really cling to you for the rest of her life. Don¡¯t underestimate the two cousins in our family. The other one is just too embarrassed to see anyone now. If she has the chance to see you, she will only be scarier than Xia Ye. Xu Ye was really frightened. He couldn¡¯t help but say to Chen Mo, who was beside him, ¡°Brother, when you look for Xia Wan again, let¡¯s meet somewhere else. It¡¯s better not to go to her house. It¡¯s a little scary.¡± Chen Mo nodded. He looked calmer than Xu Ye, but only he knew how much he hated women who took the initiative to approach him. Chen Mo looked at Xia Wan. ¡°Can I talk to you in private?¡± When Xu Ye heard his words, he immediately showed an awkward expression. ¡°Go, go. If you have something to say, then say it.¡± The only thing he didn¡¯t do was tell them to communicate their feelings. Xia Wan didn¡¯t think that Chen Mo would have any feelings for her at this moment, and after a slight hesitation, she nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Chen Mo took her to a big tree not far away. The tree looked decades old. The tall trunk covered the two of them, and Xia Chen could only see half of their bodies from afar. Chen Mo asked, ¡°What were you doing in the city today? Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Xia Wan was a little resistant to his offer of help. She was someone who did not like to trouble others, especially Chen Mo, whom she did not want to be involved with in this life. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just doing some small business. I don¡¯t need any help,¡± Xia Wan said lightly. Chen Mo could feel her resistance, but this estrangement made Chen Mo even more pleased. Xia Wan was so unique and different from other girls. She really did not have any ulterior motives toward him. Chen Mo had to admit that his way of thinking was a little toxic. It was like the more the other party ignored you, the more you wanted to get closer to her. However, Chen Mo felt that if it was another girl who treated him with such a cold attitude, he would definitely not continue to pester her. He was a person who knew his limits. However, when he saw Xia Wan, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if they had known each other for a long time. He did not know if it was his imagination, but he felt she didn¡¯t look at him like he was stranger. If it were a stranger who did not want to have anything to do with him, they would be resistant and cold. However, Xia Wan treated him like¡­ she knew him very well, so well that she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him. He had thought about it carefully. He really didn¡¯t have much interaction with Xia Wan, mainly because they were born in different places. At the thought of this, Chen Mo said tentatively, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your cousin, but she doesn¡¯t look like you at all. You¡¯re way prettier than her, and your aura is so unique. If you didn¡¯t say it yourself, I would¡¯ve never thought she was your cousin. As he spoke, Chen Mo stared at Xia Wan, trying to read her expression. However, Xia Wan only lowered her eyes slightly and said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I look like my mother. My mother is better looking and has a good temperament.¡± Then, she looked up and changed the topic. ¡°What do you want to tell me? Are you just asking me why I¡¯m in the city?¡± Chen Mo immediately smiled and shook his head. ¡°Of course not. This is for you.¡± Chen Mo handed the key to Xia Wan. ¡°What is this?¡± Xia Wan looked at him in confusion. ¡°My family dabbles in a business similar to private insurance in every city. I¡¯ll write down the exact location for you later. You can put all your private things in there. The key plate has the exact location of the cabinet. If it¡¯s a big one, you can tell the attendant, and she will arrange a bigger place for you.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s heart wavered when she heard this. This was a great place. Previously, she had not known Chen Mo and did not know that his family owned such a business. Moreover, it was so early on. In the future, she also had her own villa dedicated to storing her personal belongings. However, in this era, having such a place was a great choice. Chapter 77 - 77 I Dont Want To Owe Favors 77 I Don¡¯t Want To Owe Favors But¡­ She did not want to owe Chen Mo a favor. Just as she was about to reject him, Chen Mo said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel any burden. I¡¯ll charge you for it. I¡¯ll pay you once a year. The current rate is 100 yuan a year. Xia Wan heaved a sigh of relief when she heard the price. 100 yuan was a small amount. If she were to do business, she would be able to earn it back very quickly. She looked at Chen Mo in disbelief. ¡°Is it really that cheap?¡± Chen Mo shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Not really. Actually, it depends on the level. The one I gave you is the lowest level, so it only needs 101 years. If it¡¯s a special one, it¡¯ll cost a few thousand yuan a year. Even special items will cost more than 10000 yuan a year.¡± Seeing how serious Chen Mo was, Xia Wan took the key. Chen Mo actually brought a pen and paper with him and wrote down the address for Xia Wan. Perhaps it was because she had received the key from Chen Mo that Xia Wan¡¯s attitude towards him softened a little. Chen Mo noticed this subtle change and asked, ¡°What kind of business are you planning to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just sell some clothes. It¡¯s cheap and easy to profit,¡± Xia Wan said. Chen Mo nodded. ¡°Yes, I believe in your judgment. You¡¯ll definitely sell well. How about this? When you earn more money in the future, you¡¯ll be my business partner. What do you think?¡± Xia Wan immediately refused. ¡°No.¡± Chen Mo was a little surprised. He asked subconsciously, ¡°Why? don¡¯t you trust my investment vision?¡± Xia Wan pursed her lips. How could she not believe in Chen Mo¡¯s investment vision? His vision had always been good. It was all thanks to his investment that the Chen family would develop such a large business in the future. However, she did not want to have anything to do with him right now. If she became his business partner, she would probably be inseparable from him for the rest of her life. Seeing that Xia Wan was unwilling to explain, Chen Mo didn¡¯t push it further. Instead, he said, ¡°Let me know if you plan to open a clothing store in the city. I have a friend who has a good position and can give you a discount. Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re using my favor. You saved me, so it¡¯s only right that I repay you.¡± Since Chen Mo had put it this way, Xia Wan could only nod in agreement. On the other side, Xia Chen stared at the two of them. He gritted his teeth and asked Xu Ye, ¡°What are they talking about? Why are they talking for so long? And how did you get to know Xia Wan?¡± Xu Ye now knew that Xia Chen was Xia Wan¡¯s brother, and he was very friendly to him. He explained enthusiastically, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t think too much. Xia Wan saved Chen Mo¡¯s life. Also, my family¡¯s cannery was in danger. Xia Wan happened to hear about it and gave me an idea. I thought it was great, and the cannery was eventually saved. We¡¯re all grateful to Xia Wan.¡± He wanted to say that his brother, Chen Mo, was interested in Xia Wan, but how could he say that in front of her brother? Of course not. If he said it stupidly, Xia Chen would definitely be on guard when he saw them again. Xia Chen was surprised. ¡°When did Xia Wan save that person? When did she give you the idea?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Xia Wan about that,¡± Xu Ye said tactfully. ¡°There are some details I¡¯m not sure about. As for the cannery, we just happened to bump into each other while eating at a small shop.¡± Xia Chen was about to ask more when he saw Xia Wan and Chen Mo coming over. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go home,¡± Xia Wan said. ¡°Okay,¡± Xia Chen replied. The two of them walked directly to the bus stop. Xu Ye placed his arm on Chen Mo¡¯s shoulder and asked with a smile, ¡°How was it? Did you manage to flirt with her?¡± Chen Mo glared at him coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that she¡¯s not an ordinary girl. Don¡¯t put her in the same category as those typical girls of yours.¡± At the sight of his seriousness, Xu Ye¡¯s expression became more restrained. ¡°Brother, are you really in love with her and want to marry her?¡± Chen Mo did not say anything. Xu Ye continued, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t think highly of you guys, but Xia Wan is a pretty and outstanding girl. To be honest, if you dress up a little, you¡¯ll be able to look good even if you attend big banquets. ¡°But your family background is too different from Xia Wan¡¯s. Your family won¡¯t agree to it. Besides, her family background is simple. If you marry her, she¡¯ll be marrying into a rich family. She¡¯ll have to face all kinds of conflict. Are you sure she¡¯ll be happy?¡± Chapter 78 - 78 The Rich and Powerful Are Unhappy 78 The Rich and Powerful Are Unhappy Xu Ye¡¯s question came from the bottom of his heart. There was a good saying that people who were not in the same circle should not be forced to integrate. It was not that he did not think highly of Xia Wan, but the Chen family¡¯s situation was special. It was difficult for Chen Mo to gain power alone. With the addition of a daughter-in-law from the countryside, Chen Mo¡¯s situation in the Chen family would be even more difficult. He and Chen Mo were the ones who were working hard now. The two did not want to become tools for their families to rely on. They, too, wanted to start their own businesses with their own strength. This way, they would have more freedom in doing things. Chen Mo had gotten injured because he wanted to steal a business deal. Fortunately, that business deal was now theirs. However, this was only the beginning. They still had a long way to go. Chen Mo looked at Xu Ye and said with a firm tone, ¡°No matter what you think, she is the first girl that I want to spend the rest of my life with. If she doesn¡¯t like someone else, I will continue to pursue her. If she has someone she loves and that person is good to her, I will silently give her my blessings. If she doesn¡¯t fall in love with anyone else and doesn¡¯t accept me, I am willing to help her silently and accompany her. Chen Mo realized that his heart was throbbing in pain when he said those words. It was as if he was supposed to give those things to Xia Wan. On the other hand, Xu Ye¡¯s eyes widened. He looked at Chen Mo as if he was looking at a fool. ¡°Brother, I used to think that you were cold and emotionless, and that nothing could cause your emotions to change. But now, I realize that you¡¯re completely obsessed with love. Are you familiar with her? Do you know what type she likes? You¡¯re only in your teens. How can you be so sure that you¡¯ll be with this girl for the rest of your life?¡± Although he was also in his teens, he had changed girlfriends several times. He felt that as long as he was not at the age to start a family, he could keep meeting new girls. When it was time to get married, he would be the one to decide who to marry. Chen Mo pursed his lips and said firmly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. On the other side, neither Xia Wan and Xia Chen spoke on the bus. Xia Chen glanced at Xia Wan. He had a lot of questions, but he didn¡¯t say anything when he saw how tired his sister was. When they arrived at the village entrance, Xia Chen asked, ¡°Sister, when did you save Chen Mo?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°So that¡¯s what you wanted to ask. It¡¯s nothing much. I met him on the day I picked ginseng on the mountain. He was injured, and I knew how to save people from danger, as how Grandpa taught me, so I bandaged his wound. ¡°To me, it¡¯s just a very normal thing. He seemed to be very grateful, though. There¡¯s nothing else,¡± Xia Wan said in a relaxed manner. She did not want her brother to notice that Chen Mo was a special existence to her. Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s explanation, Xia Chen was relieved. He said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything dangerous in the future. I always feel that the two of them don¡¯t live in the same world as us. I can¡¯t do anything, but I hope that our lives can be simpler and that we won¡¯t get involved in complicated things.¡± Even though Xia Wan did not say it explicitly, Chen Mo was already injured and needed her help to treat his wound, although he looked like he was only in his teens. It was clear that their lives were not peaceful. Their village was very peaceful. At most, there would be quarrels in the family. Knife fights completely didn¡¯t exist. Xia Chen felt that his sister had gone through too much, and he hoped that it would be simple as to avoid any unwanted trouble. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°I understand, brother.¡± The two of them had just reached the door when they saw Xia Ye looking at them. When she saw that they had returned, she said impatiently, ¡°What have you two been doing? You¡¯re back so late. What¡¯s the matter? Couldn¡¯t find a job? Xia Chen, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m looking down on you, but what¡¯s the use of you being so tall? You can¡¯t even find a job. You¡¯re even worse than Sister Xia Ru. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s only because sister Xia Ru is sick that grandma can¡¯t care about you guys now. Otherwise, I¡¯d have definitely scolded you.¡± Thinking back to what Chen Mo had told her, Xia Wan knew that Xia Ye was most likely waiting for Chen Mo and the others at the door. Perhaps she thought that the person they were looking for was near their house. If they couldn¡¯t find that person, they would surely come back to look for her. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 79 - 79 Xia Yes Grades Decline 79 Xia Ye¡¯s Grades Decline Xia Wan said coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about what we do. At least my father earns more money than your father. Your family is rich because you don¡¯t give Grandma much. Our family is poor because we give her more. In terms of filial piety, our family is even more filial. We usually do the chores at home. In terms of gossiping, you¡¯re the best. You didn¡¯t do anything, yet you still insist you¡¯re noble. In terms of thick skin, you¡¯re the best.¡± Xia Ye¡¯s face turned red from Xia Wan¡¯s rebuttal. Why hadn¡¯t she realized how sharp of a tongue Xia Wan had? ¡°How dare you talk about me here? Xia Wan, who do you think you are?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°What I am is what you are. We have the same grandmother, don¡¯t we?¡± The two of them were arguing loudly, and many people who had returned home from their farm work looked at them. Xia Wan continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t find it embarrassing, I can continue to argue with you and show everyone how biased grandma has been all these years.¡± Xia Ye could tell that Xia Wan had hardened her heart and was ready to fight her to the death. For some reason, she felt a little flustered. She realized that Xia Wan was really different from before. Xia Ye coughed lightly to hide her compromise. She raised her eyes slightly and continued to look into the distance. She did not forget to ask, ¡°Did you see a car when you returned? It¡¯s black and very cool.¡± Xia Wan knew that Xia Ye was asking about Chen Mo, so she said coldly, ¡°What dream are you having? How can anyone in our village afford a car? That kind of family is not something we can get close to, lest you might bring us trouble,¡± said the villager. At this moment, a villager who was passing by immediately laughed and said, ¡°Look at how Xia Wan speaks with propriety. She knows what kind of person we are and what life we should live. However, some just don¡¯t know. Look at the clothes you¡¯re wearing and compare them to hers. Xia Ye, are you worthy of her?¡± Xia Ye, the entire village knows about the embarrassing incident today involving you. Why? are you still waiting for those two men here?¡± Xia Wan had already heard about what happened from Chen Mo, so she pretended not to know anything and asked the neighbor, ¡°Aunt Wang, what do you mean? Did my cousin do something embarrassing?¡± ¡°I remember. My cousin just asked me if I¡¯d seen a black car. Did she take a fancy to the owner? ¡± Xia Wan¡¯s face turned serious as she said, ¡°Cousin, what kind of family are we from? How can we be compared to car owners? Cousin, you should spend more time on your studies. The teacher has already criticized you about your grades which have declined greatly since you entered high school. In her previous life, although Xia Ye was also admitted to high school, her results were not good. When she graduated, she was ranked last in the school. However, her family kept it a secret and only said that she did not get into her ideal university. In order to reduce the burden on her family, she did not further her studies. Now, she didn¡¯t mind revealing this to the neighbors in advance and letting everyone see her true colors. ¡°What? Isn¡¯t Xia Ye¡¯s academic performance always good? Why did it drop? Your grandma always says that you¡¯re going to college in the future. I even tell my girl every day that I want to learn from you.¡± The neighbor¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery. Xia Ye looked a little embarrassed. Although she looked down on Xia Wan at home and often mocked her for being bad at her studies, her academic performance had indeed declined recently. She was almost at the same level as Xia Wan. Xia Ye glared at Xia Wan and threatened, ¡°Just you wait.¡± Xia Ye turned around and went back into the house after saying those harsh words. Xia Wan, on the other hand, returned home with Xia Chen with a smile. However, not long after she sat down, there was a commotion at the door. ¡°Xia Ru¡¯s family, come out right now. Your shameless little b*tch seduced my son and caused him to be sick. If you don¡¯t resolve this matter, don¡¯t even think about living a peaceful life!¡± Yan Han was in the middle of cooking. When she heard the commotion, she wanted to go out but was stopped by Xia Wan. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t go out. I¡¯ll go with brother to take a look.¡± Xia Wan and Xia Chen were about to leave, and Xia Feng followed closely behind them. His little face was full of determination. ¡°I¡¯m coming you.¡± Chapter 80 - 80 Liu Hua Has Evidence 80 Liu Hua Has Evidence Xia Wan smiled, thinking that her brother was spontaneously trying to protect his family. ¡°Alright, you follow me.¡± The three of them walked out of the room. At this time, Liu Hua was with several men, and they were confronting Li Jin aggressively. Li Jin¡¯s three sons were by her side this time, and she was even more confident. Both sides were clamoring, and no one was willing to take this responsibility. Liu Hua snorted. ¡°My Liu Shi has already told me. Just two nights ago, your Xia Ru secretly climbed over the wall to talk to him. After that, he got this illness. ¡°I thought your Xia Ru had a good reputation, and I didn¡¯t want to say it out loud. However, your family is too shameless and doesn¡¯t dare to admit it. So, I have no choice but to say it.¡± As she spoke, Liu Hua looked at Li Jin¡¯s family with disdain. At first, her son was still protecting Xia Ru and refused to tell her when he had come into contact with her. She didn¡¯t expect Xia Ru to be so shameless. It was already dark, yet she still went out to meet a man in private. Her son had always been sensible, so it must be Xia Ru¡¯s fault. This was the first time Li Jin found out that Xia Ru had actually gone to look for Liu Shi. She subconsciously felt that Liu Hua was lying to her. Even if it was true, Li Jin couldn¡¯t admit it, especially now that the neighbors had come over and looked like they were watching a show. If she admitted it now, Xia Ru¡¯s reputation would be ruined. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. My family can testify that Xia Ru never went out at night!¡± Li Jin¡¯s tone was firm. At this moment, Liu Hua took out a candy wrapper and said to Li Jin, ¡°You should still remember this candy wrapper, right? Your Xia Ru bought it. I know she also bought it for your family. In our entire village, only your Xia Ru bought this candy.¡± Li Jin¡¯s expression changed when she saw the candy wrapper. In the past, she used to praise Xia Ru for being so sensible. She would hand in her salary every time and buy all kinds of candies when she went home. Even though she had bad teeth now, she still felt very happy to be able to eat candies. However, it was different now. The candy had become evidence. Li Jin¡¯s face darkened, and she really felt like questioning Xia Ru. Seeing that Li Jin didn¡¯t say anything, Liu Hua knew that she was in the wrong. She immediately started to argue, ¡°Everyone, come and judge. Her Xia Ru seduced our Liu Shi. Our son has very high standards. Why would he like her Xia Ru? I didn¡¯t expect that girl to have such a strange illness to the point she even harmed my son. ¡°We won¡¯t look into anything else now. Just say that Li Jin¡¯s family has to cure our son¡¯s illness, or they have to pay us a thousand yuan right now. Only then would we let this matter go.¡± Li Jin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A thousand yuan? Why don¡¯t you just rob someone? We don¡¯t have that much money!¡± The combined income of her sons was less than a thousand yuan a month. How could she, Liu Hua, have the audacity to ask for so much? Liu Hua didn¡¯t care about that. Her husband injured himself while working in the field, and he still couldn¡¯t walk. She did all the work at home and had high hopes for her son. Now that Xia Ru had caused her son to fall sick, she definitely couldn¡¯t let this matter go. ¡°Your Xia Ru only earns a small amount of money a month. You have to know that our Liu Shi has found a good job. They said they¡¯d give our Liu Shi a salary of 40 yuan a day. That¡¯s 1200 yuan a month. Your Xia Ru has delayed our Liu Shi¡¯s work, so I¡¯m only asking for 1000 yuan from you. Do you think that¡¯s too much? ¡°I don¡¯t care. If you can¡¯t come up with the money, I¡¯ll go to Xia Ru¡¯s workplace and make a scene. Let¡¯s see if she can continue working then.¡± Liu Hua became even prouder as she spoke, knowing for a fact that Li Jin would definitely give in for the sake of Xia Ru¡¯s reputation. Li Jin was completely flustered. She quickly grabbed Xia Jiang¡¯s arm and scolded, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your daughter? Did she really do such a shameless thing? Now that they¡¯ve come to our doorstep to talk about this, what do you think we should do?¡± Xia Jiang was also in disbelief. His good daughter, who had always been the pride of the family, had actually gone to look for Liu Shi? His face darkened. ¡°I¡¯ll go ask her now!¡± Chapter 81 - 81 Get Married If Youre Poor 81 Get Married If You¡¯re Poor ¡°Where are you going? We can talk about you and Xia Ru later.¡± Li Jin wanted to call out to Xia Jiang, but he didn¡¯t allow her to do so. He rushed into the house. Seeing this, Li Jin could only say to Liu Hua, ¡°Wait here for a while. We¡¯ll discuss it. You can wait here first.¡± Liu Hua only stopped complaining when she heard them relent. ¡°Sure, we can wait.¡± Even though Liu Hua was no longer noisy, her previous outburst had been heard by the neighbors. The village was only so big, and after today, the whole village would know about Xia Ru¡¯s secret meeting with a boy. Xia Chen looked at Xia Wan. ¡°What should we do now? Should we follow them?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Of course I¡¯m going. Grandmother has always doted on Xia Ru. She¡¯ll definitely scold her now. How can I miss such a lively event?¡± Xia Chen¡¯s lips twitched helplessly, but he still followed Xia Wan to Xia Ru¡¯s room to eavesdrop. He knew that this was a bad habit, but he was actually looking forward to it. Although Li Jin valued men more than women, he treated Xia Ru and Xia Ye better than his grandson. Xia Chen was not made of stone, and of course, he had his own emotions. He did not understand why Grandma did not like him when he was hardworking and did not even dare to eat too much meat during meals. In the past, he would bring this matter up to Yan Han, but Yan Han would only pull a long face and say that this had nothing to do with him. He said that it was Li Jin who didn¡¯t like her and that he didn¡¯t like the children she had given birth to either. Now that the person Li Jin had been praising had made a fool of himself and was blocked at the door, Xia Chen suddenly felt that the pressure on his heart had disappeared. It turned out that if Li Jin didn¡¯t like someone, the person must be of a good character. Li Jin didn¡¯t like his sister, Xia Wan, for instance. However, his sister was very capable, successfully haggling and easily gaining the trust of the stall owners, who said that his sister was amazing. Xia Chen thought that if he were to use the money to buy clothes, he would definitely be schemed against. Even if Xia Ru were to go, she would not really know the starting price of these clothes and how to bargain with the stall owners. The granddaughter that Li Jin often praised was now the object of ridicule. Xia Wan, who Li Jin looked down on, was praised by many people in the city. It was not until this moment that Xia Chen realized they were never the ones in the wrong. They should¡¯ve never based their standards on Li Jin¡¯s judgment. Just then, Xia Jiang¡¯s questioning voice came from inside the house. ¡°Who told you to look for Liu Shi? why did you look for him so late at night? You want to be his wife? Xia Ru, what have I taught you? How could you do such a shameless thing? Now, you¡¯ve embarrassed us too!¡± As the eldest in the family, Xia Jiang was more concerned about his reputation. Xia Ru was the only daughter in his family, and he didn¡¯t even have a son. Thus, he felt he couldn¡¯t compare to his second son¡¯s family. Although Xia Ru didn¡¯t get into high school, she could earn money, and Li Jin liked her. Hence, he was quite satisfied with Xia Ru. She often told him about the boys she met in the factory and how outstanding they were, going as far as to say that when she got promoted and headed to the city, she would meet more outstanding boys and bring them to live in big houses. That was why he had always trusted Xia Ru. But now, she was actually on a date with Liu Shi? Xia Jiang looked down on Liu Shi and felt that Xia Ru had been lying to him. Xia Ru was still covering her body with her things, and when she heard Xia Jiang¡¯s question, she retorted, ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t go on a date with Liu Shi. They¡¯re just making it up.¡± Xia Jiang sneered and threw the candy wrapper on the bed. take a look at this. You¡¯re the only one in our village who bought this candy. Now, someone is here with the wrapper, saying that we either pay him a thousand yuan or cure his illness. Tell me, what should we do?¡± Xia Ru saw the candy wrapper, and her heart froze for a moment. She thought of something and almost screamed, ¡°They¡¯ve already told everyone about this?¡± Xia Jiang saw his daughter losing her composure and understood that what Liu Hua said was true. Xia Ru had gone to see Liu Shi. ¡°You¡¯re panicking now? How did I give birth to such an embarrassing thing? Our family can¡¯t afford it. If you can¡¯t, then marry Liu Shi. I¡¯ll treat it as if I never had a daughter like you. Xia Ru was dumbfounded. What did her father say? Just because he didn¡¯t have a thousand yuan, he wanted her to marry Liu Shi? Chapter 82 - 82 Xia Wan Has a Solution 82 Xia Wan Has a Solution Xia Ru hoped Xia Jiang had simply said those things out of anger. However, when she saw the disgust in his eyes, she knew that he was serious. She felt a little dispirited. Before this, she was clearly the existence that everyone in the family praised. Why did everyone treat her like this now? Xia Ru felt a little resentful. These people were her family! Xia Wan looked at Xia Ru from the window without sympathy. In her previous life, Xia Ru had an engagement with her grandfather. However, knowing that the other party came from a good family background, she tricked her into giving her a token. After seducing that man, Xia Ru even got him to repress her family. Her family was obviously very hardworking, but because they were targeted, no one was willing to engage them. No one was even willing to harvest the food their family grew, citing problems with it. At that time, she was even more desperate than Xia Ru. If it weren¡¯t for her master, who taught her medical skills and gave her a foothold, she would have been destroyed by Xia Ru. Now, Xia Ru was just being reprimanded by Xia Jiang. She knew very well that he wasn¡¯t about to really allow his daughter to marry Liu Shi. After a bout of sadness, Xia Ru suddenly thought of something. She begged Xia Jiang, ¡°Father, there¡¯s another way. Didn¡¯t Xia Wan say she could cure my illness? As long as we use her method, Liu Shi and the others can no longer threaten us. At most, we¡¯ll just send them some eggs, and this matter will be resolved.¡± Xia Jiang was also slightly surprised. He had completely forgotten about Xia Wan. Xia Wan¡¯s presence at home was really low, and no one in the family believed her when she said she had studied medicine. However, Xia Ru was right. Even if there was a slight chance, they should not waste it. After all, he did not want to lose money, and he surely didn¡¯t want Xia Ru to get married so casually. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go ask her now.¡± As Xia Jiang spoke, he prepared to go out and look for her. Xia Wan pushed the door open and said with a smile, ¡°Uncle, you don¡¯t have to look for me. I¡¯m here. I wanted to see how Xia Ru was doing. I happened to overhear your conversation. I thought you didn¡¯t believe I had a way to cure Xia Ru¡¯s illness?¡± She then looked at Li Jin and asked in confusion, ¡°Grandmother, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Aren¡¯t you supposed to say that I¡¯m talking nonsense and I have no way to cure Xia Ru?¡± Being interrogated by Xia Wan so directly, Li Jin felt herself losing face. This granddaughter that she usually looked down on the most actually dared to question her now. Li Jin snorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t be smug in front of me. Don¡¯t think we¡¯ll believe you just because you said you have the prescription. With your measly ability, how could I not know?¡± Xia Wan blinked. ¡°Is that so? If you don¡¯t believe me, then give the money to Liu Hua and the others. They¡¯re still waiting outside, and though they stared at you for a long time, you said that you couldn¡¯t cure her without money. Grandma, do you believe our family can forget about working in the future? ¡°My dad and my two uncles can¡¯t work anymore. The boss will definitely be angry and won¡¯t pay them their salaries.¡± ¡°If Xia Ru¡¯s illness causes our family to lose money, we¡¯ll lose more than a thousand yuan.¡± Even though Li Jin didn¡¯t like Xia Wan, the girl¡¯s analysis still managed to shake her. Even if her three sons had their own selfish motives and did not give her all their money, at least she still had some to take. If they lost their jobs, she would have no income. ¡°No, we can¡¯t just let Liu Hua gamble at the door. Xia Wan, if you have the prescription, just take it out. We believe you,¡± Li Jin immediately changed her attitude and said to Xia Wan. Xia Wan casually sat on a nearby stool and said arrogantly, ¡°Grandma, that¡¯s not the attitude you should have when you¡¯re asking for help.¡± Li Jin was intimidated by her attitude and almost subconsciously scolded her, I¡¯m your grandmother, you damned girl. How dare you talk to me like that?!¡± Chapter 83 - 83 She Cant Be Threatened 83 She Can¡¯t Be Threatened Xia Wan looked at Li Jin calmly, showing no fear at all. ¡°Grandma, Liu Hua is still blocking the entrance. She¡¯s famous for her shrewdness in our village. If we don¡¯t stop her in time, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll continue to cause trouble. Grandma, it¡¯s not easy to save a thousand yuan.¡± Appaled by Xia wan¡¯s attitude, Li Jin couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Even if you have any conflicts with Xia Ru, that¡¯s our family¡¯s business and should be carried out behind closed doors. Now, Liu Hua is bullying us at our doorstep. You have the prescription, but you won¡¯t hand it over. Xia Wan, do you still have this family in your eyes? ¡°Won¡¯t your reputation be affected if our family is disgraced?¡± Xia Wan realized that her biased grandmother had a lot of ideas at this time. If her mother were here, she would probably be influenced by Li Jin¡¯s thoughts and make her give the prescription to Xia Ru. Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re being too narrow-minded. I¡¯m in our village now. Indeed, if Xia Ru¡¯s reputation is ruined, it will affect me too. No one wants to have such an embarrassing relative. ¡°But Grandma, I¡¯ll study hard in the future. I¡¯ll still go to college in the future. When I¡¯ve established myself in the city, no one will care where I¡¯m from or if I have an embarrassing cousin. ¡°So, Grandma, if you want the prescription, it¡¯s very simple. In the future, we can¡¯t be the only ones doing the work at home. You have three sons. In the past, my father handed you the most money, but every time we had a meal at the table, we ate the least. The meat was given to the others, and it has always been our family who suffered.¡± Xia Wan directly stated her conditions. If Li Jin agreed, she would give him the prescription. If she didn¡¯t, she would let Liu Hua scream at the door. She didn¡¯t care anyway. Li Jin saw that Xia Wan still dared to raise conditions with her, and she was angry, but in desperation to get the prescription, she had no choice but to agree. ¡°Alright, alright. We¡¯ll do as you say. In the future, all three families will split the chores equally¡±. ¡°Alright, grandma. Wait a moment. I¡¯ll write you a prescription.¡± Xia Wan returned to her room and took a pen and paper, wrote something on it, and handed it to Li Jin. ¡°Grandma, sign it. This is the contract between us. From now on, each family will do their own work in the fields. Don¡¯t throw all the work on us. Also, for the meals at home, each family will eat their own food. Don¡¯t let my mother cook for everyone. My mother is also human, and she gets tired.¡± Li Jin held the paper and was a little confused. She didn¡¯t know many words, but after hearing what Xia Wan had to say, she understood that her grandaughter didn¡¯t have a single ounce of trust in her and was thus in a hurry to write a contract. Xia Ru couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Xia Wan, you¡¯ve gone overboard. She¡¯s our grandmother. Why would she lie to you? How could she sign a contract with her own family?¡± Xia Wan glared at her. ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to speak because you¡¯re the cause of all this.¡± Xia Ru choked and felt extremely depressed. In the past, she was the one in the family that Li Jin doted on. Everyone praised her, while Xia Wan and Xia Ye were the inferior ones. Now, Xia Wan was high and mighty, even daring to raise conditions with Grandma while she was harshly reprimanded. Xia Ru was forced to suppress the fire in her heart. Li Jin saw Xia Wan¡¯s firm attitude and unhappily pressed her fingerprint. She thought, ¡°So what if I do? I¡¯m an elder in the family. How can they not listen to me?¡± Xia Wan was also the only one who was pleased with herself now. When the time came, and Li Jin asked Yan Han to work, would she dare to refuse? Nonetheless, Xia Wan didn¡¯t care what Li Jin was thinking. After getting the receipt, she happily wrote down the prescription. There were two copies in total. Xia Ru looked at the prescription. Other than a few herbs, it clearly stated that feces was the primer and thus had to be used. She also had to soak herself in the primer for an hour. Any part of her body that came into contact with air had to be completely immersed in the solution, including her hair and face. Xia Ru¡¯s face darkened, and her hands trembled as she held the prescription. She gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°Xia Wan, are you sure this is the only prescription that can cure my illness?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°I¡¯m certain, but if you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to see a doctor in the city. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll be able to get cured, but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll cost dozens of yuan to travel there. You¡¯ll have to make an appointment, but your situation is a little special, so you might have to spend a night in the city, which will probably cost another few dozen yuan. And the food in the city is very expensive. Cousin, do the math yourself and see if you want to use my prescription.¡± Chapter 84 - 84 Go And Persuade Liu Hua 84 Go And Persuade Liu Hua Xia Ru fell silent. Liu Hua¡¯s voice rang out from outside as if urging her to make a decision. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll believe you this time. Xia Wan, if you can¡¯t cure my illness, I¡¯ll never let you go!¡± Xia Ru threatened. Xia Wan shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Up to you.¡± What she wanted to say was that no matter what Xia Ru did, she would not let Xia Ru have a good life in this lifetime. The grudges between them were not limited to this. Li Jin stopped Xia Wan from leaving and said to her, ¡°You¡¯re the one who gave us the prescription. You¡¯re in charge of convincing Liu Hua. She won¡¯t believe us if we tell her.¡± If Xia Wan¡¯s prescription wasn¡¯t so strange, Li Jin really didn¡¯t want her to negotiate with Liu Hua. Who knew what Xia Wan would say? Xia Wan reached out to Li Jin. ¡°What for?¡± Li Jin was a little confused. ¡°Benefits, Grandma. You saw it too. That Liu Hua is so fierce. I¡¯m just a child. If I provide her with this prescription, she¡¯ll definitely scold me. Grandma, what do you plan to use as a reward?¡± Li Jin¡¯s expression changed immediately. She was about to scold her, but Xia Jiang quickly stopped her. ¡°Mother, just give Xia Wan some benefits first. Solve Liu Hua¡¯s problem first, or we won¡¯t be able to work anymore.¡± Upon Xia Jiang¡¯s persuasion, Li Jin suppressed her anger. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want your grandfather¡¯s things? I still have some things he left behind. I¡¯ll send them over to you.¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Okay, deal.¡± After negotiating the terms with Li Jin, Xia Wan took the prescription to the door. Liu Hua seemed a little tired from all that shouting, and Xia Wan took the initiative to hand her a cup of water. ¡°Have some water, Aunt Liu.¡± Thinking that Xia Wan was begging for mercy, Liu Hua snorted and took it. ¡°It seems that there¡¯s still a sensible person in the Xia family who knows how to bring me water. Xin¡¯er can tell that you¡¯re different from that Xia Ru. You¡¯re very obedient.¡± Xia Wan listened to Liu Hua¡¯s compliments in silence. She knew that Liu Hua didn¡¯t really think she was good and simply wanted to disgust Xia Ru. Xia Ru had always bragged that she was the best in the Xia family, but now that Liu Hua was complimenting Xia Wan in front of the Xia family, it implied that the Xia family must be blind. After Liu Hua finished drinking, Xia Wan took the cup back and handed the prescription to her. ¡°Aunt Liu, this prescription will cure your son¡¯s illness. Xia Ru will also use this to treat her illness. Take a look.¡± Liu Hua was literate. When she heard Xia Wan¡¯s words, she opened the prescription doubtfully. After seeing that feces was the primer for the medicine, she almost tore the prescription. She immediately roared at Xia Wan, ¡°Wow! I thought you were a good person, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so evil. Now that my son is sick, all of you want to harm my son, right? He¡¯s already in so much pain, yet you want him to soak in dung?! ¡°And how do feces come out? Can that thing cure diseases? Xia Wan, do you really think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± ¡°I was going to negotiate with you today, but considering your horrible attitude, we¡¯d better just take action!¡± As she spoke, Liu Hua beckoned the people behind her to start smashing things. Xia Chen and Xia Feng immediately stood beside Xia Wan and tried to stop her. ¡°Aunt Liu, if you don¡¯t try, how will you know if it works? Go ahead and try. If you can¡¯t cure Liu Shi¡¯s illness, you can come back and cause all the trouble you want.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s face was calm, and she didn¡¯t take Liu Hua¡¯s threats seriously. She was a doctor and knew about the most vulnerable part of the human body. The people brought by Liu Hua seemed to have strong bodies, but no matter how tough they were, they still had weaknesses. As long as she gently moved her hand, she could make these people lose their ability to move. Knowing how resolute Xia Wan was, Xia Chen attempted to persuade Liu Hua. ¡°Aunt Liu, actually, my sister didn¡¯t come up with this prescription. My grandfather used to be a village doctor. You know that too. My grandfather left this house behind. My sister has a talent for medicine, so Grandfather has been teaching her.¡± Liu Hua rolled her eyes. ¡°If Xia Wan knows so much, why hasn¡¯t Xia Ru been cured yet?¡± Xia Chen explained patiently, ¡°That¡¯s because Xia Ru doesn¡¯t trust my sister. Aunt Liu, you know that Xia Ru has always been noble. After seeing my sister¡¯s prescription, why would she want to use it? Using this prescription would be extremely embarrassing.¡± Liu Hua heard Xia Chen¡¯s words. Although Li Jin wasn¡¯t very sensible, Xia Wan¡¯s grandfather had been kind to the entire village. Xia Wan¡¯s grandfather had actually cured many people, not least of all her father¡¯s previous illness. Chapter 85 - 85 Xia Hais Concern 85 Xia Hai¡¯s Concern ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust you this once for the sake of your grandfather. If my son¡¯s illness isn¡¯t cured, you¡¯ll be the one to pay!¡± Liu Hua left these harsh words before leaving with her people. Although she wanted to get some benefits from the Xia family, her son was still her biggest concern. If Liu Shi¡¯s illness could be cured, that would be the best. While Xia Wan was talking to Liu Hua, Li Jin followed behind. She thought Liu Hua would¡¯ve definitely scolded Xia Wan with her bad temper and didn¡¯t expect her to leave after hearing only a few words from Xia Wan and Xia Chen. Li Jin felt a little unhappy for some reason. She should be happy that Liuhua had left and would no longer cause trouble for their family. After settling Liu Hua¡¯s matter, Xia Wan and Xia Chen felt much more relaxed. Yan Han was even happier. Her daughter had fought for her rights, and she would no longer have to help the other two families with work in the future. In her happiness, their dishes became much more sumptuous. Not only did they have scrambled eggs, but they even made some stir-fried meat with celery. Xia Feng was the youngest, and he couldn¡¯t help but drool at the smell of the meat. Ever since he stopped eating with his grandmother and the others, the food in his family only seemed to get better. Xia Hai came back just in time for dinner. Seeing that he was back so late, Xia Wan knew that he must have gone to work part-time again. Xia Wan said helplessly, ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t I tell you not to work part-time anymore? Brother and I have already gotten some goods from the city, and we will sell them tomorrow. We can make money. You don¡¯t have to work so hard.¡± Xia Hai smiled. hehe, ¡°I¡¯ve already accepted the job. If I leave now, the boss won¡¯t be able to find a replacement so quickly. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already told him I¡¯ll leave once he finds someone.¡± Xia Wan knew that her father still didn¡¯t want to give up the opportunity to make money. But it didn¡¯t matter. Tomorrow, when she showed her father the money she made, he would be at ease. Xia Wan picked up a piece of meat for Xia Hai. ¡°Dad, eat more. You work the hardest in the family. Take care of your health so you can keep making money.¡± Xia Hai smiled happily. It was said that daughters were like cotton jackets. How true this saying was. Look at his two sons. They were like pieces of wood. Yan Han looked at Xia Wan worriedly. Wanwan, I heard you made some conditions with your grandma when you handed over the prescription today. She¡¯s already unhappy with our family, and now that you¡¯ve made a scene with Liu Hua, your grandma will definitely hold a grudge against us.¡± Although Xia Wan and Li Jin had signed an agreement that Yan Han didn¡¯t need to work for the other two families in the future, Yan Han didn¡¯t have the guts to go against Li Jin. In this era, if a daughter-in-law talked back to her mother-in-law or made her mother-in-law work, others would presume that something was wrong with her. She would be considered unfilial, and it would completely ruin her reputation. Xia Wan understood Yan Han¡¯s concerns, and she consoled her. ¡°Mom, that was also what I wanted to tell you. In the future, if you¡¯re the only one when you¡¯re working in the fields, you¡¯ll only have to take care of our family¡¯s plots. If the three families¡¯ plots need to be weeded, but the two aunties refuse, then you don¡¯t have to either. No matter what reason they give you, just don¡¯t work in the fields. Then wait for me to come home. I have a way to deal with them.¡± Xia Wan really wanted Yan Han to learn how to act. For example, when Li Jin bullied her, she would make herself look like he had been wronged to attract the sympathy of the neighbors. However, Yan Han was already so old, and she was of a very simple nature. How could she possibly do such things? Hence, the simplest way was to let Yan Han postpone the problem and leave the rest to her to deal with. Yan Han had no choice but to agree to Xia Wan¡¯s request. At night, Xia Wan went back to her room to sleep. She was really tired, so she fell asleep quickly. Yan Han and Xia Hai, on the other hand, had a small meeting again. Xia Hai¡¯s face was full of worry. ¡°Although I said I¡¯m supportive of Wanwan¡¯s business, I¡¯m still afraid. Do you think I should go with Wanwan to set up her stall in the city tomorrow?¡± Yan Han glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re worrying for nothing. Don¡¯t you trust Wanwan enough? Besides, Xia Chen¡¯s with her, so what can happen? Although he doesn¡¯t usually eat as well as Xia Yu, he¡¯s really strong. He can even fight three people at once. If you¡¯re worried about Wanwan, let Xia Feng go with her tomorrow.¡± Even though Yan Han said that, she was actually quite worried. Furthermore, since Xia Hai had taken the initiative to bring up this matter, Yan Han could not put her heart at ease. Xia Wan woke up the next day to see Xia Hai and Yan Han in an anxious state. Chapter 86 - 86 Official Stall 86 Official Stall ¡°Mom, Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xia Wan asked, looking at them with worry. Yan Han, afraid that Xia Wan would feel pressured, didn¡¯t mention what they were worried about. ¡°Be careful while you sell clothes today. The streets are a mess, so let Xia Feng go with you,¡± she said instead. Xia Wan was very smart, and after listening to her mother, she immediately guessed that her parents must have been so worried about her that they didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. She nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure, it¡¯ll be even better if he comes along.¡± At first, Xia Feng was feeling a little lonely because his brother and sister were going out. He wanted to join them, but he was still a little uncomfortable and didn¡¯t want to tell his sister directly. When he heard his mother asking him to go with them, a smile immediately broke out on his face. However, when he saw Xia Wan looking in his direction, he quickly pulled a long face and pretended to be reluctant. ¡°Since mom is worried about you, I¡¯m going with you.¡± Xia Wan noticed Xia Feng¡¯s arrogance and smiled lovingly. Her little brother was really cute. After the three got off the bus, Xia Wan followed her memory and found a street in the county that specialized in selling clothes. Although that was what it was known for, all kinds of things were in fact traded there. Like them, patrons from the nearby villages would bring all kinds of produce from their own land to be sold, such as peanuts and edamame, to name a few. Xia Feng looked around at the stalls and couldn¡¯t help but ask Xia Wan, ¡°Sis, what are we going to use to set up our stall?¡± They came out in a hurry and didn¡¯t think about buying anything. Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get it done.¡± She first chose a place that was very close to a shop. This shop was responsible for selling daily necessities that included but weren¡¯t limited to spare light bulbs, tools like pliers and tweezers, and other miscellaneous household goods. Xia Wan quickly bought a few iron racks that were usually used to hang clothes and a mirror that was about half the height of a person. ¡°Boss, how much for these?¡± The owner of the stall was a man in his early thirties. When he smiled, his eyes squinted, giving off a very kind feeling. ¡°That¡¯ll be ten yuan in total. Girl, looking at you, are you going to set up a stall to sell clothes? ¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t deny it and replied, ¡°You have sharp eyes, boss. That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll bring the clothes over later.¡± Then, she rolled her eyes and continued, ¡°Boss, the clothes I chose are all pretty. If there are too many customers, they might get thirsty and tired. Boss, I see that you have quite a number of small stools and teacups. Why don¡¯t you set one up next to our stall? The tea will be twenty cents a cup, and the stools are free to be seated on. ¡°When that happens, the customers sitting here might come to your shop. You carry a huge variety, and I don¡¯t doubt there¡¯ll always be something that the customers need.¡± The boss was a little surprised. Before, he only thought that this little girl looked like a teenager, but she had already set up a stall. She was also very beautiful and instantly likable, so he asked her more questions. He didn¡¯t expect the little girl to give him advice. The boss thought for a while and felt that Xia Wan¡¯s words made sense. ¡°Okay, girl, I believe you. My name is Zhao Jin. If you don¡¯t mind, you can call me Uncle Zhao in the future. I won¡¯t say anything else. This shop has been open for more than ten years. It has been passed down from generation to generation in my family, and the people around here are all old neighbors. In the future, you can set up your stall as long as you want. Whether the business is good or not, I¡¯m willing to support you.¡± Xia Wan originally wanted to give the boss a trick so that he could benefit from her stall. This way, the boss would let her continue to set up her stall here. Now that she had achieved her goal and the boss was even more enthusiastic about her, Xia Wan became more confident in her future business. She expressed her gratitude and then went to the door to arrange the things. Xia Chen and Xia Feng also helped, and it only took the three of them 15 minutes to set everything up. ¡°You guys look after the stall. I¡¯ll go get the clothes.¡± There¡¯s going to be a lot, ¡± Xia Chen said immediately. I¡¯ll go with you. Let Xia Feng take care of the stall.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t refuse. The two of them rushed to Zhou Tian¡¯s pharmacy. As the two streets were adjacent, it was only a ten-minute walk. Chapter 87 - 87 Matching For Customers 87 Matching For Customers Zhou Tian smiled as Xia Wan arrived at the store. ¡°You¡¯re here to get your clothes?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Yes, Uncle Zhou.¡± Zhou Tian took out all the clothes. Xia Wan realized that the clothes were folded neatly and were not as messy as the ones she had brought back before. Zhou Tian took the initiative to explain, ¡°Although I don¡¯t like to buy clothes, I know that all girls like to look pretty. These clothes would look much better once ironed, and since I had nothing to do, I helped you iron them.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were filled with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, uncle Zhou. She didn¡¯t know how to repay Uncle Zhou. He was the one who collected the ginseng that she had sold previously, which gave her the first bucket of gold in her life. After she treated his daughter¡¯s illness, he trusted her unconditionally. Now, he was also the one who helped in her business. Even though she was not related to Uncle Zhou by blood, she felt like she was being cared for by her own elders. She clearly had two uncles, but they could only bully her family. However, this Uncle Zhou, who was not related to her by blood, could take care of her so well. Xia Wan felt that there might be a lot of people with bad intentions in this world, but she couldn¡¯t look at everyone with hatred just because she had been schemed against and hurt by bad people. There were more kind people in this world, and the brilliance of these ones could illuminate even more. Suddenly, Xia Wan wanted to work harder to earn money. On one hand, she wanted to give her family a better life, and on the other, she wanted to support hardworking but poor children. She hoped that she could become the light that could illuminate more people. She only felt this way after Uncle Zhou moved her. After expressing her gratitude to Uncle Zhou, Xia Wan went to the stall with Xia Chen. On the way, Xia Wan asked, ¡°Brother, when we¡¯re successful one day, don¡¯t forget how Uncle Zhou helped us.¡± Although Xia Chen didn¡¯t know why Xia Wan suddenly said this, he still replied, ¡°Of course. Our parents taught us that we must repay those who have helped us.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Xia Wan responded and didn¡¯t say anything more. When she arrived at the stall, she quickly matched up the clothes and placed them on the hanger. Xia Chen realized that the clothes that were put together looked very ordinary, but after Xia Wan¡¯s fiddling, they looked way better. In fact, they finally looked ready to be worn. This was the first time Xia Feng had seen so many beautiful clothes. His eyes flickered with curiosity. When everything was ready, Xia Wan cleared her throat and began to shout, ¡°Selling high-quality women¡¯s clothes. Don¡¯t miss it. We have the prettiest clothes and the most matching styles. As long as you put these on, you¡¯ll be the most beautiful girl on this street!¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s voice, Xia Feng felt a little embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t it a little embarrassing to say that? You can become the most beautiful girl just by wearing clothes. Isn¡¯t that a lie?¡± Xia Wan glared at him. ¡°What do you know? They say that clothes make a woman. There are no ugly girls, only girls who don¡¯t like to dress up. As long as she dresses up well, all girls can become beautiful.¡± At first, when they heard Xia Wan¡¯s announcement, some people turned to look at them. But after hearing Xia Feng and Xia Wan¡¯s conversation, two girls, who looked to be 17 or 18 years old, walked over with a smile. ¡°I heard your conversation just now. I think what you said is very interesting. There are no ugly girls, only girls who don¡¯t like to dress up. Can you help me dress up as a beautiful girl?¡± Xia Wan looked at the person who spoke. She was a little chubby and had a cute baby face. When she smiled, she had two sweet dimples. She was wearing new clothes, but they couldn¡¯t hide her shortcomings. The extra flesh at her waist and butt could be clearly seen. Xia Wan smiled, picked a skirt, and handed it to her. although you¡¯re not exactly the skinny type, you¡¯re beautiful in your own way. Besides, you only have some meat on your waist and hips. Actually, your calves are very thin. With this dress, it can cover the meaty parts, and your figure will immediately look different.¡± Xia Wan then looked at her hair and said, ¡°Your face is the sweet, innocent type, and your features are very delicate. Letting your hair down will make you look less attractive. If you trust me, I can help you tie your hair up. Chapter 88 - 88 A Big Purchase 88 A Big Purchase No girl could refuse compliments, so she happily agreed to Xia Wan¡¯s request and asked her to do her hair. Xia Wan gave her a princess¡¯s hairstyle and tied her hair up into a royal bun so it wouldn¡¯t lie down so much. At the same time, the girl¡¯s face appeared to be much smaller in contrast to the bun. Xia Wan asked the girl to stand in front of the mirror and showed her the clothes. She stood in front of the mirror and blinked in surprise. Was this bright and beautiful young lady in front of him really her? ¡°Liu Xin, you¡¯ll definitely look good in this dress. I can¡¯t wait to see you wear it. Oh my God, it¡¯s hard to imagine how beautiful you¡¯ll be in this dress. I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be many guys pursuing you.¡± Li Min, who was standing next to Lin Liuxin, winked at her and said, ¡°I know that you are planning to confess to Lu Sheng. If you wear this dress, you will definitely surprise him. Let me tell you, when a guy looks for a girlfriend, it¡¯s all about the appearance. ¡°Our Liu Xin has always been good-looking. After this lady dressed you up, she completely highlighted all your good points. Li Min complimented Lin Liu Xin, while asking Xia Wan at the same time, ¡°By the way, what hairstyle do you think suits me? Also, can you recommend a few sets of clothes?¡± She couldn¡¯t wait to see what would suit her. ¡°Of course!¡± Xia Wan said with a smile. She picked up a beige dress and passed it to Li Min. ¡°This is a casual dress that can be worn for leisure in the city. It has bright colors and gives off a warm feeling.¡± Then, Xia Wan picked up a white short-sleeved shirt and cropped pants and handed them to Li Min. ¡°This is more fitting. You have a good figure, or rather, it¡¯s more appropriate to say that you¡¯re on the skinny side. Wearing this will highlight your temperament. ¡°Your hair is soft, and your face is thin. You only need to tie it into a simple ponytail to look very capable and experienced, and that goes with this slim-fit dress. When you go out for fun, you can tie the upper part of the hair into a ponytail and let it hang down.¡± After hearing Xia Wan¡¯s description, Li Min was very tempted and couldn¡¯t help but urge, ¡°Help me try it on. If it¡¯s as good as you say, I¡¯ll take both.¡± ¡°No, I still want to buy something else. What else is suitable for me?¡± Xia Wan looked calm on the surface, but she was actually laughing on the inside. Young girls¡¯ money was the easiest to earn, she thought to herself. ¡°Of course it¡¯s good. I still have two sets here that are suitable for you.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan took out two sets and handed them to Li Min. Similarly, one was a slim fit and the other was a lively one. ¡°This light purple dress exudes a great aura. It just so happens that your skin is fairer and cleaner. This dress will suit you very well,¡± Xia Wan introduced. Liu Xin looked at the clothes that Xia Wan recommended to Li Min and was a little tempted. She looked at the other clothes in Xia Wan¡¯s stall and realized that the clothes on this stall were different from the ones sold in the market. Their personal styles were obvious and they were all in a set. At the same time, she also noticed that there were many leather straps and beautiful hair accessories on the shelf. Initially, she was just looking around casually, but the more she looked, the more she liked them. Thus, she couldn¡¯t help but pick up a few head ornaments and put them up to her hair. Now that her hair looked so exquisite, it would be a waste if she didn¡¯t match it with a few head ornaments. With this thought, Liu Xin picked up a few head ornaments and asked Xia Wan for the price. ¡°These hair accessories were carefully selected by me,¡± Xia Wan began with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re two yuan each, but if you buy three, you can get one for free.¡± ¡°Ah, three? But I only want two. I want need the money for the clothes. Besides this set, I also want to choose another. Can you help me choose one?¡± Xia Wan smiled and continued, ¡°Of course. Also, if you only want to buy two head accessories, you can ask your friends if they want to buy one. The price is the same, so you can buy three in total. That way, you can get one for free. Then, you can split the cost.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Liu Xin felt that it made sense and took the initiative to discuss with Li Min. Minmin, do you want to buy a hair accessory? We¡¯ve already bought beautiful clothes. It¡¯ll be a pity if we don¡¯t buy hair accessories. When Li Min heard her words, she revealed a smile of understanding. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve already bought the clothes. I could use up the change.¡± Chapter 89 - 89 Point System 89 Point System After she had chosen her hair accessories, she asked Xia Wan, ¡°We bought a lot of clothes too, can you give us a discount? You see, we didn¡¯t even bargain with you.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ll give you a discount. My clothes are marked with the price range. You¡¯ve all chosen high-quality women¡¯s clothes. Your four sets cost 120 yuan each, but since you bought four, I¡¯ll give you a 20% discount. It¡¯ll be 384 yuan in total. ¡°As for yours, there are two sets, so that¡¯s 240 yuan. I can only give you a 10% discount, so it¡¯ll be 216 yuan in total. After listening to Xia Wan¡¯s calculation, Li Min, who had originally thought that she had bought too many clothes, suddenly felt that she seemed to have gotten a big bargain. Liu Xin saw that Li Min had been offered a 20% discount, while she was given a 10% discount. Feeling that she had made a loss, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the stall again and said to Xia Wan, ¡°Help me pick out two more sets. I want a 20% discount too. I was going to spend money today anyway, so I¡¯ll have to enjoy myself to the fullest.¡± Xia Wan wasn¡¯t expecting Liu Xin to compete with Li Min, but she was happy to see it happen. It was good thing either way, with people competing with each other to buy clothes from her. Xia Wan recommended two sets of clothes to Liu Xin even more enthusiastically. After the discount, they still cost 384 yuan. Xia Wan took the initiative to choose two pretty hairpins for them and said, ¡°You are my first batch of customers, and you have bought so many clothes with such sincerity, so this hair clip is my gift to you. You can also tell me your names. If you come again, I will add points to your purchase. After you have accumulated a certain amount, you can exchange it for gifts. As she spoke, Xia Wan took out a notebook and asked for their information, wanting to record them. ¡°Of course, the money you¡¯ve spent today is included. One dollar is one point, so each of you have 384 points.¡± Liu Xin and Li Min were dumbfounded. Their families were from the county, so they thought that they were more knowledgeable than the villagers. However, this was the first time they had heard that they could accumulate points from buying clothes. In the future, they could even be exchanged for gifts. This made them feel that the clothes they had purchased were of great value, which in turn, made them very happy. They each gave their names and Xia Wan asked for their numbers. Neither of them had their own cell phones, so they only gave their house numbers. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve registered your information. You¡¯re welcome to come here often in the future.¡± After Liu Xin and Li Min left, Xia Feng and Xia Chen both stared at Xia Wan in surprise. ¡°Sis,¡± Xiafeng asked directly. ¡°What are points? If one has enough points, what do they exchange for?¡± Xia Wan smiled and explained to the two, ¡°Actually, I only thought of this after they bought the clothes. I didn¡¯t think of setting up a point system before, but they bought a lot of clothes. Although I gave them a discount and the clothes here have their own characteristics, I still can¡¯t cultivate them into my long-term customers. ¡°The best way is to establish some kind of connection, and the point system is a key point. I thought of it on the spot, so I didn¡¯t have time to prepare the card. After selling the clothes today, I¡¯ll find someone to help me get the card.¡± Although that was what she was thinking, Xia Wan wasn¡¯t sure who to ask to do it. Uncle Zhou knew a lot, though, and he would definitely know where to make cards. Xia Chen said with admiration, ¡°You are really amazing. Big shops haven¡¯t thought of this, yet you have. It seems you¡¯re way more intelligent than them.¡± Xia Wan was a little embarrassed by the compliment. She wasn¡¯t smart. She only knew the future and planned this in advance. However, Xia Chen¡¯s words reminded her that after she came up with the point system, she believed that it would not take long for the news to spread slowly. So, she had to make use of this time to quickly sell clothes, accumulate customers, and make plans for future sales. Nothing was constant, and if you want to be ahead of others, you had to keep on creating new things. That was Xia Wan¡¯s clear idea. At this moment, a woman¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Um, can I take a look at the clothes you have?¡± Chapter 90 - 90 A Womans Troubles 90 A Woman¡¯s Troubles Xia Wan looked at the person and saw that it was a woman wearing loose dark-colored clothes that looked to be in her forties. Her clothes weren¡¯t of bad material, but it was hard to hide the sorrow in her eyes. It seemed that something was bothering her. Xia Wan tried her best to smile more gently and said to her gently, ¡°Sister, are you here to shop for clothes too?¡± The woman nodded and said in a soft voice, ¡°But I¡¯m a little chubby. Besides, I saw your previous deals. Your customers are all young girls. I¡¯m just a middle-aged woman, however, and those clothes definitely don¡¯t fit me. People will think that I¡¯m pretending to be young.¡± Xia Wan smiled and glanced at the clothes around her. She picked one up and put it on the woman¡¯s body. ¡°Look at this. It¡¯s beautiful. It¡¯s green and doesn¡¯t look too fancy. It¡¯ll suit you well. ¡°Your temperament is different from the previous two ladies. You¡¯re quieter and calmer. Everyone has their own personality, so naturally, they can choose different clothes according to their different personalities. Your skin is actually very good, but you might have been troubled by something recently, so you can¡¯t rest well and even feel a little anxious. That¡¯s why you look so worn. ¡°If it¡¯s not inconvenient, could you perhaps divulge a little about your situation?¡± The woman looked at the clothes in Xia Wan¡¯s hands. Just by looking at them, she felt that they were very beautiful. There was a sense of ancient embroidery, and the material was very comfortable. Even if she was sweating, she would not feel uncomfortable. Her body was actually more prone to sweating. The weather was hot now, and her body sometimes emitted a strange odor. Even if she took a shower every day, this situation would still appear. This was her secret, and the last thing she wanted to reveal to outsiders. But for some reason, looking at Xia Wan¡¯s sincere face, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°My body is a little abnormal. It wasn¡¯t like this before, but in the past two years, whenever I sweat, my body has a strange smell. Now, my husband dislikes me and hasn¡¯t slept with me for a year. My children dislike me too. They even tell me to stay away from them when we eat.¡± When Xia Wan heard this, her brows furrowed slightly. Many people had strange body odors in the summer, but as long as they bathed regularly, they would be clean. As the woman¡¯s family, not only did they not comfort her, but they also despised her. This would only drive her self-esteem even lower. Xia Wan didn¡¯t take her pulse directly but asked, ¡°Have you gone to the hospital? What did the doctor say?¡± The woman sighed. ¡°The doctor said that I brought it on myself. He said that he couldn¡¯t find any problems with me and that I just had to pay more attention to my personal hygiene.¡± Xia Wan nodded slightly. Even in the future, many people carried a strange odor, let alone now. She smiled and said to the woman, ¡°Sister, actually, my grandfather is a village doctor. I¡¯ve been learning medical skills from him since I was young. If you want me to perform surgery, it might be difficult, but I have my own way of dealing with difficult and complicated diseases. If you believe me, Sister, I¡¯ll take your pulse and see your condition, okay?¡± The woman was a little surprised. She didn¡¯t expect the little girl in front of her to have medical skills. ¡°You mean you¡¯re a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner? But I¡¯ve heard that the older you are, the more experienced you become. Little girl, I appreciate your kindness, but it¡¯s better to take it slow when it comes to treating illnesses.¡± Even though the woman didn¡¯t look down on Xia Wan when she spoke, her words implied that she didn¡¯t trust her. Xia Wan was used to her attitude. After all, she was young and hadn¡¯t made a name for herself. Xia Wan continued to persuade her. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re being ostracized by your family now. You must be in a bad mood. A bad mood can affect many things. It might even worsen the situation. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not saying all this to earn money from you, sister. I just feel that you¡¯ve always had a beautiful face, but because you¡¯ve been contributing to the family all these years, time has slowly taken its toll on you, and you look aged. You¡¯ve clearly given so much, but your family despises you just because of your strange odor. I understand how you feel, so I want to help you. ¡°Of course, if my treatment is effective, you can introduce me to more customers in the future.¡± Chapter 91 - 91 The Knot In A Womans Heart 91 The Knot In A Woman¡¯s Heart Xia Wan spoke very sincerely, and under her persuasion, the woman finally agreed to let her take her pulse. From their conversation, Xia Wan also found out that the woman¡¯s name was Huang Ying. When she was young, she had many suitors, but she took a fancy to a man who worked in the same factory. Now, her man had been promoted and was the factory director, with dozens of people working under him. She had given birth to two sons for the man. Now, one of the two sons had gone to work in the factory after graduating from high school, and the other was still in junior high, though he wasn¡¯t doing well in his studies. Moreover, because their father was the manager of the factory, the two sons were a little arrogant and always felt that they were nobler than others. Although Huang Ying also worked in a factory, her parents had gone to high school and were more cultured. Thus, they had instilled in Huang Ying from a young age the idea of not looking down on others. Even if her husband was a director now, what would happen in the future? A director was still an employee in a factory, and it wasn¡¯t like the factory could always stay open. She had once lectured her two sons, but now that she didn¡¯t continue to work, her two sons looked down on her. They thought she was just an idle person in the family and had no position to speak at all. Xia Chen had a sense of justice. After hearing Huang Ying¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Sister, this isn¡¯t your problem. It¡¯s your two sons. Even if my parents were lying in bed and couldn¡¯t move, I would definitely stay by their side as their son. Our parents raised us. If we¡¯re not filial to them, how can we be worthy of being called human?¡± Huang Ying looked at Xia Chen, who had a serious expression on his face. Xia Chen even seemed a little angry when he heard the story. This only made Huang Ying like the two even more. ¡°Sigh, everyone says that the town is good, but sometimes when the living conditions are better, people¡¯s hearts change,¡± Huang Ying said with some emotion. Despite all of that, Xia Wan felt she had no right to comment on Huang Ying¡¯s family matters. Even if she said that Huang Ying was not in the wrong and that her two sons were the ones at fault, so what? Huang Ying didn¡¯t have a job now, and if she left the house, she wouldn¡¯t be able to make a living. Even if her sons treated her very well, they were her biological sons. No matter what, Huang Ying wouldn¡¯t leave them. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t think that you can¡¯t do it just because others disagree with you,¡± Xia Wan said. ¡°I can tell that you were a beauty when you were young. You¡¯ll definitely look much better if you dress up a little. ¡°As for your son and husband, you¡¯re still young, and your sons are all grown up. You can manage yourself now. You can do whatever you want. I feel that you must be skillful at many things.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words made Huang Ying very happy. This kind of affirmation and recognition made Huang Ying happy from the bottom of her heart. The best compliment she would hear at home was the disdain of the three. Now, she was out shopping for clothes with the money she had saved up over the years. It was nothing short of depressing. She wanted to spend for herself once. She didn¡¯t expect that the moment she arrived and before she even bought any clothes, she would tell the two children about her grievances with her family. After letting it out, however, Huang Ying felt a lot more comfortable, as if the huge rock that had been pinning her heart down was lifted. After a simple check of her pulse, Xia Wan determined that Huang Ying¡¯s condition was caused by an endocrine disorder, and the main cause was the knot in her heart. She could prescribe medicine to alleviate her condition, but if she wanted to solve the root of it, she had to give her some counseling and let Huang Ying walk out of it on her own. Xia Wan hesitated and said, ¡°Sister, I can prescribe you some medicine, but it can only alleviate your condition. The strange odor is caused by the suppression of your emotions for a long time. Combined with your pulse and what you said before, your condition started two years ago. Can I ask what happened to you two years ago?¡± When Huang Ying heard her words, she looked a little embarrassed, and it looked like she was struggling with something hard to say. Chapter 92 - 92 Cheating Husband 92 Cheating Husband Feeling her embarrassment, Xia Wan said to Xia Chen and Xia Feng, ¡°You guys should leave us for a bit. I¡¯ll talk to this sister alone.¡± Xia Chen nodded and left with Xia Feng, though they didn¡¯t stray too far and stayed in the shop where Xia Wan had bought things. Without the two of them present, Huang Ying finally decided to speak. She sighed faintly and said, ¡°Two years ago, my husband had an affair. I went to the factory to bring him food and found that his office door was closed in the middle of the day. You know, a woman¡¯s intuition has always been accurate. ¡°The moment I entered, I saw a young lady sitting on his lap. The two were in a compromising position, to say the least. I felt like I was about to have a heart attack. ¡°All these years, I quit my job at the factory to take care of my two sons and him. However, instead of cherishing me, he betrayed me. From then on, we often argued. At first, he would apologize and say he wouldn¡¯t do it again. But slowly, he began to find me annoying. He said that he earned all the money I spent and had no right to blame him. ¡°It seems men think that they can do whatever they want just because they are the breadwinners. They think that they¡¯re the kings of their families and that the women who wash their clothes and cook for them are worthless. But why doesn¡¯t he think about it? If I didn¡¯t do anything for him behind the scenes, how could he work in peace?¡± Xia Wan listened attentively. ¡°So, from then on, you and your husband had a problem in your relationship?¡± she asked. ¡°You two slowly became unable to communicate, and you became suspicious, anxious, and couldn¡¯t sleep well?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Huang Ying asked in surprise. That was indeed how she felt. Xia Wan had a rough understanding of Huang Ying¡¯s situation. If she wanted to cure her illness, she had to solve her family conflict. However, persuading her to divorce her husband was not an easy thing to do. It could also be considered destroying the family. ¡°Sister, I can prescribe medicine for you, but I think there are only two ways to solve your husband¡¯s problem. One is to divorce him while you¡¯re still young, but you have to find evidence of his extramarital affair. In this way, you can go through the legal process and get a good amount of alimony. ¡°Or you can continue to live with your husband, but sister, you have to think about it carefully. You¡¯re not a parasite that depends on him. Even without him, you can still live well. I think you can find a job. On the one hand, you¡¯ll have more confidence with an income. On the other, you¡¯ll definitely meet a lot of colleagues after you find a job. Talking to them can help you undo the knot in your heart.¡± Huang Jie nodded. ¡°Actually, I understand what you¡¯re saying. It¡¯s been so long, so it¡¯s time for me to let it go. Can you prescribe me some medicine? I¡¯ve also bought some clothes. How much is it in total?¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t try to persuade her anymore. She calculated and said, ¡°The clothes cost 60 yuan. I¡¯ll charge you 10 yuan for the medicine. We¡¯re fated to meet. In the future, when I earn money, you have to come over more often to help me with my business.¡± After handing the clothes to Huang Ying, Xia Wan registered her information and told her that she could get gifts when she accumulated enough points. Holding her clothes, Huang Ying walked home. For some reason, she seemed to be more confident after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words. Seeing that Huang Ying had left, Xia Chen and Xia Feng came back to help with the stall. Under Xia Wan¡¯s influence, they were no longer embarrassed to shout. They shouted with all their might, ¡°We¡¯re selling clothes of various styles. The most popular designs are all here, and while you shop, why not seek the medical services of a doctor!¡± Xia Wan only happened to discover Huang Ying¡¯s condition out of happenstance. However, Xia Chen thought it was a good gimmick to attract customers. As expected, with Xia Chen¡¯s brazen publicity, more and more people turned up. The younger ones came for the clothes, while the older ones came for a pulse read. An old lady stood in front of the stall. ¡°Do you provide free treatment for those who buy clothes here?¡± Xia Wan smiled and continued, ¡°Yes, but if you want to get the medicine, there¡¯ll be a charge. If you need me to provide follow-up treatment, I¡¯ll charge for that too. But if you want to check your body for any problems, it¡¯s free.¡± The old lady stared at Xia Wan. ¡°Girl, you don¡¯t look very old. Can you really find out what¡¯s wrong with us? Please, don¡¯t mince your words.¡± Chapter 93 - 93 Im Not a Liar 93 I¡¯m Not a Liar Without waiting for Xia Wan to reply, the old lady continued, ¡°Two days ago, my old man saw someone on the street giving him free treatment. He immediately let him have a checkup. After the checkup, he asked my old man to buy three boxes of medicine. My kid went to the hospital for a checkup, but the doctor said that these weren¡¯t medicine at all. It was useless even if he took it. We quarreled many times over this matter. Little girl, don¡¯t lie to me.¡± After hearing her words, Xia Wan realized that what the old lady was talking about might be a trick used by those who turned so-called harmless things into miraculous medicine to deceive the elderly. She explained patiently, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m different from those people. You see, I don¡¯t have any medicine for sale here. It¡¯s just that I want to sell clothes, but it¡¯s my first time, so I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be any customers. It just so happens that my medical skills are what I¡¯m good at, and I want to use them to attract customers.¡± The old lady saw that she was being sincere, so she reached out her hand and said, ¡°Alright, then you can give me a check. If you¡¯re right, I¡¯ll believe you.¡± The interaction between the old lady and Xia Wan had also attracted many bystanders who felt interaction really lively and exciting. A clothing seller taking pulses and treating illnesses? This was the first time he had seen such a thing. Xia Wan nodded her head confidently. ¡°No problem, grandma. Xia Wan took the old lady¡¯s pulse carefully and said, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re in good health. You¡¯ve been living well these years, but you must¡¯ve caught a cold during your confinement. So if it rains now, your waist will feel uncomfortable.¡± The old lady¡¯s eyes widened. Very few people knew about the root of her illness during her confinement. Only her husband knew about it. Even the children in the family had no idea. Every time it rained, she would feel uncomfortable, but she could only lie down and endure it. The children at home thought she was simply aging and feeling unwell on rainy days was a normal thing. All they¡¯d do was to not bother her on rainy days. She didn¡¯t expect this young girl to be able to accurately deduce that she¡¯d been sick during her confinement just by taking her pulse. Even if she went to a proper hospital, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to diagnose it so accurately. At that moment, the old lady began to believe that Xia Wan was really capable. ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re really amazing. You actually guessed it right. Little girl, do you have any way to cure it?¡± The old lady¡¯s tone was also a little emotional. No one wanted to feel uncomfortable every time it rained. When she was young, she liked to walk in the rain. When the others saw the old lady¡¯s attitude, they knew that Xia Wan was right. They all looked at her in surprise and couldn¡¯t help but whisper to each other. ¡°Do you think the old lady is an actress hired by this girl to highlight her superb medical skills so that we can all buy her clothes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Who would have doubts from the start? besides, this old lady doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s acting. If she is, then she must be a hidden talent.¡± Xia Wan had heard the discussions of the people around her. It was normal for them to be suspicious, as people were always on guard. She didn¡¯t immediately respond to them, but said to the old lady, ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ll need to keep taking it for a prolonged period. I can prescribe medicine for you. At the same time, you should drink more warm water and be careful not to catch a cold.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan began to write down the prescription. She wrote it down nimbly and received many exclamations from the people around her. ¡°These words are really well written!¡± ¡°Yeah, the strokes are strong and forceful. You can¡¯t write like this, not without a few years of hard practice!¡± ¡°I¡¯m suddenly starting to believe in her medical skills. Come, take my pulse.¡± A young girl couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She walked through the crowd and came to Xia Wan, asking her to take her pulse. When the old lady got the prescription, she hugged it like treasure. If it could really be cured, she would be able to suffer less in the future. little girl, I¡¯m looking at the clothes now. I want to buy a few pieces for my sons and mistresses! The old lady said with great energy. ¡°Brother,¡± Xia Wan smiled and said to Xia Chen, ¡°Help the grandma choose.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Xia Chen grinned and went to help the old lady choose her clothes. As for Xia Feng, he got in charge of looking after the stall in case someone tried to steal something when business was crowded. Xia Wan began to check the pulse of the next person. As she checked each person¡¯s pulse, she accurately described everyone¡¯s physical condition to a tee, quickly dissipating suspicions that the old lady was a hired actress. Chapter 94 - 94 Everyone Wants To See a Doctor 94 Everyone Wants To See a Doctor Xia Wan¡¯s clothes had been all sold out since the morning, but there were still many people standing around wearing pitiful looks on their faces. ¡°Why are the clothes sold out? I¡¯m still waiting to gave my pulse taken. Young woman, if you don¡¯t want to sell clothes, can you take our pulse?¡± ¡°Yeah, I want you to take a look too. How about this? I¡¯ll pay you for it.¡± The onlookers could tell that this girl¡¯s medical skills were not to be trifled with. She could even detect some hidden diseases. Even if they were not sick now, they could detect the problems in advance and be prepared, an extremely advantageous prospect. Xia Wan didn¡¯t expect the people around her to be so enthusiastic, but it was a waste of time to treat these people for free. She thought for a while and said, ¡°How about this? I can screen you once, but it will cost two yuan per reading. Of course, if you don¡¯t want to spend, you can come back the next time I set up my stall. If you buy clothes, taking your pulse will be free. I¡¯ll still be here the next time I set up, but I¡¯m not sure when exactly it will be. I¡¯ll be as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. Money is not a problem. Quick, give me the reading.¡± Xia Wan thought that the two yuan fee would make many people leave, but she didn¡¯t expect that after she said that, more people would clamor for her examination. Even Xia Chen was stunned. When Xia Wan finished taking everyone¡¯s pulse, two hours had passed. Finally, the crowd in front of the stall had dispersed. Xia Wan felt exhausted. She looked at Xia Chen and Xia Feng, equally tired, and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you for a big meal! We made money today, so you can order whatever you want!¡± Xia Chen wiped the sweat off his body. Because of the hot weather and the busy morning, he was drenched in sweat. However, his smile was bright. Although it was hot and demanding, they had earned a handsome amount, a sum more than what his parents could earn after working for a few months. Even Xia Chen, who had always been calm, became a little excited. ¡°Let¡¯s go and eat! We want meat today!¡± Xia Wan also laughed. In the past, when she said she would take Xia Chen to eat meat, Xia Chen would always be very resistant because he was afraid of spending money. But today, after seeing how much money he had made, Xia Chen could finally eat meat in peace. Xia Wan took the things and went to the previous store. The boss, Zhao Jin, looked at her with a smile. ¡°I saw everything. Today¡¯s business is very good.¡± Xia Wan also smiled and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Uncle Zhao.¡± Zhao Jin waved his hand. ¡°You¡¯re not the blessed one. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s blessed. There were a lot of people buying clothes here today. I did as you said and set up a tea stall, and I made a few dozen yuan this morning. You¡¯re one capable girl; I¡¯ll give you that. From now on, I will help you look after your stall. No one will dare to make things difficult for you. If you have anything for safekeeping, feel free to leave it here. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t lack money. He won¡¯t touch your stuff,¡± Zhao Jin added, as if afraid that Xia Wan would be worried. Xia Wan understood what he meant. In the future, if she restocked any goods, she could put them all in Zhao Jin¡¯s hands. To be honest, it was indeed convenient to put the clothes with Uncle Zhao. Not only was it closer, but his storage space was also larger. However, the owners had their own businesses to run too, and it wouldn¡¯t be nice if she kept troubling them. However, it was different with Uncle Zhao. She and Uncle Zhao now shared the same interests. If her business did well, it meant he would see the benefit as well. After thinking about it, Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Okay, Uncle Zhao, since you¡¯ve mentioned it, I¡¯ll leave my things with you from now on. Uncle Zhao smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You can just bring in whatever you want. Uncle Zhao can fit all of them. You don¡¯t have to worry about the shelves. I have all kinds.¡± With Zhao Jin¡¯s promise, Xia Wan was more at ease. After leaving her stock with Zhao Jin, she took Xia Chen and Xia Feng to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Perhaps because it was past mealtime that the restaurant was sparsely occupied. When Xia Wan and the other two sat down, there were only three tables in the hall. Even though the three were covered in sweat and looked a little disheveled, the boss did not say anything. He smiled and came over to ask them what they wanted. Chapter 95 - 95 Meeting Xia Ye 95 Meeting Xia Ye Xia Wan looked at the dishes on the menu and said, ¡°Boss, I¡¯d like three bowls of rice, a plate of red braised pork, mapo tofu, one fish, and a vegetable dish.¡± Seeing Xia Wan order so generously, the boss¡¯s smile became even brighter. ¡°Okay! Please wait a moment. It¡¯ll be ready soon.¡± ¡°Wait, please pour us three more cups of tea. I¡¯m a little thirsty. Thank you, boss.¡± Xia Wan saw teapots on the other tables, so she guessed that this shop provided tea for free. As soon as she said that, the boss politely asked someone to pour tea for her. After the boss left, Xia Chen said, ¡°Little sister, didn¡¯t you order a little too much? I think two dishes should be enough for the three of us.¡± He was already content to have meat to eat. Why did she have to make it so sumptuous? Even if there was a pile of money in his bag, Xia Chen would still be reluctant. Xia Wan knew that her brother was being thrifty, and she smiled and said, ¡°Brother, we have to eat our fill before we have the strength to work. You have to think of it this way. Now that we eat well, we can work harder and earn more money.¡± Xia Feng was more open-minded than Xia Chen in this aspect, and when he heard Xia Wan¡¯s words, he also persuaded Xia Chen. ¡°Brother, sister is right. We¡¯ve used up a lot of energy today, and we need replenishing. Besides, I think we¡¯ll definitely be rich if we work for sister.¡± As he spoke, Xia Feng looked into Xia Wan¡¯s eyes with deep admiration. He realized that his sister had really changed. In the past, she was a little vain and never put her heart into her studies. All she could think of was to make a mess. This time though, she seemed to put all her heart into making money, and she wasn¡¯t as vain as she used to be. Xia Feng was very satisfied with this. He felt that his good sister had returned.¡± Xia Wan could see Xia Feng¡¯s admiration. She smiled and touched his head. ¡°You sure know how to talk,¡± she complimented him. Seeing that the two¡¯s minds were made, Xia Chen didn¡¯t say anything. Very quickly, the dishes were served. Since they had ordered, Xia Chen and the others ate it all. Not wasting food was a good habit to cultivate. Just as they were about to pay the bill, a discordant voice was heard. ¡°Xia Wan, what are you doing here?¡± Xia Wan looked in the direction of the voice. It was Xia Ye, who had a few people, both men, and women, with her. Xia Wan had some impression of them. They should be from her school. Xia Wan didn¡¯t really want to talk to Xia Ye, so she said coldly, ¡°If you can be here, why can¡¯t we be?¡± Xia Ye choked, and in front of her classmates at that. This embarrassed her deeply, so she immediately raised her voice and shouted, ¡°Xia Wan, didn¡¯t you say that you weren¡¯t feeling well? You even asked your father to save for your treatment. I see that you¡¯re fine now. So, you cheated your father of his money and came here for some good food. Just you wait. I¡¯ll definitely tell grandma about this, and she¡¯ll punish you.¡± Xia Wan cursed her bad luck in her heart. She did not expect to meet Xia Ye during a meal. At the same time, Xia Wan realized that the clothes Xia Ye was wearing were new. She guessed that Xia Ye must have gone to buy clothes before coming here to eat. The place where she sold clothes happened to be near the place Xia Ye bought her clothes. Xia Wan realized that she had to find an excuse for herself. Otherwise, with the scale of her clothing sales, she might be seen by the people in the same village at any time. Besides, many of them had relatives in the town. It was hard to guarantee that they would not run into her. As she thought about this, Xia Wan suddenly had an idea. She said directly to Xia Ye, ¡°I¡¯m different. You only know how to spend money every day, while my brothers and I have found a job selling clothes. The three of us can earn ten yuan a day. Although it¡¯s not much, it¡¯s enough for us to eat. Why don¡¯t I see you looking for a job?¡± Xia Chen was a little anxious at first, afraid that Xia Ye would find out that they were selling clothes. Now that Xia Wan had blurted it out, Xia Chen was relieved. ¡°Xia Ye, we¡¯ve been swamped the entire morning. What about you? you must have gone shopping. Grandma knows that you still have money to buy new clothes. Do you think grandma will question you?¡± For the past two days, Li Jin had been crying about how poor she was, lamenting the huge sum she had to spend on Xia Yu¡¯s treatment. Now that Xia Ru was sick, she was trying to get money from her family. Chapter 96 - 96 Xia Ye Panicked 96 Xia Ye Panicked Now that Xia Ru¡¯s illness had not been cured, Xia Yu¡¯s money had been spent. Furthermore, Xia Yu was Xia Ye¡¯s brother, which meant that Xia Ye¡¯s family was the one who spent the money. Instead of saying she was working hard to earn as much money as she could, she was bringing her friends out to shop. Now, if this news were to reach Li Jin¡¯s ears, she would be extremely displeased, to say the least. Hearing Xia Chen¡¯s words, Xia Ye panicked. She subconsciously took a step back. While shopping today, she saw a piece of clothing that looked very good and tried it on. She did not expect Xia Chen and the others to see through it. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m doing this because school¡¯s about to start, and I must pay attention to my image, unlike some who completely give little care to theirs. I¡¯m also an excellent student,¡± Xia Ye forced herself to say. The only way she could defeat Xia Wan was through her studies. Her words also reminded Xia Wan that school was about to start. While she was busy making money, she also had to catch up on her knowledge. Indeed, her academic performance in high school was very poor. ¡°Xia Ye, we¡¯re even for today. Don¡¯t tell Grandma about this. We don¡¯t earn much, and it¡¯s only enough for the three of us to eat. You know what your brother, Xia Yu, is like. Every time we eat at home, the meat goes into his bowl. My brothers are also growing, and if they don¡¯t consume meat, they won¡¯t have the strength to work. ¡°You know all too well that your family has been taking all the benefits all these years. My family is the most honest one. Now that we¡¯ve finally found a job, don¡¯t ruin it for us. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell everyone your secret.¡± When they heard Xia Wan¡¯s words, the expressions of Xia Ye¡¯s friends changed. What did she mean by Xia Yu eating all the meat at home? didn¡¯t Xia Ye say that her family was very well-to-do? Why was she still fighting over meat? And these three people were Xia Ye¡¯s family? How many people were there in the Xia family anyway? Wouldn¡¯t it be crowded if so many people lived together? Xia Ye had always been a snob, so the friends who came with her this time were all from the city. Some of them only had one child, and most of them only had two children. Therefore, they had never thought of the situation that Xia Wan had just mentioned. Xia Ye was also anxious. What was Xia Wan saying?! ¡°Xia Wan! You shut up!¡± Xia Ye scolded her anxiously. Xia Ye turned around and looked at her friends. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. She¡¯s Xia Wan. Haven¡¯t you heard of her? She likes to chase after handsome guys in school. She¡¯s very tacky, but I¡¯m different from her. Even if we have the same grandmother, I¡¯m a completely different person altogether. I study hard and pursue success, while she¡¯s just full of lies. ¡°She also accused my brother of stealing the meat. That¡¯s because Grandma doted on my brother more, so she gave the meat to him. You can¡¯t blame Grandma for being biased. Who asked her brothers to be so disappointing? Now, the three of them found a job together, but they can only earn ten yuan a day. What do you think ten yuan is enough for? One meal and adding the taxi fare would be equivalent to working for free. ¡°My Grandma is very smart, and she has never liked them. This is the reason: they are stupid and are of poor character.¡± Hearing Xia Ye¡¯s words, Xia Feng became so enraged that his face turned red. It was fine if she spoke ill of them, but what right did she have to defame Xia Wan? Xia Wan and Xia Ye were from the same school, and if her reputation was really affected, how was she going to survive in school? Xia Feng straightened his neck and said, ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re not allowed to humiliate my sister here. She¡¯s different from you. You¡¯re the one of poor character!¡± Seeing that Xia Feng dared to talk back, Xia Ye was also riled up. She looked at Xia Feng smugly. ¡°You¡¯re quite protective of your sister, aren¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you see your own status? How can your family compare with mine? With your current academic standard, I won¡¯t be surprised if you can¡¯t even get into high school.¡± Xia Wan originally did not care about what Xia Ye said, but when she saw her humiliating her brother in such a way, she could not hold back. She laughed coldly. ¡°Sure, Xia Ye. Since you like to talk about your studies so much, why don¡¯t we have a competition?¡± Xia Ye was a little stunned. ¡°Compete? Compete in what?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re good at your studies? Then let¡¯s wait for the mid-term exams after school starts and compare. The one who does badly will have to apologize to the one who does well and write a 5000-word self-reflection letter.¡± Xia Wan looked straight at Xia Ye and declared her challenge.¡± Chapter 97 - 97 An Accident At Home 97 An Accident At Home Xia Ye snorted disdainfully. ¡°Sure. You said it yourself. Don¡¯t go back on your word when the time comes!¡± Xia Ye was quite familiar with Xia Wan¡¯s academic performance. It was already the second semester of her second year in high school. Xia Wan¡¯s previous academic performance had been very poor, so it was impossible for her to catch up. Besides, most of the studying would be done in her first and second years of high school. The third year was just a process of consolidation. Xia Ye did not think that she would lose. Instead, she felt that Xia Wan¡¯s suggestion was stupid. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Okay, as long as you agree.¡± Xia Wan then looked at the students beside Xia Ye and said, ¡°You guys can be our witnesses. I made a bet with her. Don¡¯t let anyone go back on their word.¡± These students were all on good terms with Xia Ye, so when they heard Xia Wan¡¯s words, they naturally spoke up for Xia Ye. Looking down at Xia Wan, they said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll definitely be the one to write the reflection letter. It won¡¯t be Xia Ye. Everyone in school knows that your grades are terrible.¡± Seeing that Xia Wan was being slandered, Xia Feng couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Stop looking down on her. My sister is brilliant!¡± Although his sister earned so much money, these people still looked down on her. Xia Feng felt that these people were the real fools. After making the bet with Xia Ye, Xia Wan was no longer in the mood to continue eating. She paid the money and left. After Xia Wan left, Xia Ye stared at her back with a vicious expression. Xia Wan and the other two found a quiet alley and began to check the money. The three formed a circle as though afraid that others would see them. ¡°1000, 2000, 3000!¡± Xia Chen counted the money, and his voice couldn¡¯t help but rise. He had followed Xia Wan into the store to purchase the clothes, so he knew it had only cost them a little over 1000 yuan in total. They were now sold for over 3000 yuan, double the original price! And they sold the clothes very quickly. In just one day, everything was sold out. Xia Chen wouldn¡¯t have believed it if he didn¡¯t see it with his own eyes. Xia Feng¡¯s eyes widened as he listened to his brother¡¯s count. Even though he had helped collect money today, he had only collected a couple of dozen yuan or a hundred yuan for each piece of clothing. Now, he counted the money in the thousands. After all, his father could only earn 300 yuan a month from hard labor, but his sister could earn seven months¡¯ worth after selling clothes for a day. Xia Wan smiled happily, but she still said to Xia Chen and Xia Feng, ¡°We still need this money for more goods. Only by constantly buying and selling can we make a decent profit.¡± She had to instill in her brothers the idea of using money to make money so they wouldn¡¯t be stuck in the current situation. When school started, she would be in her third year and be busy with her studies. She would have to leave the business to her brother Xia Chen, and Xia Feng as a helper. Besides, Xia Wan felt that Xia Feng was actually more cunning than Xia Chen. She had to rely on Xia Feng for some petty tricks. Her brother Xia Chen was just too honest. Xia Feng and Xia Chen both smiled and nodded. we understand. After counting the money, the three of them walked home, feeling like they were floating on a cloud. Soon, they arrived at the door. However, before they got close, they heard Xia Ru¡¯s curses. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Dad, Mom, I¡¯ve been soaking in the bath for three hours. Xia Wan must be lying to you. She doesn¡¯t want me to get better! ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want to get treated. I want to go to the city. How can you do this to me? My face is almost disfigured! ¡°Are you my real parents? Why can¡¯t you spend that little money instead of just watching me suffer?¡± Xia Ru wailed and moaned as she started to cry. Xia Wan and the other two could hear the commotion clearly from outside the door. ¡°Sister,¡± Xia Chen looked at Xia Wan and asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you give her the correct prescription?¡± Xia Wan smiled. the prescription I gave her is definitely correct, but I¡¯m not sure if she followed it. As she spoke, Xia Wan pushed the door open. Seeing that Xia Wan had returned, Xia Ru glared at her with bloodshot eyes. She looked at Xia Wan as if she was looking at an enemy. ¡°Xia Wan, you still have the face to come back! I followed the prescription you gave me, but it was useless. I¡¯m still itchy all over, and you made me suffer like this, soaking in this wooden bucket with everyone staring at me. You¡¯re making me look like a fool.¡± ¡°Why would I listen to you? You¡¯re a vicious girl!¡± Chapter 98 - 98 Targeted By the Xia Family 98 Targeted By the Xia Family At this time, Xia Ru had already put on her clothes. However, there were still many scars on her face that were left behind by her own scratching. Xia Ru¡¯s mother, Song Yan, glared at Xia Wan with dissatisfaction. ¡°Wanwan, if you don¡¯t want to treat Xia Ru, just tell us. What are you doing all this for? In order to get your prescription, we¡¯ve done as you said. In the future, we¡¯ll be doing all the work at home. How can you not treat your cousin?¡± ¡°Xia Wan, one must have a conscience. Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution for setting up your own family?¡± Li Jin also walked out at this time, picked up a stick, and was about to hit Xia Wan. ¡°You wretched girl, you still have the face to come home? you little liar, how did I raise such an insensible granddaughter like you!¡± Xia Wan nimbly dodged Li Jin¡¯s stick and looked at the people in the yard with a cold gaze. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no problem with the prescription I gave you, but you were so full of yourselves that you didn¡¯t add the feces. Now that Xia Ru¡¯s illness hasn¡¯t been cured, you¡¯re saying that there¡¯s a problem with the prescription. ¡°I¡¯m the doctor. Who allowed you to change the prescription? ¡°Now that there¡¯s a problem, you are all here to blame me. On what basis?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s voice was assertive. Though everyone was glaring at her, she stood unyielding and unafraid. Her aura shocked Li Jin and the others. Xia Chen also stared at them coldly. you¡¯re the ones who did something wrong, yet you now blame Wanwan. Is there no one else in our family?¡± Xia Feng also stood in front of Xia Wan. One of them was the older brother, and the other was the younger brother. They were now in a protective stance as if they would ask for their opinions if they wanted to bully Xia Wan. When Xia Wan mentioned the prescription, everyone felt a little guilty. They had discussed it and felt that Xia Wan had deliberately added feces to the prescription to spite Xia Ru. In fact, whether there were feces or not, Xia Ru¡¯s illness could be cured, so they did not add it. But now, according to Xia Wan, Xia Ru¡¯s illness was not cured because they did not add feces. Nevertheless, even though they knew in their hearts that they might have made a mistake, they remained unconvinced. Song Yan snorted and said, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been cured yet, so whatever you say is true. Who knows if you¡¯re just trying to find an excuse? I¡¯ve never heard of feces being able to cure diseases. Just as Song Yan¡¯s words fell, someone knocked on the door. Then, the door was pushed open, and the Xia family members in the courtyard panicked when they saw Liu Hua. Xia Ru even stood behind Song Yan. Li Jin also raised the stick in her hand and looked at Liu Hua with a warning look. ¡°What are you doing here again? Xia Wan was the one who gave me the prescription I gave you. If anything happens, you can go to her.¡± Previously, when Liu Hua came to cause trouble, the solution they gave was for Xia Wan to provide the formula. Now that Liu Hua had barged in with a group of people, Li Jin subconsciously thought that there must be a problem with the prescription that Xia Wan gave him. After all, Xia Ru¡¯s illness had not been cured. Liu Hua¡¯s son, Liu Shi, should not have been cured either. Unexpectedly, Liu Hua was not as arrogant as before. She walked directly toward Xia Wan with gratitude in her eyes. ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re really amazing. I didn¡¯t believe your prescription at first, but I didn¡¯t expect that Liu Shi¡¯s illness would be cured immediately after you used it. ¡°Let¡¯s just treat what happened before as a misunderstanding. Wanwan, if anyone in our family is sick in the future, you have to help us take a look.¡± In a backward village like theirs, the status of a doctor was very high. Previously, Liu Hua really looked down on the Xia family. After all, ever since old master Xia passed away, none of the Xia family¡¯s sons had any promising future. However, things were different now. Xia Wan had actually learned her grandfather¡¯s medical skills, an impressive feat. In the future, she could not treat the Xia family with the same attitude as before. After all, no one could say when they would fall sick. Xia Wan smiled at Liu Hua. She could see the change in Liu Hua¡¯s attitude towards her, but she could also see Liu Hua¡¯s thoughts from her eyes. In her previous life, she had seen many big scenes. Just by looking at the other party¡¯s expression, she could roughly guess what they were thinking. Liu Hua was a smart person. She knew who she could bully and who she could not offend. Now that her medical skills had been recognized by Liu Hua, no matter what the Xia family did, she would at least be polite in front of her. Chapter 99 - 99 Li Jins Unreasonable Tantrum 99 Li Jin¡¯s Unreasonable Tantrum ¡°If I can treat him, I will definitely do it, but I will still charge a fee. My grandfather only charges for eggs and potatoes from the villagers. Now that everyone¡¯s life is better and the factories are taking in people, I will definitely charge a fee in the future,¡± Xia Wan said. The smile on Liu Hua¡¯s face didn¡¯t change as she said, ¡°That¡¯s natural. It¡¯s only right to collect money for treatment. As she spoke, Liu Hua looked at Xia Ru¡¯s family. Even though Xia Wan had cured her son¡¯s illness, Liu Hua still hated Xia Ru and felt that she was not a good girl. ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯ve soaked in it, but you¡¯re still not cured?¡± As Liu Hua spoke, she walked over to the bucket that Xia Ru had soaked in. With a mere sniff, she immediately knew that Xia Ru¡¯s medicinal bucket contained no feces. Liu Hua was also a woman, so she immediately understood that Xia Ru didn¡¯t want to soak her body in feces. She snorted and looked at Xia Ru in disdain. ¡°What? you took Wanwan¡¯s prescription and didn¡¯t use all the herbs she asked for? Do you think you¡¯re a doctor too? Why are you so arrogant when you don¡¯t have the ability? Look at what you¡¯ve become. You can¡¯t even bear to soak in feces. Only your body is so delicate. ¡°You also implicated my son. If it weren¡¯t for you, he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer all this. Do you still have the face to despise him?¡± On the one hand, Liu Hua hated Xia Ru, but on the other, she was on Xia Wan¡¯s side. It was no secret in the village that Xia Wan and Xia Ru were not on good terms. When compared, Xia Ru didn¡¯t even get into high school and worked in a factory, while Xia Wan was in high school and had excellent medical skills. It was obvious that Xia Wan would be more successful than Xia Ru in the future. When comparing the two, Liu Hua would naturally stand on Xia Wan¡¯s side. Xia Ru was so angry that her chest heaved. ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line. Don¡¯t I have to suffer? What right do you have to say that I infected your son? Why wasn¡¯t he the one who infected me? What right do you have to slander me like this? ¡°Liu Hua, if my reputation is ruined, it¡¯ll be your fault. If you hurt me, your son won¡¯t have a good life either!¡± Xia Ru was so enraged that the words left her mouth without consideration. Liu Hua, not to be outdone, rolled up her sleeves and said, ¡°Great, you still dare to curse my son? You were hiding in the house before this, and I couldn¡¯t see you, but now, I¡¯ll teach you some manners!¡± Liu Hua was about to hit her when Song Yan stopped her. ¡°Liu Hua, you dare?! If you dare to hit my daughter, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± The people behind Liu Hua also started to attack. Xia Jiang hurriedly called his brother Xia He and Chen Lian over. The people of the Xia family stood on Xia Ru¡¯s side, while Xia Wan and the other two stood on Liu Hua¡¯s side, as though they were from different clans. Li Jin glared at Xia Wan and the other two. ¡°What are you three doing? Don¡¯t you see that outsiders are bullying us at our doorstep? Why are you still standing there? Are you trying to help Liu Hua?¡± Li Jin sat on the ground and pretended to cry. She shouted, ¡°Help! Someone is ganging up with the Xia family¡¯s unfilial granddaughter to bully us. Everyone, come and judge! Old man, why did you teach your medical skills to the most unfilial Xia Wan? Look at how she ganged up with outsiders to bully our family!¡± The Xia family¡¯s door was open, and the commotion had already attracted many people. At this time, everyone had finished their work in the fields and were having dinner at home. After that, they would naturally come out for a stroll. So when Li Jin shouted, those who were eavesdropping outside came closer. They could already see the neighbors watching the show from the other side of the door. Xia Wan sneered and said to Li Jin, ¡°Grandma, who¡¯s right and wrong? Do you want everyone to argue? Then, should we let the whole village know why only Xia Ru and Liu Shi have this disease? Why can¡¯t Doctor Niu cure her? Does this disease have any aftereffects?¡± ¡°Grandma, I know you¡¯ve always felt bad for Xia Ru. If I tell others that girls who have contracted this disease can no longer give birth, will Xia Ru still be able to get married in the future?¡± Chapter 100 - 100 Xia Ru Starts Dating 100 Xia Ru Starts Dating Li Jin immediately shut up and looked at Xia Wan in a daze. ¡°You, how could you do such a vicious thing!¡± Xia Wan laughed coldly. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re already so biased. Just see if I can make it.¡± Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s serious expression, Li Jin was shocked. She stopped crying and stood up silently. She snorted at Xia Wan. ¡°You¡¯re a heartless ingrate. You¡¯re biased toward an outsider now. If something really happens to you, do you expect Liu Hua to help you? Hehe, just wait and see.¡± Xia Wan ignored the threat. She didn¡¯t know where Li Jin¡¯s confidence came from. She looked past Li Jin and at Xia Ru. Now you¡¯ve seen it too. The problem isn¡¯t with my prescription, but you don¡¯t believe me. I don¡¯t need feces. Since you love your beauty so much, you can continue to suffer. At most, you¡¯ll be disfigured and confined to your home for the rest of your life. Grandma loves you so much; she¡¯ll definitely be willing to take care of you for the rest of your life.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Li Jin was unhappy. She liked Xia Ru because Xia Wan and Xia Ye were both studying, and they had to spend their family¡¯s money. Xia Ru, however, earned for her family. Things were different now, though. If Xia Ru¡¯s illness were not cured, she would not be able to work or marry. If she did not marry, she would not be able to earn. Did she have to take care of Xia Ru for the rest of her life?¡± Li Jin¡¯s expression changed quickly. She came to Xia Ru and advised, ¡°Xia Ru, since Liu Shi¡¯s illness has been cured, it seems that Xia Wan¡¯s prescription is correct. Let your mother brew another bucket according to Xia Wan¡¯s prescription. You¡¯ll be fine after soaking in it. It¡¯s not a big deal. Just bear with it, and it¡¯ll be over. Xia Ru¡¯s face was red, and tears welled up in her eyes. It was unknown if she was angry or aggrieved. She looked at the people surrounding the gate and shouted in grievance, ¡°I don¡¯t want to soak in feces! There are so many people watching now. Everyone knows that I¡¯m going to soak in feces. Even if my illness is cured, so what? How will the villagers look at me in the future?¡± Xia Ru covered her face as she spoke, not wanting to face the crowd. At that moment, her body suddenly twitched, and she writhed on the ground in pain. Song Yan quickly rushed over and asked anxiously, ¡°Xia Ru, what¡¯s wrong? Say something! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Xia Ru convulsed, and she rolled on the ground. She couldn¡¯t speak to Song Yan at all. She only felt pain all over her body. Her mind was muddled, and her consciousness blurry. Song Yan saw that Xia Ru couldn¡¯t answer and quickly came to Xia Wan¡¯s side and asked, ¡°What did you do to Xia Ru? Why did she become like this after she soaked in your prescription?!¡± Being questioned by Song Yan, Xia Wan was very unhappy and directly replied, ¡°Liu Shi took my prescription, and now he¡¯s better, but Xia Ru¡¯s condition has worsened. Do you think this has anything to do with me? Don¡¯t tell me that the prescription you¡¯re using isn¡¯t the same?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Because Xia Ru didn¡¯t use feces. To tell you the truth, if we want to save her, we have to soak her in feces again. The prescription will be the same, but the amount of feces has to be doubled. Otherwise, she won¡¯t be able to recover.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Song Yan was stunned. She suspected that Xia Wan was taking revenge on Xia Ru, but Xia Wan looked so serious when she said this. ¡°Is what you said true?¡± Song Yan asked, gritting her teeth. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t lie in front of everyone,¡± Xia Wan nodded. Song Yan looked at Xia Ru, who was still rolling around, with difficulty. She got up to collect the feces and shouted at the people gathered at the gate, ¡°Go away, there¡¯s nothing to see in our house.¡± Now that her daughter was in trouble, everyone was here to watch the show. Who knew if they couldn¡¯t keep talking about Xia Ru behind her back? Song Yan vented her anger on the onlookers at the door. However, everyone had a temper, and after being shouted at by Song Yan, they all began fervent discussions about Xia Ru. ¡°Have you heard? Xia Ru is going to soak herself in feces. Didn¡¯t you smell it? It¡¯s so putrid. ¡°Who would want a woman who has soaked herself in shit? How embarrassing.¡± At this time, Song Yan had already prepared the feces. She and Xia Jiang covered their mouths and noses with cloth and stirred the water with the feces. The stench spread. There were originally people squatting nearby to watch the commotion, but when the overpowering odor permeated their noses, they ran as far as their legs could carry them. Chapter 101 - 101 The Awful Stench 101 The Awful Stench Xia Wan originally wanted to see Xia Ru embarrassed up close, but she couldn¡¯t stand the smell. She went back to her room and took out a piece of cloth to cover her nose, but she still looked through the window at Xia Ru soaking in feces. In the bucket, Xia Ru was struggling. ¡°I don¡¯t want to soak in shit! I don¡¯t want to!¡± However, she had no more strength left. After being forced into the bucket by Song Yan and Xia Jiang, the foul smell rushed into Xia Ru¡¯s mouth and nose. She felt nauseated and retched. She could not help but feel like vomiting. However, she slowly realized that the feeling of being bitten by ants was gone. The discomfort in her body was slowly recovering, and her strength was coming back. Xia Ru wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew that Xia Wan¡¯s prescription had taken effect. She immediately endured the pain and began to soak in the bucket. Song Yan saw that Xia Ru had stopped struggling and was quietly soaking in the bath. She felt a little relieved. It seemed that Xia Wan¡¯s prescription was really effective. Xia Wan looked on coldly. Xia Ru¡¯s embarrassment and pain were only the beginning. Back then, Xia Ru had arrogantly made her parents kneel down and apologize, while Song Yan even stepped on the back of her mother¡¯s hand. At that time, they had snatched away the marriage that belonged to her. Not only that, but they had also taken revenge on her family with such a bad attitude. It caused them to lose their livelihood, eventually driving them into a corner until they died. Xia Jiang was her uncle by blood, Song Yan was her aunt, and Xia Ru was her cousin. He was clearly her close family member, but he was the source of her family¡¯s death. Xia Wan closed her eyes and hid the hatred that surged in her eyes. ¡°Wanwan, how are we going to eat in this stinky house?¡± Yan Han¡¯s question finally pulled Xia Wan back from her thoughts. She turned around to look at the person who had come. It was her mother, Yan Han. At this time, Yan Han was also wearing a strip of cloth on her mouth and nose, and she looked a little more agile than before. Xia Wan thought that her mother must have been a very good-looking person when she was young. It was a pity how weathered her face had become after all the hardships she had suffered in the Xia family. Her eyes slowly turned gentle. ¡°Mom, since we can¡¯t eat at home, let¡¯s go to a restaurant.¡± Yan Han¡¯s eyes widened, but she immediately waved her hand. ¡°That won¡¯t do. We can cook on our own, so why go to a restaurant? It¡¯s too expensive to eat out.¡± Xia Wan smiled and took Yan Han¡¯s arm affectionately. ¡°Mom, the three of us are exhausted from selling clothes. Even if you don¡¯t think for yourself and Dad, you should think for my brothers and me, especially my brothers. They¡¯re still growing up. If they go hungry, they won¡¯t be able to grow any taller, and it¡¯ll be hard for them to find a wife.¡± As expected, when Xia Wan brought out the topic of her brothers, Yan Han¡¯s heart softened. If it were only her and Xia Hai at home, they would have had enough to eat a few steamed buns. Even if it smelled bad, they could still eat it. However, the three children had sold clothes all day, and if they did not get a hot meal, they would be aggrieved. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get your Dad. Let¡¯s go to a restaurant.¡± Yan Han finally made up her mind and went to call Xia Hai. Soon, the family was all gathered and ready for dinner. They had just walked out of the house when they saw Chen Lian, who was about to go to the kitchen. Chen Lian saw that their family was neatly dressed and asked, ¡°What are you guys planning to do?¡± Chen Lian got a little suspicious. This family had never gone out in such an orderly manner before. Xia Wan had already thought of an excuse. She pinched one of her acupoints which caused her face to go very pale. She said to Chen Lian with a pained expression, ¡°Aunty, I¡¯m so uncomfortable right now. I¡¯m already very tired from looking for a job today, and now that I smell this stench, I feel way worse. If I continue to stay at home, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to get up tomorrow. I¡¯m going to pick some herbs now.¡± Chen Lian clearly did not believe her and asked, ¡°You¡¯re just picking herbs. Why are there so many people? And why didn¡¯t you bring a basket?¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t expect Chen Lian to react so quickly. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t lacking of words and immediately said, ¡°I can use it directly when I pick herbs. As for my parents, they still have to work in the fields. Why? Do you want to come along?¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan¡¯s attitude became warmer, and she took the initiative to say to Chen Lian, ¡°Auntie, the house smells awful. You should go to the fields with us. We¡¯re just pulling out the weeds today, and we¡¯ll be back very soon. By then, the smell in the house will be lighter.¡± Chapter 102 - 102 Xia Ye Returns Home 102 Xia Ye Returns Home When Chen Lian heard that she had to work in the fields, she immediately became very resistant. At the same time, she felt she had overestimated Xia Wan¡¯s family. What other thoughts could they have had? They were all idiots. Chen Lian waved her hand impatiently. ¡°You guys go ahead. Our Xia Ye hasn¡¯t come home yet. I¡¯m going to go look for her.¡± Seeing Chen Lian mention Xia Ye, Xia Wan took the initiative to say, ¡°Aunt, I saw Xia Ye today. She was shopping in town with a few classmates. I saw her buying a lot of things, in an all-new set of clothes. It seems that you gave her quite a lot of money. Her classmates even think that Xia Ye is very rich. Does she usually buy food for them?¡± ¡°What? Xia Ye bought food for her classmates? This d*mn girl, how dare she? The family gave her money for her to study! Who told her to waste it?!¡± As she spoke, Chen Lian rolled up her sleeves and looked as if she was going to settle scores with Xia Ye. Not long after Xia Wan finished speaking, a scream came from the door. what¡¯s this smell? It¡¯s so smelly. Did you guys poop in the yard?¡± Everyone looked at the door and saw that the person who had returned was Xia Ye. Chen Lian was very angry when she saw Xia Ye. She quickly walked up to Xia Ye and twisted her ear with one hand. ¡°You wretched girl, tell me the truth. What did you buy today? Why haven¡¯t I seen the clothes you¡¯re wearing? Did you buy them recently? Didn¡¯t you say you would buy books, lest you might not catch up with your classmates? What about now? Where are the books you bought?!¡± ¡°Mom, it hurts. Mom, let go of me first!¡± she said. Xia Ye¡¯s face was scrunched up from the pain, and her tone was pleading. However, Chen Lian was currently in a fit of anger. She had always felt that the house was very smelly and made her impetuous. Now that she saw her daughter spending so much money, Chen Lian wanted to give Xia Ye a few blows. ¡°Explain it clearly. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about going back to your room to sleep today!¡± In pain from the pinch, Xia Ye screamed. Her screams made Xia Ru, who was soaking in feces, very impatient. She shouted at Xia Ye, ¡°What are you shouting for? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m doing the treatment? Our house is only so big. Can¡¯t you talk outside? Didn¡¯t you say that it was stinky? Then stay away!¡± Perhaps it was because she had soaked in the bath for a while that Xia Ru wasn¡¯t as uncomfortable now. However, after she was done shouting, the stench rushed into her mouth and nose again, making her retch a few more times. Xia Wan looked on with a smile in her eyes. It was really like a dogfight. Chen Lian was originally tidying up her daughter, but when she heard Xia Ru¡¯s words, she looked at Song Yan with some dissatisfaction. ¡°Sister-in-law, is this how you educate your daughter? Isn¡¯t shethe reason that our house is so smelly now? Why? Did you allow her to make the house so ugly that my Xia Ye can¡¯t even scream?¡± Because she wanted to scold Song Yan, Chen Lian released her hand that was pinching Xia Ye¡¯s ear. Xia Ye heaved a sigh of relief the moment her ear was released. At this time, Xia Wan pulled her family to a corner. She had originally wanted a quiet meal, but it would be a pity if she didn¡¯t stay and watch the show. Although Song Yan and Chen Lian were not good people, they usually appeared to have a good relationship. Although they would compare themselves in private, they still got along on the surface. However, thanks to Xia Ru and Xia Ye, Song Yan and Chen Lian were both angry. Song Yan felt that her reputation would be completely ruined after Xia Ru¡¯s affair. Chen Lian felt that it was not easy for her family to earn, and Xia Yu would have to marry when the time came. Xia Ye was still studying now, but she had actually used her money to buy clothes. Where would the family have extra money to buy clothes for her? Xia Ye, on the other hand, frowned as she pinched her dress. She had just bought it today, and now that it smelled like shit, how would she wear it again? But now, even if she was in the house, she could smell feces. Xia Ye wished she hadn¡¯t gone home. Song Yan glared at Chen Lian. ¡°Before my Xia Ru fell sick, she earned for the family every month. What about your Xia Ye? She¡¯s spending money every month. And your Xia Yu, he¡¯s not studying anymore. He¡¯s not young anymore. Why doesn¡¯t he know how to find a job? ¡°What¡­ are you guys planning to take care of him for the rest of his life?¡± Chapter 103 - 103 Song Yan and Chen Lians Quarrel 103 Song Yan and Chen Lian¡¯s Quarrel Chen Lian was also unconvinced. She snorted and said, ¡°It¡¯s up to us how we educate our son. At least I can give birth to a son. Among the three of us, only you can¡¯t give birth to a son. It¡¯s been so many years, and no one has criticized you. Do you really think you¡¯re that great?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re my sister-in-law and your family is doing well. But now that you¡¯re married into the Xia family, you¡¯re a part of them. You¡¯ll only be able to do well if the Xia family does well. If you can¡¯t give birth to a son for the Xia family, then you¡¯re incompetent! ¡°Your Xia Ru can earn money now, but my Xia Yu just hasn¡¯t found a suitable job. Once he finds one, he¡¯ll definitely earn more than your Xia Ru. After all, a girl can¡¯t compare to a boy.¡± When Xia Ye heard Chen Lian¡¯s words, she felt a little aggrieved. As expected, even if she usually had good grades, she could not compare to her brother in her mother¡¯s heart. Song Yan and Chen Lian continued to argue, but Xia Ye was not in the mood to listen anymore. Even if Song Yan¡¯s words were unpleasant, at least she was really protecting Xia Ru. Even though Xia Ru didn¡¯t get into high school, Song Yan only had one daughter and she gave her all her love. But she was different. She had an older brother. Even if her older brother ate a lot and didn¡¯t work, and often spent money, the family still pampered him. In the past, Xia Ye would always follow Xia Ru around. Now that she thought about it, it was because Xia Ru was highly regarded at home. Her grandmother would always praise her, and her mother would sometimes ask about when she could start earning for the family like Xia Ru. Xia Ye saw Xia Wan, who was watching the show in the corner. She walked up to her angrily and asked, ¡°Did you say something to my mother? Why would she hit me as soon as I got home?¡± Xia Wan acted innocent. ¡°What could I have said? Your clothes are too eye-catching. Even I can tell that you just bought them.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan deliberately raised her voice and looked at Chen Lian. ¡°Second Aunt, did you realize that Xia Ye only came home in new chothes? Where did her old clothes go?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words successfully attracted Chen Lian¡¯s attention. She did not care about quarreling with Song Yan anymore and just stared at Xia Ye coldly. ¡°Yes, Xia Wan is right. Where are your old clothes?¡± Xia Ye was flustered, and her eyes darted around. She grabbed her clothes nervously. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Seeing her stammer and unable to speak, Chen Lian became even angrier. She roared, ¡°Tell me, where are your old clothes?! Are you really going to force my hand on you?¡± Xia Ye closed her eyes. ¡°I gave them away.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Chen Lian¡¯s eyes widened. She immediately picked up a stick and was about to hit Xia Ye. Xia Ye was very smart and immediately ran in the yard. As she ran, she shouted, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been wearing those clothes for a few years. Why does Xia Yu have a few new sets every year, but I only have one? Mom, you¡¯re being unfair!¡± As she spoke, Xia Ye pointed at Xia Wan and the others and said, ¡°Xia Wan¡¯s family has two sons, but Yan Han never forgets about Xia Wan whenever he goes shopping. Why should I be forgotten every time? Mom, you¡¯re so unfair!¡± Chen Lian was very angry with Xia Ye¡¯s words. She ran even faster, and Xia Ye¡¯s butt was hit by a few sticks. ¡°Even if you hit me again, you¡¯re still biased. Why can¡¯t I say you that you¡¯re being biased?¡± Xia Ye was so aggrieved that she started crying. Initially, because of the smell of feces, all the doors and windows were closed. After knowing that Xia Ru was sick and that there was feces, the neighbors did not make a fuss. Instead, she was the one who got mouthfuls from them. But now that they heard that this family seemed to be chasing and fighting, those who liked to watch the fun couldn¡¯t help but open their windows for a peek. ¡°Aww¡­ isn¡¯t that Xia Ye? Why is she getting beaten? I heard she was quite obedient¡±? ¡°How is she obedient? Look at the Xia family¡¯s children. That Xia Wan has a bad reputation. Now that Xia Ru is in trouble, who knows what happened to Xia Ye? It¡¯s better to stay away from the women of the Xia family in the future.¡± Xia Ye and Xia Ru did not expect that after today, their reputations would deteriorate so much. Chapter 104 - 104 Eating at a Restaurant 104 Eating at a Restaurant Xia Wan had seen enough of the commotion and didn¡¯t want to stay for a second longer. She still wanted to bring her parents out for a good meal. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and eat. Let them be. I don¡¯t think anyone can stop us,¡± Xia Wan said to her family. At first, Yan Han was still a little worried that if they were to leave things as they were, the family would be in chaos. It was Xia Wan who reminded her, ¡°Mom, our status in this family is the lowest. There¡¯s no point in us staying here. Why are you looking for trouble here?¡± Yan Han felt that what she said made sense. After all, no one in this family would listen to her. However, if a conflict were to break out, everyone would blame her. If it was in the past, Yan Han would have gotten used to this kind of life. But now, thinking about how her daughter could earn on her own, and even bring them to a restaurant, Yan Han felt a little proud. She felt that she couldn¡¯t continue to be so spineless, as this would only drag her daughter down. Yan Han also raised his head and said to Xia Wan, ¡°Let¡¯s go and eat.¡± There was a restaurant in the village, but it was a distance from Xia Wan¡¯s house. At that time, few of the villagers would visit the restaurant. Most people still chose to cook at home. Xia Wan chose the most expensive restaurant in the village, usually patroned by those with relatively wealthy families. It had a wide variety of dishes and good taste, but it was expensive. Standing at the entrance of the restaurant, Xia Hai hesitantly grabbed the corner of his shirt. He looked at Xia Wan uneasily and said, ¡°Wanwan, isn¡¯t this place a little too pricey? I heard from the villagers that a meal here costs over 10 yuan.¡± Although Xia Hai¡¯s monthly salary was 300 yuan, the family¡¯s various expenses were high. If they spent more than 10 yuan just for a meal, it would be far beyond what he could afford. After all, one yuan could buy several days¡¯ worth of food and meals at home. Xia Wan could see Xia Hai¡¯s concern and she smiled at her father. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve said it before. I¡¯m earning money so our family can have a better life. Let¡¯s go. I have something important to tell you. It has to be said in the private room. Dad, if you don¡¯t go in, I¡¯ll get angry.¡± Upon Xia Wan¡¯s threats, Xia Hai finally relented. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s spend some money today.¡± Xia Hai entered the restaurant first. The owner looked at them curiously the moment they stepped in. ¡°Xia Hai, what¡¯s wrong with your family? I¡¯ve never seen you here for a meal before. What¡¯s wrong? have you made more money this month?¡± The shop owner said this out of curiosity. There were not many people in the village, and he knew the names of almost all the families. The owner of the restaurant was naturally aware of the Xia family. The money earned by the sons was all in Li Jin¡¯s hands. If these sons wanted to have a meal at the restaurant, they would have to be stingy. This was especially so for his second son, Xia Hai, who was famous for being filial. To put it bluntly, he was filial to a fault, where he basically listened to everything his mother said. Hence, when he saw that Xia Hai had brought his entire family for dinner without his mother, the boss was extremely curious. Xia Hai was a little embarrassed by the question and he didn¡¯t know how to answer. Xia Wan smiled and took the initiative to stand up. She said to the boss, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Today, I went to town with my brother and brother to find a job. This way, the family will have an extra income. ¡°Although we didn¡¯t earn much, it¡¯s enough for a meal. But that¡¯s secondary. The main thing is that something¡¯s happened to our family.¡± When she said this, Xia Wan paused and looked like she didn¡¯t know how to continue. Her expression attracted the curiosity of the others, and the boss couldn¡¯t help but urge, ¡°What happened to your family? Tell me about it. I might be able to help you make a decision.¡± When Xia Wan heard his words, she sighed and said helplessly, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m sure everyone knows about this. My cousin, Xia Ru, has a strange illness. If we want to cure her, we¡¯ll have to soak her in feces, the medicine¡¯s primer, for a few hours.¡± Chapter 105 - 105 Xia Ru Is Well 105 Xia Ru Is Well Song Yan sighed and continued, ¡°You know how feces smell. It¡¯s not just our house. The neighbors all smell like crap too. However, everyone took into account Xia Ru¡¯s pain so they endured it. But we still have to eat. ¡°Especially our family¡¯s situation. You should have heard that my mother does all the work in the fields. My father also works the hardest in the factory. The three of us also found a job today. Hence, we thought that we might as well spend some money and have a good meal. ¡°Since we are eating out, of course we have to choose the best boss. Your restaurant turned up to be the most suitable.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s last sentence, the boss smiled and said, ¡°You have a way with words. Order whatever you want. I¡¯ll bring you some drinks. You¡¯re going to a private room, right? I¡¯ll take you there.¡± As he spoke, the boss personally led the way to their best private room. From there, the impeccable scenery outside was clearly visible through the window. The boss held the menu in his hand and asked, ¡°What do you want to order?¡± Xia Wan looked at the other people in the house. ¡°What do you want to eat? Everyone, please don¡¯t hold back and order something.¡± She heard Xia Wan say that they would each order a dish. Everyone seemed a little uneasy. ¡°There are five of us now,¡± Yan Han said in a low voice. ¡°I think three dishes should be enough.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t eat that much,¡± Xia Hai chimed in. ¡°We usually eat only two or three types. There¡¯s no need to order so many dishes in a restaurant.¡± Xia Wan could tell that if her parents were to order, they would probably pick the cheapest dish, so she let Xia Chen and Xia Feng each order one. Then, she ordered two dishes, five bowls of rice, and a bowl of soup. The three ordered good dishes. There was fish, braised pork, braised tofu pudding, lion¡¯s head, and tenderloin. As for the soup, they chose tomato egg soup. The entire meal cost a whopping 23 yuan. Xia Wan asked for the price on the spot and gave the money to the boss. When Yan Han and Xia Hai heard the price, both of their hearts ached a little. They had not expected to spend so much money on a meal. However, since Xia Wan had already paid for it, they could not say anything. After the owner left the room, Xia Hai couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Today¡¯s situation is special, so let¡¯s come to the restaurant to eat. In the future, when we have nothing to do, we¡¯ll cook at home.¡± Xia Wan smiled. Before the dishes were served, she placed the proceeds of the day on the table. Xia Hai and Yan Han were both shocked as their daughter produced the stack of red bills. ¡°Wanwan, is this the money you earned from selling clothes? How much did you spend on your stock?¡± Yan Han¡¯s reacted faster than Xia Hai, and she quickly asked after seeing the amount of money her daughter had. Xia Wan was keenly aware that her mother, Yan Han, seemed to be smarter than her father in this aspect. If an ordinary person saw her take out a pile of money, the first thing they would think of was that she must¡¯ve earned a lot. Her mother, however, would consider the money on the table first. If it was earned money, then she would think about how much money was spent on the purchase of the goods. This was because the amount of profit garnered from a business was actually based on the final selling price of the product. After deducting the cost price of the goods, that was one¡¯s net profit. Xia Wan didn¡¯t hide anything and directly said to Yan Han, ¡°I spent more than 1000 yuan buying those clothes, and the sales came up to almost 3000 yuan. I¡¯ve counted the net profit, and I got over 2000 yuan. After hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Yan Han and Xia Hai¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Xia Hai¡¯s body stiffened, and he was at a loss for words. Xia Wan and the others only sold clothes for one day but had made a net profit of 2000 yuan. He worked at the factory every day, leaving early in the morning and returning late at night. He basically had no time to rest, but he only made 300 yuan a month. In comparison, Xia Hai felt that his daughter was really capable, but at the same time, felt how incompetent he was as a father. All he could do was earn a meager sum through backbreaking labor, but his smart daughter could make so much just by selling clothes. Yan Han, on the other hand, also laughed after the initial shock. She quickly said, ¡°Alright, alright. Mom and Dad have seen the money. You should keep it quickly. We don¡¯t know when the dishes will be ready. It won¡¯t be nice if others see the cash.¡± Chapter 106 - 106 Saving Money is the Key 106 Saving Money is the Key Yan Han then turned to Xia Wan and said, ¡°Your father made you a passbook before. You can put all the money you earn in the passbook. It¡¯s not safe to keep it at home. If your grandmother finds out, you won¡¯t be able to keep it. ¡°I¡¯ve never ran a business, and although I know it can be a fast way to earn money, it¡¯s also easy to lose money. Don¡¯t be smug just because you made so much money on the first day. We have to be down-to-earth when we do business.¡± Xia Wan nodded and said to Yan Han with a serious expression, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m great just because I earned 2000 yuan. I know that making money is one thing, but being able to keep it or use it to make more money is the greater ability.¡± Soon, the waiter served their dishes. Everyone had a great time eating. By the time they finished, an hour had passed. Perhaps it was because Xia Wan had earned some money that Yan Han and Xia Hai felt much more relaxed. They had smiles on their faces from the beginning to the end. When they returned home, they found that the quarrel in the courtyard was still going on, and Song Yu¡¯s voice could also be heard. A smile flashed in Xia Wan¡¯s eyes. She brought her family back to the house, caring little about the mess in the yard. Xia Ru was finally done an hour later. When she came out, she emitted an overpowering stench. ¡°Mom, quickly! Get me some clean water. I want to take a bath!¡± Xia Ru¡¯s voice was shrill. Obviously, she could not stand the stench on her body. Song Yan was also very anxious. She had long been unable to stand the smell of feces. Now that Xia Ru was done soaking in the bath and her body no longer itched, she had to get rid of the bucket of feces. ¡°Since you¡¯re all well now, you should go wash up in the river. Don¡¯t stay at home. With such a strong stench, no amount of water at home will be enough for you.¡± Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Is it Xia Wan? Chapter 107: Is it Xia Wan? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In the wrong, Xia Ru could only smile, not knowing what to say. ¡°I will remember this. I will make Xia Wan pay,¡± Xia ru said gloomily. Then, Xia Ru suddenly thought of something and asked Song Yan, ¡°I remember that when I was soaking in the feces, I think Xia Ye came back and was beaten by her mother. What happened then?¡± At the mention of this matter, Song Yan could not help but gossip, ¡°Xia Ye is also a troublemaker. You don¡¯t know how arrogant she was while you were sick. She thought that since you were sick, she was the prettiest and most powerful one in the family. ¡°That¡¯s why Xia Ye told her mother that she wanted to go to town to buy study materials. I didn¡¯t expect her to use the money on a new dress. Xia Wan was the one who told Chen Lian about this.¡± At the mention of this, Song Yan¡¯s eyes became calculative. ¡°You¡¯re right. Xia Wan is indeed different from before. This girl is getting more and more scheming. Think about it. Although Xia Ye did something wrong in the past, she never made Chen Lian so angry. She even started to beat her in the courtyard. ¡°Besides, I always felt that Xia Wan has something to do with your strange illness. No one else can cure it except for her. When Xia Ru heard this, a trace of fear flashed across her eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Xia Wan might have caused my illness?¡± ¡°Have you ever eaten the food Xia Wan gave you?¡± Song Yan asked. After hearing this, Xia Ru thought about it seriously and shook her head. ¡°No, I had no contact with Xia Wan before I got this strange disease. Song Yan¡¯s eyes were also confused. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then this matter probably has nothing to do with Xia Wan. It¡¯s just lucky that she knew the prescription to cure you.¡± Song Yan¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain as she said, ¡®We¡¯ve taken Xia Wan too seriously. If she¡¯s really that good at medicine, why didn¡¯t she show it before? If she did, then she¡¯d be valuable. Your grandmother wouldn¡¯t look down on her. ¡°So, she was just lucky to be able to cure you. It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s happy this time. We¡¯ll have plenty of ways to cure her in the future. The most important thing now is to stabilize your job. Didn¡¯t you tell your grandma that you will be promoted soon? Is that true?¡± Xia Ru nodded and lowered her voice to say to Song Yan, ¡°It¡¯s a boy who works in our factory. I found out that he was the nephew of the factory manager, so I deliberately got close to him. I even treated him to a meal to get close to him. As expected, after so many days of hard work, he finally confessed his identity to me. He also told me that I would definitely be on the list of people who would be promoted in the factory next time.¡± Song Yan nodded when she heard this. Her eyes were filled with satisfaction and admiration. ¡°Our Xia Ru is still the best at dealing with people. In my opinion, Xia Ye and Xia Wan¡¯s schemes added together can¡¯t compare to yours alone. You¡¯ll definitely be the most successful person in the family in the future. Mom is counting on you to lead me to a happy life.¡± Xia Ru nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. With me around, our family will definitely live better than theirs.¡± The two talked for a while before Xia Ru finally went to bed. Tormented for so long, she had not had a good night¡¯s sleep for a long time. The next day, after Xia Wan finished washing up, she saw that Xia Feng and Xia Chen were already waiting for her. At this time, both of their faces were full of smiles, and it was obvious that they were looking forward to today¡¯s stock. Xia Chen had previously gone with Xia Wan to purchase her stock, so he had experienced how good of a haggler she was. At the same time, he also knew about her excellent taste in clothes. Since Xia Feng had never gone with her, he was extremely excited. Xia Feng couldn¡¯t help but urge, ¡°Sister, let¡¯s hurry. I also want to see what the suppliers look like.. Are there many different styles?¡± Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Revenge on Xia Wan Chapter 108: Revenge on Xia Wan Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but smile when she saw how happy her brother was. All she had done was hope her family would smile more without worrying about food and clothing. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll go restock!¡± With Xia Wan¡¯s words, the three of them left the house. After Xia Wan left, Xia Ru¡¯s room door was pushed open. She looked at their backs and said to Song Yan, ¡°Mom, you heard from Xia Ye that Xia Wan and the other two found a job selling clothes, right?¡± Song Yan nodded. ¡°Yes, but she also told me that the three only earn 10 yuan a day. Look at how happy they were when they went out just now. They really haven¡¯t seen the world. What can they do with 10 yuan a day?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Xia Wan anymore. The most important thing now is to stabilize your promotion,¡± Song Yan could not help but remind him. Xia Ru nodded and agreed with Song Yan¡¯s words. As for Xia Wan and the other two making 10 yuan a day, Song Yan was not interested. She thought that they were too useless. However, Xia Ru didn¡¯t want the three to have any work, so she decided that if she had time, she would ask Xia Wan where they sold clothes so that she could find Xia her faults. So what if Xia Wan¡¯s prescription cured her illness? She had embarrassed her via the prescription and made her the laughingstock of the entire village. Now, she was about vent all her hatred on Xia Wan and take her revenge. At this time, Xia Wan didn¡¯t know that Xia Ru would hold a grudge against her because of this. They took the bus as usual and soon arrived at the wholesale market. Because of their previous experience, they arrived at sister Hong¡¯s stall very quickly this time. When sister Hong saw Xia Wan, she came over to greet her with a smile. ¡°My good sister, you¡¯re here so soon. How are the sales?¡± Sister Hong asked this with a pair of sincere eyes. It was obvious that she too hoped that Xia Wan would do well in the business. Xia Wan smiled and nodded. ¡°Sister Hong, you picked out the clothes, so of course, they sold well. They were all sold out in just one day, so I hurried back to get more. Even sister Hong, who had been running a stall for many years, couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when she heard Xia Wan¡¯s words. ¡°What? You actually sold all those clothes in one day? Oh my God, my good sister, you¡¯re really amazing.¡± ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t stand here and talk. Come in and have a seat. I have quite a big place here. Eh, who is this? Is he your brother?¡± Only then did sister Hong notice that Xia Feng had come with Xia Wan today, but he wasn¡¯t there the last time she had come to restock. Xia Wan took the initiative to introduce them to sister Hong. ¡°This is my younger brother. I want to bring them here to purchase and sell goods. When I start school, I might have to rely on them to help me manage my stall. ¡°My brothers don¡¯t have much experience selling clothes, and their taste might not be good. I¡¯ll have to thank you for taking care of them.¡± Sister Hong said very generously, ¡°My good sister, what are you talking to me about? If it weren¡¯t for you, my illness wouldn¡¯t have been cured. You might not know this, but after I followed your prescription and gave it to my family, all the uncomfortable symptoms disappeared. You¡¯re now our family¡¯s savior. Quickly come in with me. We have prepared a gift for you.¡± Xia Wan was a little surprised to hear that there was a gift, but she had no reason to refuse a token of gratitude, so she followed sister Hong in. Sister Hong immediately took out six large boxes. Xia Wan was dumbfounded. ¡°Sister Hong, what¡¯s inside?¡± Sister Hong smiled as she opened the boxes one by one. They were all filled with the most popular clothes at the moment, and there were ten pieces of each.. Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Stolen Spot Chapter 109: Stolen Spot Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Since I¡¯m giving you a present, I¡¯ll give you something that the other party needs. Since you¡¯re going to set up a store to sell clothes, I¡¯ll naturally give you clothes. You didn¡¯t buy these clothes from me, but I specifically got them as a thank-you for saving the lives of our family lives. You can¡¯t reject them.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. The clothes were made of excellent fabric and were of modern style. If they were to be purchased, they would probably cost 50 yuan each. But now, Sister Hong was actually giving it to her for free. These clothes added up to more than a thousand yuan. In this era, a thousand yuan wasn¡¯t a small amount. Even Xia Wan was shocked, not to mention Xia Chen and Xia Feng. Xia Feng didn¡¯t know that Xia Wan had treated sister Hong, so he didn¡¯t dare to say anything at the moment. He only observed everything silently. However, in his heart, Xia Feng felt that his sister was really amazing. She could even become good friends with the people who purchased the goods. Xia Wan waved her hands. ¡°No, sister Hong, these clothes are too expensive. The designs of these clothes don¡¯t exist in our county. If I sell them, each piece can be sold at a high price. The more I earn, sister Hong, the more you lose. Sister Hong, this is not how you do business. If we continue to work together like this, you will suffer losses.¡± Sister Hong smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re looking down on me. Although I set up a stall, I don¡¯t rely on it to support my family. My husband¡¯s ability to make money is much better than mine. Even if I stay at home and do nothing, my family doesn¡¯t lack money. I just set up a stall for fun. ¡°But you¡¯re different from me. You¡¯re earning for the family¡¯s livelihood. You¡¯re working so hard, and you saved my life. What¡¯s wrong with me giving you a gift? besides, this gift was chosen by my family. Are you going to reject my family¡¯s kind intentions? Since sister Hong had put it this way, Xia Wan could only accept the clothes and the six boxes. Although the clothes looked good, they were not suitable for everyone. Because they were expensive, she couldn¡¯t put them on display. Besides, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sell them all in one day. These beautiful clothes would only sell after a long time, so Xia Wan bought some other clothes. She only stopped after spending about 1000 yuan. When Xia Wan left, sister Hong felt a little emotional. The clothes at her stall were pretty, so thev were a few vuan more expensive than the other stalls. Many people had their eyes on her goods, but when they heard the price, they would give up and choose other stalls. Sister Hong felt that everyone bought clothes for the sake of wearing them. No one wanted the color to fade after a few times of washing. However, when most people buy clothes, they wouldn¡¯t look at the quality but would ask about the price. At the same time, everyone would choose the cheaper one if the quality was about the same. Thus, sister Hong was really impressed by Xia Wan¡¯s ability to sell all the clothes in one day. After all, the number of clothes she sold daily in the past came nowhere near the amount Xia Wan bought in the past two days. Sister Hong originally didn¡¯t have any dreams of becoming rich and didn¡¯t expect to become rich by selling clothes. But because of Xia Wan, she suddenly felt that this matter seemed to have a lot of hope. There were too many boxes, so they only carried two boxes this time. The other four boxes were still in sister Hong¡¯s shop, waiting for Xia Wan to pick them up next time. Just as they arrived in front of the stall, they realized that the spot where they had set up their stall last time had been occupied by someone else. The few young men who occupied their seats were tattooed from head to toe and looked like gangsters. Zhao Jin¡¯s shop, which had helped Xia Wan store the clothes, was not open today. Thinking of what Zhao Jin had told her before, Xia Wan guessed that these people were either taking advantage of his absence to occupy his stall, or he felt that he couldn¡¯t afford to offend these people. Since he had no way to avoid them, he chose to close his shop. Regardless of the reason, Xia Wan¡¯s first priority was to solve the problem of her stall being robbed. Xia Wan looked coldly at fatty who was standing in the middle and said, ¡®Move aside. This is our stall. We¡¯ve occupied it..¡± Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: Taking Immediate Action Chapter 110: Taking Immediate Action Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing that Xia Wan dared to provoke him, the fat man in the lead was immediately interested. His small eyes stared at Xia Wan mischievously, while his tone was slightly ambiguous. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just like what we brothers said. The person selling clothes at this stall is indeed a pretty lass. I heard that your stock sold quite well yesterday?¡± Xia Wan glared at him coldly. ¡°So what? I¡¯m selling clothes on my own. What does it have to do with you?¡± The man bared his yellow teeth and looked at Xia Wan lecherously. ¡°I¡¯m the one who protects you while you do business. If you want to sell clothes here, you¡¯ll have to get my protection, so¡­¡± As he said this, Brother Tiger rubbed his fingers together. ¡°You¡¯ll have to give me money so I can protect you. In the future, no one around here will dare to cause trouble for you. But if you don¡¯t pay me, I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen to your stall.¡± As he spoke, Brother Tiger stomped on the ground with a threatening expression. Xia Chen and Xia Feng spontaneously stood in front of Xia Wan to protect her. As an older brother, Xia Chen felt that he had the responsibility to protect his younger sister and younger brother, so he took the initiative to confront Brother Tiger. ¡°This stall doesn¡¯t belong to your family. What right do you have? We¡¯re just doing our business here. It¡¯s hard to make a buck. Don¡¯t think that we¡¯re easy to bully. We¡¯re not afraid of you!¡± Speaking of which, Xia Chen was considered an expert fighter in the village. He was tall and worked all year round. Often, three boys in the village could barely fight him. But now, this Brother Tiger had a group of people with him. Xia Chen counted that there should be more than ten people. He might be able to stop three people by himself, and his brother Xia Feng could stop two, but he was no match for them. Xia Chen was also a little nervous, but his backbone made it impossible for him to back down. If he backed down today, his sister¡¯s mess would be ruined, so he could not back down. When facing Xia Chen, Brother Tiger didn¡¯t hesitate. He immediately aimed a kick at Xia Chen¡¯s chest and said, ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you be so arrogant in front of me?!¡± Xia Chen wanted to dodge, but the kick was so fast that even if he dodged it immediately, he would be injured. Just as Xia Chen was about to minimize his injury, brother Hu suddenly cried out in pain and curled his leg up. ¡°Who¡­ who¡¯s behind this!¡± Brother Tiger looked around. Just now, he clearly felt that his leg was attacked by something, causing him to lose his strength instantly and even feel a twitching pain. Xia Wan pulled Xia Chen behind her. ¡°Brother, you can wait at the side. I can handle him.¡± Xia Chen¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°No, my brother is here. How can I let you deal with him?¡± Xia Wan looked at Xia Chen helplessly and said, ¡°Brother, he¡¯s not an ordinary person. He¡¯s an ex-convict. He is very hostile, and he will kill you. He knows which part of the human body can be seriously injured. If you fight with him, even if you can hurt him, he¡¯ll be fine after two days of rest, but you might be disabled for the rest of your life.¡± When Xia Wan said this, she did not lower her voice on purpose, so Brother Tiger also heard it. The way he looked at Xia Wan also changed slightly, and there was a bit of appreciation in his eyes. ¡°Oh, you know your stuff. Little girl, I didn¡¯t expect you to know so much at such a young age. Why? Have you been to prison yourself?¡± The corners of Xia Wan¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. ¡°The prison is such a good place. Only trash like you deserve to stay there. I¡¯m suitable to send you back there.¡± Brother Tiger moved his legs and only stood up when he was sure his legs were fine. Since Brother Tiger was taller than Xia Wan, he looked like he was a cut above the rest. He looked down at Xia Wan, his eyes burning down on her. ¡°So you were the one who did it, right?¡± Xia Wan put on an innocent look. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Did I touch you? There are so many people here. So don¡¯t you dare slander. ¡°You¡¯re the boss of a group of brothers. Not only did you try to kick someone, but you also twitched in pain. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t have the face to stay here. I¡¯d have long lost face and left. When she said this, Xia Wan stared down at Brother Tiger rudely and arrogantly.. Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: I’ve Killed Before Chapter 111: I¡¯ve Killed Before Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation This ashamed Brother Tiger, especially when he had a group of brothers behind him. In the past, when he went around finding trouble, it was the others who flattered him in fear of retribution. But today, he had met a tough one. He had thought that the stall owners were just three children, and one of them was a girl. He thought that he only needed to come over and threaten them a little to make them pay the protection fee obediently, but he didn¡¯t expect the three children to be so tough. The toughest one was the little girl. Brother Tiger had seen a lot of things, so he could tell at a glance that Xia Wan was the leader of the trio. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t want to live today. To tell you the truth, I also have human lives in my hands. Even if I stab you to death today, you can¡¯t do anything. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson. You need someone to protect you. If you don¡¯t have anyone, then you can only let me bully you.¡± As he spoke, Brother Tiger waved his hand, signaling his brothers to start fighting. The brothers behind him also started shouting. ¡°Brother Tiger, you should¡¯ve let us take action earlier. These three brats actually dared to disrespect you. Today, we¡¯ll let them gain some knowledge and understand who they can¡¯t offend.¡± ¡°Brother Tiger, they are just three little brats. You don¡¯t have to do it yourself. This wretched girl is even worse. She didn¡¯t give you any face. In a while, we¡¯ll tie her up and send her directly to your bed. When that happens, let¡¯s see if she still dares to be so arrogant.¡± Xia Feng clenched his fists when he heard the insults directed at Xia Wan. He was the youngest of the three, but he was serious about protecting his sister. Now that he heard these people humiliating his sister, he wanted to slap them in the face so hard that they would shut up and not dare to humiliate his sister again, even though he knew he was weak. ¡°I¡¯ll fight it out with you guys!¡± Xia Feng shouted and was about to rush toward these people. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes narrowed. She single-handedly turned Xia Feng behind her and said to Xia Chen, ¡°Brother, look after him.¡± Xia Feng was thrown to the back. He was still in a daze. Since when did his sister have such great strength? Xia Wan moved her wrist and waved a finger at Brother Tiger and the others. come at me together. Don¡¯t blame me for not giving you a chance. Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s arrogance, Brother Tiger and the others were also angry. They had wanted to leave them some face, but now it seemed that they could kill her directly. Brother Tiger and his underlings rushed towards the three. Because Xia Wan was standing in front, she managed to block most of the attack. Each of their attacks was vicious and aimed at the weakest parts of Xia Wan¡¯s body. However, she easily dodged all of their attacks, and those who had attacked her suddenly felt numb in their arms and legs. When they tried to attack her again, their movements slowed down. For a moment, she was tied with these people. They couldn¡¯t hurt her, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to attack them. Even if she knew the weakness of the human body, she would run out of strength sooner or later if they continued to fight like this. Just as she was about to make it spicy, she saw Brother Tiger kick Xia Chen¡¯s waist when she was not paying attention. ¡°Brother!!!¡± Xia Wan screamed, but it was too late. Brother Tiger kicked Xia Chen¡¯s waist hard. He fell to the ground and frowned. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes turned cold. She grabbed the stick from one of Brother Tiger¡¯s men and was about to hit his temple with it. Brother Tiger¡¯s eyes widened, and he dodged the stick with all his might. The stick avoided his temple and hit his shoulder heavily. Brother Tiger¡¯s body curled up in pain, but Xia Wan did not intend to let him go. She hit him with the stick again and again and again; her sheer viciousness and ruthlessness stunning his underlings.. Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: You Dare Touch My Brother? Chapter 112: You Dare Touch My Brother? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°What are you all doing? Hurry up and stop her!¡± Brother Tiger was aching all over his body. Even when he was fighting with others, he had never felt so much pain. He was now sure that the person who had hurt him before was this little girl. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were now filled with madness. The others were all holding wooden sticks in their hands, ready to swing them at her. Seeing this, Xia Feng shouted, ¡°Sister, dodge!¡± At this time, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t care so much. She knew that she should avoid it, but when she thought about the attack Xia Chen had just taken, Xia Wan wanted Brother Tiger to pay a hundred times the price. Just as Xia Wan was about to take the wooden sticks and beat Brother Tiger up, a figure suddenly ran over quickly and kicked them to the ground. The figure was so fast that even Xia Feng, who was beside him, could not see it clearly. Xia Wan was jolted awake by the sudden change. She turned around and saw a familiar figure standing in front of her. It was Chen MO, the man who had given her the present. After seeing Chen MO, Xia Wan became even calmer. ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡± she asked in surprise. Chen MO looked at the wounds on Xia Wan¡¯s body. Even though Xia Wan had been trying her best to avoid the attacks, she had still suffered quite a few punches. Her initially beautiful face was now a little soiled. ¡°If I didn¡¯t come, were you planning to fight against so many people yourself? Aren¡¯t you a little stupid? You know you can¡¯t beat them, so why do you still want to fight them? Just bear with it and find help.¡± Chen Mo¡¯s tone was very gentle when he said this, and his eyes were filled with love as he looked at Xia Wan. Only God knew how crazy he was when he saw that Xia Wan was about to be beaten up by these people. This was the girl he wanted to take care of. How dare these people attack her! He didn¡¯t even want to say a single harsh word to these people, but they treated him so rudely. Xia Wan¡¯s usually strong heart softened for a moment after hearing Chen Mots gentle question. This scene was so familiar. It was just like in her previous life when she was accidentally involved in a gang fight. At that dangerous moment, it was Chen MO who stepped forward to save her. At that time, they were still strangers, and Chen MO did not know her. However, Xia Wan remembered his casual gesture, and that memory would last for the rest of her life. Hence, when Chen MO had a heart problem and no one in the world dared to treat him, she was the one who stepped forward and risked her life for more than ten hours. Only then did she manage to save him from the King of Hell¡¯s Palace. However, when Chen MO woke up, all the credit went to someone else. He was completely oblivious to all the hard work she had done. However, she did not blame Chen Mo. Without him, she would have been dead. Initially, Xia Wan thought that she would not have much interaction with Chen MO in this life. However, she did not expect to meet him just by going up the mountain to pick herbs. At that moment, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she and Chen MO were fated to meet each other, where they would still meet each other in their second life. However, Xia Wan did not have the confidence to do so. She had many enemies to deal with, and so did Chen Mo. She did not want to be a burden to him, nor did she want to have any more interactions with him. She had mixed feelings. On the one hand, Chen MO had saved her many times in her previous life. She was grateful and in love with him, hoping he would be the one who could hold her hands for the rest of her life. However, she was well aware of the difference between them. She felt that Chen MO had never loved her. But later on, Xia Bing snatched the credit from her. If Chen MO knew that she was the one who saved him, would he choose to be with her? Xia Wan did not understand all of this. What was even more ridiculous was that she did not even have the chance to ask Chen MO about this in person. When she and Chen MO interacted in their previous lives, it was as if they both knew of each other¡¯s existence, but they had never worked together. However, what Chen MO did not know was that other than the time he had his heart surgery, there was another time when they both went underground. At that time, she had been on his side. She was wearing a mask, but after listening to a few words from him, she was convinced that the person was Chen Mo.. Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Becoming Stronger Chapter 113: Becoming Stronger Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Her experience with Chen MO might not seem like much, but if one thought about it carefully, they had a lot. Seeing that she did not say anything, Chen MO asked again, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Xia Wan shook her head. it¡¯s nothing. I just couldn¡¯t help it when I saw that my brother was injured. She quickly went to Xia Chen¡¯s side and checked his injury. After confirming that he was not really hurt and only needed to rest in bed for two days, Xia Wan was relieved. Even though Xia Chen was injured, he had seen his sister¡¯s ruthlessness. He was afraid that his sister would fight these people again. Xia Chen tried to force a smile and said, ¡°Little sister, don¡¯t be afraid. I am fine. It¡¯s I who is too weak. I can¡¯t even protect my own little sister and even drag her down. ¡°Little sister, don¡¯t worry. I will train well in the future. I will protect you well in the future.¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but break into tears when she saw that Xia Chen was still trying to comfort her even though he was injured. Even when so many people surrounded her, she didn¡¯t feel like crying, but now, her brother¡¯s attitude made her unable to hold it in. She remembered that in her previous life, her brother had already had cancer and was in so much pain every day. However, every time she appeared in front of him, he would try his best to smile brightly. The more Xia Wan thought about it, the sadder she felt. Seeing her cry so sadly, Xia Chen felt a little uneasy. ¡°Little sister, what¡¯s wrong? Chen MO was also a little flustered. This was the first time he had seen Xia Wan cry so sadly. Xia Feng was even more helpless. He wanted to comfort his sister, but he didn¡¯t even know what to say. He secretly made up his mind that he would become stronger in the future and protect his brother and sister. Xia Wan wiped her tears and said to Xia Chen, ¡°It¡¯s okay, brother. I just feel that it¡¯s all my fault that you¡¯re injured. Brother, I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Only then did she realize that she had been so focused on making money that she had neglected to train herself. Otherwise, she would not have been able to match these people. Xia Wan realized that she had to work out more and, at the same time, train Xia Chen and Xia Feng. She wouldn¡¯t be by Xia Chen and Xia Feng¡¯s side forever, so they needed to have the ability to protect themselves. At that moment, Xu ye ran over in a hurry and said, ¡°Chen MO, why are you running so fast? I still have something to tell you.¡± Xu Ye was dumbfounded when he saw the wolves on the ground. ¡°What, what¡¯s going on?¡± At that moment, Xia Wan had already regained her composure. She said to Xu Ye, ¡°I set up a stall here yesterday, and these people came to collect protection fees today. I didn¡¯t pay them, so they wanted to take action. That¡¯s how it ended.¡± Xu Ye looked at Xia Wan, then at Chen Mo. His eyes instantly showed an expression that said, ¡°I understand. He thought to himself, ¡®No wonder Chen MO suddenly rushed over here like a madman.¡¯ Initially, he had heard that Xia Wan was selling clothes here, so he had only managed to find out the approximate location. Chen MO had then rushed out like a rabbit. He was fatter than Chen MO, and his outburst was not as strong. Naturally, he could not catch up to Chen Mo. Looking at the people who were wailing on the ground, Xu ye winked and praised, ¡°It seems like your skills haven¡¯t deteriorated. You can fight so many people.¡± Chen MO did not take the credit. Instead, he said, ¡°Before I came, Xia Wan had already held on for a long time. If she had not exhausted these people, I would not have been able to defeat her so easily.¡± As he was speaking, Chen MO said to Xu Ye, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Call the police. They¡¯re so arrogant because there must be someone from the police station protecting them. Follow them and find out who¡¯s protecting them. Collect all the crimes they¡¯ve committed before. I want them to spend the rest of their lives in prison.¡± Chen Mo¡¯s eyes were filled with coldness as he spoke. He wasn¡¯t about to let anyone who had hurt Xia Wan off. Xia Wan was a person who paid attention to details, so she also noticed the change in Chen Mo¡¯s emotions. She knew that Chen MO was feeling this way because of her. This made Xia Wan lower her head slightly, not knowing how to face Chen MO in this state.. Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Sent to the Police Station Chapter 114: Sent to the Police Station Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xu Ye laughed, but there was a hint of cruelty in his smile. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m handling this. Don¡¯t worry. None of these people will be able to escape.¡± Then, he made a phone call. Soon, a man in a police uniform arrived. The leader of the group was a man in his thirties. He had strong facial features and looked like a serious person. When he saw Xu Ye, the police officer greeted him. ¡°Young master Xu.¡± Xu Ye¡¯s carefree attitude in front of Chen MO changed. He nodded and used his eyes to signal him. ¡°I believe you know about these people¡¯s situation. They must have done a lot of bullying over the years. What¡¯s the matter? Is it because your police can¡¯t handle them?¡± After Officer Song, the leader of the group, heard Xu Ye¡¯s words, he looked a little embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t arrested him before, but his family is rich and has connections. We¡¯ve managed to pull strings using money, so he was released after a few days. He committed big crimes before, but his family has connections, so they spent money to find a scapegoat. At first, brother Tiger was still in pain. Even when Chen MO told Xu Ye to call the police, he did not feel afraid. Since he dared to do such unscrupulous things, he naturally had his own trump card. However, he did not expect Officer Song to tell Xu Ye about his past. This made brother Tiger realize that something was wrong. These two young men who came out of nowhere seemed to have a powerful background. He endured the pain in his body as he sized up Xu Ye and Chen Mo. He knew what was good for them. He quickly realized that the clothes they wore were custom-made. These clothes were very high-end and could not be bought in the market. Brother Tiger immediately realized that he might be defeated by these two people today. He immediately changed his attitude and begged for mercy from the two, ¡°Brothers, which gang do you hang out in? It was my fault today for not Imowing this girl was your friend. If I had known that she had this layer of relationship with you, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have found trouble with her.¡± ¡°We can be considered acquaintances after the fight today. Since we are all in the underworld, we may have some contact in the future, and we can take care of each other. I also have a lot of connections. Brothers, if you need them, feel free to use them.¡± After brother Tiger finished speaking, he smiled at Officer Song. ¡°I Imow that your salaries are low right now. If you continue to work like this, I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult for you to buy a house. When the time comes, I will ask my family to send you more money. It¡¯s no big deal, right? Everything is always up for discussion.¡± At the same time, brother Tiger also looked at Xia Wan. ¡°Young lady, you¡¯re pretty and must be very kind. You don¡¯t want this misunderstanding to blow up, do you? let¡¯s settle this matter privately if we can. What do you think?¡± Xia Wan looked at him coldly. ¡°You hurt my brother just now, and now you want my forgiveness? Do you think we¡¯re that easy to bully? ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t think you can bribe us with money. We can make money on our own. We¡¯re not done with you beating up my brother!¡± Brother Tiger could tell that this woman was not to be trifled with. It was impossible to reconcile with her. After seeing no hope, brother Tiger stopped pretending and glared at everyone present. ¡°If you have the ability, then let me stay in prison forever. Otherwise, when I come out, I won¡¯t let a single one of you off.¡± Officer Song glared at him, then said to the people behind him, ¡°Capture them and take them away.¡± Brother Tiger and his men were all handcuffed. They were still glaring at Xia Wan and her men when they left. After these people had left, Chen MO said to Xia Wan, ¡°Is your brother¡¯s injury serious? Do you want me to send him to the hospital? Our car is nearby.¡± Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll buy some medicine for my brother¡¯s injury later. There¡¯s no need to go to the hospital for a check-up.¡± Xia Chen¡¯s illness was not that serious, so he only needed to disinfect it.. Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Chen Mo Takes The Initiative Chapter 115: Chen Mo Takes The Initiative Since she had said so, Chen MO did not say anything more. Xia Wan then remembered something and asked, ¡°Why are you guys here all of a sudden?¡± Chen MO didn¡¯t know how to respond to Xia Wan¡¯s words, and he revealed a rare hint of shyness on his face. It was still Xu Ye who said, ¡°There¡¯s no special reason. He heard that you were selling clothes here, so he was afraid that you would be wronged, so he came over in a hurry. He didn¡¯t expect to see this scene, which gave him a chance to be the hero saving the damsel in distress. He¡¯s probably secretly happy now.¡± Chen MO glared at Xu Ye. ¡°Why are you everywhere? Are you the only one who talks a lot?¡± Xu Ye covered his mouth and snickered. I¡¯m just telling you what you really think. You said that you have someone in your heart, so what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? If you don¡¯t seize the opportunity to pursue a good girl like Xia Wan, there will be many others who will.¡± Xu Ye spoke in a carefree manner. Even though Xia Wan was standing beside him, he did not hold back his words. He did not think it was a big deal, but Chen MO and Xia Wan felt embarrassed. Xia Wan looked a little shy as she said to Xu Ye, ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. Chen MO and I are just ordinary friends. However, I still have to thank you for today. I must treat you to a meal.¡± Chen MO had been nervous and shy at first, but after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s clarification, he was in a bad mood. What did she mean by ¡®just friends?¡¯ Did Xia Wan only see him as a normal friend? With this thought in mind, Chen MO could no longer smile. Xu Ye knew his brother very well. When he saw his expression, he knew that he was hurt. He sighed with emotion. In the past, when Chen MO had brought him out to fight, he had been extremely ruthless. Many people were not his match. In the business world, he would not show mercy to his enemies. Basically, no one was his match. However, now, Chen MO was nervous and shy in front of Xia Wan. He would also feel disappointed and upset because of some of Xia Wan¡¯s words. In the past, no girl could affect his mood! Since Xu Ye could sense the change in Chen Mots mood, Xia Wan naturally could as well. In terms of surprise and shock, it was no lesser than Xu Ye. In her previous life, Chen MO was already in his twenties when she first met him. It was many years later than now. At that time, she had already learned medical skills, and Chen MO had already become an influential figure. Compared to Chen MO, he looked even colder back then. It was as if nothing could get close to his heart. He had heard that many women had tried to climb into Chen Mo¡¯s bed, but they had all been thrown out mercilessly. Since then, no one had dared to seduce him. However, more and more people were secretly in love with him. Everyone felt that a man like Chen MO would be the safest. He would not be seduced by other women. In her previous life, Xia Wan had never seen such an expression on Chen Mu¡¯s face. He would feel shy and disappointed because of her words. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we set up a stall first, and you guys go ahead with your work? We can arrange a place to eat at noon¡­¡± Xia Wan suggested. She felt that the situation in front of her was too awkward, and she had to work hard to break the situation. Xu Ye was about to say that they had something to do later when Chen MO said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I know a place. Let¡¯s eat there. When are you guys packing up? I¡¯ll come and pick you up.¡± Xu Ye¡¯s eyes immediately widened, and he stared at Chen MO with a strange look. Who said that Chen MO did not know how to pick up girls? Wasn¡¯t his ability to lie through his teeth amazing? Since when were they so free to have a meal together? But¡­ In any case, this was the first girl his good brother had taken a fancy to. Xu Ye felt that he could put everything else aside. The question stumped Xia Wan. The problem was when they would close their store. They would usually close their store after the clothes were sold out. If it was the three of them, they could close their store any time they wanted. However, with the addition of Xu Ye and Chen MO, it would not be nice to let the two of them wait. Before Xia Wan could say anything, Chen MO looked at Xia Chen, who had been helped up, and said to Xia Wan, ¡°Take your brother to get treated. Xu Ye and I will help you set up your stall. We know how to set it up.. Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Visiting Zhou Tian Pharmacy Chapter 116: Visiting Zhou Tian Pharmacy Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xu Ye, who was at the side, widened his eyes. What? Asking him to help set up the stall. How could he? Chen MO was afraid that Xia Feng would see their clumsy movements if he stayed, so he said, ¡°You should go too.¡± Xia Feng nodded and put Xia Chen on his shoulder. Then, he followed Xia Wan to the pharmacy where Zhou Tian was. Zhou Tian was overjoyed when he saw Xia Wan. He was about to say something when he realized something was wrong. His expression turned serious, and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Xia Wan consoled Zhou Tian, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, uncle Zhou. We just ran into some troublemakers at our stall, but they¡¯ve been taken to the police station. I need some cotton balls, alcohol, and other things. Can you help me get them, Uncle Zhou?¡± Zhou Tian nodded and immediately helped Xia Wan to bring the things over. Xia Wan did not hold back and lifted Xia Chen¡¯s back in front of Zhou Tian, immediately revealing his bruised back. When Zhou Tian saw this, he gasped. ¡°Who did this? How brutal.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s hands didn¡¯t stop moving. As she helped Xia Chen apply some ointment, she massaged his acupoints to ease his condition. At the same time, she didn¡¯t forget to answer Zhou Tian, ¡°A guy called Brother Tiger. He brought a group of people here to collect protection fees. Uncle Zhou, do you know about this person¡¯s situation?¡± At the mention of Brother Tiger, Zhou Tian¡¯s expression changed again, and a hint of fear appeared on his face. how could it be him? ¡°He¡¯s a ruthless fellow. His family is quite well-off, and I heard that he has some connections in the police station. If you provoke him, you¡¯ll be in big trouble. Wanwan, how did you manage to get away with it?¡± After Zhou Tian found out that it was Brother Tiger who had beaten Xia Chen up, he no longer thought that Xia Chen¡¯s injury was serious. He even thought that those were light injuries. According to Brother Tiger¡¯s previous style, if he went to collect protection money and the other party was unwilling to pay, he would turn extremely cruel. It was common for his victims to be hospitalized for half a month.¡± On top of that, Xia Wan was very pretty. Zhou Tian quickly asked, ¡°Wanwan, you didn¡¯t suffer any losses, did you?¡± Xia Wan could tell that Zhou Tian was genuinely concerned about them. She smiled and comforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Zhou. Did you forget? I told you just now that he¡¯s already been sent to prison. Of course, we were unwilling to pay the protection fees, so both parties started fighting. During that time, my brother was injured, and two friends happened to help him. They have some connections in the police station, so Brother Tiger will get the punishment he deserves.¡± Zhou Tian was relieved when he heard Xia Wan¡¯s words. that¡¯s good. ¡°Uncle Zhou can rest easy now. He was planning to change our stall¡¯s location if we couldn¡¯t win the fight. I didn¡¯t expect Wanwan to be so lucky to have such a powerful friend.¡± Zhou Tian complimented her. He also thought that Xia Wan had very good medical skills and that it was normal for her to make powerful friends. He had a feeling that as Xia Wan grew up, the people she would meet would become more powerful. Xia Wan quickly applied the medicine for Xia Chen and said, ¡°Brother, you can rest in Uncle Zhou¡¯s store today. Help him look after the store too. Leave the clothes sale to us. The most important thing for you now is to get well.¡± Xia Chen wanted to say that his injury was not serious and he could go with them, but when he saw Xia Wan¡¯s serious face, he immediately swallowed his words. Zhou Tian chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s great. I don¡¯t have much to do anyway. With Xia Chen by my side, we can chat as we go along.¡± Xia Wan nodded and asked Zhou Tian, ¡°Uncle Zhou, how has sister Xiaorou been recently? Did you find any evidence?¡± At the mention of Zhou Xiaorou, Zhou Tian¡¯s expression turned grave. ¡°Wanwan, I thought I should tell you about this too, but I haven¡¯t had the time recently. Now that you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll just tell you.¡± ¡°Router¡¯s health has improved a lot these days. I¡¯ve also secretly watched the surveillance cameras at home in the store. I found that Luo Xing is very polite to Rou on the surface, but she¡¯s always pulling a long face behind her back. It seems that serving Rou is something she¡¯s very unwilling to do. And she and Li Yan¡­¡± Zhou Tian paused for a moment as if he was too embarrassed to mention it. Xia Wan took over his words and said, ¡°She and Li Yan appeared a little too close. Did someone cross the line?¡± Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s expression, Zhou Tian knew that Xia Wan had guessed everything.. Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Zhou Tian l s Self-Deception Chapter 117: Zhou Tian l s Self-Deception Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhou Tian sighed deeply. ¡°Yes, she was very close to Li Yan and even kissed him. I never knew that she would do such an immoral thing. I hired her to take care of Rou. Not only did she not know how to be grateful, she even took advantage of Rou¡¯s weak body to seduce Li Yan.¡± After hearing Zhou Tian¡¯s words, Xia Wan added, ¡°We don¡¯t know who seduced who. Uncle Zhou, it¡¯s a little too early to say.¡± Zhou Tian was slightly stunned. ¡°Wanwan, you¡­ What do you mean?¡± Xia Wan looked straight at him and said, ¡°Uncle Zhou, you might think that Li Yan was very good to sis Xiaorou before their marriage, so even if you see Li Yan and Luo Xing acting intimate now, you¡¯ll still think that Luo Xing seduced Li Yan first and that¡¯s why he betrayed sis Xiaorou. ¡°In your heart, you still don¡¯t want to believe that Li Yan betrayed her. Li Yan is unloyal. Xiaorou¡¯s eyes are wrong, right?¡± Zhou Tian¡¯s thoughts were seen through by Xia Wan. He sighed heavily again. ¡°This son-in-law of mine used to be very humble when he came to my shop. He would help me tidy up the shop and fight to do the housework at home. I always felt that Rou was lucky to be able to marry him. But now¡­ Seeing him do this, my heart ached, and I didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°If you didn¡¯t say it out loud, I would still be lying to myself. I would rather Luo Xing was the only one with such bad intentions, and Li Yan was just seduced. That way, Rou¡¯s family could still be saved.¡± Xia Wan actually understood Zhou Tian¡¯s thoughts. If this matter had nothing to do with Li Yan, then sis Xiaorou and Li Yan¡¯s marriage could still be preserved. In this era, if a girl were divorced and had a child, it would be difficult for her to find a good partner. Perhaps they could get married, but the other party might also be a divorcee with a child. Compared to that situation, Zhou Tian definitely hoped that sis Xiaorou could be with Li Yan. Xia Wan chose to break Li Yan¡¯s fantasy and said to him, ¡°Uncle Zhou, if Li Yan and Luo Xing are really in cahoots, then it¡¯s very likely that they planned to harm sis Xiaorou together. I think you should work harder to observe or take the initiative to reveal a flaw so that they have a chance to attack. This way, they will be exposed, and you will be able to see if sis Xiaorou¡¯s murder has anything to do with Li Yan. ¡°If it was just a momentary mistake, then Li Yan might still be forgiven. But if he intended to hurt sister Xiaorou, then keeping a person like Li Yan by her side is like keeping a poisonous snake.¡± Zhou Tian was stunned for a moment, and he had a conflicted expression on his face. Li Yan, did he also participate in the incident that harmed Xiao Rou? ¡°But why? Rou¡¯er¡¯s been so good to him, and so have I. He and Rou have a daughter. If something happens to Rou, what will happen to Xin Xin?¡± Xia Wan had read many stories about scumbags in her previous life. When she heard Zhou Tian¡¯s question, she asked directly, ¡°Uncle Zhou, how¡¯s Li Yan¡¯s family background ¡°What does this have to do with Li Yan¡¯s family background?¡± Zhou Tian was stunned and asked instinctively. Xia Wan explained patiently, ¡°I¡¯m guessing that Li Yan¡¯s family is ordinary, or even poor, but he is a very ambitious person. Am I right?¡± Zhou Tian nodded. ¡°Yes, all correct.¡± Xia Wan continued, ¡°Uncle Zhou, this type of guy usually has very strong self-esteem. He urgently needs a girl with a status like sister Xiaorou to be his wife. On one hand, he has face, but on the other, he can use you as leverage. I wonder if you took care of Li Yan¡¯s job?¡± If Zhou Tian did not believe that Li Yan had harmed Xiaorou before, his face turned cold after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s analysis. How could there be no relationship? Li Yan¡¯s leader was his old classmate, and had been in contact with him for years. They often got together to play chess. His old classmate had told him that Li Yan¡¯s name would be on the list of people who would be promoted next. Naturally, he knew that his old classmate was giving him face by taking extra care of Li Yan.. Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: He Likes His Sister Chapter 118: He Likes His Sister Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing Zhou Tian¡¯s expression, Xia Wan knew that she had guessed right. After all, this was more in line with the actual situation. If Li Yan and Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s family backgrounds were equal, and Li Yan himself was very outstanding, he wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm her even if he didn¡¯t love her¡­ unless Li Yan no longer loved Zhou Xiaorou, but he still needed help through his marriage with her. For example, he could get help from her father, Zhou Tian. If she didn¡¯t discover Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s poisoning, she would have continued to be harmed. Furthermore, the symptoms on her body were very weak and could not be detected by the current level of medical treatment. And when Zhou Xiaorou was sick, Li Yan took good care of her. Thus, Zhou Tian naturally felt that Li Yan treated Zhou Xiaorou very well. Even if Li Yan married someone else in the future, Zhou Tian would feel that it was only right. He would even provide him with a lot of help in his work. In this era, becoming a doctor was a very respected profession and had a high social status. Zhou Tian¡¯s family sold medicinal herbs and had a lot of connections in this area, and all these would be of great help to elevate Li Yan¡¯s status. Zhou Tian understood what Xia Wan meant. He looked much older and did not speak immediately. After a long while, he sighed and said to Xia Wan, ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated human nature. Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± Xia Wan knew that Zhou Tian still needed some time to digest this information, so she did not disturb him any longer. After leaving Xia Chen there, she went to prepare for the opening of the stall. Xia Feng followed behind Xia Wan, looking like he wanted to say something but was hesitant. Xia Wan looked at him. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. It¡¯s not a good habit to keep it in.¡± Only then did Xia Feng speak up. ¡°Sis, why are Chen MO and Xu Ye helping us so much? Is it because you¡¯ve helped them before? I keep feeling that Chen Mo¡¯s eyes are burning when he looks at you. Sis, does he like you?¡± Xia Wan was a little speechless by Xia Feng¡¯s words, and she couldn¡¯t help flicking Xia Feng¡¯s forehead. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re so young, and you¡¯re already so concerned about the relationship between a man and a woman? Didn¡¯t you hear what Chen MO said? He¡¯s only helping me because I saved his life. ¡°Besides, look at what they¡¯re wearing. They¡¯re both rich. Rich people¡¯s lives are worth a lot. They¡¯re just helping us to send those people to the police station. It¡¯s not like they¡¯ve done anything big. Don¡¯t think too much.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan turned her eyes away, and she sped up. She seemed to be saying these words to Xia Feng, but she was also saying them to herself. ¡°Xia Wan, don¡¯t think too much. Chen MO has never said that he likes you.¡± When the two of them arrived at the stall, they found that it was all set up. All the clothes were matched, which made Xia Wan¡¯s eyes light up. She looked at the two of them. ¡°Did you set this up?¡± Chen MO nodded in a reserved manner, but Xu Ye did not hold back at all. He said to Xia Wan, ¡°I¡¯m the one who thought of how to match these clothes. I don¡¯t have any special merits, but I know a lot about women¡¯s preferences. I only need to look at these clothes, and I know how to match them best!¡± Seeing how smug he was, Chen MO added coldly, ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, you¡¯ve had enough girlfriends since you were a child to form a line on the street. No one knows more about girls than you.¡± Xu Ye scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Look at you. It¡¯s inappropriate to say such things.¡± Xia Wan smiled and said, ¡°That means Xu Ye is charming. Normal people can¡¯t find so many girlfriends.¡± Xu Ye laughed even more heartily. ¡°Sister Xia Wan, you¡¯re so sweet. I see that we hit it off. How about this? Don¡¯t call me Xu Ye in the future. Just call me brother Xu. ¡°Hello, brother Xu,¡± Xia Wan replied obediently. Xu Ye¡¯s smile became even more brilliant. He wished he could just take out a gift for Xia Wan. Look at this girl. She was pretty, obedient, and knew how to talk. How likable. Chen MO looked at Xu Ye and Xia Wan¡¯s passionate conversation and wanted to say something. He did not want Xu Ye to continue the conversation with Xia Wan, so he asked, ¡°Can you two handle it? Do you need me to help you find someone to help you?¡± If he could, he would like to help her directly, but he had other things to do. He really couldn¡¯t stay here to sell clothes with Xia Wan. Xia Wan smiled. ¡°No need. The two of us are enough.. Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Zhao Jin’s Goodwill Chapter 119: Zhao Jin¡¯s Goodwill Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing this, Xu Ye and Chen MO did not say anything more. They bade farewell to Xia Wan and promised that they would look for her after they were done with their work. Not long after, customers came to buy clothes. They were three young girls, and they were happy to see the clothes Xia Wan had displayed. They couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it when Xiaoli showed it to me yesterday. I didn¡¯t expect the clothes here to look so good. Boss, how much for these?¡± Xia Wan introduced the prices to them enthusiastically and told them that the clothes they bought could be used to accumulate points, which could be used to exchange for gifts. The three picked out some clothes and were very interested in Xia Wan¡¯s so-called points and gifts. ¡°Boss, you said you¡¯ll give us gifts with points. What will you give us? Can I take a look?¡± one of them asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t bought anything yet. I¡¯m planning to buy some accessories that go with my clothes, such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, scarves, and so on. Of course, I¡¯ll also take into account that some people prefer practical things, so I¡¯ll also buy some cups.¡± The three of them nodded. ¡°We look forward to your gifts.¡± After the three of them, a few more waves of customers came. They were basically recommended by the customers who had come to buy clothes yesterday. They mainly wanted to help recommend Xia Wan and help with the points. They were busy until noon. Xia Wan and Xia Feng were both covered in sweat, but they were both satisfied. Perhaps it was because it was time to eat, but not many people came to buy clothes at this time, and the two of them could finally rest for a while. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ve brought you two small stools. Sit down and rest for a while.¡± A voice was heard. Xia Wan looked toward the source of the voice and saw Zhao Jin. Seeing Xia Wan looking at him, Zhao Jin was a little embarrassed. He took the initiative to explain, ¡°It¡¯s not that uncle Zhao doesn¡¯t care about you. It¡¯s just that Brother Tiger is from the underworld. Many of his men have lost their lives. Uncle Zhao¡¯s family also has old and young people. I really can¡¯t control him.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s mood was a little complicated. If she were Zhao Jin, she would not go against Brother Tiger for two strangers knowing how dangerous they were. However, Zhao Jin could have warned them in advance or asked someone else to remind them. Closing the door was akin to admitting that Brother Tiger was bullying them. Xia Wan¡¯s silence made Zhao Jin nervous. He thought Xia Wan would understand him after he explained, but it turned out that she didn¡¯t. He really couldn¡¯t apologize. After all, he was old, and it was not right to apologize to a junior. Xia Wan could see Zhao Jin¡¯s dilemma and knew that Zhao Jin was already doing a good job. She took the initiative and said, ¡°Uncle Zhao, I understand what you¡¯re doing. If I were your family, I wouldn¡¯t want my father to do such a dangerous thing. You¡¯ve said it yourself. Your family has been running a shop here, and Brother Tiger is a local tyrant. If you help me, he¡¯ll find trouble with you in the future, and your shop won¡¯t be able to continue. ¡°I just hope that if something like this happens again in the future, Uncle Zhao, you can tell me in advance so I can be mentally prepared. Of course, that¡¯s on the premise that it doesn¡¯t involve you.¡± Seeing that Xia Wan was so open-minded, Zhao Jin smiled. ¡°Okay, Uncle Zhao will remember this. I will help you keep an eye out.¡± Speaking of this, Zhao Jin looked a little conflicted. Xia Wan saw that he had something to say, so she said directly, ¡°If you has anything to say, just say it directly. If we have anything to say, we can communicate openly. Only by being candid can we avoid misunderstandings. Zhao Jin saw Xia Wan¡¯s attitude and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already received the latest news. Brother Tiger and the others have been taken care of by the police. I heard that the people who have been covering for fim have also been taken care of by the higher-ups. I also heard that the reason Brother Tiger was taken care of was because of the person who sent them in.¡± ¡°Wanwan, I heard that those two are your friends?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°I guess so. We¡¯re just friends.¡± Xia Wan still did not know what Zhao Jin¡¯s motive was for saying these things. Was he hoping to get Chen MO and Xu Ye¡¯s help or something else? Hence, she did not plan to say too much. Even though she was now in a semi-cooperative relationship with Zhao Jin, Xia Wan did not trust him completely after what he had done to avoid her.. Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Xia Ye Brought People Chapter 120: Xia Ye Brought People Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhao Jin saw Xia Wan¡¯s attitude and explained, ¡®You don¡¯t have to think too much. Uncle Zhao just wanted to thank you. There¡¯s someone behind that Brother Tiger, who has been bullying us all these years. To be honest, uncle Zhao has been blackmailed before. It¡¯s just that Brother Tiger and the others went out to mingle around a few years ago. We¡¯ve only had a few peaceful years. I didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d set his sights on you the moment he came back. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you have a powerful friend. I am happy for you. I just feel that it is not right for me to do this. How about this? From now on, my place is yours. You can use it however you want. You can treat my shop as your storeroom. Don¡¯t worry. No matter how much money you make or how good your goods are, I will have no evil thoughts. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to offend Brother Tiger because I have an elderly person and a child to take care of, so I have to take care of himself. However, I am not greedy, nor am I an unloyal person. This is my apology to you. You must not reject it. ¡± Xia Wan could hear the sincerity in Zhao Jin¡¯s tone. He didn¡¯t ask her to introduce him to some powerful friends. After some consideration, Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s call it a day. We¡¯ll still be neighbors in the future and take care of each other.¡± Seeing that Xia Wan had agreed, Zhao Jin immediately smiled. Not only did he leave the stool behind, but he also brought a table for Xia Wan and the others. On the table, there were teapots, teacups, and a kettle of water. ¡°I don¡¯t have much, but I have enough daily necessities. If you need anything, just come and get it.¡± Seeing Zhao Jin¡¯s enthusiasm, Xia Wan also said, Uncle Zhao, let¡¯s settle our accounts. Consider these things my purchases. How much did it cost? I¡¯ll pay you.¡± Zhao Jin waved his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. How about this? I will record the things you take, and you can just calculate it once a month. How about that?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes brightened. She agreed with Zhao Jin¡¯s idea. Otherwise, it would be a little troublesome to pay for everything she bought. After resting for a while, new guests arrived, but Chen MO and Xu Ye did not show up. Xia Wan could not describe the feeling in her heart. She was a little disappointed. ¡°Oh, it seems like your business is doing well. I heard that you have a point system here. Since you¡¯re working for her family, I¡¯m helping you to bring your customers nere. you snould record more points tor us.¡± A rude voice was heard. Xia Wan looked up and saw Xia Ye with her friends. These few friends looked familiar. They were the ones he had met at the restaurant yesterday. Xia Wan smiled. ¡®Why? Did you not get enough of a beating from Auntie yesterday? You still have the strength to come to town today? Your body is not bad, cousin.¡± As soon as Xia Wan finished speaking, Xia Ye glared at her. ¡°Xia Wan, don¡¯t talk nonsense. I¡¯m here to introduce some customers. I saw that it wasn¡¯t easy to make money, so I came to help you. How can you say such things?¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with her and said directly, ¡°I¡¯d be happy if you were serious about introducing customers to me, but did you hear what you just said? What do you mean by more points? ¡°Do you know that we give credits for every yuan you spend? If you only buy clothes that cost 10 yuan and I give you 30 credits, you¡¯ll still be 20 yuan short of the actual points you receive. Let me ask you, where can I get the 20?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking after the shop for them, but their boss isn¡¯t a fool. Are you going to help me make up for the 20 yuan later?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words stunned Xia Ye. Yesterday, she was beaten up by Chen Lian and was not convinced. That was why she sneaked out today to see what Xia Wan was selling. She did not expect to find out that Xia Wan¡¯s business was particularly good after asking around. Even though this was not Xia Wan¡¯s shop, Xia Ye could not help but feel uncomfortable. They were all in high school, so why was Xia Wan able to find a job? Xia Ye was now very suspicious that Xia Wan and the others only made ten yuan a day. Xia Ye raised her chin arrogantly. how would I know? ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve introduced a customer to you. Why don¡¯t you give us a discount?¡± ¡°You want a lower price? I will give you a discount if you buy enough. Let me see. You brought four friends here. How about this? Each of you buy three pieces, that¡¯s 12 pieces total, and I can give you a 10% discount. This is also the rule set by my boss. If you buy ten pieces, you can get a discount..¡± Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Xia Ye Provoked Chapter 121: Xia Ye Provoked Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Provoked, Xia Ye immediately glared back at Xia Wan. ¡°Who, again, has no money to buy clothes? I have more pocket money than you. It¡¯s just that I just bought new clothes yesterday, so I don¡¯t need to buy anynow. Besides, I think your clothes here are just average.¡± Xia Wan nodded and smiled. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m very professional. I do whatever the customers say. So, do you want to buy clothes? If you don¡¯t want to buy it, please go elsewhere and don¡¯t disturb my business.¡± Even if Xia Wan¡¯s tone was very polite, even to the point that it made people feel polite, Xia Ye felt that Xia Wan was looking down on her. The clothes already attracted Xia Ye¡¯s friends. Their eyes were shining, and they looked like they really wanted to try them on. ¡°Xia Wan, how much is this? what¡¯s the lowest price you can offer me?¡± ¡°What does this dress go with? I know that for people like you who sell clothes, the boss will definitely give you the lowest price. No matter what, you¡¯re Xia Ye¡¯s cousin, so just give us the lowest price. We won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡± Xia Ye¡¯s classmates surrounded Xia Wan one by one. Some asked her about the price, and some asked her about the matching of the skateboard. Although Xia Wan hated Xia Ye, it would be a waste if she did not earn from her friends. Hence, Xia Wan resumed her business model. She told them her prices and even helped them choose. At the same time, she did not forget to show them how to wear some cute hair accessories and exquisite silk scarves. ¡°Look, this silk scarf goes here, and it can instantly enhance your fashion sense. Even if it¡¯s the same clothes, it will look very stylish with this silk scarf.¡± ¡°Your dress is very eye-catching, and your skin is already very white. Wearing this will make you look even whiter. With this hat, sunglasses, and this bracelet, you¡¯ll be the most beautiful girl on this street.¡± Even if Xia Ye¡¯s classmates looked down on Xia Wan, they had to admit that what Xia Wan said made sense, especially when they followed her recommendation. They held the clothes in front of the mirror and felt that their entire aura had improved. ¡°Wow, you have good taste. This dress is specially designed for me and it suits me perfectly. After I put it on, the flesh at my waist is not obvious anymore. It also shows my legs so perfectly. I¡¯ll take it for whatever it costs.¡± ¡°Look at me, look at me. I¡¯ve always liked this cool style. This set of clothes is simply perfect for me. You won¡¯t be able to find such suitable clothes at other stalls. I love this shop so much. From now on, I¡¯ll come here every season¡± The girls were showing off the clothes they had chosen. They were having a lively discussion, and Xia Ye, who was standing at the side, was singled out. When Xia Ye made friends, she would usually be a little vain. She would find people with good family backgrounds, so when it came to buying clothes, these friends of hers all had the financial ability. Thus, she felt very unhappy when she saw her friends surrounding Xia Wan and talking and laughing. However, she could not say anything. As Xia Wan sold her clothes, she also secretly observed Xia Ye¡¯s expression, knowing that she had brought these people here to make things difficult for her. Xia Ye probably did not expect that she had such good taste in clothes that even her friends would notice them. When it was time to pay the bill, Xia Ye¡¯s friends actually chose 15 pieces of clothing. In total, they spent 800 yuan. Xia Ye was dumbfounded when she heard the price. Her father only earned about 100 yuan a month, so 800 yuan was equivalent to eight months of her father¡¯s salary. And these friends of hers had easily spent up to 800 Yuan. Xia Ye used to think that when she was with her friends, their spending was quite extravagant. In order to keep up with their spending, Xia Ye would always find all sorts of reasons to ask Chen Lian for money. It was only now, when she was shopping for clothes, that Xia Ye realized how disparate her wealth was compared to her friends. Xia Wan did not care what Xia Ye was thinking. She took out the notebook she had prepared and recorded the names and numbers of Xia Ye¡¯s friends. At the same time, she also recorded the points they had spent.. Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: A Change In Opinion Of Xia Wan Chapter 122: A Change In Opinion Of Xia Wan Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan smiled and said to Xia Ye¡¯s friends, ¡°I¡¯ve already given you a low price, but my boss has his own principles of doing business. Every point recorded on this is a real point you¡¯ve spent. There¡¯s no fraud. ¡°If everyone tells me to write one or two more points, then wouldn¡¯t it be a mess? The boss would no longer trust me. If the boss doesn¡¯t give me this job, I can¡¯t help you match clothes in the future, and I can¡¯t give you a good price. ¡°You¡¯re my cousin¡¯s friends, so you¡¯re my friends as well. You¡¯re welcome to visit our boss¡¯s shop often in the future. Of course, you¡¯re also welcome to Introduce your rnenas to us. Previously, Xia Ye¡¯s friends had a lot of opinions about Xia Wan and looked down on her. However, after Xia Wan¡¯s sales pitch, they realized she had a very strong moral compass when doing buisness. They nodded and praised Xia Wan. ¡°Sure, no problem. We have a lot of friends. Let them all come to your boss¡¯s shop.¡± ¡°Your boss must have good taste to have chosen you as a shop assistant. Even another shop assistant might be unable to match such good clothes for the customers.¡± ¡°Xia Ye said that your family is quite poor. Where did you learn all this from?¡± There were also curious ones who looked at Xia Wan and asked. Obviously, Xia Ye had mentioned Xia Wan in front of them before, but she had described her as someone who was ignorant, had a poor taste, and was a slow learner. However, after interacting with Xia Wan, they realized that she was not nearly as bad as Xia Ye had claimed. On the contrary, she had good taste and spoke well. She did not seem like someone from the village at all. In fact, they even felt that Xia Wan was much better than Xia Ye. Xia Wan smiled. I¡¯m not as smart as my cousin, so I must work harder. When I get the opportunity from my boss, I often go to the market to see what people like to wear and observe what clothes are suitable for people with different figures. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to look at it. Thinking about how to match the clothes in my hands every day is already what I do every day. If I persist like this, everyone¡¯s eyes will become better.¡± When Xia Wan said these words, she seemed very sincere, making everyone feel that she was a very hardworking and persistent person. Xia Ye¡¯s friends also changed their opinion of Xia Wan. Xia Wan, you¡¯re in good spirits. We¡¯ll take our leave first. We¡¯ll come to buy clothes from you next time. After Xia Ye¡¯s friends left Xia Wan¡¯s shop, they started talking to Xia Ye. ¡°Xia Ye, I don¡¯t think your cousin is as bad as you say. Although her clothes are a little old, the words she says when she sells clothes are really nice. I think I¡¯m a princess.¡± ¡°Yeah, and those small accessories look quite ordinary on their own, but when she puts them together, I suddenly feel that they look a lot nobler. ¡°Xia Ye, you¡¯re always with her. Don¡¯t you have good taste? why didn¡¯t you find a job selling clothes? If you were to do it, you definitely wouldn¡¯t be worse than her.¡± Some of her friends noticed the change in Xia Ye¡¯s expression and took the initiative to speak to her, praising her in their words. However, Xia Ye said disdainfully, ¡°So what if she sells more clothes for the shop owner every day? she only earns a little. I don¡¯t want to do such hard work.¡± When the others heard what Xia Ye said, they asked, ¡°How much does she earn every day?¡± Xia Ye¡¯s tone became even more disdainful. ¡°The three of us only earn 10 yuan a day. If I were Xia Wan, I wouldn¡¯t do such a low-paying job. What¡¯s the point of working so hard to sell so many clothes?¡± Zhou Yu was one of Xia Wan¡¯s friends. Her family was in business. After hearing Xia Ye¡¯s words, she looked a little puzzled and said directly, ¡°I don¡¯t think Xia Wan¡¯s salary is that low. Think about it, this store¡¯s business is so good, and Xia Wan is very enthusiastic when serving the customers. The boss will definitely give her a commission. The 10 yuan she told you about should be her basic salary.¡± Zhou Yu¡¯s words left Xia Ye a little confused.. She asked, ¡°What do you mean by the commission and basic salary? Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: A Problem With Xia Wan’s Salary Chapter 123: A Problem With Xia Wan¡¯s Salary Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhou Yu felt that Xia Ye was really useless. She didn¡¯t even know about these things, but she still explained them. ¡°The basic salary is the money you get every day whether you sell the clothes or not. The bonus is the money you get for every piece of clothing you sell. ¡°As you can see, Xia Wan is very good at matching clothes. This means that she put a lot of effort into it. If she only received a fixed salary every day, Xia Wan would definitely not be so enthusiastic, so I guess the boss must have given her a very high bonus.¡± After Xia Ye heard this, she could not stay calm anymore. She originally thought that Xia Wan and the other two were fools. They worked so hard every day and only earned 10 dollars. What could they do? but after hearing Zhou Yu¡¯s analysis, Xia Ye felt that she was a fool. Xia Wan had obviously earned a lot of money and deliberately said less in front of her. ¡°Zhou Yu, since you¡¯re so knowledgeable, how much commission do you think Xia Wan can get based on the rate she¡¯s selling her clothes?¡± When Xia Ye said this, her eyes were filled with admiration for Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu¡¯s vanity was satisfied, and she began to think seriously. ¡°I¡¯ve just observed that the things she sells are a little complicated. Most of the clothes are tens of Yuan each. I guess the boss will give her a one-yuan commission for every 100 yuan she makes. ¡°For example, we spent a total of 800 yuan just now. Xia Wan should be able to get a commission of 8 yuan. However, the commission of 8 yuan is split between the three, so it¡¯s not much. ¡°I¡¯ve taken a look. There are quite a lot of clothes in that shop. I¡¯ve made a rough estimate that Xia Wan and the other two can make about 30 yuan a day.¡± Xia Ye was stunned. According to Zhou Yu, Xia Wan, and the others could earn one yuan from 100 yuan. If Xia Wan could earn 30 yuan for herself, that meant that her total revenue for the day was a whopping 3000 yuan. 30 yuan a day would be 900 yuan a month. Xia Ye could not stay calm anymore. She had to tell Li Jin about this. Why did Xia Ru have to hand over the money she earned from her work while Xia Wan didn¡¯t have to hand over the money she earned? Xia Ye¡¯s face showed some anxiety as she said to the person beside her, ¡°I suddenly remembered that I still have some things to do at home. How about this, you guys continue shopping, and I¡¯ll go home first.¡± Xia Ye hurriedly left everyone behind and rushed home. The moment she reached home, she saw Li Jin sitting at the door and talking to another old lady. Xia Ye quickly went up to Li Jin and said, ¡°Grandma, do you Imow that Xia Wan and the other two girls are selling clothes in the market every day? Their business is very good. My friend told me they can earn 30 yuan a day from selling clothes like this! ¡°But grandma, Xia Wan, and the others earn so much money, but they only keep it for themselves. They¡¯ve never given it to you. They¡¯re too selfish.¡± Li Jin was originally in a good mood because she had bragged to the neighbors for a while. When he heard Xia Ye¡¯s words, his face immediately wrinkled into a dried chrysanthemum. ¡°What did you just say? Xia Wan, that little b*tch, can earn 30 yuan a day? Why isn¡¯t she handing it over?¡± As he spoke, Li Jin stood up and said to Xia Ye angrily, ¡°Where is she now? Wait for me to find her!¡± Xia Ye was very satisfied when she saw how anxious Li Jin was. She could already imagine how Xia Wan would be treated. On the other hand, Xia Wan¡¯s eyelids suddenly twitched while selling clothes. She had a bad feeling. Xia Ye brieflv told Li Tin what Zhou Yu had told her before. She continued, ¡°Grandma, I think we shouldn¡¯t look for Xia Wan now. She will definitely bring money back at night. Let¡¯s just search her body. We will know how much money she has earned. If we go over now, Xia Wan might say that the money belongs to the boss. ¡°If it¡¯s the boss¡¯s money, she can¡¯t possibly bring it home, right?¡± Xia Ye was not usually very smart, but when it came to scheming against Xia Wan, she was exceptionally bright. Li Jin felt that Xia Ye made a lot of sense. If they went to Xia Wan¡¯s place now, Xia Wan could push all the blame on her boss. However, when Xia Wan returned home, everything would be up to her to decide. On the other hand, Xia Ye and Li Jin had already made their plans and were anxiously waiting for Xia Wan and the others to return. Xia Wan had already sold out all her clothes at two in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Chen mo and Xu Ye seemed right on time as they arrived beside her.. Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Chen MO Leaves Chapter 124: Chen MO Leaves Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen MO took the initiative to help Xia Wan clean up her stall. He said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was delayed by some matters and came late.¡± Xia Wan waved her hands. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I should be the one treating you guys. Besides, our clothes have just been sold out. It¡¯s just right. It¡¯s not too late.¡± Xu Ye could not help but shudder when he saw the two of them talking. He realized that Chen MO was a completely different person when he was with Xia Wan. In the past, Chen MO would never apologize to anyone. Even if the other party had to wait for a long time, he would not have felt anything. However, the two of them had not even agreed on a time to meet. Chen MO was only a little late, but he had already apologized so anxiously. Xu Ye could feel that he really cared about Xia Wan. After cleaning up the stall, Xia Wan put the things with Zhao Jin. Since they had reached a settlement, she naturally enjoyed his special treatment. At the same time, they also brought Xia Chen to have dinner together. Xu ye was the one who chose the place to eat. He chose a quiet restaurant with specialty dishes. Xia Chen and Xia Feng had never eaten these dishes before, so when they saw the menu, they were a little nervous. Xia Wan had been observing the emotions of her brothers. Seeing that they were a little nervous, she said, ¡°These dishes taste very good. You two don¡¯t have food restrictions, so you can order whatever you want.¡± With Xia Wan¡¯s words, Xia Chen and Xia Feng each ordered a dish, but they chose the cheapest one. Xu Ye could tell that he was a frequent customer, so he immediately ordered two main dishes. Chen MO passed the menu to Xia Wan. He did not order anything and gave her the right to order. When Xu Ye saw the two of them doing this, he felt sick to his stomach, and his body trembled again. He sighed in his heart. So, it turned out Chen MO could be so gentle and considerate. When the dishes were all served, the drinks that Xu Ye ordered were also served. He poured a cup for everyone and stood up. ¡°Today, we¡¯re gathered here. I wish Xia Wan¡¯s business will get better and better, and I also wish that our business will get on track in the morning. Come, everyone, cheers.¡± Normally, Xu Ye would definitely drink. However, with Xia Wan around, he didn¡¯t dare to. His intuition told him that if he dared to let Xia Wan drink, Chen MO would definitely give her a good beating. Xia Chen and Xia Feng had never encountered such a situation before. When they stood up, their hands were trembling slightly while Xia Wan was as calm as usual. She drank her drink smoothly. Xu ye looked at Xia Wan with admiration in his eyes. He had thought that a family that could bring up Xia Wan¡¯s character must have had their own unique way of education. However, after seeing Xia Feng and Xia Chen, Xu Ye realized that only Xia Wan had such bearing and calmness in the Xia family. So, it was all because Xia Wan had grown up well and had little to do with her family. After the dishes were served, Chen MO took the initiative to say, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving this place for a while. If you run into any trouble, you can go to Xu Ye for help. He has a lot of connections here, so don¡¯t think it¡¯s too much trouble for him. He¡¯s my brother. You saved my life before, so it¡¯s only right that he helps you.¡± Xu Ye¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch. He thought to himself, ¡®why does Chen MO have to let me do all the work when he¡¯s chasing after the girl?¡¯ He, however, had a good impression of Xia Wan. After knowing that she was the girl Chen MO liked, Xu Ye had already treated Xia Wan as a younger sister. After hearing Chen MO¡¯s words, Xu Ye said to Xia Wan, ¡°Since we¡¯re having a meal together today, why don¡¯t you just call me your brother? I¡¯ll protect you from now. What do you think?¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t say anything, but Xia Chen seemed a little unhappy. This was his sister, and his sister already had him as her brother. Why did she still need to acknowledge someone else as her brother? However, when he thought about what happened at the stall that day, Xia Chen felt that if Xu Ye were there to take care of her, perhaps his sister¡¯s business would be easier to run. Acknowledging Xu Ye as her brother meant he would have one more person to take care of his sister. Xia Chen felt better when he thought about this. Xia Wan blinked. She looked at Chen MO, then at Xu Ye, and said, ¡°You want me to be your sister? There¡¯s no need for that, right? aren¡¯t we good friends now?¡± Xia Wan did not want to have too much to do with Xu Ye and Chen MO, so she subconsciously wanted to reject them.. Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: I’ll Be Your Older Brother Chapter 125: I¡¯ll Be Your Older Brother Xu ye waved his hand and said to Xia Wan, ¡± there¡¯s a limit to what an ordinary friend can do, but if you¡¯re my sister, then I¡¯ll have the right to interfere with your business in the future. The people in the underworld will also have to give you face in the future. When you do business in the future, no one will dare to make things difficult for you. Xia Wan was still a little conflicted, but Xia Chen took the initiative to say, sister, since they¡¯re willing to acknowledge you as their godsister, it¡¯s all thanks to them for taking care of us today. I think this is a good idea. Xia Wan was a little surprised. She didn¡¯t expect her brother, Xia Chen, to agree first. However, after seeing Xia Chen¡¯s eyes, Xia Wan understood that Xia Chen only felt that he was not capable of protecting her now, so he was willing to find her a backer, which was Xu ye. In the end, Xia Wan nodded. She raised the drink in her hand and said to Xu ye, brother Xu, you¡¯re my brother from now on. I¡¯ll tell you if I have anything. After Xu ye heard her words, he laughed out loud. He was happier than when he had closed a business deal in the business field. Suddenly, Xu ye thought of something. He praised, ¡± let me tell you, the last time you mentioned to me about improving our canned fruit, I told my dad about it and he was very happy. He even asked me who came up with the idea. back then, you were so focused on doing good deeds that you didn¡¯t even leave your name. I didn¡¯t even know your name or where you lived. Great, you¡¯re now my godsister. If you have time, I¡¯ll bring you to my house and our fruit canners. we¡¯ve started mass-producing the canned fruit as you suggested. I have a feeling that the sales will be very good. Xia Wan was a little embarrassed and said, ¡°¡±lt¡¯s nothing. I just happened to think of it. I didn¡¯t expect to be able to help you. It¡¯s fate.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re my brother now, you can tell me if you have any questions. If I can think of any ideas, I¡¯ll tell you without hesitation.¡± Xia Wan was not very good at running a business, but her biggest advantage was that she knew which industries would be better developed in the future. If Xu ye had any doubts about this, she could help him. Xu ye was grinning from ear to ear. that¡¯s great. I was waiting for you to say that. After that, everyone laughed and talked, and they got to know each other better. Except for when Chen mo was talking to Xia Wan, he was mostly silent. In the beginning, Xia Chen and Xia Feng were a little reserved. However, Xu ye was the best at communicating with people. He told them some interesting things about himself in the past, as well as the times when he and Chen mo went into society together. Xia Feng and Xia Chen were very engrossed in listening to him. Initially, Xia Chen thought that the scene today was shocking enough. He did not expect Xu ye and Chen mo to have experienced countless more thrilling events. After listening to Xu ye¡¯s words, Xia Chen secretly made up his mind to learn more and follow his sister to see the world. He felt that he was too inexperienced and could not help his sister in many things. On the other hand, Xia Feng felt that Xu ye was very impressive for having such rich experiences. He could not help but ask Xu ye many questions. Xu ye answered Xia Feng with patience and enthusiasm. After the meal, Xu ye and Xia Feng¡¯s relationship had improved by quite a bit. Xia Wan made an excuse to go to the bathroom, but in fact, she had already gone to the front desk and paid the bill. When Xu ye called the waiter for the bill, he heard the waiter say that someone had already paid. Xu ye¡¯s brain worked quickly and he immediately realized that when Xia Wan said she wanted to go to the toilet, she was actually going to pay the bill. He glared at Xia Wan. sister, you didn¡¯t do a good job. I¡¯m your brother now. How can I let you settle the bill? ¡± Xia Wan smiled. it¡¯s all thanks to the two of you today, so it¡¯s only right that I treat you to this meal. You can invite me back next time you need my help. Xia Wan had already paid for it, so it was too late for Xu ye to say anything. Before he left, Chen mo looked at Xia Wan deeply and said, ¡± take care. After Xia Wan and the other two bade farewell to Xu ye and the rest, they waited at the bus stop. Xia Feng raised his head and looked at Xia Wan with his bright eyes. sis, I think big brother Xu knows a lot. Sis, do you think I can follow big brother Xu and make a name for myself in the future? ¡± Xia Wan was originally in a daze, but after hearing Xia Feng¡¯s words, she immediately woke up.. Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Studying Is Paramount Chapter 126: Studying Is Paramount Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In her previous life, Xia Fenz had been verv obedient. Whv would he be so interested in what Xu ye was doing? ¡°Don¡¯t you want to study? Do you want to go to work?¡± Xia Wan asked. Seeing this, Xia Feng didn¡¯t hide anything from her and said directly, ¡°Even if I study now, I¡¯m spending my family¡¯s money. I¡¯m afraid the salary after I graduate won¡¯t be high. But now, we can make thousands of Yuan a day by selling clothes. Big brother Xu¡¯s business is bigger. If I follow him, I should be able to make more money. ¡°Don¡¯t we study to earn money? Now that I have the opportunity to earn money directly, why not do it?¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t expect Xia Feng to think of this. After some thought, she said to Xia Feng seriously, ¡°There¡¯s one thing you¡¯re right about. Maybe we don¡¯t earn much money after we find a job, but the process of studying is not only about learning knowledge; it¡¯s also a process for us to make connections. ¡°Our country is vast, and there are talents from all walks of life. In the future, we will also encounter all kinds of difficulties. If we want to achieve higher achievements, one person can¡¯t do it. We need many people to help us. ¡°Then, where did these people who helped us come from? We met them in our studies and our daily lives. It¡¯s mutually beneficial. Now you think that you can make money by doing business with brother Xu, but how can he expand his? ¡°That¡¯s because of the connections between brother Xu¡¯s parents and grandfather¡¯s generation. Our family doesn¡¯t have such connections, so we have to work hard to learn and improve our social status. Only then can we meet more outstanding people ¡°If we were just ordinary street vendors, why would those famous people be willing to be friends with us?¡± Xia Feng fell silent after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words. He wasn¡¯t stupid, so he understood the meaning of her words after a little thought. Xia Feng nodded. ¡°I understand, sister. I¡¯ll study hard, but I want to help you guys during the holidays. I also want to help brother Xu. Xia Wan smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course, you can. We won¡¯t stop you.¡± The three of them returned home happily, and each of them looked forward to the future. However, as soon as they entered the house, they saw Li Jin and Xia Ye sitting in the courtyard. They had an impatient expression on their faces, as if they had been waiting for them for a long time. When Xia Ye saw Xia Wan return, she immediately said, ¡°Why are you home so late? You made us wait so long for you.¡± Xia Wan immediately felt that something was wrong. She stared at Xia Ye coldly. ¡°The three of us are going out to work. It¡¯s our business when we come back. What does it have to do with you?¡± Xia Ye snorted and said to Li Jin, ¡°Grandma, look at her attitude. She thinks she¡¯s so great just because she¡¯s helping someone sell clothes.¡± Li Jin also stood up and walked straight to Xia Wan. ¡°You earn so much every day; why didn¡¯t you hand it over?¡± ¡°When Xia Ru was working, she handed in her monthly salary. Why didn¡¯t you?¡± When Li Jin said these words, Xia Ye, who was beside her, stared at Xia Wan with a smug look. Xia Wan¡¯s expression did not change, but her mind spun quickly. Previously, she had told her family that her daily income was 10 yuan. With such a low income, there was no reason for her to hand it over. Furthermore, there were three of them. However, looking at Xia Ye and Li Jin¡¯s attitude, they were clearly betting that she would earn a lot. Xia Wan decided to test the waters. She said, ¡°I only earn this little for a meal, and I¡¯ve almost spent it all. How can I give it to you, grandma? Besides, the three of us can¡¯t wear too shabby clothes, so we¡¯re going to buy clothes in two days. This money isn¡¯t even enough.¡± Li Jin snorted coldly. ¡°Who are you trying to fool? I already know that people like you who help others sell clothes will get a commission. With that, you can probably earn one yuan from selling 100 yuan, right?¡± As she said this, Li Jin was also observing Xia Wan¡¯s expression. If Xia Wan showed any signs of panic after being exposed, she would be sure that Xia Ye was telling the truth.. Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: Body Search Chapter 127: Body Search Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Nonetheless, Xia Wan¡¯s face remained calm. She even flashed a mocking smile after hearing Li Jin¡¯s words. ¡°Grandma, who did you hear this from? Can you give us one yuan out of a hundred? Do you know that these clothes are all from the south? This includes the cost of the clothes, the transportation fee, and the workers¡¯ wages. ¡°If the shop owner was that rich, she would have opened a shop. But she didn¡¯t. She chose to let us set up a stall to save money. ¡°The shop owner said that the clothes are pretty, to begin with, and she herself invented the point system. It¡¯s something the other shops don¡¯t have. Even the gifts that can be exchanged for points are all carefully purchased by the shop owner, so the shop owner is confident that there will be a lot of customers if he sets up a stall. ¡°We were just lucky to have found this job. If it were someone else, they would have been able to do it too.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan looked at Xia Ye and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring your friends here to look at clothes today? You¡¯ve seen the designs of those clothes. Theyre all very fashionable and fresh. Even without the three of us, you¡¯d still be attracted, right?¡± Xia Wan stared straight at Xia Ye, leaving her no room to lie. Being questioned by Xia Wan like this, Xia Ye could not say anything wrong because those clothes were indeed pretty. However, Zhou Yu had spoken to her so confidently back then, so it was obvious that there was a commission for selling clothes. Xia Ye could not hold back her words, so she said directly, ¡°If I¡¯m only giving you 10 yuan a day, why are the three of you working so hard? You clearly don¡¯t have any more benefits.¡± Xia Wan explained naturally, ¡°Because we don¡¯t want dad and mom to work so hard. It¡¯s precious enough for the three of us to get a good job. Of course, we will cherish it. ¡°Besides, the shop owner also said that if we sell well, he will give us some bonus at the end of the month. Do you really think the shop owner is so assured to leave the stall to me? Do you see that there¡¯s a grocery store behind our stall? the owner of the grocery store is a friend of the owner. ¡°Usually, when we do business, the owner of the grocery store will also secretly watch us. If we do something bad, she will directly tell the owner.¡± Xia Ye did not expect that such a relationship existed. Now, she was a little confused. Was what Zhou Yu said right, or was Xia Wan right? Li Jin didn¡¯t care so much. She said directly, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. If you only earn 10 yuan a day, then you probably don¡¯t have much money on you. Let us search you. If you don¡¯t have any money on you, then we¡¯ll believe you.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Xia Wan, but even Xia Feng and Xia Chen were angry. As the elder brother, Xia Chen said directly, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ve gone too far. We¡¯ve been selling clothes all day and now that we¡¯re home after much difficulty, you want to search us? Grandma, we¡¯re really disappointed in you.¡± Xia Feng¡¯s face was also filled with displeasure, but he was still young, so he didn¡¯t say anything. He just stood in front of Xia Wan silently, as though trying to protect his sister. Xia Wan pondered in her heart. It looked like Xia Ye and Li Jin were going to continue quarreling with her today. Fine, she would make this matter big and see how big their faces were! With this thought, Xia Wan started to cry and ran outside to open the door. ¡°Help! Grandma is going to search me. I just don¡¯t want my parents to work so hard. Why is Grandma doing this to me?¡± As she ran out, Xia Wan messed up her hair and even smeared some mud on her face, as if she had been beaten up. Hearing her screams, the neighbors gathered around. Xia Wan cried so loudly and pitifully that her face was covered with tears. She even slumped on the ground in a sorry state. ¡°What¡¯s happening? If there¡¯s anything, we can talk it out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Your grandma said that the three of you found a job too. Why did you guys start quarreling after you got home? Did you encounter some problems at work?¡± When the neighbors saw Xia Wan crying so miserably, although they wanted to watch the show, they still said some polite words. Xia Wan didn¡¯t expect them to care about her. As long as they were here, she could start her performance.. Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Things Have Gotten Out of Hand Chapter 128: Things Have Gotten Out of Hand Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°I don¡¯t know what grandma heard from other people, but she thinks that we can make a lot ot money by selling clothes tor them. I told her that the three ot us can only make 10 yuan a day, but grandma didn¡¯t believe me and wanted to search me. ¡°Our teacher told us that everyone has their own right to privacy. It¡¯s illegal to search people, even if she¡¯s my grandmother. She¡¯s obviously embarrassing me by doing this!¡± ¡°My grandmother doesn¡¯t believe me at all. She only heard a few words from others and thought that I was lying to her. I just want my family to live a better life. I¡¯m happy that I found a job. Why does grandmother treat me like this?¡± The more she spoke, the more Xia Wan cried, as if Li Jin¡¯s search was the cause of her agony. More and more people gathered around, all looking like they were dying to watch a show. Li Jin¡¯s expression was a little ugly. She could oppress Xia Wan and her family without limit, but she didn¡¯t like to be pointed at and criticized by others. She couldn¡¯t help but say to the people around her, ¡°I¡¯m just teaching my granddaughter a lesson. It¡¯s none of your business. You can go back to your work.¡± Her meaning was very clear. This was her family¡¯s private matter, and it was not up to outsiders to interrupt. Hearing Li Jin¡¯s attitude, everyone was a little unhappy and spoke up. ¡°We saw that your family was in a mess, so we came to help. Why are you chasing us out? Are you really going to torture Xia Wan behind closed doors like she said?¡± ¡°Look at this child, he¡¯s crying so pitifully. Is there anything you can¡¯t say in front of everyone?¡± Xia Wan, who was crying on the ground, knew very well that when two people were arguing, the audience would subconsciously sympathize with the weaker one. Li Jin was used to being tyrannical, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t show weakness in front of outsiders. Thus, the power of public opinion would lean towards her side. Xia Wan also sobbed and said to Li Jin, ¡°Grandma, if you¡¯re unhappy with me, you can just tell me. I¡¯ll definitely change if I can, but why did you search me?¡± The people around them were also speaking up for Xia Wan. Li Jin could tell that these people had no intention of leaving. She believed what Xia Ye said, so she said in front of everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any sons or grandchildren? The children¡¯s money should be handed over to me, the head of the household. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that Xia Wan and the others found a job, but she lied to me, her grandmother. She clearly made a lot of money every day, but she told me that the three of them only made 10 yuan a day. ¡°Then where did she put the extra money? I have three sons, and all the money earned by the other children goes to me. Why are Xia Wan and the other two exceptions? ¡°If I let Xia Wan lie to me like this, wouldn¡¯t it be unfair to the other children? how can I treat this family? ¡°Every family has its own issues. I don¡¯t care how you deal with each other, but we have to be fair in our family. So, I¡¯m going to search Xia Wan now to see if she¡¯s lying to me. Is there anything wrong with earning a lot and not handing it over?¡± After hearing Li Jin¡¯s words, everyone looked at each other. Then, Mr. Liu, who had more authority in the village, stood up. Mr. Liu looked at Xia Wan and asked, ¡°Is what your grandmother said true? Did you really earn a lot but lie to your grandma and not hand it over?¡± Xia Wan continued to cry. Mr. Liu¡¯s tone softened. ¡°We¡¯re all here now. If you have any grievances, or if you haven¡¯t made things clear with your grandmother, you can speak frankly in front of us. We can also help you judge who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong.¡± Xia Wan continued to cry. Mr. Liu¡¯s tone softened. ¡°We¡¯re all here now. If you have any grievances, or if you haven¡¯t made things clear with your grandmother, you can speak frankly in front of us. We can also help you judge who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong.¡± Xia Wan seemed to have gained Mr. Liu¡¯s support. She slowly stood up and said to the crowd, ¡°The three of us only make 10 yuan a day. You can search me if you want, but I want to know how you¡¯re going to compensate me if you find that I don¡¯t have any extra money on me. When she said this, Xia Wan stared at Li Jin. The others also looked at Li Jin. ¡°If I can¡¯t find any extra money on you to prove that you¡¯re telling the truth, so what? You¡¯re just proving your innocence. What compensation do I need to give you?¡± Li Jin argued rhethorically. Li Jin lifted her chin and continued arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯m your biological grandmother and I raised your father.. Without your father, where would you be? You¡¯re actually here to challenge your biological grandmother, so why do I have to apologize for executing a search?¡± Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Li Jin ‘s Overbearing Attitude Chapter 129: Li Jin ¡®s Overbearing Attitude Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°You did something wrong, so it¡¯s only right that you be punished. If you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, you¡¯re not being punished. What else do you want?¡± Xia Wan laughed coldly in her heart. At that moment, Yan Han and Xia Hai rushed over. It turned out that when Xia Wan went out to put on an act, she had already secretly told Xia Feng to call his parents back. Since she was prepared to put on a big show today, how could her parents not watch? She wanted to put on a show and let her father see Li Jin¡¯s face. She wanted her father to understand how much Li Jin disliked her family. As she earned continued to earn more, her family would definitely be better off. Instead of letting Li Jin and the others take advantage of her, it was better to find a reason to divide the family now. Xia Hai saw his daughter¡¯s sad face and immediately stood by Xia Wan¡¯s side to protect her. ¡°Mom,¡± Xia Hai said to Li Jin, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you scolding Wanwan like this?¡± Li Jin snorted coldly. ¡°Look at The good daughter you¡¯ve raised. I can¡¯t even control her anymore. I only searched her body, and she made a big fuss as if I was wrong. ¡°She¡¯s even saying that if I don¡¯t find any extra money on her, I should apologize to her. I¡¯m her grandmother! How dare she make me apologize?¡± Even though Xia Hai had come, Li Jin¡¯s face still looked domineering. It was clear that she wasn¡¯t taking Xia Hai and Yan Han seriously. Xia Hai was the most filial son. He would listen to anything she said. Even if she were to lecture Xia Wan now, he would have to hold it in even if he was unhappy. After so many years, Li Jin had gotten used to Xia Hai¡¯s obedience, so even when he asked her what had happened and even tried to protect Xia Wan, Li Jin didn¡¯t take it seriously. Yan Han saw her own daughter crying so pitifully, and her heart ached as she pulled Xia Wan into her arms. ¡°My Wanwan, don¡¯t cry. Mom is back. My incapability has caused you to suffer so much. Don¡¯t worry. No one can bully you with me around.¡± Yan Han held Xia Wan in her arms and started crying as well. The two hugged and cried, making Xia Hai¡¯s heart ache. However, on one side was his mother, and on the other side, was his wife and daughter. Xia Hai felt a headache coming on, and he did not know what to choose. ¡°Mother, can we just let this slide? It¡¯s difficult for Wanwan to find a job, and she will start school soon. Even if she can earn money, how much can she earn? This money will be her pocket money, okay?¡± Li Jin snorted. ¡°Of course not. You know that she¡¯s still in school and she needs to spend her family¡¯s money. Her fees and living expenses are all money. Since she can earn so much, then let her pay for her fees and living expenses. In the future, you should let her pay for her school fees herself. I won¡¯t care.¡± When Xia Hai heard this, he was a little taken aback. He could not help but say, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve passed you my monthly salary. If you don¡¯t pay for Wanwan¡¯s school fees and living expenses, how can she earn enough?¡± Although Xia Hai knew that Xia Wan made quite a lot by selling clothes, he still believed that the money she earned was her own. His daughter was still in school, and as a father, he was responsible for footing her tuition and expenses. How could he let his daughter pay for it herself? Li Jin was unmoved. She continued, ¡°She¡¯s already earning on her own, so of course, she¡¯ll pay for it herself. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of her earning money? She didn¡¯t hand over the money she earned to me, so I don¡¯t have to pay her school fees.¡± Li Jin¡¯s attitude was very obvious. If Xia Wan gave all her money to her today, she could still pay for Xia Wan¡¯s tuition and living expenses. However, if she didn¡¯t let her search her body and refuse to give up the money, she would completely ignore the problem of Xia Wan¡¯s expenses. Even Xia Hai, who had always been filial, could not help but feel a chill in his heart when he saw his mother¡¯s attitude. The corners of his mouth turned bitter. After all these years, he knew that his mother was biased. She treated his two brothers better than him, and she was closer to their children than his. Despite all that, Xia Hai endured. He knew that it was not easy for his mother to raise all three of her sons. He was very understanding of his mother, but now, in front of so many people, she took not the slightest consideration for his feelings as her son. She did not care about what others said. All she wanted was for everyone to see her favoritism.. Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Xia Hai’s Proposal to Move Out Chapter 130: Xia Hai¡¯s Proposal to Move Out Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At that moment, Xia Hai suddenly felt a little foolish. ¡°Mother, are you really not willing to take a step back for your son? Wanwan is my daughter. As her father, how can I let her suffer like this? I¡¯ve given you my monthly wages. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Li Jin nodded. it¡¯s not enough. The money you earn is mine, and so is the money that your daughter makes. That¡¯s our family¡¯s rule. ¡°Mother,¡± Xia Hai took deep breaths. ¡°If you can really distinguish between the two, then let¡¯s part ways.¡± Li Jin was not the only one shocked by Xia Hail s words. Even Xia Wan did not expect her filial father to say something like that. Xia Wan continued to pretend to be pitiful, but she was actually overjoyed. However, she also felt that the possibility of Li Jin agreeing to move out was almost non-existent since her father was making a lot now. If they didn¡¯t move out, her father¡¯s money would always be in Li Jin¡¯s hands. However, if they did, Li Jin would not be able to get the money. As expected, Li Jin¡¯s expression turned flustered after she heard what Xia Hails had to say. She quickly put on an act and started wailing. ¡°What sin have I committed that I bore such an unfilial son? I once worked so hard to raise him. Now that I¡¯m old, I need him to support me. He told me that he wanted to move out. Isn¡¯t it because he doesn¡¯t want to care about an old woman like me?¡± Li Jin cried and whined, then looked at the neighbors around her. ¡°Everyone, come and judge. You all know how hard it was for me when I was young. These three sons of mine were all mischievous. I suffered so much all those years; now, my son is treating me like this. ¡°Just because I taught his daughter a lesson, he abandoned me for her. ¡°How did I give birth to such an unfilial son like you? My life is tough!¡± Seeing that Li Jin was criticizing her father every word, Xia Wan was unhappy. Although she wanted to move out, her family had to be in the right. Li Jin and the others were the ones in the wrong. However, if she continued to criticize her father, it would make him seem unfilial. Xia Wan stood up and said to Li Jin. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t scold father anymore. I know you don¡¯t like me. Father only said those things because he thinks you¡¯re not treating me well. If you want to scold or hit me, come at me. Don¡¯t insult my father. ¡°No one is stupid. The two uncles only pay half a month, or even less than half, but our family has the most children, but my father gives you all his salary, and my mother does all the work at home. ¡°I was sick and wanted to eat the eggs at home, but you wouldn¡¯t let me. I wanted to see a doctor, but you didn¡¯t give me money. However, father didn¡¯t have any money. In order to treat me, he went to find a job. Grandma, there¡¯s nothing to say about you being biased toward me, but you shouldn¡¯t have said bad things about my father in front of so many people. He¡¯s clearly the most filial one, but you criticized him here. How cold must his heart be? ¡°You¡¯re his mother and the closest person to him in this world. He cares so much about you. Do you really not consider his feelings when you say these things? ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re stabbing your father with a knife. Grandma, you¡¯re so cruel. Is money all you want? I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± Xia Wan began to throw her money on the ground as she spoke. It was a few cents a dollar, and there was a total of more than ten dollars. ¡°The three of us worked hard to earn this money these past few days. Grandma, don¡¯t you want us to have no money on us? I¡¯ll give it all to you. Please let father go!¡± Xia Wan kneeled down after she finished speaking. Her face was covered in tears. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t slander father anymore. It¡¯s all my fault. I don¡¯t deserve to have a single cent.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s kneeling moved everyone. When Li Jin cried and complained about Xia Hai, some people felt that Li Jin was pitiful. However, when Xia Wan knelt down, everyone thought Li Jin was bullying her. ¡°That¡¯s enough, that¡¯s enough. How could you blow up such a small matter? Li Jin, everyone has seen how Xia Hai has treated you all these years. Don¡¯t make things difficult for a good child.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Xia Hai is honest and sincere. We¡¯ve all watched him grow up. How could we not know what kind of person he is? this is just a small matter. Let¡¯s just talk it out. There¡¯s no need to be so distant.¡± Li Jin didn¡¯t know what to say when someone tried to persuade her. Yan Han even went directly to Xia Wan¡¯s side, trying to help her up.. Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Failed to Split Assets Chapter 131: Failed to Split Assets Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Alright, alright, stop crying. It¡¯s embarrassing. People who don¡¯t know will think that I¡¯m bullying you. Hurry up and get up. If you don¡¯t want to be searched, then so be it.¡± Li Jin looked at Xia Wan impatiently and turned to go back into the room first. Xia Ye also followed Li Jin back to the room. In the room, Xia Ye said unwillingly, ¡®Grandma, you¡¯re just going to let Xia Wan go? She must have earned a lot of money. We still have to investigate.¡± Li Jin¡¯s face was also filled with unhappiness. you saw it too. There are so many people watching. What can I do? She¡¯s already knelt down, and I still have to continue searching her? I¡¯m old, and I care about my reputation too. My reputation has been good for so many years. Are we going to ruin it because of Xia Wan now?¡± Xia Ye pouted. She thought Li Jin must¡¯ve thought too highly of her. She did not have any reputation all these years, but Xia Ye did not dare to say these words in front of Li Jin. She was the head of the family, and Li Jin had the final say. ¡°Xia Wan is a b*tch,¡± Li Jin growled. ¡°It¡¯s fine if she doesn¡¯t hand over the money she earned, but Xia hai wants to separate from me because of her. I¡¯m his mother, and it wasn¡¯t easy for me to raise him. How dare he treat me like this?¡± Xia Ye knew that Li Jin was unhappy with Xia Hai, so she immediately said, ¡°Grandma, only third uncle would think that way. We don¡¯t have such thoughts. Before I get married, I¡¯ll always be a part of the family and listen to you. If I earn on my own, I¡¯ll definitely give the money to you. Anyway, Xia Ye was not going to work, so she naturally chose to say nice things, Li Jin was indeed thrilled by Xia Ye¡¯s coaxing, and she smiled. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re a sensible girl, unlike that Xia Wan, who pisses people off everyday.¡± While Xia Ye and Li Jin badmouthed Xia Wan, Yan Han escorted Xia Wan back to her room. Xia Wan and the others were silent in the room, especially Xia Hai. He lowered his head, not knowing how to face his family. Xia Wan knew that she had to use this opportunity to make her father realize Li Jin¡¯s bias and the fact that he would have to part with the family sooner or later. Although she proposed parting with the family today, she also knew it was an impulsive decision. In fact, Xia Hai did not want to part with the family. In Xia Hail s heart, Li Jin was his family, and so were his two brothers. He believed that family should help each other. Even if they had conflicts daily, they would still be united when something really happened. Xia Wan looked at Xia Hai and said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve seen grandma¡¯s attitude today. She doesn¡¯t want us to have a single cent in our hands. Tell me, if grandma knows that I¡¯ve earned so much money, do you think she¡¯ll still keep it?¡± I have to go to school sooner or later. I¡¯ll leave the selling of clothes to brother, and even you and mom. Can you really coax grandma?¡± Xia Hai sighed. I understand what you¡¯re saying, but she¡¯s still my mother. No one in our village has ever moved out of the house. Just now, when I suggested moving out, your grandmother rejected me. Xia Wan looked at him and asked, ¡°Dad, why do you think grandma doesn¡¯t want to move out? Is it because you can¡¯t bear to part with our family or because you can¡¯t bear to part with your salary?¡± Xia Hai was silent. He couldn¡¯t answer Xia Wan¡¯s question. He wanted to say that Li Jin liked his family, but he didn¡¯t believe it himself. Li Jin didn¡¯t like his wife, Yan Han, and mistreated his children. She even looked upon his family with disdain. However, Xia Hai thought that one day, Li Jin would realize that his family was filial and kind, and he would accept them. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. We¡¯ll have to part ways sooner or later, but it¡¯s not the right time yet. Wanwan, wait a while. I¡¯ll work hard on this,¡± Xia Hai said to Xia Wan. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for the good news, dad.¡± Even though she said that, Xia Wan did not believe that Xia Hai would be able to abdicate himself. The family ate in silence, but Yan Han couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. She said to Xia Hai, ¡°I don¡¯t want my children to live like this. Our Wanwan is so capable and can earn so much despite her young age, but we can¡¯t provide her with a good environment. She has to hide the money she earned.. When will such a life end?¡± Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Yan Han Gets Mad Chapter 132: Yan Han Gets Mad Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Xia Hai, you should really think about your child. Li Jin did give birth to you and took care of you for decades, but ever since you married me, we¡¯re now a new family. You¡¯re not Li Jin¡¯s only son, but my children only have you as their father.¡± Yan Han stood up immediately after she finished speaking, not intending to continue the conversation with Xia Hai. Xia Chen and Xia Feng didn¡¯t say anything. Xia Chen understood his father¡¯s feelings, but he was more concerned about his sister. Xia Feng, on the other hand, knew that his father wouldn¡¯t be able to persuade him, so he didn¡¯t bother to say anything. After returning to her room, Xia Wan took out the passbook After the income from the past few days, there were now 6000 yuan in her passbook. Her hand was trembling as she held the passbook. Very soon, she would become a 10000 yuan household. In this era, especially in their village, no households had 10000 yuan. Everyone who worked had to work hard to earn little, and managing to save a few hundred yuan in one year would be considered a bonus. She, however, could manage to save so much money now. This feeling was even happier than when she had earned tens of millions in her previous life. After laughing for a while, Xia Wan began to think about what had happened today. Li Jin wanted to search her because Xia Ye must¡¯ve said something to her. After all, with Li Jin¡¯s brain, how could she have known that there was a commission for selling clothes? At this time, there were few clothing stores around, and not everyone knew about the employee commission. Xia Ye couldn¡¯t have had such a brain, and she didn¡¯t have the ability to know. There was only one possibility: Xia Ye must¡¯ve found out about it from someone else. Xia Wan thought about it carefully. Among the people who were with Xia Ye during the day, the most likely one was the girl named Zhou Yu. Her family was quite well-off and was in business. She couldn¡¯t hide the fact that she was selling clothes. She couldn¡¯t give up just because Xia ye¡¯s friend bought her clothes and guessed that they would get a commission. Nonetheless, she still had to deal with Li Jin. She couldn¡¯t let Li Jin take away her hard-earned money. The best way was to split the family. However, Li Jin was interested in her father¡¯s money. As long as her father was still earning money, Li Jin would definitely not agree to the family separation. However, it was impossible for her father to resign. Not to mention whether her business would be stable, her father would definitely feel uneasy if he didn¡¯t have a job. Xia Wan had a headache thinking about this. In the end, she couldn¡¯t think of a better solution. The most important thing now was to keep her money safe and not let Li Jin find out. With that thought, Xia Wan fell into a deep sleep. It was tiring to sell clothes for a whole day. When they got up the next day, the three of them went to open their shop as usual, but this time, there were obviously fewer customers. It was already noon, but more than half of their clothes were still on display. Xia Chen said to Xia Wan with some worry, ¡®Why can¡¯t we sell our clothes now? Is it because the styles we imported are not good?¡± Xia Wan, on the other hand, was very calm. She patiently explained to Xia Chen, ¡°Brother, think about it. Everyone has a limited number of clothes to wear. You can¡¯t just change to another one every day. Besides, our clothes are not the cheap kind. Not everyone can afford them. ¡°Some only change their clothes every few months. When they see that our stock look good, they grit their teeth and buy them even though they¡¯re a little expensive. But they can¡¯t buy it every day. ¡°At the end of the day, it¡¯s because there¡¯s a limited number of people in our town, so it¡¯s normal that our clothes sell slowly. Besides, our stall might not be visible to everyone.¡± After hearing Xia Wan¡¯s analysis, Xia Chen nodded. He somewhat understood what she was saying. ¡°What about the so-called business?¡± Xia Chen asked. ¡°If we can have more customers and let more people see our stall, we can sell more clothes, right?¡± Xia Wan nodded with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, brother, but we¡¯re not in the condition to do so yet.¡± The current era was not as developed as the future era. In the future, online shopping had been fully developed, and it became a habit for everyone to shop online. However, there was no online shopping platform now, and even computers were uncommon. These ideas of her brother could be cultivated. When there was an opportunity in the future, she could also seize it. Thus, not only did Xia Wan not deny Xia Chen¡¯s idea, but she even gave him affirmation.. Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Zhou Xiaorou is Here to Buy Chapter 133: Zhou Xiaorou is Here to Buy Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Brother, what we need to do now is to check the quality of the clothes and accumulate good insight and knowledge. This way, if we have the opportunity to sell clothes in big cities in the future, we can let more people see our shop. We can also sell them with confidence. Xia Chen nodded. His eyes were also shining. He was looking forward to that day. These days, Xia Chen had been observing the female customers¡¯ preferences while selling clothes. He had also learned some skills from his sister¡¯s words. To put it simply, they had to choose clothes suitable for different customers according to their body shape and skin color. They also had men¡¯s clothing here, but they sold much slower than women¡¯s clothing. Basically, when they imported goods, one-third of the goods were for gents, while the rest were for women. Women seemed to have simpler preferences. They just needed to look thinner and cover up their shortcomings. Xia Chen had been studying very seriously these days, and he felt very fulfilled every day. Just as they were talking, they heard a familiar female voice. ¡°Wanwan, I¡¯ve heard that you were selling clothes. I¡¯ve been feeling better these days, so I came out to take a look. I heard that you sell some with nice designs.¡± Xia Wan looked towards the source of the voice. It was Zhou Xiaorou, and beside her was Luo Xing. Xia Wan also smiled and greeted her. ¡°Sister xiaorou, are you here to buy clothes? I can recommend a few outfits for you.¡± Zhou Xiaorou also smiled and replied, ¡°That¡¯s great. Sometimes, I don¡¯t know what to choose either. I usually just randomly pick whatever I see.¡± Xia Wan added, ¡°That¡¯s because you have a good figure and fair skin, so you look good in anything. That¡¯s why you¡¯re more casual when choosing clothes. If you were a little plump or dark, you¡¯d have to pay attention to some things. As she spoke, Xia Wan picked out a few pieces that suited Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s temperament. There was a beige long skirt, a green skirt with a white shirt, a hat, and a pink sportswear for Zhou Xiaorou. ¡°Sister Xiaorou, you can try these. You can wear the dress when you go out to relax, and the sportswear when you run. Sister Xiaorou, you¡¯re not in good health now and have been resting at home. After you recover, you will definitely have to go out and exercise more. Buying sportswear will also give you more motivation to exercise.¡± Zhou Xiaorou took it with a smile. She put them up against her body, feeling very satisfied. ¡°Wanwan, you have good taste. Why do I feel like I¡¯m much fairer after wearing these?¡± Zhou Xiaorou looked into the mirror and could clearly see the difference and she couldn¡¯t help but praise it. Xia Wan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s because you have a good foundation, sister Xiaorou. You can wear clothes of all these colors.¡± Luo Xing looked at Zhou Xiaorou as she gestured at her clothes. Her eyes flashed with jealousy, and she could not help but say, ¡°Xia Wan, do you own this shop? You¡¯re so good with words. You made sister Xiaorou so happy. Your business must be doing well.¡± When she spoke, Xia Wan could clearly see the jealousy and probing in her eyes. No matter how much Luo Xing tried to look innocent, her eyes could not lie. ¡°You think too highly of me,¡± Xia Wan said. I don¡¯t have the money to open a shop. I¡¯m just helping the boss sell clothes. The boss told me about the clothes and accessories. I still have to study in the future, which means I might not have that much time.¡± Zhou Xiaorou didn¡¯t care if the store belonged to Xia Wan. She only knew that Xia Wan was selling clothes and wanted to help her with her business. Even if the store didn¡¯t belong to her, she would definitely be appreciated by her boss if she were to sell more. With that thought in mind, Zhou Xiaorou said to Luo Xing, ¡°Alright, Luo Xing, we¡¯re just here to buy clothes. There¡¯s no need to ask so many questions. See if there¡¯s anything you likel. I can give you a set.¡± Zhou Xiaorou originally thought that she would have to buy all these clothes for herself, but Luo Xing was shopping with her, so it was no big deal buying Luo Xing a set. However, when these words reached Luo Xing¡¯s ears, it was not the case. She felt that Zhou Xiaorou was very biased. She had clearly taken care of her for so long, but she was now protecting Xia Wan in every way possible. Buy her clothes? What did she mean? Wasn¡¯t she just giving her alms because she couldn¡¯t afford it? Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: The Trouble at Home Chapter 134: The Trouble at Home Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Luo Xing was very dissatisfied and unwilling, but she could not say anything in front of Zhou Xiaorou. She could only twitch the corners of her mouth and sagy, ¡°No need, I still have clothes to wear, so I don¡¯t need new ones. Besides, these clothes shouldn¡¯t be cheap, and I¡¯ll be embarrassed to spend so much of your money. I¡¯ll just wear whatever that suit my status.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t miss the emotion in Luo Xing¡¯s eyes. She knew very well that some people were heartless. You showed kindness to her, but to the other party, it was an insult to her. Luo Xing was this kind of person. In order to take care of her, Zhou Xiaorou wanted to buy her clothes. However, to Luo Xing, Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s words were a reminder that she was born poor and did not have the ability to buy clothes on her own. Luo Xing¡¯s life was not as good as Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s, but she had a strong sense of self-esteem and would not allow herself to accept charity. She had been by Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s side all year round, taking care of her daily needs. Seeing her family live such a happy life, the resentment in Luo Xing¡¯s heart grew deeper and deeper. She wanted to tear apart Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s beauty. While Xia Wan was gesturing with Zhou Xiaorou, she was also quietly observing the changes in Luo Xing¡¯s emotions, and she saw all the changes in her eyes. She felt that perhaps after today¡¯s events, Luo Xing would not be able to resist taking the next step. Zhou Xiaorou looked around Xia Wan¡¯s stall for a long time and finally bought five pieces of clothing. Luo Xing had never agreed to Zhou Xiaorou buying clothes for her. In the afternoon, about a quarter of the clothes had been sold. After the three of them cleaned up the stall, they placed the remaining garments in Zhao Jin¡¯s shop. Xia Wan was now willing to sell to Zhao Jin, which was a sign of reconciliation. At the same time, because of the popularity of Xia Wan¡¯s clothes, Zhao Jin¡¯s business also improved. Therefore, Zhao Jin¡¯s attitude towards Xia Wan and the others got better and better. Sometimes, when he saw that Xia Wan and the others were busy, he would even take the initiative to pour them a drink. The three of them were on their way home after dinner, but before they reached the door, they heard a commotion coming from inside. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, you jinx. Look at the good sons and daughters you¡¯ve raised. They¡¯re not at home all day. You spend all the money my son earned. Now he¡¯s injured because of you!¡± Li Jin was cursing and swearing, and at the same time, Yan Han¡¯s aggrieved and choked voice could be heard. ¡°Mother, Xia Hails wrist is injured. If you want to scold me, do it later. Let¡¯s take him to the hospital now, okay?¡± Li Jin snorted in disdain. ¡°Send him to the hospital? I don¡¯t have that much money on hand. Surgery is so expensive. If you want to send him to the hospital, you have to pay first. Xia Wan and the others should have earned quite a bit these days. It should be enough for Xia Hail s surgery. ¡°They sell clothes every day. It¡¯s impossible for them to have so much money. Just tell me where you hid the money and hand it over to me. I¡¯ll take Xia Hai to the hospital now. I¡¯ll cover your expenses.¡± Yan Han¡¯s voice became even more urgent. ¡°Look at the situation now. My family really doesn¡¯t have any hidden money. Please, let me take Xia Hai to the hospital first. If there¡¯s anything else, we¡¯ll talk about it after his wrist is healed, okay?¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. She kicked the door open and saw a scene that made her so angry that she wanted to kill someone. Her father, Xia Hai, was sitting on the ground. There was a ladder in front of him. His wrist was bleeding, and he looked like he was in pain. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xia Wan immediately went to Xia hails side and checked his wound. Based on what had happened under the ladder, it could be inferred that Xia Hai had been repairing the roof when he accidentally fell. When he fell to the ground, he had injured his wrist, and now his entire hand was twisted. Xia Wan¡¯s heart ached as she looked at him. She glared at Li Jin.. Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: I Won’t Let You Off Chapter 135: I Won¡¯t Let You Off Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°I¡¯m going to treat my dad now. If I find out that you¡¯re the ones who injured my dad, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Xia Wan then said to Xia Chen and Xia Feng, ¡°Hurry up and help dad. Don¡¯t let him worry. I¡¯ll go and borrow a car from Mr. Zhang.¡± As soon as Xia Wan walked out of the door, the Mr. Zhang she was talking about came over on his tricycle. ¡°Good kid, I heard the commotion at your house and found out that Xia Hai was injured. Quick, I¡¯ll give you the tricycle. You should take him to the doctor.¡± There were also other kind-hearted neighbors around. Those who had bicycles offered to take Xia Wan¡¯s family to town. Just like that, Xia Wan and the others rushed to the hospital as fast as they could with the help of some kind-hearted people. At this moment, Li Jin and the others were standing at home. Li Jin was still cursing. ¡°I¡¯m not going with them. I¡¯ll see how they¡¯re going to pay. If they have the money to pay, it means that Xia Wan has hidden the money. She hasn¡¯t handed over all the money she earned today to the family.¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t have the money to pay, she¡¯ll definitely come back and beg me. By then, I¡¯ll still be the master of this family and let them know who¡¯s the boss in this family.¡± Xia Ye had long been dissatisfied with Xia Wan. After hearing Li Jin¡¯s words, she immediately said, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re so smart. Third uncle only has a wrist injury, and he can be cured anytime if he wants to. We can use this opportunity to see if Xia Wan is telling you the truth.¡± Mr. Zhang, who had borrowed the tricycle, was still standing near the door. The other neighbors hadn¡¯t left either. After hearing Li Jin¡¯s family¡¯s words, Mr. Zhang couldn¡¯t help but frown and say, ¡°Li Jin, the one who¡¯s injured is your son, Xia Hai. Don¡¯t you have eyes? Can¡¯t you see how seriously he¡¯s injured?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve watched Xia Hai grow up. He¡¯s been able to endure hardships since he was young. Back then, his face was so wrinkled and he was on the verge of tears. It was obvious hw painful his injuries were, but he endured it. ¡°He fell from such a high place and hit the ground hard. I¡¯ll be honest with you, his hands are most likely crippled. Even if he can move them normally in the future, he won¡¯t be able to do heavy work. ¡± ¡°Your son is so seriously injured that one of his hands will be disabled in the future, but you still remember whether his daughter gave you the money. Li Jin, you are his mother. Isn¡¯t he your son?¡± When the other neighbors saw that Mr. Zhang took the initiative to speak, they also expressed their dissatisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s right. If my son was injured, my first reaction would be to send him to the hospital. I wouldn¡¯t have the time to scold my daughter-in-law.¡± ¡°Li Jin, your family isn¡¯t short of money. Your three sons¡¯ salaries are handed to you every month. We all know what kind of life you¡¯ve been through all these years. Xia Hai has been especially filial to you. Just based on this alone, you shouldn¡¯t be discussing money, now that he¡¯s injured.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Your son is already injured to such an extent, yet you¡¯re still here scheming against him? You¡¯re not worried about him at all. What kind of mother are you?¡± ¡°People say that filial piety is the most important thing. Xia Hai is filial to you, but what about you? you don¡¯t care about him at all. You¡¯re so cold to him. No wonder xiahai said that he wanted to move out with you. I would have moved out long ago if I had a mother like you.¡± Li Jin had never been one to be wronged. Now that everyone was pointing their finger at her, she directly put her hands on her hips and rebuked everyone. ¡°This is our family¡¯s business! What does it have to do with you? Xia Hai is not your son. It¡¯s only right for me to teach my son a lesson. When did you have the right to interfere with our family¡¯s business? ¡°If you¡¯re so generous, then you should have paid for his medical expenses. You¡¯re not even offering any practical benefits. All you know is to talk about other people¡¯s family affairs. Did we feed on your rice or drink your water? ¡°You haven¡¯t even settled your own family¡¯s problems, yet you still have the face to meddle in ours? I don¡¯t even want to mention your problems.¡± Li Jin¡¯s words made everyone very unhappy, but they all knew her personality. When her temper flared up, she would dare to say anything. They had been neighbors for so many years, and embarrassing things had happened in every family. So when they saw Li Jin start to make a scene, they didn¡¯t say anything more to her and chose to leave.. Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: The Doctor Says It’s Incurable Chapter 136: The Doctor Says It¡¯s Incurable Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation On the other side, Xia Wan and the others arrived at the hospital. Immediately, a staff member took over Xia hai¡¯s case. A Doctor Who specialized in surgery came over to check on Xia hail s wound and said to Xia Wan and the others with regret, ¡°We can help suture this patient¡¯s wrist, but he won¡¯t be able to lift heavy objects for the rest of his life, and it¡¯s very likely that he¡¯ll be stuck for a while. During this period, he might not be able to move his hand.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the patient¡¯s family, I have to inform you of the results before the surgery just in case he¡¯s half disabled after the operation. ¡°If you have no objections, you can sign the consent form.¡± The male doctor Who spoke looked to be around 27 years old. He wore glasses and gave off a very serious vibe, which was why Yan Han and the others believed what he said. Hearing this, Yan Han staggered, and her vision turned black. As Xia Hai¡¯s wife, she knew how much he wanted to work for the family. If he could no longer lift heavy objects after the surgery, he would only be able to work with one hand. This would be a devastating blow to him. Perhaps he would be very pessimistic and depressed in the days to come. Just thinking about it, Yan Han felt that he wouldn¡¯t be able to take such a blow. She looked at the male doctor and begged, ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m begging you. Can you completely cure my husband¡¯s hand? We¡¯re willing to pay you any amount. If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll take a loan. Please use the best medicine and hire the best doctor to treat my husband. Can you?¡± After the male doctor heard Yan Han¡¯s words, he said to her, ¡°As a doctor, if I can cure his hand, I will do my best. However, the current medical means can¡¯t do it, and the doctors in our hospital don¡¯t have such skills. ¡°Based on the degree of your husband¡¯s hand injury, it¡¯s too late to transfer him to a bigger hospital and find a better doctor to perform the operation. He must undergo the operation within an hour at most, or his condition will only worsen.¡± The male doctor¡¯s words were equivalent to directly denying the rest of Xia Hail s life. Yan Han only felt dizzy, and her entire body crumbled from the shocking revelation. At this time, Xia Wan said to the male doctor, ¡°Let me perform the surgery this time. I hope your hospital can cooperate with me and prepare the operating room and related tools. Also, I hope you can assign two nurses to help me.¡± After Xia Wan finished speaking, the male doctor finally noticed him. However, the doctor didn¡¯t agree with Xia Wan. He frowned and said to Xia Wan seriously, ¡°This patient is your father, right? I understand how you feel about saving your father, but this is a hospital. I¡¯m a professional doctor, and I¡¯m also the most qualified in this hospital to perform this surgery. ¡°I¡¯ve already confirmed your father¡¯s condition. Everything I¡¯ve said is the truth. I¡¯m not lying to you. I know that you¡¯re anxious to save your father, but the hospital is not a place where you can mess around. You need to respect the doctors and don¡¯t bring serious consequences to your father because of your people. ¡°Performing surgery is not a joke. You should take this matter seriously. This is an act that you should take responsibility for you and your father.¡± From the doctor¡¯s perspective, Xia Wan was still young and she only said those words because she was worried about her father. Although the he understood Xia Wan¡¯s concern for her father, he felt that Xia Wan¡¯s words were nonsense. Xia Wan said to him with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯m also a medical student. I Imow the extent of my father¡¯s injury, and I know you¡¯re telling the truth. The current medical facilities in our town is inadequate to treat my father, but I¡¯m confident that I can cure him. ¡°I¡¯ll sign a document to prove that this operation is decided by my own will. I only need to rent your space and your nurses. I¡¯ll pay for the related expenses later. ¡°At the moment, all you can do is to let my father¡¯s hand move normally. Ultimately, he still can¡¯t use this hand to work normally.. I have a better solution now, so why can¡¯t you let my father try?¡± Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Xia Wan Makes Her Move Chapter 137: Xia Wan Makes Her Move Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan and the doctor looked at each other as they spoke. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were firm, and her expression was determined. The doctor would have thought she must be an old woman if it weren¡¯t for her young age. Just as the two of them were arguing, Xia Hai spoke up. ¡°I believe in Wanwan¡¯s medical skills. I want her to treat me. I¡¯m the patient, so I have the final say.¡± In the end, under Xia Wan and Xia Hai¡¯s insistence, the hospital signed the agreement to let Xia Wan perform the surgery, but it also clearly stated that she would bear all the consequences. The director of the hospital felt that it was ridiculous after hearing the news. He immediately brought a senior doctor Wang to Xia Wan and the others. However, when they arrived, Xia Wan had already entered the operating room. The department director immediately reprimanded Doctor Chen, who was standing outside the operating room. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Sure you¡¯re young, but you¡¯ve been in the hospital for two years. How many patients have you seen and operated on? How can you not understand such a basic thing and let an 18-year-old girl operate on a patient? ¡°You¡¯re only able to work here at your age because you¡¯ve skipped grades. It¡¯s also because your family is a medical family. You¡¯ve been exposed since you were young and had a good understanding of medicine. But even you said that his father¡¯s wrist can¡¯t fully recover, and you actually believe what that little girl said?¡± Doctor Chen didn¡¯t say a word when he was scolded by the director. He quietly listened to the director¡¯s lecture. After he was done, he began to explain, ¡°I¡¯ve told everything you¡¯ve said to the little girl, but she firmly insisted that she wanted to treat her father because the result I told her was the worst outcome. She could apparently help her father¡¯s hand recover. ¡°I know you might say that this child is worried about her father, so she¡¯s acting like this. However, the girl¡¯s family supports her and is willing to let her perform the surgery. Even her father himself believes in her. ¡°Not only that, but they¡¯re also willing to bear all the risks of this operation. We¡¯re only renting the space and two nurses to them. If it¡¯s successful, it¡¯s what they¡¯ve earned with their own efforts. Even if it fails, I¡¯ll be the first to remedy it and try my best to give his father the best treatment. ¡°If this incident causes any losses to the hospital, I¡¯ll bear all the responsibility.¡± Xia Wan and Xia Hai entered the operating room while Xia Feng, Xia Chen, and Yan han were still waiting outside. They had all heard what doctor Chen had said and was very grateful to him. Before, they had thought that Doctor Chen was a strict and serious person, but now that they saw him explaining every word to them, they felt they would remember his kindness for the rest of their lives. At this time, Xia Wan had changed into scrubs and was undergoing disinfection before operating. The two nurses had also changed into clothes and stood beside her. However, their eyes were filled with disdain. It was obvious that they did not believe that Xia Wan would perform the surgery for her father. Xia Wan didn¡¯t care about the nurses ¡®attitude. She needed help because the operation on Xia Hai was a very challenging task with the current medical standards. If there was even the slightest mistake, she might be unable to lift heavy objects with her father¡¯s hands. Therefore, she needed two nurses to help her wipe her sweat and prepare the necessary tools. She could not be distracted at all. After Xia Wan began operating on Xia Hai, her entire aura changed. Her eyes became as calm as a cold, emotionless machine. After the two nurses saw the change in Xia Wan¡¯s aura, they became serious, Under her orders, they quickly handed her the instruments. After seeing how Xia Wan helped Xia Hai with the stitches, the nurses¡¯ initial disdain turned into shock. They even thought that she was amazing. What a pair of hands! Every movement of hers seemed calculated, and she could repair Xia Hai¡¯s wounds with pinpoint precision.. Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: The Director’s Approval Chapter 138: The Director¡¯s Approval Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As Xia Wan¡¯s movements became faster, the nurses became so nervous that they started to sweat. They had helped other doctors before but never felt such pressure. The director waited outside for half an hour, but Xia Wan still didn¡¯t come out. He couldn¡¯t help it and rushed into the operating room with Dr. Wang. Xia Wan, completely focused on her father¡¯s surgery, wasn¡¯t affected by their presence. At first, the director wanted to scold Xia Wan to stop what she was doing, but after feeling her aura and witnessing her suturing skills, he even felt he might be presbyopic. He rubbed his eyes, looked at Xia Wan again, and felt his worldview shattered. For such a young girl to have such skills, it wasn¡¯t like a pair of hands but more like a perfectly calibrated machine. The Department Director asked himself honestly. Even if he had performed such an operation when he was young, he might not have been as accurate as Xia Wan. Doctor Chen saw the director enter and followed behind him quietly. He witnessed the entire process of Xia Wan¡¯s operation. At this moment, doctor Chen finally believed that Xia Wan was not lying to him. She really had the ability to heal his father¡¯s hand. The director, who originally wanted to criticize Xia Wan, stood silently in the operating room. He watched Xia Wan¡¯s every move seriously, afraid that he would miss something. Dr. Wang, standing beside him, was about to take out a small notebook to record Xia Wan¡¯s movements. An hour later, Xia Wan took a deep breath, and a smile appeared on her face. Her father¡¯s hand was saved. The two nurses hurriedly wiped her sweat. Xia Wan took off her scrubs and realized that three doctors were standing behind her. Other than Dr. Chen, there were two other doctors who looked more experienced. After Dr. Chen¡¯s introduction, Xia Wan found out that one was the director, while the other was Dr. Wang, who had more than 20 years of medical experience. The director and Dr. Wang looked at Xia Wan with admiration. The director was always serious in front of other doctors, but when it came to Xia Wan, he was a little excited, even a little helpless, like a child. The department director asked hesitantly, ¡°Miss Xia Wan, you are really good at this. No one in our hospital is as good as you. Even I couldn¡¯t do it as quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly as you when I was young. May I ask how you learned all this?¡± In the director¡¯s opinion, Xia Wan must have a very powerful master to be able to have such a technique at such a young age. So, he thought that if he could get to know her master, he could invite them to work in the hospital. Then, their hospital would be able to surpass the hospitals in the city. Xia Wan naturally couldn¡¯t tell the director who her teacher was because she hadn¡¯t met her teacher yet, so she could only say, ¡°I learned all this from my grandfather. He used to be a field doctor, and he has a lot of experience in this area. However, my grandfather passed away. All these years, I have been reading the notes left behind by my grandfather and pondering the methods of surgery he taught me. Sometimes, when I encounter dead animals, I try it on them. ¡°To be honest, this is my first time performing surgery on a patient for my father. Perhaps I was too eager to save my father, so I performed more steadily than before.¡± The director was dumbfounded after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s seriousness. He never thought such an amazing operation was performed by a first-timer like Xia Wan. ¡°Miss Xia Wan, you were really not joking?¡± The director asked with uncertainty. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Of course. Why would I joke about this? Luck played a part in this operation.¡± Although Xia Wan was serious, the director didn¡¯t believe her at all. In his opinion, Xia Wan must have had a very powerful master who had been training her since she was young. However, this master must be very low-profile, or he had his own difficulties, which was why he didn¡¯t let Xia Wan tell outsiders. The department director believed this was the most plausible explanation.. Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Working in the Hospital Chapter 139: Working in the Hospital Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Then, Miss Xia Wan, can I hire you as a special professor at our hospital? It means that you don¡¯t have to work in our hospital, but if there¡¯s any tricky problem, you can come to solve it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our hospital will pay you. It won¡¯t affect your daily life and studies.¡± Xia Wan was a little surprised, though she understood the circumstances. The director had seen her medical skills, after all, and anyone who knew good stuff could tell that she was very good. So, Xia Wan didn¡¯t find it strange that the director made that suggestion. On the other hand, Yan Han and the others were still agitated even after they heard that Xia Hai¡¯s wrist had been saved, paying little attention to the director¡¯s and Xia Wan¡¯s conversation. Xia Wan thought for a while and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± The director was delighted. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Xia Wan say, ¡°But I don¡¯t have a medical qualification certificate. In this case, it¡¯s against the law for me to treat patients.¡± The director thought that she must¡¯ve worried about something, but it turned out to be that matter. He immediately said, ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that. The country has a protective policy for special talents. It would be a loss for the country if you can¡¯t save people because you don¡¯t have a qualification certificate even though you have such excellent medical skills. So, I¡¯ll apply to the higher-ups and arrange for professionals to let you take the examination. As long as you pass the examination and get the certificate, you¡¯ll be a qualified doctor.¡± Xia Wan said all this to get the director to help her get the qualification for the exam. So, after hearing the director¡¯s words, she nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Then I don¡¯t have any more questions.¡± The director was also an honest person. After Xia Wan agreed, he immediately told her, ¡°I can give you 2000 yuan a month. You¡¯re still studying, but I hope you can work in the hospital for one day a week. If there are patients in the hospital that the other doctors can¡¯t cure, I hope you can help treat them. ¡°Of course, if you manage to cure these special patients, the hospital will also give you a bonus.¡± Xia Wan was a little surprised to hear the figure of 2000 yuan. Her father earned more than the village average, but that only totalled up to 300 yuan a month. She, on the other hand, had only become a nominal doctor in the hospital, and she¡¯d get 2000 yuan a month, even if she didn¡¯t have to do much. Although Xia Wan could make a lot by selling clothes, it was hard-earned money. The 2000 yuan was a stable salary, and the director had also said that if she cured any problematic or complicated illness, she would be given an extra bonus. In fact, Xia Wan also understood the director¡¯s thoughts. If a hospital could cure an illness that other hospitals could not, it was equivalent to creating a miracle. It would directly improve the status and reputation of the entire hospital. It was not easy to improve their status and reputation. Some hospitals might need to train a lot of talents to achieve such a high status. Xia Wan¡¯s arrival was the sharpest weapon for the director. If Xia Wan could treat special patients, no amount of money could buy her treatment. Seeing that Xia Wan had agreed, the department head immediately headed to prepare the contract for Xia Wan. It would be unwise to let such a gem go! When Yan Han saw that Xia hai was fine, she immediately went to her. She was surprised to see the director talking to her daughter, trying to please her, even. ¡°Wanwan, what are you guys talking about?¡± Yan han asked. She actually had a lot of things to ask Xia Wan. Although she knew that her daughter was skilled in medicine, this was an open surgery. How could she not know what her daughter was like? She had never operated on a patient before, but when she asked Xia Hai, he said Xia Wan was calm and steady while performing the surgery. Even the doctors and directors in the hospital were stunned. Their daughter really was amazing. But this also confused Yan Han a little. How could her daughter be so good at her first surgery? She had to clear the water. Seeing that her mother had arrived, Xia Wan smiled naturally and explained, ¡°The director thinks that my medical skills are good and wants me to work in the hospital in name. He even said that he¡¯d give me a salary. So, for the time being, let dad rest in the hospital without worrying about money.. Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: A Mother’s Protection Chapter 140: A Mother¡¯s Protection Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When the department head discovered that Yan Han was Xia Wan¡¯s mother, his attitude towards her took a drastic turn. He immediately smiled and said, ¡°Yes, Xia Wan is now considered a hospital staff. Hospitalization fees are discounted. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not going to cost much. Even if you don¡¯t have enough funds, our hospital can deduct it from Dr. Xia Wan¡¯s salary. ¡°What are you guys waiting for?¡± the department head asked the nurses. ¡°Hurry up and move Xia Hai to the best ward.¡± The nurse hurriedly brought Xia Hai away. Yan Han was surprised, even feeling a little uneasy about the director¡¯s attitude. In her opinion, the director of a hospital had a high social status. Usually, when people like them saw him, they would rush to curry favor with him. But now, the director was so respectful to her, going as far as to offer her favors. Yan Han was well aware that this was thanks to her daughter, Xia Wan. It was because Xia Wan had worked hard and gained the director¡¯s attention that she, as her mother, had also earned the respect of the hospital. At this time, Xia Wan said to the director, ¡°Director, I¡¯ll treat this as a special case in your hospital. I hope that you won¡¯t tell anyone about this. Because of my father¡¯s hospitalization, my grandma is unwilling to spend money treating his illness. Then, Xia Wan briefly talked to the director about her family¡¯s situation. The director was surprised after hearing it. What? Someone actually despised Xia Wan? Such an amazing doctor could be disliked by her grandmother? Even when her son¡¯s hand was injured, the mother didn¡¯t want to treat her son¡¯s illness quickly but tried instead to take her granddaughter¡¯s money? He had never thought that such a melodramatic and strange thing would happen to him. After recovering from his shock, the director solemnly promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get someone to keep an eye on it. The people in the hospital will cooperate with you.¡± Xia Wan nodded and expressed her gratitude to the director. In Xia Hail s ward, no one else was around except for them. Yan Han looked at Xia Wan and asked, ¡°Wanwan, tell me the truth. When did you learn how to perform surgery? Although your grandfather treats patients well, he has never done surgery before. If someone needs surgery, your grandfather would make them go to the hospital.¡± ¡°Your grandfather once said that surgery requires a good environment and that you have to go to the hospital to avoid infection. So, he naturally never taught you how to perform surgery. Where did you learn it from?¡± Xia Wan had been thinking about this question ever since Xia Hail s surgery. If her family asked, what should she say? So now that Yan han had asked, she replied naturally, ¡°Mom, Grandpa taught me because he was on the battlefield. It¡¯s very common to come across broken limbs and gunshot wounds. He had many ways to deal with this, but the village didn¡¯t have the means for him to teach me, so he often pointed out how to treat injuries in certain parts of the human body. ¡°Although I¡¯ve been selling clothes these days, I haven¡¯t fallen behind in my medical skills. Plus, after I got to know Mr. Zhou, he gave me a lot of medical books, and I slowly opened up my eyes. I chose to perform the surgery on my father this time because I heard Grandpa mention something similar. ¡®Grandpa saved his comrade¡¯s broken arm.¡¯ Xia Wan said half-jokingly, but she was serious. Yan Han also believed most of it. ¡°Wanwan, it¡¯s a good thing that you have medical skills,¡± Yan Han said earnestly. ¡°But you¡¯re still young. If you become famous too early, it might not be good for you. You won¡¯t know whether the people around you are good or bad. So, even if we have medical skills, we still have to keep a low profile. ¡°If someone prominent comes to you for treatment and you can¡¯t cure him, he will put all the blame on you. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be amazing or be some high achiever in this life. I just want you to be safe and happy, study hard, and do what you want to do. I¡¯m willing to protect you for the rest of your life.¡± Xia Wan was touched. At first, she thought her mother thought her medical skills came from an improper source. She didn¡¯t expect her mother to think so much for her. Even though her mother was born in the countryside, she had taught her a lot of principles and it was in no way worse than any other mother.. Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Li Jin is Here to Cause Trouble Chapter 141: Li Jin is Here to Cause Trouble Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Although her mother was weak at times and was bullied by her aunts, every time she was in danger, her mother would protect her. Her mother, who had always been gentle, would confront her grandmother because she was wronged. This kind of motherly love moved Xia Wan. She hugged Yan Han tightly, her eyes turning red. ¡°Thank you, my mother.¡± She was such a good mother, but in her previous life, she was killed by Xia Ru¡¯s family. In this life, no one could touch her parents. She wanted to grow up with all her might so no one could bully her. Just as the family was touched, discordant voices rang out in the corridor. ¡°I¡¯m looking for my son, Xia Hai. Where is he?¡± Xia Wan frowned. It was Li Jin¡¯s voice. Xia Wan looked at Xia Hai, who was lying on the bed, and asked solemnly, ¡°Father, there¡¯s an opportunity in front of you, an opportunity to split with the family. Are you willing to do so?¡± Xia Hai saw the determination in Xia Wan¡¯s eyes. He seemed to have thought of what she wanted to do. When his hand was injured, his mother, Li Jin, only wanted to take money from him. Hence, Xia Hai¡¯s heart had long been soaked in ice water. He sighed faintly. ¡°Let¡¯s do as you say and we¡¯ll split from the family.¡± Yan Han¡¯s eyes became determined. ¡°This time, we must split! Not only did Xia Hail s injury show her how cold and heartless her mother-in-law was, but Xia Wan¡¯s medical skills were also very good. The hospital had hired her as a special instructor, and Li Jin and the others would definitely know about this in the future. If they didn¡¯t move out, Li Jin would use Xia Wan¡¯s status to show off in the village. Even the money she earned would belong to Li Jin. She couldn¡¯t let her daughter live such a life. Her daughter was so outstanding; how could Li Jin restrict her? The nurse stopped Li Jin outside. ¡°Who are you? We have many patients in the hospital. Please keep quiet and don¡¯t disturb the patients.¡± Li Jin¡¯s face was filled with disdain. ¡°My son is a patient. I¡¯m here to see him.¡± Li Jin didn¡¯t want to come at first. She was waiting for Xia Wan to come and beg her, but the village head knew about Xia Hails injury. The village head was a distant relative of Li Jin¡¯s family, so he asked Li Jin and his family to come. Li Jin was followed by the village chief, Xia Ru, Xia Ye, and their family. Everyone else had come besides Xia Yu, who was playing outside. The nurse was still outside blocking the way, but Xia Wan had already opened the door. When she saw the village chief, she was a little surprised, but soon, she felt that he had come at the right time. She squeezed out her tears and looked at Li Jin with a hurt expression. ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s the point of you coming over now? Dad¡¯s hand is already useless. The doctor said that he was sent here too late. Even if the stitches are done now, he won¡¯t be able to lift heavy objects in the future. He won¡¯t be able to work anymore.¡± ¡°Grandma, Dad is your son too. Why didn¡¯t you send him to the hospital immediately?¡± At this moment, Yan Han also followed him out. Right now, she only wanted to protect her daughter, Xia Wan, and not let Li Jin bully her. And when she saw the village chief was also here, Yan Han¡¯s courage increased. ¡°Mother,¡± Yan Han started. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth now that we are in front of the village chief. Xia Hai was repairing the roof when you came to ask for money. You even said that you were going to search our house. You also said a lot of things to curse at Xia Wan. That was why Xia Hai was so angry and wanted to argue with you. It was because of this that he fell from the ladder. ¡°You clearly saw how much he was bleeding, yet you didn¡¯t feel sorry for him. You even said that we were guilty and fell down on purpose to stop you from searching the house for money. ¡°Mother, Xia Hai has been so filial. Why do you keep thinking he¡¯s so evil? ¡°If it weren¡¯t for what you said, Xia Hai wouldn¡¯t have fallen from the ladder, and his hand wouldn¡¯t have been crippled. If he can¡¯t work in the future, what will happen to the children and me? Mother, are you going to support us?¡± Li Jin was shocked by Yan Han¡¯s words, and subconsciously asked, ¡°What? Xia Hai can not work anymore? Then he can¡¯t make money?¡± Xia Wan was very surprised that her mother could say this. At the same time, she was happy for her mother. Since her mother had started this, she naturally had to put on a good show. She said to Li Jin, ¡°Yes, and we haven¡¯t paid his medical fees yet. The doctor said that we could pay a part of it first. My mother and I were just about to go home to get the money when you came, grandma. You¡¯re here to pay for us, right? ¡°The doctor said that you¡¯re still short of 3000 yuan. I¡¯ve given you so much money all these years. You should have some, right, grandma?¡± ¡°What? Three thousand yuan! Are you guys going to eat people?!¡± Li Jin¡¯s mouth was wide open, and she was so scared that she stepped back.. Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: The Nurse’s Cooperation Chapter 142: The Nurse¡¯s Cooperation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The nurses had also received instructions trom the director to tollow Xia Wan¡¯s plan. After hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, the nurses who had stopped her immediately said, ¡°Yes, the medical fees haven¡¯t been paid yet. Since you¡¯re the patient¡¯s family, please come with me to pay the medical fees. You still need 3000 yuan.¡± Li Jin¡¯s eyes immediately dodged, and he also pretended to be pitiful and said, ¡°3000 yuan? how can our family afford that much?¡± Xia Wan looked straight at Li Jin. my father pays you 300 yuan a month for your salary, which is more than 3000 yuan a year. My father has been paying for over ten years, and all the money is yours. Other than the yearly school fees and the new clothes we make, we don¡¯t spend on anything else. ¡°Grandma, now that my father is sick and hospitalized, can¡¯t you take out a part of his salary to pay for his medical expenses since he¡¯s been paying you for so many years?¡± Li Jin immediately retorted, ¡°What are you saying? Do you think I¡¯ll keep all the salary you gave me? We have so many people in our family. The food we eat daily, the seeds we buy every year, the school fees we pay, and your expenses¡­ which isn¡¯t money? ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I don¡¯t have that much money on me. If you want it, I can only give you 300 yuan.¡± Xia Wan sneered and looked at Li Jin with disdain. ¡°Grandma, do you think anyone will believe you? Grandma, how did you treat me before? you thought I had money on me, so you searched me. ¡°Now, my father fell from the ladder because of your scolding. Now that he has injured his wrist, he won¡¯t be able to work and earn money in the future. Grandma, you say that you don¡¯t have money. Should I learn from you and search your body? ¡°I can go home and see if you have any money hidden. If you don¡¯t, I can look into your savings account. At least I¡¯ll be able to pay for dad¡¯s medical expenses.¡± Li Jin was so angry that her body trembled, and she pointed at Xia Wan and scolded, ¡°You unfilial granddaughter! You actually suggested searching your grandmother¡¯s house? Who gave you the guts to say such unfilial things? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being struck by lightning?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s lips curled into a sneer, and she looked at Li Jin fearlessly. ¡°Grandma, weren¡¯t you the one who started this?¡± ¡°It was you who said you wanted to search me in front of everyone. It was you who said in front of the neighbors that I didn¡¯t give you my money after I earned it. You said my father was unfilial and my family was hiding money. ¡°Grandma, we¡¯re not blind or stupid. We¡¯ve all seen how our family has treated you all these years, but you said such cold words and forced me to kneel down to you. You only stopped after you forced my father to tell you about the separation. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ve been forcing us every time. My father is your son, and I¡¯m your granddaughter. Why are you so cruel to us? ¡°You clearly know that as long as you treat our family a little better, we¡¯ll definitely repay you several times over. Why can¡¯t I give father a little bit of maternal love?¡± Being questioned by Xia Wan like this, Li Jin felt a little guilty. She knew that Xia Hai was filial and would not refuse her request. However, he was always quiet and did not know how to speak out. Her eldest and second sons, on the other hand, were more likable. She was the head of the family now and held everyone¡¯s money. It was her freedom to spend money on whoever she wanted. Who was Xia Wan to control? Although she was thinking this, Li Jin naturally wouldn¡¯t admit that she was biased in front of everyone, so she immediately said, ¡°Stop talking nonsense. How am I not concerned about you? You want to search my body and check my passbook? Impossible unless you step over my dead body today!¡± Li Jin straightened her neck as she spoke as though she would die without money. Song Yan also started to speak up for Li Jin. Xia Wan, I know you¡¯re worried about your father¡¯s condition, but how can you talk to your grandma like that? Although grandma is usually a little strict with you, she¡¯s also being good to you. ¡°Besides, your father is sick now, so the work at home will be shared between our two families. We¡¯re here to see your father now, so you can¡¯t embarrass us by saying these words..¡± Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Everyone Acting Pathetically Chapter 143: Everyone Acting Pathetically Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Song Yan still remembered how Xia Wan had made Xia Ru soak in feces, causing her to be afraid to go out. So, if she could make fun of Xia Wan, she would definitely be as impolite as she could. In front of everyone, she acted like Li Jin was good to Xia Wan, and Xia Wan was the one who was not satisfied. Chen Lian heard about Xia Wan selling clothes from Xia ye and added, ¡°Xia Wan, you have your own work to do now. You¡¯re still young, and there are still many days for you to earn money. Mother is old, so how can you ask for money from her? if something happens to mother, she won¡¯t have the money to treat her illness. ¡°Say what you want to say. Why are you cursing me?¡¯ Li Jin thought as she glared at Chen Lian. However, as long as she could avoid paying Xia Hails medical fees, she would just have to bear with Chen Lian for now. She would slowly teach her the rules when she got home. Sensing Li Jin¡¯s gaze, Chen Lian realized that she had said something wrong. But fortunately, Li Jin didn¡¯t intend to argue with her. He clearly understood that their common enemy was Xia Wan¡¯s family. In short, they could not pay for Xia Hail s medical expenses. As for how to solve the problem, it would depend on Xia Hail s family. If it really did not work, they had the village head next to them, right? They could ask the village head to ask the villagers to lend money to Xia Hai. After all, they did not care. Xia Wan looked at song Yan and Chen Lian coldly and retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t the two aunties always ask my mom to help you with work? According to what you said, we¡¯re a family, so it¡¯s only right for us to care for each other when something happens. ¡°Now that my father is sick, can your two families also take out some money to help pay for my father¡¯s medical expenses?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, aunties. Take it as a loan from my family. After my father recovers, my brother will find a job and pay you back slowly. You¡¯ll be able to pay it off in about two years. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid that we¡¯ll go back on our word, we can write you a contract. The village head is here, and everyone can be our witness. We won¡¯t owe you.¡± Song Yan and Chen Lian only felt bad luck. They wouldn¡¯t have followed Li Jin here if they had known that Xia Wan¡¯s family couldn¡¯t even afford the medical expenses. Originally, they had only come to check on Xia Hai¡¯s injuries, and at the same time, hoping to give the impression to the village chief that they were not that cold and heartless. However, she did not expect to have to foot Xia Hails medical bills after coming to the hospital. Song Yan immediately found an excuse and said, ¡°When my Xia Ru was sick, I even helped her find a few prescriptions. It cost me a lot. Also, my Xia Ru has just recovered, and she¡¯s taking a few days off. The factory won¡¯t pay her for these off days. My family doesn¡¯t have any money.¡± Chen Lian quickly added, ¡°My son eats a lot. He usually spends twice as much as the ordinary person. My daughter is still in school. She needs to buy textbooks and new clothes. Our family doesn¡¯t have any money.¡± Song Yan and Chen Lian were afraid that Xia Wan would ask them for money, so they quickly used the child as an excuse. When Xia Wan heard what they said, she had already expected this result. Because of the commotion, and the fact that the hospital was already full of people, it quickly attracted the attention of others. After listening to a few words of their conversation, everyone understood that the woman¡¯s son was sick and hospitalized. However, the woman clearly took her son¡¯s monthly salary but did not have the money to pay his operation fees. Some people couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so they looked at Li Jin and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already given you your son¡¯s salary. Now that he¡¯s sick and needs to be hospitalized, who will pay if not you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of unfilial sons, but I didn¡¯t expect a mother to be so heartless. You don¡¯t even care about your own son. Do you want him to die in the hospital?¡± Li Jin glared back at them. ¡°What do you guys know? We are completely out of money.¡± Li Jin took out 300 yuan from her pocket and handed it to Xia Wan. ¡°Didn¡¯t your father say that he wanted to move out? it just so happens that your father is sick now, and we really can¡¯t take out any money. Take this 300 yuan and buy whatever you can. From today on, we¡¯ll move out of the family. ¡°After that, your family¡¯s wellbeing has nothing to do with me..¡± Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Drawing a Clear Line Chapter 144: Drawing a Clear Line Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Although she said that, Li Jin¡¯s hand that was holding the 300 yuan was still clenched tightly. It was 300 yuan, Xia Hail s monthly salary, but now he had to give it to him so easily. Hearing Li Jin¡¯s words, Xia Wan was happy. However, she couldn¡¯t act like this in front of her, or she would be done for. Xia Hai, who was in the ward, had also heard the commotion outside. Xia Wan had deliberately left the door half-open so he could listen to it with his own ears. How did his mother, who he had always respected and loved, treat his family like that when he was hospitalized? Xia Hail s hands were wrapped in bandages, and it was impossible to see what was going on inside. He pulled off the IV needle and walked out of the ward. His eyes were red, and he looked at Li Jin stubbornly. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m hospitalized now, but I don¡¯t blame you. I don¡¯t blame you for being unable to fork out the money, but are you really going to split the family while I¡¯m in the hospital? ¡°Mother, are you worried that if I borrow money, I won¡¯t be able to go to work? If I can¡¯t repay the debt, people will come to you for it, right?¡± Li Jin¡¯s thoughts had been read, but she refused to admit it. She only said, ¡°You were the one who told me to move out. You said that I maltreated your daughter and was unfair to your family. You said that I was biased. Now, I¡¯m giving you this chance. Let¡¯s move out today. ¡°And isn¡¯t your Xia Wan capable? She can even help her boss sell clothes now. I heard that she even gets a commission. ¡°I know you guys are hiding money behind my back, and I don¡¯t want this money. We¡¯ll go our separate ways. You guys think of a way to pay for the medical expenses. I really don¡¯t have any money.¡± Li Jin looked at the village chief as she spoke. ¡°Since you¡¯re here today, I¡¯d like to ask you to help us write a family separation agreement. Our family only has one house and a few acres of land. How about we give Xiahai two acres? ¡°Our other houses are all connected to each other, and we can¡¯t say we¡¯ve given a piece of land to Xia Hails family. So, we¡¯ll ask his family to find a place to rent.¡± Li Jin then turned to Xia Hai and said with a kind expression, ¡°I¡¯m not that heartless. Your father left a piece of land for you. Although it¡¯s a little deserted, it¡¯s big enough. You¡¯ll just need to work hard for a few years, and you should¡¯ve saved enough to build a house there. Then, it¡¯ll be your new home.¡± Li Jin was not embarrassed at all when she said that. She even felt she was being charitable to Xia Hail s family. Xia Wan knew where the land Li Jin was talking about was. It was in a very remote location in the village. Yan Han knew what was going on as well. When she heard this, she looked at Li Jin with reddened eyes. ¡°Mother, for all these years, Xia Hai and I have given you all the money we¡¯ve earned. Our family has the worst food, and we use all their leftovers. Our family does the most work in the fields, but now, are you going to abandon Xia Hai because of his injured hand? ¡°Mother, that piece of land is so desolate. There¡¯s no way we could build a house. Mother, you¡¯re making us homeless!¡± When Li Jin heard this, she was unhappy. She glared at Yan han and said, ¡°What has what I¡¯m saying here got to do with you? What right do you have to make my decision? If it wasn¡¯t for an unlucky woman like you who married into our family, would my son be lying in bed now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an old saying that goes, ¡®if you marry a blessed wife, your family¡¯s life will only get better.¡¯ Look at Xia Hai. After marrying you, I wonder what good fortune he¡¯s got after all these years?¡± When Yan Han heard Li Jin¡¯s words, she felt very wronged. ¡°Mother, how can you blame me for this? I¡¯m the one taking care of all the children in the house. Whenever you¡¯re feeling unwell, I¡¯m the one who takes care of you from the front to the back. I¡¯m not asking you to praise me, but you shouldn¡¯t have said that, either. You¡¯re hurting your daughter-in-law too much.¡± Li Jin¡¯s face was filled with disdain. ¡°Which family¡¯s daughter-in-law doesn¡¯t take care of their elderly? This is what you should do. After marrying you, it¡¯s true that our Xia Hai hasn¡¯t enjoyed a good life. I¡¯d take care of you if I had the ability, but now I don¡¯t have money. I can¡¯t use the funds of my boss¡¯s family and second brother¡¯s family to subsidize you. It¡¯ll be unfair to them..¡± Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Weak Brotherhood Chapter 145: Weak Brotherhood Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The eldest, Xia Jiang, also looked at Xia Hai and said, ¡°Third brother, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but our family is in a difficult situation. If we had the money, we¡¯d have definitely given it to you. You have two sons, and they¡¯ll definitely be successful in the future. ¡°Besides, Xia Chen has stopped studying. Even if you borrow some money and pay for his medical expenses, he can pay it off in two years. Your children are good. We believe in you. Xia Wan sneered in her heart. She had never heard Xia Jiang praise her family before. It was all because he wanted them to split from the family. Xia He, the second brother, wasn¡¯t like Xia Jiang, who only knew how to say nice things. He took out 30 yuan from his pocket and said to Xia Hai, ¡°We have two children, and Xia Yu is a big eater. She¡¯s always causing trouble, so we really don¡¯t have much money. I secretly saved this 30 yuan behind my wife¡¯s back. I¡¯ll give it all to you this time. I still care about you as an older brother, but my family really can¡¯t help you.¡¯ In front of the village chief and everyone else, Xia He was still happy to put on an act. Xia Jiang, who had spoken to him earlier, was a little unhappy. He was also acting pitifully and didn¡¯t want to help Xia Hai pay for his medical expenses. However, Xia He had only given 30 yuan more than him. In comparison, Xia Jiang seemed to be unkind. Xia Jiang¡¯s wife, Song Yan, also hurriedly took out 50 yuan and stuffed it into Yan Han¡¯s arms. ¡°This is a small token from our family. Other than this, I really can¡¯t take out any more money.¡± Song Yan¡¯s heart ached when she handed the money to Yan han. Her Xia Jiang only earned a little more than 100 yuan a month, equivalent to one-third of her salary. However, if they could successfully separate from the family, at least they would not have to bear the burden of Xia Hai. Compared to 3000 yuan, this 50 yuan was nothing. Yan Han didn¡¯t want to take the money, but Xia Wan knew that the family would be split today, and this would be the last time she could hustle this family out of their money. So, she took the money from them without hesitation. ¡°All these years, you¡¯ve only paid half of your salary each time, and you only have this little money. It¡¯s been hard on you. My dad pays 300 yuan every month for your two families to spend. It¡¯s not too much for me to take a few dozen from you.¡± Then, Xia Wan looked at the village head. since grandma and the others are so heartless, let¡¯s split the family. I just hope that in the future, grandma won¡¯t come back and tell us it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision when we¡¯re living a good life. ¡°In front of so many people, in front of the village chief, you better not regret Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Li Jin felt that she was just trying to save face. If Xia Hai l s hand was crippled and he couldn¡¯t work anymore, how much money could Xia Chen make a month? Besides, Xia Wan and Xia Feng were still studying. Even if they could earn commissions from selling clothes, how long could they sell for? Xia Wan and Xia Feng would be going to school soon. What kind of clothes could Xia Chen sell with his mouth? Li Jin could not see any hope in his family, so he was determined to cut off all ties with Xia Hai l s family. The village head was well aware of their family¡¯s situation. After seeing Li Jin and the others ¡®attitude, the village head felt a chill in his heart. He knew Xia Hai l s character, but what could Xia Hai do with such a mother? The village chief sighed. He looked at Li Jin and asked solemnly, ¡°Xia Hai is also your son. Are you sure you want to part with him? After the separation, you will live alone and not be responsible for each others debts. You won¡¯t be able to enjoy the other party¡¯s salary. Are you sure?¡± Li Jin nodded without hesitation. I¡¯m sure. Xia Jiang and Xia He both heaved a sigh of relief when they heard Li Jin¡¯s words. The hospital had prepared a pen and paper, and the village chief helped them write down all kinds of terms. Xia Hails family was given out, so they only received 300 yuan from Li Jin and 80 yuan from Xia Jiang and Xia He, which added up to 380 yuan. At the same time, Xia Hail s family received a piece of land. However, the land was remote, and there were no other houses around. But Xia Wan didn¡¯t mind. Even if it was just a piece of abandoned land, it was still land and would appreciate in the future. After confirming no mistake, both sides wrote down their names and pressed their thumbprints. This document was divided into two, with each receiving one half. Having achieved her goal, Li Jin didn¡¯t plan on staying any longer and was ready to leave.. Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Xia Hai’s Loss Chapter 146: Xia Hai¡¯s Loss Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Hai looked at her deeply and could not help but ask, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s been so many years. I¡¯ve done so much for you. Now that I¡¯m sick and in the hospital, aren¡¯t you willing to spend more time with me?¡± Li Jin smiled awkwardly. If Xia Hai and the others did not owe her the medical fees, she would have stayed for a while. However, their family still owed her 3000 yuan for the medical fees. Even if they were separated now, who knew if the hospital would ask them for money if they continued to stay here? So Li Jin said, ¡°Son, I know that you are injured now, but I am at ease now that I see you. There is a lot of work to do at home. You should rest here first. When I am done, I will come to see you. I will take good care of you. ¡°Even if we split up, you¡¯ll always be my good son.¡± After she finished speaking, Li Jin left without looking back. Xia Hai looked at her back and could not help but shed a tear. Xia Wan¡¯s heart ached for her father when she saw him like this. It was said that men didn¡¯t cry easily. If they did, it must be because they were utterly distraught. To Xia Hai, Li Jin¡¯s actions were akin to abandoning him in his time of need. The mother who raised him for decades had left him heartlessly. The village chief looked at them with mixed feelings and said to Xia Hai, ¡°You¡¯re a good child. Your mother did not do a good job, but don¡¯t let that make you give up. I think you two will have a good life together. You¡¯ll have to work hard. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to me. After that, the village chief left. Xia Wan also expressed her gratitude to the village chief. Xia Wan was also a little upset. The village chief was only a distant relative of her family, and they only had a brotherly relationship with him during his grandfather¡¯s generation. Li Jin was his father¡¯s biological mother. But now, even a distant relative could express concern to his father, even saying that they could look for him if their family were in trouble, but his biological grandmother was afraid that they would provoke her and cause her trouble. After Li Jin left, the atmosphere in Xia Hail s family went a little quiet. No matter how much Xia Wan hated Li Jin, she still felt slightly disappointed when she saw her attitude towards her family. Her grandfather, who had been so good to her, had married such a daughter-in-law. If Li Jin had been fair to his three sons, grandchildren, and granddaughter, the family wouldn¡¯t have ended like this. Xia Wan knew very well that if the Xia family were to split the profits, Xia Jiang and Xia He would be the ones who¡¯d fight over it the most. Even though Li Jin doted on Xia Yu and his two sons, if something really happened to them that affected their interests, they would not hesitate to let her suffer. But if Li Jin treated their family well, things would be completely different. Even if they only had one yuan and Li Jin needed two, they would find a way to borrow another yuan to meet his expenses. This was something Li Jin couldn¡¯t figure out. In the end, her vision was too narrow and his too shallow. However, there was an old saying that the more biased the elderly were, the more likely they would be unable to achieve anything. On the other hand, the one who was always not favored and suffered all kinds of grievances would be more likely to achieve success. Xia Wan didn¡¯t understand this in the past, but she did now. She understood that she had to rely on herself and work twice as hard to get anything done because she wasn¡¯t favored. Xia Wan took a deep breath and helped Xia Hai to the ward. She poured him some water and cut some fruit. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. You still have us. Although Grandma doesn¡¯t love us that much, our family is united. ¡°My brother and I will definitely not become like you brothers. If my siblings encounter any difficulties, I will definitely do my best to help. After hearing her words, Xia Chen also said, ¡°Me too. If anything happens to my younger siblings, I will choose to sacrifice myself to save them. Xia Wan glared at Xia Chen after hearing this. ¡°Brother, you should talk nicely. Why are you sacrificing yourself?¡± In her previous life, her brother had suffered a lot because of her, and because she had discovered it too late, she could not save her brother from that illness. Now, hearing him say this, Xia Wan¡¯s heart ached.. Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Nurturing an Older Brother Chapter 147: Nurturing an Older Brother Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation According to the timeline of her previous life, her father broke his leg while working at his part-time job. From then on, her brother had to take on the heavy burden of being the breadwinner of the family and started to do odd jobs everywhere. It took a great toll on his physical well-being, where he bore a lot of pressure on his shoulders, quite literally. He often did not eat well and cared only about making more money. It was also because of this that her brother¡¯s stomach had a ticking time bomb. When she found out, her brother was already in the final stage of stomach cancer. Thinking of this, Xia Wan was even more determined to make her business succeed. She wanted to train her brother well so he wouldn¡¯t have to do hard labor. ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve earned almost 10000 yuan in the past few days from selling clothes. Since I performed the surgery for Dad, the hospital didn¡¯t charge me. According to the director, I¡¯m already a doctor at this hospital. I¡¯m just using the space, so there¡¯s no need to spend extra money. ¡°Dad¡¯s daily fluid transfusion and medicine will be deducted from my salary, so our family doesn¡¯t need to pay a single cent. Dad, the most important thing for you now is to take care of your body. Even your meals are discounted. I¡¯m now considered an employee of the hospital.¡± After Xia Wan¡¯s explanation, the family¡¯s atmosphere became more relaxed, and the pressure on everyone¡¯s heads slowly dissipated. Yan Han even asked with a smile on her face, ¡°Wanwan, now that you¡¯re an employee of the hospital now, does that mean you can enjoy such benefits?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve heard that after working at the hospital for a few years, they will even assign you a house. Yan Han was even more surprised. ¡°They¡¯re even talking about housing allocation? This hospital is really a blessing.¡± As Xia Wan bombarded them with good news, everyone was smiling. She was not lying when she said that they would be allocated a house. After working in the hospital for five years, the doctors would always be allocated a house. This hospital would be very successful in the future and would gradually be classified as a state-owned enterprise with the help and support of the state. Now that she could have a title there, it would be good for both her and the hospital. Even if the doctors had served for less than five years, there was room to get this privilege if they performed exceptionally well. Those who owned houses would choose to reward them with cash. In short, the working conditions of the hospital were more than fair. The better one performed, the more benefits one would get. This would also be beneficial to forming a healthy competitive relationship between employees. Xia Wan and the others stayed with Xia Hai in the hospital for the entire day. They only resumed business the next day. Xia Wan had just set up her stall when she met Zhou Tian, who was rushing over. Xia Wan looked at him in surprise. ¡°Mr. Zhou, you¡¯re here to buy clothes too?¡± Zhou Tian shook his head. He panted and said, ¡°Ever since we installed a surveillance camera in our house, I¡¯ve been checking every day. But last night, I found that Luo Xing had smeared something on Rou¡¯s new clothes. Fortunately, I saw it and quickly snatched the clothes from Rou¡¯s hands. I told her that it didn¡¯t look good and didn¡¯t let her wear it.¡± Zhou Tian took out the clothes in his hands as he spoke and handed them to Xia Wan. ¡°Look, this is the dress. It has a great design. I also heard from Rou that she came to your stall and bought a few pieces. This dress must have come from your stall, right?¡± Xia Wan took the clothes and sniffed at them. She could tell that there was something wrong with them. Her expression turned serious as she said to Zhou Tian, ¡°There¡¯s some special powder in it. It¡¯s fine if an ordinary person wears it, but with Sis Xiaorou¡¯s current condition, she¡¯ll be itchy and uncomfortable. ¡°At the same time, it will also worsen Sis Xiaorou¡¯s condition. Of course, I think Luo Xin¡¯s goal is to sow discord between Sis Xiaorou and me. After all, Sis Xiaorou bought this dress from my stall. If something happens to her, it must be a problem with my dress. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that Mr. Zhou placed a surveillance camera in the house in advance, or we wouldn¡¯t be able to find a good explanation.¡± After hearing Xia Wan¡¯s analysis, Zhou Tian¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Luo Xing has crossed the line. Rou¡¯er has always been good to her and treated her like her own sister. She would give her a share of everything she has. However, not only was she not satisfied, she even wanted to harm Rou. She must be the one who drugged her..¡± Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: Giving Zhou Tian an Idea Chapter 148: Giving Zhou Tian an Idea Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Mr. Zhou, your analysis should be right, but we still need to get some actual evidence now. She couldn¡¯t help but jump into action when it came to Sis Xiaorou¡¯s clothes. It should be that Sis Xiaorou¡¯s offer dented her self-esteem. I think it¡¯s better to let Sis Xiaorou agitate her a little more. That way, she won¡¯t be able to resist retaliating, and we can capture evidence of her crime on the spot. After Zhou Tian heard what she said, he immediately asked, ¡°Then how should we provoke her?¡± Xia Wan explained her plan to Zhou Tian in detail. The more Zhou Tian listened, the bigger his eyes became. Finally, he gave Xia Wan a thumbs-up and praised her. ¡°Wan Wan, you must be really brilliant to be able to come up with such an idea. Xia Wan was a little embarrassed by the compliment. She grabbed her hair and said, ¡°I¡¯ve only read about such methods in some books. I¡¯m glad that you don¡¯t mind my scheming.¡± It¡¯s said that in ancient times, if a loyal official wanted to beat a treacherous official, he had to be more thoughtful than the treacherous official,¡± Mr. Zhou immediately replied. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re too scheming. We¡¯re just guarding ourselves and fighting against the evil. How can we not be more cautious?¡± Xia Wan saw that Zhou Tian did not think she was scheming just because she came up with an idea, and it only made her approval of Zhou Tian go up. After talking to Xia Wan for a while, Zhou Tian hurriedly carried out her plan. Zhou Tian went straight to Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s house. Li Yan happened to be resting and accompanying his child at home while Luo Xin cleaned the furniture in the living room. When Zhou Tian saw this, he deliberately handed the two sets of clothes to Zhou Xiaorou and Li Yan. ¡°Yesterday, I heard you talking about Wanwan and the others setting up a stall. I thought your clothes didn¡¯t look too good, so I took them to Wanwan and changed them. Look at this. Wanwan said that you would definitely look good in it. I¡¯ll take you to a party in two days. ¡°Li Yan¡¯s superior and old friend of mine heard that your health has improved a lot. He told me that you can go to work with him directly. Your position is the same as his. ¡°In the future, Luo Xin and I will take care of your children. The two of you can go to work and leave work together. How nice would that be?¡± After hearing Zhou Tian¡¯s words, Li Yan couldn¡¯t control his expression. His face was filled with shock, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why, Dad? Rou hasn¡¯t worked in our unit before. How could she and I have the same position?¡± After Zhou Tian heard this, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not happy that Rou¡¯er has the same position as you?¡± Li Yan also realized that she had lost control of his emotions. She quickly said, ¡°No, Dad, that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m just surprised because my boss told me that if we want to be promoted, we must climb up step by step and have much work experience.¡± ¡°I thought that if Rou joined our company, the fact that we are a married couple would definitely be exposed. By then, Rou would¡¯ve been promoted, and people would suspect that she must¡¯ve used her connections. ¡°Dad, you know Rou¡¯s heart is fragile. She can¡¯t stand all this slander. Of course, I hope that Rou can have the same position as I, or even higher, but I¡¯m afraid that she can¡¯t handle those verbal attacks.¡± Zhou Tian laughed when he heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. Rou had helped this company before you joined. They all know of her ability. Besides, they all know of her relationship with your superior. So, no one will object to her quick promotion. Upon hearing Zhou Tian¡¯s words, Li Yan could only suppress all the unwillingness and anger in his heart. He forced a smile and said, ¡°Is that so? ¡°That¡¯s great. My wife is such an outstanding person.¡± Zhou Xiaorou did not know about Zhou Tian¡¯s plan. What Zhou Tian said was true. Li Yan¡¯s unit had some financial problems in the past, and those problems were solved by Zhou Xiaorou. Rou smiled in embarrassment after hearing Zhou Tian¡¯s words. ¡°It was just a coincidence. The accountant in Mr. Wang¡¯s unit was on leave for something. The new accountant didn¡¯t know much about this, so there were some problems. I helped him solve them.. Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Li Yan Ready to Take Action Chapter 149: Li Yan Ready to Take Action Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Yan¡¯s smile became even more unnatural, but he still praised, ¡°My wife is indeed the best. I¡¯m so proud to have a wife like her. In the past, Zhou Tian would have thought that Li Yan loved Zhou Xiaorou very much, but with Xia Wan¡¯s reminder, he was constantly observing Li Yan¡¯s expression, so he could tell that Li Yan¡¯s praise for Zhou Xiaorou was only surface deep. If anything, there was more unwillingness in his eyes. Zhou Tian could not help but sigh emotionally. He had been accepting Li Yan¡¯s existence all these years, so he had neglected many things. Perhaps Li Yan had disguised himself well, but it was also because he had also trusted Li Yan too much. At this moment, Zhou Tian had mixed feelings. He really hoped that Li Yan would not do anything that would make Xiaorou sad. After saying what he needed to say, Zhou Tian left the clothes behind and left. That afternoon, Luo Xin and Li Yan took advantage of the time when Zhou Xiaorou and the child were asleep and conspired in the kitchen. Luo Xin fanned the flames beside Li Yan. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve worked hard at the unit for two years to get this opportunity to be promoted, but Sis Xiaorou just went through the motions and got to your current position. How ironic is that? ¡°Sir, everyone can see your ability. Do you have to go through so much trouble to get promoted, just because you don¡¯t have a back door like Sis Xiaorou? Plus, her direct promotion is a huge blow to the new employees.¡± Li Yan¡¯s expression was very cold, and his words were full of dissatisfaction. ¡°Do you think such thoughts never crossed my mind? But what can I do about it? Even my leader has no opinion. What do you want me to say?¡± Luo Xin was very satisfied with Li Yan¡¯s current attitude. She turned to him and said, ¡°If Sister Xiaorou is in poor health, then she naturally can¡¯t work at the company. If that happens, you won¡¯t feel awkward. Moreover, she still needs you to take care of her. She¡¯s still a useless person. Li Yan frowned slightly after hearing her words. I want her to collapse as soon as possible, but Dad and Rou both trust Xia Wan. Now, we have to taste all the food and drink before giving her anything. If we poison her, we¡¯d be hurt too.¡± Luo Xing was a scheming girl. After hearing this, she said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sir. In order to help you, it¡¯s okay for me to be wronged a little. I asked that person in advance. Even if the dosage is a little heavy, I would only be weakened temporarily. However, if Sis Xiaorou and I take it at the same time, she would be very ill. ¡°She¡¯ll be sent directly to the hospital. She might even die. ¡°No matter the outcome, the people in the hospital won¡¯t be able to find out. If Sis Xiaorou dies, Sir, you can show your loyalty to her, and we can put on a show together. Zhou Tian will definitely think that you have deep feelings for her, and I will also treat her as my real sister. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking about a new wife, I¡¯m sure Mr. Zhou worries that she¡¯d mistreat the child. So, when the time comes, all we need to do is reveal our relationship a little, and Zhou Tian will definitely hope that we can get married.¡± Li Yan understood what Luo Xin meant. He had no objections to Luo Xin¡¯s previous suggestion of drugging Zhou Xiaorou. He even felt that Luo Xin¡¯s willingness to sacrifice herself was a noble act. However, Li Yan did not agree with Luo Xin¡¯s suggestion. If Zhou Xiaorou died, his wife could be many people. It didn¡¯t necessarily have to be Luo Xin. Luo Xin was poorly educated, and she did not have much knowledge. She could make good as a lover for fun, but if he were to consider her his wife, then she was completely unqualified. But now, Li Yan still needed Luo Xin¡¯s cooperation to set up this trap, so he hugged Luo Xin in his arms and said affectionately, ¡°It¡¯s a blessing to have met you in this life. I¡¯ll have to trouble you with this matter. After it¡¯s done, we¡¯ll follow your plan. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± After hearing his words, Luo Xin¡¯s eyes were filled with satisfaction and gratitude. After enduring for so long, she was finally about to get what she wanted. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m willing to do anything as long as I can be with you. Don¡¯t worry, Sir. I¡¯ll treat your child well. I¡¯ll treat her like my own..¡± Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: Each With Their Own Thoughts Chapter 150: Each With Their Own Thoughts Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Yan sneered, but he could still coax Luo Xin without changing his expression. ¡°Of course, I believe you. You are the person I love the most in this world.¡± In fact, Li Yan was thinking about how to find evidence of Luo Xin¡¯s attempted murder of Zhou Xiaorou. If he found evidence, he would have the evidence to threaten Luo Xin and force her to act according to his plan. She wanted to be his wife? Maybe in the next life. Luo Xin didn¡¯t know Li Yan¡¯s true thoughts. She was already looking forward to the scene of her becoming Mrs. Li after Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s death. From then on, she wouldn¡¯t have to do housework anymore. She could use Li Yan¡¯s money to hire other servants and watch them busy themselves in front of her. Undoubtedly, she wouldn¡¯t treat Li Yan and Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s child as her own. Children, of course, would be the best if they were born by themselves. After she gave birth to her own child, she would not care about how Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s child lived. She had served her and her child enough over the years. The two had their own plans in their hearts. They hugged each other tightly, but they had different thoughts in their hearts. On the other hand, Zhou Tian listened to their entire plan. He clenched his fists tightly, and his eyes were wide open. There was an irrepressible anger in his eyes. ¡°These two ingrates! My daughter treated them so well, but they¡¯re here trying to take her life! ¡°They must pay the price!¡± As Zhou Tian spoke, he wished he could beat the two up with a stick. However, he remembered Xia Wan¡¯s warning and quietly kept the evidence. The technology in this era was not very good. Videos could be saved, but they were black and white, and the length that could be saved was also limited. However, it was enough to record the moment Li Yan and Luo Xin were conspiring with each other. Zhou Tian did not dare to leave the house. Fearing that they might poison Zhou Xiaorou at any time, he chose to stay home. Luo Xin was about to drug her, but she realized that Zhou Tian did not leave today. He was even planning to stay for dinner. At the dining table, Li Yan¡¯s expression was a little off. As a servant, Luo Xin had no right to eat at the same table as her master. However, because Zhou Xiaorou was good to her, she always ate with everyone. However, the moment Luo Xin sat down, Zhou Tian furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Luo Xin, in the future, you should take your food out alone. You can eat in the kitchen. Other families also follow this rule. All servants have to eat in the kitchen. ¡°I know Rou and Li Yan are good to you, but you¡¯ll have to watch your behavior, especially now that Li Yan has been promoted and Rou will be soon. There will be many guests at home. If they see you eating with the master, they will think our family has no rules. ¡°They might even think that Li Yan and Rou are pushovers, which will affect their leadership positions in the company. Of course, my friend also values rules the most, so in order to prevent people from talking behind your back, you should slowly establish rules from today on.¡± Luo Xin¡¯s body was extremely stiff. Zhou Tian¡¯s words felt like a tight slap to her face. ¡°I know,¡± she said to Zhou Tian with a pale face. As she was about to leave, Zhou Xiaorou said with some pity, ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. If those people come to our house, we can just ask Luo Xin to leave. There¡¯s no need to do that now. Besides, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be promoted. ¡°Besides, Mr. Wang¡¯s workplace is good, and I¡¯ve only just gotten better. I still want to spend more time with my child.¡± Zhou Tian glanced at his granddaughter in Xiao Rou¡¯s arms, and his gaze became much more loving. At the same time, he thought about Li Yan and Luo Xin¡¯s plan, and his hatred for them grew. These two scumbags! Rou, you¡¯re too soft-hearted. I regret giving you this name. You¡¯re a mother now, so you should learn to be more ruthless. Zhou Xiaorou blinked. ¡°Dad, why do you have to be so cruel?¡± Zhou Tian felt helpless as he looked at his innocent daughter. He suddenly felt that he was responsible for overprotecting Rou. She was completely oblivious to how evil people really were.. Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Luo Xin Making Her Move Chapter 151: Luo Xin Making Her Move Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhou Tian sighed. However, he could not be too direct in front of Li Yan and Luo Xin. If the two were alerted, he might not be able to send them to prison. With that in mind, Zhou Tian had no choice but to find an excuse and said, ¡°You¡¯ve only watched over my shop, but if you work at Mr. Wang¡¯s company, your new colleagues will be different from the customers you meet. If you¡¯re not careful, those colleagues will set you up. Zhou Tian then looked at Li Yan and asked casually, ¡°Li Yan, you know your own company very well. Have you ever been treated unfairly?¡± Hearing Zhou Tian¡¯s words, Zhou Xiaorou immediately looked at Li Yan worriedly and asked, ¡°Hubby, did you encounter anything else in the office?¡± Li Yan was slightly flustered and quickly said, ¡°No, nothing. Dad just made the company¡¯s situation sound too serious. Rou, don¡¯t take it to heart. Dad has a point. Luo Xin, you can eat in the kitchen from now on. Luo Xin¡¯s expression was twisted initially, but her pupils dilated after hearing Li Yan¡¯s words. Other than feeling embarrassed, she also felt hatred for him. She had clearly suffered, but instead of speaking up for her, he even seemed to agree with Zhou Tian. Luo Xin felt very aggrieved, so she turned around and left without a word. Zhou Xiaorou looked at Zhou Tian and Li Yan helplessly and said, ¡°Dad, hubby, you¡¯re hurting Luo Xin¡¯s pride. Let me talk to her.¡± As she said that, Zhou Xiaorou got up and went to the kitchen to find Luo Xin. At this time, Luo Xin was sitting on a chair, her eyes red, and she was crying. When Zhou Xiaorou saw this scene, she felt her heart ache for her. She sat beside Luo Xin and comforted her, ¡°Luo Xin, don¡¯t worry. This is only temporary. In my heart, you are a part of our family. I have always treated you as a younger sister. Perhaps Father was a little harsh this time, so I apologize to you on his behalf. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± In the face of Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s gentle coaxing, Luo Xin only felt disgust and hatred. This woman had always been like this. She had been so well protected, never to experience the dark side. She had never been treated unfairly, so of course, she could say such words with a seemingly kind expression. That was because she was the one who had been hurt. The one whose self-esteem had been hurt was her, not Zhou Xiaorou. If they really treated her as a part of the family, then why wasn¡¯t Zhou Xiaorou the one doing the housework? Why was she the one doing all the hard work? In her bones, Zhou Xiaorou still treated her as a servant, but this woman was simply hypocritical. She clearly treated her as a servant, but she had to say things like treating her as a sister. Disgusting! Luo Xin grumbled madly in her heart. She wished she could become Zhou Xiaorou and exchange identities with her to experience her feelings. This was not a problem that could be solved with words of comfort. Nonetheless, Luo Xin pretended to be comforted by Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s words. She said gently, ¡°Thank you, sis Xiaorou. I understand. I just feel a little aggrieved.¡± Seeing that Luo Xin did not say anything more, Zhou Xiaorou left. Since Zhou Tian had been with them the whole time, they did not have the chance to make a move. Xia Wan and Xia Chen arrived at their hometown. Li Jin saw they had returned and subconsciously wanted to close the door, but Xia Wan stopped her. Li Jin glared at her. ¡°We¡¯ve split up. Why are you still here? I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t have any money. If you¡¯re short, go and borrow from someone else!¡± Song Yan and Chen Lian also rushed over, afraid that Xia Wan and the others would take something away from the house. Looking at the three of them, who were so alert, Xia Wan felt ridiculous. These people really thought that highly of themselves. She coldly curled her lips and said to them, ¡°I came back this time because we want to take away our things. Even if we¡¯re going to move out, we should at least take away our clothes. Why? do you want to take away our clothes?¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Li Jin asked with some uncertainty, ¡°You¡¯re really here to get your clothes?¡± Xia Wan nodded and asked, ¡°What else do you think I want?¡± At this time, Xia Ye also walked out of the house. She took the initiative and said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll keep an eye on them in case they take too many things..¡± Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Get Something At Home Chapter 152: Get Something At Home Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan looked at her coldly and said, ¡°You can keep an eye on us, but you must stay in the courtyard. We will clean up the things in our house. If you follow us into the house, you will be responsible for anything we are missing.¡± Xia Ye¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Xia Wan, you¡¯re only good at talking now. What good stuff do you think your house has worth me stealing? My family is way better off than yours.¡± When Chen Lian heard this, she immediately covered Xia Ye¡¯s mouth. She smiled embarrassedly and said to Xia Wan, ¡°Xiaye¡¯s mouth is really cheap. Look at what she¡¯s saying. Our family doesn¡¯t have that much money, and we don¡¯t have a good life. We¡¯re barely making ends meet.¡± Xia Wan just sneered and didn¡¯t say anything. After Xia Wan and Xia Feng entered the house, Chen Lian warned Xia Ye. ¡°What nonsense were you talking about? Don¡¯t you know that Xia Hai¡¯s medical expenses haven¡¯t been paid? Now you¡¯re telling Xia Wan that our family is rich. Aren¡¯t you trying to say that we are deliberately neglecting Xia Hai? Are you stupid?¡± After Chen Lian¡¯s warning, Xia Ye realized that she had been too happy and had almost forgotten about Xia Hai. However, she thought of something and said to Chen Lian in an aggrieved manner, ¡°But Mom, we¡¯ve already split up. So what if Xia Wan knows that we¡¯re rich? We¡¯ll just ignore them and not lend them money.¡± Chen Lian felt that she must¡¯ve given birth to a dumb daughter. She was so angry that she poked Xia Ye¡¯s forehead and scolded, ¡°Our family also needs a reputation. If word gets out that we don¡¯t lend money to Xia Hai, what will people say about us? They¡¯ll definitely think that we¡¯re heartless and don¡¯t care about the lives of our brothers. Would there be anyone who¡¯ll be willing to marry into our family?¡± Xia Ye touched her forehead, feeling wronged. Then, she nodded and said, ¡°I know, Mom. Be gentler.¡± In the house, Xia Wan laughed coldly. They actually didn¡¯t have many things to take. The water bottle and the rest were already old, and she didn¡¯t plan to use them anymore. Considering that she had new clothes, all she took were some mementos. Hence, she heard the entire conversation between Chen Lian and Xia Ye. So it turned out that Chen Lian knew that their own actions would be disgraceful, but they still did it nonetheless. What a heartless bunch of relatives. Xia Feng saw Xia Wan¡¯s disappointment and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Sister, we don¡¯t need such relatives. Brother and I will take care of you.¡± Xia Wan rubbed his head and said lovingly, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± When Xia Wan and Xia Feng came out, Li Jin and the others watched them from the side. They let them leave after ensuring they didn¡¯t take too many things. The next day, Li Yan had to go to work. Zhou Tian was afraid they would do something to the breakfast, so he brought it to Zhou Xiaorou directly. Luo Xin did not have the chance to do anything. After personally witnessing Zhou Xiaorou finish her breakfast, Zhou Tian hurriedly went to find Xia Wan, who had come out to set up her stall. Seeing that Zhou Tian had returned so quickly, Xia Wan understood that he must have run into some emergency. He wouldn¡¯t usually come so often. Xia Wan handed the stall to Xia Feng and Xia Chen while she went to speak to Zhou Tian. ¡°Mr. Zhou, what happened?¡± Xia Wan asked. Zhou Tian hurriedly told Xia Wan about what happened yesterday. At the same time, he handed the evidence in his hand to Xia Wan. ¡°This is the evidence that they plotted to harm Xiaorou. Wanwan, I don¡¯t know much about these things. Is this evidence enough to get them convicted?¡± After Xia Wan heard what Zhou Tian said, her expression became serious. ¡°Mr. Zhou, if it¡¯s as you said, they should be making a move soon. How about this? We¡¯re going to look at the houses today, and I¡¯m guessing they¡¯ll make their move in the afternoon. So, Mr. Zhou, you can go over at noon. We¡¯ll wait for you at the door. ¡°After they drug Sis Xiaorou, we¡¯ll catch them on the spot. That way, they¡¯ll be caught red-handed and have no reason to deny it.¡± Zhou Tian nodded after listening to Xia Wan. He agreed with her. If they had evidence, they wouldn¡¯t be able to deny it. Zhou Tian nodded after listening to Xia Wan. He agreed with her. If they had evidence, they wouldn¡¯t be able to deny it. Xia Wan¡¯s stall didn¡¯t have as many customers as before. After peddling clothes for the past few days, Xia Chen and Xia Feng learned how to interact with customers. So, after hearing what Xia Wan said, they decided to leave the stall to Xia Feng while Xia Chen went with her to help Zhou Tian.. Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: Saving Zhou Xiaorou Chapter 153: Saving Zhou Xiaorou Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At this moment, Xia Feng was also a little excited. He felt that his sister was willing to let him take care of the stall by himself, which told of how much she trusted him. However, he was used to acting serious in front of Xia Wan, so he tried his best to keep a straight face. Xia Wan nodded and confidently said, ¡°Of course I trust you.¡± After watching Xia Wan and the others leave, Xia Feng happily jumped on the spot for a while. ¡°Little brother, how much is this?¡± A female voice rang out beside him. Xia Feng quickly regained his calm. When he was facing customers, he became unusually steady and considerate. Meanwhile, Xia Wan quickly followed Zhou Tian to Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s place, but they did not enter through the main door. Zhou Tian brought them to the back of the villa. He pushed aside a pile of straw and said to Xia Wan, ¡°There is a dog hole here, and I haven¡¯t fixed it. According to what you said, since we shouldn¡¯t raise any suspicions, let¡¯s go in from here. Xia Wan looked at Zhou Tian with a complicated expression. Zhou Tian thought that Xia Wan disliked the dog hole, so he quickly said, ¡°I know it¡¯s a little insulting, but this is the safest way for now.¡± Xia Wan knew that Zhou Tian had misunderstood her. She quickly waved her hand and said, ¡°No, Mr. Zhou, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like this dog hole. I just realized that it¡¯s rather small. Are you sure you can get in?¡± It was not that she was looking down on Zhou Tian, but he was indeed a little chubby. The hole was more than enough for her to squeeze through, and although her brother was tall, he was skinny, so he made it through easily. However, it would be a little difficult for Zhou Tian to get through. Zhou Tian saw that Xia Wan was worried that he would not be able to get through. He patted his chest confidently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I went through this dog hole last year. I¡¯ll be the first to go through, if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Then, Xia Wan saw Zhou Tian push the straw away with great familiarity and crawl into the hole. As a result, he was stuck in the hole. The front half of Zhou Tian was in the courtyard, while his lower half was outside. Zhou Tian couldn¡¯t help but make uncomfortable grunts. ¡°Wanwan, help push me. I can¡¯t get in, no matter how hard I try.¡± Xia Wan tried her best to hold back her laughter. Then, she asked Xia Chen to push Zhou Tian into the room. After that, Xia Chen and Xia Wan also entered the villa through the dog hole. After they had all entered the villa, Zhou Tian blocked the entrance of the cave. Zhou Tian brought them to a quiet room. They could see what was happening in the living room through the window. When lunch was ready, Luo Xin placed the dishes in front of Zhou Xiaorou. She then took the initiative to pick up a spoon and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do as Xia Wan said. I¡¯ll try it for you now, Sister Xiaorou. Today¡¯s dish is delicious. You¡¯ll definitely like it! Zhou Xiaorou nodded her head, her heart filled with joy and anticipation. Luo Xin¡¯s cooking had always been scrumptious, and she varied her styles often, something that Zhou Xiaorou found to be a delight. Luo Xin swallowed the rice in her mouth and tried her best to look natural. Then, she placed the bowl and chopsticks in front of Zhou Xiaorou, waiting for her to eat. Luo Xin stared at Zhou Xiaorou with her heart in her mouth. As long as Zhou Xiaorou took a mouthful, she would no longer have to serve her in the future. Very soon, she would become the mistress of this villa. Just as Zhou Xiaorou picked up the spoon, Zhou Tian and the others quickly rushed out. ¡°Wait, Rou. I was looking for you.¡± Zhou Tian did not directly say there was a problem with the food but pretended to be talking to Zhou Xiaorou. While he spoke, Xiaorou also stopped what she was doing. Zhou Xiaorou looked at Zhou Tian a little doubtfully and asked, ¡°Dad, when did you arrive? Why didn¡¯t I notice you? Wanwan, why are you here? Is there something wrong?¡± Zhou Xiaorou was a little puzzled. Why hadn¡¯t she received any news? Xia Wan and Xia Chen quickly carried the dishes in Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s hands to another higher table, not letting Luo Xing touch them. Zhou Xiaorou was even more confused. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Luo Xin was panicking when she saw this, but she tried her best to appear calm. She asked, ¡°Uncle Zhou, why are you here? Why didn¡¯t I see you? Are Xia Wan and the others here as guests? I¡¯ll make some more food.¡± As she spoke, she seemed to be heading to the kitchen.. Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Exposing Luo Xin Chapter 154: Exposing Luo Xin Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhou Tian glared at Luo Xin coldly as he stood in front of his daughter and granddaughter. Luo Xin, stop pretending. We¡¯ve already called the police. You and Li Yan plotted to harm my daughter and even poisoned her food. The police will give you the fairest way to handle this matter. Luo Xing staggered and almost lost her balance. She subconsciously retorted, ¡°Mr. Zhou, what are you talking about? How could I possibly poison Sis Xiaorou¡¯s food? Besides, I¡¯ve eaten whatever she has eaten. If I really poisoned her, wouldn¡¯t I be poisoning myself?¡± ¡°The poison you gave Sis Xiaorou is fatal to her,¡± Xia Wan continued. ¡°But for you, all that would happen is a little physical weakness, which is why you¡¯re so confident. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to endure the pain for a short while, but it¡¯s worth it, considering you¡¯re exchanging that for Sister Xiaorou¡¯s death. When that happens, you¡¯ll achieve your ambition of becoming Li Yan¡¯s wife. Xia Wan¡¯s allegation directly exposed Luo Xing¡¯s intention. Luo Xin could now see that these three had clearly prepared for this long ago. It was obvious that they already knew about Luo Xin and Li Yan¡¯s plan. Despite the clear evidence, however, Luo Xin held on to the mentality that she¡¯d get lucky again and continued to quibble. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Li Yan and I are not plotting anything. Mr. Zhou, are you listening to what Xia Wan and the others are trying to say? ¡°Mr. Zhou, Xia Wan, and I did have some friction before. She definitely doesn¡¯t want me to stay at your house. Didn¡¯t you go to the hospital for a check-up before? The doctor also said that there was no problem. ¡°Mr. Zhou, how can you doubt me just because of the words of some outsiders? I¡¯ve been taking care of Sis Xiaorou for a long time.¡± Luo Xin finally realized why Zhou Tian was so rude to her last night. Xia Wan must have badmouthed her behind her back. As she thought about this, Luo Xin felt that she had found an opening. As long as she insisted that Xia Wan was the one who framed her, Zhou Tian would not be able to do anything to her. At most, she would simply get fired. Even if they wanted evidence, Zhou Xiaorou did not eat the food she cooked, and nothing would happen. Zhou Tian cared so much about his daughter that he wouldn¡¯t possibly let Zhou Xiaorou eat it just to prove that she had done something to the food. As she thought of this, Luo Xin¡¯s originally flustered heart slowly calmed down. Zhou Tian also knew about Luo Xin¡¯s resilient mental fortitude. He had already exposed her, yet she was still trying to deny it. ¡°You must have a master behind you to be able to give you such poison,¡± Xia Wan said directly. ¡°You¡¯re so confident that no one can detect the poison that this master gave you, right? ¡°Then you¡¯re really outdated. Medical equipment has improved a lot these days. As long as we leave the dish you made at the City Hospital for analysis, we¡¯ll Imow if there¡¯s any problem with it. Luo Xin knew that Xia Wan was skilled in medicine, and she was truly afraid. Xia Wan observed Luo Xin¡¯s mood with a hawk¡¯s eye. She continued, ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve already consumed these dishes. The hospital in town might not be able to check your physical condition, but when you get to the city center, there are more sophisticated equipment and better doctors who¡¯ll find out. ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you have an expert guiding you, you can do anything without anyone noticing. As long as it¡¯s related to medicine, I can find out. Can¡¯t you see that Sis Xiaorou¡¯s health is only improving? With Xia Wan¡¯s questions, Luo Xin was completely silenced. She Imew that Xia Wan and the others might have found out about what she and Li Yan had done, but she didn¡¯t want to sell him out at this time. If Li Yan got away unscathed, he would definitely find a way to protect her, but if she sold him out, they would be finished. Hence, Luo Xin bit her lip and said to Zhou Tian, ¡®Mr. Zhou, this is all my fault. It has nothing to do with Li Yan. I was envious of Sis Xiaorou. I wondered why she was born into such a rich family and had such a good husband. The more time I spent with her, the more I felt it was unfair. ¡°Until one day, when I was shopping on the street, I happened to come across an old man who had a stall. He told me about a kind of medicine. This medicine was very magical. It was equivalent to a slow-acting poison. He told me the hospital wouldn¡¯t be able to detect it after it¡¯s been consumed. ¡°At first, I thought this person was lying to me, but I tried it and found that Sis Xiaorou¡¯s body was indeed getting weaker, so I slowly became bolder. I wanted to see Sis Xiaorou suffer..¡± Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Zhou Xiaorou Suffered a Blow Chapter 155: Zhou Xiaorou Suffered a Blow Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Hearing Luo Xin¡¯s words, Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s eyes turned red. Tears fell, and she looked at Luo Xing in confusion, ¡°I¡¯ve been so good to you and have always treated you as my sister. Everything you eat, drink, and live in is good. Why do you still want to harm me?¡± Luo Xing glared hatefully at Zhou Xiaorou, her eyes full of ridicule. ¡°You have always been used to a luxurious and prosperous life. Of course, you don¡¯t think much of it. But I have never enjoyed any of that. You suddenly gave me all this, yet, you can¡¯t let me have them forever. Of course, I will become greedy and want to have all of it. ¡°If you really want to blame me, then you¡¯re also partly responsible for this. You shouldn¡¯t have been too good to me. You should have made me remember my duty so that I wouldn¡¯t have done such a thing. Hearing Luo Xing¡¯s words, Zhou Xiaorou was even more confused. She had only treated Luo Xin kindly, so why would he have such thoughts? Xia Wan stood beside Zhou Xiaorou and comforted her. ¡°Sister Xiaorou, this has nothing to do with you. Some people are jealous of what they can¡¯t get. She¡¯s in the abyss himself, so she wants everyone to accompany her.¡± Just as they were talking, the door of the villa was opened, and Li Yan rushed in. He pointed at the door of the house. At this time, the sound of police sirens could be heard coming from the door. He asked in a panic, ¡®Why are there so many police officers outside our house? Did something happen at home?¡± As Li Yan spoke, he observed the situation at home. When he saw that everyone was standing against Luo Xin, he suddenly realized something. Zhou Tian stared at him coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to work today? Why did he choose to go home at this time? You¡¯ve never had lunch at home before. Did you come home today to confirm something?¡± Li Yan immediately panicked when he heard Zhou Tian¡¯s words. He quickly explained, ¡°Dad, what are you talking about? I¡¯m just thinking that since Xiaorou is going to work with me soon, I want to take her to the company after lunch to get familiar with her colleagues.¡± Then, he pretended to ask, ¡°Dad, what are you doing? Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Zhou Tian snorted coldly. ¡°Why are you still pretending at this point? Luo Xing has already explained everything. You¡¯ve joined hands with him to harm Xiao Rou!¡± Li Yan panicked. He secretly hated Luo Xing for being so brainless, but immediately denied it. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t listen to Luo Xin¡¯s nonsense. When did I want to hurt Xiaorou? Rou is my baby. I can¡¯t wait to love her!¡± As he spoke, Li Yan stood beside Luo Xin and chided her, ¡°Luo Xin, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done to Xiaorou, but she¡¯s the treasure of my life. I¡¯ll always protect her. If you do anything to hurt her, I¡¯ll never forgive you.¡± As he spoke, Li Yan didn¡¯t forget to give Luo Xin a look. He hoped that Luo Xin would take the hint and not drag him down with her. Xia Wan opened her mouth. ¡°Luo Xin, you just saw it yourself. When everyone was criticizing you, you chose to bear the consequences alone. You didn¡¯t want to implicate Li Yan. ¡°But the man you¡¯ve always protected chose to abandon you in your most dire moment. Is such a man really worth your protection?¡± Xia Wan could already guess why Luo Xin was so determined to protect Li Yan. She felt that if she did not drag Li Yan down, he would be grateful for her kind deeds and want to save her. So Xia Wan said, ¡°You have two choices now. One is, to be honest with us. If you did this with Li Yan, you would bear less responsibility. But if you don¡¯t plan to rat Li Yan out and choose to bear the responsibility alone, I can guarantee that he will definitely put all the blame on you. He will never want anything to do with you in this life because you are no longer of value to him. ¡°Li Yan¡¯s current position was only possible because of Mr. Zhou. If Mr. Zhou doesn¡¯t want him to continue working, he can lose his job anytime.¡± ¡°Mr. Zhou also bought this house. It¡¯s an asset that belonged to Rou before she even got married. If Sister Rou and Li Yan get a divorce, this house will belong to her anyway. Li Yan doesn¡¯t even have his own house..¡± Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Stimulating Luo Xin Chapter 156: Stimulating Luo Xin Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan stared at Luo Xin and continued, ¡°Do you think a man with nothing would want to bear a burden like you? Every time he sees you, he¡¯ll only hate you. He¡¯ll think that you¡¯re the cause for him losing his good job and big house.¡± ¡°Luo Xin, wake up. Even if you don¡¯t say anything, the police will find out eventually. However, if you choose to be honest, it will save the police a lot of work and give them a good impression. Li Yan immediately raised his voice and shouted to Xia Wan, ¡°This is our family¡¯s business. What are you saying as an outsider? I¡¯m starting to suspect that you¡¯re here to destroy our family. ¡°We were fine before we met you, but so many things have happened after that. Who knows if you just want to take advantage of our family and benefit from my father? ¡°Only people from the countryside like you are good at disguising yourselves. You just want to ruin my relationship with Rou because you see that we are close, right? What do you really want?!¡± Just as Li Yan was speaking, the police had already entered the villa. The officer in charge looked at Zhou Tian and asked, ¡°You¡¯re the one who called the police, right? What happened to your family?¡± Zhou Tian pointed at Luo Xin and Li Yan and said to the police officer, ¡°Those two conspired to kill my daughter. They¡¯d been poisoning my daughter¡¯s food for a long time, but we didn¡¯t have any evidence then. Later, I suspected them, so I installed a camera in the house. Now, I have evidence that they¡¯ve murdered my daughter.¡± While Zhou Tian spoke, Xia Wan passed the things that Zhou Tian had given her to the police officer and explained, ¡°This records the conversation between Luo Xing and Li Yan when they tried to murder Sis Xiaorou.¡± Then, Xia Wan brought the pot of vegetables over to the police officer. ¡°The food in here has been drugged. I can detect the relevant ingredients. The formula has also been written in this paper. The town may not be able to detect it due to a lack of equipment, but if it were in the city, it could be detected.¡± After the police officer heard Zhou Tian and Xia Wan¡¯s words, he was momentarily stunned. This was very different from their previous cases. When they were working, they had to understand the situation first, then help them analyze the cause of the incident or determine who the criminal was. However, when they came here, Zhou Tian could explain everything clearly. It was as if they were only here to arrest the criminal. After the initial shock, the police officer quickly reacted and took the evidence. Then, he asked the others to take Luo Xing and Li Yan away. ¡°You¡¯re also involved in this. I need you to follow me back to the police station to record your statement,¡± The police officer said to Zhou Tian and Xia Wan. Xia Wan nodded and then said to Xia Chen, ¡°Brother, you go and help look after the stall. I¡¯ll be the witness for Mr. Zhou¡¯s matter.¡¯ With the police and Zhou Tian accompanying her, Xia Chen was at ease with Xia Wan. He returned to his stall to continue with the clothes business. After they arrived at the police station, Li Yan and Luo Xing finally felt a sense of fear. If it was just a small fight at home before, everything was different now that they were at the police station. If he were to be held in the police lockup, there would be a stain on his record, and it would be difficult for him to achieve anything in his life. Luo Xin and Li Yan were summoned by two police officers for interrogation. If Luo Xin had thought that she would bear all the blame, Luo Xing suddenly felt that Xia Wan was right, after what happened in the villa. Li Yan would not help her at all and would only bother her. Left with little option, Luo Xin confessed the entire incident to the police. It was just as Luo Xing had said. When she went shopping, she met a mysterious old man. At that time, she had seen Zhou Xiaorou and her sister shopping and buying many things. Luo Xin got jealous. She felt that Zhou Xiaorou didn¡¯t have to do anything and only had to spend money. After seeing the old medicine man, she asked if he had anything that could make a person look weak. Unexpectedly, the old man immediately understood Luo Xin¡¯s meaning. He mysteriously handed her a medicine bottle and told her that it was his exclusive formula. Even if he took it to the hospital, no one would be able to detect it. It could kill people without them noticing.. Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: Choosing to Confess Chapter 157: Choosing to Confess Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At that time, Luo Xin spent an entire month¡¯s salary on buying the bottle, but when she saw Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s health had declined after continuous consumption, she felt it was worth every penny. Originally, Zhou Xiaorou was like a princess, carefree, well-dressed, and well-loved by everyone. But after taking the concoction, Zhou Xiaorou would run amok and twitch occasionally. As for Li Yan, he had hooked up with Luo Xin a long time ago. The moment she bought the medicine, she told him about it. She even asked him if he wanted to use it for himself, but Li Yan firmly told her to give it to Zhou Xiaorou. It was only that Luo Xin made up her mind. Normally, Li Yan also tempered with the medicine that Zhou Xiaorou took. As a result, her health showed no improvement, and her illness only worsened. While Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s body was weak, Li Yan was very concerned about her. In his opinion, as long as he endured this period, everything that belonged to the Zhou family would be his after Zhou Xiaorou died. Luo Xin explained the entire process, but Li Yan was very resistant. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that this has nothing to do with me,¡± he barked fiercely. ¡°The one who wanted to harm Xiaorou was Luo Xin. At most, I only knew about this. The one who really wanted to harm her was Luo Xin. It has nothing to do with me.¡± The police officer knocked on the table and said to Li Yan, ¡°This video records your conversation with Luo Xin. You clearly knew that she had poisoned Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s food, but not only did you not stop her, but you even approved of her actions. Even if you are not the main culprit, you are an accomplice. ¡°In short, this matter is indeed related to you. If you tell us honestly, you might be able to plead for a lenient sentence.¡± Li Yan initially resisted, but when the police officer showed him the contents of the video, he knew that the police weren¡¯t lying. They really had evidence. In the end, Li Yan admitted to it but firmly refused to admit that he was the main culprit. He only said that he did not stop Luo Xin¡¯s actions. The interrogation of Zhou Tian and Xia Wan also ended half an hour later. When Xia Wan came out, she saw Zhou Xiaorou sitting on a chair in the police station, crying. Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s daughter was snuggling in her arms, looking at her mother at a loss. Xia Wan walked over and sat beside Zhou Xiaorou. ¡°Sis Xiaorou, don¡¯t be too upset. Mr. Zhou and I have been guessing that someone close to you harmed you, but we haven¡¯t been able to obtain any evidence. We were afraid that you would give yourself away if we told you in advance, so we have been hiding it from you. ¡°Sister Xiaorou, you won¡¯t blame us, right? ¡® Zhou Xiaorou wiped her tears and shook her head. ¡°I know you guys did this for my own good. It¡¯s all because I¡¯m too stupid. It turns out that the two people I trusted most couldn¡¯t wait for me to die. But Xia Wan, what did I do wrong? Should I have treated him badly? Or was it my fault for being too good to him?¡± Xia Wan consoled her, ¡°Sister Xiaorou, you¡¯re not to blame. They don¡¯t deserve the good that you have.¡± Under Xia Wan¡¯s comfort, Zhou Xiaorou slowly recovered. The three of them went home together after Zhou Tian was done with his questioning. Just as they were about to part, Zhou Tian seemed to have remembered something. He said to Xia Wan, ¡°You just said that you¡¯re planning to rent a house today, right? I happen to have an empty house here. I¡¯ve heard about your family¡¯s situation. It¡¯s a two-story building with a total of six rooms. It¡¯s enough for you to live in. There are bathrooms on both floors. Do you want me to show you?¡± Xia Wan was overjoyed when she heard that. Xia Hai was currently in the hospital, and Yan Han took care of him daily. They planned to find a place to stay for the night. They would stay in a hotel for the night if they couldn¡¯t find one. They didn¡¯t expect Zhou Tian to have a place there. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Mr. Zhou, that would be the best since you have a house here. If you¡¯re not busy, can you take me there to take a look?¡± Zhou Tian did not have any objections to this. Zhou Xiaorou, on the other hand, said she was a little tired and wanted to go home to rest. Zhou Tian did not force her. Zhou Tian knew that Zhou Xiaorou needed some time alone. The two men had already been sent to the police station, and no one would hurt her anymore, and this made Zhou Tian a lot more relieved.. Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Looking at the House Chapter 158: Looking at the House Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan followed Zhou Tian down the street, and a white two-story villa came into view. It also featured a vast yard, which could be used to grow vegetables. It was just that this was a little smaller than Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s villa. From the decorations, it was also a little older. However, a mansion like this was more than sufficient for Xia Wan. Zhou Tian took out the key and opened the door. Xia Wan carefully examined the inside of the mansion. As Zhou Tian said, the villa had two floors, with three rooms on each floor. At the same time, the entire villa was very well-lit. There was even a room specially prepared for painting. Zhou Tian explained, ¡°Back then, Rou liked to draw. So, I prepared a studio for her. This studio is big enough. If you want to store some clothes, you can put them here. ¡°There¡¯s an underground level,¡± Zhou Tian introduced. ¡°I used to store some pickled vegetables here, but you can use them to keep your stock now. If you want to sell other things in the future, you can also leave it here.¡± Xia Wan nodded and was very satisfied with the villa. When they were almost done with the other rooms, Xia Wan told Zhou Tian, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I really like your villa. How much is the rent?¡± Zhou Tian¡¯s face immediately turned stern when he heard this. ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯ve done our family a massive favor. If it weren¡¯t for you, Rou would have lost her life. All I¡¯m doing is let your family live in an empty house, and you¡¯re still talking about money with me? ¡°I won¡¯t be able to repay you for saving Xiaorou even if I were to go bankrupt. If you pay me rent, you¡¯ll embarrass me. I also want face. I won¡¯t be able to keep his face if you insist on paying me.¡± The more Zhou Tian spoke, the more agitated he became. He refused to accept Xia Wan¡¯s money. He looked as if he would stay here if Xia Wan didn¡¯t stay in the villa. Xia Wan was a little helpless, but she could understand Zhou Tian¡¯s feelings. If it weren¡¯t for her, the hospital wouldn¡¯t have been able to find out anything about Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s illness. Ultimately, things might turn out as Li Yan and Luo Xin had planned. Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s body would ravage itself from the inside, eventually causing her to meet her demise. Zhou Tian would still think that Li Yan was a good son-in-law, and everything the Zhou family had would eventually end up in Li Yan¡¯s pocket. Thus, it only seemed reasonable that she got to live in Zhou Tian¡¯s villa. Thinking about this, Xia Wan took the rent of the villa as the consultation fee for Zhou Xiaorou¡¯s treatment. ¡°Alright then, Mr. Zhou. Since you¡¯ve already said so, I would be a little ungrateful if I were to give you money. No matter what, I still have to thank you, Mr. Zhou.¡± Seeing that Xia Wan was willing to accept the villa, Zhou Tian finally smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. You can live in this villa with peace of mind. If you need any help, feel free to ask me. As he spoke, Zhou Tian was also a little angry. ¡°I heard about your relatives. I really hate myself for not being in the hospital that day. How could a mother be so cruel? Her son is in the hospital, but she refuses to pay for his medical expenses. Is she afraid that her son will actually be cured?¡± After saying that, Zhou Tian asked again, ¡°Have you paid all your medical fees?¡± If you still owe money, you can take it from me directly. I will never be able to repay you in this lifetime.¡± Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Zhou, ¡°Xia Wan said immediately. I did my father¡¯s surgery, so the hospital didn¡¯t charge me much. Also, because they saw my medical skills, they invited me to become a special instructor at the hospital. They¡¯ll even pay me a salary. ¡°We slept in the hospital last night. The director arranged the rooms for us.¡± Zhou Tian was shocked. He did not expect Xia Wan to receive such treatment. ¡°Wanwan, that¡¯s the best hospital in town. I heard that many industries would flood our town soon, and it¡¯s very likely that we¡¯ll develop into a city. By then, the status of our hospital will definitely rise a lot. Wanwan, you must seize this opportunity. ¡°By the way, is this affecting your sales? Will there be a conflict of interest?¡± Xia Wan felt a warm feeling in her heart when she saw how nervous Zhou Tian was. Zhou Tian now took her very seriously, and he was genuinely worried about her. It was also because of Zhou Tian¡¯s reminder that she remembered that their town would develop into a city in five years ¡®time. By then, the price of houses would increase by a lot. Her eyes were shining. This seemed to be a good opportunity.. Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Training the Family Chapter 159: Training the Family Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Previously, Xia Wan only wanted to make money and let her brother take care of the shop. But now, she had a new goal and direction. Though it was true that she could make a handsome amount with her medical skills, ensuring that her family didn¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing, she knew that her parents and brothers were not the kinds who liked to rely on others. Rather than raising them, it was better to train their abilities so that they could enjoy a life by relying on themselves. As she thought of this, Xia Wan felt that her goal was clear. She asked Zhou Tian, ¡°Mr. Zhou, if I want to buy a house, where can I get a consultation?¡± Having no money to buy a house in her previous life, she had no idea where she could buy one in this era. However, Zhou Tian was very well-connected, so he must know about these things. Zhou Tian¡¯s eyes were filled with admiration when he heard what Xia Wan had to say. He had just told her that the town they were living in would be upgraded to a city. By then, the entire infrastructure would further develop, and the price of houses would naturally increase. Xia Wan was quick to realize this, and she made preparations to take immediate action. In Zhou Tian¡¯s opinion, few adults were as bold as she was. For some reason, Zhou Tian had a feeling that Xia Wan would achieve great things someday. At the very least, she would be someone that he could look up to. Xia Wan¡¯s grandmother and her family must be real idiots, Zhou Tian thought to himself. They didn¡¯t treat this Golden Goose properly and actually disavowed her and her family so early on.¡¯ ¡°I know one Mr. Li. He¡¯s almost 60 and has an agency that specializes in selling houses. However, he charges some intermediary fees. This person has a lot of assets, but he has a strange personality. If you can get on good terms with him, he might offer you a much cheaper house. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Then, Mr. Zhou, I¡¯ll clean up the house today so that my family can have a place to stay. Can you take me to visit Mr. Li tomorrow?¡± Zhou Tian immediately agreed. ¡°Of course, I can. I know that he goes to a place to play chess every day, but whether you can get his approval or not will depend on your own abilities. ¡°But you¡¯ve only earned a few thousand yuan from selling clothes. If you want to buy a house, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have many options. I don¡¯t think that you need to buy one in such a hurry,¡± Zhou Tian continued. ¡°Or, I can lend you some money if you really want to buy a house.¡± Xia Wan shook her head and rejected Zhou Tian¡¯s offer. ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Zhou. I would also like to know the current housing prices in our town so that I can have a clear goal.¡± Zhou Tian was relieved when he saw that Xia Wan already had an idea. After explaining the key and the things to take note of to Xia Wan, Zhou Tian left the villa and handed it over to Xia Wan¡¯s family. In fact, Zhou Tian really wanted to give this villa to Xia Wan. In his opinion, Zhou Xiaorou was his only daughter and his only hope for continuing this life. If his daughter was killed, then what was the point of living? He was already dead, so what value would his assets carry?¡± Therefore, even though he knew that the price of the house would definitely rise in the future, Zhou Tian was still willing to give the villa to Xia Wan. In his opinion, only something precious enough was worthy of her kindness to his family. Xia Wan cleaned the villa from inside to outside. The villa was a little dusty because it had been vacant for a long time. Fortunately, getting the water for the cleaning was a convenient process, and although it was a huge villa, she only spent two hours cleaning it. After doing all this, Xia Wan¡¯s forehead was completely covered in sweat. Xia Wan smiled as she looked at the clean, rejuvenated villa. Now, she¡¯d have to go out to buy some bed sheets. Xia Wan found a big bag and walked out of the villa. After making sure that the villa was locked, she walked towards the town¡¯s largest supermarket. Just as she reached the entrance of the supermarket, a luxurious car parked in front caught her eye. A slightly chubby man with a flamboyant expression came out.. Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Meeting Lu Lin Chapter 160: Meeting Lu Lin Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The man looked to be in his twenties. Perhaps it was because he often drank and stayed up late that dark eye bags surrounded his eyes, and his whole body looked fat. Xia Wan subconsciously felt that he¡¯d be a problem and wanted to stay away from him. She did not expect the man to see Xia Wan in the crowd. The man was Lu Lin. He immediately spotted the beautiful girl standing in the crowd at a glance. That pair of lively and delicate eyes, her graceful figure, and the temperament of a fairy that had descended to the mortal world all shocked Lu Lin deeply. When he first came to this County, he was very disdainful. The roads here were so old that he was afraid his car would be damaged. Thinking that he actually had a fianc¨¦e in such an old place, Lu Lin was full of anger. He just wanted to ruin this marriage as soon as possible. How could a girl from such a dilapidated town be his wife? After seeing Xia Wan, however, Lu Lin suddenly felt that perhaps not all the women in this town were so ugly. Alternatively, he could go and see what she looked like first. If she was as beautiful as Xia Wan, then he could follow his grandfather¡¯s orders and marry her. At most, he could go out and find other women after he married her. The girls from the town were not so scheming and were unable to control him. Suddenly, it didn¡¯t seem like such a bad idea after all. ¡°Beauty, wait a moment. I have something to ask you.¡± Lu Lin stood in front of Xia Wan, blocking her way. When Xia Wan saw the man¡¯s face clearly, her heart sank, and a chill ran down her spine. This man was her fianc¨¦ in her previous life, the one who married Xia Ru and allowed Xia Ru to hurt her parents, causing their deaths. Back then, the marriage was set by Xia Wan¡¯s grandfather and Lu Lin¡¯s grandfather. They had a life-and-death friendship on the battlefield, so they agreed that if they gave birth to a boy and a girl in the future, they would get married. However, they soon gave birth to a son, so the marriage was set for the grandson generation. However, after Xia Wan¡¯s grandfather passed away, Li Jin was a little unwilling to accept the marriage. She was afraid that the other party would not achieve much in the future. The other party had left a ring to Xia Wan¡¯s grandfather as a token. With this ring, the Xia family could marry into the Lin family in the future. As the Lin family had a grandson, the Xia family had to marry their daughter. According to the Xia family¡¯s seniority, Xia Ru should have been the one to marry. However, Song Yan was a very shrewd person. She felt that if the other party¡¯s family was not good, Xia Ru would be at a disadvantage if she married him. In that era, Ex military personnel suffered from all kinds of health problems after leaving the military. Song Yan was afraid that the other party would also have some problems, so she went to Li Jin and kept saying good things about Xia Ru. The general implication was that Xia Ru would definitely be a smart girl in the future and would have more choices. There was no need to be held back by a marriage. Li Jin also felt that what Song Yan said made sense. Then, he prepared to choose one of Xia Ye and Xia Wan. Chen Lian was also a smart person. When she saw that Song Yan and Li Jin were not very satisfied with the marriage. She felt that the other party was definitely not a powerful person and probably had a hard time. Hence, Chen Lian bought a lot of good things for Li Jin and said a lot of good things to him. Only then did Li Jin give up on the idea of marrying Xia Ye. In the end, the marriage had fallen on Xia Wan¡¯s shoulders. Because Xia Hai was filial to Li Jin, and the marriage had been decided by Xia Wan¡¯s grandfather, Li Jin only had to say a few words and Xia hai would have no room to object. In her previous life, when Lu Lin found the Xia family, Xia Wan was not at home. It was Xia Ru and Xia Ye who first saw Lu Lin¡¯s car. At that time, the two of them really wanted to marry him. However, at that time, Lu Lin only wanted to break off the engagement and didn¡¯t take a fancy to the two village girls, Xia Ru and Xia Ye. Lu Lin made a scene in the Xia family and demanded they hand over the token, resulting in the marriage being called off. Seeing how rich Lu Lin was, how could Li Jin let go of this marriage? Therefore, she acted pitifully and rolled on the ground, attracting the attention of many neighbors. In the end, Lu Lin was afraid of making things worse, so he left. However, he demanded that Li Jin and the others hand over the token within three days. Otherwise, the Xia family would not be able to survive in this town.. Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Past Memories Chapter 161: Past Memories Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Ru began to have evil thoughts. She stole the ring from Xia Wan¡¯s hand and took the initiative to find the hotel where Lu Lin was staying. Then, Xia Ru began to act. She pretended she was the daughter-in-law Lu Lin had appointed, but after seeing Lu Lin¡¯s attitude and background, she knew she was not worthy of him, so she was willing to return the token to her. However, she also admired him very much and even hoped she could be in love with him for a day. After that, Xia Ru and Lu Lin had sex. While Lu Lin was sleeping, Xia Ru took the ring to his grandfather and told him what he had done. He was furious and forced Lu Lin to marry Xia Ru. After they got married, Lu Lin was unhappy and often looked for other women to deliberately spite Xia Ru. However, Xia Ru was a patient person. She tolerated Lu Lin¡¯s one-night stands and his random women. Slowly, Lu Lin¡¯s attitude towards Xia Ru improved. Under the insistence of Xia Ru, Lu Lin finally accepted her as his wife. At the same time, Xia Ru began to instigate Lu Lin, who began to harbor disgust for Xia Wan¡¯s family. Thus, he cooperated with Xia Ru to attack Xia Wan¡¯s parents. Xia Ru did this because she was afraid that Xia Hail s family would find the capital and tell the Lu family everything about the marriage. According to Old Master Lu¡¯s temper, if he knew that Xia Wan was Lu Lin¡¯s real fianc¨¦e, he would definitely ask him to divorce Xia Ru. Hence, Xia Ru could not let this happen. Therefore, Lu Lin had to bear a lot of responsibility for the tragedy that happened to Xia Wan and Xia Ru¡¯s family in her previous life. After reminiscing for a bit, Xia Wan restrained her emotions. She frowned unhappily and said impatiently, ¡°Please get up. You¡¯re in my way. I¡¯m in a hurry to buy something from the supermarket and if you have something to ask, you can ask someone else.¡± Xia Wan was about to leave. Thanks to Lu Lin, she didn¡¯t even feel like going to the supermarket. She wanted to deal with him but now wasn¡¯t the time. She didn¡¯t have the strength to do so now. If she rashly bulldozed her way, he would only be manipulated by him in the end. Xia Wan had just taken two steps when Lu Lin grabbed her wrist. Xia Wan turned her head and looked at Lu Lin impatiently. Her eyes were cold. ¡°Let go.¡± Seeing how Xia Wan was so resistant, the lust in Lu Lin¡¯s eyes intensified. His other hand was about to reach over to hook her chin, but her left hand that was being held twisted slightly. Lu Lin felt his entire hand numb, and he subconsciously stepped back. He had already let go of Xia Wan¡¯s hand, and his wrist seemed numb. Lu Lin stared at Xia Wan strangely and questioned, ¡°What did you do to my wrist?¡± Xia Wan snorted. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Everyone can see that you¡¯re the one who wanted to stop me from leaving. I only asked you to let go. What could I have done to you?¡± ¡°And don¡¯t you understand human language? You can obviously see I¡¯m annoyed with you, so why did you still come to me? Just because you¡¯re shameless?¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s insults, Lu Lin¡¯s face turned livid. He had always been the one fawning over her since he was young, and no one had ever dared to say these words to his face. ¡°Do you know who I am? How dare you speak to me in such a tone? Do you believe I¡¯ll bring my men to smash your house, and no one will dare to say anything?¡± Lu Lin threatened Xia Wan fiercely. His family had connections. Even if he made a big mistake, there would be people to help him. Generally, things could be solved with money, so he had never been bullied. Even if he thought Xia Wan was pretty and wanted to let this woman accompany him in the town for a few days, this woman was so insensible that she angered Lu Lin. All Lu Lin could think of was to destroy her. Xia Wan knew that Lu Lin was telling the truth, but she couldn¡¯t hide her disgust for him. Moreover, even if she apologized nicely today, he wasn¡¯t abc to let her off. As long as it was a woman that Lu Lin had his eyes on, he would definitely think of ways to snatch her to his side. So today, she and Lu Lin actually met and Lu Lin paid attention to her. Then, it was unfortunate that she wanted tc avoid the sharp edge previously. They were destined to fight. ¡°So you have connections in the police station, huh? So even if you beat me until I am half-dead, the police won¡¯t do anything to you, right?¡± Xia Wan directly asked.. Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: The Insolent Lu Lin Chapter 162: The Insolent Lu Lin Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lu Lin proudly raised her chin, ¡°Since you¡¯ve guessed it, then hurry up and kneel down and apologize to me. Maybe I¡¯ll forgive you if I¡¯m in a good mood. However, you have to stay by my side for the next few days. I¡¯ll only let you go when I¡¯m happy. Xia Wan snorted. ¡°You¡¯re so bold. You¡¯re not afraid of being interviewed by the reporters, are you? Then I¡¯ll go to our town¡¯s radio station and report what you¡¯ve done in our town. ¡°Judging from the car you¡¯re driving, your family must be very rich. With such a family background, I believe that there must be a reasonable elder in your family who can control you.¡± As soon as Xia Wan finished speaking, Lu Lin¡¯s smugness disappeared for a moment. He found that he seemed to have underestimated the girl in front of him. She was just a village girl born in a small town, but she could connect it to his family and even think of using the power of reporters. If Lu Lin was only interested in Xia Wan¡¯s appearance and figure before, he now felt that Xia Wan was intelligent, and he wanted her even more. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Lu Lin asked. ¡°You already said that you¡¯re going to come to my house and smash it. Do you think I¡¯d be so stupid as to tell you my name? Do I have to tell you where I live and just wait for you to find my home? ¡°You were the one who caused me trouble today. I wanted to buy something at the supermarket, but you insisted on stopping me. I wanted to leave, but you refused to let me go. So, I don¡¯t owe you anything for this.¡± The more Xia Wan¡¯s attitude was like this; the more interested Lu Lin was in her. He used his thumb to lift the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with desire for Xia Wan. ¡°Do you know that I¡¯m becoming more and more interested in you? I¡¯m telling you today that even if you find a reporter to broadcast this, I won¡¯t be afraid because what you¡¯re broadcasting won¡¯t reach my family¡¯s ears. ¡°Little girl, you do have some brains, but your brain is not enough to save you. Now, you can only obediently follow me on this path.¡± Lu Lin waved his finger, and the two bodyguards behind him immediately surrounded Xia Wan. ¡°Go, get her for me.¡± With Lu Lin¡¯s order, the two bodyguards immediately rushed toward Xia Wan. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes turned cold. She kicked the two bodyguards to the ground and even hit their most vulnerable parts. The two bodyguards clutched their crotches and rolled on the ground in pain, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads. Although Xia Wan¡¯s kick didn¡¯t land on Lu Lin¡¯s body, he subconsciously protected his lower body when she saw the two bodyguards in pain. He realized this girl seemed much more powerful than he had imagined. ¡°You two are really useless! You let a girl beat you up like this. Did I spend so much money to support you two pieces of trash?!¡± Lu Lin cursed at the two bodyguards but didn¡¯t dare to provoke Xia Wan directly. He realized that he had underestimated this girl¡¯s martial prowess. He didn¡¯t expect her to be so ruthless when she looked so weak. Lu Lin pointed at Xia Wan and threatened, ¡°I¡¯ll remember what happened today. Just you wait!¡± After saying that, Lu Lin went back to the car and didn¡¯t even care about the two bodyguards. These two useless things, Lu Lin cursed in his heart. He felt that these two bodyguards had embarrassed him in front of Xia Wan. He even wanted to fire them. The more Lu Lin thought about it in the car, the angrier he got. However, he didn¡¯t know anyone in this town. Lu Lin thought that he just came to break off the engagement and two bodyguards would be enough. He didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a thing now. He couldn¡¯t even deal with a little girl. With this thought in mind, Lu Lin began to inquire about the more powerful gangs in this town. He chose to park his car in a place where the good and the bad were mixed, then directly found a stall, threw down 100 yuan, and asked, ¡°Where can I find gangsters in your area?¡± At first, the stall owner was sitting there lazily. He didn¡¯t care how many things he could sell. He was just a person who was idle at home. When someone suddenly threw 100 yuan at him, the stall owner immediately introduced it to Lu Lin enthusiastically. At the same time, he also said that he grew up in this town and knew many forces and gangs. As long as Lu Lin had enough money, these gangs would be willing to do anything.. Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: Lu Lin Looks For a Helper Chapter 163: Lu Lin Looks For a Helper Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation With the help of the stall owner, Lu Lin successfully found a group of local thugs. Then, he described Xia Wan¡¯s appearance to these people and asked them to help find her whereabouts. They were supposed to tell him as soon as they found her. Just as these people were about to go and find Xia Wan, Lu Lin shouted again, ¡°Wait, do you know where the Xia family lives?¡± Upon hearing Lu Lin¡¯s question, Brother Qiang, who was the leader, asked with a smile, ¡°Brother Lu, which Xia family are you talking about? There are quite a lot of people with the surname Xia here.¡± Lu Lin frowned and said impatiently, ¡°He lives in Liu village,¡± the man said. ¡°His name is Xia Xu. He was a military doctor when he was young. After he retired from the battlefield, he returned to the village and became a village doctor or something. If you have any news about this person, come and tell me immediately.¡± ¡°Okay, Brother Lu.¡± Brother Qiang nodded immediately. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely find out for you.¡± Next, Lu Lin found the best hotel in the area. Even if she ate the most expensive dishes in the town and drank the best wine, Lu Lin still felt that her anger was not appeased. While they were eating, Xia Wan¡¯s face would appear in his mind from time to time, deeply angering Lu Lin. As long as he didn¡¯t catch this woman, he wouldn¡¯t be able to swallow this rage. On the other hand, Xia Wan was walking around aimlessly. Because of Lu Lin¡¯s appearance, her calm mood was also affected. She then remembered that according to the node in her previous life, Lu Lin should be here by now. It was a pity that Lu Lin was now being treated coldly because of her influence. He would probably be even worse off if he went to the Xia family now. Xia Wan was not afraid of Lu Lin. No matter how many tricks he had up his sleeve, she would always have a way to escape. However, she was not alone now. She had a family. Lu Lin, however, had money, and it was only a matter of time before he found their address. Thinking of this, Xia Wan quickly moved. She first came to the stall and said to Xia Chen, ¡°Brother, leave Xia Feng here to sell clothes. You can go to the supermarket to buy some bedding. I¡¯ve already found a house for our family. Everyone has their own room, but we need to buy new bedding.¡± Xia Feng¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. ¡°Really, sister? Will we all have our own rooms?¡± At home, Xia Feng and Xia Chen slept in the same room. This had always been the case since they were young. Everyone wanted to have their own private space, and Xia Feng was no exception. Therefore, after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Xia Feng was so happy that he wanted to stand up and walk around in circles. Seeing Xia Feng¡¯s expression, Xia Wan smiled slightly. Her mood, which had been a little depressed by Lu Lin, was also lifted. So what if Lu Lin attacked her? She had people to protect, and she would do her best to protect them. On the other hand, Xia Chen was calmer than Xia Feng. He could see the family¡¯s daily income. In addition, Xia Wan also had the hospital¡¯s income, so Xia Chen felt that it was only right for Xia Wan to choose a better home to live in. In the future, he had to work harder and sell more clothes as to not let Xia Wan¡¯s sacrifice for the family go to waste. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go buy these. Don¡¯t worry. Where do I put them after I buy them?¡± Xia Chen asked. At the same time, he was ready to go shopping. He found two big bags. ¡°Brother, follow me. I¡¯ll take you to our house first. After you buy the things, you can put them at home. I¡¯ll give you a key to the house too. I might have to go and settle some things later. If I¡¯m not home by the time you¡¯re done selling your things, you can clean up first. You can choose your own room.¡± While Xia Wan was walking in front, Xia Chen noticed something. He stopped and asked Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, did something happen? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that something happened, you definitely wouldn¡¯t have explained everything in detail and let me do everything. Instead, you would have followed me.¡± Xia Wan stopped helplessly. She realized that her brother was actually rather brilliant. She could not hide some things from him, no matter how she tried. Thinking that she would be unable to hide Lu Lin¡¯s matter from her family sooner or later, Xia Wan said, ¡°Brother, the family will find out about this sooner or later. Since you¡¯ve asked, I¡¯ll tell you first. Brother, you should be mentally prepared and don¡¯t be too afraid. I¡¯ll solve this.. Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Confessing to Xia Chen Chapter 164: Confessing to Xia Chen Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Chen¡¯s heart sank when he heard what Xia Wan had to say. It was obvious that she was in trouble. Xia Wan took a deep breath and said to Xia Chen, ¡°It was my duty to go to the supermarket today to buy bedding, but I saw a young man driving a luxury car that our townspeople definitely can¡¯t afford. He stopped me in front of everyone and prevented me from going to the supermarket. He wanted me to accompany him. This man is shameless, and I hate him. ¡°After I got rid of him, I asked around and found out that he¡¯s from another city. He came to our town for only one purpose: to find Xia Xu.¡± Hearing this, Xia Chen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Xia Xu, isn¡¯t that our grandfather?¡± Xia Wan nodded. Xia Chen thought for a moment and then asked in shock, ¡°So, this person is the fianc¨¦ who arranged the marriage with you. Is he here to find us now? He wants to marry you?¡± Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s here to get married to me. He looks down on our town and the people around us. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s more likely to break off the engagement now. Xia Chen heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s good that he broke off the engagement. From what you described just now, this person is simply a hooligan. Let¡¯s not live with such a person. Although breaking off the engagement is not nice, at least we don¡¯t have to put up with him.¡± When Xia Wan heard Xia Chen¡¯s words, she sighed in her heart that her brother was still too naive and innocent. ¡°Brother, we don¡¯t think he¡¯s a good person. No matter how rich he is, he can¡¯t be my son-in-law. But do you think if Lu Lin found the Xia family and Grandma saw how rich he was, he would let go of this cash-cow son-in-law?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry a hooligan. I don¡¯t want to humble myself and curry favor with men to live a good life. However, Xia Ru and Xia Ye think otherwise, especially Xia Ru. Her reputation is already ruined. If she can be with Lu Lin, will she be able to turn from a crow into an eagle?¡± ¡°According to Xia Ru¡¯s personality, she¡¯ll probably be so smug that the whole village will know.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Xia Chen also frowned. ¡°But the person who exchanged the token with Lu Lin is you. The token is also in our hands. Grandma once said that without the token, the other party would not acknowledge this marriage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the one who arranged this marriage. The token is in my hands as well. However, our family has already been separated, so Li Jin naturally wouldn¡¯t allow me to have a good marriage. So, if she finds out that Lu Lin¡¯s family is rich, she¡¯ll definitely try to get the token from me and arrange for Xia Ru or Xia Ye to marry him. ¡°I don¡¯t want such a man, but I don¡¯t want this man to become Xia Ru or Xia Ye¡¯s husband either because it¡¯ll only help them bully our family.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s face darkened as she said, ¡°Brother, you and I know very well what kind of people our relatives are, so we must work hard. We can¡¯t let Lu Lin join hands with those relatives to bully our family.¡± Xia Chen originally just thought that if Lu Lin¡¯s character was bad, he wouldn¡¯t let his sister marry him. He didn¡¯t expect that there were so many implications behind this. After listening to Xia Wan¡¯s analysis, Xia Chen felt even more that if Li Jin and the others knew that Lu Lin¡¯s family was rich, then she would indeed shamelessly steal the token as Xia Wan expected. Xia Chen looked at Xia Wan. ¡°When Dad and Mom were in the hospital, you must have packed the token when you came home, right? Hide it well, and don¡¯t let Li Jin find it.¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. I¡¯ve hidden this token well. No one will find it. Also, it¡¯s not easy for people to find the house I¡¯m looking for. It¡¯s just that we¡¯re setting up a stall here, so it¡¯s easy to meet people we know. If Lu Lin comes to this Street to shop, she¡¯ll definitely recognize me. ¡°We can¡¯t say that we¡¯re not setting up a stall because Lu Lin is in town now, right?¡± Xia Chen looked at Xia Wan with determination in his eyes. ¡°Sister, money can be earned any time. It doesn¡¯t matter if we make less money for two days. The most important thing is to protect you and your family, so we shouldn¡¯t set up for the next two days. First, we can pay some attention to Dad, and second, we can avoid this Lu Lin.. What do you think?¡± Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Getting Ready For Action Chapter 165: Getting Ready For Action Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan didn¡¯t expect to avoid him like this, but what Xia Chen said made sense. Besides, Xia Hai¡¯s wrist still needed some time to recover. Even if she gave him the herbs she had prepared daily, recovering would still take some time. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you, brother.¡± Xia Wan nodded. The people that Lu Lin found acted very quickly, and Lu Lin quickly found out where Li Jin¡¯s family was staying. Looking at the time, the sky was almost dark. Lu Lin thought it would be a little troublesome to find them now, so he decided he¡¯d only set off the next day. Xia Chen and Xia Feng closed the stall first. At the same time, he told boss Zhao Jin that they would be busy for the next two days and wouldn¡¯t be setting up the stall. Then, the two of them went to the supermarket to buy some things. Xia Feng asked Xia Chen in confusion, ¡°Brother, where did sister go? Why didn¡¯t she buy things with us? And why are we packing up so early today? Did something happen?¡± Xia Chen sighed at Xia Feng¡¯s sensitivity. His brother wasn¡¯t easy to fool. He felt that there were so many things that were yet to be done at home, and he couldn¡¯t let Xia Wan take care of everything. Although Xia Feng was the younger brother, he was still a man. It was good to know about it earlier, so Xia Chen told Xia Feng about Lu Lin. After hearing this, Xia Feng was no longer in the mood to shop at the supermarket. His eyes were filled with anxiety. ¡°Brother, where is Sister now? It¡¯s hazardous for her to act alone. That Lu Lin will definitely keep looking for her. I should be by her side to protect her.¡± Xia Chen could tell that Xia Feng cared about Xia Wan and was very satisfied. Their family was indeed united. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Wanwan has her own ideas. She said we couldn¡¯t get rid of Lu Lin by ourselves, but Lu Lin has an elder in his family, so she will contact his elder and ask someone who can control him to do it. Hearing Xia Chen¡¯s words, Xia Feng was slightly relieved. He smiled and praised, ¡°You¡¯re still the best, sister. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of this.¡± On the other side, Xia Wan had arrived at the place where the letter was sent. She didn¡¯t know Lu Lin¡¯s grandpa¡¯s phone number. She took out a piece of yellowed paper with a person¡¯s address and name written on it. The name was Lu Liang, and the address was also written in detail. Xia Wan remembered that Lu Liang had not changed his address and was still living in the old house, so this house should be able to receive the letter. Xia Wan handed the letter to the staff and asked, ¡°How long will it take for this letter to reach the capital?¡± ¡°According to our current speed, it¡¯ll take three days to arrive,¡± the staff replied. ¡°If you want to reply, it¡¯ll take about a week. Xia Wan felt a little helpless. It was a week. She didn¡¯t know if she could hold on. She hoped that Lu Lin wouldn¡¯t do anything overboard. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be polite. Xia Wan asked the staff to continue sending the letters, and she walked away worriedly. ¡°Wanwan, what are you doing here? Who are you sending the letter to?¡± A voice interrupted Xia Wan¡¯s thoughts. She looked in front of her and saw Xu Ye. ¡°Brother Xu, what are you doing here?¡± Xia Wan asked in surprise. She suddenly realized that Xu Ye might have the contact information of the Lu family, or he might have other ways to help her contact the Lu family. Xu Ye laughed heartily. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here? I heard that you closed your stall very quickly today. I even asked around before I found out that you were here. Why? Did something happen?¡± In fact, Xu Ye had sent people to keep an eye on Xia Wan¡¯s stall. Even if he did not see Lu Lin causing trouble for Xia Wan, Xu Ye still guessed that Xia Wan must have run into some trouble when she closed her stall early.. Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Seeking Help From Xu Ye Chapter 166: Seeking Help From Xu Ye Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan did not want to trouble Xu Ye over Lu Lin¡¯s matter, but it was not within her power to solve it. Hence, she said, ¡°Brother Xu, do you know the Lu family in the capital?¡± Xu Ye¡¯s eyes turned serious when he heard that. It was evident that he knew about the Lu family. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is the Lu family related to you in any way? Is there some conflict between you two?¡± Xu ye asked. ¡°My grandfather and the old master of the Lu family were once comrades on the battlefield. My grandfather saved old master Lu¡¯s life before, so I¡¯m married to his grandson. Lu Lin is my fianc¨¦, and I met him today.¡± Xia Wan calmly told the truth, but Xu Ye was so shocked that he was completely dumbfounded. Xia Wan did indeed have such a relationship with the Lu family in the capital. After all, Xia Wan¡¯s town was an extremely backward place. Suddenly, Xu Ye realized that his good brother, Chen MO, greatly loved Xia Wan. Knowing his brother¡¯s character, if he could not marry Xia Wan, he would not be able to fall in love with anyone else in his life. Thus, Xu Ye was anxious. He quickly asked, ¡°Do you like this person? The Lu family¡¯s grandson, Lu Lin, doesn¡¯t have a good reputation in Beijing. Sister, let me be honest with you. He¡¯s way off from Chen Mo.¡± Xia Wan could see Xu Ye¡¯s panic and knew that he had misunderstood. She quickly explained, ¡°Brother Xu, it¡¯s not what you think. I don¡¯t have a good impression of this Lu Lin. Although his family is quite wealthy, I don¡¯t like his arrogant and domineering attitude, as if he¡¯s the most powerful person in the world. ¡°But our family¡¯s current influence is definitely insufficient to deal with Lu Lin, so I hope there¡¯s a way to quickly contact the Lu family¡¯s old master and let him know what his grandson is doing. ¡°The old master of the Lu family and my grandfather arranged this marriage between me and him. At that time, my grandfather told me that if I was unwilling to accept this marriage, I could use the token to cancel it with the old master of the Lu family. ¡°But Lu Lin is the only one in town now. I think old Master Lu doesn¡¯t know how he does things in town. If he knew, he would punish him, so I hope we can get in touch with old Master Lu.¡± Hearing this, Xu Ye finally understood that Xia Wan did not like Lu Lin at all. However, Lu Lin¡¯s family had power, and Xia Wan was not his opponent now. Hence, Xia Wan wanted to use old Master Lu to control Lu Lin. Xu Ye laughed. ¡°You¡¯re my sister indeed. You¡¯re very smart. But I don¡¯t have old Master Lu¡¯s phone number. Wait a moment. I¡¯ll help you ask. I¡¯ll be able to contact him by tomorrow at the latest. Is that okay?¡± Xia Wan nodded. Sure, no problem. It¡¯s much faster than me writing a letter. Thank you, Brother Xu. Xu ye waved his hand. ¡°Since I asked you to call me brother, you can¡¯t call me brother for nothing. I¡¯m delighted that you knew to ask me for help when you¡¯re in trouble. In the future, you must take the initiative to tell me if you¡¯re in trouble, okay?¡± Xia Wan nodded, her smile warm. I understand, Brother Xu. After the matter was settled, Xia Wan returned to the hospital. She decided to stay in the hospital to take care of Xia Hai and prevent Li Jin and the others from causing trouble. When Xia Wan arrived at the hospital, she noticed that there were young doctors peeking at her from the door of the ward. This action was so obvious that even Yan Han saw it. She couldn¡¯t help but ask Xia Wan, who was cutting some fruit, ¡°Wan Wan, why are they looking at you from outside?¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she saw the curious eyes of those people through the window and guessed, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I helped Dad connect his wrist. People in the hospital have discussed it before, so they think I¡¯m more talented. After all, not everyone can perform so well in their first surgery.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s explanation, Yan Han felt very proud, and her smile brightened up significantly. If that¡¯s the case, then I can understand. You don¡¯t Imow how scared I was when your father was injured that day. I was even more worried when the doctor said that your father might be unable to work for the rest of his life. ¡°If your dad can¡¯t work anymore, it won¡¯t be a problem for you to take care of him for the rest of his life. However, he will be unhappy. He¡¯ll feel useless. Fortunately, my daughter is competent and saved his wrist.. Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Early Warning Chapter 167: Early Warning Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan passed the fruits in her hands to Yan Han and Xia Hai. ¡°Dad, Mom, you can stay at the hospital in peace. Even if I¡¯m not around, my brothers will still make good sales at the stall. I¡¯ve already found us a new house and once Dad is discharged, you two can just head there.¡± Yan Han was a little surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you only start looking for a house today? How did you find one so quickly? I heard that when looking for houses, you¡¯ll have to make detailed comparisons. Some houses are said to be good, but in fact, it comes with all kinds of problems. Wanwan, you have to be careful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom,¡± Xia Wan reassured her mother. ¡°This house belongs to Mr. Zhou¡¯s family. Mr. Zhou is very grateful that I could cure Sis Xiaorou¡¯s illness, and he said that he¡¯ll lease this house to me for free. I didn¡¯t agree at the time, but Mr. Zhou said that I had saved Sis Xiaorou¡¯s life, which was equivalent to saving his. This life-saving grace couldn¡¯t be redeemed with money, and he would feel uneasy if I didn¡¯t live in his house. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s just like Dad¡¯s current situation. If the hospital is unable to cure Dad, then it would be useless no matter how much money we give them. ¡°This situation is equivalent to Mr. Zhou wanting to cure Sis Xiaorou¡¯s mood. She has been unwell for a long time, and my appearance gave Mr. Zhou hope. I resolved with my own hands every single problem that the hospital couldn¡¯t detect with my hands. Now, Sis Xiaorou¡¯s body has returned to good health. ¡°If it were you, and someone saved your daughter¡¯s life, would you also want to do your best to repay that person?¡± After hearing Xia Wan¡¯s explanation, Yan Han could somewhat understand. Previously, she thought Xia Wan saving Xiao Rou¡¯s illness was one thing, and finding a place to rent was another. It would be like taking advantage if they lived in someone else¡¯s house for free just because Xia Wan saved Xiaorou. But after Xia Wan¡¯s explanation, Yan Han instantly understood. To her, the child was her everything. It was the same for Zhou Tian. Moreover, Zhou Tian only had one daughter. She was his life. Yan Han nodded. I understand. I agree with this. As the two of them talked, the door to Xia Hai¡¯s room opened. It was Doctor Chen, who had been in charge of Xia Hails case. When he saw Xia Wan, Doctor Chen¡¯s eyes were filled with respect. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Dr. Chen?¡± Xia Wan asked directly. Doctor Chen adjusted his glasses and explained, ¡°It¡¯s like this. The news of you curing Xia Hai has spread throughout the hospital, so everyone wants to ask you some questions. However, they¡¯re unfamiliar with you, so they can¡¯t just come and talk to you directly. So, they came to me instead¡± As if he didn¡¯t want to trouble Xia Wan, he quickly added, ¡°Of course. I know that you¡¯re very busy now. Besides taking care of your father, you must also manage the stall. If you¡¯re not free, you can ignore them. They¡¯re pretty much book muggers and don¡¯t have many practical skills. They just admire you after hearing about your surgery.¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I think that if they¡¯re willing to ask me questions, it means that they acknowledge me. To me, it¡¯s a good thing to have more q&a with my peers. They say that only discussion can reveal true knowledge. Maybe our discussion can inspire new discoveries.¡± Doctor Chen was very surprised to hear what Xia Wan said. In his opinion, Xia Wan must have a lot of secrets to have such skills at such a young age. She would be very precious to his medical skills. However, he did not expect Xia Wan to be so generous and honest, willing to pass on her experience to the people in the hospital. If Doctor Chen respected Xia Wan because of her medical skills before, then he now acknowledged her character. ¡°Doctor Xia, I¡¯ll have to trouble you then.¡± Doctor Chen also changed how he addressed Xia Wan, and Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go out and discuss with them first.¡± Xia Wan said to Yan Han. Yan Han smiled and nodded. Go on, go on. I¡¯ll take care of your Dad here. Xia Wan followed Doctor Chen out of the door. There were three doctors guarding the door. When Doctor Chen saw them, his face became stern again. ¡°The three of you are too idle! There are still so many patients in the hospital who need treatment. This time, I¡¯ll invite Dr. Xia out to answer your questions. After you¡¯re done, you have to work even harder to shorten the queue!¡± The three young doctors quickly nodded.. Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Counselor Chapter 168: Counselor Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Doctor Xia, may I ask if you¡¯re nervous? It¡¯s your first time performing surgery. If there¡¯s a mistake in the operation, your father¡¯s hand may be crippled, and it may cause psychological trauma to you. It¡¯ll be difficult for you to go on the operating table again for the rest of your life.¡± The one who asked was a female doctor. Her eyes were very sincere, and it was obvious that this question had been bothering her for a long time. Xia Wan looked at her. The doctor looked to be around 25 years old, and she had probably just started working. ¡°If it were you, and your family is in danger, no one else can do this operation except you,¡± Xia Wan replied. ¡°But at the same time, the person who undergoes this surgery will face great risks. Would you like to try?¡± The girl nodded without thinking. ¡°I¡¯m willing. I¡¯ll try to save my family, even if there¡¯s only a slim chance. But if I don¡¯t try, it¡¯ll be a lifelong regret.¡± The doctor lowered her head in frustration. ¡°But after I came to the hospital, I¡¯ve been treating the patients and prescribing medicine to them, but I haven¡¯t been on the operating table because I get nervous the moment I enter the operating theater. I¡¯m afraid that if I make a mistake, it will greatly impact my patients.¡± While the female doctor spoke, Doctor Chen listened to her. Obviously, he knew about the doctor¡¯s problem, but it was a psychological. He couldn¡¯t give the female doctor the confidence to operate with a scalpel just by counseling her. After Xia Wan heard what she said, she understood the problem that the female doctor was facing. She must have learned her theories well. Otherwise, the hospital would definitely not let a doctor who could not hold a scalpel continue to sit in her position. In Xia Wan¡¯s opinion, she was too responsible. She was afraid she would make a small mistake and cause irreparable losses to the patient. So, in order to prevent such mistakes, she didn¡¯t allow herself to make mistakes, and that was, to do nothing. After thinking about this, Xia Wan said to her, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s your problem. It¡¯s actually your strength.¡± After Xia Wan finished her sentence, The three doctors, including Doctor Chen, looked at her in confusion. After all, in their opinion, it was very abnormal for a doctor to not dare to perform surgery. But why did Xia Wan think that this was an advantage? The girl smiled bitterly. ¡°Doctor Xia, don¡¯t make fun of me. As a doctor, even I don¡¯t dare to perform surgery. How can this be my strength? I¡¯m not worthy of this position.¡± As she spoke, the girl¡¯s expression became dejected. Xia Wan smiled and loc at her sincerely. ¡°Some people don¡¯t dare to perform surgery because they f the risks. You don¡¯t dare to perform surgery because you fear the risks. You more afraid of not curing him. But let me tell you, there is no perfect persor this world. Even I can¡¯t say that every surgery I perform will be a success. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re able to take on the position of a doctor in this hospital means that, first of all, the knowledge you¡¯ve learned and your abilities are enough to match this position. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way that this hospital¡¯: leaders and amazing doctors would let you take on this position. ¡°Secondly, I can see that you have the heart to save people. You want to use your medical skills to save more patients, but you care too much about the results. Sometimes, when we do something, we should not think about the result. We just have to do our best. ¡°When I picked up the scalpel, I had a strong sense of confidence. When I st¡¯ here, I had already thought of how to operate on him. All the steps have bee replayed in my mind. ¡°If I¡¯m fully focused, then the only thing on my mind is the surgery. No othe emotions can affect me.¡¯ ¡°When I entered the operating room and picked up the scalpel, I had to understand that the patient and the nurse believed in me. As the surgeon, shouldn¡¯t I be confident?¡± Xia Wan looked at the female doctor, and her eyes softened.. ¡°Don¡¯t you alre know the process of every operation? Do you forget the steps because you¡¯r nervous?¡± Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: The Director’s Ridicule Chapter 169: The Director¡¯s Ridicule Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The girl quickly shook her head. I won¡¯t. Although I haven¡¯t been on the operating table yet, I¡¯ve been a surgeon¡¯s assistant before. I can remember all the steps. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what are you afraid of?¡± The female doctor, who was initially not confident, slowly gained courage under Xia Wan¡¯s guidance. She said to Xia Wan sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Dr. Xia. I¡¯m willing to try doing the procedure.¡± Doctor Chen also felt relieved after hearing this. The remaining two doctors also asked Xia Wan some questions. Xia Wan answered them patiently and seriously while Doctor Chen listened attentively. At this moment, the director also walked over. ¡°Dr. Xia, we¡¯re going to have a conference this weekend. There will be senior doctors from the city sharing their experiences with us. Would you like to go?¡± Xia Wan immediately shook her head and refused, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have a lot of things to do at home recently. I¡¯d better take care of my family first. Thank you for your kind invitation.¡± The director was a little surprised to hear her refusal. He had thought that Xia Wan would really want to attend. After all, this conference allowed everyone to exchange their experiences. The director felt that no one¡¯s medical skills could be compared to Xia Wan¡¯s in their hospital. If some senior doctors came from the city center, they might be able to help her expand her horizons. The director only wanted to help Xia Wan, but he would not force her since she had refused. ¡°Alright, since you think there¡¯s no need to attend, you don¡¯t have to. If you have anything you want to learn or advance in the future, just let me know.¡± Xia Wan nodded and said to the director, ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Department Director. ¡± Xia Wan actually understood the director¡¯s thoughts. She was now equivalent to a staff member of the hospital. If her medical skills were better, it would surely bring greater benefits to the hospital. She was like a parent who hoped for their child to succeed and would definitely want them to receive the best education. ¡°Doctor Chen, come with me. I have something to tell you.¡± Doctor Chen nodded and left with the director. The three young doctors got an answer from Xia Wan and went back to their own work. The director brought Doctor Chen to his office and talked to him about the patient. Then, the director smiled and asked, ¡°Why do I see you being so concerned about Dr. Xia? I heard that you¡¯re still single. Do you like her?¡± Hearing the director¡¯s words, Doctor Chen¡¯s body tensed in fear. He quickly shook his head and said, ¡°Director, please don¡¯t say such things. Although Dr. Xia¡¯s medical skills are amazing, she¡¯s still too young. She¡¯s ten years younger than me. It¡¯s only right for her to call me uncle. How would I dare to have such thoughts about her?¡± The Department Director smiled. ¡°Although you¡¯re ten years older than her, you still look very young. However, I was just saying it casually. Alright, alright, I have nothing else to do here. You can go and do your work. ¡°Alright, director.¡± After leaving the director¡¯s office, Doctor Chen¡¯s footsteps were hurried. He felt that his heart was beating very fast. He gently pressed his heart, forcing himself to calm down. Perhaps Xia Wan had a special place in his heart, but Doctor Chen knew they weren¡¯t meant to be a couple. He was more of a witness to Xia Wan¡¯s success. That night, Xia Wan started work at the hospital, and the hospital had reserved beds for both of them. After Xia Feng and Xia Chen finished selling the clothes, they first went to the hospital to visit Xia Hai. After that, Yan Han asked them to return to the villa. After all, it wasn¡¯t good that the whole family stayed in the hospital. Early the next morning, Xia Chen had already gotten breakfast from the cafeteria. The family sat around and had breakfast together. ¡°Brother,¡± Xia Wan said to Xia Chen, ¡°You two can go and sell the stall today. I want to observe our town and see if there are any other profitable industries.¡± Now that Xia Wan was publicly acknowledged to be competent in the family, Yan Han did not doubt her daughter. She even smiled and praised her. ¡°You have a unique taste, but you shouldn¡¯t push yourself too hard. We¡¯ve earned enough money to spend now, and I am content..¡± Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Another Building Chapter 170: Another Building Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Chen didn¡¯t think so. Since he already knew about Lu Lin, he guessed that Xia Wan wasn¡¯t running about for fun but finding a way to solve Lu Lin¡¯s problem. However, he tacitly did not mention this matter in front of Yan Han and Xia Hai. Xia Hai¡¯s wrist had not fully recovered yet, and Yan Han had been caring for Xia Hai with every last breath. If he told them about this matter, it would only burden them more. At the same time, Xia Chen was afraid that Lu Lin would come to the hospital and cause trouble for Xia Hai and Yan Han, so he looked at Xia Feng and said, ¡°Little brother, your clothes are selling very well now. I¡¯ve been trading for two days and am a little tired. How about this? I¡¯ll stay with Dad and Mom at the hospital today, and you can manage the stall by yourself. There won¡¯t be any problems with Mr. Zhao¡¯s help anyway. What do you think?¡± The two brothers had a tacit understanding. After Xia Chen said this, Xia Feng immediately understood what he was thinking. He immediately smiled and said, ¡°Of course, brother. I¡¯m a rather talented salesman now. My customers are all very satisfied with the clothes. Many people praise me. Brother, you can stay in the hospital and take care of Dad and Mom today. I can man the stall by myself. ¡± Yan Han was a little worried after hearing this. She said to Xia Chen, ¡°There are so many doctors and nurses in the hospital. Why would they need you? Go and watch the stall with your brother. He won¡¯t be able to handle it all by himself.¡± Xia Wan also understood what Xia Feng meant and decided to cooperate with them. She took the initiative and said, ¡°Mom, I think brother is right. Actually, the customer flow is lower than before. Instead of wasting so much manpower on this stall, we might as well split it. ¡°And now that we¡¯ve moved to a new house, we still need to buy a lot of things. While I watch over you in the hospital today, I can also take some time out and buy these things. Since Xia Wan and Xia Feng had already said so, Yan Han had no choice but to agree. ¡°Oh, by the way, Dad, Mom, Doctor Chen told me that Dad¡¯s almost recovered, so he wants to transfer him to another building. This building is mainly for patients with more severe conditions. Is it convenient for you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so inconvenient about that?¡± Xia Hai replied nonchalantly. ¡°Your father¡¯s wrist is injured, but his legs are still very nimble. We can move now.¡± Xia Wan nodded and quickly ordered the medical staff to move Xia Hai and Yan Han¡¯s things to another building. At the same time, she told the doctor and nurses that if Li Jin and the others came looking for them, they should say that Xia Hai had been discharged from the hospital. As for where he had gone, they would have no idea. Li Jin¡¯s incident caused a massive commotion at the hospital, so everyone heard about Li Jin¡¯s character. Now that Xia Wan had reminded them, everyone understood. No one wanted to be in contact with such a heartless grandmother again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Doctor Xia. We¡¯ll definitely help to stop them. We won¡¯t let those people disturb your father¡¯s rest.¡± The nurses said solemnly. Xia Wan nodded, satisfied with their attitude. After breakfast, Xia Wan immediately changed into black clothes and wore a hat and a mask. If one wasn¡¯t familiar with her, no one would recognize her. She quickly went to the entrance of her old home and squatted there. About 40 minutes later, Lu Lin¡¯s car slowly drove over. As soon as she exited the car, Lu Lin¡¯s curses could be heard, ¡°What kind of beaten path is this? It¡¯s breaking my car. I¡¯m unlucky whenever I come to this kind of broken place. There were a few other punks following behind Lu Lin. When they heard Lu Lin¡¯s complaint, they quickly said, ¡°Brother Lu, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll definitely help you settle this matter properly. You won¡¯t have to come here back and forth in the future. Lu Lin snorted and looked at Li Jin¡¯s door. He said arrogantly, ¡°This is Xia Xu¡¯s house, right?¡± The man behind him nodded immediately. ¡°That¡¯s their family.¡± Lu Lin waved his hand. ¡°Go on, help me knock on the door.¡± Immediately, a subordinate went over and knocked on the door heavily. Not long after, Li Jin¡¯s curses could be heard. ¡°Who is it? Don¡¯t you find it annoying to knock on the door so early in the morning?¡± As he spoke, Li Jin opened the door impatiently. Initially, she had thought that after Xia Hai and the others had moved out, they would only cause a few problems. However, she realized that without Yan Han at home, there was no one to do all the chores.. Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Looking For Trouble Chapter 171: Looking For Trouble Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Song Yan and Chen Lian would always say all kinds of good things to her, but when it came to work, the two of them were better at hiding than the other. Li Jin suddenly felt that Yan Han was not bad at home. At least, she would do whatever she asked her to do. Li Jin was already in a bad mood, and now that someone was knocking on the door so fiercely early in the morning, she became even more impatient. But when she opened the door, she saw Lu Lin, who was dressed in branded clothes, and a few young hooligans. Li Jin was instantly stunned. Her initial impatience disappeared, and she was a little panicked. ¡°Who are you guys? What are you doing at our house?¡± Li Jin asked as she shouted into the house, ¡°Hurry up and come out. Someone is looking for trouble! ¡± Following Li Jin¡¯s shouting, Song Yan and Chen Lian came out with their daughters, Xia Ru and Xia Ye. Xia Jiang and Xia He had already gone to work, so there were only the women at home. When Lu Lin saw Li Jin¡¯s stance, the corner of his mouth curled up in disdain. At this moment, Li Jin also noticed that there was a luxurious car parked behind Lu Lin. Even if she couldn¡¯t name the car, she could tell that it was very expensive. It was not something that the people in her town could afford to drive. Li Jin tried to recall who this person was. Lu Lin didn¡¯t beat around the bush and directly said, ¡°My parents were too kind back then, so we arranged marriage with your family. You should know your status. How can you, a person who grew up in such a poor village, be worthy of me? Hurry up and give me your token, and this marriage will be over. After hearing Lu Lin¡¯s words, Li Jin¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. This was actually the grandson of Xia Xu¡¯s comrade. She had thought that Xia Xu¡¯s comrade was not doing well, but it seemed like he came from a rich family. Li Jin immediately changed her mind. She definitely couldn¡¯t hand over this token. She wanted to rely on this token to let her granddaughter marry this man in front of her. She wanted her family to fly up to the branches and become phoenixes. They would no longer have to lower their heads and beg. They would no longer have to live the life of the impoverished. Thinking of this, Li Jin immediately began to cry, ¡°I know that our family and your family have agreed, so all these years, I¡¯ve been taking good care of my granddaughter and raising her with great effort so that the two families can bond. But why are you here now to break off the engagement? ¡± ¡°Our granddaughter has been waiting for this day for a long time. It¡¯s really sad for you to say such things.¡± As Li Jin spoke, she pretended to wipe his tears. When Xia Ru and Xia Ye saw Lu Lin¡¯s identity, their eyes lit up. This was a rich man. If they could marry Lu Lin, their status would change. Xia Ru immediately stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m the one who arranged the marriage with you back then. For so many years, Grandma has always asked me to wait for you with peace of mind. Even when other people pursued me, I rejected them. Why did you really want to break off the engagement with me after you came? Then what have I been waiting for all these years for?¡± Lu Lin only noticed Xia Ru when she said these words. Then, he realized that Xia Ru¡¯s looks were average. This was not the standard of a wife that he wanted. She was far from the girl he saw yesterday. Therefore, Lu Lin refused without any hesitation, ¡°You should be very clear about the gap between us. It¡¯ll be impossible for you to be my wife with your status. Do you think I should marry a country bumpkin like you and embarrass myself?¡± ¡°Today, you either hand over the token of your own accord, or I¡¯ll bring my men and destroy your entire family. I don¡¯t believe that I can¡¯t find this token.¡± When Lu Lin finished speaking, the hooligans standing behind him immediately split into two rows, looking as if they were ready to smash the Xia family at any time. Li Jin and the others quickly noticed that something was wrong. This Lu Lin didn¡¯t have any intention of talking to them. He didn¡¯t want to acknowledge this marriage. Xia Ye was also very anxious. She realized that Xia Ru was really shameless. How could she say that she was married to someone in front of so many people? She clearly remembered that the token was placed in Xia Wan¡¯s house. However, no matter how stupid Xia Ye was, she would not say such things in front of Lu Lin. They were still on the same side.. Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Lu Lin’s Threat Chapter 172: Lu Lin¡¯s Threat Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Jin discovered that her usual methods of throwing a tantrum and rolling around were completely useless in front of Lu Lin. This Lu Lin didn¡¯t buy it. He didn¡¯t care about his reputation being ruined, or rather, he simply didn¡¯t care about the people of this place. At this moment, the little punks that Lu Lin brought had already started to smash the things in Li Jin¡¯s house. Seeing the farm tools that her family usually used being knocked over by the punks, Li Jin¡¯s heart ached. If these things had to be replaced, it would cost money. Li Jin was used to throwing her weight around in the village. She was considered to be a senior, and many people were younger than her. So when she made a scene, most villagers would simply tolerate it to prevent their reputation from getting affected. Lu Lin was different, however. He wasn¡¯t from this village, and he didn¡¯t really take Li Jin¡¯s family seriously. This caused him to show unbridled ruthlessness. Li Jin also noticed that this person was completely different from the neighbors she had dealt with before. If she had to rely on making a scene and rolling around, the other party was not afraid. Thinking of this, Li Jin quickly came up with an idea. She walked to Lu Lin and said, ¡°This token is very important to my family, so my old man hid it. But my old man has been dead for many years, so even if you ask me for it now, I can¡¯t take it out immediately. ¡°How about this,¡± she said in a flattering tone. ¡°Give us some time, and we¡¯ll find the token as soon as possible and return it to you. How about that?¡± Lu Lin snorted coldly and looked at Li Jin mockingly. do you think I¡¯ll believe you? Are you deliberately stalling for time because you don¡¯t want to give me the token?¡± Lu Lin arrogantly crossed his legs. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I¡¯ve asked around in your village. If you don¡¯t hand over the token obediently, then don¡¯t think about living a peaceful life in your family in the future. There will be people coming to your house to harass you every day. Smashing things up will be considered light punishment. ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard that your two sons are both working now. You¡¯ve separated your third son from them, right? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find the places where your sons work one by one and make sure they can¡¯t work anymore. When the men in your family can¡¯t work, who will your family rely on to buy food? ¡°You can think about it carefully. Either you hand over this letter to me obediently, or I¡¯ll make sure your family can¡¯t make a living and can only rely on the food you¡¯ve saved to wait for death. Lu Lin¡¯s expression was sinister when he said this. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t joking. Li Jin was even more frightened. She had never met such an unreasonable person. Lu Lin¡¯s high and mighty attitude made it seem as if she was treating them like ants. At this moment, Li Jin only felt fear. At the same time, a strong desire rose in her heart. If such a person could become her grandson-in-law, then their family would be able to do whatever they wanted in the entire village. They would see who would dare to provoke their family and say things behind their backs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely find the token. I won¡¯t dare to lie to you.¡¯ Li Jin quickly tried to please Lu Lin. She had a terrified look on her face. Seeing this, Lu Lin ordered his men to stop smashing things. Before he left, Lu Lin threatened them a few more times before driving his car away. In Lu Lin¡¯s eyes, these people were just ordinary villagers without much knowledge. They would naturally listen to him obediently with little threat. Xia Wan observed everything from the beginning to the end. She guessed that Li Jin would go to the hospital to find her father. If she could not find her father, Xia Ye might have to bring Li Jin and the others to her stall. Xia Wan knew very well what the family would do. Now, all she needed to do was to watch them make a fool of themselves. Lu Lin, who was sitting in the car, asked his men impatiently, ¡°Where¡¯s the girl I asked you to find?¡± The subordinate scratched his head and said embarrassedly, ¡°Brother Lu, we¡¯re still looking for her. There¡¯s nothing obvious about her, so it¡¯s going to be difficult for us to find out which family she¡¯s from.¡± The underlings were also feeling bitter. Lu Lin only roughly described what the girl looked like, but Lu Lin didn¡¯t even know the girl¡¯s name and asked them to look for her. There were so many people in this town.. Where were they going to find her? Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: I Want a Token Chapter 173: I Want a Token Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation However, they couldn¡¯t directly tell Lu Lin about this. If they did, he would think that they were a bunch of good-for-nothing. He had already figured out that he had to go along with a young master like Lu Lin. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do; just find her quickly!¡± Lu Lin roared domineeringly, then closed his eyes to rest. In order to come to the Xia family to get the token, he had even woken up early. If it were any other time, he would still be sleeping soundly. After Lu Lin left, Li Jin immediately got up from the ground. She looked at Song Yan and the others and said, ¡°All of you, tell me what we should do about this.¡± Xia Ye was still unhappy that Xia Ru had stepped out and said that she was Lu Lin¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and pouted and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Xia Ru say that she¡¯s Lu Lin¡¯s fianc¨¦e? Then let her find a way to get the token herself.¡¯ Xia Ru rolled her eyes in disdain. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me if you lack the ability. The token is in Xia Wan¡¯s hands now, but if she didn¡¯t exist, the token would be in mine. What does it have to do with you?¡± When Xia Ye heard this, she was not convinced and quickly explained, ¡°Everyone knows that you didn¡¯t agree to this marriage. You were afraid that the other party¡¯s family would be poor, and you thought that you had the ability to marry a better person. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want this marriage. Now that you see he¡¯s rich, you¡¯re trying to get close to him. Xia Ru snorted coldly. ¡°Among our family, I was born before you. If anything happens, it¡¯ll naturally be my turn first. You have no place.¡± Seeing that the two of them were about to start arguing again, Li Jin was so angry that he directly shouted, ¡°What¡¯s the use of arguing here? We need to quickly think of a way to solve this matter with Lu Lin. If we can¡¯t take out the token, he¡¯ll send people to harass us every day. How can our family survive then?¡± Song Yan said, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t care if we give the token to Lu Lin or not. The most important thing now is to get it. But it¡¯s still at Xia Wan¡¯s house. We still have to go to the hospital to find them.¡± Li Jin felt that Song Yan made sense. She said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t care which of you gets this, but we can¡¯t let that little b*tch Xia Wan take advantage of it. When we were still together, she talked back to me every day and even looked like she would beat me up. Now that we¡¯ve separated, I don¡¯t know how she¡¯ll take revenge on us if we put such a good marriage on her. Song Yan quickly nodded, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re right. We should unite at this time and get the token from Xia Wan¡¯s house. If we can get married to Lu Lin, that would be the best. But we can¡¯t; we¡¯ll just give him the token, and he¡¯ll stop tormenting us. ¡°Moreover, Father and his grandfather used to be friends. I don¡¯t think he will make things too ugly.¡± Li Jin felt that Song Yan¡¯s analysis was reasonable. She immediately ordered for the house to be cleaned up, then rushed to the hospital with a group of people. Xia Wan saw that they were preparing to go to the hospital, so she took a shortcut and rushed to the hospital first. The doctors and nurses all took the initiative to greet Xia Wan when they saw her. Xia Wan smiled and nodded, then quickly went to the director¡¯s office. Seeing that it was Xia Wan, the director was very happy and quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you need help?¡± Xia Wan told the director, ¡°My grandma and the others will be here soon. It¡¯s like this. Grandpa left me something, and now my grandma and the others want to get it in exchange for some benefits. However, Grandpa gave it to me, so I want to protect it. I hope you can cooperate with me and not let them find my father. ¡°You know that my father is a soft-hearted person. If my grandmother acts pitiful, my father might agree to her request.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t tell the director exactly what it was, but he was a smart person, and he understood. Every family had their own difficulties. From Li Jin¡¯s behavior, it seemed that the unreasonable ones were Li Jin¡¯s family, while the Xias were honest and slow. It was obvious that they were the ones who¡¯d been bullied all year. Therefore, the director trusted Xia Wan¡¯s words unconditionally. He immediately nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make the arrangements now.. Let¡¯s match our statements, shall we?¡± Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Xia Hai Goes Missing Chapter 174: Xia Hai Goes Missing Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After that, the director personally gave some instructions to the doctors and nurses, and they all agreed to cooperate. Soon, Li Jin¡¯s men rushed over to Xia Hai¡¯s room. The nurse quickly blocked the door and didn¡¯t let Li Jin and the others in. At this time, the nurse¡¯s face was serious as she scolded Li Jin, ¡°What are you doing? The patient inside is resting. This is not a place where you can cause trouble! ¡± Li Jin snorted coldly. ¡°My son is inside. Why can¡¯t I visit him?¡± The nurse continued to stop her and told her, ¡°Your son is no longer in our hospital. He couldn¡¯t pay for his medical expenses. We don¡¯t have that many beds to support him. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here now. If you pay for his medical expenses, your son can continue his hospitalization. ¡°He hasn¡¯t fully recovered. He shouldn¡¯t have been discharged, but our hospital is very busy, and we only have so many wards. He didn¡¯t pay for the medical expenses, so he has no right to occupy our space.¡± Li Jin panicked when she heard the nurse¡¯s words. She had almost forgotten that Xia Hai had not paid for his medical expenses. Li Jin did not continue to argue with the nurse. Instead, she turned to look at Song Yan. ¡°What should we do now? We haven¡¯t paid Xia Hail s medical fees. If we continue arguing, will we have to pay for it?¡± ¡°They asked us to pay¡­ does it mean we¡¯ll have to take out our money?¡± Song Yan rolled her eyes and said. ¡°If we don¡¯t take out the money, will they ransack our house? Besides, Xia Hai is no longer admitted here. Why should we pay?¡± Song Yan looked at the nurse and said, ¡°You¡¯re so cruel. You drove a patient away just because he couldn¡¯t afford to pay for his treatment. Is this how your hospital deals with things? I¡¯m going to show everyone how cold-blooded your hospital is!¡± Soon, Doctor Chen rushed over and heard Song Yan¡¯s threats. Fortunately, Xia Wan had warned him before that these people might act shamelessly on the spot, so Doctor Chen was mentally prepared in advance. He would¡¯ve been really shocked when he saw how shameless Song Yan and the others were. Doctor Chen warned Song Yan, ¡°I hope you know that this is a hospital, not a charity. Patients who want to see a doctor have to pay for their treatment. If everyone can just see a doctor without paying, how can our hospital continue to operate?¡± ¡°Besides, if it were anyone else, they might have the right to question our decision. But as Xia Hails mother and sister-in-law, you clearly have money on you, but you¡¯re unwilling to pay for his medical expenses. ¡°Xia Hai doesn¡¯t need to undergo any more surgeries, and he doesn¡¯t have the money to pay for his hospitalization. It¡¯s normal that he must leave the hospital. What right do you have to accuse us of this?¡± ¡°Before you criticize others, you should first look at yourself. What right do you have to criticize our hospital?¡± Li Jin and the others had been very confident, but after hearing what Doctor Chen said, they felt like they were in the wrong. Song Yan was still unconvinced. She could not help but look towards the ward and ask, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Let us go and take a look. If Xia Hai is really not here, we won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Doctor Chen¡¯s face was cold. ¡°Fine, you said it. If you see that Xia Hai is not here and still refuses to leave, I¡¯ll have to ask the security guards to escort you out.¡± After he finished speaking, he stepped aside, and the nurses opened the door. Li Jin and the others entered the ward and found a new patient lying on the bed. There was no sign of Xia Hai, and everything in there belonged to a stranger. Li Jin and the others believed Doctor Chen. Xia Hai was indeed no longer in the hospital. However, they were still worried. Where could he go if not the hospital? Li Jin couldn¡¯t help but ask Doctor Chen, ¡°Then where is my son now? You must know where he is. Tell me his location.¡± ¡°You said that he¡¯s your son,¡± Doctor Chen replied coldly.. ¡°Yet you don¡¯t even know where your son lives, and you¡¯re asking me, some doctor? How would I know about these things?¡± Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: Doctor Chen ‘s Ruse Chapter 175: Doctor Chen ¡®s Ruse Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Yes, I¡¯m his attending doctor. I¡¯ll be in charge of his condition while he¡¯s in the hospital, but not after he¡¯s discharged. What does his address have anything to do with me?¡± Li Jin couldn¡¯t help but blurt, ¡°How can you be so cold-blooded? You¡¯ve been in charge of my son before. Now that my son has been discharged, you don¡¯t even care where he lives.¡± Doctor Chen immediately retorted, ¡°I¡¯m just a doctor, not his family. We don¡¯t have the obligation to know where he lives. If you have the ability, go find him yourself. Don¡¯t disturb order in our hospital.¡± After that, Doctor Chen said to the nurses, ¡°All of you should go and do your own things. Don¡¯t let their nonsense delay your matters.¡± Only then did the nurses leave. Li Jin and the others wanted to continue asking, but Doctor Chen completely ignored them. His attitude was stern, and he seemed very unreasonable. Li Jin and the others had no other choice but to walk around the hospital. They even secretly opened the doors to other wards, but they couldn¡¯t find Xia Hai. They could only leave dejectedly. After Li Jin left, Xia Wan also came to Doctor Chen¡¯s office. She smiled at him and said, ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, Doctor Chen. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m sorry for making you look so cold-blooded.¡± Doctor Chen said nonchalantly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to care about favors when dealing with those outrageous relatives of yours. They¡¯re not good people in the first place. They want to leave the family when their family member is in the hospital. They¡¯re afraid that your father will drag them down. People like them don¡¯t deserve my respect.¡± Then, Doctor Chen asked worriedly, ¡°I heard that you took your father out of the hospital. Is he in a safe location? Although your operation was successful, he still needs to recuperate, given his current condition. If your grandmother continues to make a fuss and your father sees it, it will prolong his recovery.¡± Xia Wan nodded. I know, Dr. Chen. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect my father and try my best not to let her find him. If she does, I¡¯ll stand in front of my father and not let her affect him. Xia Wan didn¡¯t tell Doctor Chen that Xia Hails hand was recovering very well under the effects of the prescription she had specially formulated. He would be able to remove the bandage in about two days. According to the current medical methods, his recovery speed was abnormal, and she was afraid that it would hurt Doctor Chen. On the other side, Li Jin and the others left the hospital. They were all angry, but they had no place to vent. Chen Lian could not help but mumble, ¡°Where did Xia Hails family get the money to rent a house? There must be someone helping them behind the scenes.¡± Song Yan glanced at her. ¡°You¡¯re so smart. Tell me then. Who might be helping Xia Hai? Those brothers of his in the village? After Xia Hai fell sick, those people all hid far away. No one came to see Xia Hai, afraid that he would borrow money from them.¡± Chen Lian choked when she heard this. The truth was just as Song Yan had said. Even Xia Hail s family members his as far away as they could, let alone his friends. At that moment, everyone was completely out of ideas about finding Xia Hai. Xia Ye suddenly said, ¡°Grandma, I know! We can go to Xia Wan¡¯s stall and look for her. Isn¡¯t she helping look after someone¡¯s stall? We¡¯ll definitely be able to find her there. We¡¯ll just block her way. If she doesn¡¯t bring us home, we¡¯ll stop her from doing business. When she can¡¯t sell a single piece of clothing, her boss will definitely fire her.¡± Li Jin felt that Xia Ye¡¯s idea made sense. ¡°Our Xia Ye is still the smartest. Let¡¯s go. Quickly bring us to the stall that Xia Wan and the others are at. At that moment, Xia Ye stopped moving and said to Li Jin, ¡°Grandma, if I¡¯m the one who brought you to find Xia Wan, then after we get back the token left behind by Grandpa, wouldn¡¯t I be the one to marry Lu Lin?¡± Xia Ru was unhappy when she heard this and immediately retorted, ¡°I told you long ago that I¡¯m the first granddaughter of this family. This marriage should have been mine.. What right do you have to fight with me?¡± Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: The Fight Between Sisters Chapter 176: The Fight Between Sisters Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Ye refused to admit defeat and said, ¡°If you¡¯re so good, then you should look for Xia Wan¡¯s trouble. That Lu Lin looks like a bad-tempered person. It might take some time to find Xia Wan, and when Lu Lin loses his patience and destroys our house and, in turn, prevents your dad and my dad from working, can you bear the consequences?¡± Xia Ru was rendered speechless by Xia Ye¡¯s words. She realized that Xia Ye was usually slow to react, but when it came to this matter, she was very quick. Just as Xia Ye had said, if they delayed finding Xia Wan and the others, it would be too late for Lu Lin to take revenge on her family. However, Xia Ru was not willing to be restricted by Xia Ye just like that. She was only looking to cause Xia Wan trouble. It was not a big deal. Why would Xia Ye use this to threaten her? Xia Wan stood silently behind them. She could not help but sneer when she saw them arguing over the small matter. When her family was ostracized, these people were surprisingly united. But now that her family was excluded, the remaining members started to fight among themselves. Xia Ru knew that she wouldn¡¯t give this opportunity to Xia Ye, but finding Xia Wan was the most important thing to do now. Hence, Xia Ru pretended to compromise and said, ¡°Okay, okay, okay. After we find Xia Wan and get the token, I¡¯m willing to give you the opportunity if that Lu Lin likes you. Is that okay?¡± Seeing that Xia Ru was suddenly so agreeable, Xia Ye did not believe her. ¡°You¡¯re going to give me a chance so easily?¡± Xia Ye asked suspiciously. Xia Ru pretended to be kind and said, ¡°We¡¯re good sisters, unlike Xia Wan. We¡¯ve always been united. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter which one of us marries Lu Lin. Our families should help each other. How can we embarrass ourselves over such a small matter? ¡°Moreover, on the bright side, we can marry into the Lu family. On the dark side, Lu Lin might not be willing to marry us. After all, we are from the same family. Seeing that Xia Ru had taken the initiative to give in, Xia Ye¡¯s expression improved. She felt that Xia Ru made sense. Whether or not she could marry Lu Lin was another matter. It would not do her much good if she did not marry him and fell out with Xia Ru. With that in mind, Xia Ye¡¯s tone softened, and they reached a temporary truce. Then, she led everyone to Xia Wan¡¯s shop. However, when they arrived, they saw that the stall was completely empty. There was nothing there. Seeing this scene, Xia Ru could no longer maintain her fair expression. She directly asked Xia Ye, ¡°This is where Xia Wan¡¯s stall is? Where is she?¡± Li Jin even questioned her. ¡°Xia Ye, you¡¯re still telling me that you brought your classmate here to buy clothes? Where is she now? You can¡¯t even find a place to sit!¡± After being questioned, Xia Ye felt a little aggrieved, so she quickly explained, ¡°Xia Wan used to set up her stall here. Look at the shop behind her. It has been in business for over ten years and has always been here. How could I have remembered it wrong?¡± If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask my classmates. Xia Wan really has a stall here, but I don¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t open it today. Why don¡¯t we wait a little longer? She¡¯ll definitely open her stall tomorrow. Xia Ye was still anxiously explaining to the crowd, afraid that they would not believe her. At this time, Song Yan understood and said to Li Jin, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t you think that all of this is too much of a coincidence? He was gone when we went to the hospital to look for Xia Hai. When we came here to look for Xia Wan, she stopped setting up her stall. It¡¯s as if they¡¯re avoiding us on purpose.¡± Song Yan¡¯s words made everyone think. If Xia Wan was deliberately hiding from them, then why? Li Jin was also thinking the same thing. She couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°This Lu Lin only found our house today. After he came to find us, we immediately went to the hospital to find Xia Hai, but we didn¡¯t find any trace of him. Then, we went to Xia Wan¡¯s stall but didn¡¯t find her either.. How did they know that we were looking for them in advance?¡± Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: Everyone’s Conjecture Chapter 177: Everyone¡¯s Conjecture Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After Li Jin said that, everyone looked at each other. They couldn¡¯t figure it out either. Xia Ye walked around anxiously. In the end, she pointed at Zhao Jin¡¯s shop and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the owner of this shop. Xia Wan has a stall in front of his door every day. If she¡¯s missing, he¡¯ll know the reason.¡± Li Jin also quickly urged, ¡°Then what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and go ask.¡± Xia Ye quickly ran over. Zhao Jin was still sitting calmly inside. When he saw Xia Ye enter, all he did was ask politely, ¡°What do you want to buy?¡± Xia Ye asked anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s about that Xia Wan, who set up a stall in front of your shop. Why didn¡¯t she set up today? Do you know where she went?¡± Zhao Jin¡¯s lowered eyes turned cold, but he did not let Xia Ye see it. Xia Wan had warned him before that people might ask her about not setting up her stall, and Xia Wan had even made up some excuses for that. When Zhao Jin raised his head again, he returned to his usual faint smile. You¡¯re talking about the stall in front of our shop, right? I¡¯ve heard of it before. Many of their clothes had not been sold recently, so her boss got angry and asked them to bring the stock back for an exchange of styles. She also told me that this trip might take three days. She said that if anyone asked, I would tell them that they should return to pick up the goods in three days. ¡°What? Three days? Boss, do you know where Xia Wan and the others are staying? I really have something urgent to tell her. I¡¯m her cousin and something big has happened at home.¡± Xia Ye urgently stressed. When he heard Xia Ye, say that she was Xia Wan¡¯s cousin, Zhao Jin¡¯s eyes turned even colder. He had heard Xia Wan mention this family before. So, Zhao Jin knew very well what the family was like. Zhao Jin was disdainful of such snobbish, realistic, and cold relatives. ¡°I¡¯m not here to look after her stall,¡± he said directly. ¡°It¡¯s just that when her business is good, some customers might also stop by our shop, so I didn¡¯t drive her away. We are not even that close, so how would I know where she lives now?¡± Zhao Jin acted as if he was not familiar with Xia Wan, and he even became a little impatient. ¡°Do you want to buy something? If you won¡¯t buy anything, hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t stand here and disrupt my business.¡± Xia Ye realized that she could not get anything out of Zhao Jin¡¯s shop, so she left angrily. She could not help but turn around and glare at Zhao Jin¡¯s shop. In her heart, she cursed at the shop owner for being such a bad person. He was so rude, and he clearly didn¡¯t like her. After Xia Ye returned, Li Jin asked anxiously, ¡°How did it go? Do you have any news of Xia Wan¡¯s family?¡± Xia Ye shook her head, feeling wronged. ¡°No, the owner doesn¡¯t know either. He even chased me out and said that I would disrupt his schedule if I stood there. After hearing Xia Ye¡¯s words, Li Jin did not feel that she had been wronged. Instead, he looked at her with a little resentment. ¡°You¡¯re such a useless thing. You said you could find Xia Wan, but her stall is gone, and you don¡¯t even know when she¡¯ll come back. What else can you do? ¡± Xia Ru laughed coldly. Xia Ye, I really believed that you would be able to find Xia Wan. I was even thinking that if you really found her, as her sister, I would give this opportunity to you, but you¡¯re just too useless. You didn¡¯t even take the chance I gave you. Xia Ye, this means that you¡¯re not fated to marry Lu Lin. 11 m the one who should marry him. Xia Ye was unhappy when she heard this. She glared at Xia Ru unwillingly. ¡°Now that Xia Wan¡¯s family can¡¯t find it, and we dont even have a token, who can stop Lu Lin when he gets angry? And you¡¯re still fighting with me over this? If you¡¯re so capable, you should have directly persuaded Lu Lin to be with you.¡± After Xia Ye¡¯s provocation, Xia Ru¡¯s fighting spirit was reignited. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just to change Lu Lin¡¯s mind so he won¡¯t cause trouble for our family? Even if I don¡¯t have the token, I can still deal with Lu Lin.¡± After Xia Ru spoke, everyone looked at her in shock. Xia Ru also realized that she didn¡¯t seem to have much confidence. When she thought about Lu Lin¡¯s fierce look, she actually felt scared.. Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: Split Up Chapter 178: Split Up Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Lian couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°As expected of our eldest granddaughter. She¡¯s so ambitious. Let¡¯s split into two groups. We¡¯ll continue searching for Xia Wan¡¯s family and try to find the token as soon as possible. As for Xia Ru, since you¡¯re so capable, you should delay Lu Lin as long as you can. At least, don¡¯t let him come to our house every day and cause trouble.¡± Since Xia Ru had already put it that way and Chen Lian had responded so quickly, she had no choice but to accept Chen Lian¡¯s suggestion. Hence, the group split into two. Chen Lian and Xia Ye were in charge of finding Xia Wan¡¯s home. Xia Ye also contacted some of her classmates in town to find out where Xia Wan lived. Xia Ye¡¯s classmates were quite familiar with the town. They knew which houses were for rent and how to find them. They enthusiastically brought Xia Ye to look for the people who were renting houses. As they were not sure which house Xia Wan rented, Xia Ye and the others knocked on each door to confirm. However, Xia Ye felt that Xia Wan¡¯s family still owed a huge sum of medical expenses, so they did not have much money on hand. The houses they found were very ordinary and even a little old. In the end, after searching for a few hours, they failed to find where Xia Wan and the others were staying. Some people even looked at Xia Ye in a bad mood because all that knocking disturbed their peace. Xia Ye¡¯s classmates had been scolded so much that they were not in the mood to help Xia Ye look for her. All they felt was bad luck. Xia Ru was much smarter. She knew that with Lu Lin¡¯s status, she would definitely choose the most expensive hotel in the town. She worked in town and was very familiar with these things. Xia Ru first changed into a new set of clothes, bought some cosmetics, and patted her face before coming to the most expensive hotel. After asking the hotel owner for Lu Lin¡¯s room number, Xia Ru went to the door. As Xia Ru knocked on the door, Lu Lin, who was originally eating and drinking in her room, opened the door impatiently. Seeing that it was Xia Ru, Lu Lin¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain. ¡°Why is it you? Have you found the token? Are you passing it to me?¡± Xia Ru pinched her thigh hard, and her eyes reddened immediately. She said pitifully, ¡°My parents are already looking for the token. Young master Lu, I know that our family doesn¡¯t dare to be associated with you. Your family background and status aren¡¯t something our family can compare to. ¡°But I¡¯ve known that I have a fianc¨¦ since I was a child. I fantasize all day long about what kind of image he would have, but I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to keep up with his thinking. So, I often follow the people around me to learn and enrich my experience so that one day I can be worthy of my fianc¨¦. ¡°When I first saw you, you were so handsome, and your skin was so well-maintained. I felt like I was looking at a God from heaven. You might not know this, but at that moment, my heart was beating very fast. I thought that things like heartbeats only appeared in books, but after seeing you, I believed it.¡± As Xia Ru spoke, she took another step closer and pressed her body against Lu Lin. Lu Lin could even hear her breathing. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t become your wife, I still want to give you my first time. Can you consider it as fulfilling my dream of so many years?¡± As she said that, Xia Ru¡¯s hand touched Lu Lin¡¯s chest. Her eyes were ambiguous as she stared at Lu Lin. When Lu Lin was at home, he often went out with his friends, sang karaoke at bars, and played with many women. After coming to this town, he had been wronged. First, he was provoked by Xia Wan and lost his face. Then, he had to go to the Xia family¡¯s dilapidated village to ask for a token. Lu Lin was in a foul mood. Now that Xia Ru had taken the initiative to throw herself into his arms, Lu Lin immediately pulled her into them. ¡°At least you¡¯re sensible. Today, I¡¯ll fulfill your dream of so many years. Don¡¯t worry. As long as you obediently hand over the token, I¡¯ll do my best to help you if your family encounters any difficulties.¡± Then, Lu Lin brought Xia Ru to her room, and the two had sex.. Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Seducing Lu Lin Chapter 179: Seducing Lu Lin Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation From Lu Lin¡¯s point of view, although Xia Ru¡¯s looks were very ordinary, her figure was not bad. Her slightly meaty figure was just right to the touch. It just so happened that he didn¡¯t have a woman by his side right now. Since this woman took the initiative to throw herself into his arms, he naturally had no reason to refuse. After the two of them had sex, Lu Lin suddenly felt that a strange smell in the air. He sniffed and said to Xia Ru in disgust, ¡°Don¡¯t you shower? Why is your body so smelly?¡± Xia Ru¡¯s face stiffened, and she immediately said, ¡°No way. Even if I¡¯m in the countryside, I still have to take a bath every day. The water in the river here is very clear. I have to wash myself clean every day so that I can marry my fianc¨¦. As she spoke, Xia Ru hooked her arms around Lu Lin¡¯s neck and said coquettishly, ¡°Although I can¡¯t be your wife, I¡¯m already very satisfied to be able to be by your side today. I have no more regrets in this life. Lu Lin was so happy that she gradually ignored the smell. It was a bit strange. Sometimes she could smell it, and sometimes she couldn¡¯t. Xia Ru was cursing Xia Wan in her heart. After she was soaked in Xia Wan¡¯s medicine last time, although her skin had recovered and there were no scars, her family always felt that there was a bad smell coming from her body. She originally thought that with the passage of time, the stench would slowly disappear, but she didn¡¯t expect that Lu Lin would actually smell it. Then, Xia Ru saw a lot of wine on Lu Lin¡¯s table. She ignored her own discomfort and forced herself to drink with Lu Lin. After Lu Lin was almost drunk, Xia Ru started to dig for information. ¡°Big brother Lu, you¡¯re so capable. If you don¡¯t want to marry me, you can break off the engagement. Why do you have to get this token? Does it have some special effect?¡± Xia Ru snuggled into Lu Lin¡¯s arms and asked softly but clearly. At this moment, Lu Lin had drunk too much. She subconsciously said, ¡°If I don¡¯t get this token back, the old man won¡¯t let me off. The old man is too pedantic. He said that I couldn¡¯t break my promise to my comrades. ¡°What a joke. I, Lu Lin, have played with so many women and seen so much of the world, but you actually want me to marry a village woman. I don¡¯t know what Grandpa is thinking. ¡°Luckily, my father was smart and told my grandfather what he said. Only then did my grandfather agree. If the other party is not willing to marry me, then I just have to get the token back, and this matter will be over.¡± After hearing this, Xia Ru¡¯s eyes darted around quickly. From Lu Lin¡¯s words, she could guess that the marriage between the Lu family and the Xia family was completely decided by Old Master Lu. Moreover, the current Lu family should still be under old master Lu¡¯s control. Otherwise, Lu Lin would just be disobedient. There was no need for her to go through so much trouble to come to their remote little town and ask for a token. Thinking of this, Xia Ru said, ¡°Brother Lu, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a sensible person. I won¡¯t pester you. But if I go to the city you live in in the future, how am I going to find you? Brother Lu, where do you live?¡± After Xia Ru t s courtesies, she found Old Master Lu¡¯s address. After that, she made Lu Lin drink a few more glasses of wine before she quickly got dressed and left the hotel. That night, Xia Ru did not return home. Instead, she used the money she¡¯d been stowing away all these years to buy a ticket to the capital. When Lu Lin woke up the next day, he only felt dizzy. He vaguely remembered that Xia Ru had come to look for him yesterday, and they had sex. He could not remember what happened after that. Soon, a subordinate came in and opened the food they bought for Lu Lin. Lu Lin grabbed the person¡¯s neck and asked, ¡°Have you found that woman?¡± ¡°Brother Lu, we, Li Jin, have tried our best to find out, but we really can¡¯t find anything. We have asked all the people living near the supermarket, but no one knows where the girl lives,¡± the underling quickly said. Lu Lin pushed her subordinates away. ¡°You bunch of useless trash.¡± The guards were serving Lu Lin at the side in fear. After the meal, Lu Lin decided to look for Xia Wan personally. On the other side, someone was knocking on the door of Xia Wan¡¯s Villa. It was Xu Ye.. Chapter 180 - Chapter 180: Contacting the Lu Family Chapter 180: Contacting the Lu Family Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan was overjoyed and invited him in. She quickly poured him some tea and asked, ¡°Brother Xu, did you manage to contact the Lu family in Beijing?¡± Xu Ye nodded. He didn¡¯t stand on ceremony. He directly drank a cup of tea and said, ¡°I do have some connections in Beijing, but it¡¯s a little difficult to contact the old master of the Lu family directly. So, I told Chen MO about your situation, and he contacted the old master. The old master has already sent people over. You just have to bear with it for two days, and Lu Lin will be taken away. ¡°Logically speaking, he should have just asked Old Master Lu to call Lu Lin. However, Lu Lin is smart. He didn¡¯t bring his phone with him this time because he was afraid that Old Master Lu would contact him. ¡°Although this Lu Lin¡¯s brain is quite sharp, thank goodness you¡¯re smarter, Wanwan. You thought of contacting the Lu family¡¯s old master so quickly. Xia Wan smiled and poured another cup of tea for Xu Ye. She said, ¡°Being smart is only a small part. The key is that you and Chen MO are here to help me. Without your help, it would have taken me seven days to get in touch with Old Master Lu and get his reply. Lu Lin will definitely find out where I live in seven days. Besides, it¡¯s impossible for us to not open our stall for seven days. People will find it strange.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s praise, Xu Ye was thrilled. He was willing to do these things for Xia Wan, and when he saw the admiration in her eyes, he felt that it was all worth it. It was a pity that Chen MO was still out on business and could not come over immediately. With his personality, she would probably come to Xia Wan¡¯s side to protect her. Xia Wan was relieved, but Li Jin and the others slept poorly. Xia Ye led her classmates to search all the rental areas in town, but they could not find any traces of Xia Wan and the others. When Xia Ye returned home, the sky was almost dark. Then Xia Ye realized Xia Ru had not returned home. She felt increasingly uneasy that night. She fell asleep very late. When she woke up the next day, she was in a hurry to look for Xia Ru. Then she heard from her family that Xia Ru had not returned last night. This time, Xia Ye exploded. She could not help but shout, ¡°Xia Ru is so shameless. She must have seduced Lu Lin. Grandma, you have to talk to her. How could she do such a thing?¡± When Li Jin heard her words, she immediately hit the ground with a wooden stick and warned Xia Ye fiercely, ¡°How old are you? Watch your mouth. Xia Ru would never do such a thing. She must have been delayed after looking for Lu Lin. Xia Ye was so anxious that she was about to cry. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ve been through so much. How could you not understand? Xia Ru went to look for Lu Lin yesterday, but she didn¡¯t come back last night. It¡¯s obvious that she had sex with Lu Lin. ¡°Our family has always followed the rules. She did such a shameless thing. Wouldn¡¯t our family be laughed at for the rest of our lives?¡± When she heard Xia Ye say that Xia Ru had embarrassed the entire Xia family, Song Yan sneered in her heart. She knew that Xia Ye was just unwilling. Xia Ru had done what she wanted to do but did not dare to. Anyway, Lu Lin, this son-in-law, would definitely become part of the Xia family. However, it would depend on the other party¡¯s ability to get it. Not only did Song Yan not feel that her daughter was embarrassing, but she also felt that she was smart and decisive. She took advantage of the time wher Xia Ye was looking for Xia Wan to have sex with Lu Lin. This way, Lu Lin woul have no choice but to admit to his marriage with Xia Ru. Even if she did not find the token in the end, Xia Ru had become Lu Lin¡¯s woman, and she would still be able to get some benefits. Xia Ye continued to make a scene. Even though Li Jin kept scolding her, Xia Ye was still unwilling to give up. Xia Ru still had yet to return by noon. Even Li Jin was a little uneasy. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Xia Ru home yet? you guys go to the town and ask around.¡± Li Jin said to Song Yan and the others. Song Yan was also worried that something might have happened to her daughter. However, just as they reached the door, they saw the door being kicked open and saw Lu Lin¡¯s familiar face.. Chapter 181 - Chapter 181: Coming to the Door Again Chapter 181: Coming to the Door Again Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Jin¡¯s body trembled. She forced herself to face Lu Lin and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would give us time to find the token? We haven¡¯t found it yet. What are you doing?¡± Lu Lin directly kicked the stool beside him, and it flew away noisily. He said viciously, ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing? The Xia family is really scheming. Yesterday, Xia Ru came to my hotel to seduce me and made me drink so much to get information from me, right?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Xia Ru? Get her to come out!¡± It turned out that Lu Lin had forgotten what he had said to Xia Ru the day before. However, after he had some food and went out to look for Xia Wan, his mind slowly cleared up. He vaguely remembered that he had told Xia Ru that their old man placed great importance on this marriage, so he went to the Xia family in a hurry. Although he felt that Xia Ru didn¡¯t have the guts to look for his grandfather directly, he was afraid that she would really do something. Li Jin and the others realized that Lu Lin¡¯s attitude was even fiercer than yesterday, and this made them a little panicked. Li Jin was wondering what Xia Ru had done to make Lu Lin act like this. Song Yan was also a little uncertain. Although she always thought that her daughter was very smart and could do everything with a sense of propriety, this was a wealthy family from the capital, after all. They were different from the people they had met in town. What if Xia Ru really did something wrong? What would they do? Song Yan¡¯s heart was anxious, but her mind was spinning quickly. She had already reacted. Xia Ru and Lu Lin had already had sex. Now, Lu Lin couldn¡¯t find Xia Ru because she had tried to get information from him. Xia Ru must have tricked him into telling her something important. Otherwise, Lu Lin wouldn¡¯t be so angry. With this in mind, Song Yan decided to buy some time for her daughter. Perhaps her daughter really had the ability to force Lu Lin to marry her. Song Yan¡¯s tears immediately flowed out, and she cried, ¡°My poor daughter. She¡¯s so young, but she¡¯s already given her body to someone else. You don¡¯t want my daughter but still want to take advantage of her. Who knows if you¡¯re seducing her on purpose? My daughter has been so wronged. ¡°My daughter is usually very concerned about her reputation. Now that something like this has happened, she¡¯s not taking things too hard on herself, is she? No, I have to go find my daughter.¡± Song Yan was about to leave when Lu Lin¡¯s subordinate stopped her. Lu Lin looked at Song Yan with a half-smile, ¡°You¡¯re quite good at acting. Don¡¯t you know what your own daughter is like? If she didn¡¯t seduce me, why did she go to the hotel to look for me?¡± ¡°1 think you guys discussed it on purpose, right? Why do you want to marry m so much? Why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself and see if you¡¯re worthy!¡± Without hesitation, Lu Lin said to his subordinates, ¡°Smash it all. Smash up everything in their house!¡± ¡°Yes, Brother Lu!¡± His subordinates moved very quickly. Most of the things in the courtyard werf smashed by them. Lu Lin had already sat on a chair, and his subordinates ever thoughtfully wiped the chair clean for him. This time, Li Jin was truly afraid. Lu Lin began ransacking far more ruthlessly than the last time. He even looked at them teasingly the entire time, as if they were playing a game of cat and mouse. Li Jin couldn¡¯t help but walk up and plead, ¡°It¡¯s our fault. We don¡¯t dare to thin about marrying into your family anymore. Can you let us off? We really don¡¯t know what Xia Ru did. She acted alone without our knowledge yesterday. Chen Lian also betrayed Xia Ru and said, ¡°Yeah, yesterday, Xia Ru was confident that she could take care of you. We don¡¯t know what she¡¯s going to do. Young Master Lu, if you¡¯re looking for trouble, you should get back at Xia Ru. She¡¯s really not at home right now.¡± Lu Lin ignored their pleas and ordered her men to open the doors individually Indeed, Xia Ru was nowhere to be seen. However, he was so angry that he ordered his men to smash everything in the room, including the bowls, chopsticks, wardrobe, and jewelry.. Chapter 182 - Chapter 182: The Village Chief’s Mediation Chapter 182: The Village Chief¡¯s Mediation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°ARGH! This is really a sin! Is there anyone who can do something about it? They¡¯re going to tear down the house!¡± As Li Jin wailed, the surrounding people also came over to watch the show. However, they weren¡¯t stupid. They could all see that Lu Lin was capable. That car looked expensive, and if they accidentally hit it, they couldn¡¯t afford the repairs. No one wanted to be involved, so no matter how much Li Jin cried, no one cared. Eventually, someone couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and called the village chief over. The village chief looked at Lu Lin. He didn¡¯t know how to deal with Lu Lin, but he was the chief. Now that the villagers were being bullied to such an extent, he would lose his influence and fail to manage the villagers if he didn¡¯t do anything. The village chief coughed lightly and said to Lu Lin, ¡°You can tell me if there¡¯s anything you want to say. What¡¯s with all that ransacking? It¡¯s not easy for the Xia family to make any money; they even have a hospitalized son. These things might not mean much to you, but to the Xias, it¡¯s all they¡¯ve got.¡± Lu Lin was unmoved. He snorted coldly, ¡°So what if they¡¯re valuable? I will compensate for the things I smashed, but I¡¯m happy to smash them. So what?¡± The village head was stunned by Lu Lin¡¯s words. He had never seen such a shameless person. The village chief deeply understood what it meant to be willful when one was rich. Lu Lin didn¡¯t take his village seriously at all. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t get through to Lu Lin, the village chief looked at Li Jin and advised her, ¡°Li Jin, things have already come to this. What¡¯s going on between you two? They wouldn¡¯t have come to your house for no reason.¡± At this time, some neighbors who were watching the scene heard about this and said directly, ¡°I know about this. Lu Lin came from the capital. He said that Xia Xu had an arranged marriage with his comrade when he was young. Now, he¡¯s unwilling to marry the Xia family¡¯s daughter and is forcing Li Jin to return the token. She just won¡¯t let it go. The village chief looked at Li Jin and said seriously, ¡°Li Jin, is this what happened?¡± Li Jin nodded helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s like that.¡± ¡°Marriage is a matter of mutual consent,¡± the village chief advised. ¡°Since she¡¯s not willing, you should give him the token. It¡¯ll save you from becoming enemies.¡± Li Jin sighed. ¡°If the token was still here, I would have given it to him long ago. But it¡¯s been too long, and I really can¡¯t find it.¡± She had really searched the house, but there was no token at all. Li Jin suspected that Xia Wan had taken the token, but she couldn¡¯t find her at all. How was she going to return the token? Moreover, Xia Ru wasn¡¯t back yet, so Li Jin thought that she might have other ways to change Lu Lin¡¯s mind. Therefore, she planned to waste time now. Lu Lin wouldn¡¯t kill them. As long as they were alive, they would have a chance to climb the social ladder. Li Jin felt that she was very courageous now. In order to give her granddaughter a chance to change her fate, she felt that she had sacrificed too much. Whether Xia Ru or Xia Ye married Lu Lin in the end, both of them had to be filial to her. This was all about her in the end. The village head frowned. ¡°How did you lose something so important? Are you sure you searched the entire house? Did Xia Hai leave the house with it? Is it with him?¡± Seeing the village chief mention Xia Hai, Li Jin avoided eye contact with him. The village chief could tell that Li Jin was hiding something from him. ¡°How about this,¡± he said to Lu Lin. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her first. Give me some time.¡¯ The other party was the village chief, after all. Lu Lin nodded reluctantly, and there was a hint of impatience in his eyes. ¡°Then hurry up.¡± He was very frustrated. He felt that if he didn¡¯t get the token quickly, things might go wrong. The village chief called Li Jin to the side and said with a serious expression, ¡°I used to be very close to Xia Xu, and I know about what happened between him and his comrade. You can lie to others, but you can¡¯t lie to me. In the end, this marriage fell into Xia Wan¡¯s hands, but now that Xia Wan¡¯s family has separated from you, are you trying to take over this marriage?¡± The village head knew her family¡¯s situation well and had taken good care of her family over the years. Li Jin knew that he couldn¡¯t hide it from him, so he said directly, ¡°Now that Xia Hai and the others have separated from us, Xia Wan is becoming more and more rebellious. She doesn¡¯t listen to me at all.. Why do you think I should give her this marriage?¡± Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Lu Lin ‘s Departure Chapter 183: Lu Lin ¡®s Departure Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°If I gave it to Xia Ye or Xia Ru, these two girls would still be filial to me, but not Xia Wan. She will only take revenge on me. ¡°Xia Wan doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad person,¡± the village chief said helplessly. ¡°She knows how you¡¯ve treated her parents. You¡¯ve been biased all these years.¡± The village chief was telling the truth, but Li Jin didn¡¯t want to admit it. She had to say, ¡°I really can¡¯t find the token now. I can¡¯t find Xia Wan, and the token is in her house. But if I tell Lu Lin that the token is in her hands, I¡¯m afraid he will marry her.¡± The village chief continued to persuade. ¡°With Lu Lin¡¯s status, if he doesn¡¯t like Xia Ru and Xia Ye, he naturally won¡¯t like Xia Wan either. This has nothing to do with whether she¡¯s beautiful or not. He¡¯s not on the same level as you. ¡°What you need to do now is to tell Lu Lin to stop pestering you, understand?¡± The village head felt that he had made things clear enough. Li Jin pretended to agree with the village head on the surface, but she still had fantasies in her heart, thinking that she could take Lu Lin as her grandson-in-law. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll talk to Lu Lin later and ask him not to make such a big deal out of it. You should find Xia Wan and the others and return the token to them as soon as possible. Since Lu Lin is unwilling to agree to this marriage, don¡¯t force it.¡± Li Jin nodded in agreement. The village head brought Li Jin out again. Playing the role of guarantor, he asked Lu Lin to give them another chance. Lu Lin looked at him coldly. ¡°You¡¯re just a village chief. Why should I give you face? If I don¡¯t see the token today, I¡¯ll stay here and not leave. I¡¯ll see who dares to chase me away.¡± This angered the village chief. All these years, he had been respected in the village. When facing a rich young master like Lu Lin, he would have to consider his status initially and not go too far. Getting treated so disrespectfully provoked him immensely. His face was cold. ¡°Alright. Then we¡¯ll keep you company.¡± With that, the village head ordered all the strong men in the village to gather and surround the Xia family¡¯s door as though forming a protective barrier. Xia Wan saw this scene from the corner and felt that the village chief was sometimes too kind. Li Jin and the others might not be grateful. Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, the phone of one of Lu Lin¡¯s bodyguards rang. He looked at Lu Lin apologetically and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master Lu. I have to take this call.¡± Lu Lin ignored him and only frowned slightly. The next moment, the bodyguard raised his voice. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m with Young Master Lu now. Okay.¡± The bodyguard handed the phone to Young Master Lu with a serious expression. ¡°Young Master Lu, it¡¯s a call from the old master. He wants you to answer it.¡± The insolence on Young Master Lu¡¯s face immediately disappeared, and his hand holding the phone was trembling. ¡°Grandpa, why are you looking for me?¡± Lu Lin said carefully. A roar came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Why am I looking for you? Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done? What did you tell me before we left? You said you¡¯d talk to the Xia family nicely, but now you¡¯ve brought your men to destroy the Xia family¡¯s house. Get your ass back home! NOW!¡± Lu Lin was completely flustered after being scolded by the old man. His confidence was all due to the Lu family. Now that the head of the Lu family was angry, all his confidence dissipated. Lu Lin had no choice but to leave. After hanging up, he looked at Li Jin gloomily. ¡°You guys are so capable. You actually managed to contact the old man. I¡¯ve underestimated you. We¡¯re not done!¡± After Lu Lin left, Li Jin was dumbfounded. She came to the village chief and asked anxiously, ¡°Chief, what does he mean? I didn¡¯t contact his family. What¡¯s going on?¡± The village chief was also very confused and subconsciously replied, ¡°This is your family¡¯s business. If you don¡¯t know, how would I know? ¡°Alright, since everything is fine now, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± The village chief dispersed the crowd and no longer bothered with the Xia family¡¯s affairs. After everyone left, Li Jin and the others gathered together. Looking at the house that looked like a whirlwind had hit it, the whole family was in a glo mood. Xia Ye saw that Lu Lin had left and stopped making a scene. However, she ( not feel relaxed. Instead, she felt a sense of loss. It was as if her dream of b a wealthy family had been shattered. ¡°Auntie, did Xia Ru do something? If not, why would Lu Lin leave?¡± she ask Song Yan. Song Yan was very unhappy when Xia Ye questioned her. No matter what, was Xia Ye¡¯s elder.. What right did she have to question her? Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: Song Yan and Chen Lian’s Dispute Chapter 184: Song Yan and Chen Lian¡¯s Dispute Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Song Yan looked at her impatiently, ¡°How would I know? Besides, Lu Lin obviously received a call from home. His grandfather must have found out about what he did. How could our Xia Ru have the ability to contact his grandfather directly?¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking advantage of Xia Ru¡¯s absence to deliberately slander her, right? Everything is Xia Ru¡¯s fault.¡± Seeing that her daughter was at a disadvantage, Chen Lian started arguing with Song Yan. ¡°What did your Xia Ru do? Do we need to spell it out? She didn¡¯t come back last night, and Lu Lin came to her angrily today. She must have seduced him yesterday. Not only did she fail to get his love, but she even managed to anger him. ¡°Lu Lin is only able to leave now because his grandfather knows about this. Indeed, your Xia Ru lacked the ability to inform the old master of the Lu family, and she¡¯s indeed the one who angered Lu Lin. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if this marriage doesn¡¯t work out, then so be it. But if it does, this marriage must go our Xia Ye!¡± Song Yan was unhappy. Now that Lu Lin had left, her only hope was Xia Ru. She immediately said, ¡°Hmph, now that Lu Lin is gone, it¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s not interested in our girl. If my Xia Ru has the ability to make Lu Lin accept her, then it¡¯s her own ability. Your Xia Ye can¡¯t.¡± Xia Ye was not happy that she was denied, but Song Yan had been suppressing her family all these years, so she did not dare to refute her. Song Yan and Chen Lian quarreled on their daughters¡¯ behalf, not caring about their ransacked house that was in a mess. Li Jin couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Shut up, all of you! Hurry up and clean up the house. Are we still going to sleep tonight?¡± Song Yan pursed her lips. ¡°Isn¡¯t Chen Lian¡¯s family very powerful? Then let her family take care of it.¡± Chen Lian was so angry that she put her hands on her hips. ¡°Song Yan, don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t dare to scold you just because you¡¯re my sister-in-law. Your family is in the wrong this time. You¡¯re not even willing to clean the house now. What right do you have to think that your family is nobler than mine? I¡¯m going to see what your expression is like under that face.¡± As she spoke, Chen Lian grabbed Song Yan¡¯s hair and started pulling. Song Yan didn¡¯t react in time at first, but when she realized what was happening, she started pulling at Chen Lian¡¯s hair. The two started fighting. Xia Jiang and Xia He were a little dumbfounded. They didn¡¯t expect their wives to start fighting while they were quarreling. They quickly went to stop the fight, but they were accidentally injured several times. Soon, their faces were covered in red scratch marks. Xia Jiang couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Stop! Look at what you¡¯ve become. Aren¡¯t you just making a fool of yourselves?¡± Xia Ye was so frightened by this scene that she cried. She wanted to fight Xia Ru over the marriage, but she never thought that her mother would fight with her aunt. They pulled the two apart and went to clean up the house separately. They only returned to their respective rooms after they had tidied up the house. Now that Xia Hai¡¯s family was not around, Song Yan and Chen Lian¡¯s families cooked their own meals. In the past, they could ask Yan Han to cook for all three families, but now that she was gone, neither was willing to cook for the whole family, so they each settled their own meals. Xia Jiang and Xia He didn¡¯t mind since their wives would cook for them. It was just hard on Li Jin. In the past, Yan Han had to take care of her, but now she had to cook for herself. After what happened today, Li Jin was too lazy to cook. She directly appeared at Song Yan¡¯s table. At this time, Song Yan was holding a pot of chive eggs in her hand. Then, she saw Li Jin sitting at the dining table, and her smile immediately froze. ¡°Mother, why are you here?¡± Song Yan asked, embarrassed. Li Jin snorted coldly and stared at the scrambled eggs in Song Yan¡¯s hand. I only know now that you guys eat so well when I¡¯m not eating with you. Chives and eggs are rare in our family. You must have put three eggs in this pot of vegetables. ¡°Now that Xia Ru isn¡¯t around, it¡¯s just the two of you eating, and you actually used three eggs? In the past, when we ate together as a family, Yan Han only dared to put three eggs, max. ¡°Song Yan, you¡¯re quite generous with your money.. What, you¡¯re going to start eating without me?¡± Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: Li Jin’s Freeloading Chapter 185: Li Jin¡¯s Freeloading Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Song Yan froze and quickly explained, ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I usually eat very light food. Sometimes, it¡¯s just carrots and pickled vegetables, and the two of us can finish a meal. This is because when Lu Lin smashed our things, I saw some eggs break. I didn¡¯t want to waste them, so I fried them with vegetables.¡± She smiled warmly and said, ¡°Mother, even if you didn¡¯t come over, I was going to call you. You can eat here. These are good for your body. They suit you the best.¡± Li Jin snorted and stopped herself from exposing Song Yan¡¯s intentions. She knew very well that if she did not come, her daughter-in-law would definitely not call her. But now that Yan Han was no longer around, she only had Song Yan and Chen Lian, her two daughters-in-law, by her side. She couldn¡¯t afford to fall out so badly with these two, lest ordering them around in the future would be difficult. Li Jin picked up her chopsticks and began to eat the leek egg in big mouthfuls. Xia Jiang and Song Yan had only taken a few bites when they saw that Li Jin had already eaten more than half of the bowl of leek egg. At this moment, Xia Jiang and Song Yan couldn¡¯t sit still. They didn¡¯t know what to say, so they quickly ate before Li Jin finished her meal. Originally, Xia Jiang and Song Yan had been eating slowly, but with Li Jin¡¯s participation, they finished the meal very quickly. At the end of the meal, the leek and eggs were completely wiped clean, not leaving a single bit. Li Jin touched her stomach and said to Song Yan, ¡°Where¡¯s the porridge?¡± Song Yan was not happy. She had not eaten much of this plate of leeks and eggs, but now that Li Jin had spoken, she could only silently serve the porridge to the three of them. The so-called congee was made with cornmeal and water. It was very diluted, but it still had some taste. When Li Jin was almost done, she said to Song Yan, ¡°I¡¯m not here for anything else. Tell me the truth, where did Xia Ru go? Can she get Lu Lin?¡± Song Yan was furious. If she wanted to ask about this, she could have done it at any time. Why did he have to wait until they were having dinner? She was clearly trying to get a free meal. However, Song Yan could not say anything. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t know either. Xia Ru didn¡¯t even mention this to us,¡± Song Yan said honestly. Li Jin¡¯s eyes widened. You don¡¯t know where Xia Ru is, and Lu Lin has already left. How are we going to find her in the future?¡± Song Yan was a little unhappy and stopped smiling. She even said indifferently, ¡°Xia Ru is already 18 years old. She has her own plans. As her mother, I can¡¯t control her too much.¡± Li Jin asked a few more questions, but Song Yan knew nothing. She left unhappily and was about to walk around the village when she happened to meet Old Man Li and his granddaughter talking under a big tree at the village entrance. Li Jin wasn¡¯t interested in their conversation at first, but when she heard them mention ¡°Xia Wan,¡± she stopped to eavesdrop. ¡°Xiaoyu, what did you say?¡± Old Man Li asked. ¡°You saw Xia Wan and the others come out of the villa?¡± Xiaoyu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, Grandpa. I didn¡¯t believe it at first, but after Xia Wan came out, Xia Chen followed her. Even if I was wrong about Xia Wan, I can¡¯t be wrong about both.¡± Old Man Li sighed. ¡°Everyone in the village says that Li Jin is so cruel that she refuses to pay for Xia Hail s medical expenses. They think that Xia Hail s family must be living a terrible life. Now, it seems that everyone has underestimated his family. They¡¯re living better than everyone in our village.¡± Li Jin could not hold it in any longer. She stormed over to Xiaoyu and asked, ¡°Where did you meet Xia Wan? Hurry up and tell me her location.¡± Old Li and Xiaoyu were shocked when they saw Li Jin suddenly appear. Xiaoyu even shuffled backward subconsciously. Even though Xiaoyu did not know Xia Wan very well, she had recently heard about Li Jin¡¯s family. Hence, she knew what kind of person he was. ¡°I don¡¯t know where Xia Wan lives,¡± she said, shaking her head. Subconsciously, she didn¡¯t want to tell Li Jin Xia Wan¡¯s address. Li Jin snorted coldly and threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me where Xia Wan lives, I¡¯ll bring my men and block your door. We¡¯ll follow you wherever you go until you tell me where Xia Wan lives!¡± Xiaoyu knew that Li Jin was not just giving empty threats. Li Jin was really capable of doing such a thing. She said helplessly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you to Xia Wan..¡± Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: There’s News of Xia Wan Chapter 186: There¡¯s News of Xia Wan Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Jin was happy, but it was already late. Thus, they agreed to find Xia Wan the following day. Early the next morning, Xia Wan was about to go out to buy some groceries when she met Chen MO, who was waiting for her at the door. Xia Wan looked at him with surprise and joy. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chen Mo¡¯s eyes were apologetic and worried. He walked up to Xia Wan and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t by your side when you were in trouble. I let you suffer so much.¡¯ Xia Wan shook her head and said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if you weren¡¯t by my side, you¡¯ve helped me a lot. Brother Xu told me that if you didn¡¯t pass on a message to the Lu family, Lu Lin would keep looking for trouble in the town. Our town isn¡¯t big, to begin with, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before he finds me.¡± Seeing her smile so obediently, Chen MO felt a little upset. He really hoped that Xia Wan would be able to rely on him, but at the same time, he knew that she was such a proud person. Her pride gave him a heartache. Chen MO smiled and suppressed the emotions in his heart. He said to Xia Wan, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to dinner and bring you to meet someone.¡± Xia Wan looked at him in surprise, ¡°Meet someone? Who is it?¡± Chen MO smiled mysteriously. ¡°You¡¯ll see when we get there. I believe that she¡¯ll definitely like you. For some reason, Xia Wan became a little nervous. They had a simple breakfast, which consisted of steamed buns, a plate of side dishes, and the seaweed soup that the boss had made. It was a simple taste, but Xia Wan felt very satisfied. Chen MO brought her to a small courtyard. The environment was quiet, and there were many trees in the surroundings. At the same time, it was far away from the streets. It was quiet and oppressive. Chen MO opened the door with the key, and the two of them walked in. Immediately, bodyguards lined up on both sides of the door and greeted Chen MO, ¡°Young master.¡± Chen MO nodded and led Xia Wan inside. There were two people sitting in the living room. One of them was a girl in a white dress who was sitting on a specially-made half-reclining chair and reading a book. Sitting at the head of the table was a middle-aged man. He looked to be in his forties and had deep facial features. One could tell that he had been a handsome man in his youth. Xia Wan felt a little dazed. She seemed to have seen this person on TV in her previous life. He was a mysterious tycoon in the capital city, with many properties under his name and a lot of power and authority. ¡°This is my father, Chen Shan. This is my sister, Chen Shui,¡± Chen MO introduced. ¡°This is Xia Wan, the miracle Doctor who saved me,¡± he introduced Xia Wan. Chen Shan nodded. A smile appeared on his usually serious face. ¡°Chen MO has never been one to praise others easily, but he has praised you more than once in front of me. This time, I¡¯ve come here to ask the miracle doctor to save my daughter.¡± Chen Shui also looked at Xia Wan and said softly, ¡°Hello, Sister Xia. I¡¯ve heard about you from my brother. Now that I¡¯ve met you, you¡¯re indeed a beauty. No wonder my brother has been thinking about you.¡± Chen MO glared at her. ¡°Chen Shui, don¡¯t spout nonsense.¡± Chen Shui smiled sweetly. However, she started coughing after saying a few words. Chen Shan and Chen MO looked at her nervously. Chen Shan¡¯s expression was serious. He stood up and came to Xia Wan¡¯s side. He solemnly said to Xia Wan, ¡°Miracle doctor, can you help Chen Shui check her body? Over the years, we¡¯ve taken her to many hospitals, but no one could cure her. We could only get all kinds of medicinal herbs to warm her body.¡± As he spoke, his eyes flashed with pity and he said, ¡°Back then, I offended a gang and caused Chen Shui¡¯s mother to be captured. At that time, Chen Shui was still in her mother¡¯s womb. During the time she was being tortured, I don¡¯t know what they fed her. When she was finally released, she was already weakened and had been suffering from all kinds of diseases over the years. ¡°The doctor said that Chen Shui wouldn¡¯t live past the age of 21. ¡°But she¡¯s such a kind and innocent child. Why can¡¯t she live more than 21 years? Chen MO doesn¡¯t praise people easily. I believe in him too. Miracle doctor, I hope you can save my daughter. However, if even the miracle doctor can¡¯t do anything, we won¡¯t force you.¡± Chen Shui¡¯s heart ached when she saw her father like this. Her father was an all-powerful man in the business world. She had nothing to fear. However, because of her body, her father had begged so many people all these years. Her always proud father had begged and begged in front of those people.. Chapter 187 - Chapter 187: Saving Chen Shui Chapter 187: Saving Chen Shui Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Shui¡¯s heart ached. Sometimes, she even thought that if there was no hope of being cured, she might as well die. That way, her father would have no weakness and could continue to be the tycoon overlord he was. ¡°Daddy,¡± Chen Shui called gently. She shook her head. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m willing to come with brother. On the one hand, I want to see if sister Xia can cure my illness. Conversely, I also want to come here with you to relax.¡± I¡¯m already 18 this year. If there¡¯s really no way to cure me, then I only have three years left to live. In the final stages of my life, I hope to be able to stay by your side. I¡¯m already very content. Seeing such a sensible Chen Shui, Xia Wan was also a little moved. She still had some memories of her younger sister, Chen Mo. In her previous life, the Chen family seemed to have found her master, Divine Doctor Luo, but he avoided them with the reason that Chen Shui¡¯s illness was incurable. Her master¡¯s medical skills were excellent, but his character was also strange. If he didn¡¯t want to treat a patient, he wouldn¡¯t do it, no matter how noble the patient¡¯s status was. At that time, she had interacted little with Chen Mo. She was still in the stage of learning medicine. It was only after she told her master that he said that Chen Shui¡¯s illness was caused by a poison released by her heel and that there was no antidote for it now. She had once asked her master why he knew so much about it. He told her that the person who had poisoned Chen Shui was her old nemesis. That person¡¯s medical skills were average, but his poison skills were very good. The poison inflicting Chen Shui at that time was a complicated affair. If he wanted to expel the poison by force, it might cause irreparable damage to her body. She might lie in bed in a vegetative state for the rest of her life or even die. The poison had been in Chen Shui¡¯s body for so long that it was already a part of her. It would not be easy to isolate it on its own. It wasn¡¯t until the third year after Chen Shui¡¯s death that she inadvertently inspired her master with something she was researching. It prompted him to develop a way to detoxify Chen Shui without harming her body. Unfortunately, Chen Shui had already died by then. Sometimes, she would wonder if Chen Mo¡¯s cold attitude towards her in her previous life had something to do with her master. Collecting her thoughts, Xia Wan came to Chen Shui and said gently, ¡°I¡¯ll take your pulse first.¡± Chen Shui obediently extended her arm. Xia Wan was actually very clear about the poison in her body. However, she still pretended to take her pulse seriously in front of everyone. About ten minutes later, she put down Chen Shui¡¯s wrist and said to the three people, ¡°The poison in the Chen Shui is buried deep. If we want to get rid of it by force, her body won¡¯t be able to bear it. The most suitable method is to nourish and separate it from her body. Then, we can use a strong antidote to eradicate it completely. When Xia Wan finished speaking, Chen Shan was stunned. He was still in disbelief and stuttered, ¡°You mean you can cure Chen Shui¡¯s illness?¡± ¡°The success rate is 80%,¡± Xia Wan nodded. In fact, her success rate was 99%, but it would be too hard to believe. After all, everyone knew how difficult it was to cure Chen Shui¡¯s poison. Despite coming from a village, she could think of a way with a 99% success rate. This would be a slap in the face for all the major hospitals. Chen Shan was so excited that his hands were trembling. He said to Xia Wan, ¡°Miracle doctor Xia, is what you said true?¡± Xia Wan nodded. Thinking about how Chen MO had been taking care of her these past few days, she said, ¡°Uncle Chen, I¡¯ll be honest with you. If it were someone else who came to find me, I wouldn¡¯t easily make a move, even if I could cure him. ¡°1 believe that you have already found doctors from all the major hosp treat Chen Shui¡¯s illness, mainly famous doctors. You must have visite them, but they didn¡¯t dare to treat her. It is obvious how aggressive an difficult this poison is to deal with. ¡°If I rashly claim that I can cure it and that the success rate is very higl undoubtedly be a slap to the faces of these doctors. With my age and s saying such words won¡¯t bring me much benefit. Instead, more people want to see me make a fool of myself. ¡°However, Chen MO has saved my life many times. You and Chen Shui so much, so I don¡¯t want to pretend in front of you. However, I hope tk won¡¯t tell anyone about this. We will treat her in secret. Even if you cui Shui, don¡¯t tell anyone I cured her. ¡°It¡¯s a disaster for a child to hold a mountain of gold in the palm of the Chapter 188 - Chapter 188: The Chen Family’s Protection Chapter 188: The Chen Family¡¯s Protection Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation If Chen Shan had some doubts about Xia Wan putting on a front when she said that she could cure Chen Shui, he had complete trust in her now. Xia Wan wasn¡¯t saving Chen Shui for the sake of fame or profit. She did it purely for the sake of Chen Mo. Inexplicably, Chen Shan saw another person¡¯s shadow in Xia Wan. Her style of doing things was like Doctor Luo. She was low-key and had a personality, but she had strength. She would not do things that she was not willing to do just because of an empty reputation. ¡°If miracle doctor Xia can cure Chen Shui, in the future, if you ask for anything, the Chen family will do our best to help you. At the same time, I will give you a generous reward. I know that you are still studying, but when you enter the capital, the Chen family will definitely help you.¡± Chen Shan didn¡¯t directly say how much he was going to give Xia Wan, but whatever he offered was better than money. Having money didn¡¯t mean that one could do whatever they pleased, let alone connect with the major kingpins in the capital. The capital was a place with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. There were all kinds of forces playing there, and ordinary wealthy people who rashly entered the city would soon find themselves inadequate to deal with them. But now, Chen Shan¡¯s promises were equivalent to telling Xia Wan that the Chen family was her backer. Xia Wan nodded. She did not have any special expression on her face. She said to Chen MO, ¡°Bring me a pen and paper. I¡¯ll write down a prescription for some medicine, and you can ask someone to buy it. Some ingredients might be very difficult to buy and may require effort.¡± Chen MO nodded. ¡°It¡¯s okay. As long as it¡¯s what Chen Shui needs, we¡¯ll get it no matter how difficult.¡± Soon, Chen MO brought a pen and paper over. Xia Wan wrote down some medicinal herbs. Her handwriting was elegant and strong, which surprised Chen Mo. She handed the herbs to Chen MO and said, ¡°This is it.¡± Chen MO took the prescription, and his eyes widened when he saw the medicinal herbs on it. ¡°Some herbs you¡¯ve included are poisonous.¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. The poison in her body is too potent. A normal antidote won¡¯t be able to cure her. During this period, I will use medicinal herbs to make a tonic to nourish her body. After you get these herbs, I will come back to make the antidote for her. It will take about three months to nourish her body.¡± After hearing Xia Wan¡¯s explanation, Chen MO nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best to gather the money within three months.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush,¡± Xia Wan said. ¡°Some of the herbs are in the Northwest, which is quite far away. I suggest that your people find a local guide when they get there. ¡°You seem to know a lot about the Northwest?¡± Chen MO asked in surprise. Xia Wan smiled and did not answer Chen Mo¡¯s question directly. Instead, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve only read about it in books. The only thing we need to do now is to cure Chen Shui¡¯s illness, right?¡± Chen MO was a smart person. He immediately understood what Xia Wan meant. Everyone had their own secrets. He understood that, so Chen MO did not say much. He nodded and took the prescription out to get the medicinal herbs. After Chen MO left, Chen Shan said to Xia Wan, ¡°You girls should have a lot to talk about. How about this? I¡¯ll go get you some fruits so you can chat first.¡± After that, Chen Shan left, leaving Xia Wan and Chen Shui in the living room. Xia Wan came to Chen Shui and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a massage first. I¡¯ll help you clear some of your acupuncture points so that you won¡¯t feel so uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, sister Xia,¡± Chen Shui said with a sweet smile. Xia Wan massaged her acupuncture points. Chen Shui thought it was just a normal massage, but after Xia Wan went on for a while, Chen Shui could clearly feel the changes in her body. She was clearly not as energetic as the others. Other kids studied in school normally and could play with each other. However, she could only study at home and was taught by a teacher hired by her family. She only needed to go to school every time she took an exam. Because of her poor physical strength, she couldn¡¯t afford to go to school normally. But now, under the effects of Xia Wan¡¯s massage, she felt that her body had recovered some strength. It was as if the blood in her body, which was cold before, was now active. Slowly, Chen Shui¡¯s face turned red. This was the scene that greeted Chen Shan when he walked in with a fruit platter.. Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Chen Shan Was Touched Chapter 189: Chen Shan Was Touched Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation His daughter, who was always pale, was now ruddy. She had a rare relaxed smile on her face. ¡°Shuishui, what are you doing?¡± Chen Shan was stunned on the spot, and his eyes turned red. Chen Shui was also very excited, but she still maintained her composure and said to Chen Shan, ¡°Dad, after sister Xia gave me a massage, I feel that my body has become stronger.¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m starting to look forward to the day when I can become a normal person. I want to go to school, and be with my friends.¡± Chen Shan¡¯s eyes reddened even more. ¡°Okay, I will definitely try my best to make you go to school. When the time comes, I will even bring you to go hiking and do all sorts of things.¡± Chen Shui nodded heavily. ¡°Okay, then, Dad, don¡¯t miss the appointment.¡± Xia Wan looked at the two¡¯s excited expressions and felt touched. Even though Chen Shan had power and influence now, he loved his family very much. This made Xia Wan think of her father, Xia Hai. If she had any strange illness, her family would find a way to cure her, no matter how poor they were. As long as there was a chance, her family would not give up. Half an hour later, Xia Wan stopped and said to Chen Shui, ¡°The environment here is very good, and it¡¯s good for your recovery. From now on, I¡¯ll come here every day to give you a massage and prepare a herbal meal for you.¡± Chen Shui now looked at Xia Wan with admiration. She quickly nodded. ¡°Okay, Sister Xia. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Seeing that Xia Wan was about to leave, Chen Shan quickly said, ¡°Miracle Doctor Xia, stay for dinner. You¡¯ve been massaging Shuishui for so long. How can you not have a meal? People will say that the Chen family doesn¡¯t treat their guests well.¡± Xia Wan looked at the time. It was almost noon, so she did not decline. She wouldn¡¯t be going out for the next few days anyway, and her father¡¯s improving condition had basically stabilized the situation. She was really quite free these few days. It was time to eat, and there were a total of eight dishes on the table. There was meat, vegetables, and soup. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you prefer, Miracle Doctor Xia, so I asked them to make a few more dishes,¡± Chen Shan explained. ¡°Mr. Chen, please don¡¯t call me Miracle Doctor Xia anymore. Just call me Wanwan.¡± Xia Wan smiled. Chen Shan laughed and immediately changed his words. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll call you Wanwan from now on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Lu Lin. He¡¯s nowhere nearly good enough for an outstanding girl like you. Don¡¯t worry, with me around; the Lu family won¡¯t dare to touch you,¡± Chen Shan said during the meal. Xia Wan did not want Chen Shan to go against the Lu family because of her, so she explained, ¡°Mr. Chen, it¡¯s just that this Lu Lin doesn¡¯t follow the rules. I know that Old Master Lu is a good person.¡± Chen Shan was keenly aware of the loophole in her words and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯ve been in town all this time. How did you know about Old Master Lu?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s hand that was holding the chopsticks paused. She thought to herself that the person who could reach this position was a lot more than met the eye. She randomly found a reason and said, ¡°Grandpa has mentioned Old Master Lu to me before. When his comrades were in danger, he¡¯d step forward to protect them. For them, he didn¡¯t mind risking his life. ¡°How could such a person break off the engagement and look down on the country bumpkins? I¡¯ve heard from Grandpa that Old Master Lu¡¯s father was only an ordinary farmer in his generation. But now, the Lu family is very powerful. It means they have completely relied on Old Master Lu, riding on his coattails. ¡°An old man like him is naturally knowledgeable. Lu Lin is just a prodigal who does as he pleases by stepping on the merits of his elders.¡± Chen Shan regretted asking the question. He often dealt with all kinds of people, some of who would subconsciously analyze the loopholes in words using logic. He knew that Xia Wan had never met Old Master Lu before, but her words only affirmed his character, so he subconsciously doubted himself. However, if he asked such a question, Xia Wan might misunderstand and think that he was suspecting something. After hearing Xia Wan¡¯s explanation, Chen Shan could only sigh at her intelligence. She could deduce so much from a few things. ¡°You¡¯re indeed a brilliant girl.¡± Chen Shan complimented her and stopped talking about the Lu family. He only talked about some of his experiences when he was young. Both Xia Wan and Chen Shui listened attentively. When Xia Wan was about to leave, Chen Shan sent her to the door and handed a red packet to Xia Wan. ¡°The password of the card is six sixes. You can change it yourself when the time comes. This is a little token of my appreciation. You¡¯ve already started treating Shuishui¡¯s illness, and I can¡¯t just sit by and do nothing..¡± Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: Check Your Balance Chapter 190: Check Your Balance Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan shook her head slightly. ¡°Mr. Chen, let¡¯s discuss this after I cure your daughter. I haven¡¯t cured Chen Shui¡¯s illness yet. Who knows, I might fail.¡¯ However, Chen Shan said, ¡°Even if you fail, you should still accept this money. Take it. Otherwise, my conscience will not be at ease. If money can be exchanged for a healthier life for Shuishui, I will work hard to earn it for you even if you want a mountain of gold.¡± Xia Wan saw Chen Shan¡¯s determination and finally accepted his card. After walking for a while, Xia Wan opened the red envelope and found a bank card inside. She went straight to the bank and asked the staff to check its balance. At that time, there were no ATMs, so if she wanted to check the balance of an account, she had to go to the staff. So when Xia Wan sat down and told the staff that she wanted to check the balance on her bank card, the staff became a little impatient. ¡°You came here just to check the balance?¡± the staff member asked. Xia Wan nodded calmly. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re in charge of the business here. My business is to check the balance. Why? Can¡¯t you do it?¡± The staff member was obviously disdainful of her when she spoke, so Xia Wan didn¡¯t bother being polite. Although the staff member didn¡¯t like Xia Wan and thought that she was poor, being able to work in a bank was a position that many people were envious of. She didn¡¯t want to lose her job because of a dispute with Xia Wan. Initially, the staff member was just casually checking, but when she saw the balance, she was completely dumbfounded. ¡°One¡­ one hundred thousand?¡± The staff member mumbled subconsciously. In their current financial situation, having ten thousand yuan in savings was enough to be considered an impressive feat. However, this young, ordinary-looking lady had so much money on her bank card. Xia Wan raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°100,000 yuan?¡± The Chen family was indeed generous. In that era, 100000 yuan was no small amount. Simply put, it was sufficient to buy three houses in the county. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. Xia Wan said and was about to take back the card. The staff¡¯s attitude towards Xia Wan immediately changed. She smiled and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please keep your card. If you need any help, just come to us.¡± ¡°By the way, the interest rate of our savings account is very high. Would you like to consider it?¡± The staff started to promote the products to Xia Wan, but she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have other uses for this money.¡± Seeing that Xia Wan didn¡¯t save any money, the staff member looked a little regretful, but she didn¡¯t say anything. After Xia Wan left, the bank officer immediately discussed with her colleagues about the balance on Xia Wan¡¯s bank card. ¡°She¡¯s dressed so ordinarily, so how could she have so much money in her card? But she¡¯s quite pretty. Could she be a sugar baby?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. She looks like a student. Do all students have a sugar daddy?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. There are some people nowadays who just like educated female students.¡¯ Xia Wan didn¡¯t hear those things. Even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t explain anything. She didn¡¯t need to care about what these people thought of her. When she was about to reach home, she noticed something was wrong. There were a few people gathered outside the villa. They were Li Jin, Song Yan, Chen Lian, and the others. Other than Xia Jiang and Xia He, who were still at work, Xia Ru was the only one not there. The others were all standing in front of the villa, cursing. Although the environment of the villa given by Zhou Tian was quiet, there were still neighbors around. Li Jin¡¯s noisy behavior had already attracted a small crowd. ¡°Who are these people? Why are they so noisy? Can¡¯t they let us rest? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re the only family here. Can¡¯t you make noise elsewhere?¡± A fashionably dressed middle-aged woman stood next door and shouted impatiently. Li Jin shouted even louder, ¡°I¡¯m such a poor old lady. My son is living in a villa, but I¡¯m still living in a leaky house in the village. How did I give birth to such a heartless son?¡± Xia Chen said to Li Jin through the iron door, ¡°Grandma, we¡¯ve already moved out. You didn¡¯t even pay for my father¡¯s medical expenses when he was seriously ill, leaving us to fend for ourselves. You were the one who suggested we move out, and you said you were afraid that our family would drag you down. Now that we¡¯ve rented a house, you¡¯re here to make a scene. Grandma, don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡± Li Jin snorted coldly. ¡°You still have the guts to say such things? Back then, you couldn¡¯t even afford to pay medical expenses, but now you have the money to rent such a good villa. Clearly, you lied to me. You wanted your family to split with us and live a good life on your own..¡± Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: The Confrontation With Li Jin Chapter 191: The Confrontation With Li Jin Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She walked over quickly and said to Li Jin, ¡°Grandma, why did you come to us? You were the one who abandoned us. How can you have the face to come back now? Just because you¡¯re old, that gives you the right to be so shameless?¡± When Li Jin heard Xia Wan¡¯s voice, she immediately turned around and began to cry, ¡°How dare you talk to your own grandma like that?! Do you have any filial piety? You¡¯ll get retribution for this! The people around them heard the conversation between Xia Wan and Li Jin and were a little unhappy with Xia Wan. No matter what this person had done, in their place, filial piety held a very high place. If a person was not filial, he would automatically leave a negative impression in the hearts of everyone. So when Li Jin finished speaking, everyone began to point their fingers at Xia Wan. ¡°This girl is pretty, but she¡¯s too disrespectful to the elderly. It was her grandmother she was talking to. How could she speak to her grandmother like that? She¡¯s really uneducated. ¡°In the future, we have to make sure our children keep a distance from her. Otherwise, she will lead our children astray.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be too arbitrary. That old lady looks harsh and doesn¡¯t seem easy to get along with.¡± Everyone in the village knew what had happened between Xia Wan and Li Jin, but now that she had moved, the neighbors didn¡¯t know about her dispute with Li Jin. If she didn¡¯t clarify things, it would only give Li Jin a chance to slander her. She would be staying in this villa for a long time and have to get along with her neighbors. If she allowed them to misunderstand, it would cause a lot of trouble in the future. So Xia Wan also started to act pitifully. She squeezed out tears from her eyes and said pitifully, ¡°Grandma, when you saw that I helped someone set up a stall to earn money, you thought that I didn¡¯t tell you the truth. You thought that I was hiding my income and wanted to search me in front of the villagers. I didn¡¯t let you search me, so you got angry. When I wasn¡¯t home, you scolded my father, causing him to fall from the ladder. His wrist was stitched more than ten times, and he might not be able to lift heavy objects in the future. ¡°When we owed you 3000 yuan for the medical bills, you came. We thought that our family had come and we were saved. I never thought that you were here to separate from us. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll move out. I said I¡¯ll borrow 3000 yuan from you, write a note, and then return it to you. What did you say? You said you don¡¯t have money. ¡°But grandma, my father¡¯s monthly income is 300 yuan, and he gives you his entire monthly salary. He¡¯s been doing it for almost 20 years, and after these 20 years, don¡¯t you have 3000 yuan on you, Grandma? If you don¡¯t have it, then who did you give it to? My brother and I only spend a few hundred yuan a year. Grandma, where did all your money go?¡± Xia Wan cried her heart out and looked like she was about to faint. Xia Chen couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He opened the door of the villa and was about to pick Xia Wan up. Li Jin seized the opportunity and attempted to charge into the villa. ¡°Stop!¡± Xia Wan immediately shouted. ¡°Grandma, if you dare to go in, I¡¯ll call the police and report you for trespassing!¡± The word ¡°call the police¡± scared Li Jin. She knew Xia Wan¡¯s personality. This girl was now extreme and would do anything. If she said to call the police, she would really dare to call the police. Li Jin pointed at Xia Wan, his eyes full of hatred. ¡°D*mn you girl, how dare you call the police?! I¡¯m your biological grandmother, and my son is sick now. What¡¯s wrong with me visiting him? Are you going to let the police arrest me if I go to see him? Is there any reason for this? Can¡¯t I, as a mother, look at my own son?¡± With that, Li Jin sat on the ground and began to wail. It looked like she was wiping away her tears, but in fact, there was not a single tear in her eyes. Her acting was completely incomparable to Xia Wan¡¯s. ¡°Grandma, are you very sad?¡± Xia Wan asked coldly. ¡°Why can¡¯t I see your tears? Could it be that you¡¯re just acting? You just have to cry loudly enough?¡± Li Jin was immediately embarrassed. No one noticed if Li Jin had shed a tear, but after Xia Wan said that, everyone looked at Li Jin and realized that it was just as she had said. Li Jin was only wailing, but there were no tears in his eyes. ¡°Tsk, I thought that this girl was unfilial. It turns out that she¡¯s just taking advantage of her seniority. Just because she¡¯s the elder, she¡¯s bullying the younger generation. If she really did such a thing, she wouldn¡¯t care about her son¡¯s life. She¡¯s too cruel.. Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Xia Wan’s Total Victory Chapter 192: Xia Wan¡¯s Total Victory Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°I saw that this girl¡¯s eyes were very sincere when she spoke, and she was crying for real. One look, and I can tell that she is very aggrieved.¡± Li Jin had never expected that she would lose to Xia Wan in acting. She snorted coldly and stopped pretending. She said to everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t believe her. She¡¯s good at acting and lying. Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t have money? Tell me, where did you get this villa?¡± Xia Wan looked straight at her. ¡°I helped the owner to cure his daughter. He knows that I don¡¯t have a house to live in, so he decided to rent this one out to me.¡± ¡°Nonsense. Do you think you can cure his daughter with your medical skills? You¡¯re just bragging!¡± Li Jin didn¡¯t believe her at all and tried to make Xia Wan look like she was looking for an excuse. Xia Wan looked past her at the neighbors and said, ¡°Is anyone willing to let me check them? My grandmother doesn¡¯t believe in my medical skills, so I¡¯ll do a free check-up for you. You can see if my medical skills are good.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s suggestion, the people around them hesitated. This little girl looked very young, and they didn¡¯t trust that she had any useful medical skills. However, among the crowd was a young man in his early twenties. He stood up with a smile and said, ¡°Come, help me take a look. It just so happens that I¡¯ve never gone to the hospital for a physical examination before.¡± The young man¡¯s mother looked at him helplessly, but in the end, she let him be. After all, it was just an examination, and there was nothing to lose. Xia Wan nodded, then asked the boy to stretch out his arm and began to take her pulse. About five minutes later, Xia Wan stopped what she was doing. ¡°So?¡± The boy asked. Xia Wan smiled and said, ¡°You like to exercise a lot. You¡¯re not picky about your food. These two points are good. However, there might be something that has fascinated you recently. So ¡­ You often stay up late, and you¡¯ve been drinking too much recently, so it¡¯s best to drink less. ¡® The boy was still smiling at first, but after Xia Wan said that, he regretted it. He subconsciously looked at his mother¡¯s seat. As expected, his mother had already walked out with a dark face and aggressively asked the boy, ¡°Han Xuan, not only did you stay up late, you even drank? Tell me, where have you been fooling around?!¡± Han Xuan screamed and looked at Xia Wan helplessly. ¡°Miracle doctor, you¡¯re really a miracle doctor. Your diagnosis was so accurate, but it would be better if it wasn¡¯t so. Even if Han Xuan was going to be beaten up by his mother, he knew that this was the key to Xia Wan and Li Jin¡¯s confrontation. Furthermore, Xia Wan was telling the truth. He couldn¡¯t say that she was lying just because he was afraid of being punished by his mother. Most importantly, he could offend anyone but the doctor. If his family fell sick in the future, he would still need Xia Wan to treat them. When Li Jin heard this, she immediately said, ¡°You must be people that Xia Wan hired in advance. How could she have told you so many details? You¡¯re all her neighbors. You must have colluded!¡± Han Xuan¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t happy when she heard the allegation. She directly retorted, ¡°If you didn¡¯t come out and make a scene today, I wouldn¡¯t even know that the villa next door has moved in. Look at the distance between us. Usually, if you don¡¯t make a lot of noise, you won¡¯t be able to hear anything at all. Our soundproofing is very good. ¡°Grandma,¡± Xia Wan reminded, ¡°It¡¯s only the second day since we moved in. I didn¡¯t know you would come to my house, so how could I find someone to cooperate with my performance in advance? If you don¡¯t believe me, we can continue to check other pulses. ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe me, then let the person I¡¯ve taken her pulse go to the hospital for a physical examination,¡± Xia Wan said confidently as if she was letting Li Jin do whatever she wanted. Now that things had come to this, everyone understood. Although Xia Wan was young, she really had medical mastery. What Xia Wan said just now was very likely to be true. Li Jin was the one in the wrong. Seeing that everyone was looking at her with condemning eyes, Li Jin stopped pretending and said directly, ¡°We don¡¯t have to live in this villa, but you have to give me the token your grandfather left behind. Otherwise, I¡¯ll stay in front of your house. If you have the ability, you can beat me to death. ¡°Grandma, what kind of token?¡± Xia Wan asked with a frown. Seeing her like this, Li Jin thought she was playing dumb, so he said, ¡°Stop pretending! It¡¯s the ring your grandfather left behind. It doesn¡¯t belong to us. It¡¯s someone else¡¯s. That token is for an engagement. You¡¯re still studying, but Xia Ru is already working. If anyone wants to get married, Xia Ru should get married first. Give me the token and you can keep on studying..¡± Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: The Decision to Retreat Chapter 193: The Decision to Retreat Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan pretended to be deep in thought. ¡°A ring? Grandma, are you talking about the marriage token that Grandpa mentioned before?¡± Li Jin nodded. ¡°Yes, that ring. Where¡¯s the ring? Where is he?¡± ¡°I lost it,¡± Xia Wan confessed directly. ¡°What? Lost? How could you lose such an important token?¡± Li Jin shouted, about to pick a fight with Xia Wan. ¡°To be exact, it disappeared when I fell into the water,¡± Xia Wan said. Li Jin was a little stunned. ¡°Fell into the water? When was it?¡± ¡°The last time I was pushed into the river, my two cousins saw it, but no one came to save me. It was a ring left behind by Grandfather. I treasure it a lot, so I used a string to make a necklace and wore it on my body at all times. But that time, I fell into the river and couldn¡¯t swim at all, so it drifted away with the water. She was referring to the time when she fell into the water when she had just been reborn. Since everything started from there, she would use this as the perfect excuse now. ¡°Impossible,¡± Li Jin muttered, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to lose!¡± She pounced on Xia Wan and wanted to grab her neck, but Xia Chen stopped her. ¡°Grandma, what are you doing?¡± Xia Chen asked coldly. ¡°Impossible, she¡¯s lying,¡± Li Jin said with certainty. ¡°Let me search your house now. Otherwise, you¡¯re lying to me!¡± As she spoke, Li Jin proceeded ahead and attempted to barge into the villa. Xia Wan shouted in a more serious voice, ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. You¡¯re trespassing on private property. It¡¯s a small crime, and they¡¯ll let you off after a small punishment. But if you go in and search for things, it¡¯ll be a lot more serious. ¡°Only a small part of the things here belong to us. Most of them belong to the landlord. If you break in and damage any of those, you might not be able to pay for it even if you use all your assets. You¡¯ll also have to go to jail. ¡°Grandma, if you don¡¯t want to live a free life anymore and want to stay in prison, you can go ahead and search,¡± Xia Wan said, letting Li Jin search her. Li Jin hesitated and subconsciously looked at Song Yan, who had more ideas, and asked, ¡°What do we do now? Should we go in and search? Is she telling the truth?¡± Song Yan was also a little conflicted. She did not know if she could search this place. The neighbors around them said, ¡°The young lady is right. She didn¡¯t lie to you. None of the furniture that we buy here is cheap. Some of them cost thousands of yuan. You won¡¯t be able to afford a single piece. They said this because, on the one hand, they didn¡¯t like Li Jin¡¯s attitude. She was clearly a bully. On the other hand, it was the truth. The furniture they bought was generally more expensive, but it was only a few thousand yuan. There were many that were merely a few hundred yuan. At the subject of the unanimous voice of dissent, Li Jin didn¡¯t dare to proceed. She hated Xia Wan in her heart. She felt that the girl was simply lucky, not to mention she had everyone¡¯s protection. Chen Lian also came to Li Jin and said, ¡°Mother, what do we do now? We can¡¯t go in. Xia Wan said that the token is lost. If we can¡¯t even take out the token, the Lu family will never let our daughter marry into theirs.¡± Li Jin was already feeling vexed, and hearing Chen Lian¡¯s explanation made her even more so. ¡°Don¡¯t argue here. If you have the ability, go argue with Xia Wan!¡± Li Jin shouted at Chen Lian impatiently. Chen Lian also felt wronged. She felt that Li Jin was venting her anger at her just because she couldn¡¯t subdue Xia Wan. She looked at Song Yan unhappily and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, you always say that you¡¯re smart and that our family has stupid brains. So why don¡¯t you tell me what we should do now?¡± Song Yan didn¡¯t say anything. She was only thinking about where Xia Ru had gone and whether she could successfully marry Lu Lin. If Xia Ru could marry Lu Lin, the token would be of little significance. However, if she could not marry Lu Lin, the token would become very important. Nonetheless, she had the same thought as Li Jin. She didn¡¯t think that Xia Wan had lost the token. ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s go back first,¡± Song Yan said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this another day.¡± Li Jin was anxious. ¡°Another day? How can we do that? What if they move again?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mother. It won¡¯t happen. This villa is quite good. They won¡¯t be able to find a better house. How can they move so easily? Besides, they don¡¯t have the money to keep moving. Rent isn¡¯t cheap. I heard that you have to pay at least three months¡¯ rent in advance to get a house. They¡¯ve already paid for three months. How can they not be dry by now?¡± Song Yan¡¯s words relieved Li Jin greatly.. Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: Li Jin’s Departs Chapter 194: Li Jin¡¯s Departs Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Jin finally listened to Song Yan and left with her men. After they left, Xia Wan looked at the neighbors watching the show and said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for disturbing everyone¡¯s rest today. Although we¡¯re relatives, we have a rough relationship. If they come to my house to cause trouble when I¡¯m not around next time, please call the police. ¡°My father is very filial, and my mother doesn¡¯t dare to disobey her. If we weren¡¯t here, my parents would only be bullied even more. I¡¯m really sorry to have caused trouble for all of you. Xia Wan then bowed to everyone.¡± At first, everyone was unhappy that Li Jin and the others had come to cause trouble, but now that they saw Xia Wan¡¯s respectful and polite attitude, they felt sorry for her. After everyone else had left, Han Xuan walked up to Xia Wan and said in a low voice, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really amazing. You could tell that I stayed up late just by checking my pulse, and you could even tell that I drank?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Chinese medicine is profound and can discover a lot of things. For example.. She stared at Han Xuan with a mysterious look. Han Xuan felt a little flustered from being stared at. He had a feeling that Xia Wan would not say anything good, but he still could not control his curiosity and asked, ¡°Like what?¡± Han Xuan¡¯s mother also secretly eavesdropped on Han Xuan when he wasn¡¯t paying attention. Xia Wan smiled mysteriously. ¡°For example, you¡¯re no longer a virgin.¡± ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t say anymore.¡± Han Xuan shrieked in fear, but his mother¡¯s hand was already on him. She twisted Han Xuan¡¯s ear tightly, but she didn¡¯t dare to shout this out loud. She could only lower her voice and question, ¡°What happened, huh? Who did you have sex with? Do you know how old you are? You¡¯ve only been in college for a year, and you¡¯ve already forgotten who you are? You better tell me what¡¯s going on!¡± Xia Wan shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Han Xuan himself had insisted on asking. Han Xuan¡¯s mother, Chen Ran, looked at Xia Wan apologetically and asked, ¡°Miracle doctor, can you come with me for a moment? I have something to ask about my son.¡± Xia Wan nodded and said to Xia Chen and the others, ¡°I¡¯ll go to Mrs. Chen¡¯s house to take a look. You guys go home and wait for me. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s all over.¡± With Xia Wan¡¯s assurance, everyone was relieved. Xia Wan followed Han Xuan and the others and entered their villa. Han Xuan¡¯s furniture was very fashionable. In that era, few could afford a TV, but they had a TV and a sewing machine. They even had a rare refrigerator and a soft cushion under the leather sofa. After entering the house, Chen Ran took the initiative to give Xia Wan a pair of slippers and said, ¡°Miracle doctor, this is a pair of disposable slippers. You can wear them. They¡¯re very clean.¡± Xia Wan nodded and changed into it. Chen Ran was afraid that Xia Wan would misunderstand, so she quickly explained, ¡°Miracle doctor, I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll dirty the house. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m too lazy to clean, and I don¡¯t want to hire a servant. I don¡¯t usually go to work, so cleaning is like training my body. It¡¯s more convenient to wear slippers with a blanket in the living room. Later on, it was a habit to change into slippers at the owner¡¯s house. But in the village, it was enough to brag about eating meat. So, if it were someone else, they might really think it was a wild guess. But Xia Wan knew that it would become a habit in the future, so it was understandable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Chen. I know. I¡¯m not overthinking it.¡± Xia Wan smiled lightly. There was no discomfort on her face. She was calm and composed. At that moment, Chen Ran was even more convinced that Xia Wan was different from the others. Han Xuan¡¯s ear was finally free from being twisted. He kept his distance from Chen Ran, afraid that his mother would cause him trouble again. Chen Ran glared at him and said to Xia Wan, ¡°Miracle doctor, let¡¯s talk about the problems with his body first. Other than the ones you just mentioned, what other bad habits does he have?¡± Xia Wan shook her head with a smile. nothing else, but his overall physical fitness is still very good. I can tell that he has a good mentality and is a sunny teenager who likes sports. Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Han Xuan¡¯s face was filled with pride. ¡°Did you hear that, Mom? The miracle doctor said that I¡¯m in good health and I¡¯m fine. ¡°Hehe,¡± Chen Ran chuckled. ¡°Then tell me, when did you have a relationship with that young lady? who was she? Is she a girl from your school? Why didn¡¯t you tell your family?¡± Han Xuan¡¯s face turned red.. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not good to talk about these private matters in front of the miracle doctor!¡± Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Treating Chen Ran ‘s Illness Chapter 195: Treating Chen Ran ¡®s Illness Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me Miracle Doctor. I¡¯m Xia Wan. You can just call me by my name. Besides, I think it¡¯s okay for a man and a woman to have sex as long as they¡¯re both willing and are of legal age.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan looked at Chen Ran. ¡°You like an open-minded person. I think he¡¯s just asking you, so you can just tell him the truth. The smile on Chen Ran¡¯s face deepened. Wanwan was so smart. When she turned to look at Han Xuan, Chen Ran¡¯s expression changed again. There was no smile, only disdain. ¡°Hurry up and tell me what happened. Did you take any safety measures?¡± Han Xuan could tell that Xia Wan and his mother were standing together. He had no choice but to say, ¡°It¡¯s a girl from my class. We¡¯re all in the same club and often participate in activities together. Once, we were trapped in the mountains and could only rent a hotel. Only one room was left, and we had sex by accident.¡± When Chen Ran heard this, she suddenly raised her voice. ¡°What do you mean? You hadn¡¯t confirmed your relationship with her when you had sex with her?¡± Han Xuan hurriedly explained, ¡°That¡¯s not the case, Mom. We were already dating back then. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be staying in the same room.¡± Only then did Chen Ran relax. ¡°Alright then. Since you¡¯ve already done it with her, you¡¯ll have to treat her well in the future. If the girl is from this city, you can take some time off to bring her home for a meal. If she¡¯s from another city, we¡¯ll discuss it again.¡± Han Xuan only vaguely nodded, then stood up and said, ¡°Mom, you must be looking for Xia Wan for something. I¡¯ll get going. You guys talk.¡± Then, he ran back to his room. After Han Xuan left, Chen Ran¡¯s relaxed expression disappeared. She sighed and said to Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, I asked you here to help me check my body, but my sore spot is a little special. Xia Wan¡¯s smile became even more patient. ¡°It¡¯s okay. In the eyes of us doctors, all parts of the body are the same. Please tell me, Mrs. Chen.¡± Chen Ran pointed at her chest and said, ¡°I feel like there¡¯s something here. It¡¯s hard. Do I have some kind of terminal illness?¡± At this point, Chen Ran¡¯s face was a little sad. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I haven¡¯t been able to see Han Xuan get married and have children. I don¡¯t know if my husband will marry someone else or if the new couple will treat my son well¡­¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but interrupt her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so worried. Let me take a look.¡± Xia Wan first took her pulse, then helped her massage her body. Chen Ran¡¯s expression was a little nervous. ¡°Wanwan, how is it? Can I still be saved?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s just the early stage. It¡¯s not that serious. I want to ask you, when did you start feeling the pain? She had already determined that Chen Ran¡¯s case was indeed breast cancer. However, in the early stage, the lump was very small. Logically speaking, Chen Ran should not have felt any pain. Chen Ran relaxed a little when Xia Wan said that it was not that serious. She spoke more clearly than before. ¡°I never really noticed it before. There was one time when I was taking a shower and felt that something was wrong. After that, I often touched it subconsciously. It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t touch it, but whenever I did, I felt a little uncomfortable.¡¯ Xia Wan nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s normal. It¡¯s breast cancer in its early stages. It¡¯s not that difficult to treat, and you won¡¯t feel much pain.¡± ¡°Breast cancer?! Doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯ll have to undergo surgery? Oh no, if I perform surgery on this part, my husband will definitely dislike me.¡± Chen Ran immediately pulled a long face and subconsciously covered her chest as if she could already see the miserable life ahead. Xia Wan was amused by her reaction, but she held back her laughter because it was not the right time to laugh. She said to Chen Ran, ¡°It¡¯s not as serious as you think. Since you discovered it early, I can use massage and acupuncture to help you solve it. There¡¯s no need for surgery.¡± Chen Ran¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise.¡± Wanwan, are you serious? Is there really no need for the surgery?¡± Xia Wan nodded. Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s confident look, Chen Ran subconsciously wanted to believe her. ¡°Wanwan, when do we start the treatment? and how much do we charge for this?¡± Chen Ran asked enthusiastically. Xia Wan thought for a while. Lu Lin had been called back by Old Master Lu. At the moment, only Li Jin and the others might cause trouble. She also had to go to the hospital once a week. She would be free for the rest of the time.. Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Another Sum of Money Entering the Account Chapter 196: Another Sum of Money Entering the Account Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°You¡¯re not working now, are you, Mrs. Chen?¡± Xia Wan asked. Chen Ran nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. My husband is a businessman and is often not at home. My son is also not at home all day, so I¡¯m often the only one at home. So, Wanwan, it¡¯s up to you. I¡¯m free anytime.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do it between eight and ten every morning,¡± Xia Wan said after some thought. ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Chen Ran immediately nodded. Then, she poured a glass of water for Xia Wan and asked if there were any foods she didn¡¯t like. Xia Wan told her everything. When Xia Wan came out of Chen Ran¡¯s room, the lady was already holding a card in her hand. Xia Wan was a little helpless. Why was everyone trying to give her a card recently? ¡°Wanwan, take this card. It¡¯s for the consultation. I¡¯ll transfer money to you every time you give me a massage in the future. It¡¯ll save you the trouble of taking cash out. Your grandmother doesn¡¯t look like someone easy to deal with. It¡¯ll be more convenient to use a bank card.¡± Chen Ran passed a piece of paper with a password on it to Xia Wan as she spoke. ¡°This is the password. Keep it.¡± Xia Wan returned the card to her. ¡°Mrs. Chen, I haven¡¯t officially treated you yet. I¡¯ve only given you some prescriptions. We¡¯ll settle the payment when the treatment is official. Chen Ran¡¯s attitude was also very firm. ¡°No way. There¡¯s no such thing as free treatment. Besides, there really isn¡¯t much money in here. Wanwan, you have to keep it. Otherwise, I¡¯ll really feel bad.¡± Chen Ran¡¯s attitude was particularly insistent, and Xia Wan had no choice but to accept it. Even though she did not care how much money Chen Ran had given her, she was still a little curious. Xia Wan went to the bank to check, and coincidentally, the staff who received her this time was the same one as last time. Seeing that Xia Wan had arrived, the staff was very excited. She smiled professionally and said to Xia Wan politely, ¡°Hello, Miss. How may I help you?¡± Xia Wan handed the card over. ¡°Check the balance.¡± After checking, the staff¡¯s smile faded, and she handed the card to Xia Wan. ¡°The total is 2000 yuan.¡± Although the staff member¡¯s reaction was not very obvious, Xia Wan could still accurately sense her sudden change in attitude. Xia Wan took the card and sneered in her heart. Even if there was only 2000 yuan in it, it was still half a year¡¯s income for many people. This female employee was too snobbish. Moreover, she had only taken Chen Ran¡¯s pulse and given her a prescription. Chen Ran had given her 2000 yuan just for doing this, which was already an extremely high reward. This time, before leaving, Xia Wan looked at the staff¡¯s name tag: Xue Li, employee number 006. Xue Li, was it? She would remember that. On the other hand, after Xia Wan checked her balance, she bought some sweet potatoes and crispy sesame seed cakes on the street and returned home in a good mood. After Li Jin and the others returned home, they gathered together on small stools to discuss countermeasures. Song Yan looked at Li Jin. ¡°Mother, do you really believe what Xia Wan and the others said? That villa is so luxurious. Even if Xia Wan really cured someone, he wouldn¡¯t be so generous as to let Xia Wan live there. Besides, Mom, isn¡¯t Xia Hails hand crippled? Shouldn¡¯t he be resting in the hospital right now? Why can he be discharged? Could his condition be a lot less serious than what Xia Wan and the others claimed?¡± Li Jin was already a little frustrated, and after hearing Song Yan¡¯s analysis, she became even more confused. However, Li Jin didn¡¯t believe that Xia Hai would lie to her, so she said, ¡°Xia Hai wouldn¡¯t lie to his mother. I watched him grow up, and I know what kind of person he is.¡± ¡°Mother, Third Brother used to listen to you the most. His wife, Yan Han, was also an honest woman. But it¡¯s different now. Mother, can¡¯t you tell? Xia Hai and his family all listen to Xia Wan now. This Xia Wan is too scheming. The few of us added, and we still can¡¯t beat her craftiness,¡± Song Yan said. Li Jin frowned at the mention of Xia Wan. She was supposed to find trouble with Xia Hai and the others today. If Xia Wan hadn¡¯t shown her medical skills in front of everyone and won the support of the neighbors, they would have gotten the token long ago. That¡¯s right, at the mention of the token, Li Jin finally remembered what they had been doing today. He had almost forgotten about the real business because of the villa. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the villa for now. Let¡¯s talk about how we can get the token. If we can marry into the Lu family, a villa in the county town is nothing..¡± Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Li Jin’s Conspirator Chapter 197: Li Jin¡¯s Conspirator Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Jin¡¯s words reminded Song Yan that she was jealous of Xia Wan being able to live in the villa and forgot about the token. Song Yan¡¯s eyes flashed with ruthlessness. ¡°Mother, since we can¡¯t get in openly, let¡¯s do it secretly. When Chen Lian heard her words, she looked at Song Yan in shock. ¡°Sister-in-law, what do you mean by doing it secretly? Are you going to steal Song Yan snorted coldly. ¡°Of course, you can choose not to. However, this token will have nothing to do with you.¡± Initially, Chen Lian did not dare to steal it, but after being instigated by Song Yan, she decided that Song Yan had to go regardless of whether she wanted to steal it. Instead of letting her take advantage of the situation, she might as well go with her. To let her helplessly give this benefit to Song Yan was worse than killing her. After everyone agreed, they began to plan. They went to find black clothes and covered their mouths and noses with black cloth. Many people were already asleep at ten at night. They only set off at this time, as there¡¯d be no one on the road, considering there were no street lights in many places. Everyone held flashlights to light their path. Xia Jiang and Xia He had to go to work the next day, but they had no choice but to follow Li Jin¡¯s order. Xia Yu was a little chubby, and he was already panting after walking for a short while. He couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°It¡¯s just a token. Can¡¯t you guys go? Why do you have to drag me along? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to marry Lu Lin.¡± When Lu Lin was making trouble, Xia Yu was not at home. He was playing with the boys in the village, so he had no idea about the appearance of the luxury cars. Not only was he lazy, but he also didn¡¯t have many goals. He didn¡¯t care if he went to the city or lived in a big house. He was satisfied as long as he didn¡¯t have to work and had meat to eat. Chen Lian glared at him. ¡°You idiot. If we get the token and let your sister, Xia Ye, marry Lu Lin, you can go to the big city and live in a big villa. Then, you can eat all the delicious food in the big city and have so many fun things to enjoy. You, on the other hand, seem to be really satisfied with staying in the village.¡± Although Chen Lian stayed in the village, she worked in a big city for a while when she was young and knew that those places were completely different from the countryside. However, experience also told Chen Lian that with her limited ability and looks, she had no place in the big city. It was simply because she was not capable or beautiful enough to make any big boss like her. She did not have the ability to stay in a big city, but her child should not be so useless. Even if Xia Yu did not live up to expectations, he was her only son. Furthermore, Xia Ye was already in high school. Her husband would definitely be a university student if she could successfully enter university. She would make her find a husband who had a house in a big city. In the future, the money Xia Ye earned would be used to buy a home for Xia Yu¡¯s wedding. This way, their family would be able to live well. When Xia Ye became successful, it would be easy for her to find a good job and a good wife for Xia Thinking of this, Chen Lian couldn¡¯t help but smile, as if her ideal life was just around the corner. An hour later, they arrived at the villa. There were only two street lights on the street, and the lights in the villa were off. It was obvious that Xia Wan and her family were already asleep. Chen Lian was a little jealous. ¡°This piece of land is really different. Because the people living here are all rich, the street lights are still on so late at night. Why don¡¯t you say that it¡¯s a waste of money now? There aren¡¯t even streetlights in the village. Many people fell down because there were no lights!¡± Li Jin glared at her. ¡°That¡¯s enough. What¡¯s the point of saying all this? Let¡¯s quickly steal the token.¡± Then, Li Jin turned to Xia Jiang and Xia He. ¡°You two, climb over the wall first.¡± Xia Jiang and Xia He walked toward the side wall of the villa. Even the lowest wall was over two meters high. With their height, there was no way they could climb over it. Xia He was smart. He immediately went to the nearby area and moved two big green stones to place them under the wall. With the help of the stones, he first touched the top of the wall with his hand and said to the others in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s no broken glass up there. You can just climb over the wall. In an attempt to prevent thieves from climbing over the wall, some people would stick shards of broken glass on the wall. If a would-be intruder wanted to climb over the wall, there¡¯d be no place to let go. As long as their hand was on the wall, they would be immediately cut by the sharp glass. Xia He demonstrated to everyone and scaled the wall easily. Then he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Big brother, I¡¯ll go in first to explore the way. You can get everyone in first. Our mother is old, so she should just stay outside and keep an eye on them.¡± Xia Jiang nodded in agreement with Xia He.. Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: Breaking Into the Villa at Night Chapter 198: Breaking Into the Villa at Night Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After Xia He jumped down, she didn¡¯t hear his voice again. Xia Jiang looked at Song Yan and said, ¡°Wife, you can go up first. Xia He¡¯s waiting for us inside. We¡¯ll be fine. Besides, the ground is full of mud. We won¡¯t be hurt even if we fall.¡± Song Yan¡¯s legs trembled a little, but she gritted her teeth at the thought of getting the token. She stepped on the bluestone and used Xia Jiang¡¯s push to finally reach the wall. However, when she looked into the courtyard, she didn¡¯t see Xia He. Song Yan looked at the people outside the wall in a panic. ¡°Why don¡¯t I see Xia He? Isn¡¯t he waiting for us inside? Did something happen?¡± ¡°What about Xia Wan?¡± Xia Jiang frowned. ¡°Can you see her family in there?¡± Song Yan continued to look around, but it was all dark. There was no one at all, and there was no movement. She shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Xia Jiang said, ¡°Then he must have gone to explore the way first. Don¡¯t worry, and just down. You¡¯ll be fine. Just think about our daughter¡¯s future, and you¡¯ll be more motivated.¡± At the mention of Xia Ru, Song Yan regained her courage and jumped down. Next, Chen Lian and Song Yan had to exert some effort to help Xia Ye up the wall. Xia Ye ate a lot, but she didn¡¯t have much strength. She had to rely on Xia Jiang to help her up the wall. After sending Xia Ye over, Xia Jiang was so tired that he squatted on the ground and panted. Li Jin urged him, ¡°Why are you resting? Hurry up and go over. You¡¯re all alone now. Hurry up and take the token. We¡¯ll leave quickly. It¡¯s the middle of the night. I don¡¯t want to be left outside alone. Urged by Li Jin, Xia Jiang didn¡¯t dare to rest any longer. He climbed over the wall in a few steps. The next moment, his nose and mouth were smothered, and he lost consciousness. Li Jin was still waiting outside, but after 20 minutes, it was all silence on the inside. The panicked Li Jin paced back and forth. 20 minutes later, a police car came over. Li Jin was so scared that her face turned white. She subconsciously wanted to run but was stopped by a police officer. ¡°You must be Li Jin. You are suspected of trespassing on private property, and I¡¯m placing you under arrest.¡± Li Jin struggled. ¡°What are you guys talking about? I didn¡¯t break into private property. This is where my son lives. I¡¯m here to look for my son. What right do you have to arrest me?¡± At this time, the lights in the villa came on, and the door was opened. Xia Wan stood at the front, holding Chen Lian and Xia Ye in her hands. Behind her, Xia Chen and Xia Feng were also holding two people each. These people were all tied up with hemp ropes, and their mouths were stuffed with cloth. ¡°Mmmmh.¡± They struggled and wanted to say something, but Xia Wan took the cloth out of their mouths and immediately heard their curses. Song Yan scolded, ¡°You b*tch, how dare you treat us like this? We¡¯re your elders. You drugged us and tied us up. You unfilial thing. You¡¯ll get your retribution and be struck to death by lightning!¡± When Xia Ye saw that the police had arrived, she was so frightened that she immediately started crying and shouted. ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything! Officer, please don¡¯t arrest us! I¡¯m still studying! I still have a bright future ahead of me.¡± Xia Wan sneered. ¡°Now you know you have a bright future. Where have you been all this while? Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s illegal to break into someone¡¯s house in the middle of the night?¡± Xia Ye sobbed and looked at Xia Wan. ¡°Xia Wan, I¡¯m your cousin. How can you do this to me? Tell the police that it¡¯s all a misunderstanding.¡± Officer Lin, who was in charge of this incident, came to Xia Wan and asked, ¡°You¡¯re the one who called the police?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Then you come with us too. We¡¯ll record your statement and explain this matter.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± she said. Xia Wan was about to follow, but Xia Chen quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with him. I¡¯m her elder brother.¡± Xia Feng also wanted to go, but Xia Wan stopped him. According to Xia Wan, Xia Chen could go with her, and Xia Feng could stay behind to take care of his family. At the police station, Xia Wan and Song Yan got their statements taken separately. Officer Lin was in charge of questioning Xia Wan. ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡± Officer Lin asked. Xia Wan put on a pitiful expression. ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing to talk about this. The people who broke into our house this time were my grandmother, two uncles, aunties, and my cousins..¡± Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Li Jin Arrested Chapter 199: Li Jin Arrested Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°During the day, they came to our house to make a scene and asked us for what Grandpa left for me. I said I lost it, but Grandma didn¡¯t believe me and tried to break in. However, we¡¯d already split up, and our relationship was tense. It¡¯s equivalent to breaking up. I¡¯ve also made it clear to them in front of the neighbors. ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect they would sneak in again in the middle of the night after they left¡­¡± Officer Lin interrupted Xia Wan and asked, ¡°You anticipated that they would break into your house at night? Otherwise, how could he have prepared the drug so coincidentally to knock them out?¡± Xia Wan looked up at him with teary eyes. ¡°Officer, are you suspecting that I set them up? If they didn¡¯t try to break into my house, how could this have happened? ¡°As for why I¡¯m so vigilant, it¡¯s because a guy named Lu Lin bribed some gangsters. He wants to track me down and take revenge on me. He¡¯s from a rich family, and I fear implicating my family. I can¡¯t sleep well every night. ¡°My relatives also want to steal from our family. Considering my circumstances, can¡¯t I make some preparations in advance? ¡°I¡¯m a medical expert myself. I feared Lu Lin would defile me after discovering my family¡¯s whereabouts, so I prepared the knockout powder in advance. If he wants to ruin my innocence, I can defend myself. ¡°I also didn¡¯t expect this drug to be used on my family.¡± Xia Wan lowered her head as she spoke, and her shoulders trembled. She seemed to be crying very sadly. Officer Lin was in his forties, and his daughter was in high school. She was about the same age as Xia Wan. Seeing Xia Wan was like seeing his own daughter. He, too, would have been devastated if his daughter had encountered this. Officer Lin¡¯s usually serious face softened a lot as he thought about this ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t doubt you. You only drugged them and tied them up. You didn¡¯t do anything overboard. At most, it was self-defense. Don¡¯t worry. We serve and protect, not harm.¡± Officer Lin asked Xia Wan a few more questions, and she didn¡¯t hide anything. She directly told her about the grudges between her, Li Jin, and Lu Lin. However, Xia Wan also mentioned Old Master Lu to reassure Officer Lin that Lu Lin was no longer a threat to the county. Officer Lin realized that Xia Wan was much more mature than her peers. If Lu Lin were still in town, arresting him without sufficient evidence would be unrealistic. Even if Lu Lin was arrested, he could still get out easily with his connections, money, and a lawyer. The Old Master Lu that Xia Wan mentioned put them completely at ease. They didn¡¯t need to solve a problem like Lu Lin. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all for now. We¡¯ll contact you again if there are any more questions.¡± It was already one in the morning when the interrogation ended. Xia Wan looked at Officer Lin apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to trouble you. You had to work so hard in the middle of the night.¡± Officer Lin laughed heartily. ¡°We are the people¡¯s police. It is our duty to protect the safety of the people. This is our job.¡± Xia Wan expressed her gratitude again and waited for Xia Chen for a while before they were sent home by the police car. When he got home, Xia Feng, Xia Hai, and Yan Han were all waiting in the living room. Seeing the two of them return, the three of them quickly got up. ¡°Wanwan, how is it? did the police make things difficult for you?¡± Yan F asked anxiously. Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Xia Wan then compared her testimony with Xia Chen, and Xia Chen sai( seriously, ¡°I¡¯m just following what you told me.¡± Xia Wan nodded. As long as what she said was the same as what Xia Che there would be no problem. She had already expected Li Jin and the others to come tonight, so she prepared knockout drops and hemp ropes early on. She guessed that Li the others would choose the lowest wall of the villa and hide beside the advance. If someone jumped in, they would immediately knock him out drag him to the side. Fortunately, Xia Jiang and the others were slow to jump in, so they had time to move these people away. After being interrogated by the police, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Feng looked at Xia Wan with admiration. ¡°Sister, why are you so smart? knew that they would come tonight.¡± The others also looked at her, obviously curious about Xia Wan¡¯s godly prediction.. Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Song Yan Betrayed Chapter 200: Song Yan Betrayed Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan smiled and explained patiently, ¡°According to the information I¡¯ve received, Xia Ru has yet to return home. Lu Lin has also been taken away after Old Master Lu¡¯s phone call. Li Jin has seen Lu Lin¡¯s family background, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t give up on this marriage. ¡°She could take the token to the Lu family¡ªif the Lu family doesn¡¯t acknowledge this marriage, then they would just give up. But now that they didn¡¯t get the token, they don¡¯t even have the basis to reason with the Lu family. How could they be willing to accept this?¡± ¡°Xia Ye¡¯s family won¡¯t be satisfied if Xia Ru isn¡¯t around. They¡¯ll think that she must have seduced Lu Lin. If Xia Ye wants to marry Lu Lin before Xia Ru, she must get the token. ¡°If I were Li Jin, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep until I get my hands on the token. Unsurprisingly, they broke into the villa.¡± At first, everyone was surprised that Li Jin and her team had broken into the villa, but after listening to Xia Wan¡¯s analysis, they felt it made sense. ¡°My sister is still the smartest. In the future, I have to think more from the other party¡¯s point of view,¡± Xia Feng concluded. Xia Chen smiled. ¡°My sister is the smartest.¡± Xia Chen smiled. ¡°My sister is the smartest.¡± Yan Han complimented Xia Hai as well. Xia Hai was the only one with a heavy heart. A complicated expression rose on his face. Xia Wan looked at him. ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have the heart to do it, do you? Do you want Grandma and the others to come out?¡± Xia Hai looked a little conflicted and distressed. ¡°Your grandma is getting on in years. If she stays in prison, she won¡¯t be able to eat or sleep well.¡± Hearing Xia Hai¡¯s words, Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were filled with disappointment. Li Jin had already treated them like this, yet her father still cared about her. Then, she heard Xia Hai suddenly turn around and say in a firm tone, ¡°But this time, Mother and the others have gone too far. Let this be a lesson to them, so they might understand the importance of law-abidance. Even if we are her family, the bottom line of the law can¡¯t be crossed by just anyone.¡± Xia Hai spoke seriously in a tone that upheld justice. However, Xia Wan knew that Xia Hai was afraid that Li Jin and the others would come looking for trouble again if they were released. It could be said that between Li Jin and Xia Wan, Xia Hai had chosen to stand on Xia Wan¡¯s side. Xia Wan was deeply touched. Her father, who used to be so foolishly filial, seemed to have really changed. Li Jin was still struggling in the police station. ¡°What right do you have to arrest me? I went to look for my son in the middle of the night. What law have I broken? I want to see my son. Where¡¯s Xia Hai? How dare you arrest your mother? You unfilial b*stard!¡± The police knocked on the table and warned, ¡°Shut up. If you make any more noise, we¡¯ll teach you the rules!¡± Li Jin was a little scared. ¡°You! What are you doing? Are you going to hit me? I¡¯m warning you, if you dare to lay a hand on me, I¡¯ll make a scene in front of your station every day when I get out. I¡¯ll make everyone condemn you!¡± The police officer smirked coldly. ¡°You dare to threaten a government official? You¡¯re very bold.¡± Li Jin realized that no matter what she said, it was useless in front of the police. However, she remained adamant and refused to confess, now saying that it was Song Yan¡¯s idea that they went to Xia Wan¡¯s house. Also, she didn¡¯t jump in at all, so it didn¡¯t count. After receiving Li Jin¡¯s testimony, someone went to question Song Yan. ¡°Song Yan, someone has already ratted you out. They said that you¡¯re the mastermind behind this.¡± Song Yan immediately exploded. ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m the mastermind? Everyone agreed to go to Xia Wan¡¯s house to get the token. If I were the mastermind, I would have just brought Xia Jiang there. Why would I bring so many people? ¡°Since we all acted together, then everyone has a responsibility. Why are you pushing all the blame on me now? You were all more active than the others when you climbed the wall!¡± The more Song Yan spoke, the more agitated she became. She felt that Chen Lian¡¯s family must have ratted her out. Song Yan snorted coldly in her heart. She secretly thought that Chen Lian¡¯s family was shameless. They clearly wanted to take the token and marry Lu Lin, but now they were pushing all the responsibility onto her. Song Yan¡¯s eyes flickered, and she said to the police officer, ¡°If you have to ask who came up with this idea, then I¡¯ll tell you the truth. This was Chen Lian¡¯s idea. She wanted her daughter, Xia Ye, to marry Lu Lin with the token. My Xia Ru didn¡¯t participate in this incident, so I can only be considered an accessory.. Chapter 201 - Chapter 201: The Mastermind Isn’t Important Chapter 201: The Mastermind Isn¡¯t Important Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The police were confused. This was really one heck of a family¡ªall trying to shirk responsibility. No one wanted to admit that it was their idea. Li Jin said that Song Yan was the mastermind, Song Yan said that Chen Lian was the mastermind, while Chen Lian also accused Song Yan. The police officers gathered for a small meeting. ¡°The results of the separate interrogation showed that more people said that Song Yan is the mastermind. It seems that there is a high probability that Song Yan was the one who did this.¡± The police officer Xiaomin analyzed the situation with her notebook. The middle-aged man beside her, Officer Zhong, smiled and shook his head. ¡°Xiaomin, you¡¯re still too naive. For a family conflict like this, it doesn¡¯t matter who the mastermind is. Everyone must agree.¡± ¡°I also know a little about Xia Wan¡¯s family. This family is like bloodsuckers. They see Xia Wan¡¯s family doing well, and they want to take advantage of them now.¡± Xiaomin looked at Officer Zhong in confusion. ¡°Officer Zhong, since we can¡¯t tell who the mastermind is, why are we questioning them separately? Why is it so serious? Officer Zhong smiled slightly. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for Xia Wan¡¯s family. I can see that Li Jin and the others are all trying to scheme against Xia Wan. In that case, why don¡¯t we allow them to have some internal conflict? That way, we can indirectly help Xia Wan¡¯s family.¡± Xiaomin nodded and wrote it down in her notebook. She did not forget to praise him. ¡°You¡¯re real knowledgable, Officer Zhong. It turns out that you need to pay attention to the details while mediating family conflict.¡± According to the law, because Xia Wan refused to issue a letter of understanding, Li Jin and the others would all be locked up for ten days once the interrogation ended. Hearing that he had to stay in prison for ten days, Li Jin was so scared that his body went weak. Her face was no longer as arrogant as before. She was now begging Officer Zhong. ¡°Let me see my son. He definitely won¡¯t allow me to go to jail. I¡¯m already so old. If I get thrown in jail, my body won¡¯t be able to take it!¡± ¡°He¡¯s my son. If I fall sick here, he¡¯ll suffer retribution!¡± The wrath of a monster brewed inside Li Jin and her eyes were filled with hatred. Officer Zhong initially had some pity for her. After all, Li Jin was of age. However, when he saw her expression change so quickly, he directly shook off her arm. ¡°The rule of law governs this society, and the law is above human relations. Although Xia Hai is your son, your actions have already violated the law. I¡¯m sorry, but you deserve to be imprisoned. I hope you¡¯ll learn your lesson this time and not do anything illegal in the future.¡± After saying that, Officer Zhong waved his hand, and Li Jin and the others were taken away. Without the interference of Li Jin and the others, Xia Wan¡¯s business began to do very well. School was about to start, and she was prepared to sell all the goods on hand, then prepare to buy autumn clothes. On the other side, Xia Ru had finally arrived in Beijing after four days of rushing. At this time, Lu Lin had already arrived at the Lu family¡¯s old residence because he had a car to pick him up. At the entrance of the old mansion, Xia Ru was stopped. ¡°Stop. Who are you? Who allowed you to come here?¡± The security guard scolded Xia Ru with a serious expression. They had been security guards for a long time, and there were many people who came to visit the Lu family. However, everyone was wearing branded clothes or custom-made clothes. The woman in front of them was wearing cheap goods from the street stalls. Even the clothes he bought were more expensive than hers. Obviously, such a person could not be a guest of the Lu family. Xia Ru revealed a weak expression and said to the security guard, ¡°I¡¯m a descendant of the Xia family. My grandfather and Old Master Lu are comrades-in-arms. My grandfather even saved Old Master Lu¡¯s life. If you tell Old Master Lu this, he¡¯ll definitely be willing to see me.¡± The security guard looked at Xia Ru suspiciously and sneered. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool? Do you think I¡¯ll believe you just because you said that? Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t get in the way, or I¡¯ll kick you out.¡± Xia Ru was still explaining, but the security guard did not believe her at all. ¡°I¡¯m a descendant of the Xia family. I¡¯m engaged to Lu Lin. The Lu family can¡¯t deny this marriage!¡± Xia Ru shouted directly. A luxury car happened to pass by. The security guard immediately greeted her respectfully, ¡°Madam.¡± The car door opened, and a graceful and elegant woman walked out. Her skin was well-maintained, and she was wearing a classic cheongsam. Her every move looked very charming. The woman waved at the security guard, then walked up to Xia Ru and asked, ¡°You just said that you are a descendant of the Xia family and have an engagement with our Lu Lin?¡± Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Manipulation Skills Chapter 202: Manipulation Skills Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Ru nodded, thinking that this was someone who could make the decision. She immediately cried, ¡°Madam, please tell Old Master Lu. You¡¯re so elegant and beautiful, and you must know about this. My grandfather really saved Old Master Lu¡¯s life, and I really have an engagement with Lu Lin.¡± The calmness on the woman¡¯s face disappeared, and her eyes turned cold as she slapped Xia Ru ts face without warning. Xia Ru had been hit. She subconsciously covered her face and stared blankly at the woman. ¡°Madam, why did you hit me?¡± The woman laughed sinisterly. ¡°Why did I hit you? It seems that you still don¡¯t know my identity. I¡¯m Lu Lin¡¯s mother. As a mother, I naturally know my son. If you were the girl who married my son, why would you contact the old man and say that my son forced you?¡± ¡°You wrote a letter to the old master, arrogantly saying that my son forced you to break off the engagement. At the same time, you came here in a rush to marry my son?¡± Madam Lu pinched Xia Ruts chin. ¡°Let me guess. What is your motive?¡± Xia Ru also reacted at this time. It seemed that before she came, Old Master Lu had already received Xia Wan¡¯s letter. According to her understanding of Xia Wan¡¯s character and the attitude of this madam, Xia Wan must have rejected this marriage. Xia Ru did not get into high school because she had no heart to study, but it did not mean that she was stupid. On the contrary, she was very apt at seeking out the true intentions of others, so a few words from Madam Lu was enough for Xia Ru to deduce what had happened. She quickly defended herself. ¡°Madam, listen to my explanation. The person who wrote the letter to Old Master Lu was my cousin, but I was the one who arranged the marriage with Lu Lin. I¡¯m the first granddaughter of our family and the smartest and most capable one. If I were to marry, I would definitely marry Lu Lin. ¡°Old Master Lu must have listened to my cousin¡¯s words. Madam, please take me in and let me explain to Old Master Lu personally.¡± Madam Lu looked down on Xia Ru, wondering if the simple village girl was even worthy of being her daughter-in-law. However, she still listened to Xia Ru. This time, Lu Lin was immediately locked up after being called back by the old master. The old master even stopped his allowance. Lu Lin wasn¡¯t even allowed to leave his room for a few days now. He had to ask the servants to send his meals to his room every day. Her son was used to being spoiled. When had he ever suffered such grievances? The reason for all this was the Xia family in the countryside. Madam Lu had already heard some news from Lu Lin¡¯s subordinates. Lu Lin wanted to get the token from the Xia family to cancel the engagement, but the Xia family had been hiding it and refused to give it to him. Based on the Xia family¡¯s attitude, it was obvious that they did not want to reject the marriage and wanted to climb up the rungs of the Lu family. However, the Xia family had also written directly to Old Master Lu, saying that she was unwilling to marry and that Lu Lin was bullying their family. Mrs. Lu narrowed her eyes. She had already guessed that the Xia family was probably divided into two groups. Those without the token wanted to marry her son, while those with the token didn¡¯t. She waved her hand slightly and let go of Xia Ru. Then, she wiped her fingers with a handkerchief in disgust and said to her subordinate, ¡°Bring her to a nearby inn first. I have something to ask her in private.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her subordinates immediately took action. Xia Ru thought that Madam Lu believed her and stopped shouting. Soon, she was brought to the hotel to wait while Madam Lu went to the study where Old Master Lu was. She knocked on the door, and Old Master Lu¡¯s dignified voice came from inside. ¡°Enter.¡± Seeing that it was Madam Lu, Old Master Lu snorted coldly. ¡°Lu Lin treated the descendant of my benefactor like this. This matter won¡¯t go away so easily. Don¡¯t even think about pleading for him!¡± Madam Lu smiled faintly and said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re right. Lu Lin has indeed crossed the line this time. Fortunately, it caused no real harm to the Xia family. However, my son has done something wrong. As his mother, I have to be responsible. I plan to get someone to buy some gifts and send them to the Xia family as an apology.¡± Old Master Lu nodded. ¡°Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I¡¯ll leave it to you, then..¡± Chapter 203 - Chapter 203: Meeting Lu Lin Chapter 203: Meeting Lu Lin Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Then, Dad, can I go and see Lu Lin first? I definitely won¡¯t let him come out, but I also want to understand the Xia family first so I can communicate with them in the future,¡± Mrs. Lu humbly asked. Old Master Lu waved his hand. ¡°Alright, you can go, but he can¡¯t come out.¡± ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± The gentleness on Madam Lu¡¯s face immediately disappeared the moment she left the study. She looked at the study through the door with disgust before leaving. Old Master Lu was of advanced age but was still unwilling to give up authority. Although she was Mrs. Lu, she had to get Old Master Lu¡¯s permission to see him now that their son was locked up. Mrs. Lu was unhappy and became even angrier when she saw Lu Lin. When Lu Lin saw his mother coming over, he rushed over agitatedly. ¡°Mom, have you convinced Grandpa? Grandpa is going to let me go, right?¡± Mrs. Lu glared at him unhappily. ¡°You still have the cheek to bring this up? You just had to go to the countryside and cancel the marriage. You couldn¡¯t even do such a small thing! You even asked him to send a letter to your grandfather. ¡°Your second uncle has made a lot of achievements in the past two years. Your father¡¯s status is in threat, and you¡¯re causing trouble for him during this critical period. Why can¡¯t you even handle a country bumpkin?!¡± Lu Lin thought that his mother was here to save him, but he didn¡¯t expect to be scolded as soon as she entered the house. He immediately lost his temper. ¡°Mom, I used to think that the country bumpkins were easy to deal with, but now I realize that the country bumpkins are not that simple! They are all scheming b*stards.¡± Thinking of the girl who beat him up, Lu Lin felt even more annoyed. He could not help but complain to Mrs. Lu, ¡°Mom, you should know that when I first went to the countryside, I met a particularly unruly and violent girl. She hit me real hard. I was bullied for nothing and couldn¡¯t fight back.¡± Mrs. Lu frowned. ¡°You brought bodyguards with you. How could you be beaten up? What were they doing? Couldn¡¯t they defeat a girl?¡± Lu Lin¡¯s face was also bitter. ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t believe it at first, but the truth happened in front of me, so I had no choice. Moreover, the Xia family is not to be trifled with. They were all lying to me. I didn¡¯t expect that they¡¯d delay me informing Grandpa. They¡¯re simply hateful!¡± Mrs. Lu interrupted him. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. They didn¡¯t send the message. Someone called Xia Ru came to look for you today. I¡¯m here to ask you what¡¯s going on with Xia Ru. What¡¯s the situation between you and her?¡± Lu Lin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Xia Ru? How did she come here? She must be with those people. They¡¯re all liars. I can¡¯t get out now. If I can, I¡¯ll definitely teach her a lesson.¡± Mrs. Lu couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to his cursing. She asked directly, ¡°Hurry up and tell me what¡¯s going on between you and this Xia Ru. Is the marriage between you and the Xia family to be with her?¡± Lu Lin scratched his head. ¡°Mom, actually, I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s the one who¡¯s engaged to me. They seem to have three granddaughters, but I¡¯ve only seen two of them. Both of them look very ordinary and can¡¯t be compared to the women here. I don¡¯t like them at all, so I never thought of marrying them. That Xia Ru, she came to me on her own accord and insisted on sleeping with me, so I didn¡¯t reject her.¡± Mrs. Lu frowned. ¡°So you two had sex? Lu Lin nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he looked at Mrs. Lu anxiously. ¡°Mom, what does she mean? Is she trying to find Grandpa and complain about me? She wouldn¡¯t say that I forced myself on her, right?¡± ¡°Mom, you know me. Although I¡¯ve had many girlfriends, those girls were all willing. I¡¯ve never forced anyone to do anything.¡± If any other woman had slept with him and came to him to ask for justice, the old man would not care. However, if it was a Xia family girl, Lu Lin did not dare to take the risk. What if Xia Ru begged him to take responsibility for the incident? Even if she couldn¡¯t take out the token, Grandpa would still ask him to get married. He didn¡¯t want to marry this village girl. From Lu Lin¡¯s words, Madam Lu could roughly guess the truth of the matter.. Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: The Brilliant Madam Lu Chapter 204: The Brilliant Madam Lu Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°After you got drunk, you told Xia Ru the address of the old residence, so she came looking for you. However, her purpose was to force you to marry her through Old Master¡¯s hands. Fortunately, I met her in advance and stopped her. If she saw Old Master, perhaps her wish would really be fulfilled.¡± ¡°As for the person who reported to the old master, it definitely wasn¡¯t her. The person who reported should be someone you haven¡¯t seen before, the third granddaughter of the Xia family. Since the Xia family wants to marry you but can¡¯t take out a token, she¡¯s likely the real person who has an engagement with you.¡± As she said this, Madam Lu¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°This granddaughter is very smart. Although we haven¡¯t met yet, if you have to marry one of the three Xia daughters, it better be this smart one.¡± Lu Lin moaned unhappily, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m never marrying any of them. I feel disgusted whenever I think of the Xia family. I¡¯ve never been in such a sorry state in my life.¡± Madam Lu could not be bothered to waste her breath on him. She had already asked what she wanted to know. She instructed Lu Lin to stay obedient for the next few days and went to the inn to find Xia Ru. The door opened, and the bodyguard moved a chair to Mrs. Lu. She raised her chin slightly and looked at Xia Ru arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯m already clear about what happened between you and my son. At the same time, I¡¯m also clear that you¡¯re not the one from the Xia family who wants to marry my son. Even if you go to the old master now, you won¡¯t get any benefits.¡± Xia Ru¡¯s eyes widened. She hadn¡¯t even said anything, but this woman had already guessed everything. Terrifying, simply too terrifying. The people from the big city sure knew how to scheme. Xia Ru originally thought that she could successfully marry into the Lu family with her own schemes, but now she realized that she had underestimated the Lu family. The people here were all too shrewd. However, she was already in the capital. If she did not do anything, wouldn¡¯t she have come for nothing? She straightened her neck and said stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m already here; I can¡¯t just go back like this. You said that Old Master Lu won¡¯t let me marry him. I won¡¯t believe it, not unless you let me see Old Master Lu. If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll talk to him personally.¡± Mrs. Lu¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Why? Do you want to tell the old master that Lu Lin slept with you, so now he has to take responsibility for you?¡± Xia Ru pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say anything. Her silence showed that she had tacitly agreed. ¡°My son has slept with dozens of women if not hundreds. Any other woman is prettier and has a better family background than you.¡± As Madam Lu spoke, she glanced at Xia Ru with disdain. Xia Ru felt embarrassed. When she was in the village, she had always been looked at with envy because she was dressed better than most of the girls in the village. However, in front of Madam Lu, she was like an ugly duckling. Her confidence was completely decimated, and she was left with nothing but sheer embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m a member of the Xia family. My grandfather saved Old Master Lu¡¯s life. Even if I don¡¯t have a keepsake, even if I¡¯m not the one who¡¯ll marry Lu Lin, so what? I slept with him, so when the time comes, I¡¯ll tell Old Master Lu that he forced himself on me. I believe Old Master Lu will uphold justice.¡± Xia Ru bit her lip. She had already come this far, and there was no turning back. Therefore, her reputation wasn¡¯t that important anymore. She no longer needed it. Mrs. Lu stared at her coldly. ¡°You¡¯re really going all out. Do you think you¡¯ll still be alive to see the old master?¡± Xia Ru was completely flustered, and her body was trembling. ¡°What do you mean? Are you trying to kill me?¡± Mrs. Lu reached out and pinched her chin. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you. After all, murder is illegal. However, I can find you a job and let you serve men. Yes, your grandfather saved the old master¡¯s life, but once you do that kind of job, our Lu family can¡¯t afford to lose face.¡± The old master kept his promise and was very considerate to his former comrades. However, if Xia Ru became a prostitute, even the old master would not be able to accept such a granddaughter-in-law. Xia Ru¡¯s body stiffened. She never thought that Madam Lu would go to such an extent. She actually wanted to sell her off as a prostitute? ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me! That¡¯s illegal.¡± Xia Wan said with a trembling voice. She looked around, looking for an escape route. Madam Lu saw through her thoughts and sneered. ¡°Stop looking. Without my permission, you can¡¯t leave the capital. How about this? I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. I¡¯ll give you two choices.. First, go against us¡­¡± Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: Xia Ru Returns Home Chapter 205: Xia Ru Returns Home Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°What about the second one?¡± Xia Ru immediately asked. ¡°The second option is naturally about you and me. We¡¯ll settle this between ourselves. I¡¯ll give you a sum of money. You¡¯ll sign a guarantee for me that you won¡¯t trouble the old master with this matter.¡± Hearing that there was money, Xia Ru immediately nodded. ¡°Alright, the second option.¡± She couldn¡¯t even afford to buy a train ticket home. Mrs. Lu was willing to pay for it, which solved her problem. As for meeting Old Master Lu and marrying Lu Lin, she could talk about these things later. What about the guarantee? So what if she broke the contract later? What could Mrs. Lu do to her? The two of them had their own thoughts. Xia Ru signed the guarantee, and Madam Lu gave her 1,000 yuan. This matter was thus considered resolved. Mrs. Lu had booked the train ticket for Xia Ru to go home. She had even asked two bodyguards to follow Xia Ru all the way home. Along the way, Xia Ru was watched by two bodyguards. Even when she went to the toilet, one of them followed her. Xia Ru finally lost her patience. She lowered her voice and roared, ¡°Can you guys stop following me? Since I¡¯ve already promised your wife that I won¡¯t look for Old Master Lu, I won¡¯t look for him again. Besides, if I go to look for Old Master Lu, you¡¯ll discover me. ¡°I don¡¯t have the chance to complain to Old Master Lu anymore. You can go back and report your work. I¡¯ll go home obediently and stay right there.¡± The security guard¡¯s face was cold, and his expression did not change at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Xia. Our orders are to escort you home safely. If we don¡¯t see you enter the house, we won¡¯t be able to complete our mission.¡± Xia Ru was so angry that she wanted to hit someone, but she could not beat either of them. When Xia Ru returned home, the door was locked. She frowned and knocked on the door, but there was no movement at home. ¡°How can there be no one at home? Even if Dad and Mom have gone to work, there¡¯s still Grandma.¡± Xia Ru muttered and continued to knock on the door. However, there was still no movement from inside. The two bodyguards were about to leave, but seeing that something was wrong with the Xia family, they chose to stay and observe the situation. After they were done, they reported to Mrs. Lu. At this moment, the neighbor¡¯s door opened. When she saw Xia Ru, her eyes were still filled with shock. ¡°Xia Ru, where did you go? Why are you only back now? Who are these two people? They look so fierce.¡± The neighbor was pointing at the bodyguard beside Xia Ru. Xia Ru couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain the identity of the bodyguard to her neighbor. She asked directly, ¡°Where is my family? Where did they go? I¡¯m in a hurry to find them.¡± The neighbor was surprised. ¡°Where have you been? Haven¡¯t you heard about the big news? Your parents and grandma are in jail, but they¡¯ll be out soon. It¡¯ll be another six days.¡± ¡°What? Prison? What did they do? Why did they have to go to jail?¡± Xia Ru¡¯s voice tore apart the neighbors. She didn¡¯t look like she was pretending, so they all told Xia Ru what Li Jin had done. Xia Ru clenched her fists tightly, and her eyes were fierce. ¡°Xia Wan, it¡¯s you again. You¡¯re so cruel. These are your family. How shameless are you to send them to prison!?¡± The neighbor looked at the two bodyguards and then looked at Xia Ru. She asked curiously, ¡°Xia Ru, where have you been? Why are there two bodyguards with you? Did you find a rich man?¡± Xia Ru liked to dress up. Previously, she had even gotten into such an argument with Liu Shi. It was obvious that she was usually restless. Now that she had two bodyguards with her, she must have hooked up with some man, from her neighbors¡¯ point of view. Seeing the malicious intent in the neighbor¡¯s eyes, Xia Ru glared at her. ¡°Auntie, just mind your own family¡¯s business. You don¡¯t have to worry about our family¡¯s business.¡± The neighbor scoffed. ¡°Tsk, who cares about your family¡¯s business? Do you think your family¡¯s reputation is very good? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we didn¡¯t have any extra houses, our family would have moved away long ago. Who would want to be your neighbor? Every day, your family quarrels like a chicken cook. You¡¯re so annoying.¡± The neighbor did not deliberately lower her voice. Instead, she deliberately raised her voice by a lot, making sure that her words clearly entered Xia Ru¡¯s ears. Xia Ru felt angry and wronged. She blamed everything on Xia Wan.. Chapter 206 - Chapter 206: Xia Ru Gets Sent Back to the Village Chapter 206: Xia Ru Gets Sent Back to the Village Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After hearing the whole story, Xia Ru became angrier. Her marriage with Lu Lin had failed, and now her family was in prison. How could Xia Wan be so smug? She rushed out to look for Xia Wan. The two bodyguards quickly stopped her. ¡°Miss Xia, where are you going?¡± Xia Ru glared at them. ¡°My family is in prison. I¡¯ll go and settle the score with the culprit, alright? What right do you have to stop me?¡± The security guard spoke in a business-like manner. ¡°Our instructions are to escort you home. Please enter the house now so that we can report back.¡± Xia Ru was so angry that she twitched and scolded, ¡°Why are you guys so rigid? Why do you insist on sending me home just because Mrs. Lu asked you to? I¡¯m already at my doorstep, but I can¡¯t be left alone?¡± The security guard was expressionless, but he still refused. ¡°Yes.¡± Xia Ru was furious, but there was nothing she could do about these two people. Hence, she could only remove the key from the haystack beside her and open the door. Only after confirming that she had entered the house did the two bodyguards leave. After they left, Xia Ru immediately stormed into the town. She went straight to Xia Wan¡¯s stall. It was already noon. Xia Wan and the others had sold most of their stock and were about to go for lunch. With hands on her hips, Xia Ru barricaded Xia Wan¡¯s stall. ¡°Xia Wan, you¡¯re so cruel! You¡¯re even willing to send your own grandmother to prison. What kind of granddaughter are you? Aren¡¯t you afraid of the retribution you¡¯ll receive for being so unfilial?¡± Xia Ru deliberately shouted at the top of her voice to attract the attention of the people around her. Xia Wan was folding her clothes, but when she saw Xia Ru¡¯s stance, she put her clothes down and stood in front of Xia Ru to confront her. Xia Wan snorted coldly. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back. Why? You were rushing to marry a rich young master from a big city, but he didn¡¯t take a fancy to you. Are you here to find trouble with me?¡± She wasn¡¯t about to be led astray by Xia Ru and be labeled as unfilial. She would then go on to label her as a seductress. Being unfilial was bad in this era, but being a seductress was even more despicable. When the people who were shopping saw that there was a commotion there, they stopped in their tracks and whispered something. Their gazes occasionally landed on Xia Wan and Xia Ru. Xia Ru did not have a high tolerance like Xia Wan. Her face was a little red as she anxiously explained, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. I didn¡¯t go looking for man at all. ¡°On the other hand, I only went out for two days, and she actually sent her biological grandmother and uncle to prison. She used the money she earned from selling clothes to live in a big house. Xia Wan, how can you be so cruel? Grandma was so good to you and paid for your studies. Is this how you repay Grandma now?¡± ¡°Everyone, come and take a look. Such a heartless person is unfit to do business here!¡± Xia Ru shouted, trying her best to encourage the people around her to help he condemn Xia Wan. A nosy lady saw happened to see what happened and was quick to criticize Xia Wan. ¡°Child, how can you treat your relatives like this? They are the ones who raised you. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being struck by lightning? ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve come here many times to buy clothes before. I didn¡¯t expect this young lady to choose such beautiful clothes, but her personality is actuall like this. She even treats her own family so cruelly, let alone others.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Tell us the truth. Is there a problem with the quality of the clothes you sold us?¡± ¡°I have to hurry up and tell my friends to return the clothes I bought from her.¡± The surrounding crowd believed Xia Ru¡¯s words and thought Xia Wan was heartless. They were now all clamoring to return the clothes they bought from Xia Wan¡¯s stall. Xia Chen and Xia Feng were very anxious when they saw everyone attacking them. Xia Chen shouted, ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t talk about my sister like that. Our clothes were carefully selected and are of far better quality than those sold in other stalls. Moreover, there¡¯s a secret behind this. You don¡¯t know what we¡¯ve been through at all. How can you talk about my sister like that?¡± Xia Feng also stood in front of Xia Wan. ¡°My sister is not that kind of person. Don¡¯t believe Xia Ru. She deliberately said bad things about my sister. It was clearly Grandma and the others who did something overboard. It¡¯s completely not my sister¡¯s fault..¡± Chapter 207 - Chapter 207: Confrontation With Xia Ru Chapter 207: Confrontation With Xia Ru Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan looked at the two brothers protecting her and felt warm in her heart. But¡­ Their counterattack was still too childish. It was far from being as aggressive as Xia Ruts. Seeing that everyone believed her, Xia Ru ts eyes filled with pride. Now that her family was in prison, why could Xia Wan still do business in peace? No, she couldn¡¯t allow Xia Wan to manage it well. Since Xia Wan did not intend to let them have it easy, then her business should not be smooth! Xia Wan quietly listened to their accusations. When these people who thought they were very righteous were almost done scolding her, she also brewed her emotions. Her eyes were already red when she opened her mouth. She looked at the people around her who were criticizing her. ¡°All of you are judging me as an unfilial and heartless person just by listening to what she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been setting up here for the past few days, and many people buy my clothes. The reason why everyone buys my clothes is precisely because my stock is trendy. ¡°First of all, our fabric is of good quality. It¡¯s different from the clothes in other stalls. Their clothes may crumple after being washed twice, and the color will fade. ¡°Moreover, on our side, if you buy more clothes, we will also adopt a point system and exchange them for various gifts. ¡°You¡¯re all just my guests, and I can serve you with all my heart. If my family really treated me well, why would I do such a thing?¡± Xia Wan did not directly refute Xia Ru¡¯s words of being unfilial. Instead, she first used the quality of her clothes as an argument, automatically pulling the crowd to her side. ¡°Putting everything else aside, the quality of Xia Wan¡¯s clothes is indeed high,¡± someone immediately echoed. ¡°I¡¯ve bought clothes from other stalls before. After washing them once, they look completely different. They are of poor quality.¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re doing their best to sell clothes. There¡¯s no reason for them to mistreat their family.¡± ¡°We know Xia Wan. We know her character. On the other hand, this girl just appeared out of nowhere. Who is she? Do you know her?¡± Everyone looked at Xia Ru and shook their heads. ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡± Xia Ru saw that Xia Wan only casually said two sentences, and the people who were originally on her side immediately began to speak up for Xia Wan again. She was so angry that she stomped her feet. She cursed in her heart. This group of idiots, they just follow what others say. They don¡¯t have any sense of judgment at all. Xia Ru snorted coldly. ¡°So what if her clothes are of good quality? She¡¯s still unfilial.¡± Xia Wan did not beat around the bush this time and retorted Xia Ru directly, ¡°Since you already know that Grandma and the others are in prison, have you ever thought about why they are there?¡± ¡°The law protects justice. Grandma and the others must have violated the law if they went to prison. You keep saying that I caused Grandma¡¯s incarceration. ¡°Cousin, could I even have that much power?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words seemed to wake everyone up. They reacted one after another. ¡°That¡¯s right. Since Xia Wan¡¯s grandmother is in prison, she must have violated the law. How could she be locked up if she didn¡¯t do anything?¡± ¡°Tell me, why was your grandmother locked up?¡± Everyone rebuked Xia Ru. It was as if they would not let her leave today if she did not tell them the reason. Xia Ru did not expect Xia Wan to have so many people supporting her just because of her clothes. Xia Ru¡¯s expression turned ugly. She pursed her lips and subconsciously lowered her voice. ¡°My grandmother didn¡¯t do anything wrong. She just went to look for Xia Wan and the others at night. In the end, Xia Wan called the police and said that my grandmother trespassed. What a joke. What¡¯s wrong with my grandmother looking for her son and granddaughter? Who would be so unreasonable?¡± Seeing that the preparations were almost complete, Xia Wan sighed and said, ¡°Cousin, do you really think everyone is stupid? If Grandma wants to look for Father and me, why can¡¯t she choose to come during the day? That¡¯s because we chased her away during the day. ¡°I know. You¡¯ll definitely scold me again. You¡¯ll say that I¡¯m unfilial and that I shouldn¡¯t have chased Grandma away.¡± ¡°But Cousin, others don¡¯t know the truth, but don¡¯t you know it too? Chapter 208 - Chapter 208: Street Fight Chapter 208: Street Fight Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°My father is seriously ill and hospitalized. He owes the hospital a few thousand yuan for his medical expenses. Refusing to pay for my father, you cut off all ties with our family. Alright, since we cut ties, we won¡¯t pester you anymore. We rented a house outside, but when you saw how big the house was, you became unwilling. You thought that we must be rich and we were hiding the token. ¡°You asked us for money, but we don¡¯t have any. ¡°Previously, Grandpa gave me a marriage agreement. You wanted to snatch the marriage away from me when you saw that the other party¡¯s family had a good background. You came here with two goals. First, you were unwilling to let our family live in such a good house and wanted to move in. Second, you wanted to take away the token Grandpa left for me so that you could snatch my marriage and marry a rich man. ¡°Why did I call the police? It¡¯s because Grandma and the others didn¡¯t come to see people at all. They climbed over the wall and planned to steal money and tokens from our house!¡± Xia Wan finished her sentence in one breath, and all the onlookers stared at her wide- eyed. Although their families were also messy, no one¡¯s family was as exciting as Xia Wan¡¯s. It was so complicated and melodramatic that it could easily pass off as a TV series. Seeing that everyone around her was looking at her with criticism, Xia Ru quickly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. Her father¡¯s hospitalization costs a lot of money. We don¡¯t have that much. Besides, their family had mentioned the matter of splitting up before. Coincidentally, her father was sick, so Grandma agreed to it. If we had the money, we would¡¯ve definitely helped. The key is that we don¡¯t have the money.¡± Xia Feng retorted, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. My father has given Grandma his monthly wages for more than ten years. How can Grandma not have money? She just refuses to manage our family.¡± Initially, Xia Feng only wanted to refute Xia Ru¡¯s words. However, the more he said, the more aggrieved he felt. He was the youngest in the family. These days, their family got bullied in various ways, and every time, it was his sister who stood up to resolve it. This made Xia Feng feel very useless. He also felt that his family was being bullied. He could not help but choke up. ¡°You guys despised us for being poor and were afraid we would burden you, so you didn¡¯t want us. Now that we¡¯ve found a job and can earn money, you guys turned around and came to take advantage of us. Is this the family you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°They clearly know we don¡¯t have a house to live in, but they still chased us out. Even if the house we live in now is bigger than before, we¡¯re still renting it.¡± ¡°You know that my sister and the young master of the Lu family have arranged a marriage, and you want to snatch it. I heard from my sister that you¡¯ve slept with the young master before. You¡¯ve been out for so long to look for the young master in the capital. Now that you¡¯ve returned in such a sorry state, it must be because the young master doesn¡¯t like you and doesn¡¯t want you.¡± Xia Feng felt very wronged. He spat out everything on his mind in one breath, including what Xia Wan had revealed to him previously. Xia Ru had already slept with Lu Lin. Xia Ru¡¯s face suddenly turned red, and she immediately retorted, ¡°Bullsh*t! I didn¡¯t sleep with Young Master Lu at all. Stop slandering me!¡± Xia Wan was also stunned. She did not expect her younger brother to be so forthcoming. He actually directly exposed Xia Ru¡¯s background. Actually, she did not have any concrete evidence that Xia Ru and Lu Lin had slept together. After all, people were guarding the hotel Lu Lin was staying in. However, Xia Ru had hooked up with Lu Lin in her previous life, so she should not be bad in this life. In addition, after Xia Feng said these words, Xia Wan could clearly see that Xia Ru panicked and wanted to escape. This meant that Xia Feng was right. Xia Wan linked her arms and told Xia Ru condescendingly, ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say that you haven¡¯t had sex with Lu Lin. Let¡¯s go to the hospital now and check if you¡¯re still a virgin.¡± Xia Ru stomped her feet in anger. She pointed at Xia Wan and scolded, ¡°You b*tch, I¡¯m your cousin! How dare you say that to me in front of everyone? You¡¯re afraid that I¡¯ll get married, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re scheming to ruin my reputation. What are you trying to do?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s lips curled into a smile, and her eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°We deliberately schemed to harm you? Cousin, are you mistaken? We were originally selling clothes here, but you were the one who came up and shouted that we were bullies and unfilial.. Everyone was originally shopping peacefully, and you were the one who called them over to be witnesses!¡± Chapter 209 - Chapter 209: Revealing the Truth Chapter 209: Revealing the Truth Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°You speak your logic, and we speak ours. Everyone will naturally judge who is telling the truth and who is lying. You can¡¯t outtalk us, so you¡¯re using morality to trap us? ¡°What? You¡¯re allowed to slander us, but we can¡¯t fight back. If we fight back, we¡¯ll be harming you? What about you? You came over to piss on my character and my clothes. Are you deliberately trying to ruin my business?¡± ¡°You know that we owe the hospital money. We worked hard to treat my father, but you still came to talk bad about us. Aren¡¯t you trying to force our family to death?¡± Towards the end of her sentence, there was a hint of emotion in her eyes. She remembered that in her previous life, Xia Ru had been ruthless to her family. She had already married into the Lu family and became the wife of the Lu family. She lived in a villa and drove a luxury car, but she still refused to let them off. Xia Ru did not manage to marry Lu Lin in this lifetime, and she still did not plan to let them off. Based on what she had done in her previous life, she deserved it, no matter how miserable her life was. Besides, it was a fact that she had slept with Lu Lin. Since she dared to do it, she should be prepared for the day when someone would find out. Xia Ru clenched her fists and looked at Xia Wan with daggers in her eyes. She lowered her voice and said word by word through gritted teeth, ¡°Xia Wan, do you have to destroy me before you¡¯re satisfied?¡± Xia Wan retorted, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s not that I want to destroy you. It¡¯s you who wants to destroy me. ¡® Xia Ru turned around and jogged away. She could no longer stand the gazes of the people around her. Yes, she had slept with Lu Lin. She thought that this would allow Lu Lin to marry her. As long as she got the token and told Old Master Lu about this in advance, Old Master Lu would definitely let Lu Lin marry her. However, she miscalculated. She did not get the token. What was even more infuriating was that she did not even get to see Old Master Lu. Xia Ru felt empty in her heart as if the marriage that originally belonged to her had disappeared just like that. Xia Ru walked in a daze. It was only when she reached the village that her eyes regained focus. Suddenly, she squatted down and started crying, her right hand hammering hard on the ground. ¡°Why? Why is God doing this to me? I¡¯ve already given my most precious body to Lu Lin. Why am I not getting anything? Why can Xia Wan live in such a good house? Why did she get the token?¡± She hated it. She felt that God had been very unfair to her. Her grades were clearly better than Xia Wan¡¯s, but Xia Wan, who was so bad at her studies, got into high school while she didn¡¯t. The marriage with the Lu family should have been given to her according to her seniority in the family. However, because of her family¡¯s rejection, the marriage fell on Xia Wan. Now, she could not continue attending school or marrying into the Lu family. Xia Wan would definitely have a better life than her in the future. Xia Ru was extremely indignant. She felt that she was not inferior to Xia Wan. Why did she get to her current position? ¡°Ah, who is this? Why is he squatting on the ground in such a sorry state? I heard that your family had been sent in. Your Xia family is quite powerful.¡± A mocking voice could be heard coming from behind. Xia Ru immediately stopped crying and stood up to look in the direction of the voice. Standing two meters away was Liu Shi, followed by three other boys. Outside, Xia Ru was very mindful of her image. Her face immediately turned cold as she scolded Liu Shi, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to judge me. No matter how bad my life is, I can start a new life as long as I marry well. But what about you? You just dawdle around all day.¡± Being ridiculed by Xia Ru in front of his brothers, Liu Shi immediately lost his temper. Thinking about how he had contracted a strange illness because of her and how the villagers often talked about him behind his back, Liu Shi was filled with anger. He laughed sinisterly. ¡°Xia Ru, do you think you¡¯re a good person? We¡¯ve all heard about what happened today. Your body has long been unclean, right? With a person like you, who in our village would want you? Xia Ru¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How did you know?¡± Liu Shi sneered.. ¡°What? Think you¡¯re the only one allowed to go to the county? Chapter 210 - Chapter 210: Blocked by Liu Shi Chapter 210: Blocked by Liu Shi Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Xia Ru, when we were in the village, you pretended to be so noble. We really thought that you were so holy that no one could touch you. Now, it seems that you¡¯re just a materialistic and superficial girl. You didn¡¯t want to sleep with others before because they weren¡¯t rich enough.¡± Xia Ru immediately denied it. ¡°Bullsh*t! That¡¯s Xia Wan¡¯s nonsense. I never slept with Lu Lin.¡± Liu Shi looked at her disdainfully. ¡°Come on. You could come to my house in the middle of the night to look for me. Why can¡¯t you look for Lu Lin now? ¡°Previously, I had some doubts about whether it was you who caused that strange illness. Now, I¡¯m sure that it was because of you. Xia Ru, you¡¯re a real filthy b*tch.¡± Xia Ru¡¯s heart thumped furiously in her chest. Liu Shi, who she had looked down on in the past, dared to speak to her in such a tone now. He smiled cunningly. He waved his hand, and the three men behind him walked towards Xia Ru. Xia Ru suddenly panicked. She subconsciously took a step back. ¡°Liu Shi, what are you doing?¡± Liu Shi smiled sinisterly. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m going to do? No matter what, we¡¯re from the same village. There¡¯s no reason for that man from the capital to have you. We grew up together but could only watch from the sides, right?¡± Xia Ru was not an ignorant little girl. When she was working in the factory, many people around her had already done so with others a long time ago, so she knew what Liu Shi meant. He just felt that since Xia Ru had already slept with Lu Lin, she was not a good woman. Since she was not a good woman and could sleep with Lu Lin, she could also naturally sleep with him. ¡°Liu Shi, this is a society ruled by law. If you dare to do anything to me, I¡¯ll call the police,¡± Xia Ru warned. ¡°Call the police?¡± Liu Shi sneered. ¡°Initially, not many people know that you¡¯re unclean, but if you call the police, the entire village will know about it. Xia Ru, who in the nearby villages do you think will be willing to marry you?¡± As he spoke, Liu Shi leaned closer to Xia Ru and lifted her chin. ¡°If you obey us today and serve us well, we promise not to tell anyone about what happened today. Moreover, we will speak up for you. If anyone in the village speaks ill of you, we will help you teach them a lesson. How about that?¡± Xia Ru could clearly see Liu Shi¡¯s ugly face at such a close distance. His lewd smile made him look even uglier than usual. Xia Ru was very unwilling. Although she had worked with Liu Shi before, she only wanted to use him to deal with Xia Wan. But now, he actually wanted to sleep with her? Xia Ru did not say anything. Her silence was wearing Liu Shi¡¯s patience down. ¡°Xia Ru, I¡¯m trying to talk to you nicely, but you just don¡¯t seem to understand, do you? Do I have to speak more clearly? If you don¡¯t listen to me, you will have no future!¡± Xia Ru took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, her expression had already put away the grievance from before. She looked at Liu Shi obsequiously and even stroked Liu Shi¡¯s chest. ¡°Brother Liu, there¡¯s no need to talk about our relationship, but I¡¯m not familiar with them. Even if I become someone else¡¯s woman, I only want to be yours, Brother Liu.¡± As she spoke, Xia Ru even winked at Liu Shi, instantly melting his heart. He hugged Xia Ru in his arms. ¡°Okay, okay. Just be my woman, then.¡± He waved at his lackeys behind him. ¡°Go do what you have to do. Don¡¯t get in the way. We still have something important to do.¡± After saying that, Liu Shi left with Xia Ru in his arms. The remaining lackeys looked at each other. ¡°Brother Liu is not being righteous. We clearly came out together, but there are benefits, Brother Liu is the only one enjoying it¡± ¡°What can we do? Do you dare to go against Brother Liu? With Brothe fierce mother and Brother Liu¡¯s strong personality, who would dare his woman?¡± The three of them sighed and looked in the direction Xia Ru had left v lustful eyes. They were deeply regretful that they could not sleep witt Xia Ru was brought away by Liu Shi with her head lowered. She did nc the villagers to see her walking close to him.. Chapter 211 - Chapter 211: An Affair With Liu Shi Chapter 211: An Affair With Liu Shi Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liu Shi hugged Xia Ru tightly. The two of them were very close to each ot The stench in Liu Shi¡¯s mouth assaulted Xia Ru. She subconsciously stepped back, which displeased Liu Shi. He pulled over with a vicious look in his eyes. ¡°Why are you hiding? Why? Do you di ¡°Young Master Lu can bully you as he pleases, but when it comes to me, dodging? It seems that I alone can¡¯t satisfy you. You want my brother to ( Xia Ru understood Liu Shi¡¯s threat. If she did not let Liu Shi touch her, he would get others and gang-rape her. If it was related to Liu Shi, she could stop Liu Shi and the others from tall nonsense. However, if she was gang-raped by a group of people, she cou longer stay in this village. In order to protect her reputation, Xia Ru had no choice but to cooperate Liu Shi. The two of them spent two hours on the grass that was half the h of a person before Liu Shi was satisfied. He hugged Xia Ru in his arms and said domineeringly, ¡°From now on, yo my woman. You can only do this kind of thing with me, understand?¡± Xia Ru was disgusted and disagreed with Liu Shi¡¯s words. Who did Liu Shi think he was? Was he worthy of being with her? She refuted in her heart, but on the surface, she showed a fawning smile. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry, I definitely won¡¯t have sex with anyone else.¡± Thinking about how she was living such a miserable life now, but Xia Wan could live in a big house in the county town, Xia Ru was filled with unwillingness. She took the initiative to cling onto Liu Shi¡¯s arm and breathed on his neck. ¡°Brother Liu, I¡¯ve really suffered a lot these days. My cousin Xia Wan is really scheming. I underestimated her in the past, but now she has sent my family to prison.¡± As she spoke, she lowered her head and put on a pitiful expression. ¡°Brother Liu, it¡¯s fine if I get bullied, but I¡¯m considered your woman now. If word gets out that your woman was bullied, it won¡¯t look good on you.¡± Liu Shi was provoked by her, and he said domineeringly, ¡°It¡¯s just Xia Wan. What ability does she have? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll avenge you.¡± ¡°But, she¡¯s not alone. She has her brother and younger brother with her. They¡¯re both strong. Brother Liu, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be bullied.¡± She did not care if Liu Shi was bullied or not. She was just afraid that Liu Shi would rush over alone, and not only did he not deal with Xia Wan, but he would also be dealt with by Xia Chen and Xia Feng. ¡°What can her two useless brothers do? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll deal with them,¡± Liu Shi said confidently. When Xia Ru heard this, she pretended to be shy and burrowed into Liu Shi¡¯s embrace. ¡°Brother Liu, you treat me best.¡± She knew that Liu Shi had a lot of friends. When he arrived, he would bring a lot of people. By then, Xia Wan and the others would be unable to deal with him. Even if she called the police, so what? She did not care if Liu Shi went to jail or not. In fact, she couldn¡¯t wait for both Liu Shi and Xia Wan to be hurt so that she could benefit. After ending her lingering with Liu Shi, Xia Ru returned home. In the past, when there were many people at home, she would feel that the house was noisy. However, now that she was the only one left at home, she actually felt a little empty. On the other side, Liu Shi hummed as he walked along the road. Although he was usually quite arrogant in the village, he had never had sex with a woman. Now that he had sex with Xia Ru, he felt excited and expectant. He suddenly understood the joys of a married man¡¯s life. Xia Ru sat at home until night. The experiences of the past few days circled in her mind. Xia Ru was very unwilling. It was only when she was too tired that she fell asleep unknowingly. The next day, Xia Wan woke up early. After running around by herself, she went to pick up Xia Chen and Xia Feng. They had said before that they would exercise with her. Xia Chen was still alright. When Xia Feng woke up, his eyes were sleepy, and he looked like he wasn¡¯t in the right state. ¡°Sister, what are we doing?¡± Xia Feng¡¯s sleepy voice sounded. Xia Wan smiled slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were afraid that your sister would be bullied and that you wanted to become stronger? You have to know that no one is born strong.. If you want to become strong, you have to work hard every day!¡± Chapter 212 - Chapter 212: Training Together Chapter 212: Training Together Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Under Xia Wan¡¯s persuasion, Xia Feng¡¯s fighting spirit was quickly ignited. At first, he was still very confident, thinking that he could run the same distance as his sister. However, after running for a long time, Xia Feng realized that the gap between him and his sister was extremely wide. His sister was still breathing steadily, but he had already begun huffing and puffing. Xia Wan became more and more excited the more she ran. She was slightly sweating, but it made her feel very satisfied. After running for an hour, Xia Feng panted and said, ¡°Sister, I can¡¯t take it anymore. I can¡¯t run anymore.¡± Xia Wan turned around and saw that Xia Feng and Xia Chen were both very tired. She stopped in her tracks and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go back now. We¡¯ve just started running, so an hour is enough. We¡¯ll slowly increase the time in the future.¡± Xia Feng stopped in his tracks, and his voice was trembling. ¡°Sis, are we going to run for an hour each day?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Of course, if you want to succeed in anything, you need to persevere every day. If you only do it for a day, it won¡¯t be effective. Besides, training your body is only the first step. When your physical fitness has improved, I will teach you the specific moves and teach you to identify the various parts of the human body. This way, you will understand where the weak parts are. Even if you meet someone stronger than you, you will be able to deal with them.¡± Xia Feng¡¯s mind was dizzy from listening to this, but when he thought of the people who came to the stall to cause trouble, he clenched his fists and said with a firm gaze. ¡°Sister, I know. I will work hard. I¡¯ll start exercising every day.¡± ¡°Alright, my Xia Feng is indeed the most sensible brother.¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but touch Xia Fengs head, which made him feel a little embarrassed. By the time they got home, Yan Han had already prepared breakfast for them. There were shredded potatoes, stir-fried meat with celery, scrambled eggs, and pumpkin porridge. Xia Wan sniffed and felt very touched. After eating, she saw Yan Han change and carry her bag, looking like she was about to go out. Xia Wan asked her, ¡°Mom, where are you going? Yan Han smiled. ¡°You are all so busy. As a mother, I naturally can¡¯t stay idle, so I plan to go out and look for a job. Yesterday, I asked the neighbors. They said that there is a place nearby that specializes in introducing jobs. Now, there are many jobs to help them cook and clean.¡± ¡°Anyway, I used to help out at home. Now that I¡¯m in town, I can get paid as a domestic helper. This job suits me.¡± Yan Han was about to leave when Xia Wan stopped her. ¡°Mom, have you asked how much you¡¯ll be paid a month if you take this job?¡± she asked. ¡°I asked about that. He said that he could pay 10 yuan a day. That way, he would have 300 yuan a month. Moreover, this job is easy and doesn¡¯t require long hours. Mom thinks it¡¯s very good.¡± Xia Wan nodded. According to the current economy, Yan Han¡¯s income was considered to be pretty good. However, she wasn¡¯t paid 10 yuan to help one person out. Xia Wan remembered that in this era, one person usually had to work for an entire family. They might earn 2 yuan for helping the family cook two meals and 3 yuan for helping the family clean the house, in addition to other menial jobs that would amount to 10 yuan a day. However, such an income was unstable. Sometimes, she wouldn¡¯t get called up. Xia Wan did not want Yan Han to be so tormented. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t do this anymore. Come and help me sell clothes. You can earn more money by selling clothes. Mom, help me sell clothes. I¡¯ll give you a share of the income every day.¡± Xia Wan tried her best to persuade her. Yan Han¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? Earning thousands of yuan a month? How is that possible?¡± Xia Wan knew that Yan Han didn¡¯t believe her. She took out her daily bookkeeping ledger and said, ¡°Mom, look. This is the money we earned from selling clothes these few days. I¡¯ve calculated our daily income. After deducting the cost, our daily net profit can reach thousands of dollars.¡± ¡°I went to Sister Hong and bought a lot of clothes these past two days. Now that the weather is getting colder, we should also prepare autumn clothes. My brother and I have been very busy recently. If we don¡¯t sell these clothes now, we¡¯ll have to keep them for next year. If we sell them next year, the price will definitely be lower. Mom, if you don¡¯t help us, it¡¯ll be our loss..¡± Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Yan Han Begins Selling Chapter 213: Yan Han Begins Selling Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan knew that if she directly asked Yan Han to help her at her stall, her mother would surely be unhappy. However, now that she used such an excuse, her mother would be obliged to help her daughter¡¯s business, or it would lose money. Moreover, she¡¯d only earn 300 yuan a month by working for others. She could earn more than 1,000 yuan by helping her daughter. A thousand yuan was not important. What was important was that if she could earn a thousand yuan from the share, her daughter would definitely earn even more. Yan Han carefully looked at the account book again, knowing that Xia Wan was telling the truth and not deliberately adjusting the accounts to convince her to help. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, but I¡¯ve never done this kind of work before. If I don¡¯t make good sales, I won¡¯t hold you back and try the domestic helper job instead.¡± Seeing that Yan Han had agreed, Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Alright.¡± She had the confidence to train her mother as long as she came along. Yan Han nervously tugged at his clothes and asked, ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t I change my clothes? Wouldn¡¯t it be embarrassing for me to go out like this?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I carry stock for your age group. Mom, you have a great figure. You¡¯re like a walking model. It looks just right. You should put it on immediately. It¡¯s equivalent to free advertising.¡± Yan Han was a little confused. ¡°Advertising? Me?¡± She looked at herself uneasily. Although she was quite good-looking and many people praised her when she was young, she had been toiling for the Xia family for many years. Her skin had become much darker, and she did not care much about her figure. She did not usually dress up. Now that her daughter suddenly said that she could become a model for her daughter¡¯s business, Yan Han subconsciously felt inferior. Xia Chen¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard what his sister said. He walked around Yan Han and praised, ¡°Mom, Sister is right. There are actually many people of your age who visit our stall. With you around, we will definitely get to sell a lot more.¡± Seeing her daughter and son say so, Yan Han became slightly more confident. Next, Xia Wan matched a set of clothes for Yan Han and did makeup for her. Yan Han stood in front of the mirror in the living room and looked at herself in shock. The long dress she put on exuded an aura of elegance. The shawl draped over her shoulders was translucent and airy. It could also protect her from the sun. Moreover, when paired with the shawl, the entire dress looked even more regal. In addition to the makeup her daughter had put on for her, if Yan Han wasn¡¯t absolutely certain that the person in front of the mirror was her, she would have thought she was a rich lady from some city. Xia Hai stood beside him in surprise. ¡°My wife, you look wonderful! I don¡¯t even think I¡¯m worthy of you.¡¯ Yan Han glared at him shyly. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m just helping my daughter up.¡± Xia Hai laughed heartily. He felt that things would get better at home from now. The unhappiness he felt when Li Jin and the others came looking for trouble had completely disappeared. ¡°You guys go set up your stall. I¡¯ll work out at home and try my best to recover as soon as possible so that I won¡¯t be a burden to you,¡± Xia Hai said with great caution. Xia Wan smiled and nodded. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m glad you understand. The most important thing for you now is to take care of your body.¡± Xia Wan brought her family to the stall. With Yan Han¡¯s help, they managed to set up shop in double time. A potential customer immediately arrived the moment the stall was open for business. It was a mother and daughter. The girl looked to be around 17 years old, and her mother was beside her. She looked to be in her early thirties. Xia Wan quickly recognized him and greeted her with a smile. ¡°Hello, Miss Zhang, right? You came here yesterday and said you¡¯d bring your mother here today.¡± Zhang Ye was a little surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to still remember me, Boss Xia. I saw so many people buying clothes here daily, and I thought you wouldn¡¯t remember me.¡± Xia Wan smiled and explained, ¡°You have two dimples when you smile. It¡¯s very memorable. Also, you always smile when you speak. It makes people happy when they look at you. So, I naturally remember it..¡± Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: Mother and Daughter Arrive Chapter 214: Mother and Daughter Arrive Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The two of them exchanged pleasantries. Zhang Ye¡¯s mother, Liu He, looked at Yan Han and asked, ¡°I see that you¡¯re wearing the same one as the display outfit. Are you here to buy something?¡± Yan Han didn¡¯t expect that someone would take the initiative to talk to her. Although Xia Wan had already told her how to sell clothes on the way here and that she had to take the initiative to greet customers when she saw them, she was still very nervous when customers really came. She was afraid that she would say something wrong and make the guest angry. Now that a customer had asked her, Yan Han subconsciously replied, ¡°Yes, my daughter picked these for me. She said that people in my age group would be able to gauge how they look in it. She also said that people of our age are at their best and should not put all their attention on children.¡± Liu He smiled. ¡°My daughter said the same thing. She bought a few clothes for herself yesterday and insisted on dragging me here today. Actually, I didn¡¯t want to buy them at first. I¡¯m already old. I just need a clean change of clothes. Why do I need to wear new ones?¡± Xia Wan saw that the two of them had started to chat. Because of Liu He¡¯s initiative to communicate, Yan Han¡¯s mental state was now much more relaxed. She followed up, ¡°It¡¯s natural for women to love beauty. No matter what age group you are, you have to put more effort into dressing up to make yourself look more beautiful. You will also become more confident and do things better.¡± Liu He smiled and praised, ¡°So this is your daughter. She really knows how to talk. No wonder her business is so good. Come and help me pick out my clothes.¡± Xia Wan nodded, but she did not directly help her choose. Instead, she looked at Yan Han encouragingly. ¡°Mom, you pick first. I¡¯ll take a look at your matching.¡± Yan Han instantly became nervous. However, whether it was Xia Wan or Liu He, they both looked at her with a supportive expressions. This inexplicably made Yan Han a little more confident. She carefully looked at the clothes for her age group and gauged Liu He¡¯s approximate figure. Liu He¡¯s facial features were bright and beautiful. It could be seen that she was a great beauty when she was young. Her skin was also fair, so no matter what she wore, it would actually match her seamlessly. Yan Han chose a light blue set, with the top being a half-sleeved blouse and the lower half being a pair of cropped pants. She took the set of clothes and gestured it on Liu He¡¯s body. At the same time, she gave her opinion. ¡°Your skin is very fair, and whatever color suits you. However, I chose this blue series because I feel that you have a gentle and clean temperament. If I have to find a flaw in you, you might have a few extra love handles, but your arms and legs are very slender. This set covers your waist very well but highlights the niceties of your figure.¡± Liu He took the set of clothes and gestured in front of the mirror. She nodded with a satisfied expression. ¡°This set is really beautiful. When it¡¯s placed there alone, it looks very beautiful. However, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m old and wearing this will give the impression that I¡¯m pretending to be young. However, after comparing it, I realize that I¡¯m overthinking it. This set of clothes really looks good on the body.¡± Seeing that Liu He was very satisfied with the clothes she chose, Yan Han was also very happy. Satisfied with the pair, Liu He asked Xia Wan straightforwardly, ¡°How much do these go for?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°45 yuan for the top and 35 yuan for the pants. It¡¯ll be a total of 80 yuan.¡± Liu He was originally smiling, but when she heard the price, she hesitated. ¡°So expensive.¡± As she spoke, she was about to put down her clothes when Zhang Ye stopped her. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s just 80 bucks. It¡¯s not that much. I also think that the pair suits you very well. ¡± Zhang Ye took out 80 yuan from her wallet and handed it to Xia Wan. ¡°Here.¡± Xia Wan smiled as she took the money and gave Zhang Ye five yuan. ¡°Today is my mom¡¯s first day helping me sell clothes, and Auntie and my mom hit it off very well, so I¡¯ll give you a discount of five yuan for these clothes.¡± The smile in Zhang Ye¡¯s eyes deepened. ¡°Alright, young lady, you really know how to do business. If I don¡¯t introduce more friends to buy clothes from you in the future, it¡¯ll seem like I¡¯m letting down this five-yuan discount.¡± Xia Wan exchanged a smile with her.. Chapter 215 - Chapter 215: Yan Han’s Fine Judgment Chapter 215: Yan Han¡¯s Fine Judgment Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liu He, who had originally planned to decline, saw that her daughter had already paid and that the other party had even given her a discount of five yuan. At that moment, she did not say anything else. She took the clothes in her hand and left happily. Perhaps it was because Yan Han¡¯s first sale was successful that her confidence was boosted. When people of her age came to buy clothes, Xia Wan would take the initiative to let Yan Han help the customers choose. At first, Yan Han was still a little hesitant, but as she sold more clothes, she realized that the clothes she recommended to her customers were very popular. Moreover, the customers all acknowledged her suggestions, which indirectly increased Yan Han¡¯s confidence. This period also bore witness to the emergence of many bold people. They obviously liked the clothes, but they couldn¡¯t stop themselves from haggling with Yan Han, all for the matter of a few yuan. ¡°Give me a discount of five yuan. I¡¯ll come to you again in the future. There are many female workers in our factory. If you give me a discount now, I¡¯ll let more people from our factory come to you to buy clothes in the future.¡± Yan Han still had a smile on her face, but she didn¡¯t back down. ¡°I¡¯ve already given you a discount of two yuan, and this is on account of the two pieces you bought. Moreover, we register everything you buy here. The more you spend, the higher the quality of gifts that can be exchanged for. There¡¯s no loss in this. Besides, I didn¡¯t charge you too much. If it were any cheaper, we would lose money. ¡°If you really think this set is too expensive, I can find you one that suits your budget.¡± Yan Han picked up another set of clothes. ¡°If you want this set, I can give it to you at the price you said.¡± If she did not buy whatever she had just bought, the woman would think that the set in Yan Han¡¯s hand was not bad. However, now that she heard that Yan Han could sell that set at a lower price, but she could not sell the one she had just bought for that, the woman would feel that the set in her hand was better. This would make her stick to her choice. She pursed her lips.¡± Alright, then, I won¡¯t exchange these. I won¡¯t haggle with you.¡± Yan Han received the money and came to Xia Wan¡¯s side happily, looking like she was asking for recognition. ¡°Wanwan, did you see my sales pitch? That person wanted me to sell them at a discount of five yuan. At first, I thought that I would just sell them to her cheaply, but when I saw her arrogant look, I thought that this wasn¡¯t at home and she wasn¡¯t my mother-in-law. Even if I tried to reason with her, no one would say that I was unfilial. So I tried. I didn¡¯t expect it to really succeed. ¡°Wanwan, my heart is beating very fast now. It feels like the emotions that have been suppressed for a long time have suddenly been released. I¡¯m so excited that I don¡¯t even know how to describe it.¡± Xia Wan listened to Yan Han¡¯s description, and her face was filled with smiles. She was genuinely happy for her mother. ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve been bullied by Grandma all year round. Now, you¡¯re venting your frustrations by making sales. This is a good thing. ¡°If you talk back to Grandma, you¡¯ll be branded as unfilial. Even if you know that the aunties bullied you, you can¡¯t say anything because Grandma will be biased toward them. But now, it¡¯s different. Now, you¡¯re helping your daughter sell clothes. In order to not let your daughter suffer, you¡¯re arguing with these people. ¡°If you convince those customers to buy, others will only praise you for being eloquent and good at doing business.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan held Yan Han¡¯s hand and looked at her with sparkling eyes. ¡°So, Mom, you don¡¯t have to restrain yourself here. You can say or do whatever you want. Our goal is to find clothes that suit all our customers. At the same time, we have to ensure our own profits. ¡°The only thing we need to do now is to make our customers happy and buy our clothes. Mom, you did well.¡± Xia Wan gave Yan Han a thumbs up. Yan Han was very excited after receiving her daughter¡¯s encouragement. She worked even harder to make more sales. It was then that Xia Wan realized that her mother sold more clothes than Xia Chen and Xia Feng. When the day was over, everyone put away their stock. When they returned home, Yan Han waited excitedly by the side. She stared at Xia Wan as she settled the accounts. Half an hour later, Xia Wan looked at Yan Han with a smile. ¡°Mom, thanks to your help today, we made 1,000 yuan more than yesterday..¡± Chapter 216 - Chapter 216: Liu Shi Looking for Trouble Chapter 216: Liu Shi Looking for Trouble Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°What? An extra thousand?¡± Yan Han was dumbfounded. She subconsciously took Xia Wan¡¯s account book and looked at it. The numbers were very clear. Yan Han could not believe it. She pinched the back of her hand, and only after feeling the pain did she believe that it was true. ¡°I actually helped my daughter sell the clothes and even let my daughter earn an extra thousand yuan?¡± Yan Han muttered to herself. Xia Hai watched from the side, a smile of relief in his eyes. At the same time, he felt a little guilty. He was clearly the head of the family, but now that he couldn¡¯t work, he had to watch his wife and children work so hard. Xia Hai remembered that Xia Feng and Xia Chen had been training with Xia Wan this morning. He suddenly said, ¡°Wanwan, I¡¯d also like to exercise with you every morning. Is that okay?¡± Xia Hai¡¯s words attracted everyone¡¯s attention, and they all turned to look at him. Xia Hai scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°If you can¡¯t, then forget it.¡± Xia Wan immediately replied, ¡°Sure, of course, we can. Dad, your hand just can¡¯t work now. Running won¡¯t affect it at all. I¡¯ll give you a massage later and soak in a medicinal bath. Dad, your hand will recover in a week at most.¡± Xia Hai¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise. ¡°Really? Just one week?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Of course. Dad still doesn¡¯t believe me.¡¯ ¡°Yes, of course, I believe you. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve asked others before. They said it would take at least a hundred days for someone to recover from such a serious fall. My Wanwan is still amazing. She was able to make me recover in less than a month. I¡¯m thrilled!¡± Xia Wan smiled. Actually, she could tell that when they were settling accounts just now, her father¡¯s eyes were a little lonely. Previously, her mother had accompanied his father at home, but now, she too had to leave the house to make a living. Her father used to be the pillar of the family, but now that he could not work, he would definitely feel a sense of loss. Therefore, it was imperative she help her father recover as soon as possible. In a week, Xia Hails hand had completely recovered. Yan Han was also getting better at selling clothes. Previously, Xia Wan would always bring Xia Chen along when she went to buy clothes, but now, she would bring her mother along. Xia Wan realized that Yan Han had a good eye for clothes, especially those of her age. Just by looking at the clothes, Yan Han could imagine how to match them better. Only then did Xia Wan realize that her mother was much more talented than her in terms of fashion. After all, she knew how to match clothes because she was knowledgeable and knew how people in the future matched these clothes. However, Yan Han did not have that experience. She matched the pairings based on her intuition. Today, Xia Wan and the others opened their stall as usual. A group of people walked over arrogantly. When they saw the leader, Xia Wan¡¯s smile immediately disappeared. Xia Chen was standing beside Xia Wan. He noticed the change in his sister¡¯s mood and looked toward Xia Wan¡¯s gaze. Then, he saw Liu Shi and the group of boys behind him. There were about a dozen of those children, and Xia Chen had never seen a few of them before. Xia Chen lowered his voice and said to Xia Wan, ¡°I don¡¯t know those people. They don¡¯t seem to be from our village. Moreover, they are burly and seem easy to provoke.¡± Xia Wan nodded and said to Xia Chen, ¡°You and your brother protect Mom. Leave the rest to me.¡± Xia Chen immediatelv retorted, ¡°How can I do that? I learned those thinzs from you so I can stand in front of you and protect you when I¡¯m in danger. I¡¯m your brother. How can I let you protect me? As he spoke, he pulled Xia Feng over. ¡°You, protect Mom.¡± Then, Xia Chen stood in front of Xia Wan and protected her tightly behind him. Xia Wan shook her head helplessly. Even though her brother knew that the road ahead was dangerous, he was like a pill that gave him unlimited courage to fight against these people for her sake. Liu Shi and the others went straight to the stall. There were originally many customers picking out clothes in front of the stall, but when they saw the thugs, everyone subconsciously put the clothes in their hands and stood silently to the side, afraid that Liu Shi and the others would hurt them. Xia Chen¡¯s face was cold as he questioned, ¡°What are you doing here? If you want to buy clothes, we welcome you. But if you¡¯re here to cause trouble, don¡¯t blame me for being rude..¡± Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Compensation For The 1000 Yuan Chapter 217: Compensation For The 1000 Yuan Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liu Shi looked at him disdainfully. ¡°Yo, since when did you, Xia Chen, become so impressive? I came here just to not buy clothes. What can you do to me?¡± Xia Chen stared at him without fear. ¡°I came to look for you today, not for anything else, but to tell you that you can¡¯t bully my people. Considering how well your business has been doing, it seems that you¡¯ve made a lot for yourself. How about this? I won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡± Liu Shi crossed one leg, his dirty eyes still lingering on Xia Wan. Xia Wan felt disgusted, but she quickly understood what Liu Shi meant. She stepped forward and looked at Liu Shi. ¡°You just said that your people were bullied by us. Who are you referring to? My cousin, Xia Ru?¡± Xia Wan asked; her tone was firm. ¡°Since you already know, why are you still here? I¡¯ve never seen a crueler person so willing to send her own family to prison. Today, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your family. Tell me, are you going to pay up or get thrashed?¡± As he spoke, Liu Shi rubbed his chin and stared at Xia Wan. ¡°Or, you can come and accompany us for a few days. We¡¯ll let this matter go, and we will even protect your stall in the future. How about that?¡± Xia Feng¡¯s body trembled as he cursed, ¡°B*stard!¡± Liu Shi did not care about being scolded at all. He said indifferently, ¡°B*stard? This is what you call a beast. You have experienced too little. Let me tell you what a beast is.¡± He walked straight towards Xia Wan and placed his fat hand on Xia Wan¡¯s shoulder. Xia Wan turned her body slightly and immediately dodged it. She snorted coldly and grabbed Liu Shi¡¯s wrist with one hand. With considerable force, he spun around and fell hard to the ground. ¡°Since you can¡¯t speak, I don¡¯t mind teaching you how. If you can¡¯t speak, then I¡¯ll beat you until you speak!¡± Xia Wan flexed her wrists and swept her cold gaze across the people behind Liu Shi. The group of thugs subconsciously cowered at Xia Wan¡¯s death stare. Some of them had dabbled in martial arts, but Xia Wan¡¯s movements were so fast that even they did not see it clearly. Someone whispered, ¡°This Xia Wan is different from what you said. She clearly knows martial arts. Aren¡¯t you scamming us? Let me tell you, the meal we agreed on before is a no-go. We¡¯ll have to get paid for this!¡± Liu Shi lay on the ground and cried out in pain. ¡°Why are you still arguing at a time like this? Everyone, attack together!¡± As Liu Shi shouted, the thugs rushed towards Xia Wan and the others. Some of the timid onlookers covered their eyes with their hands, shocked and terrified by the scary commotion. Xia Wan stood still. When those people rushed in front of her, she raised her foot and kicked their knees fiercely. She clenched her fist and sent solid punches into their elbows. The ones who pounced on Xia Wan completely lost their ability to fight after being touched by her. ¡°Argh! My knee hurts so bad! Why can¡¯t I stand?¡± Those who were hit in the knees sat writhing on the ground, hugging their knees and rolling around. ¡°My arm hurts!¡± Those who were hit in the elbow were hugging their arms and jumping around. Some of the thugs also rushed towards Yan Han, thinking that she was old and had little combat prowess. They thought of capturing the lady first, using her as a tool to threaten Xia Wan. However, all that training Xia Feng and Xia Chen had undergone of late wasn¡¯t for nothing. Their strength was greater than Xia Wan¡¯s. They hit the acupoints that his sister had taught them before. These people also screamed in pain. There were clearly many people on Liu Shi¡¯s side, but after exchanging blows with Xia Wan and the others, they instantly lost their strength. Some of them were agile and still rushed toward Xia Wan, unwilling to give up. However, they couldn¡¯t touch her at all. In mere moments, the thugs were already on the ground, knocked out before they could notice Xia Wan¡¯s attack. The ones who were so gung-ho looking for trouble were now wailing and writhing on the ground. The smugness on Liu Shi¡¯s face disappeared. He looked at Xia Wan with fear. ¡°What kind of monster are you? How could you handle so many people alone?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s lips curled up slightly, but in her eyes was a steely coldness. ¡°Just because you can¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean others can¡¯t. Why? You¡¯ve been bullying all year round. Now that you¡¯re getting bullied, you think it¡¯s impossible?¡± Xia Wan leaned closer to Liu Shi and stared straight at him.. Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: Liu Shi Struck Down Chapter 218: Liu Shi Struck Down Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liu Shi could find not a single trace of emotion in Xia Wan¡¯s eyes. Xia Wan looked at him as if she was looking at a dead man. Liu Shi¡¯s heart beat violently. He regretted it. Why did he come to cause trouble for Xia Wan? Yes, it was because of Xia Ru. It was all because of that bi*tch, Xia Ru. He had no enmity with Xia Wan. If it were not for Xia Ru, he would not have come to find trouble with Xia Wan. Liu Shi immediately changed his attitude and begged for mercy, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I didn¡¯t come to find trouble with you on purpose. It was all Xia Ru who spoke ill of you beside me. She even shamelessly seduced me. ¡°Think about it. We¡¯ve never had any conflict before. If it weren¡¯t for Xia Ru, I wouldn¡¯t have come finding trouble with you. ¡°I know that you are beautiful and kind. It was all because of Xia Ru ts bad intentions. I was wrong today. I shouldn¡¯t have come to find trouble. You are so kind and generous.¡± Liu Shi begged bitterly, his eyes filled with flattery. If he had been a little more stubborn, Xia Wan might have thought that he had some courage to be a gangster boss. However, Liu Shi¡¯s flattering appearance now really made her look down on him. She looked behind Liu Shi. As expected, those underlings looked a little shy and shameless. Those who were originally shouting in pain were now silent as if they felt that they were not as embarrassed as Liu Shi. Xia Wan curled her lips and said playfully, ¡°Liu Shi, the people behind you are your brothers who have always worked for you. You brought them to cause trouble for me, but now you¡¯re in such a sorry state. Even if you¡¯re shameless, you should consider your brothers¡¯ feelings.¡± ¡°The boss they followed immediately abandoned his dignity because he couldn¡¯t beat them.¡± ¡°Xia Ru should have slept with you already, right? That¡¯s why you said that she¡¯s yours. Because you can¡¯t beat me, you abandoned your brother and spoke ill of your woman. This is under the premise that I didn¡¯t do anything to you. If you encounter greater danger in the future, you won¡¯t hesitate to betray your brother, right?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words fell into the hearts of those people. Their expressions were a little ugly, and they could not help but complain to Liu Shi. ¡°Liu Shi, you¡¯re really useless. If you can¡¯t beat her, then so be it. Do you have to be a damn simp? It¡¯s really embarrassing!¡± ¡°You were beaten up by a woman. Liu Shi, don¡¯t look for us if you have anything to do in the future.¡± ¡°Liu Shi, is your brain filled with water? Xia Ru asked you to come and find trouble with Xia Wan, so you came. We have so many brothers here to be your stepping stones. You brought us here to bully Xia Wan¡¯s family.¡± Before this, they still thought of brotherhood. Although their grades were rather poor, they were loyal! Liu Shi was not good at his studies either, but he would always bring those guys on a round of racketeering. He would also let them spend the money they stole from the honest children. But now, Liu Shi had become like this after being defeated by Xia Wan. He did not care about his dignity at all. Xia Wan was right. If he could get a large sum of money by selling them out, Liu Shi would definitely do it without hesitation. Xia Wan sneered in her heart when she saw that they were having an internal conflict. These teams that had been temporarily united because of benefits were indeed easy to destroy. Liu Shi did not expect that his so-called brothers would be provoked by Xia Wan with just a few words. However, he could not beat Xia Wan now, and he could not say anything to slander Xia Wan in front of her. He was suffering now and could only endure it silently. He glared at her and asked, ¡°Xia Wan, tell me, what do you have to do to let us Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Let you go? It¡¯s not impossible. I remember that when you bullied others in the past, you would collect protection fees, right?¡± ¡°Because of your arrival, my customers were scared away. Moreover, you destroyed my stall. These will definitely have to be compensated.¡± ¡°Let me do the math. You guys have been here for half an hour. How about this? We¡¯ll do as you said. You guys compensate me with 1000 yuan. I won¡¯t ask for much. After all, we¡¯re from the same village. It¡¯s a discount for an acquaintance.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words stunned everyone.. Chapter 219 - Chapter 219: Pay Up Chapter 219: Pay Up ¡°What? One thousand yuan? Where are we supposed to get that much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If we had money, we wouldn¡¯t have to work for Liu Shi!¡± All of them begged in the most pitiful way. Xia Wan pretended to be surprised. ¡°You know that 1,000 yuan is a lot. Then why did you take the amount for granted when you asked me for money? You made it sound as if I can¡¯t fork out 1,000 yuan just because you don¡¯t have it. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? My stall has a boss. We¡¯re just helping the boss sell clothes. You¡¯re only compensating us for a small portion of the time that you¡¯ve wasted. The most you¡¯ll be compensating will be our boss.¡± Everyone looked at each other. No one wanted to take this money. To them, taking their money would be like cutting their own flesh. Thus, they made a tacit decision not to give Xia Wan any money. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel satisfied, beat us up again, but we still won¡¯t have the money no matter what.¡± ¡°Yes, I want my life, but I don¡¯t have money!¡± Everyone raised their necks and put on a posture of refusing to pay. Xia Chen was furious. He pointed at them and scolded, ¡°You guys are a real shameless bunch. What attitude did you bring with you when you came to us to ask for money? Now that it¡¯s your turn to pay up, you act like you¡¯re facing death. You know that 1,000 yuan is a lot, so you can ask us for money without any psychological burden!¡± Xia Feng also said coldly, ¡± They won¡¯t feel the pain if they don¡¯t cut themselves. When they ask others for money, they don¡¯t care if they have money or not.¡± Yan Han¡¯s eyes were also filled with emotions. He was gratified by the unity and ability of the three children at home, but at the same time, he was surprised. When did Xia Wan become so powerful? That many men, and none of them could beat her. She had to ask him properly when she got home. At the same time, Yan Han decided that she would train her body well in the future. Now, it was only Liu Shi who came to cause trouble. What if someone else came to cause trouble in the future? What if he was better than Liu Shi? When her family was under threat, how could she possibly hold herself back? Xia Wan had already expected that they would not pay, so she said directly, ¡°I told you, this shop belongs to my boss. If you don¡¯t pay up, when my boss makes a move, it won¡¯t be as simple as a beating. ¡°You should have heard of the coal mine, right? You owe our boss money, and he has the means to send you there to mine coal. In the narrow, humid shaft, you can only sleep for two to three hours a day.¡± ¡°When you have enough money from mining coal, you can come out.¡± Xia Wan was simply making an empty threat, but the group of thugs weren¡¯t taking any chances and clearly believed her. There were people in their village who said that they had gone to the city to work and could earn a lot. They never came back. Some knowledgeable veterans in the village said that they might have been captured to work the coal mines. Once they did that work, they would never be able to come out. The thought of having to deal with coal mines for the rest of their lives, living in that kind of dark place without freedom, was simply too much to bear. ¡°No, you can¡¯t condemn us to the mines. We¡¯re not going. If you keep this up, we¡¯re calling the police!¡± They were afraid. The police were what they feared the most, but here they were, standing behind the protective umbrella of the police. Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Okay, then go and call the police. You were the ones who started the trouble today. When the time comes, the police will calculate my losses. You will still have to compensate me, and there will be a stain on your record. You may not think it matters now, but many factories are under construction now. With tainted records, I doubt the factories will accept you.¡± The people who followed Liu Shi were not well-educated. They did not realize how much impact it would have on their future if they entered the police station. Therefore, they only realized this after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words. Xia Wan continued, ¡± You¡¯re still young now, and you can live on your own. However, when you have children in the future, your children will miss the opportunity to enter the government because you¡¯ve been in prison before.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already been like this for your entire lives. Do you still want to affect your next generation? Under the onslaught of Xia Wan¡¯s verbal machete, these people really felt the lingering fear.. Chapter 220 - Chapter 220: Surrender Chapter 220: Surrender Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation They now deeply regretted following Liu Shi and causing trouble for Xia Wan. ¡°I¡¯ll pay up. You calculate how much each person has to pay. I¡¯ll get my family to gather the money. We have many people, so we can always gather one thousand yuan.¡± It was unknown who was the first to say this, but after that, someone else followed suit. ¡°I¡¯ll pay up as well.¡± Liu Shi realized that all the brothers he brought with him had betrayed him. Xia Wan had expected this outcome. Although these people were hooligans, they were still young, and they hadn¡¯t yet committed very serious crimes. As long as she opened her mouth to bluff and make the matter sound more serious, these people would naturally be afraid. Xia Feng helped to calculate the total of 18 people. When the 1000 yuan was divided equally between everyone, each person had to pay 56 yuan. 56 yuan was equivalent to half a month¡¯s salary for many parents in this era. ¡°Come, put your fingerprints here. This is your contract. If you don¡¯t pay up, I¡¯ll still report you to the police.¡± Xia Wan held a piece of paper. Everyone pressed their fingerprints helplessly and left dejectedly. Xia Feng shouted after they left, ¡°Remember what you promised. Send the money over within three days. Otherwise, we¡¯ll call the police!¡± The group only ran faster. After everyone left, Xia Wan looked apologetically at the people around her. She realized that during the time they were fighting, the surrounding customers did not leave. Xia Wan bowed to everyone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for giving everyone a bad experience. We¡¯ll sell all our clothes today at a 10% discount. At the same time, I must explain. These people are the local ruffians in the village, and they constantly bully honest folk. If we don¡¯t do anything this time, they will destroy our stall and ask us to pay 1,000 yuan. We¡¯re just trying to protect ourselves.¡± A lady immediately said, ¡°Child, what are you saying? We¡¯re not blind. Their temperament is hooligan-ish, especially their attitude. They¡¯re very arrogant. We originally wanted to help you call the police, but we didn¡¯t expect you to be so strong. You actually managed to beat up so many people alone.¡± A young mother came over and asked curiously, ¡°That¡¯s right, little girl. How did you do it? I saw that you only touched them once, but why were they in so much pain? My kid is studying abroad next year. I¡¯m afraid that she will be bullied.¡± More and more parents came over, including those who had not planned to shop for clothes, asking if Xia Wan could teach them some self defense. Xia Wan was surrounded by everyone and felt a little helpless. However, seeing that everyone was really enthusiastic, she could only say, ¡°Actually, I learned it from my grandfather. I understand the acupuncture points of the human body. If I touch some of the acupoints, it can double their pain. ¡°If you really want to learn, you can, but you have to wait until I finish selling all these. Moreover, I only teach for an hour a day, and I have to pay a fee. If you are willing, I can consider opening a class.¡± In her later life, Taekwondo classes, mixed martial arts classes, and judo classes were everywhere. It was just that there were not that many traditional martial arts training classes yet. The move she had shown today could be considered a living billboard. This was real combat experience. Seeing that Xia Wan wanted to charge, everyone understood. If such a powerful move was taught for free, they would think that Xia Wan was unwilling to teach it properly. Someone asked, ¡°How much do you want to charge?¡± Xia Wan thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be three yuan a day. If you¡¯re done today and don¡¯t want to come the next day, just don¡¯t come. Bring the money with you every time you come to class.¡± The clothes that Xia Wan sold were not cheap. Usually, those who came to her place to shop had some money on hand, so three yuan a day was a big expense for the families in the village. Nonetheless, it was within their means. ¡°Okay, three yuan a day. I think Xia Wan¡¯s suggestion is very good. Every time we go, let the children bring money. Let them know that Xia Wan¡¯s lessons are not for nothing.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If you throw it to the children for free, they won¡¯t cherish it. Teacher Xia Wan¡¯s philosophy is very good.¡± After a day, Xia Wan and the others had sold more than half of their clothes. They did not expect Liu Shi and the others to come and cause trouble. Not only did they not scare away the customers, but they also made Xia Wan and the others sell their clothes faster. They even brought Xia Wan a new source of income.. Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Xia Hai Cried Chapter 221: Xia Hai Cried Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When the four of them returned home, they were so tired that they sat on the sofa. Xia Hai did not stay idle at home for the entire day. He did all sorts of exercises, and when he saw that they had returned, he took the initiative to pour them a drink. ¡°Hurry up and have some water. Why are you so tired? You didn¡¯t even come home for lunch.¡¯ Yan Han originally planned for the children to sell clothes first, but when she saw that it was almost time for dinner, she went home to cook. She did not expect that there would be an endless stream of people buying clothes because of Liu Shi¡¯s matter. Yan Han was so busy that she did not even have time to go to the toilet. Xia Feng was the most energetic of them all. He quickly told Xia Hai, ¡°Dad, we¡¯ve been very busy today. Liu Shi brought people to cause trouble¡­¡± Xia Hai¡¯s brows furrowed after he heard the news. He sighed helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m useless. I should have been the pillar of this family, but now I can only be a useless person at home. Even though you were in trouble, I didn¡¯t know until you solved it. ¡± Especially now that even his wife, Yan Han, could help, he could only stay at home. No matter how anxious he was, there was nothing he could do. Xia Wan comforted him. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t think too much about it. You just need to rest for the time being. I still have to go to school after a while. We still have to rely on you to look after our stall. Otherwise, if someone finds trouble, Mom and the others won¡¯t be able to deal with it.¡± Xia Hai was the strongest person in the family. After all, he had been doing manual labor all year round and could even carry Xia Wan with one hand. Xia Wan had said that because she wanted to take the opportunity to get Xia Hai to sell clothes with them. If Xia Hai were to work in the factory, he would earn less than a fifth of what he earned from selling clothes. In that case, he might as well spend his limited time on the right things. None of the three children in her family were stupid. Xia Hai was very good with his hands. When she was young, he could make a lot of toys for her with wooden blocks and plastic bottles. Her mother did not continue her studies because her family was simply too poor. She felt that if her parents joined hands, they would definitely be able to improve their business. Xia Feng had to go to school soon, so having Xia Hai, Yan Han, and Xia Feng wasn¡¯t enough. Xia Hai fell silent after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words. He scratched his head, and his eyes revealed a rare hint of nervousness. ¡°I¡¯ve never made a sale in my life. I don¡¯t even know how to bargain with others when I go to buy vegetables. Can I make good money?¡± Hearing his words, Xia Wan knew that Xia Hai had not completely rejected the idea of selling clothes. He was just not confident in himself. ¡°Dad, selling clothes doesn¡¯t just require haggling. Mom is very talented in haggling. Today, Mom has the highest sale. This is her first day on the job, but if she sells more clothes in the future, she will have more experience and will definitely become even better.¡± Xia Hai looked at Yan Han in surprise. ¡°You know how to sell clothes?¡± Xia Hai asked. Perhaps it was because she had sold a lot of clothes today, Yan Han was much more confident. She raised her head and nodded proudly. ¡°Of course, the clothes I recommended to those people were very popular. We are all women, so, of course, I know what kind of clothes they want.¡± Yan Han became interested when they talked about selling clothes. She said excitedly, ¡°I realized that it¡¯s much easier to sell clothes to women than to men. In Xia Wan¡¯s words, women are our main consumers. When we buy clothes, we have to take care of women and think about what style they like. ¡°As for men, they can wear the same shirt for a long time after buying them. Then, we can choose some stable colors. This way, no matter how long it takes, the colors will not go out of style. The most common ones are black and gray.¡± ¡°At the same time, after selling clothes today, I realized that white and black are more versatile. No matter what kind of clothes it is, it is easier to match them.¡± Yan Han was talking to Xia Hai about her harvest today. Xia Hai¡¯s eyes started to tear up as he looked at Yan Han¡¯s confident face. Yan Han stopped talking and looked at him in shock.. ¡°Why are you crying? What happened?¡± Chapter 222 - Chapter 222: Yan Han Touched Chapter 222: Yan Han Touched Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Hai wiped away his tears and sobbed. ¡°No, I just feel that you¡¯ve suffered so much since the day you stuck with me. You¡¯re clearly capable and can earn so much, but because you married me, you could only serve my mother and the others at home, cook, and wash clothes for them. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we split up this time and lived our own lives, and Wanwan finding a source of income for us, you might have to live a hard life with me for the rest of your life.¡± Yan Han was extremely moved. Previously, Xia Hai had never said anything, and she never had the time to feel emotional. Even moments before this, she was still immersed in the excitement of her impressive sales. Her husband wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised. When had she ever thought that she was so talented in selling clothes? In the past, when she was with Song Yan and Chen Lian, she was always the one who didn¡¯t know how to speak. Song Yan and the others often took away what belonged to her, but she did not dare to argue. She knew that Li Jin did not like her family, but her husband was the most filial. If she had a conflict with her mother-in-law, it would only put Xia Hai in a difficult position. All these years, the family had been able to maintain peace because she had always sacrificed herself. She was already used to Xia Hails attitude. Deep down, she knew that Xia Hai was being filial. He was a good man, but it would be a lie to say he did not feel wronged. Hearing Xia Hai¡¯s words, Yan Han started crying as well. He felt as if all the grievances he had suffered over the years had not gone in vain. Instead, she consoled Xia Hai. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s all in the past. I feel bitterness, and sweetness will always be in a person¡¯s life. Our family has suffered first, and the future will always be sweet.¡± Xia Hai nodded as well, and the two of them continued to chat. Xia Wan realized that as her family¡¯s life improved, her parents¡¯ relationship became closer. As expected, people would only pursue some spiritual pursuits, such as love, after their lives were guaranteed. Very few people in their parent¡¯s generation were free to fall in love. They were all introduced by matchmakers. Some of them might have only met once. Both families felt it was about the same, so they directly set a date for their marriage. However, it was uncertain whether their married life would be good or whether their personalities would be able to adapt to each other. When everyone was basically poverty-stricken, it was not particularly obvious. In ten years, everyone¡¯s life would be better, and more and more people would get divorced. It was precisely because their lives were better and their ideas were more modern that they wanted to pursue the love they wanted. Many people did not divorce because of their children. After Xia Wan¡¯s persuasion, Xia Hai decided that he¡¯d join them at their clothes stall once he had recovered. After the family finished eating, Xia Wan prepared to find a place to train the children. She also needed to prepare some mats. It would be bad if the children fell and broke during the training. Some people started dance classes, for instance, but because of improper training methods, it led to many children becoming permanently disabled. She did not want the students she taught to not only fail to exercise well but also fall ill. Xia Feng took the initiative to say, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll go with you to find a place. I feel that my strength has recovered. I can¡¯t wait to go out and run two laps.¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but smile when she thought of how tired he looked this morning. ¡°What, are you trying to prove to your sister that you can actually run?¡± Xia Wan teased. Xia Feng¡¯s face was slightly red, but he still requested to follow Xia Wan to find a place. Xia Wan thought that it would be best if it was near her home. That way, after teaching these children, she could go home and rest. However, after walking around, she realized that there were only residential houses nearby. There was no place for training. Just as Xia Wan was about to go home to rest, a male voice shouted, ¡°Xia Wan, I saw that you¡¯ve been walking around here for a few rounds. What are you looking for? I¡¯m very familiar with this area.¡± Xia Wan turned around and saw that it was her current neighbor, Han Xuan.. Chapter 223 - Chapter 223: Han Xuan Makes a Move Chapter 223: Han Xuan Makes a Move Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Since the other party took the initiative to ask, there was nothing she couldn¡¯t say. In her previous life, she rarely stayed in the county, so she really didn¡¯t know where to start classes. Xia Wan briefly told Han Xuan about what happened today and her plans to start classes. Han Xuan¡¯s eyes were sparkling as he looked at her. ¡°Xia Wan, you want to start a martial arts class? Can you teach me? I really want to learn. Also, how did you defeat those people today? Can you show me again? I¡¯m so curious.¡± Xia Wan was speechless. She did not expect Han Xuan to be a martial arts fan. In the end, it was Xia Feng who spoke up. ¡°Brother Han Xuan, the most important thing for us now is to find a place where we can start the class. The parents will be coming tomorrow. Let¡¯s settle this first, then I¡¯ll tell you in detail how my sister defeated those people.¡± After Xia Feng¡¯s reminder, Han Xuan began to think. ¡°The place you¡¯re looking for is really not around here because it¡¯s a residential area. But if you walk another street, you¡¯ll find a small trading area. There¡¯s also a dance class there. I think it¡¯ll be prudent to place your martial arts class near that dance class.¡± ¡°Perhaps some people feel that dancing is very tiring, and they want to try something different like martial arts.¡± Xia Wan was still hesitating when Xia Feng said, ¡°Sis, let¡¯s go take a look. I trust Brother Han Xuan.¡± Han Xuan patted Xia Feng¡¯s shoulder and praised him with a smile, ¡°Kid, you have good eyes. Next time I come back, I¡¯ll buy you some local specialties.¡± Xia Feng¡¯s eyes lit up. Even though he was considered mature among his peers, he was still curious about the specialties of other places. ¡°Really? Thanks, Brother Han Xuan,¡± Xia Feng blurted, his voice sounding even sweeter. Xia Wan was a little helpless. ¡°You, I usually give you lots of candies. How could you be bribed that easily?¡± Ever since they made money, Xia Wan had been buying snacks for Xia Feng every day. She had hurt Xia Feng before and always wanted to make up for it. Xia Feng said, ¡°That¡¯s different. Brother Han Xuan brought this for me. When the time comes, I¡¯ll give it to my sister. It¡¯ll be equivalent to buying snacks for her. I can¡¯t keep asking for her snacks and not giving her anything to eat. But I¡¯m still young and can¡¯t go far away. I can only rely on Brother Han Xuan.¡± ¡°When I go out to study in the future, I¡¯ll buy good food for my sister everywhere I go.¡± Looking at Xia Feng¡¯s confident expression, Xia Wan¡¯s eyes reddened. She had already experienced a lot in her previous life. She thought that nothing could easily move her, but now that she saw Xia Feng¡¯s pure and trusting eyes, she felt her heart soften. She wanted to protect her brother with her life! The two followed Han Xuan to the street and stopped in front of a shop. The door of the shop was closed, but the structure was similar to the shop next door. The shop next door sold daily necessities, such as soap and towels. This shop was less than five meters away from a dance class. It was just that they could not see the specific scene inside through the wall. Han Xuan looked as if he was fishing for compliments. ¡°How is this shop? It¡¯s huge. Xia Wan, you¡¯re amazing. There will definitely be more and more students in the future. This shop also has an upstairs area. Xia Wan, you don¡¯t have to worry about not having enough space.¡± Xia Feng was also very satisfied with this, but he said regretfully, ¡°If only we could go in and take a look.¡± Han Xuan winked playfully. ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple? I¡¯ll bring you in.¡± Xia Wan and Xia Feng looked at him in surprise. ¡°How did you get the key? Did you know that we were going to find a venue?¡± It was purely a coincidence that they met Han Xuan today. They did not expect Han Xuan to help them find the venue. What was even more surprising was that Han Xuan still had the key. Xia Wan was the first to react. ¡°This shop belongs to your family?¡± Han Xuan nodded. ¡°Xia Wan is indeed smart.¡± ¡°My dad used to come here to sell shoes, but his shoes didn¡¯t sell well. After that, he went to other cities to do business, so our place became empty. My mom also planned to rent it out, but she didn¡¯t like the previous tenants, so sl simply kept it until now..¡± Chapter 224 - Chapter 224: The One She Pursued in Her Past Life Chapter 224: The One She Pursued in Her Past Life Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing that they were all very satisfied, Han Xuan said to them, ¡°Our shop has a room where you can rest. If you¡¯re tired at noon, you can eat there.¡± As he spoke, he was about to lead the two of them inside when a voice suddenly came from outside the shop. ¡°Brother Chen, look, the shop here is open. Didn¡¯t they say they wouldn¡¯t rent it out when you came?¡± Xia Wan and Han Xuan stopped in their tracks and looked out the door. The girl at the door had two ponytails and was wearing new clothes. It was obvious that she came from a well-to-do family. When she saw Xia Wan, the girl blurted out, ¡°Xia Wan, why are you here?¡± The smile in Xia Wan¡¯s eyes immediately disappeared. The person in front of her was called Song Zhi, and the tall and thin boy standing beside her was the school hunk, Zhou Chen. In her previous life, she liked the handsome and gentle Zhou Chen. He was fair and clean and always flashed a smile when he spoke. Xia Wan was addicted to him. She felt that he was the best man in the world, so she leaned on him whenever she had the chance, pretending to ask him questions or bring him some food. Every time, Zhou Chen said little and patiently answered her questions. Xia Wan thought that he was a good person, but she did not expect him to tell his brother behind her back about how annoying she was. He mocked her for being a country bumkin and said that the food she offered was unpresentable. Because she was close to Zhou Chen, Xia Wan was often troubled by the girls in her class and her reputation was tarnished. However, she was still willing to get close to him. One day, after graduating from high school, Zhou Chen asked her out to drink with his friends. She still remembered Zhou Chen¡¯s mocking words. ¡°Did vou see that? She¡¯s such a bootlicker. As lonz as I call her, she¡¯ll definitelv come.¡± ¡°Xia Wan, do you know how much I hate you? I¡¯ve tolerated you for three years. Why can¡¯t you recognize your status? I¡¯m better at studying than you, and my family background is better than yours. Many girls who are way better than you are pursuing me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel inferior standing beside me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good enough of an honor to let you accompany us, brothers, to drink today. You¡¯re only worthy of accompanying us to drink.¡± That day, she did not know how much alcohol she had drunk. It was only when the people in the other private rooms saw her faint at the door did they call the police to send her home. However, since then, Xia Wan¡¯s reputation only worsened. Her departure from her hometown couldn¡¯t be separated from her vicious relatives, and her life of being bullied at school was inseparable from Zhou Chen. If Zhou Chen did not like her, he could tell her clearly that she was not shameless and would leave. However, Zhou Chen enjoyed her flattery while slandering her behind her back. Such a person had an extremely low character and was not worthy of her deep love back then. In the past, she wasn¡¯t the best judge of character, but now, she only felt disgust when she saw him. Before Xia Wan could say anything, Song Zhi continued, ¡°Xia Wan, I know you like Zhou Chen, but you don¡¯t have to chase after him to this extent. You followed him just because you knew that Zhou Chen¡¯s family wanted to lease out this shop? Why? Are you perhaps trying to help his family rent this shop?¡± Song Zhi covered her mouth and laughed. ¡°Xia Wan, if you can really help Zhou Chen¡¯s family, then he¡¯ll have to thank you.¡± Zhou Chen frowned slightly, thinking that Xia Wan had followed him here. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t tell her this.¡± After he finished speaking to Song Zhi, he looked at Han Xuan. ¡°Are you here to rent this shop too?¡± Han Xuan¡¯s clothes were not bad, which made Zhou Chen take him seriously. He thought that he was also a potential tenant. However, when Xia Wan and Han Xuan stood together, Zhou Chen looked down on Han Xuan. He subconsciously thought that anyone who could get close to Xia Wan couldn¡¯t be from a powerful family. Han Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly and asked in a teasing tone, ¡°Are you the son of the man who came to rent the shop?¡± He remembered that his mother had mentioned that the person who came to rent the shop was a middle-aged man in his thirties. Obviously, his age did not match the young man. Zhou Chen was a little surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve met my father?¡± Han Xuan shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it before. I just heard that someone wanted to rent this shop, but he didn¡¯t get it.¡± Zhou Chen hesitated and said, ¡°The rent for this shop is very expensive. It¡¯s not that easy to rent it. If you don¡¯t need it that much, you can give it to our family. Our family has already decided to raise the rent. As long as the lady boss is not stupid, she will definitely rent it to our family..¡± Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: Mocked bv a Classmate Chapter 225: Mocked bv a Classmate Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Han Xuan did not answer Zhou Chen. Instead, he looked at Xia Wan and asked, ¡°You know them?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°High school classmate,¡± she replied coldly. Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s cold expression, Song Zhi felt that he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and immediately mocked, ¡°Yo, Xia Wan, when did you become so distant from Zhou Chen? When you were in school, didn¡¯t you want to stick to Zhou Chen? You went wherever he went. You were just short of getting together with him when you struck him out.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes were filled with impatience. ¡°That was back then.¡¯ As she spoke, she looked at Zhou Chen. Her eyes were indifferent, and there was no longer the nostalgia and infatuation from before. ¡°Zhou Chen, I¡¯ve been appearing by your side all this time. I¡¯ve disturbed you a lot. I won¡¯t do it again in the future. We¡¯re just ordinary classmates.¡± Only then did Zhou Chen look at Xia Wan seriously, but he did not believe her words. He felt that Xia Wan had learned a new method and was playing hard to get. Song Zhi shouted as if he had discovered a new continent. ¡°No way, Xia Wan, did you really say those things?! You actually want to cut ties with Zhou Chen?¡± Song Zhi¡¯s gaze swept across Han Xuan. ¡°Xia Wan, could it be that you¡¯ve fallen for this handsome guy and are giving up on Zhou Chen? Tsk tsk, this handsome guy is quite handsome, but I don¡¯t think you can catch up with him.¡± Han Xuan couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He asked Xia Wan, ¡°Is this really your classmate? Why does she smell like she¡¯s farting? She stinks. Let me tell you, if you have such a classmate, please stay the hell away from her, okay? Otherwise, your brain will get infected, and you¡¯ll be as stupid as her.¡± Initially, Xia Wan was in a bad mood, but when she heard Han Xuan¡¯s mockery of Song Zhi, her lips curled up. She nodded. ¡°Yes, I understand. It was my bad eyesight in the past. I¡¯ll stay away from it in the future.¡± Song Zhi was scolded and immediately glared at Han Xuan. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? What right do you have to scold me here? What¡¯s wrong with my words? Do I need you to criticize me?¡± Han Xuan did not indulge her and retorted, ¡°This is my sister. If you¡¯re rude to her, then you¡¯re rude to me. Why can¡¯t I scold you? What, you¡¯re the only one who can say bad things, but you can¡¯t let others point it out?¡± Song Zhi was furious. He couldn¡¯t beat Han Xuan in scolding, so he looked at Xia Wan and mocked, ¡°Yo, Xia Wan, you¡¯ve grown up. This man treats you pretty well. Why do you even acknowledge him as your brother? It seems that your brother is quite rich. No wonder you dare to say such things to Zhou Chen. It turns out that you¡¯re such a bootlicker.¡± Xia Feng¡¯s face turned red as he shouted at Song Zhi, ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re not allowed to talk about my sister like that. My sister is outstanding and is by no means a bootlicker. Don¡¯t you dare slander my sister!¡± Song Zhi seemed to have only just seen Xia Feng and said rudely, ¡°Your sister? Then do you know what your good sister is like in school? She followed Zhou Chen around every day. This is something that the entire school knows. I¡¯m not lying. ¡± If Song Zhi had scolded her before, Xia Wan could still tolerate it, but now that she dared to scold her brother, she couldn¡¯t sit by and do nothing. Xia Wan sneered at Song Zhi. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Zhou Chen? Why are you accusing me of pestering Zhou Chen? ¡°You think you have higher morals than me, but you insulted my brother¡¯s sister in front of him. Is this how you behave? ¡°This street doesn¡¯t belong to your family, and you don¡¯t own this shop. You can come here, but I can¡¯t? It seemed like I was pestering Zhou Chen? Is your brain muddled? Don¡¯t you know that we were here first? ¡°Also, let me warn you. It¡¯s fine if you scold me, but if you scold my brother again, be careful that I won¡¯t be polite to you!¡± Xia Wan then looked at Zhou Chen and sneered. ¡°Zhou Chen, you¡¯re a man. If you hate me, you can just say it out loud. You¡¯ve never said it in front of me, but you fantasize about me in silent yet mock me behind my back. Now, you¡¯re even asking a woman to seek justice for you. ¡°You¡¯ve been the good person, and we¡¯ve been the bad person. Zhou Chen, hasn¡¯t anyone said that you¡¯re a hypocrite? ¡°Liking you was the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever done.¡± ¡®Good! Sister Xia Wan, well said!¡± Han Xuan applauded. He looked at Zhou Chen in disdain. ¡°Did you hear what my sister said? If I were you, I would have lost all face to stay here. Hurry up and leave. I won¡¯t rent this shop to you..¡± Chapter 226 - Chapter 226: Xia Wan’s Change in Attitude Chapter 226: Xia Wan¡¯s Change in Attitude Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhou Chen was a little confused by Xia Wan¡¯s words. The person who had always fawned over him was actually being cold to him? ¡°Xia Wan, do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± Zhou Chen¡¯s face became stony as he barked at Xia Wan. Xia Wan looked straight at him. ¡°Of course I do. My head¡¯s not muddled.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. You said it yourself. Don¡¯t regret it.¡± Zhou Chen said gloomily. ¡°Naturally.¡± Xia Wan replied with unyielding confidence, devoid of any reluctance. ¡°Song Zhi, let¡¯s go. She¡¯s not worth our time,¡± Zhou Chen said to Song Zhi and left first. After Zhou Chen and Song Zhi left, Han Xuan looked at Xia Wan and asked, ¡°Sister Xia Wan, what those two said just now was true? Did you like that man in the past?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°I used to have poor eyesight.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like him now, do you?¡± Han Xuan asked again. Xia Wan replied, ¡°Of course. You all saw his attitude towards me just now. If he really cared about me, why would he let Song Zhi humiliate me? If he had even a little bit of gentlemanly demeanor, he wouldn¡¯t have stood by and watched from the sidelines to this extent.¡± Han Xuan nodded with a gratified look in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯re clear-headed now, Sister Xia Wan. However, that man is indeed quite good-looking. He¡¯s just a little lacking compared to me. However, Sister Xia Wan, you¡¯re so capable. It¡¯s definitely your loss if he doesn¡¯t like you. ¡°Sister Xia Wan, you should focus on your studies now. I know many young talents. When the time comes, I can introduce you to good men.¡± Xia Wan felt a little helpless. What was Han Xuan thinking? ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about them anymore. I¡¯m quite satisfied with this shop. Tell me, how much is the rent if we take it?¡± Xia Wan changed the topic and did not intend to continue investigating Zhou Chen¡¯s matter with Han Xuan. When it came to the serious matter, Han Xuan stopped smiling and gestured with his hand. ¡°One month¡¯s rent, one thousand.¡± Xia Feng¡¯s eyes widened. A month¡¯s rent was a thousand yuan! Although their family was making a lot of money from selling clothes every day, the 1,000 yuan would be wasted. If they didn¡¯t rent this shop, they wouldn¡¯t have needed to spend this money at all. Xia Wan didn¡¯t say anything immediately. Han Xuan said, ¡°When we rented out our shop, my mother said that it would be 1,500 yuan a month. Since you want it, I¡¯ll make the decision on my mother¡¯s behalf. 1,000 yuan. If you have no problems, we¡¯ll sign the contract. As for the money, you can pay it monthly so that you won¡¯t feel pressured.¡± Xia Wan said directly, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Just pay for a year. We¡¯ll sign the contract, but I want to renovate this shop. Is that okay?¡± Han Xuan readily agreed, ¡°No problem. We¡¯re happy that you¡¯re willing to renovate.¡± When it came to signing the contract, Han Xuan brought the two of them home. At that time, his mother was applying a mask. Seeing that it was Xia Wan, Mrs. Han welcomed her happily. ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re here. Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance? Have a seat first. I¡¯ll cut some fruits for you.¡± Xia Wan stopped her. ¡°No need, Auntie. We¡¯re here because we want to rent your shop.¡± Mrs. Han was a little surprised. ¡°A shop? What shop?¡± Han Xuan felt a little helpless and helped to explain, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s our shop on the street in front. Someone wanted it before this, but you felt that the person didn¡¯t give you a good feeling, so you didn¡¯t let it out. Today, I brought Xia Wan and the others to take a look. They were very satisfied and wanted the space to sell clothes. They¡¯ll use the second floor for martial arts classes.¡± Mrs. Han¡¯s face immediately lit up. ¡°Wanwan, so you want to run a business. You should have said so earlier. I would¡¯ve let this shop out to you a long time ago. The rent is negotiable. You just have to pay as you see fit.¡± As she spoke, Mrs. Han looked at Han Xuan. ¡°Have you already discussed the price with Wanwan? How much did you say? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t ask Wanwan for a ridiculous price. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Han Xuan smiled. ¡°How is that possible? I negotiated with Sister Xia Wan for 1,000 yuan a month.¡± Mrs. Han nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a fair amount. A thousand yuan isn¡¯t asking for too much. ¡± ¡°Wanwan, there¡¯s no hurry. You just have to pay each month. If you happen to be short of money, you can just pay the following month..¡± Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Renting a Shop Chapter 227: Renting a Shop Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan smiled and said, ¡°My family¡¯s clothing business is doing alright. You¡¯ve seen those clothes before, which are of very good designs. It makes me so relieved to know that this shop belongs to your family.¡± They exchanged pleasantries for a while before signing the contract. Xia Wan also went home to withdraw 10,000 yuan for Mrs. Han. Even after Xia Wan and Xia Feng left, Mrs. Han and Han Xuan were still a little surprised. Mrs. Han held the 10,000 yuan in her hand and said to Han Xuan in a daze, ¡°Is Wanwan that rich? I know she sells clothes well, but even that costs money. How can she save so much?¡± Han Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, since Sister Xia Wan is willing to fork out these ten thousand yuan, just accept it. Don¡¯t forget that Sister Xia Wan not only knows how to do business, but she also has good medical skills. Can¡¯t she make money by treating people?¡± With Han Xuan¡¯s reminder, Mrs. Han finally remembered. She smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I forgot about this. Wanwan is a promising girl.¡± After Xia Wan rented the shop, she immediately brought Xia Feng to the supermarket. There was no one else on the road, so Xia Feng quickly asked, ¡°Sis, when did you save up 10,000 yuan? When did we have so much money? Are we going to stock up for tomorrow? He would sort out the account books every day, so he knew very well that it was already very good for them to earn a net profit of 2,000 yuan a day. Their family members were all helping to sell clothes, not including labor costs. If they opened a shop, they would definitely have to hire employees. This was all money. Xia Wan smiled and looked at Xia Feng¡¯s furrowed brows. She gently helped to ease them. ¡°You¡¯re still young, but you¡¯re quite worried. Don¡¯t worry, I earned this money myself. I don¡¯t need to invest any capital, so you can just focus on selling our clothes.¡± Xia Fengyi¡¯s eyes lit up even more. ¡°Sis, you earned this money yourself? Did you get it by treating patients? You are one heck of a person, I tell you.¡± Seeing how much Xia Feng trusted her, Xia Wan¡¯s heart warmed. Her younger brother was young but very mature. When he was selling clothes, he was the one who worried the most. However, in front of her, he trusted her very much and seemed very easy to coax. ¡°Of course, as your sister, I have to set a good example for you.¡± At this time, large shopping malls hadn¡¯t yet been developed. The two of them went to the largest supermarket in the county instead, not bad, considering it carried a complete range of stock. When she saw the shop, Xia Wan had already thought of where to put the clothes, the mirror, and the shoes. If shoppers wanted to buy clothes, place a few pieces of shoes and accessories along with them, and they would usually buy it all. She didn¡¯t have a venue in the past, but now that she had paid the rent, she definitely wanted to expand the scale. They first bought a lot of clothes racks to hang their clothes, then bought a washbasin, a kettle, and so on. During this time, Xia Wan saw a cute cup and bought it as well. These daily necessities could be used as gifts. For those who had purchased a certain amount of goods, gifts would definitely warm the hearts of customers and greatly increase the opportunity for a returning customer. After they paid the bill, their hands were full, but there were still many things that they had not bought. Xia Wan said, ¡°No, we¡¯ll have to borrow a tricycle to carry these things. If we buy them again and again, how many times will we have to do so? It¡¯s a waste of time.¡± Xia Feng nodded. He wanted to transform into Superman, but he didn¡¯t have the ability to do so. He couldn¡¯t carry so many things. Just as the two were discussing solutions as they walked, they saw a girl squatting on the ground in front of them. She was clutching her stomach tightly and looked like she was in pain. Xia Wan felt that this person was somewhat familiar. She remembered. It was Liu Hua from the village. When she was pushed into the river, it was Liu Hua¡¯s father who saved her. Hence, Xia Wan was grateful and felt like she owed him a favor. As she had many things in her hands, it was not convenient to ask. She raised her voice and shouted, ¡°Liu Hua, what¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡± Hearing someone calling her name, Liu Hua forced herself to raise her head. When she saw that it was Xia Wan, she smiled weakly. ¡°Xia Wan, it¡¯s you. I heard that your family lives in the county town now. I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time..¡± Chapter 228 - Chapter 228: Treating Liu Hua Chapter 228: Treating Liu Hua Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing Liu Hua¡¯s face turn pale, Xia Wan hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me for now. What¡¯s wrong with you? Does your stomach hurt? My house is nearby. Come with me, I¡¯ll treat you first.¡± Liu Hua shook his head. ¡°No need. It¡¯s just an old problem. I¡¯ll be fine after squatting for a while.¡± At this point, she looked a little embarrassed. Xia Wan realized that Liu Hua might be menstruating. It was very common to have menstrual cramps, so many women took it with a pinch of salt. However, some people had severe colds. If they didn¡¯t pay attention, it might cause adverse effects later on. It might even affect their future children. ¡°Come home with me first. You have to observe your body. You don¡¯t want a small illness to become something serious, right?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s tone became more serious. Liu Hua originally wanted to continue rejecting her, but for some reason, when she saw Xia Wan¡¯s serious face, she swallowed her words. Liu Hua was not feeling well, while Xia Wan and Xia Feng were carrying many things in their hands, so the three of them walked very slowly. Fortunately, the supermarket was only two streets away from the place where Xia Wan had locked the door. The three of them walked for about fifteen minutes and arrived home. At this moment, there was no one at home. His parents and brother were selling clothes. Xia Feng put down the things first, then opened the door and let Xia Wan and Liu Hua in first. Liu Hua looked a little nervous when she came in. She had originally lived in the village like Xia Wan, with the floor of her house filled with mud. Her feet were stepping on ceramic tiles now. She was afraid that her shoes would be too dirty and leave dirt on the tiles. Under Xia Wan¡¯s request, Liu Hua sat on the sofa. The sofa was soft, and it made Liu Hua feel that it was all so unreal. Thus, she seemed very uneasy and didn¡¯t dare to sit too comfortably. Xia Wan saw her nervousness and poured her a cup of warm water. Xia Feng knew that the two of them had something private to talk about, so he went straight back to his room. Xia Wan also remembered that in her previous life, Liu Hua did not get into university after graduating high school. Then, she married a man from the neighboring village under the matchmaker¡¯s recommendation. The man¡¯s family background was not bad; he was also good-looking. However, after three years of marriage, Liu Hua did not give birth to a child for their family. After that, there were rumors that she could not have children. Their family began to look down on her. They heard that she would return to her mother¡¯s house several times a year and would often come back injured. It seemed that Liu Hua¡¯s body really had some problems in this area, which was why it was difficult for her to get pregnant later. ¡°Let me take your pulse and see if there¡¯s anything wrong with your body,¡± Xia Wan said. Liu Hua looked a little uneasy. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. I just have menstrual cramps. It always happens on the first day of my period. It hurts for two to three hours every time. I just have to bear with it. I just forgot that my period is coming this month, so I came to town. I¡¯ll be fine after I go home and lie down for a few hours.¡± Xia Wan knew that she was afraid of troubling her, so she deliberately put on a stern face and said, ¡°You don¡¯t believe in my medical skills, right? That¡¯s why you¡¯re brushing me off.¡± Liu Hua waved her hands repeatedly. Of course, it was not a lie. How could I not believe in your medical skills? Your grandfather is the village doctor in our village. If our family is sick, we always look for your grandfather. How could I not believe in you?¡± ¡°Then let me show you.¡± Under Xia Wan¡¯s persuasion, Liu Hua could not reject her and asked Xia Wan to take her pulse. A minute later, Xia Wan finished taking her pulse. Liu Hua saw that Xia Wan did not speak and could not help but become nervous.¡±Xia Wan, did something really happen to me?¡± Seeing her being so nervous, Xia Wan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s just a little cold. However, if you don¡¯t pay attention, it will still cause problems. Remember not to touch cold water during your period in the future, and don¡¯t work too hard. It¡¯s best to drink hot water when you drink water.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you some medicine. Drink it for a week. It¡¯s almost done. In the future, when your period comes again, it won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Menstrual cramps weren¡¯t a peculiarity, but it was also related to one¡¯s physique. The worse the physique, the more severe the menstrual cramps. Liu Hua was a typical case of Palace Cold. There was no problem now, but if she was not careful, it might become a disease in the future. Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Great Changes in the Xia Family Chapter 229: Great Changes in the Xia Family Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liu Hua only woke up when Xia Chen and the others went home from selling clothes. Liu Hua¡¯s face suddenly turned red when she saw so many people at home. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t fall asleep on purpose.¡± Liu Hua blushed and lowered his head. Yan Han said enthusiastically, ¡°Isn¡¯t this painting? When we were in the village, we always borrowed your tricycle. We haven¡¯t even invited you over since we¡¯ve moved to a new house. Stay for dinner today. Don¡¯t leave.¡± Liu Hua raised her head and felt even more embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mrs. Xia. I think I¡¯d better go home. It¡¯s getting late.¡± Yan Han interrupted her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll ask Xia Chen to send you home. He goes out to work out every day now. Sending you home is an exercise in itself.¡± Xia Chen also smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you. I don¡¯t have anything to do anyway.¡± Now that he was earning a lot, and without Grandma and the others looking for trouble, Xia Chen felt very good. Everything went smoothly, and even his personality became much more outgoing. Liu Hua looked at the crowd in a daze. She realized that Xia Wan¡¯s family had changed a lot. When they were in the village, everyone knew that Li Jin was biased towards Xia Jiang and Xia He¡¯s family. Xia Wan¡¯s family was very hardworking but still did not get Li Jin¡¯s favor. When her father heard that Xia Hai was injured and hospitalized, he felt sorry for him. He commented on how filial and hardworking a person Xia Hai was, and how difficult it was for him to get injured. He even brought some things to visit Xia Hai. After Li Jin and Uncle Xia Hai split up, the villagers didn¡¯t say anything in front of them, but they silently felt that Li Jin had gone too far. Later, Xia Wan¡¯s family moved into a big house and even helped others sell clothes. The people in the village said that Xia Wan¡¯s family was blessed with misfortune. Now that Liu Hua was looking at them, Xia Wan and the others smiled more. Their auras had also changed. She did not know how to describe it, but it made her feel a sense of distance. She felt that the gap between her and Xia Wan was getting bigger and bigger. With this thought in mind, Liu Hua could not help but say, ¡°Mrs.Xia, you seem a lot livelier and more radiant now. In the past, you spoke very little. It seems you¡¯re very happy now.¡± After saying that, Liu Hua felt that it was a little inappropriate. She quickly explained, ¡°Mrs.Xia, I don¡¯t mean anything else¡­¡± Yan Han smiled even more happily when she heard that. ¡°This is all thanks to our Wanwan. I originally thought that I was useless, but Wanwan helped me see the light.¡± ¡°I now understand that everyone has unlimited potential. Liu Hua, you¡¯re also an outstanding child. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. Let me cook for you.¡± Yan Han went to the kitchen and busied himself. Only Xia Wan, Xia Chen, and Liu Hua were left in the living room. Xia Wan asked Xia Chen, ¡°Where¡¯s Dad? Why didn¡¯t I see him when I got Xia Chen smiled. Dad had recently got addicted to Chinese chess. On the street behind them, there was a bike mechanic called Mr. Song. People often gathered to play Chinese chess at his place, and Dad would go over every time.¡± Xia Wan was also very happy to hear that. Xia Hai¡¯s hand had almost fully recovered, and playing Chinese chess would not affect his recovery. Besides, talking to others would help him relax, which would be beneficial in the process. Soon, Yan Han finished cooking a table full of dishes. Xia Feng exited his room, and Xia Hai had just returned home. Yan Han glared at him. ¡°Your nose is quite sharp. You went home when you knew that the meal was ready.¡± Xia Hai smiled. ¡°I thought it was time for you guys to come back. I was going to cook for you guys. Look, your hands are too fast. You¡¯ve finished cooking for me.¡± ¡°By the time you cook, the children will have starved to death. Alright, hurry up and wash your hands and eat,¡± Yan Han teased with a smile. Liu Hua sat down as well. Xia Wan put a heap of food into her bowl. Liu Hua enjoyed the meal very much. At the same time, she was envious of Xia Wan¡¯s family. It was full and lively and warm. There were only her and her father in her family. Her mother felt her father was useless and often returned to her mother¡¯s house. She cared little about cooking at home. She was a daughter, yet she had to take care of the family at the same time. Her father had to go to work in the factory and the fields every day. She raised chickens and fed pigs on her own accord. She also chopped firewood in the mountains. It was very troublesome to boil water, so whenever she washed clothes, she would have to do it directly in the river.. Chapter 230 - Chapter 230: Getting Fired Chapter 230: Getting Fired Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation She remembered Xia Wan¡¯s advice. It turned out that her period pains were due to often washing her clothes with cold water. However, using hot water to wash clothes was too extravagant. Liu Hua looked at her slightly rough hands and suddenly felt a little depressed. Xia Wan sensed her emotions and asked, ¡°Huahua, what¡¯s wrong? Do you still feel uncomfortable?¡± Liu Hua shook his head. ¡°Not at all. Thank you for the brown sugar water. I feel a lot better now. Besides, Auntie¡¯s dishes are delicious. I just feel very happy.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes turned slightly. She suddenly remembered that Liu Hua¡¯s father had a tricycle at home. Sometimes, he would help the people in the village pull goods and earn some money. ¡°Huahua, is your dad busy recently?¡± she asked. ¡°If you¡¯re not busy, you can come and help us. I¡¯ll give him 50 yuan a day.¡± Liu Hua was shocked. She loosened his grip, and her chopsticks fell onto the table. ¡°Fifty yuan a day?¡± Liu Hua repeated, her voice unconsciously raised. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Yes, we need to renovate the newly rented shop. We have to transport a lot of things back and forth every day, and we will also need to purchase a lot of goods. It would be much more convenient if we had a tricycle.¡± ¡°Of course, it also depends on whether your father is free. If he is busy, then it¡¯s fine.¡± Liu Hua quickly shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s not busy. Not busy at all!¡± She then lowered her head and said, ¡°To be honest, my father was just let off from the factory recently. There was a missing part in the factory, and someone who had some connections with the factory manager said that he saw my father steal it. The manager believed him and fired my father.¡± Initially, Liu Hua did not think much of it. After all, it had been a few days since the incident append, and her father had also said that he could find another job. However, now that Xia Wan asked, she could not help but feel aggrieved for him. She was well aware of her father¡¯s character. If he had done this, he would definitely have taken the initiative to admit his mistake. Since he had said it wasn¡¯t him, it definitely wasn¡¯t him. Someone must have framed him. However, her father had also said that the man was a relative of the factory manager. No matter how he tried to convince him, the factory manager would not believe him. Thus, it was a better idea to just leave things as they were. At least he would not inspire revenge on the manager¡¯s part. ¡°Your father couldn¡¯t have done this,¡± Xia Hai said immediately. ¡°He¡¯s been helping everyone in the village all these years. If you said he¡¯s secretly doing charity, I¡¯d believe it, but if you say that he stole parts from the factory, that¡¯s definitely a lie!¡± Xia Wan also nodded and comforted Liu Hua. ¡°We all believe that Mr. Liu did not do this.¡± Liu Hua raised her head, her eyes full of gratitude. ¡°Thank you for trusting my father.¡± Xia Wan thought about what happened in her previous life and asked, ¡°Huahua, can I ask which factory your father worked at before? Liu Hua said, ¡°Shenghong Factory. They are mainly responsible for forging steel. I heard that some of the equipment inside are very expensive. They said that as punishment for the lost parts, my dad wouldn¡¯t be given last month¡¯s salary.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s fingers tapped lightly on the table. She was used to moving her fingers while in deep thought. She remembered that in the past two years, there was a steel factory that went on the news. It was said that the finished products were not up to standard. To make matters worse, a building on construction in the factory collapsed, severely injuring and maiming many of the construction workers. As reporters kept showing up to get interviews, the steel factory was forced to close down. There were many people who wrote insults in red paint at the entrance. Now, when put together with Liu Hua¡¯s story, this might be the steel factory where Mr. Liu worked. ¡°Huahua, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯m afraid this matter isn¡¯t that simple. Mr. Liu has always been diligent and honest. He can¡¯t be framed for something he didn¡¯t do. ¡°How about this? Let Mr. Liu come over to help first. With a daily income, he will feel way more at ease. He is a responsible person, but now that he¡¯s unemployed and is resting at home, he must be really downtrodden. Tell him the good news first. As for the steel factory, I¡¯ll investigate.¡± Xia Wan tried her best to console Liu Hua. She already had an idea. Liu Hua was astounded. ¡°That¡¯s not good, Wanwan. My dad said that the director of the steel factory has a powerful background. He says that we can¡¯t beat him. Your family has finally settled down. Don¡¯t let our family¡¯s matters hold you back.¡± Liu Hua felt very guilty now. If she had known, she would not have followed Xia Wan back. That way, she would not have caused her any trouble.. Chapter 231 - Chapter 231: Sending Liu Hua Home Chapter 231: Sending Liu Hua Home Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan smiled and said to Liu Hua, ¡°If your father hadn¡¯t saved me back then, I might have drowned. If I don¡¯t repay this kindness, my conscience will be uneasy for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Or do you think that my life is not that important?¡± Xia Wan asked in return. Liu Hua shook his head repeatedly. ¡°Why would I? I think you¡¯re really amazing, Xia Wan. You don¡¯t know this, but all the villagers praise you when they talk about you. They say you¡¯re capable. Many of our villagers have relatives in the county town, and they all agree that your clothes are good-looking and of high quality.¡± Xia Wan said directly, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Soon, she came back with a few sets of clothes in her hands. ¡°Come, try these on. I think these two sets suit you very well. You have a gentle personality, to begin with. This white and light blue set will complement your temperament.¡± Liu Hua became even more flustered and quickly refused. ¡°No, how can I take these for free? ¡°In the future, your father will be helping us to move goods every day. This is hard work, and we have to keep it a secret. Of course, we¡¯ll have to bribe you more, so consider these two sets as the hush money,¡± Xia Wan teased. Liu Hua still refused, and Xia Wan did not want to take it back. The two of them were in a deadlock. Liu Hua knew very well that she did not need any hush money. Her father was only helping to transport some goods. It was not a trade secret. Xia Wan just wanted to find a reason to give her clothes. In the end, Yan Han couldn¡¯t watch any longer and said with a smile, ¡°Huahua, when we were in the village, every time our family encountered an emergency, we would borrow your tricycle. It¡¯s been so many years, but we¡¯ve never given you any compensation. Now that we are in a better position, you can¡¯t possibly reject this little repayment from us, right?¡± Even Xia Chen persuaded, ¡°Sister Liu Hua, please accept it. Our family is very grateful to you.¡± Under everyone¡¯s persuasion, Liu Hua had no choice but to follow Xia Wan¡¯s instructions and try on the clothes she brought. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes flashed with surprise after she changed. At the same time, she helped her tie a new ponytail and then led Liu Hua to the mirror. Dressed in a light blue dress, her hair was tied up in a ponytail. At the same time, she wore a light blue ribbon, making Liu Hua look exceptionally elegant. She could not help but stare blankly at herself in the mirror. Liu Hua subconsciously pinched her face and muttered, ¡°Is this really me? Xia Chen¡¯s eyes were filled with praise. ¡°Of course. You look great!¡± Xia Wan nodded as well. ¡°There¡¯s a saying that goes, there are no ugly girls, only girls who don¡¯t know how to dress up. As long as you use some makeup, you¡¯ll look much more radiant. Your features are delicate and fair. As long as you dress up a little, you¡¯ll be the most dazzling one in the crowd.¡± Liu Hua was a little embarrassed by their praise. She was so nervous that she didn¡¯t know where to put her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not as good-looking as you say. It¡¯s all because Xia Wan picked good clothes that I look good,¡± Liu Hua said humbly. Liu Hua stayed with the Xia family for a while before Xia Chen sent her back to the village. Because Painter Liu was very close to Li and Li¡¯s family, Xia Chen inevitably saw Xia Ru when he returned home. When Xia Ru saw that Xia Chen had returned, she was stunned at first. Then, she immediately stormed toward him witha fierce look. ¡°You still have the gut to come back? You guys are doing so well in town. You¡¯ve long looked down on our village, right? Why? Did you come back to laugh at Xia Chen ignored Xia Ru and turned to leave, but she only grabbed him. ¡®What are you doing? Speak clearly. Why did you come back?¡± Xia Chen didn¡¯t want to argue with her. He felt that Xia Ru looked very different from before. Ever since her illness was cured, there were other girls who took her place in the factory. Then, it was Lu Lin¡¯s matter. Then, Grandma and the others were arrested for causing trouble. The Xia family¡¯s reputation was completely ruined. The ones who had more dealings with the Xia family were also in hiding, afraid that they would affect their family¡¯s reputation. ¡°Let go of me. I just came back for a walk. It has nothing to do with you,¡± Xia Chen said with a cold face. He did not want to reveal that he had personally sent Liu Hua back.. Who knew what bad ideas Xia Ru might be harboring in that head of hers? Chapter 232 - Chapter 232: Xia Ru’s Stick-Up Chapter 232: Xia Ru¡¯s Stick-Up Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Ru stared at him suspiciously. ¡°How is that possible? You¡¯re living a great life in town. If there¡¯s nothing, why would you come back to the village? If you don¡¯t tell me why you¡¯re going back to the village today, don¡¯t even think about leaving.¡± Xia Ru was really grabbing Xia Chen¡¯s arm with a lot of force, signifying she wouldn¡¯t let go until he could come up with a satisfactory explaination. Xia Chen did not expect Xia Ru to be so shameless. Some villagers who happened to be returning home from work could not help but witness this scene. A curious person asked, ¡°Xia Chen, you¡¯re back. What are you two doing? If you have anything to say, just talk it out. Don¡¯t fight.¡± It was no secret that the Xia family was split. Xia Chen and Xia Ru naturally did not have a good relationship. In fact, it wasn¡¯t hyperbole to say that they held a deep grudge against each other. The Xia family¡¯s incident became a mouthpiece among the villagers. Any family with many children would have conflicts. The elderly would be biased, but everyone would endure it and not really make things ugly. However, Xia Hai¡¯s family was different. Everyone in the village and the hospital knew about this. So now that Xia Chen and Xia Ru met, they didn¡¯t think that the two of them were reminiscing about the past. It was already good enough that they didn¡¯t fight. Selling clothes for the past few days had forged Xia Chen¡¯s demeanor. He said directly, ¡°I don¡¯t know why either, but Xia Ru insisted on pulling me and not letting me go. She might have done too many shameless things, so she doesn¡¯t care about what others think of her. However, I still want my face. So, Xia Ru, if you have anything to say, just say it in front of everyone. Don¡¯t pester me here.¡± Xia Ru was furious. She pointed at Xia Chen and scolded, ¡°I¡¯m pestering you? Who do you think you are? Are you even worthy of my pestering? Tell me, did you secretly take something from home? Did you hide the token in some obscure corner of the house, and you¡¯re back to get it?¡± Xia Ru, after some thought, felt that it was really possible. No wonder Xia Wan was so confident when Grandma and the rest went to look for her, as if she was darned sure that they would not find the token. Now it seemed that it was very likely that Xia Wan had left the token in the village, so she was not afraid at all. With this thought in mind, Xia Ru began to grope Xia Chen¡¯s body. Her eyes were anxious and a little crazy. ¡°Where¡¯s the token? Where did you put Xia Chen, startled by her actions, pushed Xia Ru away. Xia Ru was not prepared and was pushed to the ground by Xia Chen. She immediately got soiled. ¡°Argh! How dare you push me? Xia Chen, how dare you?!¡± Xia Ru sat on the ground and wailed. ¡°Everyone! Come and judge. Xia Chen hit me, and I¡¯m just a girl. How can a man hit a woman? He¡¯ll definitely be abusive when he gets married!¡± More and more people gathered around. At this moment, Liu Hua suddenly rushed over and scolded Xia Ru, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? When I went to town, I was not feeling well. It was Xia Chen who sent me back, but you¡¯re slandering him here. ¡°I can testify that he never entered your house. How could he steal from your house? ¡°Xia Ru, I know you¡¯re jealous of Xia Wan. She¡¯s prettier than you, more capable than you, and has a better character. But you can¡¯t just bully Xia Chen here and slander him.¡± With Liu Hua as evidence, Xia Rut s previous moans seemed to have no basis. At this moment, the village chief happened to pass by. When he saw that it was Xia Ru¡¯s family, his eyelids twitched. This family had been nothing but recently, but as the village chief, he couldn¡¯t just say nothing. Therefore, the village chief coughed twice and said, ¡°Alright, what can¡¯t we talk about? Why are you making a scene here?¡± ¡°Since Liu Hua has already given a clear explanation, you should go back to your house, Xia Ru. Xia Chen, you should hurry home too. It¡¯ll be dark soon, and walking at night is going to be tough.¡¯ Since the village chief had spoken, Xia Chen naturally couldn¡¯t ignore him. He nodded at the leader and walked towards the town. After Xia Chen left, the other villagers also dispersed. Liu Hua wanted to leave when Xia Ru called out to her. ¡°Liu Hua, you¡¯re quite protective of Xia Chen. Why? Do you like him? ¡°You do, don¡¯t you? Xia Chen is quite good-looking and honest. Now that he¡¯s set up a clothes stall, he¡¯s probably making good money. Liu Hua, I used to think that you were but a simple-minded girl.¡± Liu Hua was about to leave, but when she heard Xia Ru¡¯s insults, her face turned red. She turned around and pointed at Xia Ru angrily.. ¡°What nonsense!¡± Chapter 233 - Chapter 233: Liu Hua Protects Xia Chen Chapter 233: Liu Hua Protects Xia Chen Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°My relationship with Xia Chen is very pure. It¡¯s not the kind of relationship you¡¯re talking about. Xia Ru, you¡¯re fooling around with a man, and you¡¯re slandering me? Do you think everyone is like you?¡± Xia Ru snorted coldly. ¡°Do whatever you want. Women still have to sacrifice their bodies if they want to obtain power.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re all that now, eh? You¡¯ll understand what I mean when the time comes.¡± After saying that, Xia Ru left arrogantly, as if she had already seen Liu Hua¡¯s future. Liu Hua was very angry. Xia Ru relied on her body to please men and wanted to marry into a wealthy family. Did she think that everyone had the same thoughts? Marrying into a rich family would depend on whether they deserved it. They had only grown up in the village. How could their knowledge compare to that of a wealthy family? Liu Hua felt that Xia Ru was spouting nonsense and really wanted to beat her up. However, her mouth was not that sharp, so he could only hold his breath. The next day, Liu Guang woke up early and went to Xia Wan¡¯s house. Xia Wan, who had just returned from her morning run, happened to see Liu Guang waiting at the door. ¡°Mr. Liu, you¡¯re already here. Why don¡¯t you go in?¡± she asked hurriedly. Liu Guang waved his hand.¡± No need. I¡¯ll just wait here for you guys. I heard from Huahua that you guys are short of a delivery man. Mr. Liu knows very well that you guys are taking care of him. There are so many people working in town. How can you not find a delivery man?¡± Xia Wan smiled and explained,¡± Mr. Liu, you¡¯re wrong. There are quite a lot of people in this town who pull goods, and the price is not expensive. However, we will have to purchase goods frequently in the future. If someone has other thoughts while pulling goods, it will be very disadvantageous to us.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t say much, but Liu Guang wasn¡¯t stupid. He could tell that Xia Wan meant what she said, so he felt a little relieved. ¡°Mr. Liu, wait a moment. We¡¯ll set off after we change our clothes.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± About ten minutes later, Xia Wan and Yan Han took Liu Guang¡¯s three-wheeled bike, while Xia Chen and Xia Feng went to clean the shop. Soon, they arrived at the wholesale market. Liu Guang was waiting in a corner while Xia Wan and Yan Han went straight to Sister Hong to get their clothes. This was Yan Han¡¯s first time visiting a wholesale market. Looking at the mountains of goods on sale, Yan Han couldn¡¯t help but blink a few times. ¡°Wanwan, there is so much variety here. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s quite far from our place. Is it even convenient for the people who live here to buy things?¡± Yan Han raised her doubts as he watched. Xia Wan patiently answered, ¡°Mom, this is a wholesale market. It¡¯s just as its name suggests: If you want to buy, you have to buy in large quantities. If you buy one or two at a time, people won¡¯t sell them to you at all.¡± Yan Han nodded with a learned expression. Soon, they arrived at Sister Hong¡¯s shop. When she saw Xia Wan, Sister Hong welcomed her warmly. ¡°Wanwan, you came very quickly this time. It seems that you sold that batch of clothes very well.¡± As she spoke, Sister Hong saw Yan Han standing behind Xia Wan and asked, ¡°And this is?¡± Xia Wan took the initiative to introduce them. ¡°Sister Hong, this is my mother. In the future, she will also be purchasing goods with me. A while ago, I was selling clothes for young girls and neglected people my mother¡¯s age. Actually, those at her age are the ones who are really rich. My mother also sold a lot of clothes, so I thought that I would bring my mother along when I purchase goods this time. Perhaps she would know what people her age like better.¡± Xia Wan then looked at Yan Han. ¡°Mom, this is Sister Hong, whom I¡¯ve mentioned to you before. She is really a good person. She took good care of me when I first started this clothes business. If it weren¡¯t for her good supply, I wouldn¡¯t have so many fashionable clothes to sell.¡± Yan Han was very enthusiastic and took the initiative to greet Sister Hong. ¡°I¡¯m older than you, so I¡¯ll call you Hong Hong. Thank you for taking care of our Wanwan these days. Our Wanwan is still young, so it¡¯s all thanks to you for your help.¡± Sister Hong hurriedly waved her hand and said, ¡°I cannot accept that. I¡¯m not the one taking care of your Wanwan. Wanwan is my benefactor. She treated my illness and saved me a lot of money. Most importantly, it allowed me to have a healthy body. If I get sick, no matter how much money I earn, it¡¯s useless.¡± Yan Han didn¡¯t know if Xia Wan had treated Sister Hong¡¯s illness before or if she only found out now that Sister Hong mentioned it. However, she reacted quickly and praised Sister Hong before starting to pick out her clothes.. Chapter 234 - Chapter 234: Yan Han’s Good Judgment Chapter 234: Yan Han¡¯s Good Judgment Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan silently followed behind Yan Han and did not disturb her. She just watched her mother pick. If Yan Han saw any clothes that she liked, she would gesture them on her body. If there were a top that she liked, she would hold it with one hand and choose a lower garment that would match. Some of the shirts could be matched with several others. Sister Hong originally thought that Xia Wan had brought Yan Han here to broaden her horizons. As she saw Yan Han choose clothes with her own eyes, even Sister Hong could not help but praise, ¡°Wanwan, your mother has a good eye for matching clothes. It¡¯s as if she becomes a whole different person. ¡°Previously, I was wondering how you knew how to match clothes at such a young age, and I now that I¡¯ve seen you, I understand. It turns out that it¡¯s hereditary.¡± Xia Wan was also happy to find that her mother had been complimented. Unknowingly, an hour passed. Yan Han even asked Xia Wan for her opinion. If she picked something, it would be directly entered into the box beside her. It was only after the box was full that she realized that she had actually chosen so many clothes. She stood where she was and looked at Xia Wan helplessly and anxiously. ¡°Wanwan, did your mom choose a little too many? It¡¯ll be a waste if we can¡¯t sell them off.¡± Before Xia Wan could say anything, Sister Hong said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Xia. You have a good eye. I think you can sell them off. Even if you really can¡¯t sell them in the end, you can return them to me. I¡¯ll return them to the factory and won¡¯t let the goods fall into your hands.¡± Hearing Sister Hong¡¯s words, Yan Han¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Does such a good thing exist?¡± Then Yan Han asked in confusion, ¡°Then won¡¯t the factory suffer a loss? They won¡¯t be able to sell these goods. There will be new collections next year.¡± Xia Wan saw that her mother was so worried and could not help but advise, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry about this. The big factory doesn¡¯t care about this small amount of money. Moreover, since they have the capital to recover, they must have their own plans.¡± Yan Han finally gave in. Then, Xia Wan picked a lot more. Even with Liu Guang waiting outside this time, the two of them took three trips before they were done moving everything. They bought a truckload of stock, so much that Xia Wan and Yan Han didn¡¯t have a place to sit. The two of them didn¡¯t act pretentious and directly followed the three-wheeled motorcycle, which was loaded with clothes. Mr. Liu rode slowly, so Xia Wan considered it as bringing Yan Han to exercise. The three chatted as they walked towards the shop. When they passed by a secluded alley, a group of people rushed over. Some of them were holding sticks, some were holding knives, and some were holding scissors. Their eyes were fixed on the clothes on the tricycle. The person in the lead was Liu Shi, who had previously caused trouble. Xia Wan looked up slightly. She realized that compared to the people Liu Shi brought last time, the people he brought this time had changed again. She teased, ¡°Yo, you¡¯re quite powerful. Haven¡¯t you been beaten up enough before?¡± Although she looked relaxed, Xia Wan felt frustrated. It was fine if he occasionally caused trouble, but if Liu Shi came to cause trouble every time, it would be a disaster for her business. She put herself in the shoes of the customer. Even if her clothes were beautiful and of high quality, she would still feel annoyed if a group of hooligans surrounded her shop all the time. Liu Shi grinned. ¡°I admit that you¡¯re a good fighter. You can protect yourself, but can you protect your mother and Mr. Liu?¡± As he spoke, he glanced at the clothes on the tricycle. ¡°You bought these clothes with money, right? If we tear these clothes, what are you going to sell?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t beat you, but we can make you suffer and make you spend money for nothing.¡± Yan Han was infuriated by his words. He pointed at Liu Shi and scolded, ¡°Liu Shi, I watched you grow up. We¡¯re all from the same village. How could you do something so immoral?¡± Liu Shi glanced at Yan Han. ¡°Mrs. Xia, you can¡¯t blame me. Xia Ru is my woman now. Xia Wan bullied my woman. If I don¡¯t help Xia Ru regain face, I won¡¯t be able to survive in the future. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not an unreasonable person. How about this? I think your clothes are not bad. Why don¡¯t you take out a portion and give them to us as your protection fee? Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t have money?¡± Liu Shi put on a forgiving expression.. Chapter 235 - Chapter 235: Liu Shi Destroys Clothes Chapter 235: Liu Shi Destroys Clothes Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yan Han was speechless. She felt that Liu Shi was really shameless. They were clearly the ones who had bought these clothes, and they didn¡¯t say that it was their shop. In other words, Liu Shi knew their boss had bought these clothes, yet he still wanted to snatch them. If Xia Wan hadn¡¯t bought the clothes, she would have to pay a lot for losing the heaps of goods, let alone losing her job. Liu Shi had no intention of giving them a way out. Xia Wan looked at him coldly and flexed her wrists. ¡°Liu Shi, it seems like you haven¡¯t learned your lesson from last time. Now that you dare to cause trouble, I don¡¯t mind teaching you the rules again.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan stepped forward and shielded Yan Han and Liu Guang behind her. ¡°Mom, Mr. Liu, you guys go first. Leave this to me,¡± Xia Wan said. With Yan Han and Mr. Liu around, she would only have some misgivings. If Yan Han and Mr. Liu left, then she would not need to hold back. Although these people held sticks, their movements were very slow. Xia Wan was confident that she could avoid fatal injuries, but it was undeniable that she would still get some minor scuffs and bruises. After all, they had so many people on the other side. Xia Wan calculated in her heart. At the same time, she stared at Liu Shi and the others to prevent them from making any moves. Yan Han did not leave immediately. Instead, she stood firmly by Xia Wan¡¯s side. ¡°You¡¯re my daughter. What kind of mother am I if I can¡¯t protect my own daughter?¡± ¡°If you want to bully my daughter today, you¡¯ll have to kill me first!¡± Yan Han and Xia Wan stood side by side. Even though her legs were still trembling, she only wanted to protect her daughter. Xia Wan looked at Yan Han helplessly. She was touched, but she also hoped that her mother would leave quickly. Liu Shi smiled sinisterly. ¡°Alright, you and your daughter have such a good relationship. I won¡¯t stand on ceremony then.¡± After saying that, he waved his hand. ¡°Brothers, go! Snatch all those clothes over. If anyone dares to stop me, beat them up!¡± Liu Guang had also gotten off the tricycle. However, he knew that it was impossible for the three of them to protect the stock. ¡°So many people bullying three people. You guys are really shameless.¡± A teasing voice could be heard. Liu Shi and the others paused and looked toward the source of the voice. Xu Ye and Chen MO walked out from the other end. Chen MO went to Xia Wan¡¯s side before Xu Ye. His eyes were deep and filled with worry. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± Chen MO¡¯s sudden arrival surprised Xia Wan, but she subconsciously relaxed. His fighting prowess was undeniable. With him around, it would be easier to deal with Liu Shi and the others. Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re fine. They wanted to snatch our clothes.¡± Even Xia Wan herself did not realize that her tone when she spoke to Chen MO seemed to carry a hint of complaint. Chen MO nodded. ¡°I know. Two days ago, I heard from Xu Ye that Liu Shi brought his men to cause trouble for you. I figured that a scoundrel like him wouldn¡¯t give up after suffering once, so I rushed over.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s face was slightly red. ¡°So you rushed over because of this?¡± Chen MO covered his mouth and coughed. He felt that he was being too proactive if he admitted it. ¡°It¡¯s on the way. I happened to be discussing business with someone and was passing by your county. I happened to hear about this matter, so I helped you. After all, you¡¯re my savior.¡± Xia Wan blinked her eyes, unable to tell what she was feeling. So it was just on the way¡­ Xu Ye listened anxiously. What do you mean by going along the way? What do you mean by passing by here for business? It was clearly Chen MO who heard that Xia Wan was looking for trouble and insisted on coming over to deal with this rascal before he was willing to talk about business. Making a trip to this county would delay their trip for two days. Xu Ye was speechless. His brother was the type of person who would quietly give everything he had. If there were any fierce suitors around Xia Wan, they might really snatch her away. Although he was anxious, Xu Ye knew that it was not the time to talk about these things. He took out his phone and took a few photos as evidence. Liu Shi suddenly had a bad feeling when he heard a cracking sound.. Chapter 236 - Chapter 236: Preparing for War Chapter 236: Preparing for War Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xu Ye seemed to be holding a cell phone. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liu Shi questioned aggressively. Xu Ye snorted coldly and waved his phone. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll take photos as evidence. You¡¯re making things difficult for Xia Wan here and trying to rob her. When we call the police later, we¡¯ll have them calculate the value of Xia Wan¡¯s clothes. Then, you¡¯ll have to wait for compensation.¡± Liu Shi was a little flustered, but he felt that he could not lose face in front of so many brothers. He snorted coldly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m scared? Do you think I¡¯ll believe whatever you say to the police? ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve been arrested several times. At most, I¡¯d be locked up for two days. So what? When I get out, I¡¯ll continue to make things difficult for Xia Wan. Last time, she cheated us of some money and made us suffer a beating from our families.¡± Chen MO rolled up his sleeves and beckoned at Liu Shi with his finger. ¡°If you want to fight, then let¡¯s fight. Cut the crap.¡± He then told Xia Wan, ¡°Just protect your stock. Leave the fighting to the two of us.¡± Xia Wan nodded. She knew that this was the best solution. Soon, Chen MO and Xu Ye rushed into the crowd. Liu Shi and the others had more people, but they could not gain any advantage. Although Chen MO and Xu Ye didn¡¯t know which acupuncture points in the human body and were weaker than Xia Wan, they were still strong in their own right and often competed to win business, so they were very experienced. Usually, the people sent by their opponents to kill them were close to the level of assassins. Compared to them, the combat strength of Liu Shi and the others was simply not worth watching. Within fifteen minutes, Liu Shi and the others were lying on the ground, wailing. Xu Ye also called the police. He was lying on the ground. He had not fully recovered from Xia Wan¡¯s injury last time, and now he was beaten up again. He bared his teeth and only reacted now. He gritted his teeth and looked at Xu Ye.¡± You could have called the police in the first place. You only called the police now because you want to beat us up, right?¡± Xu Ye smiled. ¡°Oh, it turns out you¡¯re not stupid. It seems you know very well. ¡°Yes, I beat you up on purpose. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at who¡¯s looking for trouble? This is my sister Xia Wan. If you dare to find trouble with her, you¡¯re going against me. ¡°To be honest, you guys really can¡¯t take a beating.¡± Liu Shi wanted to vomit blood. Not only were they beaten up, but they were also humiliated by Xu Ye. Soon, the police arrived. Seeing that it was Liu Shi, Officer Song, the lead cop of the patrol, immediately frowned. ¡°Liu Shi, it¡¯s you again. Your family has to beg and spend money every time to bail you out. Why do you keep causing trouble for them?¡± They now understood Liu Shi¡¯s situation. He was a person who could cause trouble, but they were mostly petty and not severe. Therefore, if his family were to involve some money and Liu Shi took the initiative to admit his mistake, he would not be severely punished. It was certain that his record would not look good, but with Liu Shi¡¯s street-hardened character, he wasn¡¯t slated for a white-collar job anyway. Thus, he did not care about these things. They had tried to persuade Liu Shi, but it was like playing the lute to a cow every time. Liu Shi would not listen at all. Seeing that it was the familiar Officer Song, Liu Shi put on a fawning smile. ¡°Officer Song, I¡¯m a little short. Seeing that Xia Wan¡¯s business has been doing well recently, I wanted to borrow a few clothes from her, but she was unwilling. She even asked her man to hit me. We¡¯re the ones who are injured now. We¡¯re the victims.¡± When Yan Han heard his words, she immediately became angry. ¡°Shut up! What nonsense are you talking about? They are Xia Wan¡¯s friends. How did they become Xia Wan¡¯s men? Liu Shi, why didn¡¯t I know how dirty and slanderous your mouth could be? ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to snatch our clothes and ask us for money. Now that you¡¯ve been arrested, you even want to slander my daughter¡¯s reputation! ¡°I have to ask your mother how she teaches her son!¡± Liu Shi was completely unintimidated by Yan Han. He continued to smile. ¡°My mother knows very well what kind of person I am. If she could control it, she would have done so long ago.¡± ¡°And you said that I wanted to take your clothes, but in the end, they were still on your three-wheeled motorcycle. I didn¡¯t get them, and you guys weren¡¯t injured. I still think that I¡¯m the victim. Officer, you have to help me.¡± Yan Han only knew that Liu Shi had a bad reputation, but she never thought that he had the gall to be so shameless. She was so angry that her chest heaved up and down, and her heart was about to seize up.. Chapter 237 - Chapter 237: Chen MO Sues Liu Shi Chapter 237: Chen MO Sues Liu Shi Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan quickly helped Yan Han calm down and advised, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry at this kind of scoundrel.¡± However, she knew very well that there were not many surveillance cameras in this era. The place that Liu Shi had chosen had no surveillance cameras. He had indeed tried to fight them, but in the end, he did not gain any advantage. In an era where the law was more imperfect than just, the punishment for the perpetrator was also related to the degree of injury of the victim. However, they were fine and had not been hurt by Liu Shi. Therefore, Liu Shi would not be punished severely just because he wanted to rob them of their clothes. Chen MO suddenly winked at her. Xia Wan was a little surprised. What did he mean by that? The next moment, Chen MO said to Officer Song, ¡°Not only did he want to rob Xia Wan¡¯s clothes, but he also stole my watch. I bought my watch at the mall, the latest model worth 30,000 yuan.¡± Officer Song held his breath. 30,000 yuan was a great sum of money! Even his salary was only a few hundred yuan a month. How long would it take for him to earn thirty thousand yuan? Liu Shi panicked and scolded Chen MO, ¡°Nonsense, I didn¡¯t steal your watch. What 30,000 yuan? How much money do you want? Why don¡¯t you just say 100,000 yuan?¡± Although Liu Shi was very arrogant in the village and was no stranger to bullying and robbing, he usually only robbed a few yuan. He knew next to nothing about the price of watches. With his family¡¯s financial situation, he could not afford such luxury goods. Therefore, when Chen MO offered 30,000 yuan for the watch, Liu Shi thought that he must be trying to scam him. Chen MO sneered. ¡°Just because you don¡¯t understand the market for watches doesn¡¯t mean that there aren¡¯t such expensive watches. Liu Shi, you¡¯re used to being arrogant in the village, but there are some people you shouldn¡¯t offend.¡± As he spoke, he pointed to Liu Shi¡¯s pocket. ¡°Officer Song, you guys go search him. I had a close encounter with him just now. My watch must be on him. If he transfers the watch later, then I¡¯ll lose a lot.¡± Officer Song did not dare to delay. He searched Liu Shi¡¯s body and found a watch in his pocket. It was a leather rope with many diamonds inlaid on the surface. At a glance, it was obvious that it was expensive. Officer Song waved the watch in front of Liu Shi. ¡°What else do you have to say now? Look at the design and material of this watch. It¡¯s normal for it to sell for 30,000 yuan. Come with us to the police station. This matter won¡¯t be resolved so easily.¡± He then looked at Chen MO and Xia Wan. ¡°You¡¯re also involved in this incident. Please come with us to make a statement.¡± Xia Wan nodded. As a law-abiding citizen of the new world, she would be very cooperative with the police. In the police station, Xia Wan and Chen MO¡¯s interrogation was relatively simple. Xia Wan only told the truth about what happened after they purchased the goods. Chen MO said that his watch disappeared after he fought with Liu Shi. When it came to Liu Shi, however, things became a tad more difficult. Officer Song looked at Liu Shi with a straight face and scolded him, ¡°Did your fight with Xia Wan already happen?¡± Liu Shi quickly explained, ¡°Yes, I did fight with them, but they were framing us. How could I have stolen Chen Mo t s watch?¡± ¡°You mean Chen MO is framing you?¡± Officer Song sneered. ¡°Did he put this watch in your pocket on purpose?¡± Liu Shi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes, yes, Officer Song, you¡¯re completely right. Chen MO must have done this on purpose.¡± Officer Song slammed the notebook on the table. ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± ¡°If we hadn¡¯t rushed over, you would have run away even if you couldn¡¯t beat him. How would Chen MO have found you? If you take the watch away and sell it, who can prove that you stole it?¡± Liu Shi was stunned. If he really stole Chen Mo¡¯s watch, perhaps it was just as Officer Song had guessed. The first thing he would do was to act quickly. But the truth was that he didn¡¯t steal it at all. He was wronged! However, Liu Shi¡¯s shock made Officer Song think that Liu Shi¡¯s thoughts had been guessed correctly. He immediately became even more impolite and said to Liu Shi, ¡°If you take the initiative to admit your mistake, we can still give you a lighter punishment. However, if you refuse to admit it, I can only take tough measures against you..¡± Chapter 238 - Chapter 238: Irrefutable Evidence Chapter 238: Irrefutable Evidence Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liu Shi was stunned. ¡°Harsh methods? I clearly didn¡¯t do anything. Are you trying to force a confession out of me? Let me tell you, this is unconstitutional!!!¡± Although Liu Shi did not know the law, he still understood that in this era, the police didn¡¯t have the right to beat up anyone they liked so casually. Soon, a police officer came to them and lowered his head to say something to Officer Song. Officer Song nodded, and the police officer left. Officer Song said to Liu Shi, ¡°If the evidence adds up, even if you don¡¯t admit it, you will be held culpable based on that alone. The evidence: the watch was on you. Xia Wan can testify that she saw you and Chen MO getting rough. She¡¯s the witness, so now that we have enough evidence of your theft, we can arrest and sentence you according to the relevant laws and regulations.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that!¡± Liu Shi desperately explained. ¡°I really didn¡¯t steal Chen MO¡¯s watch!¡± However, no matter how he tried to explain himself, Officer Song did not believe him. Liu Shi had come to the police station many times, and many of them were because of theft. Therefore, Officer Song was not surprised that he had indeed stolen Chen MO¡¯s watch. Officer Song was even a little happy. An existence like Liu Shi was a cancer in society. If he were allowed to mingle, there would only be more victims on the street. However, Liu Shi¡¯s crimes were not considered serious. At most, he would be locked up for two days. However, this time was different. Chen MO¡¯s watch involved a huge amount of money. According to the current law, Liu Shi could be sentenced to a few years. Liu Shi saw that he could not explain himself. Suddenly, he had an idea and said, ¡°I know. Can¡¯t we get the person who reported the case to issue a letter of understanding now? Let me talk to Chen MO and get him to issue one. ¡°I¡¯m still young, I don¡¯t want to stay in prison for so long. I know I was wrong!¡± As he spoke, Liu Shi even began shedding a few tears. If it was someone else who showed such regret and fear, Officer Song might really sympathize with them and try to persuade the person who reported the case to give the other party a chance, but this person was Liu Shi. Officer Song had dealt with him many times and knew what kind of person Liu Shi was, so he did not immediately agree with his request. However, according to the relevant procedures, Liu Shi did have the right to communicate with Chen MO and try to obtain his understanding. Then Officer Song found Chen MO and expressed Liu Shi¡¯s intentions to him. Chen MO sneered. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time he bullied Xia Wan. He must have done a lot of bad things in the village. Officer Song, you don¡¯t have to talk to me about this anymore. I won¡¯t issue a letter of forgiveness. You can sentence him however you want.¡± Officer Song heaved a sigh of relief. He also felt that Liu Shi deserved his retribution. Chen MO and Xia Wan were released after taking their statements. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, Xia Wan lowered her voice and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t see Liu Shi steal your watch. Instead, you took the initiative to stuff the watch into Liu Shi¡¯s pocket, so you specially designed Liu Shi, right?¡± Looking at Xia Wan¡¯s bright eyes, Chen MO smiled dotingly and said helplessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to see me even though I moved so quickly.¡± Xia Wan raised her chin proudly. ¡°Of course. Although we were fighting at that time, I still paid attention to the situation on your side.¡± Xia Wan paused. Chen MO smiled and said to Xia Wan, ¡°What? Are you worried that I won¡¯t be able to defeat them and will be bullied?¡± Xia Wan pursed her lips, embarrassed to look at Chen MO again. ¡°Of course not. I just feel that this matter has nothing to do with you. If you get hurt, I¡¯ll definitely feel bad.¡± Xia Wan continued, ¡°You¡¯ve helped us a lot today. You must come to our house for a meal before you leave. My mother will definitely want to thank you.¡± Chen MO smiled slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no rush to eat. I learned a little about Liu Shi from chatting with the police officers. The watch theft can indeed put him in jail, but he has to have done a lot of evil in the village over the years. ¡°Since this is an opportunity, why don¡¯t you sue him for all his crimes and let him stay in prison for a few more years? It¡¯s best if he comes out only after you go to university so that he won¡¯t appear in front of you from time to time and give you a headache..¡± Chapter 239 - Chapter 239: Finishing Liu Shi Off Completely Chapter 239: Finishing Liu Shi Off Completely Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Most importantly, he was also very busy at this stage and could not always stay by Xia Wan¡¯s side. This time, he was the one who could punish Liu Shi. If it was only Xia Wan, Liu Shi might really have escaped. He didn¡¯t commit the crime of murder, yet he would pester Xia Wan and the others time and time again. This was the most disgusting kind of person. ¡°How about this? Before we eat, let¡¯s go to your village and take a look,¡± Chen MO said to Xia Wan after a moment of silence. Xia Wan looked at him in confusion. ¡°Since Liu Shi was a bully in the village, then give them a chance. Let them choose to report him. When the time comes, he naturally wouldn¡¯t be able to escape prison.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes lit up at first, then she said with some hesitation, ¡°But the people in the village are all afraid of Liu Shi. Even if we report him this time and let him stay in prison for a period of time, he will probably take even harder revenge when he comes out.¡± Chen MO looked at her. ¡°So you mean that the villagers might not cooperate with us even if we go to the village, right?¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Get in the car first. I¡¯ll take you back to the village. As for whether those people will say anything, it¡¯s up to them,¡± Chen MO said as he opened the car door for Xia Wan. Xia Wan sat down comfortably without embarrassment on her face. Chen MO started to drive. At the same time, he was a little surprised by Xia Wan¡¯s reaction. It wasn¡¯t that he looked down on the villagers, but those who grew up in the countryside would usually feel a little awkward and embarrassed when they drove a car for the first time. However, he didn¡¯t see such emotions on Xia Wan¡¯s face. It seemed that riding in such a luxurious car was a casual matter to her. Chen MO did not think too much about it. He only thought that Xia Wan was calm and composed. In fact, he did not know that big shots had invited Xia Wan to save lives in her previous life. She had already traveled in all kinds of luxury cars. On the way, Xia Wan fell asleep. Chen MO glanced at her from time to time. For example, if he were in a car driven by a driver unworthy of his trust, he would never fall into a deep sleep. He believed that Xia Wan had the same personality as the person, but she fell asleep in his car, which meant that she trusted him enough. Chen MO felt inexplicably happy when he thought of this. The phone screen lit up. It was a text message from Xu Ye. [Brother, are you guys out yet? I¡¯ve already found a good relationship. This time, I¡¯ll definitely teach Liu Shi a lesson.] Chen MO was busy driving and ignored him. He only stopped to reply when the car arrived at the village. [We came to the village to find out more about the situation and see if we can punish Liu Shi. He has bullied many people.] On the other side, Xu Ye jumped up excitedly. [Brother, that¡¯s not enough. You went to the village to seek witnesses, but you didn¡¯t bring me along? Are you with my sister Xia Wan?] [Yes,] Chen MO smiled and replied. Xu Ye was speechless. [You¡¯re really my good brother. You¡¯ve learned to value your girlfriend over your friends.] [Alright, you guys go and get busy in the village. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.] Chen MO ended the conversation with an ¡°Okay.¡± When he put away his phone, he saw that Xia Wan had already woken up and was looking at him with interest. ¡°Are you talking to Big Brother Xu?¡± Xia Wan asked. Chen MO nodded. ¡°He¡¯s using his connections there. Liu Shi has done a lot of wrong things in the past, but he wasn¡¯t punished severely every time because he had relatives protecting him. Since we¡¯re here this time, we have to help you clean up the mess.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were filled with gratitude. ¡°Then you must come to our house for dinner later.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Chen MO agreed. As the car stopped, many people gathered around. ¡°Have we seen this car before? Why do I remember coming here before?¡± ¡°I remember it too. It seems like two rich young men came to look for someone, but I don¡¯t know who they were looking for.¡± ¡°Look, isn¡¯t that Xia Wan from our village?¡± ¡°I remember that young man. It¡¯s him. He came to our village to look for someone. So he¡¯s here to look for Xia Wan.¡± The voices of the people around them were unrestrained, so Xia Wan and Chen MO heard them too. The two of them did not say much and rushed to the house belonging to Liu Shi¡¯s underling, who kept sticking with him.. Chapter 240 - Chapter 240: Finding Evidence Chapter 240: Finding Evidence Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Regarding Liu Shi¡¯s memories in her previous life, Xia Wan only remembered that he had bullied many people in the village. However, she was still uncertain about his exact crimes. However, she still had an impression of Liu Shi¡¯s underling, who had been by his side all year round. The first was Li Zhu¡¯s house. Xia Wan knocked on the door. Soon, Li Zhu opened the door. When he saw that it was Xia Wan, Li Zhu spontaneously tried to close the door. Quickly, Xia Wan blocked the door and asked, ¡°Why did you close the door?¡± Li Zhu looked at her uneasily. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to teach me a lesson? Last time, I followed Liu Shi to ask you for money. I admit that I was wrong. After that time, I realized that Liu Shi had schemed against us. Moreover, I was injured last time. Please don¡¯t hit me again.¡± As soon as Li Zhu said this, Xia Wan remembered that he was also involved in the fight, and she had beaten him to a pulp. Xia Wan coughed. ¡°I¡¯m not here to teach you a lesson, but Liu Shi is in prison. He stole a watch worth 30,000 yuan from Chen MO and will probably be locked up for a long time. I know that Liu Shi has done many harmful things in the past. I¡¯m here to find you this time because I hope you can tell me what he has done.¡± Li Zhu became even more uneasy. His tone was filled with fear. ¡°Xia Wan, aren¡¯t you trying to harm me? If I tell you, won¡¯t Liu Shi beat me to death when he gets out of prison? ¡°You all know his temper. Even if I was once his brother, I would definitely suffer a very miserable outcome if I betray him.¡± Chen MO said, ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice. Either you tell us and we¡¯ll gather evidence and witnesses, or you¡¯re Liu Shi¡¯s accomplice. You clearly saw what he did and were at the scene, yet chose not to help the victim. Instead, you assisted Liu Shi in causing harm. Liu Shi might have connections that can protect him, but what about you? Does your family have those connections?¡± Xia Wan and Chen MO had a tacit understanding. When she heard Chen Mo¡¯s words, she also cooperated and said, ¡°Do you see the gentleman beside me? His family¡¯s power is much stronger than Liu Shi¡¯s. No matter how powerful Liu Shi is, his arrogance only lasts amongst the walls of the village.¡± Chen MO took out five 100 -yuan notes from his wallet and handed them to Li Zhu. ¡°If you are willing to cooperate with us, not only will your identity be safe, but you can also take the money.¡± Li Zhu began to hesitate. Chen Mo¡¯s aura was not ordinary. Moreover, everyone in the village knew that Xia Wan¡¯s family had made a name for themselves. They lived in a big house in town, and the clothes they sold were especially popular. Although it was said that it was someone else¡¯s shop and Xia Wan and the others were only helping to sell, they could move an unimaginable amount of stock every day. The boss must be so gracious of Xia Wan¡¯s help that she gained a new backer. With this comparison, Li Zhu felt that Liu Shi had no chance of winning. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you.¡± Li Zhu invited the two of them into his house. Still sporting an earthen wall, there was no limestone on the ground. In its place was simply compressed dirt The house had no cups, so he¡¯d usually drink from a bowl. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to entertain you with, so I¡¯ll just say it.¡± Li Zhu was too lazy to pour them a drink, mainly because he felt that Chen MO would definitely not use their dirty bowls. ¡°Liu Shi has raped many girls in the village over the years. In fact, after Xia Wan fell into the water, her reputation became bad. Thus, he wanted to find an opportunity to rape Xia Wan, but she became very fierce after the accident. In addition, the Xia family has been in trouble, and every move of hers has attracted the attention of the village, so he did not continue to take action.¡± Then, Lee Zhu listed the girls who had been desecrated by Liu Shi one by one. There were a total of seven of them. Xia Wan knew these seven girls. After all, they were from the same village. However, she did not expect that these seven girls had been bullied by Liu Shi before. These were usually very subservient souls, the kind of girls who would say nothing when wronged and would choose to endure it silently. Xia Wan sneered. ¡°Liu Shi is really a bully.¡± She clenched her fists so tightly that she wanted to beat Liu Shi again.. Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: Protecting the Victimized Girls Chapter 241: Protecting the Victimized Girls Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Zhu looked at Xia Wan and said, ¡°Moreover, after Liu Shi had bullied those girls, they were, according to him, no longer clean. Therefore, he¡¯d go to look for them again. The girls¡¯ families favored men, and if they told their parents about this, they would only get beaten and scolded, so Liu Shi wasn¡¯t complaining.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were frighteningly cold. Liu Shi. What a b*stard. Chen Mo¡¯s expression was also very gloomy. It was not because he had heard that Liu Shi had done so much wrong to the women but because he had once tried to harm Xia Wan. When he thought of this possibility, he had the urge to stab Liu Shi with a knife. Was Xia Wan even worthy of such a beast? From Li Zhu¡¯s side, they gradually learned the number of people that Liu Shi had extorted. Some people had lost really valuable items from their homes. In fact, Liu Shi had even coerced a bunch of kids to carry out burglaries. Liu Shi then took these things to the town to sell. After leaving Li Zhu¡¯s house, Xia Wan and Chen Mo¡¯s hearts were heavy. Chen MO had already calmed down. He saw that Xia Wan¡¯s expression was still very heavy and knew she must be worried about those girls. He comforted her, ¡°The family environment of these girls is quite complicated. Their parents favor sons over daughters. If their parents know about this, they might not be willing to let them testify.¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Yes, such incidents won¡¯t sound good in the village. If they testify against Liu Shi as witnesses, they might face criticism from the villagers when they return. It will be difficult to marry them off.¡± Regarding the issue of rape, it would still be a very complicated issue in the coming years. Women were clearly the victims, yet they still provoked the ire of public opinion. They would think that if these rapists chose to rape you, it had to be because you were dressed scantily, or you must¡¯ve gone out too late. If she was a well-behaved girl, how could she have encountered such a thing? Even if she weren¡¯t attacked on the Internet, the woman¡¯s boyfriend, if she had one, would usually feel disgusted with her once something like that happened. If the girl had not found a partner yet, then there would be very few people who would propose to her in the future. Parents with the ability might choose to change cities to spare their daughters from facing these public attacks. If her family was poor, she might have to live under the thumb of others for the rest of her life. The smaller the city, the easier it was for word to get around. ¡°If we want to convince them to testify against Liu Shi, then we must arrange for them to retreat,¡± Xia Wan said to Chen Mo. Chen MO nodded. He knew that Xia Wan already had an idea, so he asked, ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± ¡°There are many factories in the south that are quite profitable now,¡± Xia Wan replied. ¡°If you work there, you can also provide food and accommodation. No thanks to the influence of family values, most of the girls in our village only study up to junior high before they completely stop. Their families think that they are mere women, so no matter how much they study, they would be married someday. This compels them to be not supportive of their daughters furthering their studies all the way to high school. ¡°No matter what their grades in school are, their families are poor nonetheless, or they have younger brothers at home. Whatever little money that¡¯s left in the household would then be used to feed her younger brothers, and that means she¡¯d be left with nothing at the end of the day. ¡°If we send them to the factory, there will be opportunities for training and promotion every year. Some of them are smart and hardworking. As long as they are willing to work hard, they could achieve good results. ¡°When they have money, they can choose to open a shop. Besides, the culture in the South is more progressive. It¡¯s unlike our village, where the mentality is still so conservative.¡± Chen MO nodded, agreeing with Xia Wan¡¯s idea. ¡°Excellent idea! I have many acquaintances in the factories in the south. I could arrange their employment, but the problem is if their parents would agree to let them go.¡± Xia Wan did not reply immediately. She thought that if she told the parents of these girls that they could earn a lot of money by working in the South, these parents would definitely let them go. However, the price they had to pay was that their hard-earned money would have to be given to their parents. Xia Wan asked Chen MO, ¡°If they go to the factory in the south, how much can they earn in a month?¡± ¡°Between 1,000 and 1,500,¡± cnen MO replied. Xia Wan was a little surprised. That was a rather generous amount. The teachers in their village only earned a few hundred yuan a month.. Chapter 242 - Chapter 242: Persuading Song Xi’s Family Chapter 242: Persuading Song Xi¡¯s Family Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen MO added, ¡°But it¡¯s all hard work. They have to work ten hours a day.¡± Xia Wan nodded. She already had an idea in mind. After a simple discussion, they went to the first house, Song Xi¡¯s house. When she arrived at Song Xi¡¯s house, her father was scolding her. ¡®You failed to even complete such a small job. If your stomach hurts, you must have stolen something from the house. Otherwise, why would it hurt? What¡¯s the use of giving birth to a girl like you? You can¡¯t even do such a small task!¡± Beside Song Xi, her eight-year-old brother, Song He, was laughing at her. ¡°Sister is so stupid. She can¡¯t even do such a simple task.¡± Song Xi lowered her head, her stoic face expressionless. It seemed that such scolding was very common for her. The arrival of Xia Wan and Chen MO attracted the attention of Song Xi¡¯s father, Song Hui. Song Hui looked at Xia Wan unhappily. ¡°Why did you come to our house? Didn¡¯t you go to the town to have a good life? Why? Are you trying to meddle in our family¡¯s business?¡± In the past, when he lectured his daughter, there were always some blind neighbors who wanted him to stop. What a joke. What did it have to do with others if he beat and scolded his own daughter? Was it their turn to teach him a lesson? Therefore, when he saw Xia Wan coming over, Song Hui¡¯s first reaction was that Xia Wan was here to speak up for his daughter. Xia Wan deliberately put on a fawning smile. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve come here this time because we have something good for Song Xi. This is a friend of mine who does business in the South. He said that the factories there have a golden opportunity, especially now that they lack female workers. Sister Song Xi has always been diligent. If there¡¯s such a good thing, I immediately thought of looking for her.¡± Hearing that he could make money, Song Hui immediately became interested. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to hit her anymore and asked, ¡°How much money can I earn? Xia Wan smiled slightly. ¡°You can make up to 600 yuan, with the minimum being 400!¡± Chen Mo¡¯s eyelids twitched. He didn¡¯t expect Xia Wan to break the 1000 yuan in half. But even at those rates, Song Hui was very tempted. His gaze towards Xia Wan immediately became passionate, and a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Xia Wan, I knew that you were a good child. Look, I remember giving you potatoes when you were young. I knew that you had a conscience. ¡± ¡°Our Song Xi is famous for being hardworking. If she goes over to work, she will definitely earn that 600 yuan.¡± 600 yuan was really a lot of money. Even if he did laborious work moving bricks, he would only earn 200 yuan a month, not to mention it was backbreaking. But now, Xia Wan said that he¡¯d be working in a factory. How could it be harder than moving bricks in a factory? Song Hui rubbed his hands and quickly welcomed Xia Wan and Chen MO in. He asked again, ¡°Only female workers? Can I go with you? I¡¯m also very strong.¡± Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Sir. These are all delicate jobs. They said that they only want females, and there¡¯s an age limit. They don¡¯t want anyone over 30.¡± Song Hui¡¯s original intention of letting his wife go was also gone. After some calculations, only Song Xi met the requirements. Suddenly, Song Hui looked at Xia Wan warily. ¡°Since it¡¯s such a good thing, why didn¡¯t you go yourself? Now that you¡¯re so eager to get my daughter along, is there some sort of trap I need to be weary about?¡± Xia Wan smiled helplessly and said to Song Hui, ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. The reason why I¡¯m not going is very simple. My family has a job now, and I¡¯m going to start school soon.¡± With Xia Wan and Chen MO¡¯s explanation, Song Hui finally believed her and agreed to let Song Xi go to work. The main reason was that Xia Wan was in the middle as a guarantor. If his daughter really could not be found, he would directly go to Xia Wan to ask for her. After she was almost done, Xia Wan pretended to be in a difficult position and said, ¡°But Sir, this salary is about 500 yuan. There¡¯s a cafeteria over there to get food. Every month, Sister Song Xi will have to spend about 50 yuan on food.¡± She said this because she wanted Song Hui to think that Song Xi¡¯sm expenditure there would be very high. This way, she could save more money for herself. Song Hui frowned slightly, but after calculating, even if his daughter had to spend 50 yuan a month on food, she would still be earning more than in the county. In the end, he agreed. After Xia Wan finished speaking, she brought Song Xi, who was still dazed, out. She didn¡¯t expect such a good thing to happen to her. After the three of them left, Song Xi looked at Xia Wan nervously. ¡°Xia Wan, is what you said true? Will the factory really accept me?¡± ¡°Yeah, and your income won¡¯t be 500 yuan. It¡¯ll be 1000-1500 yuan. As for how much you can make, it¡¯ll all depend on your own ability..¡± Chapter 243 - Chapter 243: High Income Chapter 243: High Income Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Song Xi opened her mouth in surprise. ¡°What? So much money!¡± According to what Xia Wan told Song Hui, she only needed to send home 400 yuan a month and he would be satisfied. But now, she would still get 1000 yuan minimum. After deducting the 400 yuan for Song Hui, she was still left with 600 yuan left every month. That was 7200 yuan a year. Even if she spent some money every month, she could save a lot in a year. Song Xi was dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t expect such a good thing to be waiting for her. Xia Wan gave her some time to digest before continuing, ¡°Of course, finding you a job is one thing. The main thing is that I hope you can be a witness at the police station¡­ to charge Liu Shi for rape.¡± At the mention of Liu Shi, Song Xi¡¯s original joy immediately disappeared. Her face turned pale, and she looked at Xia Wan in panic. ¡°You, you all know.¡± Xia Wan nodded and held Song Xi¡¯s hand to comfort her. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that this happened. It¡¯s all Liu Shi¡¯s fault. You just need to go to the police station to testify against him, and he will get the punishment he deserves. After that, you can go to work in the factory. Liu Shi will be out for a few years. By then, your job should be stable, and you will have your own family. He won¡¯t cause you any more trouble. ¡°If you continue to stay in the village, he will threaten you again and again. You will live under his shadow for the rest of your life.¡± After Xia Wan finished speaking, Song Xi did not speak immediately. Xia Wan understood her feelings and was willing to give her time to think. About ten minutes later, Song Xi¡¯s eyes had a renewed firmness. ¡°Thank you for giving me this opportunity. You¡¯ve already thought of a way out for me. If I don¡¯t even have the courage to charge Liu Shi, how can I let you down after planning so much for me?¡± If she reported Liu Shi this time, he would go to jail, and she would be able to leave the village smoothly. In the future, she would no longer have to worry about his threats, nor would she be afraid of her family finding out about her relationship with Liu Shi. The people in the village also wouldn¡¯t be talking about it. Xia Wan was right. She had to be brave. After convincing Song Xi, they brought her along when they went to look for the other six girls. They used the same method and all six girls agreed. Xu Ye also drove over. Two cars took the seven people to the police station. They told the police that they had been violated by Liu Shi. With his underlings also detained at the police station, they, too, corroborated the testimony of the seven girls. Eventually, Liu Shi was convicted of raping seven people. In addition, the shop owners that Xu Ye had contacted proved that Liu Shi had indeed sold off many of his belongings. With this, a charge for theft was added. That was because the things he sold were not from their family at all. In the end, Liu Shi had to spend seven years in prison. When his family heard the news, they came to the police station and cried, but it was useless. In the end, Officer Song stood up and said, ¡°Liu Shi has been convicted. If you disagree, you can choose to appeal through legal channels instead of making a scene. You¡¯re interfering with the process of the law.¡± After being threatened by Officer Song, those people immediately quietened down and dared not make any more fuss. Nevertheless, Liu Shi¡¯s family still tried to bribe the officer with money, but they were all rejected. He said that the man could not be protected. After the matter was settled, Xia Wan invited Chen MO and Xu Ye to her house. Yan Han had already prepared a table full of dishes. Yan Han smiled and said to Chen MO and Xu Ye, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. If not for your help, we would¡¯ve lost all our clothes and gotten injured. This time, we can let Liu Shi stay in prison for so long.¡± Xia Hai raised his glass and said to the two, ¡°I¡¯m useless as a father. I can¡¯t protect my wife and children. It¡¯s been hard on you this time.¡± Xia Wan quickly stopped him. ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t drink.¡± Chen MO and Xu Ye were treated warmly, but they left after eating. Xia Wan came to send Chen MO off while Xu Ye tactfully sat in the car and waited. Chen MO looked at Xia Wan affectionately. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be busy for a while before coming to see you.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s face was a little red. She felt that the relationship between the two of them was a little ambiguous.¡± It¡¯s okay. You can go ahead with your work.¡± Chen MO smiled and hugged Xia Wan a hug before leaving. Even after Chen MO had walked far away, Xia Wan was still stunned on the spot.. Did he just hug her? Chapter 244 - Chapter 244: Li Jin Gets Out of Jail Chapter 244: Li Jin Gets Out of Jail Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Two days later, it was time for Li Jin and the others to be released. They had planned to settle the score with Xia Hai as soon as they got out, but the police officer warned that if they continued to harass his family, they would have to go to jail. Only then did Li Jin and the others become obedient. When Xia Ru saw that her family had returned, she approached them excitedly. ¡°Grandma, Dad, Mom, you¡¯re finally released! You don¡¯t know how scared I was being alone at home these past few days,¡± Xia Ru gushed as she threw herself into Li Jin¡¯s arms. Chen Lian looked at her coldly and mocked, ¡°Ah, didn¡¯t you go to look for Young Master Lu? Why are you still in the mood to return to our small village? Is it because Young Master Lu doesn¡¯t like you at all?¡± ¡°Xia Ru, you¡¯re such a crafty schemer, but in the end, it¡¯s all for naught. Did you think that you could scheme against a rich young master?¡± Chen Lian had suffered in prison and wanted to scold Xia Ru when she saw her. Song Yan was also angry. Seeing that Chen Lian dared to scold her daughter like this, she put her hands on her hips and began to scold Chen Lian. ¡°You b*tch, if you spout nonsense again, I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart!¡± Unfazed, Chen Lian continued, ¡°After this incident, I finally understand. In the future, let¡¯s split up. Let¡¯s not live together anymore. I feel unlucky living with you guys!¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s split up. Who wants to live with you?¡± Seeing that the two of them were getting increasingly angry, Xia Ru could not help but shout, ¡°Mom, Auntie, stop arguing! Something big has happened in the village. Liu Shi has been arrested, and he¡¯s been incarcerated for seven years!¡± ¡°What? Seven years? What¡¯s going on?¡± Song Yan immediately stopped and looked at Xia Ru in surprise. Xia Ru then slowly said, ¡°This matter started with Xia Wan. Liu Shi went to cause trouble for her that day, and then Chen MO and Xu Ye appeared. They helped Xia Wan stop Liu Shi. Later, I heard Chen MO sued Liu Shi for stealing a watch worth 30,000 yuan.¡± ¡°Later on, the villagers who Liu Shi had bullied filed a lawsuit against him. Liu Shi was sentenced to seven years in prison.¡± Li Jin frowned. ¡°How is it related to Xia Wan again? Is she planning to send the entire village to prison?¡± Seeing Li Jin was unhappy with Xia Wan, Xia Ru immediately said, ¡°That¡¯s not all. I heard that she even helped the seven girls in the village find jobs in the factory in the south. They stand to earn 500 yuan a month, and accommodation is provided.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re a family with Xia Wan. She¡¯s never mentioned such a good thing to me.¡± At this point, Xia Ru looked at Li Jin and begged, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re the head of the family. You have to help me with this. I want to work in that factory too. I want to earn money too. I want to give all my money to you.¡± It was one thing to go to work, but the main thing was that Liu Shi had been arrested. Xia Ru was worried that Liu Shi would drag her down, so she wanted to stay far away from that place as she could. Fortunately, she only asked Liu Shi to find trouble with Xia Wan, but she did not participate, so she did not have to go to jail with him. However, she could not stay in this village anymore. Everyone knew that she had slept with Liu Shi. The news of her taking the initiative to sleep with Lu Lin had also spread. She did not dare to go out now. She kept feeling everyone was looking at her and pointing fingers at her. Li Jin sneered. ¡°We were arrested before because we trespassed. This time, we¡¯ll go to Xia Wan openly. I¡¯m her grandmother, Xia Hai¡¯s mother. How can they stop me?¡± Song Yan quickly said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll go with you. The factory offers a really high salary. I can also earn.¡± Xia Ru quickly said, ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t go. They said that they only want under 30s.¡± Song Yan¡¯s expression immediately turned unhappy. Li Jin waved her hand. ¡°None of you are to follow me. If you go too many times, it¡¯ll look like we¡¯re bullying them. If I go alone, how can they not let me in?¡± Li Jin was an expert at taking advantage of her seniority. She wanted to go alone and create pressure on Xia Wan and the others. She was an old woman who had come all the way from the countryside to see her son and granddaughter, but she was stopped outside? Even if the police came, she had to be in the right. After thinking this through, Li Jin was very confident. She ate a little cake and set off to find Xia Wan.. Chapter 245 - Chapter 245: Li Jin’s Benefits Chapter 245: Li Jin¡¯s Benefits Li Jin quickly arrived at Xia Wan¡¯s house. She knocked on the door and said, ¡°Xia Hai, open the door. I know you¡¯re home.¡± Li Jin knocked hard on the door, but no one answered. Not giving up, she began to shout even louder. The villa¡¯s door was made up of two doors. After the inner door was opened, an iron grille stood between them and outsiders. Through the iron grille, one could look at the people outside, but those outside couldn¡¯t break in. Xia Hai walked out of the house, opened the door, and looked at Li Jin. Xia Hai sounded helpless. ¡°Mother, what are you doing here again? You¡¯ve just been released, so please stop making trouble. I¡¯m a cripple now, and I can¡¯t make a decision even if I say so. We really don¡¯t have that token here.¡± Li Jin waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t have the token. I¡¯m not here to talk to you about this. I heard that Xia Wan brought people to the village and found seven girls to work in the factory in the south. Have these people been spirited away? Why didn¡¯t you think of Xia Ru?¡± Xia Hai did not know about this, so he was still confused when Li Jin brought it up. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t know about these things you¡¯re talking about. Wanwan and the others are selling clothes now. If you really have something to ask, I¡¯ll help you ask her when she comes back.¡± Xia Hai then added, ¡°Wanwan has always been a sensible child. Since she didn¡¯t tell Xia Ru about this, it means that she isn¡¯t suitable for the job. I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t talk to her. Otherwise, you two might get into another fight.¡± Even though the two families were at loggerheads and Li Jin and the others were sent to prison, Xia Hai still remembered his filial piety and did not want to see his mother and Xia Wan argue. He could already tell that Li Jin was no match for Wanwan when it came to arguing and reasoning. If Li Jin insisted on interrogating Wanwan, he would only be asking for trouble in the end. Li Jin didn¡¯t care what Xia Hai was thinking. She stood at the door with a cold harrumph with no sign that she was going to leave. ¡°Go and call Xia Wan back now. Otherwise, I¡¯ll go to her stall and argue with her. You don¡¯t want me to delay her business, right?¡± Xia Hai could tell that Li Jin was starting to act shamelessly. ¡°Alright, Mother, wait here first. I¡¯ll help you call someone.¡± Xia Hai walked out, but he didn¡¯t invite Li Jin in. He remembered that Wanwan had said that if Li Jin and the others were allowed in, they would be even more presumptuous in the future. Therefore, Li Jin couldn¡¯t enter this door. Li Jin saw that Xia Hai had given in, so she stopped making a fuss. After walking for some distance, he finally relaxed his wrist. When he pushed the door open, he realized that his hand had completely recovered. He had always known where Xia Wan sold clothes, but he had never been there. This time, Xia Hai followed the direction and saw his family helping customers choose clothes. Each of them was so enthusiastic and energetic, and the customers all had smiles on their faces. It was obvious that they were very satisfied with their service. Xia Wan had just brought a customer to buy clothes. She put away the money and looked up to see Xia Hai rushing over. She quickly smiled and greeted him. ¡°Dad, why are you here?¡± Xia Wan held his arm and pulled him over Xia Hai was a little embarrassed. ¡°Your grandmother came over alone. She said that she wanted to talk to you about Xia Ru going to work. I didn¡¯t know what she wanted to say, but considering she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble, he said that he would come to look for you first and asked her to wait over there.¡± Xia Wan nodded in agreement. Early in the morning, she was looking for that seven people when. Xia Ru also wanted this opportunity, but why would she take her there? After the seven of them finished their statements, Xu Ye got the final preparations ready for them. Now, Xia Wan was very glad that she had made this decision. Otherwise, if they continued to stay in the village, Xia Ru would definitely come looking for them. If they let it slip and Xia Ru really found out about this factory, they would be finished. ¡°Mom, Brother, look after the stall. I¡¯ll go home with Dad. It¡¯s time to talk to her about Grandma so that she won¡¯t disturb us again and again.¡± Yan Han nodded and said confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wanwan. Your mother is very capable now.¡± Xia Wan and Xia Hai were walking back. Xia Hail s mind was still filled with Yan Han¡¯s confidence.. Chapter 246 - Chapter 246: Xia Hai Regrets His Past Chapter 246: Xia Hai Regrets His Past Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Wanwan,¡± Xia Hai said to Xia Wan, ¡°I saw your mother selling clothes just now. She made me realize something. When I was young, before I married your mother, she seemed to be just as beautiful.¡± As he spoke, Xia Hai seemed to be lost in his memories. ¡°When did the smile on your mother¡¯s face disappear? I think it was after she married me. Your two aunts were more talkative than her. They were very good at pleasing your mother, but your mother was honest. She only knew how to work quietly behind the scenes. ¡°At that time, I thought that your mother and I were being filial. Your two aunts loved to take advantage of others and had bad personalities. I thought that your grandmother would understand who was the one who really treated her well. ¡°But time proved that we were wrong. The old saying is right. The kind will be bullied. Your mother and I have been too simple and honest.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t know how to comfort Xia Hai. Actually, what her father said made sense. He and her mother had indeed been too simple because they thought that as long as they were good to Li Jin and let her see that they were willing to hand over all the money they earned to her, she would consider them filial. In reality, though, Li Jin only thought that his family was easy to manipulate. With a few soft words, Xia Hai would obediently give her all the money. Slowly, Li Jin started to disregard him. She was used to Xia Hails efforts, and she took them for granted. Now, Xia Hai and the rest of the family had their own thoughts. They no longer wanted to hand over money to Li Jin. Li Jin couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She felt that something that belonged to her had been snatched away. To put it bluntly, Xia Hai spoiled Li Jin. If she hadn¡¯t been reborn, her parents would have remained simple for their entire lives. In the end, their daughter¡¯s marriage was stolen, and the money that they had worked hard for half their lives would have fallen into Li Jin¡¯s pocket. Both of their sons would not have had a good ending either. They would have died early, and tragically as well, in a car accident. In the end, it was all because the Xias did not have a clear understanding of people. They thought that they were filial, but in reality, they were simply tools. Before Xia Wan could think for long, she returned to the rented villa. Li Jin was sitting on the stone stool at the door. When she heard footsteps behind her, she immediately looked in the direction of the sound. Seeing that Xia Wan had arrived, Li Jin stood up excitedly and walked towards her. ¡°Xia Wan, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why did you have the chance to go to the factory in the south? You didn¡¯t give it to your cousin, but you gave it to an outsider in the village. What do you mean ?¡± Xia Wan stopped her from approaching and said, ¡°Relax, Grandma. Since you¡¯ve come to ask about the factory, I have to tell you. Calm down, and we¡¯ll talk.¡± Li Jin was a little surprised and stared at Xia Wan suspiciously. Every time she came to look for Xia Wan, she would always look extremely fierce. Now, she was actually talking to her nicely? Li Jin was very surprised. This was very abnormal. ¡°Xia Wan, you¡¯re not right. You didn¡¯t talk to me like this in the past. Tell me, are you plotting something?¡± Xia Wan raised her eyebrows slightly. She didn¡¯t expect Li Jin to have a brain. However¡­ She was very confident that the reason she made up would convince her grandmother. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll tell you the truth since you¡¯re here. I didn¡¯t actually pick these seven people, but Young Master Chen did. He first looks at the girl¡¯s hand when he picks his factory workers. They have to be slender and delicate. Xia Ru¡¯s hands are no good, to say the least.¡± When Li Jin heard this, he was unconvinced. ¡°Your cousin¡¯s been a smart girl since she was a child. Why can others have this qualification but not your cousin? Finding a job in our small county is hard, yet your cousin could find one. Why can¡¯t she do a good job there? ¡°Xia Wan, I think you¡¯re just a sour grape. You don¡¯t want your cousin to be successful. Are you afraid that she will surpass you?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s lips twitched, and she looked at Li Jin somewhat mockingly. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ve been blindsided. In your eyes, Xia Ru is very outstanding, but in the eyes of outsiders, she¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make it clear to you today. They don¡¯t want Xia Ru. Her ability is one thing, but more importantly, Xia Ru is of poor character. They don¡¯t want such a person with such an attitude..¡± Chapter 247 - Chapter 247: Xia Ru Is Not Eligible Chapter 247: Xia Ru Is Not Eligible Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Li Jin was furious. ¡°Misconduct? What¡¯s wrong with your cousin? Did you say something in front of that person? Call him over. I¡¯ll tell him personally. I guarantee that he¡¯ll understand our Xia Ru¡¯s character. She¡¯s the most suitable person to work in the factory.¡± Xia Wan sneered. ¡°Grandma, everyone in the village knows that Xia Ru first seduced a rich young master in the capital. After he absconded, she followed Liu Shi. When Liu Shi first came to find trouble with me, he said himself that Xia Ru was the one who instigated it. ¡°These two things can be explained. First, Xia Ru is a pragmatic person. In order to achieve her goals, she is capable of doing anything. Second, she¡¯s jealous, jealous that I am the one who was arranged to be married, jealous that I am living a better life than her. Thus, she can instigate others to destroy me. ¡°If she goes to the factory, will she do everything she can to chase out anyone who is better than her?¡± ¡°Will she seduce all the male factory workers?¡± Li Jin choked. Xia Ru had indeed done everything that Xia Wan said. However, she also felt that Xia Ru did the right thing. She had sex with a man before she was married. Indeed, it was very disgraceful, but if she could marry Lu Lin, so what if her methods were a little dirty? The key was that she could not marry Lu Lin now, which gave these people the chance to mock her. Li Jin¡¯s eyes turned, and he suddenly softened his tone and said to Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, the matter with your cousin is over. She knows she was wrong. Just give her this chance. ¡°Grandma has heard that the man treats you very well. He likes you, right? However, with our family¡¯s condition, it¡¯s obvious that we¡¯re not compatible. ¡°But if your cousin is successful, then she will be your partner, and people will think highly of you. ¡°Even if our family is separated, we are still one family. As long as one of you is successful, the others will not be looked down upon.¡± Xia Wan looked at Li Jin. She realized that Li Jin was quite flexible. For Xia Ru, she was willing to do this. She leaned closer and looked at Li Jin. ¡°Grandma, Xia Ru is only your granddaughter. For her future, you¡¯re willing to stoop so low for me. You usually hate me the most. For Xia Ru, you can even please the person you hate the most?¡± The fawning smile on Li Jin¡¯s face stiffened slightly. This Xia Wan was so direct that it would be really hard to like her. ¡°What are you saying? We¡¯re family, after all. If we don¡¯t live well, it will definitely affect you. No matter how successful you will become, you still have to get married. If your family doesn¡¯t have anyone to support you, they won¡¯t like you.¡± Li Jin seemed to be saying this in Xia Wan¡¯s favor. Xia Wan curled her lips and stared at her. ¡°Then, you mean that if Uncle and Auntie are doing well, they will help our family too?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯re a family. Even if we¡¯re separated, we¡¯re still connected by blood. How could we ignore you? Grandma said those words in anger before,¡± Li Jin said hypocritically. She had thought it through? It was just that he couldn¡¯t deal with Xia Wan now and still needed Xia Wan¡¯s help. Li Jin had thought this through. As long as she could get Xia Wan to give Xia Ru a chance to work in the factory, with Xia Ru¡¯s ability, she might really be able to hook up with the factory workers! Li Jin hadn¡¯t thought of this before, but Xia Wan¡¯s words reminded her. The more Li Jin thought about it, the more he felt that this was a good idea. ¡°Grandma is so kind, and our family is so united. Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Grandma to help us pay the hospital¡¯s debt first. You helped us first, and we¡¯ll help you when we have the ability. This time, we definitely don¡¯t have the qualifications to hire Xia Ru, but she said that she will hire another person in two months.¡± Xia Wan also softened her attitude and said to Li Jin. Li Jin¡¯s eyes widened. What did she mean? Was Xia Wan asking her for money? Xia Wan just looked at her like that. Without saying anything else, Li Jin clenched his fists and cursed Xia Wan countless times in his heart. This b*tch. Li Jin understood what she meant. If they wanted her to help Xia Ru, they had to settle Xia Hail s medical fees first.. Chapter 248 - Chapter 248: Heart to Heart Talk With Xia Hai Chapter 248: Heart to Heart Talk With Xia Hai Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After Li Jin left, Xia Hai hesitated. Xia Wan looked at him. ¡°Dad, if you have anything to ask, just say it.¡± Xia Hai hesitated momentarily before asking, ¡°Is it really not okay for Xia Ru to work at the factory?¡± Xia Wan knew that although Xia Hai and Li Jin had separated, they were still family to him. If possible, it would be best if they helped each other. However, what Xia Hai did not know was that if Xia Ru had a good life, she would not let his family have one. Xia Wan decided to have a good talk with her father. She wanted him to figure out their relationship. ¡°Dad, come with me to my house to talk,¡± Xia Wan said. ¡°Alright.¡± The two of them returned to the living room. Xia Wan did not beat around the bush and said directly, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s like this. How¡¯s the relationship between our family and Grandma¡¯s family now?¡± Xia Hai was a little confused by Xia Wan¡¯s question. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°We¡¯re separated now, but we¡¯re still a family.¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°So, Dad, you think that we¡¯re still a family, so we should help each other when we¡¯re in trouble and live a good life together when our living conditions are better, right?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words hit the nail on the head. That was what Xia Hai was thinking, but looking at his daughter¡¯s expression, he felt that something was wrong. ¡°Wanwan, are you hiding something from me?¡± Xia Hai asked. Xia Wan knew that she could not tell Xia Hai she had been reborn. He would not believe her. She decided to help Xia Hai sort out his logic. ¡°Dad, think back to the time when your daughter¡¯s reputation was ruined. The villagers all said that she was a seductress in school. Later, I was pushed into the water. My two cousins were clearly nearby, but they didn¡¯t choose to save me. Do you think they are kind? ¡°If they fell into the water, our family would definitely go and save them, but if it¡¯s us, they definitely won¡¯t. It¡¯s because they don¡¯t like our family and don¡¯t want to help us at all. They think that we¡¯re trouble and an embarrassing existence.¡± ¡°Dad, you and Mom are both kind, so you assume that everyone must be as kind. You treat them as family, so you think that they treat us as family. In fact, that¡¯s not the case, Dad. Their hearts are evil, and they won¡¯t want our family to live well.¡± ¡°Now that I have this opportunity, I can introduce people to the factory in the south. Why didn¡¯t I introduce them to Xia Ru? ¡°On the one hand, Xia Ru indeed doesn¡¯t meet the requirements. I don¡¯t have the ability to get her in. On the other hand, if she gets there and becomes rich and has status, do you think she will be grateful to us? She won¡¯t. Instead, she¡¯ll show off in front of us, despise us, and embarrass us. ¡°She might even deliberately cause trouble and destroy our business, leaving our family without income and preventing my brother and me from attending school. Dad, if I help Xia Ru now, I¡¯ll raise a tiger and invite disaster!¡± Xia Hai fell silent. He wanted to deny Xia Wan¡¯s words. He felt that they were family and couldn¡¯t possibly be so ruthless. Just like him, if Xia Jiang and Xia He were better off than his family, he would only be happy for his two brothers. However, thinking about it carefully, Xia Ru was a proud child. She had never liked their Wanwan since she was young and always thought she was very strong. On Li Jin¡¯s side, Xia Ru was the one she most doted among her granddaughters. Now that Wanwan was stronger than Xia Ru in all aspects, Xia Ru would definitely be unwilling. If Wanwan really gave Xia Ru the chance to go to the factory, would she really cherish it? No, she wouldn¡¯t. She would only think that Wanwan was giving her alms. Xia Hai put himself in Xia Ru¡¯s shoes and slowly understood what Xia Wan said. He had been naive before. He had mistakenly thought that he and his family could at least develop peacefully. The reality was that if their family was doing well, Xia Jiang and Xia He would be jealous. If their families were doing well, they would turn against their families. The two families were already enemies. Xia Wan saw the change in Xia Hai¡¯s expression and knew that he had thought it through. Xia Hai sighed. ¡°Wanwan, I was wrong. I was too naive. I won¡¯t care about Li Jin anymore. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Xia Wan was relieved to hear Xia Hails words.. Chapter 249 - Chapter 249: Unwilling to Pay Chapter 249: Unwilling to Pay Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation On the other side, Xia Ru was waiting anxiously when Li Jin returned home. When she saw Li Jin return, she quickly came over to welcome her. ¡°Grandma, how was it?¡± Li Jin frowned. ¡°Xia Wan is really shameless. She happens to know someone, and she thinks she¡¯s capable. She actually said that she wants me to get you a chance to work in the factory in the south, but we have to foot Xia Hai¡¯s medical expenses first.¡± Song Yan, Chen Lian, and Xia Ye also came over and expressed their opinions after hearing this. Song Yan naturally sided with her daughter, Xia Ru. She calculated in her heart and said, ¡°If Xia Ru can work at the factory, she can transfer 400 yuan a month to her home. That would be 4800 yuan a year. I remember that she only owes 3000 yuan for Xia Hails medical expenses. As long as Xia Ru can work at the factory, she would be able to make more than that in less than a year. ¡°Besides, Xia Hai owes the hospital 3000 yuan. It¡¯s been so many days since then. Xia Wan¡¯s stall is packed with customers every day, and they must have made a lot of money. Didn¡¯t you hear that Yan Han joined them at the stall, selling clothes?¡± What she meant was to let Xia Ru go to class first. Chen Lian was unhappy when she heard this and immediately retorted, ¡°Sister-in-law, I don¡¯t agree with what you¡¯re saying. Your Xia Ru wants this opportunity, yet you want our family to pay for Xia Hail s medical expenses. We don¡¯t mind if your family takes the money, but the money can¡¯t be taken out of our family¡¯s pooled assets. ¡°Getting this job is good for Xia Ru, but Xia Ye is still studying and doesn¡¯t need such an opportunity. Why should our family pay? Xia Ye nodded as well. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m still studying. There will be plenty of opportunities to earn money in the future. You guys aren¡¯t my concern. Our family doesn¡¯t have money now, so we¡¯re just trying to get a job for Xia Ru.¡± Song Yan and Chen Lian showed no sign of caving in to the other, and another quarrel erupted. ¡°Shut up!¡± Li Jin shouted impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss things that haven¡¯t been decided yet. Why are you arguing? Are you happy to be a laughingstock?¡± As soon as Li Jin said that, they immediately stopped arguing. Chen Lian said, ¡°Anyway, our family doesn¡¯t have money. You can do whatever you want as long as you don¡¯t use out common assets. If Sister-in-law¡¯s family has money, then let her pay for it.¡± It was rare for Xia Yu to go up to Li Jin and butter her. ¡°Grandma, all the money at home is supposed to be mine. I want to eat meat and buy nice outfits. I won¡¯t spend on women. Grandma, didn¡¯t you say that they are all losers and I am your good grandson?¡± After Xia Yu said that, Xia Ru and Xia Ye¡¯s expressions turned ugly. Song Yan knew that there would be no result from the dispute now, so she said, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s leave this matter at that for now. I will discuss it with Xia Ru. I know that you have tried your best to help us.¡± Seeing that Song Yan had taken the initiative to give in, Li Jin¡¯s expression softened a little. ¡°Okay, then you people discuss it. If there¡¯s still money, send it all to Xia Wan. With this job, Xia Ru can earn more money in the future.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Song Yan brought Xia Ru back to her room. Xia Ru¡¯s face was full of unwillingness. ¡°Mom, I want to go to work. The salary there is high, and the people there don¡¯t know about me. I can make a good living there and find you an outstanding son-in-law.¡± Song Yan sighed and said, ¡°I want you to go too, but the problem now is Xia Wan. You can see that Xia Wan is not relenting at all. Liu Shi, who has been causing trouble for Xia Wan, is now in prison. Mom heard some news about you and Liu Shi after I came out. Don¡¯t go and cause trouble for Xia Wan directly. What if you are also at the police station? What will Mom do?¡± Xia Ru nodded. ¡°I know, Mom. I didn¡¯t expect Xia Wan to be such a ruthless person. No matter what, Liu Shi grew up in the same village as her, but she¡¯s so merciless.¡± Xia Ru leaned closer to Song Yan. ¡°Mom, how much money have you and Dad saved? Is it enough to pay for Xia Wan¡¯s medical expenses?¡± Hearing Xia Ru mention money, Song Yan immediately became nervous. She wanted her daughter to go to work because she wanted her to be the family¡¯s breadwinner, not because she wanted to give her money.. Chapter 250 - Chapter 250: Song Yan ‘s Plan Chapter 250: Song Yan ¡®s Plan Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Song Yan rolled her eyes and immediately said, ¡°Daughter, you know our family¡¯s situation. Most of your father¡¯s monthly salary is given to your grandmother. Our family doesn¡¯t have money.¡± Xia Ru pursed her lips. She could tell that even her mother was not willing to spend money on this occasion. Even if she gave her grandmother her monthly salary, she would not give her money at the critical moment. Xia Ru¡¯s heart was cold. She felt that there was no humanity in this family at all. They were a group of selfish demons. Although she thought so, Xia Ru did not show it. She still needed this family and had to restrain her emotions. ¡°Mom, what do you think we should do now? I really want to go out and earn money. I also want you and Dad to live a good life.¡±Xia Ru pretended to be sincere. Song Yan frowned and pondered. Suddenly, she clapped her hands and thought of a good idea. Song Yan said excitedly, ¡± Although we don¡¯t know which factory Xia Wan is helping to recruit workers from, we know now that the factory is located in the south. Then, you can go there too. When the time comes, you can ask around, and you¡¯ll definitely find out.¡± Xia Ru looked at Song Yan in disbelief. ¡°Mom, are you saying that I should go there alone?¡± Song Yan asked, ¡°Of course. Is there a problem? Didn¡¯t you go to Beijing alone to find Lu Lin? Since you could go to Beijing, why can¡¯t you go to the south?¡± Xia Ru was so angry that she wanted to laugh. This was her mother¡¯s good idea to let her go to the south alone to find the so-called factory. It was fine if she found it, but what if she couldn¡¯t? She did not know anyone from the south and would be alone. Previously, she dared to look for Lu Lin because he had given her the address of the Lu family¡¯s old residence. Moreover, the capital was not very far from them. However, the Southern accent was very different from hers. She had heard that there were people from all kinds of cities there, and with that came chaos and a whole lot of deception and malice. ¡°Mom, what if I go to the south and get cheated and can¡¯t come back?¡± Xia Ru asked Song Yan. Song Yan avoided her gaze. ¡°My Xia Ru is so smart. How could she get cheated?¡± Xia Ru snorted coldly and pulled Song Yan¡¯s arm. ¡°Then, Mom, come with me to the south. When I find a factory that can work, I¡¯ll go to work, and you can come back. How about that?¡± Song Yan retorted without thinking, ¡°That won¡¯t do. If I leave with you, who will do the chores at home? Your father has to work. What will he eat when he gets home?¡± Xia Ru sneered. In Song Yan¡¯s heart, her father, Xia Jiang, could not eat without someone to take care of him. On the other hand, she, as a daughter, was willing to work alone in such a faraway place. ¡°Mom, let me think about it a little more.¡± Xia Ru closed her eyes, not wanting to look at Song Yan anymore. She felt a little tired. This family put her in despair, and she was dying to escape. After Song Yan left, the room was quiet. Only Xia Ru was left. She calmly thought about what had happened before and felt that she had to find a way out for herself. Now, whether it was Li Jin or Song Yan, they supported her to work in the factory in the south because they wanted her money. Song Yan intended to let her go to the South alone and not care about her life at all. Since that was the case, why should she care about the two of them? She could go to the South and work hard. All the money she earned would be her own. She did not want to contact anyone. Thinking of this, Xia Ru¡¯s eyes became more determined. She did not want to be compared to Xia Wan anymore. Early the next morning, Xia Ru was very active. She took the initiative to help her family cook, went to the mountain to cut wood, and helped feed the pigs. Li Jin and Song Yan only thought that she wanted to prove herself so that everyone would agree to let her work in the southern factory. The two of them didn¡¯t care much about it. Therefore, when Xia Ru suggested going out to the county town to buy some things for her family, Li Jin generously gave her money. Looking at the ten yuan Li Jin gave her, Xia Ru said, ¡®Grandma, ten yuan isn¡¯t enough. I plan to reason with Xia Wan when I get to town. In order to show my sincerity, I should buy her more stuff.. What if I manage to move her, and she decides to help me?¡± Chapter 251 - Chapter 251: Xia Ru’s Money Chapter 251: Xia Ru¡¯s Money Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing that Li Jin¡¯s expressions waver, Xia Ru doubled down on her persuasion. ¡°Grandma, even though I¡¯ll spend the money, if I can go to work, I¡¯ll earn it back very quickly. By then, I¡¯ll be handing over my monthly salary to you. Grandma, you¡¯ll be waltzing your way to the bank!¡± Hearing Xia Ru¡¯s words, Li Jin was shaken. Xia Ru had always had a lot of ideas. If she was given some money, she would really be able to settle this matter. It would be equivalent to spending a small amount of effort to obtain huge benefits. Thinking of this, Li Jin felt comfortable. She had a feeling that she was about to make a lot of money real soon. ¡°Tell me, how much do you want?¡± Li Jin asked. Xia Ru smiled. ¡°Grandma, give me 200 yuan.¡± ¡°What?! 200 yuan? Xia Ru, are you crazy? I just asked Xia Wan to help me find a job, and you actually want to spend 200 yuan to buy her something?¡± Xia Ru was afraid that Li Jin would not agree, so she said coquettishly, ¡°C¡¯mon, Grandma, it¡¯s just for contingency. I definitely can¡¯t spend that much. This money is just going through the motions in my hands.¡± Hearing Xia Rut s words, Li Jin felt that they were acceptable and reluctantly gave Xia Ru 200 yuan. As she watched Xia Ru leave, she realized that even though she knew that Xia Ru would be able to earn a lot in the future, she was still reluctant to help Xia Hai pay for his medical expenses. Now, giving Xia Ru 200 yuan already made her heart ache, let alone 3,000. Xia Ru took the money, took out her bag, and brought some clothes for herself before leaving in a hurry. With her previous experience in the capital, she was now more confident in going on a long journey. Xia Ru left, and Li Jin waited at home. As the sky turned dark, Xia Rut s side showed no sign of movement. Xia Jiang and Xia He had already returned from work, but Xia Ru still hadn¡¯t moved. Li Jin finally could not sit still. She hurriedly gathered her family and asked, ¡°Did you see Xia Ru today?¡± When Song Yan heard that her daughter had disappeared, she hurriedly asked, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s going on? Hasn¡¯t Ru been at home all day?¡± Li Jin told her about Xia Ru¡¯s previous plan and then said, ¡°She went to look for Xia Wan and hasn¡¯t returned. Do you think something happened to her?¡± Song Yan also started to worry. ¡°Xia Wan is capable of sending Liu Shi to prison. She must be a ruthless person. Could she have sent Xia Ru to prison Li Jin glared at her. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Liu Shi went to prison because he robbed Xia Wan and the others of their clothes and stole that big shot¡¯s watch. If it were up to me, Liu Shi wouldn¡¯t be in prison now if not for that big shot. Do you think Xia Wan is that capable?¡± Song Yan felt much more at ease after being yelled at by Li Jin. As long as her daughter was not sent to prison, everything else was fine. Chen Lian, however, heard the key point and exclaimed, ¡°Mother! You actually gave Xia Ru 200 yuan? That¡¯s a huge amount! Our Xia He¡¯s monthly salary is only this much! Could Xia Ru have taken the money to fool around?¡± Song Yan was extremely unhappy when she heard this. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? As an aunt, don¡¯t you know our Xia Ru¡¯s personality? Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. Xia Ru has given everything she has earned these few years to Mother. That adds up to a lot of money. Even if our Xia Ru spends all the 200 yuan, it¡¯s still something within her boundaries. ¡°Look at your Xia Ye. How much savings has she added to the family? All these years of studying, which one of them didn¡¯t spend their family¡¯s money? Did she earn for her family? She¡¯s the one who shouldn¡¯t be spending a single cent. ¡°Look at Xia Ye. She bought new clothes now. Tsk, where did you get the money from?¡± Seeing that Song Yan and Chen Lian were about to quarrel again, Li Jin smashed her walking stick on the ground. ¡°Quiet! Quiet! Do you only know how to quarrel in the face of roadblocks? If my Xia family had daughters-in-law like you, what kind of future would there be? What kind of promising children would there be? Can I still expect you to support me in my old age? Ptui!¡± Song Yan and Chen Lian paused, and the two of them immediately became silent, tails between their legs. Li Jin had the final say, now that the money was in her hands. Chen Lian looked at Li Jin with an aggrieved expression.. ¡°Then, Mother, what do you think we should do now? Should we look for Xia Wan?¡± Chapter 252 - Chapter 252: Xia Ru’s Disappearance Chapter 252: Xia Ru¡¯s Disappearance Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When it came to finding Xia Wan, Chen Lian was actually a little afraid. The last time they went to find her, they were caught and got sent to prison. If something happened to Xia Wan again this time, how would they get out? Liu Shi¡¯s case was also another glaring issue. He was sentenced to seven years! ¡®Well, Sister-in-law, this whole thing was caused by your Xia Ru. Why don¡¯t you go and look for Xia Wan? You¡¯re the Sister-in-law, so Xia Hai will definitely give you some face. He won¡¯t chase you out no matter what.¡± Song Yan glared at her. ¡°You just don¡¯t dare to go. If something happens to your Xia Ye, we won¡¯t help you find her.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re talking about Xia Ru now. Why are you cursing our Xia Ye? Anyway, you¡¯ll settle this yourself. At most, we¡¯ll help you find someone in the village.¡± After saying this, Chen Lian called Xia He out to look for her. In her opinion, she had already tried her best. If Xia Ru still could not find her Although Xia Ye was unwilling, she still followed Chen Lian out to look for her. She was mainly afraid of being scolded by Li Jin. Song Yan looked at Li Jin. ¡°Mother, come with us to Xia Wan¡¯s place to take a look. What if she¡¯s really with Xia Wan?¡± Li Jin waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯ve already gone to look for Xia Wan because of Xia Ru. I can¡¯t go to her every time and make it seem like I¡¯m humble. No matter what, I¡¯m her grandmother. I¡¯m her elder. It¡¯s like I¡¯m begging her every day.¡± Song Yan choked when she heard this. In terms of seniority, she was also Xia Wan¡¯s elder. Now that something happened, wouldn¡¯t she have to beg Xia Wan? She muttered in her heart, but Song Yan did not dare to show it. She immediately pulled Xia Jiang to the county town to look for Xia Wan. The sky was very dark at this time. The two of them walked on the rural road, feeling a little afraid. ¡°What did you say to Ruru yesterday?¡± Xia Jiang asked Song Yan. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. I just said that if Xia Wan doesn¡¯t agree and Xia Wan doesn¡¯t help us find a job, we¡¯ll go find a job ourselves. Anyway, we already know that the job is in the South.¡± Xia Jiang stopped in his tracks, and his expression turned serious. ¡°You want our daughter to go to the south by herself?¡± Song Yan was a little embarrassed to face Xia Jiang. That was what she meant at the time, but now she couldn¡¯t say it. ¡°I was just saying, but our daughter isn¡¯t stupid. She even asked me if I would go with her. I said that I still have to cook for you at home, so I can¡¯t go.¡± Hearing this, Xia Jiang had already guessed it. He stopped and said to Song Yan, ¡°I think our daughter might not have gone to look for Xia Wan at all. Instead, she took the money given by Mother and went to the South to look for a job.¡± ¡°What? No way, Ruru wouldn¡¯t be so bold, ¡± Song Yan said in surprise. Xia Jiang snorted coldly. ¡°Our daughter has a lot of ideas now. She can even go to the capital to look for the Lu family alone. What else can¡¯t she do? Even if she went to look for Xia Wan and bought her things, she wouldn¡¯t have taken so much money. Do you think that with Ruru¡¯s personality, she would be willing to spend so much money on Xia Wan?¡± Song Yan felt that Xia Jiang¡¯s words made sense. At the same time, she felt a little uneasy. Could it be that what she said to Ruru yesterday really made her want to go to the south to work? ¡°Then what should we do now? Are we still going to look for Xia Wan?¡± Xia Jiang calmed herself down. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look first. What if our guess is wrong? Perhaps Xia Ru isn¡¯t that bold.¡± The two of them arrived at the small county town, faces filled with anxiety. Because they were worried about Xia Ru, they didn¡¯t feel that this road was very scary. Xia Wan was eating. The table was full of meat dishes. She was eating happily when she heard the doorbell ring. Xia Chen frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s visiting at this hour? It¡¯s so late. Could it be something urgent?¡± Xia Feng immediately got up. ¡°Brother, you should eat. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Xia Feng almost jogged to the door and saw Song Yan and Xia Jiang standing there. Xia Feng immediately stopped in his tracks. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Xia Feng asked warily.. Chapter 253 - Chapter 253: I’m Not Here Chapter 253: I¡¯m Not Here Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Song Yan forced a smile on her face and said to Xia Feng, ¡°Little Feng, we have something to talk to your sister about. Let us in quickly.¡± Xia Feng didn¡¯t open the door and only replied, ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say. It¡¯s about letting Xia Ru go to the factory in the south, right? Sister said that she can¡¯t make the decision on this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about going to the factory. Our Xia Ru came to look for Xia Wan with 200 yuan. She went out in the afternoon. It¡¯s late now, and she hasn¡¯t returned yet. We¡¯re here purely to look for her.¡± Song Yan said anxiously, ¡°I can¡¯t explain this to you clearly. Where¡¯s your sister? Let her come out. We¡¯ll talk to her.¡± Xia Feng saw that the anxiety on Song Yan¡¯s face was real and could not help but believe her. At this moment, Xia Jiang also spoke up. ¡°Hurry up and call your sister out to ask. We¡¯re not going in, okay? We¡¯re really in a hurry to find Xia Ru. It¡¯s already so late. What if something happens to her? What should we do?¡± Seeing Song Yan and Xia Jiang¡¯s seriousness, Xia Feng felt that the matter should have some truth to it. He hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°You guys wait here first. I¡¯ll go ask my sister.¡± When Xia Feng came out again, Xia Wan was already following behind him. Xia Wan knew their purpose for coming, so she said bluntly, ¡°Xia Ru didn¡¯t come here to look for me today. I don¡¯t know where she went. If you still can¡¯t find her, call the police.¡± After saying that, Xia Wan prepared to turn around and leave. ¡°Wait!¡± Song Yan shouted. Even if you didn¡¯t see Xia Ru, you should have helped us look for her. If it wasn¡¯t because you didn¡¯t give your cousin the chance to enter the factory, why would she think of a way to go to there herself?¡± Xia Wan was so angry that she laughed. ¡°You mean that Xia Ru cheated Grandma of her money and lied that she came to look for me because I didn¡¯t find her a job?¡± Song Yan straightened her neck. ¡°Of course. Even if we split up, we¡¯re still a family. Why did you give such a good thing to the others in the village but leave your cousin behind? Xia Wan, I think you¡¯re deliberately targeting your cousin!¡± Xia Wan laughed coldly and said, ¡°You should know better than me what kind of personality Xia Ru has. Can you guarantee that she will be able to endure loneliness and not find trouble when she goes to work in the factory in the south? ¡°She¡¯s used to taking shortcuts. Even if she were given this chance, she wouldn¡¯t work hard. ¡°Why should I introduce such a person with such a low character to the factory? Besides, Xia Ru doesn¡¯t meet the requirements. Don¡¯t come again. I don¡¯t know where Xia Ru went. If you think I lost Xia Ru, then call the police.¡± Then Xia Wan said to Xia Feng, ¡°Close the door!¡± Xia Feng obediently closed the door, blocking out Song Yan¡¯s curses. Seeing that Xia Wan¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t too good, Yan Han asked Xia Feng about the reason. Xia Feng simply explained the purpose of Song Yan and the others coming. ¡°So, Xia Ru really took Mother¡¯s money and went to the factory in the south?¡± Yan Han asked. Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anyway, this matter has nothing to do with us. She can go wherever she wants. We just have to do our own things.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I know. Mother won¡¯t care. I¡¯m just asking casually.¡± Yan Han quickly said. Song Yan and Xia Jiang did not find anyone. Everyone else in the village had already fallen asleep when they returned home. Chen Lian and Xia Ye had also returned. They shook their heads, indicating they had not found Xia Ru. Xia Ye muttered, ¡°There¡¯s no need to look for her. Xia Ru is smart. How could she get lost in the village? Since Xia Wan said she hadn¡¯t seen her, it means she must¡¯ve gone to the south to find a job. Let¡¯s not worry about her. In her opinion, if Xia Ru could go to the capital alone to look for the Lu family, what else was she incapable of? For money and status, Xia Ru would do anything. Song Yan was unhappy when she heard this. ¡°You child, how can you say that? Xia Ru is your cousin. What if something happens to her on the way? Besides, it was a long way to the south. Food and lodging were free. She only had 200 yuan with her. What could she do?¡± Li Jin¡¯s face immediately darkened at the mention of the 200 yuan. ¡°If she wants to go to the south, then go. What¡¯s she doing with the family¡¯s money?¡± Song Yan quickly said, ¡°Mother, this is only two hundred yuan.. It¡¯s dangerous for our Xia Ru to go out alone!¡± Chapter 254 - Chapter 254: All Selfish Chapter 254: All Selfish Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Lian snorted coldly. ¡°Xia Ru was in danger because she asked for it. It¡¯s not like there are no jobs in our county. It¡¯s wrong of her to cheat the mother of her money.¡± ¡°This account is yours. Next month, your family¡¯s salary must be handed over, but ours doesn¡¯t.¡¯ Song Yan was very unconvinced. ¡°Why should we? Your Xia Ye still needs to spend money to go to school. Our Xia Ru has worked long but never spent our family¡¯s money. Now, she¡¯s just looking for an opportunity to work and only spent 200 yuan. She earns more than 200 yuan for our family. What about your Xia Ye? How much does she earn? ¡°And your family¡¯s Xia Yu, she always eats the most in the family. If we calculate it this way, our family is the one who suffers the most.¡± Chen Lian and Song Yan were scolding each other again, which annoyed Li Jin. In the end, Xia Jiang said, ¡°Since you¡¯re not satisfied with our Xia Ru¡¯s spending, and we¡¯re not satisfied with your family¡¯s tuition fees, let¡¯s just split up. We¡¯ll take care of things from here.¡± Li Jin was originally annoyed but immediately perked up when she heard Xia Jiang¡¯s words. ¡°No, how can we split up? We can¡¯t split up. Our family has already split one.¡± In order to prevent them from continuing to discuss the matter of splitting up, Li Jin took the initiative to persuade them, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just two hundred yuan. I think what Song Yan said makes sense. Xia Ru has made a lot of money for the family before, so let¡¯s forget about it this time.¡± With Li Jin¡¯s words, Song Yan could not say anything else. The two families went their separate ways. When she returned to her room, Song Yan told Xia Jiang, ¡°I think we should split up if we have the chance.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Xia Jiang was puzzled. ¡°Think about it,¡± Song Yan analyzed. ¡°When Xia Hails family was around, all the money they earned belonged to us. Yan Han was also responsible for cooking for us. But now, Xia Hai¡¯s family has split the money. Chen Lian and I have to take turns cooking for the whole family every time. It¡¯s been tough. ¡°Besides, even though our family spends, we earn a lot too. Xia Ru has also started to earn money, but look at Chen Lian¡¯s family. Xia Ye is still studying. Not only does she not earn money, she has to spend money. Xia Yu doesn¡¯t even want to go to school but doesn¡¯t want to earn money. ¡°If we continue living with them, our family will suffer.¡± Xia Jiang was silent momentarily and asked, ¡®Where¡¯s your mother? Where¡¯s your mother? Do you want someone to cook for you? She raised us painstakingly. If we all split up, Mother will definitely be sad.¡± Song Yan said, ¡°Ahh, what¡¯s the big deal? When the time comes, just let your mother take turns to follow us. She¡¯ll stay at our house for seven days and Chen Lian¡¯s house for seven days. Then, we¡¯ll give her a portion of living expenses every month. It¡¯s just that we can¡¯t give her half of our monthly salary like before. ¡°With the money in her hands, who knows who she will spend it on.¡± Although Song Yan did not say it explicitly, Xia Jiang understood that Li Jin was actually more biased toward Xia Yu. If they had a son, Li Jin would probably like him. However, they only had Xia After thinking about it, Xia Jiang felt that Song Yan¡¯s suggestion was not bad. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell Mother tomorrow.¡± The next day, Xia Wan came to the shop early to take a look. She was prepared to renovate the shop. She already had a rough idea of how to renovate it. She observed the shop while drawing designs. Not long after, Xia Hai rushed over with a plate of fruits in his hand. He handed it to Xia Wan and said, ¡°Dad just washed it. Have some.¡± Xia Wan took it with a smile. Xia Hai casually glanced at the design and praised, ¡°Wanwan, did you design this yourself? Although I haven¡¯t been to many shops, I think it looks very luxurious.¡± Xia Wan nodded. She was thrilled that her father had approved of her design. ¡°But according to my calculations, if we renovate it like this, it will cost about 2000 yuan.¡± 2000 yuan was equivalent to many years of income in this era. It was not a small amount. Xia Hai laughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re worried about money. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve done all kinds of jobs when I was working part-time. I know where to buy the materials you need at the cheapest price. ¡°I know a factory manager. His factory produces all the materials you need. Why don¡¯t I bring you over to take a look?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Alright, then, let¡¯s go over now..¡± Chapter 255 - Chapter 255: Ordering Materials at the Factory Chapter 255: Ordering Materials at the Factory Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation With Xia Hai leading the way, the two of them rushed toward the factory. On the way, they saw the occasional bicycle and tricycle passing by. Xia Wan noticed that Xia Hails face was also filled with envy. ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t I buy you a tricycle and a bicycle for my brother? That way, it¡¯ll be more convenient for you to go out,¡± Xia Wan suddenly said. Xia Hai, who was enjoying the scenery around him, was stunned. He quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°No, how can I do that? It¡¯s not easy for you to earn. It¡¯s one thing that I didn¡¯t help you, but how can I spend your money like that?¡± As he said that, he moved his wrist. ¡°My wrist is almost healed now. I¡¯m going to go out to find work.¡± Xia Wan did not agree with Xia Hail s decision to go to work. Even though I was working hard, earning 300 yuan a month was considered a lot. Instead of working hard and earning so little, he might as well help his family sell clothes. She had talked to Xia Hai about this before, but he never thought that he had the talent to sell clothes. He felt that joining them wouldn¡¯t increase the sales of the clothes, and he might as well find another job. Now, their clothes sales were much slower than before. Sometimes, only a dozen pieces could be sold in a day, and sometimes, the stall was very idle. Yan Han must have mentioned this to Xia Hai, which was why he wanted to find other work. In the minds of the older generation, starting their own business could make them more money, but they had to bear the risks themselves, and their income was unstable. Compared to these, they preferred to work for others and get a fixed salary every month. At least it was stable. Xia Wan didn¡¯t try to persuade him. She continued to follow Xia Hai to the factory. The two of them walked for another five minutes before they ran into Liu Guang, who was riding a tricycle. Liu Hua was riding beside him. Seeing Xia Wan, Liu Hua greeted her excitedly. ¡°Sister Xiawan, Mr. Xia.¡± Xia Wan and Xia Hai stopped in their tracks. Liu Guang smiled and said to Xia Wan, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you for helping my family draw last time. She¡¯s been taking the medicine you prescribed, and she looks much better now.¡± Xia Wan could also see that Liu Hua looked more energetic than before. Her face was also way rosier. She smiled and replied, ¡°Mr. Xia, what are you saying? I got pushed into the river before. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would have been really sick, even if I was still alive. Compared to your kindness, what I¡¯ve done is not worth mentioning.¡± Liu Guang laughed. ¡°Haha, alright, let¡¯s not talk about this. We¡¯re all neighbors, so it¡¯s only right that we help each other. Where are you going? I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± ¡°No,¡± Xia Hai said hurriedly. ¡°You must have something to do in the county. We shouldn¡¯t be holding you back.¡± Liu Hua took out the notebook from his bag and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just that school is about to start, so I asked Dad to bring me to the county to buy some stationery.¡± With Liu Hua¡¯s reminder, Xia Wan remembered that school was about to start. Xia Hai reacted quickly as well. He looked at Xia Wan and asked, ¡°Wanwan, have you bought all your stationery?¡± Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°Not yet.¡± Liu Guang immediately said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I will bring you to buy it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m in no hurry to buy stationery. I¡¯ll bring my brother, Xia Feng, with me later and buy ours together. We¡¯re just about to head into the factory to take a look. Since you mentioned it, perhaps you could bring us there.¡± Xia Wan and Xia Hai got into Liu Guang¡¯s tricycle. In this era, there was a lot of space in a tricycle. It could easily fit three adults, not to mention that Xia Wan and Liu Hua were thin, and they did not take up much space. On the way, Xia Hai chatted with Liu Guang, while Liu Hua began a lively conversation with Xia Wan. ¡°Wanwan, didn¡¯t you hear? Your house was very lively yesterday.¡± Liu Hua was so excited that her eyebrows were flying. Xia Wan reacted. Liu Hua was probably talking about Li Jin and the others. Last night, Song Yan didn¡¯t find her when she came over. She guessed that Song Yan would definitely make a scene again when she got home. She was still a little curious, so she asked, ¡°Why are they so lively? Did you find Xia Ru?¡± ¡°Xia Ru couldn¡¯t be found. Early this morning, no one in your family cooked. Song Yan said that it was Chen Lian¡¯s turn to cook today, and Chen Lian said that it was her turn to cook. Neither of them allowed it, but even when Xia Jiang and Xia He were about to go to work, neither of them cooked..¡± Chapter 256 - Chapter 256: Family Fued Chapter 256: Family Fued Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Xia Wan heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°In the past, when my mother was at home, she prepared the three meals in this house most of the time. Now that she¡¯s gone, Song Yan and Chen Lian are not the ones who¡¯d suffer losses, so they naturally don¡¯t want to work too much.¡± ¡°Also, Xia Jiang and Xia He didn¡¯t eat when they went to work. Because of this, Song Yan and Chen Lian quarreled again when they went down. When my dad and I went out, we happened to see them. The two of them didn¡¯t care and started arguing halfway.¡± Xia Wan was also interested and asked, ¡°What were they arguing about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s really interesting. Song Yan said that Li Jin was biased toward Xia Yu and gave her all the good food and drinks, though she was a good-for-nothing. She¡¯s not good at her studies and is not good at work either. Even her appearance is becoming more like a pig.¡± Xia Wan covered her mouth and laughed. Song Yan was telling the truth. Xia Yu¡¯s body was now covered in layers of flesh, and her physique was indeed a little like a pig¡¯s. Liu Hua continued, ¡®When Chen Lian realized that Song Yan slandered her son, she immediately became angry. She said that Xia Ru was a good person. However, not only was she a seductress, but she also bathed in feces. Who would want such a filthy girl like her? ¡°No wonder the factory doesn¡¯t want Xia Ru. Such a person will be a scourge wherever she goes. It¡¯s wise for the factory not to want her.¡± Xia Wan smiled slightly. ¡°Yes, both of them have their own troubles. No one wants to let the other party take advantage of them.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Liu Hua happily chatted with Xia Wan. Time passed without them realizing it, and they soon arrived at the factory. The factory was located in the west of the town. Not only were their regular factories but even textile factories. Chimneys all around them belched smoke, and the surroundings seemed sparse. Liu Guang chose to stay behind to watch the tricycle while Liu Hua followed Xia Wan and the rest into the factory. Liu Hua and Xia Wan were holding hands. There was a hint of curiosity on her face. ¡°Xia Wan, this is my first time at the factory. I¡¯ve never seen many things inside.¡¯ Xia Wan also looked around. There were workers in overalls shuttling back and forth in the factory. They were either holding small carts or stacking something. The person in charge stopped them, sizing them up and examining them. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡± Xia Hai quickly stepped forward to explain.¡± I know your factory manager, Zhang Cheng. I¡¯m here to buy materials from him. You can tell him Xia Hai is looking for him.¡± Seeing that Xia Hai was serious and honest, the manager told them to wait while he passed the message. About ten minutes later, a slightly plump man rushed over, followed by the previous manager. The manager was no longer as serious as before. He was now smiling and looked very friendly. Zhang Cheng shook hands with Xia Hai and said gratefully, ¡°Brother Xia Hai, why didn¡¯t you just call me directly? If it weren¡¯t for your help last time, I would have lost my leg.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty to help when I see someone in danger,¡± Xia Hai said with a smile. ¡°Nothing worth bringing up. I¡¯m here because my daughter wants to buy some materials from you. I know you have many materials here, so I brought her along. ¡± Only then did Xia Wan realize that her father had saved the factory manager. Zhang Cheng turned to look at Xia Wan and Liu Hua, who were standing behind him. ¡°You¡¯re Brother Xia Hai¡¯s daughter, right?¡± Zhang Cheng looked at Xia Wan. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided on a shop. I want to make it a shoe and clothing boutique. I want to get some of the interior decoration done. At the same time, I want to build a few separate fitting rooms and a long mirror.¡± Hearing that Xia Wan wanted to buy so many things, Zhang Cheng was also interested. ¡°1 have all the materials you mentioned. There are many ready-made items. Would you like to take a look?¡± Xia Wan smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ll take our time.¡± Then, she took out the blueprint that she had already prepared from her bag. In order to make the visual effect better, she even specially painted it with a colored pen. Xia Wan handed the design to Zhang Cheng and said, ¡°This is a simple design that I made. I want marble tiles here, and wooden flooring goes here¡­¡± Xia Wan explained it to Zhang Cheng in detail. Xia Hai couldn¡¯t interrupt but felt proud when he saw his daughter¡¯s confident explanation. Liu Hua looked at the design drawing curiously, his eyes shining with admiration.. Chapter 257 - Chapter 257: Working With Zhang Cheng Chapter 257: Working With Zhang Cheng Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Wanwan was simply amazing. They were the same age, but why did Wanwan get so much while she was being treated like a child? Liu Hua fell into deep self-doubt. Zhang Cheng¡¯s eyes grew brighter and brighter. His heart throbbed even faster after checking out Xia Wan¡¯s plans. ¡°Kid, you have a good design. It¡¯s trendy and unique. If it¡¯s completed, I believe that your shop will be filled with customers. This style could be considered unique in our county. ¡°How about this? Our factory will be responsible for all the materials you need. I can also find a construction team for you. I will only charge you the cost price.¡± Before Xia Wan could say anything, Xia Hai interrupted her, ¡°That won¡¯t do. Even though I helped you before, this is a completely different matter. You can¡¯t start a losing business just because you¡¯ve received a favor from me.¡± Xia Wan just smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. Zhang Cheng explained to Xia Hai, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m really not at a disadvantage here. If Xia Wan¡¯s shop is completed, the other shops will definitely ask around and find out who she bought the materials from. Our factory will become famous, and our business will naturally increase. So, I¡¯m not at a disadvantage.¡± Xia Wan also nodded. ¡°This is equivalent to a small advertisement that can increase your popularity.¡± Zhang Cheng admired Xia Wan even more. He did not expect Xia Hai, a serious and rigid person, to have such a business-minded daughter. ¡°That¡¯s right, so we really won¡¯t suffer any losses.¡± With Zhang Cheng and Xia Wan¡¯s explana tion, Xia Hai finally understood. Xia Wan looked at Zhang Cheng. ¡°There¡¯s something I think I need to say.¡± Zhang Cheng looked at her lovingly. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Although this design is very good for my shop, it won¡¯t be suitable for all,¡± Xia Wan said. ¡°If someone comes to look for you to renovate your shop, I can do the design.¡± Zhang Cheng¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about cooperating. ¡± Xia Wan was then invited into the office while Xia Hai and the rest were led around by the manager. It was obvious that only the two of them would know about the details of this collaboration. Only Xia Wan and Zhang Cheng were left in the office. Xia Wan did not beat around the bush and said directly, ¡°If the owners of those shops come to you for renovations, tell them that the renovation price will be calculated separately. Ask them if they are willing to accept it. If they are willing, pay a deposit first, and I will give them part of the design. If they are satisfied, both parties will sign a contract.¡± Zhang Cheng originally wanted to help Xia Wan plan how to cooperate with the owners of these shops. Little did he expect that she had thought of the whole process perfectly. ¡°Not bad, girl. You have a good business mind. If I didn¡¯t see you with my own eyes and just heard you say this, I would have thought that you were an experienced businessman.¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Be more detailed so that there are no loopholes.¡± Zhang Cheng nodded. ¡°Alright. Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll get someone to print the documents later. Sign it. In the future, if someone asks you to do a design, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°By the way, do you want it registered under your name? What name should I Xia Wan thought for a moment. If she were to use her name, her identity would be exposed. She did not like the feeling of being noticed. ¡°Let¡¯s use another nickname. Let¡¯s call it Qinghe,¡± Xia Wan said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to get the cooperation later.¡± Zhang Cheng then discussed the details of the cooperation with Xia Wan before calling the staff over to help draft the contract. An hour later, the two of them reached an agreement. Xia Wan had also chosen the materials she wanted to use. Some of them were already available, and some needed to be made separately. Zhang Cheng said that he could make everything Xia Wan needed in about seven days, and then they could start construction. The renovation would take 14 days. At that time, she had already started school and couldn¡¯t keep an eye on the store herself. However, her store could be considered Zhang Cheng¡¯s advertisement. She believed he wanted this store to be renovated to the best of his ability. ¡°Sure, no problem!¡± Xia Wan paid 1,000 yuan upfront to purchase the materials. The other 1,000 yuan would be paid when the construction had started. As for the workers¡¯ wages, it, too, would need 1,000 yuan. This amount would be settled once the construction was completed. When Xia Hai and Liu Hua returned, they saw Zhang Cheng and Xia Wan chatting happily.. Chapter 258 - Chapter 258: Han Xuan’s Father Returns Chapter 258: Han Xuan¡¯s Father Returns Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Wanwan, is everything ready?¡± Xia Hai asked. ¡°It¡¯s done. We can go now.¡± Xia Wan smiled. Zhang Cheng said a few more words to Xia Hai before sending him off politely. Liu Guang picked Han Xuan up. When he returned home, he saw a few expensive cars parked in front of Han Xuan¡¯s house. Xia Wan only took a glance and was about to leave. Han Xuan¡¯s mother, Lin Lu, happened to see her and quickly shouted, ¡°Wanwan, come over quickly. I have something to say to you.¡± Xia Hai was a little nervous. ¡°Wanwan, Han Xuan seems to have a lot of guests over at his house. Do you want me to come with you? Xia Wan could tell that Xia Hai was nervous. She smiled and shook her head. ¡°Dad, you should go home first. Mrs. Han is very good to me. I¡¯ll go. Maybe her husband is back and brought some snacks for me. Dad, if you go with her, it might be too formal.¡± Xia Hai felt that what Xia Wan said made sense. He thought that since the two families were neighbors and were so close to each other, nothing would happen to them, so he returned home. Xia Wan followed Lin Lu into the house. The door to the living room on the first floor was open, and there were four men in suits inside. The man sitting in the middle looked very similar to Han Xuan. Obviously, this was Han Xuan¡¯s father. Lin Lu introduced her to him with a smile. ¡°This is Wanwan, the one I mentioned to you just now. I¡¯ve been suffering from numerous problems over the years, but thanks to Wanwan¡¯s frequent massages, I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys just praise my skin for getting better? It¡¯s also thanks to Wanwan¡¯s help that my skin is so supple.¡± At the mention of skin, Lin Lu¡¯s smile became even brighter. There was no woman who didn¡¯t like beauty, especially a rich woman like her. She was rich, but her husband, Han Feng, was even more so. The Han family behind Han Feng was extremely powerful. Han Feng had placed his wife and son in the county because he was afraid that the matter at the mall would affect their safety. He was a man who had a good relationship with him, but because his business had violated someone¡¯s rights, his wife and child had been kidnapped by the other party. Although he was rescued in the end, his wife and child had suffered mental trauma and did not dare to come out to see anyone for a long time. Han Feng looked at Xia Wan with a probing gaze. ¡°My wife and son have a very high opinion of you. I heard that you know medicine. I¡¯m looking for you this time because I want you to help treat my friend¡¯s son.¡± As Han Feng finished speaking, a man sitting next to him stood up and took the initiative to introduce himself to Xia Wan. ¡°My name is Huo Ci. My son, Huo Chen, is only eight years old this year, but recently, he¡¯s been very weak. He has a fever and has suddenly lost weight. I brought him to the hospital for a checkup, but the doctor said that he could find nothing major. ¡°The doctor gave my son some medicine, but it didn¡¯t have any effect. He even felt nauseous after taking it. ¡°I followed Han Feng here because I heard that the hospital in this county had once performed a difficult operation, which prompted my people to go and investigate. The one who performed the operation on the patient was not a doctor from our hospital but a young lady.¡± ¡°Combining the information I¡¯ve found, Miss Xia Wan, you¡¯re that divine doctor, right?¡± The smile on Xia Wan¡¯s face faded. It turned out that the other party had investigated her. Lin Lu was dumbfounded. She knew that her husband had asked her to bring Xia Wan over. She thought that her husband had praised Xia Wan in front of him because of her. She did not expect Xia Wan to be a divine doctor. Lin Lu looked at Xia Wan in surprise and asked, ¡°Wanwan, is that what happened?¡± From Lin Lu¡¯s expression, Xia Wan knew that she did not know about this in advance. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°I did the surgery, but I¡¯m not a godly doctor. I¡¯m just an ordinary doctor. I don¡¯t even have a medical license.¡± Huo Ci looked disappointed. He thought Xia Wan meant that she didn¡¯t want to treat him. ¡°But I have a general understanding of your son¡¯s condition. Perhaps he is the same as the patients I have seen before. If it¡¯s convenient, can you take me to see him?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s next sentence caused hope to reignite in Huo Ci¡¯s eyes. He thought he had no chance. ¡°It¡¯s convenient, of course, it¡¯s convenient! Shall we go now? Huo Ci asked as he walked out.. Chapter 259 - Chapter 259: Strange Illness Chapter 259: Strange Illness Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing that she was so anxious, Xia Wan knew that she was worried about her son¡¯s safety, so she said to Lin Lu, ¡°I¡¯ll follow him to take a look.¡± Lin Lu directly held onto Xia Wan¡¯s arm. ¡°I will go with you.¡± Xia Wan was a little surprised, so Lin Lu explained. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this either. My husband didn¡¯t tell me, but you¡¯re someone I brought in. How could I let you leave with someone else? If something happens, of course, I¡¯ll have to follow you.¡± Huo Ci was helpless. He was Han Feng¡¯s brother and had a favor to ask of Xia Wan. How could he harm her in any way? However, he didn¡¯t object to Lin Lu¡¯s actions and left with Xia Wan. After the three of them left, the other two men in the living room asked Han Feng, ¡°Brother Han, we thought you were being overcautious when you placed your wife and son in this small town. We didn¡¯t expect to encounter such great fortune. Miss Xia Wan¡¯s surgery created a miracle.¡± The hospital staff had kept secret the fact that Xia Wan had saved a life. However, the people who had come today were all powerful people from the capital. There were no secrets in their eyes. Han Feng¡¯s face was also filled with emotion. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet such a powerful person in a small town. I heard that the Chen family had been here before. Could it be that they were also here to look for Xia Wan?¡± The man said, ¡°That can¡¯t be. The daughter of the Chen family has been treated overseas. Their equipment is many times more advanced than ours, but they still can¡¯t cure Chen Shui¡¯s illness, let alone our country¡¯s equipment.¡± Han Feng didn¡¯t say much, but he had a guess in his heart. Even though it was the first time he met Xia Wan, Han Feng felt that this girl was not simple based on his experience. If an ordinary person were to face the four of them at the same time, he would definitely be slightly flustered. It wasn¡¯t that they thought highly of themselves, but it was their stern and serious demeanor that made them rather intimidating. Even those who had worked beside them for a year still felt that they gave off a lot of pressure. However, Xia Wan was not nervous at all. From her reaction, it was plain to see that she was meticulous, humble, restrained, and a robust existence. Because she was meticulous, she wanted to see if Lin Lu, who was usually close to her, knew about this. Her modesty immediately prompted her to deny it when the other party called her a divine doctor. If it were an ordinary person at her age who was called a divine doctor, her family would probably spread it everywhere. However, Xia Wan was different. She didn¡¯t say anything, her family didn¡¯t say anything, and the hospital also helped keep it quiet. It could be seen that Xia Wan was low-key and reserved. Han Feng felt that his wife was still too ambitious. Didn¡¯t the thought about whether it was reasonable for a teenage girl to have such high medical skills and such a low profile cross her mind? At the same time, Han Feng sighed with emotion. Perhaps it was because of Lin Lu¡¯s innocence that Xia Wan was so close to her. For example, when Xia Wan faced her just now, she was actually examining her. Xia Wan and the others soon arrived at a private residence. This house was not far from Han Feng¡¯s house. It was a three-story villa, but it was obvious that no one had lived there before. The surrounding vegetation seemed to be lacking in care. Huo Ci opened the door and introduced, ¡°This isn¡¯t our house. It belongs to a relative of mine. Our family is in the capital. This time, we specially came to treat our son¡¯s illness, which is why we need to settle him first.¡± Xia Wan nodded in understanding. The living room was empty and lifeless. ¡°He should be lying in his room now. Huo Chen¡¯s very weak now, and he spends most of his time sleeping,¡± Huo Ci explained and brought Xia Wan to Huo Chen¡¯s room. Lin Lu silently followed Xia Wan and accompanied her. When the door opened, he saw a small figure curled up on the big bed. His eyes were tightly shut and his face was very pale. Huo Ci lightened his footsteps and came to the bedside.¡±Chenchen, Daddy is back. Daddy brought the doctor to see you. Wake up.¡± Xia Wan also walked to the side to observe Huo Chen¡¯s expression. Huo Chen¡¯s face was very thin, and the exposed arm was almost fleshy, as if he was malnourished. Huo Chen¡¯s eyelashes fluttered before he looked at Huo Ci and called out very softly, ¡°Daddy..¡± Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: The Pessimistic Huo Chen Chapter 260: The Pessimistic Huo Chen Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Huo Ci looked very excited. ¡°Hey, I brought you a doctor.¡± Only then did Huo Chen look at Xia Wan. When he saw that she was so young, Huo Chen had a self-deprecating look. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t lie to me. How can there be such a young doctor? Even veteran doctors couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with me, let alone this young lady.¡± Although Huo Chen didn¡¯t believe that Xia Wan could cure him, he maintained his etiquette when speaking. This self-deprecating tone also stemmed from his long-term disappointment. He longed for someone to tell him his illness and how to treat it. However, each doctor would give him different conclusions. He had taken all kinds of medicine, but it had no effect. No matter how hard he tried to eat, his body was still rapidly losing weight. Even if he felt very cold, he would still sweat. Even though the temperature in the room was very good, he would still often have a fever. He really couldn¡¯t stand this kind of tormented life where he couldn¡¯t see the future clearly. Xia Wan sat down and smiled. ¡°Can you stretch out your wrist and let me check your pulse? My grandfather was a field doctor. When he was young, he worked on the battlefield. It was very chaotic, to say the lease, and there were all kinds of diseases. ¡°Those aren¡¯t experiences that you can learn in the hospital, so I might have heard Grandpa mention things that the doctors have never seen before.¡± Xia Wan coaxed him softly. ¡°Huo Chen, who had originally planned on not cooperating, hesitated for a moment. In the end, he still stretched out his wrist and said stubbornly, ¡°Even if I did, you wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t say anything. When she touched Huo Chen¡¯s wrist, she checked it carefully. She already had a rough idea in her heart. Huo Chen should be suffering from early-stage leukemia. There was no clear conclusion on the cause of leukemia. It was generally because it could be a genetic mutation or a viral infection. The disease was also related to a low immune system. ¡°Miss Xia Wan, can you see anything?¡± Huo Ci asked nervously. Although Huo Chen didn¡¯t say anything, his eyes were filled with anticipation. Xia Wan retracted her hand and nodded. ¡°I believe I understand. There is no relevant information and journals about this disease in the country, so it can¡¯t be diagnosed in those hospitals.¡± ¡°He has leukemia.¡± Xia Wan directly told him the name of the illness. Huo Ci was dumbfounded. ¡°Cancer? What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a new type of illness. There might be hospitals overseas that can treat it, but not all hospitals can. If it were overseas, they would probably use chemotherapy, but Chenchen is still in the early stages, so there¡¯s no need for her to go through that. The duration of continuous chemotherapy is lengthy, and the final treatment results will vary depending on the patient¡¯s physique.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words were very professional, which made Huo Ci respect her even more. If he had respected Xia Wan before because he had heard the hospital staff praise her, then his respect for her now was because Xia Wan could clearly explain what illness Chenchen had. Chenchen had been to so many hospitals for his illness, but no one could tell her the exact cause and the treatment method. All they could do was prescribe supplements for Chenchen. But Huo Ci knew that this was because those people had not found the cause of Chenchen¡¯s illness. But now, something different had finally appeared. Huo Ci was so excited that tears were about to fall. His son was saved! ¡°Then, Miss Xia Wan, do you have any treatment methods?¡± The equipment overseas was advanced, but he trusted Xia Wan more now. Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Yes, but I also need to constantly observe Chenchen¡¯s changes. At the same time, I also need to make herbal remedies for him, so he might have to stay here for a long time.¡± ¡°No problem. I will bring my son here until my son¡¯s illness is cured!¡± Huo Ci rambled in excitement. ¡°Uncle, you should have a lot of work to do, right?¡± Xia Wan asked in surprise.¡± ¡®My son¡¯s life is more important than anything else. Previously, it was because I was busy with business that I didn¡¯t take good care of Chenchen, which caused him to fall ill. My only wish now is to cure him,¡± Huo Ci said seriously. Those words had come from the bottom of his heart. His wife had passed away early, and in order to subdue the grief in his heart, he had been busy with his business all these years and had left Chenchen in the care ot tne servants at nome. When he discovered that Chenchen was sick, he realized how much he had neglected his son.. Chapter 261 - Chapter 261: Huo Ci Giving Money Chapter 261: Huo Ci Giving Money Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Huo Chen blinked at Xia Wan and said sweetly, ¡°Sister, can you really cure me?¡± Xia Wan smiled and nodded encouragingly.¡±Of course, as long as Chen is obedient, he will definitely be cured.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll be obedient.¡± Huo Chen agreed obediently. Xia Wan took out the needles from her bag. After disinfecting them with alcohol, she began to perform acupuncture on Huo Chen. Huo Ci was afraid that his son would be afraid, so he held Huo Chen¡¯s hand with one hand and covered Huo Chen¡¯s eyes with the other. ¡°Chenchen, close your eyes. You¡¯ll be fine soon.¡±Huo Ci comforted him. Xia Wan actually wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t painful for her to perform acupuncture, but she didn¡¯t stop Huo Ci¡¯s actions. It looked like a simple acupuncture, but in fact, Xia Wan was twisting the needles ever so slightly in her hand. After most of the needles had penetrated into the skin, the ends that stuck out were still trembling rapidly. Huo Ci was quite knowledgeable and had seen acupuncture before. However, it was the first time he had seen someone like Xia Wan, who could still move the end of the needle rapidly after inserting it into the skin. Although Huo Ci didn¡¯t know Chinese medicine, he subconsciously felt that Xia Wan¡¯s acupuncture skills were far better than the traditional Chinese medicinal practitioners he had seen. On the one hand, it was to stimulate the activity of the cells in his body and increase his resistance to the virus. On the other hand, it was also to check the area where the spleen cells had spread. About fifteen minutes later, Xia Wan pulled out the needle that she had inserted. At this moment, her forehead was slightly sweaty. It was obvious that she had spent a lot of effort in the fifteen minutes of acupuncture. Xia Wan took Huo Chen¡¯s pulse again. At the same time, she used her hand to check the changes in Huo Chen¡¯s body. She smiled. ¡°Fortunately, the spread isn¡¯t too severe. After a week of continuous acupuncture and medicine treatment, it will be able to reduce the number of splenoid cells.¡± Huo Ci¡¯s eyes widened.¡± You mean Chenchen will recover in a week?¡± Xia Wan nodded.¡± Almost.¡± Huo Ci was dumbfounded. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the person in front of him was confirmed by the hospital, he would really think that this person was talking nonsense. He had spent several months just to examine his son, but his son¡¯s condition did not improve at all. Instead, his body was tortured until it became weaker. But now, this teenage girl actually said that she could cure Chenchen in seven days. Xia Wan was surprised by Huo Ci¡¯s response but didn¡¯t say anything. The treatment that was difficult for others became much easier for her. In her previous life, she had been studying medicine with her master for a long time. Other than eating and sleeping, she spent the rest of her time studying and doing experiments. In order to get more accurate results, she went to many places where battles took place. The battles on the battlefield were far crueler than in life, and she could get more data here. She was able to use the simplest and fastest method to treat patients because she risked her life to obtain first-hand information. Lin Lu thoughtfully took out a handkerchief and wiped Xia Wan¡¯s sweat. Xia Wan looked at her and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± After Xia Wan disinfected the needles, she said to Huo Ci, ¡°That¡¯s all for today¡¯s treatment. I¡¯ll give you the prescription now. After you boil the medicine, let him drink it twice a day. In addition, some herbs can be added to the soup that you usually boil.¡± ¡°As long as you follow my plan, Chenchen will definitely have a healthy body in a week.¡± Huo Ci immediately brought her a pen and paper. Xia Wan wrote down her words gracefully, and Huo Ci couldn¡¯t help but praise her. ¡°Your handwriting is exemplary. Its strokes are strong and powerful. It doesn¡¯t look like a high school student¡¯s handwriting. Did you pay special attention to practicing your handwriting?¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°I practiced when I was bored.¡± In her previous life, when she was under a lot of pressure, she liked to write and draw as a form of requiescence. Slowly, she practiced calligraphy. Huo Ci took the prescription and hugged it like it was a treasure. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I have to make a guess job out of the other doctors¡¯ scribbles. Your¡¯s, however, is good. I can read it all without guessing.¡± ¡°Doctors are usually busy and have to write a lot. Perhaps they put less attention in legibility in favor of efficiency.¡± After packing up, Xia Wan was about to leave when Huo Ci stopped her at the door. Huo Ci handed her a card. ¡°Keep this card. Consider it as the initial medical fee. When Chenchen¡¯s illness is completely cured, I¡¯ll give you another sum of money..¡± Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Buying Stationary Chapter 262: Buying Stationary Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Thinking of the money that Chen Shan had given her last time, Xia Wan¡¯s heart tightened. Did these people from the capital not understand the prices in their small county? She didn¡¯t need to pay much money to see a doctor. Her intuition told her that the price would probably start at four figures. ¡°There¡¯s no need, Mr. Huo. You can take the money first. You can give it to me after I treat Chenchen.¡± Xia Wan refused and handed the card back to Huo Ci. Huo Ci refused and urged Xia Wan to accept the card. Lin Lu also advised, ¡°This is Huo Ci¡¯s kind gesture. Just accept it.¡± Lin Lu knew Huo Ci¡¯s family background and how much Huo Ci treasured Huo Chen. If Xia Wan could really cure Huo Chen¡¯s illness, he would be willing to let Huo Ci give up all his family assets, let alone such a small amount of money. Under their persuasion, Xia Wan had no choice but to take the card first. When they arrived at Lin Lu¡¯s house, they parted ways. Liu Hua and Liu Guang were waiting at home. Seeing that Xia Wan had returned, Liu Hua quickly went up and asked, ¡°Sister Xia Wan, how is it? Can it be cured?¡± Xia Wan smiled slightly. ¡°The situation is a little tricky, but fortunately, it was discovered early, so it can be treated.¡± Liu Hua held onto Xia Wan¡¯s arm and shook it. ¡°I knew it. Sister Xia Wan is the best. Then, will you let me accompany you to buy stationery? School is starting soon. ¡± Xia Wan nodded and said generously, ¡°Let¡¯s go buy some stationery!¡± Liu Guang wanted to send them off but was stopped by Xia Wan. She said, ¡°Mr. Liu, please, make yourself at home and have some tea with my dad. We girls love shopping.¡± Liu Hua also nodded. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. With Sister Xia Wan around, it¡¯ll be very safe.¡± After hearing what the two of them said. Liu Guang didn¡¯t send them off. On the way, Liu Hua asked Xia Wan about the details of Huo Chen¡¯s treatment. When she heard that Xia Wan had only told Huo Chen the cause of his illness and Huo Ci had given her a bank card, Liu Hua expressed her confusion. Liu Hua asked, ¡°Sister Xia Wan, you¡¯re only helping Chenchen with acupuncture and medicine. You haven¡¯t seen how Chenchen is getting better. Why did Huo Ci give you a bank card?¡± She had seen the patients in the hospital. No family member would give the doctor money in advance if they didn¡¯t start treatment. However, today, Huo Ci actually gave Huo Chen a bank card so easily just because he saw Xia Wan perform acupuncture on him. Her family, for instance, still used passbooks. Very few people in the village used bank cards. Xia Wan glanced at her and explained, ¡°He gave me the money so quickly because I told him about Huo Chen¡¯s condition. After we leave, he will definitely contact the doctor he once trusted to verify it. ¡°Moreover, if I cure Huo Chen¡¯s illness, he¡¯ll naturally be grateful to me. But if I don¡¯t, he¡¯ll have plenty of ways to get the card back from me.¡± The smile on Liu Hua¡¯s face disappeared, and she looked a little nervous. ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t it dangerous to treat these big shots? If they don¡¯t get cured, they¡¯ll definitely think it¡¯s the doctor¡¯s fault.¡± Xia Wan replied, ¡°What else could I do? There¡¯s a saying: high returns and high risks go hand in hand. If you want to get high returns, the risk you have to bear must be very high.¡± Liu Hua nodded and became more cautious. She realized that there were benefits to not knowing the big shots. At least she didn¡¯t have to waste her brainpower. The two of them walked in the direction of the stationery store. On the way, they saw snacks. Xia Wan bought snacks of various flavors and even specially asked the boss for a bag. She packed some of each flavor for Liu Hua. Liu Hua quickly waved his hand and refused. ¡°No, this is your money. I can¡¯t take it.¡± Xia Wan continued to pass it to her. ¡°You came with me to buy stationery today. Your father also accompanied us to the factory. Why can¡¯t he give you some snacks? Do we have to be so clear between us? Then we won¡¯t dare to trouble you in the future.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Liu Hua finally accepted Xia Wan¡¯s food. Soon, they arrived at the stationery store. At this time, there were not many stationery stores in the county. Most of them were gathered on one street, which was convenient for students to buy. Xia Wan chose an old brand with a good reputation. This store had a complete range of stationery, and the quality was relatively good. Students with the conditions would come here to buy. When she saw someone enter, the lady boss immediately greeted her with a smile, ¡°How can I help you?¡± Xia Wan glanced at the decorations in the shop. In front of the lady boss was a transparent window, where all kinds of stationery were on display.. Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: Meeting Zhou Chen Again Chapter 263: Meeting Zhou Chen Again Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In this day and age, the use of pencils was still a common sight. One would be the regular wooden pencil that needed constant sharpening, while the other was the mechanical pencil that could be used with just a click. Other than that, there were all kinds of erasers, notebooks for doing homework, and some exquisite notebooks, but most people could not afford those. Thev were several times more exDensive than ordinarv notebooks. Liu Hua was hooked when she saw those exquisite notebooks. There was an obvious desire in her eyes. Xia Wan didn¡¯t say anything about helping her buy these exquisite notebooks. According to Painter Liu¡¯s current income, bringing these notebooks to school would only draw criticism from the other students. ¡°Give me six pens, three pencil sharpeners, five squares, five horizontal ones, and five blank ones. Also, give me a box of watercolor pens.¡± Xia Wan pointed to the Lady Boss one by one. The lady boss smiled from ear to ear. She didn¡¯t expect this girl to buy so much stationery. She spoke more enthusiastically and took the initiative to ask, ¡°Girl, are you bringing stationery for your classmate?¡± Xia Wan smiled and replied politely, ¡°I still have two brothers at home, so I bought them as well.¡± The lady boss quickly put these things on the table and asked, ¡°Do you want anything else? Take an eraser too. It¡¯ll be useful if you make a mistake.¡± Xia Wan nodded. ¡°Okay, three too.¡± The lady boss enthusiastically went to get an eraser. Xia Wan looked at the exquisite notebooks and thought about it. She decided to buy three, and she¡¯d give one to Xia Chen and Xia Feng each. Although her brother didn¡¯t study anymore, the notebooks could also be used as a diary. Besides, when the family business was on the right track, she still had to sponsor her brother¡¯s studies. Xia Chen¡¯s grades had always been good when he was in high school, but he gave up in his second year. At that time, he told his family that he was under too much pressure. However, she knew that her brother felt that his family would never be able to continue supporting his education, based on their circumstances, and he voluntarily gave up the opportunity to study. ¡°Lady Boss, take four of these notebooks,¡± Xia Wan said. The Lady Boss¡¯s eyes lit up, but she still reminded her, ¡°Girl, this notebook costs two yuan each. Did you bring that much money?¡± Xia Wan replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have enough.¡± Only then did the lady boss put the notebook away with relief. At this moment, the door of the stationery store was opened, and two more customers came in. Song Zhi¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Yo, Xia Wan, why are you here to buy stationery? It seems like you¡¯ve earned quite a bit from selling clothes.¡± Xia Wan looked in the direction of the voice. It was Song Zhi and Zhou Chen. When Zhou Chen saw Xia Wan, a hint of disgust flashed across his eyes. He was handsome, and his grades were good. There were many girls in school who liked to express their goodwill in front of him. Among them, Xia Wan was the most enthusiastic. She would come to him almost every class. Xia Wan¡¯s academic performance was very poor, but she always liked to ask him questions. He actually knew that Xia Wan was not listening to what he said seriously. ¡°Xia Wan, did you find out from others that I came back here to buy stationery today, so you specially came to meet me?¡± Zhou Chen asked. Xia Wan was dumbfounded and looked at Zhou Chen in a daze. She was shocked by his shamelessness. He actually thought that she was here to buy stationery to meet him? To make matters worse, he went on to think that Xia Wan was in a daze because he was right. That was why she had such an expression. Zhou Chen¡¯s expression became even more disgusted. ¡°Xia Wan, there were a lot of people in school before, so there were some things that I couldn¡¯t say. But now that we¡¯re in high school, I hope that we can spend more time on our studies and not dating. ¡°Your academic performance leaves a lot to be desired. At this rate, you might not be able to get into a good university. It¡¯s also very difficult for your family to support you in high school. I hope you won¡¯t ask about me in the future and focus on your studies.¡± In fact, Zhou Chen did not care whether Xia Wan¡¯s grades were good or not.. Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: Exposing Zhou Chen Chapter 264: Exposing Zhou Chen Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was just that there were other people around him now. He had to maintain his image as a top student and pretend to care about Xia Wan. Before Xia Wan could say anything, Liu Hua was the first to stop. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Zhou Chen. ¡°Who are you? Why are you so narcissistic? Our Xia Wan is good -looking and smart. What makes you think she¡¯ll like you?¡± ¡°Does your family run this stationery store? Do you think we came here just to meet you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth. The reason Xia Wan actually came to buy stationery today was to accompany me. Who do you think you are?¡± Liu Hua was really angry this time. Her chest was heaving, and her face was red from all that agitation. Xia Wan was like a goddess in Liu Hua¡¯s heart. Even if Zhou Chen was not bad-looking, she could not accept the slander he said about her daughter. Xia Wan also reacted at this moment. Looking at the agitated Liu Hua, she quickly helped to persuade her, ¡°Alright, calm down.¡± After comforting Liu Hua, Xia Wan looked at Zhou Chen. ¡°Yes, I admit that I used to admire you a little. I thought you were a gentle and refined boy. ¡°But now, I realize that my perception in the past was wrong. You were just used to putting on a fake smile. Your goal was to get fawned on and obtain benefits from others.¡± Zhou Chen instantly became enraged when Xia Wan exposed him. He pretended to be disappointed and said, ¡°Xia Wan, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a person. You like me but can¡¯t pursue me. That¡¯s why you chose to slander me in front of everyone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re despicable.¡± Zhou Chen looked as if he had been framed by Xia Wan. Looking at Zhou Chen¡¯s performance, Xia Wan felt that it was ironic. This man was still acting even though he had been exposed in public. Song Zhi, who was beside Zhou Chen, felt his heart ache when he saw him like this. He stood in front of Zhou Chen and confronted Xia Wan. ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of? You¡¯re clearly still studying, but you¡¯ve already brought your entire family to sell clothes. Is it because your family is poor?¡± ¡°Everyone has heard about your family splitting up, but I¡¯ve never heard of any family splitting up. It must be because there¡¯s something wrong with your family that you were chased out by the matriarch.¡± Song Zhi glared at Xia Wan in disdain as if he had seen through her. Xia Wan glanced at her from the corner of her eyes. ¡°If I remember correctly, your family is from the county town. How would you know how many conflicts there are in the village?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even understood the real situation, and you¡¯re already pushing the responsibility to us. Is this your quality?¡± Xia Wan knew that Song Zhi and Zhou Chen were the kind of people who cared about their reputations. The more they wanted to put on a high and mighty attitude and point out the faults of others, the more Xia Wan was eager to expose their true colors. Song Zhi snorted coldly. ¡°I¡¯ve been classmates with you for two years. Of course, I know what kind of person you are. How good can your family be if they can raise a shameless girl like you who doesn¡¯t love herself?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes turned sharp as she slapped Song Zhi¡¯s face. Song Zhi was stunned. She covered her face and glared at Xia Wan. ¡°You dare to hit me?¡± The next moment, Song Zhi pounced on Xia Wan. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± The lady boss was originally watching from the side. Seeing that the two of them were about to fight, she became flustered and quickly advised, ¡°If you have anything to say, say it. If you want to fight, please don¡¯t do it in my shop. There are so many things here. If you break them, you¡¯ll have to pay for them.¡± The chaos that the Lady Boss had expected did not happen. Song Zhi¡¯s waving arm was grabbed by Xia Wan. Song Zhi tried to break free, but he realized that he couldn¡¯t move at all. Only then did Song Zhi realize the disparity in strength between her and Xia Wan. She stared at Xia Wan in horror. ¡°You, how can you be so strong?¡± Xia Wan snorted coldly and flung Song Zhi¡¯s arm away. Song Zhi staggered from the force and almost fell to the ground. Only then did Zhou Chen remember to help Song Zhi up. He glared at Xia Wan coldly. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far. You¡¯re hurting your classmates on purpose. I¡¯ll tell the homeroom teacher about this..¡± Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Ruining Xia Wan ‘ s Reputation Chapter 265: Ruining Xia Wan ¡® s Reputation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan looked at him coldly. ¡°You only saw me hitting her. You didn¡¯t hear what she said just now, did you? ¡°If someone were to insult your parents in front of you, would you just stand there and let the other party humiliate you? ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯re really shameless.¡± It was then that the Lady Boss also advised, ¡°Alright, alright, stop arguing. This is a small matter. You¡¯re all classmates. There¡¯s no need to make things so embarrassing.¡± As she spoke, the lady boss looked at Song Zhi. ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re too much. Even if two people quarrel, how can you talk about the other party¡¯s parents? If someone were to scold my parents in front of me, I would also fight to the death with him.¡± Song Zhi looked at the lady boss in disbelief. ¡°Xia Wan hit me, and you¡¯re still saying that it¡¯s my fault?¡± The Lady Boss didn¡¯t care about that. She only knew that Xia Wan bought a lot of things in her shop, which made her a distinguished customer. Besides, these two people were the ones who started the incident today, so the lady boss had no intention of siding with them at all. The lady boss continued, ¡°She was buying things from me and was doing fine. When the two of you came over, you started to criticize her. I¡¯m pretty sure I only saw you two causing this dispute.¡± Song Zhi felt very aggrieved. She had never encountered such a situation before. She usually paid great attention to her attire, and her status among the students was also very high. She actually liked Zhou Chen too, so she had always disliked Xia Wan. She cared about her face. Even though she had a crush on Zhou Chen, she would only often hang around him, but she had never confessed to him. In her opinion, a boy had to confess to a girl. However, Xia Wan was different from the other very reserved girls. She was the only one who didn¡¯t care about opinions. She kept pestering Zhou Chen, which angered Song Zhi very much. Thus, Song Zhi deliberately badmouthed Xia Wan in class, saying that she was shameless and seduced men wherever she went. Song Zhi¡¯s family was from the county town, and their clothes were very fashionable. On the other hand, Xia Wan¡¯s clothes were very ordinary. Her family was also from the village, so most of the students in the class chose to believe her. She would always eat alone in school due to her poor relationship with her classmates. And the reason for all of this had a lot to do with Song Zhi. Back then, Xia Wan got pushed into the water because she had a bad reputation in school. Therefore, no one would suspect anything when someone said that she seduced someone else¡¯s boyfriend. The more Xia Wan looked at Zhou Chen and Song Zhi, the more hatred she felt. In her previous life, she liked him, but because of him, she was ostracized by the entire school. Zhou Chen, who she had fawned over, actually hated her so much. At this moment, Xia Wan only wanted to use one sentence to describe Zhou Chen as a hypocritical scumbag.¡± At this moment, Song Zhi also saw the pile of things on the table. The four exquisite notebooks that the Lady Boss hadn¡¯t had time to help Xia Wan pack. ¡°Xia Wan, are you planning to use all the money you earned this holiday to curry favor with Zhou Chen?¡± Song Zhi mocked. ¡°Since you want to buy it for him, give it to me now. Give me a notebook too. I¡¯ll forgive you for today¡¯s matter on account of the lady boss.¡± Xia Wan was so angry that she wanted to laugh. Song Zhi obviously liked the notebook she bought and wanted it. She even said that she was willing to take Xia Wan¡¯s purchase. She simply pitied Xia Wan and gave her a chance. Liu Hua was also rolling up her sleeves. She cursed as if she could rush up to Song Zhi and fight with her at any moment. ¡°You¡¯re really shameless. You think you can take whatever belongs to Sister Xia Wan as you wish? Why don¡¯t you take a good look at yourself in the mirror? I¡¯ve never seen someone as shameless as you.¡± Xia Wan snorted coldly and threw ten yuan to the lady boss. ¡°Boss, please count everything again. These things add up to exactly ten yuan,¡± Xia Wan said. The Lady Boss still didn¡¯t believe it and did the math again. She didn¡¯t expect Xia Wan to score exactly right. The Lady Boss helped Xia Wan install the laptop and praised, ¡°This little girl is really amazing. Her calculations are fast and accurate. She must be smart. As long as you are willing to study hard, you will definitely get good results in the future.¡± As she spoke, the boss did not forget to look at Zhou Chen and Song Zhi. At that moment, she felt somewhat disdainful of those two people. After saying so much, not only could they not beat Xia Wan, but they also did not seem to want to buy anything from her shop. Poor and proud, the lady boss concluded in her heart. Xia Wan took the bag from the lady boss and handed Liu Hua a notebook. ¡°Huahua, here. This is for you.¡± Liu Hua was dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t dare to take it.. Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Xia Chen’s Desire Chapter 266: Xia Chen¡¯s Desire Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Xia Wan, why are you giving me such an expensive notebook? I can¡¯t accept it.¡± Liu Hua pushed the notebook back at Xia Wan. Xia Wan smiled. ¡°You came with me to buy stationery. This is what you deserve. I¡¯ve never really been calculative with those I adore. Besides, I earned a bit during the holidays and used the fruits of my labor to gift my friends with gifts. I feel very proud. ¡°If you feel embarrassed, you can buy something for me when you work and earn in the future.¡± Zhou Chen¡¯s expression darkened. He felt that Xia Wan was humiliating him. In the past, Xia Wan would spend all her money on him, but all he did was take it for granted. Now, Xia Wan had become richer, so rich she could even afford such an expensive notebook. However, instead of giving it to him, she gave it to a poor village girl. Zhou Chen stared at Xia Wan, his eyes filled with hate. ¡°Xia Wan, if this is your way of attracting my attention, then I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯ve succeeded.¡± As he spoke, he pulled Song Zhi over. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Before Xia Wan could say anything, Zhou Chen had already dragged Song Zhi out of the shop. Liu Hua snorted in disdain. ¡°Didn¡¯t they always think they were from town and more noble than us villagers? Since they liked notebooks so much, they should spend on them. I don¡¯t think they have much money on them.¡± Xia Wan put away these things and replied, ¡°Just because their parents can live in the county doesn¡¯t mean they have decent jobs. In the end, the only work they minus out on is farming.¡± In this era, land wasn¡¯t allocated to families with urban registered households. Song Zhi and Zhou Chen¡¯s families were in such a situation. However, this did not mean that Song Zhi and Zhou Chen¡¯s families had good jobs. Their parents were just factory workers. Xia Hai used to earn 300 yuan a month when he was working. Song Zhi and Zhou Chen¡¯s parents¡¯ income was basically the same. However, Zhou Chen and Song Zhi were the only child at home. Unlike the villagers, the average family would have many children, increasing their burden. After Xia Wan and Liu Hua left happily, Xia Wan felt that the anger in her heart had vented a little. She let Zhou Chen know that she was no longer the person who tried to please him. On the other side, Zhou Chen and Song Zhi were both incensed. They did not go far after leaving the shop, quietly observing Xia Wan in a corner. Song Zhi told Zhou Chen, ¡°Xia Wan is very rich now. She can even spend ten yuan on stationery. How does she earn so much money just by selling clothes? Could she have stolen money from the adults in her family?¡± She had been to Xia Wan¡¯s clothes stall before and knew that it was not always crowded. When she went there, there were not many people. She had originally planned to buy some clothes, but when she heard the price, she gave up. A slightly better-looking one would cost 50 yuan. The clothes she usually bought were basically no more than 20 yuan. 30 yuan was already considered a lot. Her father could earn 300 yuan a month, but her mother was jobless and in poor health. She had to buy medicine every month and needed to spend a lot of money. Allowing her to dress decently to school was considered her best effort. Zhou Chen wasn¡¯t wearing a great expression either. He still remembered what Xia Wan had said to him just now. He snorted coldly. ¡°Xia Wan was only helping someone sell clothes for the holidays. She often deals with rich people. When she sees a lot of money, she thinks it¡¯s hers. It¡¯s a natural imnulse. She¡¯s iust helDing someone out. The one who really makes money is the boss behind her.¡± ¡°Some people are like this. Xia Wan is vain. This ten yuan should be all her money. Just wait. She¡¯ll be poor when school starts.¡± Song Zhi nodded and felt that what Zhou Chen said made sense. At that moment, she did not have the mood to continue shopping with Zhou Chen and chose to go home. Xia Wan didn¡¯t take what happened that day to heart. Soon, the renovation of the clothing store began. She was afraid that the workers would not renovate well, so she decided to supervise the work personally. Yan Han also assured her that she could supervise the renovation process without worry and that she would be able to handle the clothes sales. Xia Feng smiled and said, ¡°Sister, you didn¡¯t see it. Mom has been amazing these two days. No matter what age or occupation, Mom can chat with them. When I was at Grandma¡¯s house, Mom didn¡¯t talk so much..¡± Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Hope for Xia Chen to Study Chapter 267: Hope for Xia Chen to Study Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yan Han also laughed. ¡°That¡¯s because your father respects your grandmother. As your father¡¯s daughter-in-law, of course, I can¡¯t argue with her. Even if she favors your two aunts and makes me do more work, I¡¯m willing to endure it for your father. ¡°But things are different now. We¡¯re living separately, and your grandmother can¡¯t control me. So why should I be polite to those outsiders? If they take advantage of us, won¡¯t we earn less?¡± When it came to earning, Yan Han was especially motivated. With so much income every day, Yan Han also relaxed a little. In the past, they only had meat for lunch at home, but now, they had meat for almost every meal. Yan Han felt that her children had been working hard, and it was time for them to grow up. In the past, the family lacked financial resources, and the children were forced to eat vegetarian food. Most of the meat was given to Xia Yu. Now that the family was better off, they naturally could not let the children suffer. Xia Hails hands were much better now. He wanted to find work, but Xia Wan stopped him. She wanted him to help supervise the renovation. She knew what she wanted it to look like, but she didn¡¯t know the workers. If they slacked off and cut corners, she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell. In fact, Xia Hai didn¡¯t really like the shop, but as Xia Wan had spent a lot and he couldn¡¯t destroy the decoration, he eventually agreed. Xia Wan only remembered the notebook she bought yesterday after breakfast. She quickly took out the stationery and notebooks and gave them to Xia Chen and Xia Feng one by one. Xia Feng was still a child. He cried out in surprise and hugged the stationery. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re real nice! I¡¯m not going to run out of stationary for a year!¡± As he spoke, he raised his head and blinked. He said to Xia Wan excitedly, ¡°Thank you, sister! You¡¯re the best!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s smile bloomed at his words. She touched Xia Feng¡¯s head.¡± You¡¯re the only one who knows how to talk.¡± Xia Chen was a little silent. He looked at the stationery with a complicated gaze. There was desire and escape. Xia Wan came in front of him and took the initiative to say, ¡°Brother, take it.¡± Xia Chen shook his head. ¡°No need. I¡¯m not studying anymore. It¡¯s useless to have these.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll naturally need it when you return to school.¡± Xia Wan looked at him with sparkling eyes. Xia Chen was stunned. ¡°Go back to school?¡± He then shook his head. ¡°No, we need to sell clothes now. We¡¯ll need more manpower when the shop is renovated. You and Xia Feng are starting school soon. I have to help. ¡°Besides, I gave up studying because I felt that it was too stressful. Isn¡¯t studying to make money? Now that I can help my family earn, I won¡¯t choose to study anymore.¡± Hearing Xia Chen¡¯s words, Yan Han and Xia Hai looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Xia Wan said firmly, ¡°No, brother. There¡¯s no hurry to make money. I have many ways to make money, but studying can¡¯t be delayed. If you choose to work when you should study, you¡¯ll regret it in the future.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t regret it,¡± Xia Chen said immediately.¡± Xia Chen didn¡¯t look Xia Wan in the eye when he said this. Xia Wan knew that this was not what Xia Chen meant. In order to persuade Xia Chen to study, she said, ¡°I think what brother said makes sense. Since the purpose of studying is to earn money, then I won¡¯t study anymore. I¡¯ll go earn money too.¡± ¡°No!¡± Xia Chen immediately shouted. Xia Wan smiled and asked him, ¡°Brother, why can you give up studying, but I can¡¯t? Dont you think that studying is useless?¡± Xia Chen¡¯s expression became awkward, not knowing how to argue with Xia Wan. He actually liked to study, but Xia Hai had just recovered from his injury, and Yan Han had been working hard all year round. If only the two of them were allowed to open the shop, Xia Chen feared that they would suffer. This was especially true for Li Jin, who was unpredictable and could come looking for trouble. Yan Han and Xia Hai were still able to deal with the others, but when it came to Li Jin, there was nothing they could do. He took a deep breath and said to Xia Wan, ¡°Sister, only by studying can you have a great future. Since I¡¯ve already given up on the college entrance examination, I no longer deserve to study. Let me earn to support my family with my parents.¡± Xia Wan smiled, but her tone was firm. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± She seemed to understand Xia Chen¡¯s worry and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Dad and Mom. After renovating the shop, I¡¯ll hire specialized people to help open the shop and sell clothes. If anyone comes to cause trouble, these service staff will chase them away and call the police immediately. ¡°Your presence wouldn¡¯t mean much to the shop. You should study hard and get into a good university..¡± Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Xia Chen Agreed to Study Chapter 268: Xia Chen Agreed to Study Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan walked up to Xia Chen with encouraging eyes and said, ¡°Brother, do you want to be stuck in this small county for the rest of your life? Don¡¯t you want to take our parents and see the wider world outside? Do you think selling clothes alone will earn a lifetime¡¯s expenses?¡± Xia Chen was filled with yearning after hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words. Yan Han and Xia Hai also realized that Xia Chen was reluctant to go to school because he was concerned about them. Xia Hai quickly said, ¡°Dad has changed now. If Grandma comes to cause trouble again, Dad will definitely stand up for you and Mom.¡± Xia Feng added, ¡°Brother, your academic performance has always been the best among the three of us. You should attend school and be an example for me and Sister. ¡± Xia Chen was deeply moved by his family¡¯s support. However, he felt slightly discouraged: ¡°But I haven¡¯t been to school for two years already. If I go now, I¡¯ll be older than others, and maybe I won¡¯t catch up with the learning progress.¡± Xia Wan comforted him, ¡°No, brother, when you dropped out, you were in the second year of high school. Most of the courses are covered in the first and second years. The third year mostly reviews what you learned in the first two years.¡± ¡°Besides, I can help you with the review,¡± she added. Xia Chen¡¯s expression became more complex, and he looked at Xia Wan with a hint of conflict. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s not that I look down on you, but your grades¡­ haven¡¯t been that good,¡± he hesitated to say. Xia Wan¡¯s smile disappeared. She had forgotten about this. In her previous life, her academic performance was quite poor because she didn¡¯t focus on studying. She looked at Xia Chen apologetically and said, ¡°Brother, have you heard of the rebellious phase? My poor grades in the past were entirely because I was going through a rebellious phase. The more others expected me to study well, the more I wanted to rebel. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until the incident with the river that I realized how foolish my actions were. ¡°Now, when a person¡¯s life is threatened, they are more likely to change. It was at that moment that I realized how absurd my past behavior was.¡± Saying this, Xia Wan even spun around and said to Xia Chen, ¡°Brother, look, I¡¯m doing well now.¡± Xia Chen, convinced by Xia Wan¡¯s words, strongly desired to return to school. So, he agreed to it. Xia Wan was even more excited than him and started planning. ¡°Let¡¯s buy the books for you first. Since the new school year is starting in a few days, we can handle the formalities during this time, and you can study at home.¡± Xia Chen immediately rejected the idea, ¡°That won¡¯t do. This is a crucial time for the family. How can I stay at home and study every day? Besides, I can¡¯t focus at home.¡± Xia Wan thought about it and agreed, ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s wait for the three days before school starts. None of us will help with the shop during those days, and we¡¯ll all focus on preparing for school.¡± Xia Chen¡¯s consent to go back to school motivated Yan Han and Xia Hai even more. Yan Han even cooked more dishes than usual for lunch. With the weather getting hotter, Xia Wan suggested that the family take a one-hour nap every day at noon to ensure they had enough energy for the whole day. Xia Wan was about to lie down during their rest when she heard continuous Imocking on the door. Subconsciously, she felt that it might not be good news and hurried to the door to check. Opening the door, she saw Chen Lian and Xia Yu standing outside. Xia Wan gave them a wary look and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Chen Lian, who used to be arrogant, now wore a pleasing smile on her face and took the initiative to hand a basket of eggs to Xia Wan, saying, ¡°Wan Wan, please take these. We haven¡¯t visited since your father got sick. We specially came to check on him. How is he recovering?¡± Xia Wan glanced at the basket of eggs. Chen Lian and Song Yan were both very stingy people, so these eggs couldn¡¯t be from their own home. Their chickens wouldn¡¯t produce so many eggs. It was likely that Chen Lian bought them specifically. With a heightened sense of caution, Xia Wan replied, ¡°Auntie, if you have something to say, please be direct. Our family doesn¡¯t have much ability, and we can¡¯t help with everything.¡± With just one sentence, she could see through Chen Lian¡¯s intentions for coming.. Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: Making Xia Yu Surrender Chapter 269: Making Xia Yu Surrender Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Yu usually behaved like a boss at home. He¡¯s not used to being submissive in front of Xia Wan, and he immediately expressed his displeasure to Chen Lian, saying, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve already told you. What¡¯s the point of involving Xia Wan in this matter? How could she have any connections at the police station?¡± Xia Wan caught the sensitive keyword ¡°police station.¡± Did that mean that Xia Yu committed a crime? She looked at Xia Yu and asked, ¡°What illegal thing did you do?¡± Xia Yu quickly denied, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Those people framed me.¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t understand, so Chen Lian helped explain, ¡°Wanwan, it¡¯s like this. Earlier, Liu Shi was caught by the police for stealing Chen Mo¡¯s watch. Then the police came to the village to investigate further, saying that over the years, Liu Shi had bullied many people in the village and even violated girls. Some people implicated Xia Yu, saying he was involved too.¡± Chen Lian started to sob, ¡°Wanwan, you know Xia Yu. Yes, he¡¯s lazy sometimes, but he would never harm girls. He has nothing to do with this, but those people insist that he¡¯s involved.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes narrowed. She quickly reached out and placed her hand on Xia Yu¡¯s pulse through the gap in the iron gate. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chen Lian exclaimed. Before Chen Lian could say anything more, Xia Wan withdrew her hand. She had just taken his pulse to check if Xia Yu was still a virgin. As Chen Lian had said, he was still innocent, indicating that he wasn¡¯t involved in Liu Shi¡¯s mistreatment of girls. After a moment of hesitation, Xia Wan said to them, ¡°Come inside.¡± Chen Lian was overjoyed. It was the first time she could enter Xia Wan¡¯s house. Before, their group had tried to climb the walls but couldn¡¯t get in. From the outside, it didn¡¯t seem like much, but as Chen Lian and Xia Yu entered the villa, they realized how spacious it was. The living room alone was as big as several rooms in the village. Chen Lian looked enviously at the luxurious furnishings inside the villa. Putting her envy aside, Chen Lian started to flatter. ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re truly remarkable. Auntie always felt you were extraordinary. Look at you now, the most accomplished person in our family!¡± Xia Wan said nothing and just brought out tea cups and poured tea for Chen Lian and Xia Yu. The previously arrogant Xia Yu now seemed uneasy. The place was grand, and the floor was spotlessly clean, unlike the muddy ground in the village. He felt like he might dirty the floor just by stepping on it. Sitting across from him, Xia Wan asked, ¡°Tell me everything you¡¯ve done, and I¡¯ll help you figure out what¡¯s going on.¡± Xia Yu was already anxious, and now that Xia Wan was asking him, he didn¡¯t hide anything. He said directly, ¡°I really wasn¡¯t involved in much of Liu Shi¡¯s actions. We belong to different groups. He likes playing around, and I just enjoy taking some snacks from others now and then.¡± Seeing Xia Yu blabbering, Xia Wan asked directly, ¡°Which of Liu Shi¡¯s crimes did you have anything to do with?¡± Xia Yu looked confused, ¡°What crimes?¡± Seeing Xia Yu¡¯s bewildered look, Xia Wan felt that he probably wasn¡¯t involved. She asked, ¡°Did you participate in Liu Shi¡¯s bullying of girls in the village?¡± Xia Yu¡¯s eyes became evasive. Xia Wan narrowed her eyes and spoke more seriously, ¡°Tell me everything you know. If you confess willingly, it¡¯s different from being forced to do so by the police. The consequences will be different.¡± Xia Yu seemed genuinely frightened. He quickened his speech and said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know what Liu Shi was going to do to those girls. He just asked me to find an excuse to bring the village girls to the mountain.¡± ¡°He told me that we were borrowing money from those girls, and when he got the money, he would split it with me.¡± Xia Wan continued to question, ¡°Besides luring the girls to the mountain, did you do anything else with Liu Shi? Like robbing the villagefolk of their money?¡± Xia Yu shook his head quickly, ¡°I really didn¡¯t do that with him! Whenever I go out with my buddies, I usually pay for everything..¡± Chapter 270 - Chapter 270: Going to the Police Station Together Chapter 270: Going to the Police Station Together Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Lian was infuriated by his words, thinking her foolish son had no right to pay every time they went out! Xia Wan asked many other questions, and Xia Yu claimed he had not been involved. He mentioned that Liu Shi occasionally asked for his help when he needed someone for a fight. Xia Wan had a hunch that Liu Shi might implicate Xia Yu intentionally because he was her relative, hoping to drag her down with him. Although Xia Yu often bullied their family members, taking this matter seriously, Xia Wan didn¡¯t want personal grudges to interfere with the truth. She told Xia Yu, ¡°You should surrender to the police directly and confess everything voluntarily. Your crime isn¡¯t significant, and you won¡¯t need to go to jail as long as you tell the truth.¡± Xia Yu seemed doubtful and asked, ¡°Really? But Liu Shi insists I was his accomplice. Will the police believe me?¡± ¡°As long as you speak the truth, the police will determine the facts, and they won¡¯t wrongly accuse you,¡± Xia Wan assured him. Still hesitant, Xia Yu looked at Chen Lian and asked, ¡°Mom, what should I do? Should I go to the police station?¡± Chen Lian looked at Xia Wan and pleaded, ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯ve met more people than us. Can you accompany us to the police station?¡± She put a bag of eggs on the table, saying, ¡°I bought these eggs with money, just come with us to ease our minds, okay?¡± After some estimations, Xia Wan realized that the police station wasn¡¯t far from her place, and she could go to her shop directly afterward, so she agreed. However, she didn¡¯t agree immediately. She looked at Chen Lian and Xia Yu, saying, ¡°Back when we were in our hometown, you didn¡¯t treat us well. We haven¡¯t had much meat in these years. Not long ago, you even tried to break into our house. Aunt, do you think I should help you after how you treated us?¡± Chen Lian understood that there was room for negotiation in this matter. She immediately put on a righteous appearance and said, ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t worry. If you help us today, I¡¯ll come to you with any information in the future.¡± ¡°I admit that we were a bit harsh on your family before, but it was mostly because of Song Yan and Xia Ru. Song Yan kept bad-mouthing your family in front of me.¡± ¡°Also, you know our daughter Xia Ye. She¡¯s just a follower, doing whatever Xia Ru tells her to do.¡± With Chen Lian¡¯s assurance, Xia Wan reluctantly agreed. The three of them left the house and headed towards the police station. Chen Lian and Xia Yu were nervous in front of the police, so Xia Wan helped relay the situation to make the police understand the truth. Officer Song nodded and said to Xia Yu, ¡°If what you said is true, you haven¡¯t committed a significant offense. Just remember not to harm others in the future. You can go home for now, and we¡¯ll contact you if needed.¡± Feeling relieved that Officer Song didn¡¯t press charges, Xia Yu sighed with relief. As the three of them left the police station, a car suddenly stopped in front of Xia Wan. The window rolled down, revealing Chen Mo¡¯s handsome face. His expression softened when he looked at Xia Wan and said, ¡°Get in the car.¡± Xia Wan nodded and told Chen Lian, ¡°Aunt, you and Xia Yu can go back. The matter ends here.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Chen Lian agreed, looking at the car. As Xia Wan got into the passenger seat, she heard a pleasant female voice, ¡°Sister Xia Wan, we meet again.¡± She turned to see Chen Mots sister, Chen Shui. Xia Wan smiled warmly, ¡°You¡¯re here. Feeling better now?¡± Chen Shui smiled brightly, nodding, ¡°Much better. Before, I spent most of my time lying down, but now I can go on outings and shopping with my friends. Sister Xia Wan, I never thought I could have this kind of life. Thanks to your help.¡± Chen MO, looking at Xia Wan through the rearview mirror, asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t those your relatives who treated you badly? Why are you with them? Did something happen?¡± Realizing something was amiss, Xia Wan asked, ¡°Is there more to Liu Shi¡¯s case?¡± Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: There Are Still Villains Chapter 271: There Are Still Villains Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Uh, Liu Shi has been arrested, but he has a big brother behind him. He¡¯s able to commit so many bad deeds because of that big brother¡¯s influence,¡± Chen MO said. Xia Wan asked, ¡°What¡¯s the big brother¡¯s name?¡± Chen MO replied, ¡°Li Gang.¡± Xia Wan furrowed her eyebrows slightly, looking thoughtful, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of anyone named Li Gang in our village.¡± Chen MO explained, ¡°Well, he¡¯s not from your village; his family is from the county town. They have some connections, and he likes to recruit followers from nearby villages to gather information about different villages. He¡¯s involved in robbing money, bullying girls, and engaging in campus violence; he hasn¡¯t spared any of these activities. ¡°Most of the girls in the county town live nearby and are well-protected by their parents. Many of them are escorted to and from school, so he doesn¡¯t get a chance with them. That¡¯s why he specifically targets girls from rural areas. ¡°And also¡­¡± Chen MO paused. Xia Wan had a bad feeling and asked, ¡°And also what?¡± Chen MO lowered his eyes, ¡°Based on the information I found, among the girls Li Gang assaulted, there was one who was gang-raped by several boys. As a result, she developed urinary and fecal incontinence. This girl used to have excellent academic performance, but her body was destroyed, and she had to drop out of school.¡± ¡°The girl¡¯s name is Wu Jun, and I heard she was quite beautiful. After being gang-raped by Li Gang and his gang, she was rescued by passersby. At that time, she didn¡¯t even have any clothes on, covered in blood, and her body was bruised. ¡± Xia Wan listened with anger, her fists already clenched, ¡°Such a big incident and the police haven¡¯t solved it?¡± Chen MO sighed, ¡°They did solve it, but Li Gang¡¯s family secretly approached Wu Jun¡¯s family, threatening them. They either had to pay money for Wu Jun¡¯s medical treatment and forget about the incident, or they would spread the news of Wu Jun¡¯s gang rape throughout the county town, leaving her with no dignity to live on.¡± Chen Shui, who was unaware of this, also became angry, ¡°That¡¯s outrageous! Brother, who is this scumbag? You should go and deal with him right away!¡± Chen MO looked at her, ¡°You¡¯re still recovering from an illness. Take care of yourself first; I will handle this matter.¡± Chen Shui nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Right, big brother is capable. Once you take action, those girls who suffered injustice will surely be saved.¡± Xia Wan remained silent, recalling a case she had seen in her previous life. It was about a seven or eight-year-old girl who was raped by a man in his thirties. Her tiny body couldn¡¯t withstand the man¡¯s brutality. He kidnapped her on her way to school, continuously beating her while raping her. He even used ice-cold water to wash her body, causing fractures in her pelvic bones and her intestines to protrude. The girl¡¯s anus and genitals were severely damaged, leaving her unable to defecate normally and unable to bear children for life. And that was just the physical aspect; at such a young age, she endured severe psychological damage as well. The little girl couldn¡¯t sleep at night, haunted by nightmares of the demon tormenting her. Xia Wan¡¯s fists clenched. Men can be protectors of the weak, but some use their physical strength to bully girls, treating them as less than human. Now, with the example of Wu Jun before her, there might be even more victims far away. What¡¯s even more terrifying is that although the girls are the victims, they still fear having this matter known by outsiders. People who don¡¯t know the truth might blame the girls, questioning why they were targeted and why they weren¡¯t modest enough. Xia Wan knew this was the tragedy of the whole era, something she couldn¡¯t change as of now. However¡­ Wu Jun¡¯s case happened right in front of her, and that was something she could change. Her gaze became determined as she turned to Chen MO, asking, ¡°Where does Li Gang live? I want to know more about him.¡± In that moment, a murderous intent emerged from Xia Wan, surprising Chen Mo. ¡°What do you plan to do? I can gather evidence and make sure Li Gang stays in prison for a lifetime. He has harmed many girls, and although the process may be lengthy, we can ensure he faces justice,¡± Chen MO said, worried that Xia Wan might act impulsively and do something wrong. Xia Wan fixed her gaze on him and said, ¡°For some people, just being imprisoned is not enough. Even if we send him to jail, if his family manages to use their connections and he behaves well in prison, he may get a reduced sentence. After he¡¯s released, can you guarantee that he won¡¯t seek revenge on those girls who got him imprisoned?¡± Upon hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Chen MO remained silent. He understood what she meant. Relying solely on the legal system might not be enough.. Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Dare Not Fall In Love Chapter 272: Dare Not Fall In Love Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation According to his personality, if someone provoked someone he cared about, he would use every means possible to make the other person taste a thousand times the pain. He used to think that Xia Wan always appeared gentle and kind, and wouldn¡¯t like him resorting to violent means, but now he understood that deep down, Xia Wan was just like him. When dealing with kind people, they would try their best to help, but when dealing with evil, they prefered to retaliate in kind. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°Whatever you want to do, I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Xia Wan replied. They looked at each other and saw the answer they wanted in each other¡¯s eyes. In the back seat, Chen Shui blinked but didnt understand the unspoken agreement between Xia Wan and Chen Mo. Chen Shui was afraid that Xia Wan would do something dangerous, so she tried to persuade her, ¡°Sis Xia Wan, if you want to beat up that scumbag Li Gang, just let my brother handle it. You don¡¯t need to go, and it¡¯s too dangerous. What if you get hurt?¡± Xia Wan smiled and reassured Chen Shui, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t put myself in danger.¡± Chen Shui thought Xia Wan agreed and felt relieved. In reality, Xia Wan planned to confront Li Gang herself, as she believed she wouldn¡¯t be in danger, so she wanted to go in person. Xia Wan didn¡¯t consider herself someone who interfered too much in the affairs of others, but Li Gang and Liu Shi¡¯s actions were just too despicable. Such scum deserved to be dealt with. Chen MO drove them to the house they bought in the county. As soon as Chen Shui got out of the car, she linked her arm with Xia Wan¡¯s. Xia Wan also took the opportunity to check Chen Shui¡¯s pulse. She noticed that Chen Shui¡¯s pulse had become much steadier. It seemed she had been taking her medicine regularly these days, and her mood was quite good. ¡°By the way, why didn¡¯t your father come with you?¡± Xia Wan asked Chen Shui. She remembered that Chen Shan was very concerned about Chen Shui the last time they came, so according to his personality, he should have come along. Chen Shui replied with a smile, ¡°Because a batch of medicinal materials arrived. Dad said they were exactly what I needed, and many rare ones that can¡¯t be found on the market. Dad said he wanted to buy them all and give them to you as a gift. He said you would definitely find them useful.¡± Chen MO couldn¡¯t help but rub her head with a helpless look. ¡°You, this girl, why do you always say everything? Dad wanted to surprise Wan Wan, and you just blurted it out. If he manages to win the bid, it¡¯s fine, but what if he doesn¡¯t? Then Wan Wan will be disappointed.¡± Chen Shui also realized her mistake and said dejectedly, ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned it early. Let¡¯s just hope Dad can successfully buy those medicinal materials.¡± Hearing the keyword, Xia Wan asked Chen MO, ¡°Auction? Where is it held?¡± Chen MO raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Are you interested in auctions?¡± Xia Wan nodded. In her previous life, she often researched special medicines. While these medicines were limited in quantity, they were very effective in treating certain diseases. However, she hadn¡¯t attended many auctions before; her master had always taken care of the selling part. In this life, without her master, she had to handle everything on her own. Seeing her interest, Chen MO explained, ¡°The auction is held in the capital. If you¡¯re interested, I can take you there next time it starts.¡± Xia Wan shook her head, ¡°No need, I was just curious. Are there any restrictions on identity at the auction? What kind of items can you purchase, and what is the buying process?¡± ¡°For the time being, I don¡¯t have time to go to the auction, and you must be busy too, so there¡¯s no rush for this matter.¡± But Chen MO smiled and said, ¡°Anything related to you is important and takes priority over other things.¡± Under Chen Mo¡¯s direct gaze, Xia Wan¡¯s mind went blank for a moment, as if someone had pressed the pause button. Chen Mo¡¯s handsome face had no flaws, even up close. His eyes carried deep affection, making Xia Wan a little dizzy. She found it somewhat ridiculous. For a moment, she actually thought he liked her. Xia Wan shook her head slightly, pushing away the jumbled thoughts in her mind. In her previous life, Chen MO always had a cold expression whenever he saw her. He probably had no idea about her feelings for him. So, why should she delude herself this time? She suddenly felt that things in this world were fair. Nobody was born perfect, just like herself. She had medical talent but always had a love-struck mind, immersed in love and creating her own weakness. Now, she didn¡¯t want to ponder on romantic matters. She just wanted to study hard, get into a good university, earn money, improve her social status, and provide a better life for her family.. Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: Chen MO Holding Hands Chapter 273: Chen MO Holding Hands Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen MO noticed that Xia Wan suddenly started avoiding him. Before, they would communicate face-to-face, but now she always seemed to be evading him. ¡°Wanwan, what are you thinking about?¡± Chen MO asked. Xia Wan collected her thoughts and politely smiled at him, ¡°Nothing, just go on with the auction.¡± Even though Xia Wan tried to hide her emotions and appear normal, Chen MO still sensed her subtle changes. So instead of talking about the auction, he asked, ¡°Wanwan, did I say something wrong? Why do I feel like you¡¯ve become distant from me?¡± Chen Shui silently slowed down his pace, giving the two some privacy to talk. For the first time, Xia Wan felt like a third wheel, so conspicuous. She continued to smile, ¡°No, I was just thinking about some past events, unrelated to you.¡± Chen MO suddenly felt an emptiness in his heart. He wanted to tell Xia Wan that from the moment he first saw her, he felt she was special. He had always kept his distance from girls, but for some reason, when he saw her, he had an instinctive desire to get closer to her. He also had something he wanted to confirm with Xia Wan. ¡°Wanwan, come with me. There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about privately.¡± Chen MO took Xia Wan¡¯s hand and led her toward a room. Chen Shui was left dumbfounded behind them. Did she see correctly? Did her brother just hold Xia Wan¡¯s hand? Chen Shui was excited and quickly sent a text message to Chen Shan. [Dad! Brother made progress! He just held Xia Wan¡¯s hand!!!] Chen Shan was on his way to the auction and heard his phone ringing. He checked the message and was so excited that he almost stood up, but then he realized he was in a car and accidentally bumped his head on the roof. The driver stopped the car in a hurry and anxiously asked, ¡®Mr. Chen, are you okay?¡± Chen Shan¡¯s eyes were still glued to his phone, and he waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine, just keep driving, but slower.¡± Then he immediately called Chen Shui. Chen Shui answered quickly. Curious, Chen Shan asked, ¡°Tell me in detail. How did your brother take the initiative to hold Xia Wan¡¯s hand? Did he buy her flowers or give her gifts?¡± Chen Shui was confused, ¡°Uh, no, he was originally talking to Xia Wan about the auction, then suddenly he held her hand and said he wanted to talk to her privately, leaving me behind.¡± Chen Shan¡¯s excitement faded instantly, and he looked disappointed and disgusted, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Chen Shui nodded, ¡°Yes!¡± Chen Shan sarcastically commented, ¡°If I were like your brother, I would never have been able to chase after your mother. Back then, there were so many men pursuing your mother.¡± ¡°Okay, enough of your past glories. I don¡¯t want to hear about that. I¡¯m quite satisfied with Xia Wan as my sister-in-law. Just tell me what I need to do to help my brother pursue Xia Wan.¡± Chen Shui interrupted Chen Shan and asked directly. Chen Shan chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s easy. You help your brother pick a gift that girls like and have him buy movie tickets. In the dim lighting of the cinema, they¡¯ll be close, and it¡¯s easy for a romantic atmosphere to develop.¡± Chen Shui nodded in satisfaction and praised, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re really good at pursuing women. You¡¯re better than my brother!¡± Chen Shan felt proud, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m your father.¡± ¡°Alright, enough talking. I¡¯m going to play matchmaker for them.¡± After saying that, Chen Shui hung up the phone. Chen Shan looked at the disconnected call screen, feeling somewhat helpless, but simultaneously, a smile crept onto his face. His silly son had finally grown up. On the other side, Chen MO brought Xia Wan to a room where he usually painted. He looked mysterious as he said, ¡°Wanwan, actually, I¡¯ve been having a dream these past few days.¡± ¡°A dream? What dream? Is it related to me?¡± Xia Wan asked, surprised. Being suddenly pulled in like this, it was the first time she held Chen Mo¡¯s hand. Her heart was pounding hard. Chen MO nodded, ¡°Yes, in the dream, you saved me many times. I realized I liked you but was too afraid to tell you. I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect you, so I could only observe you quietly from the shadows. ¡°Later, I wanted to confess my feelings to you, but then I lost consciousness. It seemed like I got injured, and everything was dark. Someone saved me, and that person was you. But someone else took credit for saving me, claiming it was her. I don¡¯t remember much else, but the pain in the dream was very real. I regretted and felt heartache. ¡°Wanwan, do you think this dream might be related to our past lives?¡± Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: The Past Chapter 274: The Past Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan lowered her eyes slightly, shocked that Chen MO could see all of this in his dreams. However, she couldn¡¯t tell him about her rebirth right now. It was her biggest secret, and she couldn¡¯t determine yet if he was someone she could trust completely. She asked tentatively, ¡°What else did the dream tell you? Can you tell me more about it?¡± Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s expression, Chen MO instinctively wanted to share everything with her. He lowered his eyes, carrying a hint of disappointment, ¡°In the dream, my younger sister died early. My father took her to find a divine doctor, but the doctor refused to save her. However, the woman in the dream had researched a special medicine to treat my sister, who had passed away five years before.¡± ¡°Every time she was in danger, I was there. I appeared to save her casually, seemingly indifferent to her, but in reality, I always remembered her. She was so skilled in medicine, and her demeanor was quiet and very low-key.¡± Chen MO looked at Xia Wan and continued, ¡°The woman in my dream looks exactly like you, and I have feelings for her.¡± Xia Wan felt her heart beating faster. In her previous life, every time Chen MO saved her, he had a cold expression. Why would he have feelings for her? She felt that there must be some misunderstanding, and her tone became a bit anxious, ¡°Did any other women appear in your dream? Did you have any other fianc¨¦e or something like that?¡± This question seemed to give Chen MO a headache. He slowly recalled, covering his head as if remembering something unpleasant. ¡°Yes, there was a fianc¨¦e, but I really dislike her. I don¡¯t like her at all. She used the favor of saving my life to blackmail my father and forced me to marry her. But later, I found out that it wasn¡¯t her who saved me!¡± Chen Mo¡¯s tone grew stronger as he spoke, and he grabbed Xia Wan¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Wanwan, are all these things in my dream real? Could it be our past ¡°No wonder I felt close to you from the beginning when I saw you. It must be that I owed you in my past life.¡± ¡°In the dream, I felt guilty for you and hated those who hurt you. I¡¯m willing to do anything to get to know you again.¡± Tears welled up in Xia Wan¡¯s eyes. So, being married to Xia Bing in the past was not his intention, but rather something she was using to blackmail him. If she had truly saved Chen MO, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have done such a thing. But Xia Bing was afraid of Chen MO finding out the truth, so she coerced him into marrying her. Even if the truth was later discovered, she would have already become the Chen family¡¯s wife, and Chen MO couldn¡¯t do anything to her. That was Xia Bing¡¯s plot back then. How insidious it was. Xia Wan knew that Chen Mo¡¯s dream must be real, and this was the truth of the past. With Chen Mots explanation of the dream, the barrier in her heart toward him suddenly seemed to dissipate. She had been avoiding his affection because of their engagement in their past life. Others said they were a perfect match, and she thought Chen MO must have willingly agreed to it. Otherwise, there were many other ways to repay the favor of saving his life. Why did he have to marry her? ¡°Alright, you said it yourself. That was in our past life. In this life, we meet much earlier, and there won¡¯t be so many misunderstandings. If something similar happens again, we¡¯ll always be able to handle it, right?¡± Xia Wan stared at Chen MO with shining eyes and asked. Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s trusting gaze, Chen MO felt reassured. He pulled her into his arms, and the two hugged each other. Just as the atmosphere became very intimate, they heard a creaking sound from the window. Both Xia Wan and Chen MO looked over, only to find Chen Shui peeking from the window, accidentally making a noise. Being caught, Chen Shui awkwardly waved, ¡°Hi there, well, you guys continue, I just got lost.¡± Xia Wan quickly left Chen Mo¡¯s embrace, and her face turned red. Chen Shui walked away, continuing to text Chen Shan. [¡°Dad, brother moved quickly! He already hugged Xia Wan! Who said my brother is clumsy? He¡¯s doing well.¡±] Chen Shan laughed like a child in the car and replied, [¡°That¡¯s because he inherited my charm. Back then, your mother was charmed by my passion. ¡°] Chen Shui continued to chat happily with Chen Shan via text messages.. Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Chen Shui I s Matchmaking Chapter 275: Chen Shui I s Matchmaking Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The atmosphere between Xia Wan and Chen MO felt somewhat awkward and inexplicable. Xia Wan took the initiative and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on Chen Shui and see how she¡¯s doing.¡± Once Xia Wan left, Chen MO felt the lingering warmth in his embrace and smiled. Xia Wan went to Chen Shui¡¯s room and found her playing with her phone, a smile on her face. Xia Wan asked, ¡°What are you laughing at? What¡¯s making you so happy? Phones in this era could already be used to read e-books, but due to the small screen, it wasn¡¯t very ergonomic. Xia Wan thought she might be reading a novel, which amused her. Chen Shui hurriedly put her phone away and looked at Xia Wan with a smile, ¡°Sister Xia Wan, what do you think of my brother? Do you have feelings for him Xia Wan blushed a bit and pretended to be serious, saying, ¡°Your priority now is to focus on getting well. Don¡¯t worry about other things.¡± Chen Shui¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade, ¡°So, Sister Xia Wan, you¡¯re admitting it, then?¡± Helpless, Xia Wan changed the topic and proceeded to check Chen Shui¡¯s pulse. After a simple examination, Xia Wan nodded and praised, ¡°You¡¯re recovering well. I¡¯ll do some acupuncture for you first, and once I have the medicinal herbs, I¡¯ll start preparing the medicine for you.¡± She still remembered the prescription from her past life, but the medicinal herbs were relatively scarce. Chen Shui nodded and said to Xia Wan, ¡°Sister Xia Wan, I feel much better now. Before, whenever I went out, I felt short of breath, and I¡¯d get dizzy and nauseous after walking for a while.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s different now. I can stroll around outside for three hours!¡± Seeing Chen Shui genuinely happy, Xia Wan smiled along. At Chen Shui¡¯s invitation, she accompanied Chen Shui to play a game of Chinese chess. When Chen MO entered, he saw the two engrossed in the game. Chen Shui put down the chess pieces, smiled at Xia Wan, and said, ¡°Sister Xia Wan, you should go with my brother. He¡¯s not good at shopping, and I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll get ripped off if he goes alone.¡± Without much thought, Xia Wan agreed. As Xia Wan and Chen Mots departed, Chen Shui¡¯s smile faded. She looked in the direction they left, propped her chin with both hands and mumbled, ¡°My brother has found someone he likes. When will I be able to regain my health? I want to go on a picnic with my classmates and play freely on the playground.¡± On the other side, Chen MO drove and took Xia Wan shopping. He was also observing this county town and noticed that while it wasn¡¯t large, the constant business flow due to the nearby national highway led to many shops. When they arrived at a jewelry store, Chen MO stopped. He kindly opened the car door for Xia Wan and said with a smile, ¡°I noticed you hadn¡¯t worn the jewelry I gave you last time. I didn¡¯t give it much thought. This time, let me choose something you can wear every day. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t pick anything too expensive.¡± Chen Shui had analyzed this matter with him before. The bracelet he gave Xia Wan last time was too expensive. If she wore it outside, it would surely attract attention because her family couldn¡¯t afford such an item. So Xia Wan had to keep that bracelet hidden. However, he hoped that the gift he chose this time could be worn by her every day. That way, whenever she saw it, she would think of him. The two figures heading into the jewelry store were spotted by Song Zhi, who was across the street. Beside him was Xia Wan¡¯s classmate Zhou Li. Zhou Li looked surprised and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Xia Wan? Why did she get out of a luxury car? That kind of car doesn¡¯t come cheap.¡± Jealousy filled Song Zhi¡¯s eyes as he gritted his teeth, ¡°Yes, and there¡¯s a young man with her. Although I didn¡¯t see his face clearly, judging from his figure, he¡¯s definitely handsome.¡± Zhou Li urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡± Song Zhi nodded, fully agreeing with her proposal. The two hurriedly walked toward the jewelry store. At that moment, Xia Wan was looking at the various bracelets inside the store. In terms of rarity, these bracelets couldn¡¯t compare to the one Chen MO gave her. However, their prices ranged from a dozen to a few hundred yuan, not too expensive. Ordinary people could afford them with a little determination, even if Xia Wan didn¡¯t have to pay for it now because Chen MO was covering the expenses.. Chapter 276 - Chapter 276: Buying a Bracelet Chapter 276: Buying a Bracelet Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Ma¡¯am, our shop is a national chain. The styles you see here are the latest, and the prices are all the same nationwide,¡± the shop assistant introduced enthusiastically. Xia Wan nodded and continued watching. Chen MO stayed by her side. Xia Wan realized that although this store had a lot of jewelry styles, they did not actually vary much in design. They had only used flowers that had good meanings in China as decorations on the bracelet. The bracelet itself did not change much. If the bracelet itself was modified, these pieces could sell quickly. For example, if the original round bracelet was made into a half-open shape, on the one hand, it could make the entire bracelet look more fashionable, and on the other hand, there would be more places for innovation. ¡°Help me pick this up and take a look,¡± Xia Wan pointed at a thin silver bracelet decorated with a four-leaf clover. ¡°Alright,¡± the shop assistant enthusiastically handed the bracelet to Xia Wan and introduced it simultaneously. ¡°This is the latest design by our designer this season. Madam, you have good taste. This bracelet is priced at 150 yuan and is very popular among young women nowadays.¡± Xia Wan nodded. 150 yuan was not expensive to her, but it was equivalent to half of the monthly income of most county residents. Chen MO frowned slightly. He felt that the price of this bracelet was too low. Yes, he wanted Xia Wan to pick a bracelet that could be taken out at any time, but in Chen Mo¡¯s eyes, an ordinary bracelet would cost at least 500 yuan. At that moment, Song Zhi and Zhou Li entered the jewelry shop. Seeing Xia Wan, Zhou Li deliberately raised her voice and said, ¡°Xia Wan, why are you here to buy things? I remember that your family¡¯s financial situation isn¡¯t good. I heard that your father¡¯s hospitalization fees haven¡¯t been settled yet.¡± As if she had just seen Chen MO, she said exaggeratedly, ¡°Xia Wan, who is this? Is he your new boyfriend? Is he here to buy you a bracelet?¡± The waitress, who was still smiling, looked at Xia Wan differently after hearing Zhou Li¡¯s words. When Xia Wan and Chen MO first came in, the waiter thought they were very good-looking. The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful. However, after hearing Zhou Li¡¯s words, the waiter felt that this was another person who used her beauty to cheat men of their money. At that moment, the waiter¡¯s attitude also changed slightly. He was not as enthusiastic towards Xia Wan as before and only watched coldly from the side. Only then did Xia Wan look at Zhou Li. Speaking of which, Zhou Li and Zhou Chen were related. Zhou Li was Zhou Chen¡¯s cousin. In her previous life, after she found out about their relationship, she often went to curry favor with Zhou Li in the hope that she would put in a good word for her in front of Zhou Chen. However, Zhou Li would only take her snacks and even ask to copy her homework. In front of others, she would belittle Xia Wan in all sorts of ways. Xia Wan didn¡¯t even look at herself. Her family wasn¡¯t much, and her studies were so bad. She was only good-looking. Why did she think that she was worthy of Zhou Chen? Xia Wan felt disgusted just thinking about this kind of person. Yes, she was blind in her previous life and fell for Zhou Chen, but Zhou Li should not have ruined her sincerity like this. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were very cold. ¡°Do I know you very well? What does it have to do with you whether I can afford the jewelry or not? How did you know that my father was hospitalized and had no money to pay for his medical expenses?¡± Xia Wan moved closer to Zhou Li. Her aura was fierce, which surprised Zhou Li and intimidated her. It had only been a holiday, but why did she feel that Xia Wan seemed to have changed a lot? In the past, if Xia Wan saw her, she would definitely welcome her with a smile and try to curry favor with her. At the same time, she would ask about Zhou Chen. However, Xia Wan¡¯s eyes were no longer fawning when she looked at her. Instead, they were cold and even filled with disgust. Did Xia Wan not like Zhou Chen anymore? Zhou Li could not help but look at Chen Mo. She felt that the man in front of her was very handsome. Her cousin Zhou Chen could not be compared to him at all. Zhou Li stared at Chen MO, which made Chen MO feel a little disgusted. However, in front of Xia Wan, Chen MO could not flare up. He was afraid that it would affect his image in Xia Wan¡¯s heart. Xia Wan stood in front of Chen MO, blocking Zhou Li¡¯s line of sight. She looked at Zhou Li mockingly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have you never seen a man before? You can¡¯t take your eyes off him..¡± Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Dissing Zhou Li Chapter 277: Dissing Zhou Li Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhou Li blocked her line of sight. Seeing that Xia Wan actually dared to question her, she was angry. She put her hands on her hips and scolded Xia Wan, ¡°Who do you think you are? Are you worthy of talking about me?¡± ¡°Previously, when you were stuck to Zhou Chen, everyone in the school knew that you were his bootlicker. Have you forgotten how you gave me a bunch of snacks just to get information about Zhou Chen from me? ¡°Xia Wan, when it comes to shamelessly chasing after men, who can compare to you?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s expression was indifferent. She did not care about Zhou Li¡¯s insults. After experiencing life and death, these petty things in school were insignificant to her. Chen MO, who was standing behind Xia Wan, was in a bad mood. What did Zhou Li mean? Could it be that Xia Wan had pursued someone in school before? Did she have someone she liked? Xia Wan¡¯s eyes darkened, and she subconsciously glanced at Chen Mo. Although Chen Mots expression did not change, she could feel his mood must have been affected. Xia Wan suddenly grabbed Chen MO¡¯s hand and said to Zhou Li, ¡°This is my boyfriend, Chen Mo. I was blind in the past to have a good impression of Zhou Chen. Ever since I met Chen MO, I finally understood what a truly good man is. ¡°Moreover, my so-called good impression of Zhou Chen was a one-sided misunderstanding. I thought he was the kind of man who¡¯d be very gentle to girls and a gentleman. He was good at studying and gentle with others, so I thought he was not bad. ¡°But now I can see clearly that his gentleness is all an act. On the one hand, he enjoys the various snacks and benefits girls give him, but deep down, he doesn¡¯t like anyone. ¡°Actually, he¡¯s just a selfish and self-righteous scumbag.¡± Zhou Li clenched her fists. ¡°Xia Wan, you¡¯re slandering my cousin. Zhou Chen is not like what you said.¡± The girls in school knew about her relationship with Zhou Chen. Most of the girls treated her very well and could even be said to be fawning over her. If Xia Wan¡¯s words today were to spread, everyone would think that Zhou Chen was a scumbag, and no one would be able to fawn over her in the future. Therefore, Zhou Li had to protect Zhou Chen¡¯s reputation. Xia Wan sneered. ¡°Anyone with a brain can figure out whether he¡¯s like this or not. ¡± She turned around and handed the bracelet to the waiter. ¡°Help me wrap this up.¡± The waiter was watching the show when Xia Wan suddenly said that she wanted to pay. She was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She quickly put the bracelet away and handed it to Xia Wan. ¡°Madam, your bracelet.¡± Chen MO was in charge of paying and had no intention of haggling. Xia Wan took the bracelet box and left with Chen Mo¡¯s arm, ignoring Zhou Li¡¯s ugly expression. The waitress recalled the conversation between the two. She was confused and had no idea who was telling the truth. Xia Wan only let go of him after they had walked for a while. Chen MO held her hand. Xia Wan raised her head and saw Chen MO¡¯s starry eyes. ¡°You just said that I¡¯m your boyfriend. Then let your boyfriend take you shopping now.¡± Chen MO lifted their hands and led her to another shop. Xia Wan felt that her heart was beating very fast. ¡°Actually, I just wanted Zhou Li to retreat. It¡¯s nothing for her to see her cousin.¡± Xia Wan was explaining when she bumped into Chen Mo¡¯s shoulder. Chen MO stopped and looked into her eyes. ¡°So what you said just now was to lie to Zhou Li. You don¡¯t admire me at all. You don¡¯t think I¡¯m very outstanding, right?¡± Chen MO asked with a hurt look in his eyes. Xia Wan immediately panicked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Of course, you¡¯re outstanding.¡± Xia Wan hurriedly explained. Chen MO smiled. ¡°Since I¡¯m so good, why can¡¯t I be your boyfriend?¡± Xia Wan was stunned and asked foolishly, ¡°Are you confessing to me?¡± Chen MO nodded and said solemnly, ¡°Xia Wan, I like you. From the first time I saw you, you left a deep impression in my heart and I can¡¯t get rid of it. In the past, I never thought that I would be with any girl for the rest of my life, but after meeting you, I changed. I want you to be by my side. I want to protect you at all times.¡± Xia Wan felt her heart beating faster. So Chen MO had a good impression of her from the first time he saw her? Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Confirming Their Relationship Chapter 278: Confirming Their Relationship Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan¡¯s silence made Chen MO panic. He was afraid that he would push Xia Wan too hard. ¡°If you are unwilling, you can treat what I said earlier as nonsense,¡± Chen MO said, giving each other a way out. ¡°I¡¯m willing,¡± Xia Wan said. Chen MO was stunned. He grabbed Xia Wan¡¯s shoulder tightly. ¡°What did you Xia Wan smiled. ¡°I said, I¡¯m willing to let you be my boyfriend.¡± Chen MO hugged Xia Wan excitedly. ¡°Wanwan, thank you. Thank you for agreeing to be with me.¡± The two of them were very close to each other. Xia Wan could clearly feel Chen MO¡¯s heartbeat. She realized that Chen Mo¡¯s heart was beating very fast. Chen MO held Xia Wan¡¯s hand for the rest of the day as he brought her around the entire street. He brought Xia Wan to buy new clothes and the largest electronics store in the county town. He bought Xia Wan the latest MP4. In this era, MP3S and MP4s were popular among young people. If anyone could get an MP3 player and listen to music with headphones, others would think it was cool. Chen MO said, ¡°The screen of an MP4 is bigger. My sister likes to read e-books. You¡¯re a girl, so I think you might like it too. When I buy a computer and put it in your house, you can use it to send books to the MP4.¡± ¡°If you feel bored while selling clothes, you can read on the MP4.¡± It didn¡¯t matter to Xia Wan whether she had the MP/+ or not. She had enjoyed the smartphone era, so the MP4 wasn¡¯t very attractive to her. However, this was Chen Mo¡¯s kind gesture, and she smiled brightly as she held it in her hand. Xia Wan said, ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, let¡¯s buy two more MP4s. I want to give one to my brother and one to my younger brother. They¡¯re also at the age of studying now. If they have MP4s, they can download and use some learning materials for their studies.¡± Chen MO nodded and immediately asked the boss to bring two more. They shopped for a full three hours. When Xia Wan returned to the car, she realized that the things she had bought had piled up half the car seat. On the way, Chen MO brought her to other clothing stores to buy a lot of clothes. He also let Xia Wan see how the other stores in the county were decorated. Chen MO drove the car to Xia Wan¡¯s house and opened the door for her. They realized that they had bought a lot of things. It would be a little difficult for Xia Wan to carry them alone, so Chen MO took the initiative to carry these large items. ¡°I¡¯ll help you bring the things in,¡± Chen MO said. Xia Wan was a little embarrassed. If Chen MO went home with her and there were other people at home, how would she explain it? Although she was now an adult and could fall in love freely, in her parents¡¯ eyes, as long as she was still in school, she should focus on her studies. If she fell in love casually, her parents would definitely be worried that it would affect her studies. Chen MO seemed to have noticed Xia Wan¡¯s worry and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When I meet your parents, I¡¯ll tell them you helped my sister with her treatment. I¡¯m grateful to you, so I took you shopping.¡± Xia Wan nodded, pleased with Chen Mo¡¯s thoughtfulness. ¡°Just now, in the jewelry shop, your classmate mentioned Zhou Chen. Do you still like him?¡± Chen MO suddenly asked. Chen MO had wanted to ask along the way, but he felt embarrassed. Now that he had sent Xia Wan home, he was afraid that he would not have the chance to ask again, so he could not help but say it. Only then did Xia Wan realize that Chen MO had been concerned about Zhou Chen. She smiled and held Chen Mot s hand. ¡°Everything I said to Zhou Li was true. I might have had some good feelings for Zhou Chen in the past, but it was far inferior to my feelings for you.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Chen MO was finally relieved. He held Xia Wan¡¯s hand and walked much faster. When the two of them returned home, they realized that Yan Han and Xia Feng were both at home. Xia Feng was watching cartoons on TV. Yan Han was holding some vegetables in her hands, as if she was going to wash them in the kitchen. Yan Han was stunned when he saw Xia Wan return with Chen Mo. She then said, ¡°Mr. Chen, you¡¯re here. It¡¯s time for dinner. Mr. Chen, you can have dinner at our house today.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Chen MO still has work to do,¡± Xia Wan said subconsciously. She felt that if Chen MO were allowed to stay at her home for too long, Yan Han would see her expression and demeanor when they interacted. If Yan Han were to find out they were dating, this matter would be terrible. She would definitely be reprimanded by her mother.. Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: Gifting Yan Han Chapter 279: Gifting Yan Han Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen MO said, ¡°My sister will have to trouble Wanwan to treat her illness during this period of time. Some servants will help her prepare lunch. Since you¡¯ve said so, Auntie, of course, I have to stay.¡± Chen MO took out a beautiful brocade box from the bag in his hand as he spoke. ¡°Auntie, this has been specially chosen for you. It¡¯s a popular scarf style at the moment. See if you like it.¡± Chen MO handed the scarf to Yan Han. Yan Han quickly placed the dishes on the table and rubbed his hands nervously. With a smile on her face, she said, ¡°How can I accept this? You brought our Wanwan out to buy things, but I still have to accept your gift.¡± Chen MO immediately said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Wanwan, no one would have been able to cure my sister¡¯s illness. Wanwan is our family¡¯s benefactor. You¡¯re Wanwan¡¯s mother, so it¡¯s only right for me to give you a gift.¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯m going to freeload at your house today. How can I come empty-handed?¡± Chen Mot s words defeated Yan Han, and she eventually accepted the gift. He opened the box. There was a lotus flower embroidered on the lower right corner of the scarf. The other parts of the scarf were green and blue, making the entire scarf look very classic. Even though Yan Han hadn¡¯t seen many good things, she liked it very much at first glance. At the same time, Yan Han felt that this scarf must be very expensive. ¡°Such a good scarf must be very expensive. I can¡¯t take it. You should take it back.¡± Although he liked it, Yan Han still returned the scarf to Chen Mo. Chen MO said with a serious expression, ¡°Auntie, I specially chose this scarf for you. If you don¡¯t want it, I can only throw it away.¡± Xia Wan suddenly felt that this conversation was very familiar. When Chen MO had given her a present, he said the same thing. Sure enough. the next moment. she saw the heartache in Yan Han¡¯s eves. ¡°How can you throw away such a good scarf just like that? Auntie, just keep it.¡± Seeing that Yan Han had finally accepted the scarf, Chen MO smiled. Xia Wan shook her head helplessly. She realized that Chen MO alone was better than many of them when it came to scheming. It wasn¡¯t only her but even her mother was very happy because of Chen Mo. ¡°Mr. Chen, what would you like to eat? I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± Yan Han greeted them warmly. ¡°I¡¯m not picky. I like all of Auntie¡¯s dishes,¡± Chen MO said immediately. Xia Feng, who was watching an anime, also stopped and stared at Chen Mo. Chen MO smiled, took an exquisite box from his pocket, and handed it to Xia Feng. ¡°This is for you. It¡¯s a watch. It¡¯s convenient for you to check the time when you go to school.¡± Xia Feng¡¯s originally tense face immediately turned into a smile. So he had a gift too! He couldn¡¯t wait to take it and said sweetly, ¡°Thank you, Brother Chen.¡± Xia Wan wanted to cover her face. How could her silly brother be bribed so easily? Xia Feng opened the box and saw a black watch lying there quietly. From the shape, it seemed very simple, but Xia Wan saw the watch¡¯s logo and knew it was another famous watch. Although it was not as expensive as Chen MO¡¯s, it was still worth a few thousand yuan. Chen MO had probably chosen this after listening to her suggestion not to buy too expensive a gift. But¡­ A watch that cost a few thousand yuan was still very expensive! Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but remind him. ¡°Your Brother Chen specially chose this watch for you. You have to wear it well. Don¡¯t let others wear it casually. Don¡¯t show it off to others, lest others have bad ideas.¡¯ Xia Feng immediately nodded obediently. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. I know. Our family is making money now, so Uncle and Auntie would want to take advantage of us. Even if I have something good, I will hide it so that others won¡¯t have any ideas about me.¡± Xia Wan smiled in satisfaction. Her brother was smart. Chen MO also rubbed Xia Feng¡¯s head. ¡°As expected of Wanwan¡¯s younger brother. He¡¯s very smart.¡± Xia Feng raised his head proudly. Chen MO chose to watch TV with Xia Feng while Xia Wan put all the bags in the room. Standing in front of the dressing mirror in the room, Xia Wan sized herself up. Her heart was still beating very fast, and the happiness on her face could not be suppressed. Everything was so surreal that she couldn¡¯t believe it.. Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Discovered by Yan Han chapter 280: discovered by yan han translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation if chen mo¡¯s dream reflected his true thoughts in his previous life, then it was not just her one-sided love for him, but he also loved her. unfortunately, fate was often cruel. their relationship was used by xia bing, which led to the tragedy. xia wan took a deep breath. no matter what happened between her and chen mo in this life, she had to do her best to hold on to it because she would never like anyone else other than chen mo. after mentally preparing herself, xia wan went to the kitchen to cook with yan han. yan han leaned closer to xia wan and whispered to her, ¡°wanwan, tell me the truth. are you dating chen mo?¡± xia wan, who was choosing vegetables, broke the chives in half in excitement. ¡°mom, what nonsense are you talking about? chen mo is just grateful to me.¡± yan han looked at her with a smile. ¡°don¡¯t try to lie to me. i gave birth to you. how can i not know what you¡¯re thinking? if chen mo didn¡¯t like you, why would he give me a gift?¡± ¡°and your younger brother, he also sent a gift.¡± ¡°although i don¡¯t know much, i still know that if a boy is trying to curry favor with a girl¡¯s family, it¡¯s very likely that the boy wants to be their son-in-law.¡± yan han¡¯s words defeated xia wan. she realized that she had underestimated yan han¡¯s observation skills. ¡°mom, we just have a good impression of each other. chen mo is a good person. every time i¡¯m in trouble, he¡¯s the one who helps me.¡± xia wan explained. ¡°xu ye has helped our family a lot,¡± yan han said. ¡°why haven¡¯t i seen you being so close to xu ye?¡± besides, the things you¡¯re carrying were all bought by chen mo, right?¡± being stared at by yan han, xia wan was embarrassed to lie, so she nodded. yan han had an expression of ¡®as expected¡¯ and said, ¡°you¡¯re my daughter. i know your personality best. you¡¯re usually very clear about others. even if you¡¯re very close friends, you don¡¯t like to take advantage of others.¡± ¡°but now, you¡¯ve accepted chen mo¡¯s shopping. what does this mean? it means that you no longer treat chen mo as an outsider.¡± xia wan did not realize this at first, but after yan han pointed it out, she began to think about it. if xu ye wanted to bring her to buy so many things, would she accept it without any psychological burden? the answer was no. she could accept xu ye¡¯s help but would remember where xu ye had helped. she would help xu ye in other places. in short, she would not owe xu ye anything. however, chen mo was different. xia wan no longer felt burdened by his kindness to her. in fact, she even found it a little sweet. yan han understood everything from xia wan¡¯s expression. she sighed and said, ¡°chen mo is a good child. i can tell that he really likes you. ¡°but wanwan, even though our family makes a lot of money from selling clothes now, it can¡¯t be compared to chen mo¡¯s family background. you might have great achievements in the future, but to a big family like that, we¡¯re nothing. ¡°even if chen mo likes you, what about his relatives? do they really think highly of you?¡± the smile on xia wan¡¯s face also faded. she knew that what yan han said was true. in her previous life, even though her medical skills were profound and many when she encountered difficulties because she did not have the support of her family. xia wan bit her lips and said, ¡°mom, you said i know all of this, but i don¡¯t want to give up chen mo because of these. whether we can get together depends on working together.¡± ¡°chen mo likes me, and i like him too. even if many difficulties await us in the future, i¡¯m willing to try.¡± yan han didn¡¯t say anything and just looked at xia wan. in the end, she compromised. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll support you, but there¡¯s one condition. you can¡¯t delay your studies.¡± xia wan smiled. ¡°don¡¯t worry, mom. i definitely won¡¯t delay my studies. besides, my grades weren¡¯t good before.¡± yan han gave her a sideways glance. ¡°is this something to be proud of? although your mother didn¡¯t attend university, her grades were still exemplary. your brother was also very good when he was in school. you were the only one who didn¡¯t work hard when you were in school.¡± xia wan quickly covered her ears. ¡°i know, mom. i¡¯ll definitely study hard. don¡¯t say anymore.¡± as the two of them laughed and played, chen mo glanced at the kitchen occasionally. he felt that such a home was very warm and made him a little envious.. Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Women’s Status chapter 281: women¡¯s status translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation soon, yan han finished preparing the dishes, and xia wan followed her to bring them out. chen mo wanted to help, but yan han stopped him. yan han smiled and said, ¡°the male lead is outside while the female lead is inside. you and xia feng will be responsible for eating.¡± ¡°aunty,¡± chen mo said after hearing this, ¡°i don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to differentiate between boys and girls. if a girl has her own career to do, a man can also enter the kitchen.¡± yan han had never known about this before. ever since she was born, she was taught that girls should do all housework. therefore, her interest was piqued when she heard chen mo¡¯s point of view. ¡°you¡¯ve lived in a big city before,¡± she asked chen mo. ¡°in your big city, are there any boys who do housework?¡± seeing that yan han was interested in these topics, chen mo began to tell her in detail. ¡°in our country, if two people form a family, many families still choose the girl to do the housework while the boy works outside. however, some boys help the girl with the housework. ¡°of course, there is also a situation where the boys stay at home to look after the children and do housework while the girls work outside. however, this situation is relatively rare at the moment. ¡°but now, with the reform and opening up, many foreign companies have entered the country. many girls are more talented than boys in terms of language. after they enter those companies, they can develop very well. their monthly income is even several times that of their husbands. ¡°for a family, if one of them has to stay at home to take care of the child and the other has to go out to work, then naturally, they have to choose the person with the higher salary to go out to work.¡± yan han listened attentively and concluded, ¡°the reason why there are such changes now is because of the economic development of our country. many women also have the ability to earn money, and their ability to earn money is even stronger than men, right?¡± chen mo nodded. ¡°this is the most direct reason. of course, there is another reason. nowadays, people advocate raising the status of women. everyone thinks that loving their wives is an honorable thing.¡± ¡°i believe that it won¡¯t be long before the atmosphere in the country will improve.¡± yan han was a little emotional, and her eyes were even a little wet. from chen mo¡¯s words, she could feel the change in the public¡¯s perception. the status of women should be gradually improved. xia wan saw that the atmosphere was a little sad and quickly interrupted with a smile, ¡°alright, mom, don¡¯t be so sad when we eat here.¡± after placing the two of them at the table, xia wan added another dish for chen mo. ¡°try my mom¡¯s fried celery. it¡¯s delicious and nutritious.¡± chen mo took the food from her and complimented her with a smile after he finished eating, ¡°it¡¯s indeed a good dish.¡± xia feng was already wearing the watch in his hand. he would look at the watch every time he ate, and there was a silly smile on his face. seeing how happy he was, xia wan took out the mp4 she had bought for him. ¡°look at your silly face. take this too. this is the latest model. if you want to read any e-books or learn materials, you can download them here.¡± ¡°but this can only be done when we have a computer at home. but your brother chen said that he will get us a computer in two days.¡± xia wan looked at chen mo and asked, ¡°how much is this computer? i¡¯ll give it to you when the time comes.¡± chen mo immediately waved his hand. ¡°no need, no need. my uncle¡¯s family sells computers. maybe people think that computers are expensive, but the raw materials for these computers are very cheap. the main thing is to pay for the technology.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve already saved my sister. it¡¯s not a big deal for me to give your family a computer, let alone one that my family produced.¡± xia wan insisted on paying. ¡°that won¡¯t do. the computer is a big project. how can i use your computer without giving you money?¡± chen mo quickly rejected, ¡°there¡¯s really no need. moreover, you didn¡¯t charge for the acupuncture treatment for my sister today.¡± ¡°i understand the rules of your industry. if it¡¯s a senior doctor, the consultation fee for this consultation may be tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands.¡± ¡°just tell me, how can a small computer like mine offset your acupuncture this time?¡± ¡°that¡¯s why i¡¯m giving you this computer. at most, i¡¯ll treat it as today¡¯s consultation fee.¡± chen mo¡¯s attitude was very firm. it seemed that if xia wan continued to argue with him, he would argue with her to the end.. Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Practicing Medicine is Very Profitable chapter 282: practicing medicine is very profitable translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation yan han looked at chen mo in a daze. ¡°doctors these days can earn so much money just by performing acupuncture?¡± when her father-in-law was still alive, he usually treated the villagers. every time, he only collected eggs or wild vegetables. according to what chen mo said, her father-in-law should be able to earn a lot of money as a doctor. yan han felt that she was still inexperienced. the environment she was in made her unable to imagine how much money people could earn in the outside world. ¡°it depends on the doctor¡¯s ability,¡± chen mo said. ¡°if you¡¯re just an ordinary university student, you¡¯ll only get a few hundred yuan a month if you go to the hospital for an internship.¡± ¡°but if you have good medical skills, then there will be many people begging you. some doctors with strange tempers will not treat you even if you pay them.¡± yan han clicked his tongue in wonder. xia wan could tell that chen mo would definitely not accept the money for the computer today. she also gave up on arguing with chen mo. she only wanted to put in more effort to treat chen shui¡¯s illness so that she would not have any sequelae in the future. the family enjoyed the meal. chen mo even taught xia feng how to play the mp4. by the time chen mo left, xia feng had already been completely conquered by chen mo. he kept calling him brother chen. xia wan sent chen mo to the door of her house. she only looked away when chen mo¡¯s car left. xia wan changed her clothes and followed yan han to the stall to replace xia hai and xia chen. seeing xia wan wearing a new set of clothes, xia chen praised, ¡°younger sister is becoming more and more beautiful.¡± xia wan called him to the side. it was noon, and there were almost no people buying clothes, so the two of them could talk without delay. xia wan handed the mp4 in her pocket to xia chen. xia wan was all smiles. ¡°brother, this is my gift to you. take it. you¡¯ll be the coolest kid on the street in the future.¡± xia chen held it in his hand and felt that it was heavy. ¡°sister, this is an mp4, right? i heard my friends mention it before. this thing is very expensive. one costs more than 80 yuan.¡± 80 yuan was probably a month¡¯s salary for some workers. moreover, they had to pay for their daily food and drink with 80 yuan. therefore, those who were willing to spend 80 yuan on an dispensable mp4 must have a very high quality of life. xia wan smiled. ¡°it¡¯s okay, brother. it¡¯s not my money. chen mo gave it to you.¡± she originally wanted to buy it for xia chen and xia feng, but chen mo was the one who paid for it, so xia wan gave the credit to chen mo. xia wan subconsciously hoped that her family would have a better impression of chen mo. xia chen was originally quite happy, but when he heard that it was a gift from chen mo, his smile immediately disappeared. he instantly said to xia wan seriously, ¡°why is it this kid who gave us this? sister, you¡¯ve always been very clear about the difference between people. chen mo doesn¡¯t owe our family anything. we can¡¯t accept what he gave us.¡± as he spoke, xia chen stuffed the mp4 into xia wan¡¯s hand. ¡°hurry up and return this thing to him. no matter how good it is, it belongs to others. we can¡¯t take advantage of others.¡± xia wan realized that her brother seemed to be very wary of chen mo. she couldn¡¯t help but try to persuade him. ¡°brother, chen mo is actually a nice person. he gave us this gift because i helped his sister with acupuncture today. he said that this is considered as payment for the medical fees.¡± xia chen was skeptical. ¡°if he wanted to deduct the medical fees, he could have just given the money. why did he buy these things?¡± xia chen suddenly stared at xia wan. ¡°yes, brother.¡± xia wan nodded. xia chen¡¯s intuition told him that something was wrong. he felt that chen mo was after his sister. ¡°wanwan, you¡¯d better keep a distance from him. he¡¯s not from the same world as us.¡± xia wan nodded. she felt that her brother was hostile towards chen mo, so it was better to pretend to be obedient. when xia chen was almost done, xia wan handed the mp4 to him. ¡°take this as a gift from your sister. you must keep it.¡± xia chen had no choice but to accept the mp4 in the end. moreover, he really wanted it in his heart. xia wan and yan han took their place to look after the stall while xia hai and xia chen went home for dinner. very few people came to buy clothes for the entire afternoon. yan han¡¯s entire face was bitter.. Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Persuading Yan Han chapter 283: persuading yan han translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°wanwan, it¡¯s a bad time for our stall. when our shop is finished renovating and officially opens for business, will there be so few customers?¡± xia wan understood yan han¡¯s worries. in the older generation¡¯s minds, only a fixed monthly salary was the most reliable option. if she opened her own shop, she would not be able to let go of the fact that she¡¯d be earning less on some days. xia wan consoled yan han. ¡°mom, we don¡¯t need to buy new clothes every day. although our stall was popular before, it was definitely not popular to the extent that everyone in the county came to buy clothes from us.¡± ¡°for example, our neighbor, aunt lin lu, sells clothes at specialized stores. she will never buy from street stalls. when we open a store, we will buy new clothes and have new customers.¡± yan han felt that xia wan¡¯s words made sense. after having dinner with chen mo today, she learned that many people in the big city had different opinions from them. although this county was not big, it still had many successful people living in it. it would be enough to support their families if they could capture those customers. yan han felt much more at ease and slowly smiled. by the time the stall was closed, they had sold a total of five clothes and earned 300 yuan. yan han also calmed down. even if their income was not good, they could still earn 300 yuan in an afternoon. it was a month¡¯s salary for many people, so she should not be too worried. she should have more expectations. when the two of them got home, they saw xia chen and xia feng in the living room with earphones in their ears. they were obviously listening to music. xia xia wan coughed and made the two of them look away at her and yan han. the two of them tacitly took off their headphones. xia feng¡¯s expression was normal, but xia chen was a little embarrassed. ¡°well, i¡¯m more focused when i listen to songs and study,¡± xia chen explained. xia wan smiled. ¡°brother, this mp4 is yours, so it¡¯s up to you when you want to listen to it. moreover, it can help you study. that means that this mp/+ is worth xia feng also said, ¡°that¡¯s right, brother. your academic results are so good. when our family¡¯s computer comes, we¡¯ll download the study materials onto this mp4. even if you have to look after the stall, it won¡¯t affect your studies.¡± xia chen was stunned. ¡°how can our family afford a computer?¡± ¡°a friend told me that a computer costs more than 12,000 yuan now. our family has only earned so much. if we use all our money to buy computers, how would we afford anything else?¡± xia wan quickly comforted him. ¡°brother, dont be agitated. we don¡¯t need to pay for this computer ourselves. i saved a patient. coincidentally, the patient¡¯s family members sell computers, so they will give us one as payment.¡± xia feng looked at xia wan with some doubt. he didn¡¯t know why his sister didn¡¯t say that it was from brother chen, but he was an obedient younger brother. since his sister didn¡¯t say it, there must be a reason. ¡°who would pay so much money to treat a disease? sister, did you have a major operation?¡± xia chen asked. xia wan said mysteriously, ¡°brother, this illness is very strange at the moment. ordinary doctors can¡¯t treat it. i¡¯ve followed grandpa to see so many illnesses and accumulated experience. in addition, i once heard grandpa talk about a similar illness. that¡¯s why i dared to try it.¡± ¡°in the past, that patient couldn¡¯t go out and shop normally. after i gave her acupuncture many times, she can go out normally now and doesn¡¯t need to take leave from school often.¡± ¡°do you think it¡¯s too much to ask?¡± xia chen shook his head and smiled. ¡°my sister is still the best.¡± he rubbed xia wan¡¯s head. ¡®my sister is so smart. you have to study hard after school starts. you can¡¯t fool around like before. there are many handsome boys. when you go to university in the future, there will be more handsome boys. so, don¡¯t be dazzled by the boys in front of you. the most important thing now is to study.¡± xia wan nodded and agreed. ¡°don¡¯t worry, brother. i will study hard.¡± she imew that her brother must have heard about her crazy pursuit of zhou chen in school. that was why he was worried that she would fall in love at a young age. but¡­ she had already opened her eyes.. how could she let a despicable person like zhou chen become her boyfriend? Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: Studying Hard chapter 284: studying hard translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan thought that she should keep her relationship with chen mo from her brother for now or he would definitely be angry. that night, after dinner, the three of them returned to their rooms to study. xia wan also took out her high school textbook. she had been focused on earning money these days, so she did not learn much from it. fortunately, she had applied for liberal arts back then, so most of what she needed to memorize was related to that. the only difficult thing was mathematics. she decided to tackle the simple questions first. the history book came first, which mainly recorded the various developments of the country from ancient times to the present. she planned to read all the history books first to understand what was involved, and then summarize the test points in each class. her foundation was poor, and her grades in her previous life were not very good. later on, she mainly studied medicine. now that she had obtained the textbook, she realized that she had completely forgotten about it. fortunately, she had many years of experience. she knew very well that if she wanted to do well in the college entrance examination, she had to be particularly solid and firm in her studies. she had to have a firm grasp of the imowledge points of each subject, or she had to guess the possible scope of the examination. if she was lucky and guessed correctly, she could perform well in the college entrance examination. luck was extremely important at all times. xia wan took a deep breath and took out all the high school history books, and placed them on the table. for the first time, she would read through the entire text first, then summarize the knowledge points in a few simple words and jot them down in the notebook beside her. she was immersed in the sea of books until 10 p.m. at this time, she had already finished reading a book. xia wan stretched and chose to make herself some refreshing soup. she wanted to study until 11 0¡¯clock but was a little sleepy now. when she came to the living room, she found that xia chen was also fiddling with the refrigerator. ¡°brother, what are you looking for? are you hungry?¡± xia wan asked. xia chen scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°1 was studying in the room for a while, but i suddenly felt very hungry.¡± xia wan comforted him, ¡°this is very normal. if you exert too much brainpower, your body will also feel hungry. at this time, you should eat some light food or fruit. ¡°actually, i came out because i was a little hungry from studying. how about this, brother? i¡¯ll cook some noodles for you.¡± hearing xia wan¡¯s words, xia chen quickly agreed. while making the noodles, xia wan took two eggs and beat them into exquisite poached eggs. she placed one in each bowl and added some tomatoes and onions. the entire noodles looked very shiny and appetizing. xia chen felt even hungrier when he saw the noodles. he quickly finished the meal and couldn¡¯t help but praise xia wan, ¡°sister, why do i feel that your cooking skills are better than before?¡± ¡°last time, you were very thoughtful and said that you wanted to help mom cook. in the end, your cooking was either undercooked or overcooked. the noodles you made were also difficult to get right, so you couldn¡¯t make such a delicious meal.¡± xia wan was a little embarrassed by xia chen¡¯s words. in her previous life, when she was this age, she was still a pampered individual in the family. it wasn¡¯t her responsibility to cook, so she wasn¡¯t motivated to think about how to cook well. later, her family members left one after another. she followed her master and wandered the streets alone. sometimes, the two of them would go to the deep mountains and wild forests. at that time, in order to fill their stomachs, they had to put a lot of effort into learning what could and couldn¡¯t be eaten. how to make the available ingredients more delicious had also become a daily research problem for her. thinking of this, xia wan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad and emotional. fortunately, her family was still around. she also had someone to care for and protect her. xia chen saw that xia wan seemed to be in a daze, as if she had fallen into some memories because of his words. he quickly asked, ¡°sister, what¡¯s wrong with you? did your brother¡¯s words remind you of something bad? could it be that someone forced you to learn it?¡± thinking of this possibility, xia chen was angry. in the past, when his family was working, he often went to the county town to look for a job. could xia ru and xia ye have forced his precious sister to cook and work when he was not at home? xia wan saw that xia chen was suddenly angry and quickly coaxed him, ¡°brother, don¡¯t be anxious. no one bullied me. i learned how to cook on my own. these past two days, when i had nothing to do, i often went to the bookstore in the county town to read. some books specialize in cooking, and i¡¯ve also learned that my technique wasn¡¯t good before, mainly because i didn¡¯t control the heat well enough and knew little about seasonings..¡± Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: Xia Chen Perceived the Change chapter 285: xia chen perceived the change translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan said that she was fine, but xia chen still looked at her with heartache. ¡°little sister, big brother feels that you¡¯ve changed,¡± xia chen said. xia chen¡¯s words caused xia wan to panic. she secretly wondered if he had discovered something. xia chen continued, ¡°in the past, you were always so naive and arrogant in front of us. if you did something wrong, i would help you clean up. with dad and mom¡¯s love, you don¡¯t have to do anything at home. even if our village values boys over girls, wanwan, you¡¯re treasure in our eyes. ¡°your eyes are clean and clear, and all your emotions can be seen through at a glance. ¡°but ever since you fell into the water, i can¡¯t see what you¡¯re thinking. ¡°you said that you learned your medical skills from grandfather, but i know very well that his medical skills are not that superb. if you let him treat some minor illnesses and disasters, it¡¯s fine, but grandfather is definitely not as good as you when it comes to surgery. ¡°although i don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve experienced that made you grow up in an instant, i know that you love us. you¡¯re trying very hard to treat us well, as if you¡¯re making up for something.¡± xia wan¡¯s heart trembled when she heard that. she suddenly had a feeling that her brother knew everything. perhaps this was the closest family member. they could feel the subtle changes in you. xia wan lowered her head. ¡°brother, i was insensible before, but from now on, as long as i¡¯m alive, i¡¯ll definitely protect my family.¡± xia chen smiled. ¡°silly girl, as long as you¡¯re fine, we¡¯ll be at ease.¡± xia wan returned to her room and studied for another hour. perhaps the meal she had with xia chen reminded her of her family¡¯s tragic death in her previous life. she studied even more energetically. their family could still live in peace only because she had ruined xia ru and lu lin¡¯s marriage. however, xia ru was now working outside. without lu lin, she might not have met other men. based on xia ru¡¯s personality, if she achieved great things, she would definitely not let go of those who had bullied her in the past. lu lin would not let this go. now that old master lu was still in control of the lu family; he might not dare to do anything. however, if old master lu passed away, he would be unable to tolerate it. thinking of this, xia wan felt that the burden on her shoulders became heavier. the next morning, yan han said to everyone, ¡°the three of you are still at the age of studying, and there aren¡¯t many people who buy clothes now, so your father and i have decided that from now on, one of the three of you will help sell clothes every day. your father will be the only one to keep an eye on the renovation of the shop.¡± regarding yan han¡¯s suggestion, the three of them felt that it was quite reasonable, so they unanimously agreed. xia chen immediately said, ¡°then let¡¯s go by age. i¡¯ll go first today.¡± xia wan and the other two took turns accompanying yan han to sell clothes for the next three days. xia hai was also making rapid progress with the renovation of the store. manager zhang cheng was also very worried about the results of the store¡¯s renovation, so he would come over from time to time to take a look. today, someone suddenly knocked on the villa¡¯s door. xia wan came to the door and saw that it was liu hua standing outside. she immediately opened the door and looked a little surprised. ¡°liu hua, why did you suddenly come over? didn¡¯t you tell me before? come in and sit.¡± liu hua held something tightly wrapped in red silk in her arms. her eyes could not hide the excitement. ¡°wanwan, let me tell you. when i went to the mountain yesterday, i originally wanted to see if i could give you some herbs and then send them over. you might be able to use them. ultimately, i seem to have dug up the legendary lingzhi! ¡± xia wan¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. ¡°if it¡¯s an aged lingzhi, it¡¯s very expensive now. our liu hua can also make a fortune.¡± a shy smile appeared on liu hua¡¯s face. ¡°wanwan, don¡¯t tease me. i don¡¯t want to get rich. i¡¯m not that ambitious. i just thought that selling it should be enough for my tuition fees and living expenses this year if it¡¯s really a lingzhi. that way, my dad won¡¯t have to work so hard.¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°you¡¯re still sensible..¡± Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: Liu Hua Looked for Him chapter 286: liu hua looked for him translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation she invited liu hua to the living room and carefully closed the door. then, xia wan carefully opened the red cloth. liu hua also stared at xia wan¡¯s movements, her heart beating very fast. as the package was opened layer by layer, xia wan¡¯s face revealed a happy expression. ¡°that¡¯s great, huahua. this is really lingzhi.¡± as she spoke, xia wan was still examining lingzhi. ¡°and according to my observation, this lingzhi should be 50 years old. let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll bring you. we¡¯ll sell this lingzhi to mr. zhou.¡± liu hua immediately nodded and followed xia wan in a daze. while walking on the road, liu hua still felt like she was dreaming. ¡°wanwan, how much do you think a lingzhi like this can be sold for? is it enough for my tuition and living expenses for a year?¡± she had not arrived at zhou tian¡¯s shop yet, so xia wan could not directly estimate the price for her. however, she still comforted her, ¡°don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s more than enough to cover your tuition and living expenses. in addition, you can buy a lot of good things for your family and some new clothes for yourself. if you want to buy a bicycle, this lingzhi is enough money to buy it.¡± liu hua¡¯s eyes were obviously filled with joy, and her entire person was jumping up and down. ¡°wow, really? my family can also buy a bicycle. although my dad rides a tricycle, there¡¯s no bicycle garage for a tricycle. if i can ride a bicycle to and from school every day, that would be great.¡± liu hua held onto xia wan¡¯s arm. ¡°wanwan, if my lingzhi can really be sold for a good price, you¡¯re my benefactor. i must treat you to an especially expensive meal!¡± xia wan laughed. ¡°you were the one who discovered lingzhi. i only brought you here to find mr. zhou. what does it have to do with me? how am i your benefactor?¡± ¡°of course, it¡¯s related!¡± liu hua said with a firm gaze. ¡°wanwan, although i usually go up the mountain too, i don¡¯t go to such a deep place at all. i just wanted to find some medicinal herbs for you in case you need them. if it wasn¡¯t for helping you find medicinal herbs, i wouldn¡¯t have found lingzhi. ¡± ¡°that¡¯s why i was able to find lingzhi because of you!¡± xia wan shook her head helplessly. ¡°it¡¯s not because of me. it¡¯s because you¡¯re kind-hearted and think about your companions. that¡¯s why you have such good luck.¡± as the two of them spoke, they quickly arrived at zhou tian¡¯s shop. ¡°mr. zhou, we¡¯re here to give you something good.¡± xia wan was greeting him warmly when she realized that there were other customers in zhou tian¡¯s shop. the man looked to be in his forties. his facial features were well-defined. although he was smiling, he still looked dignified. this was the pressure that only those who had been in power for many years could have. xia wan immediately knew that this person was not simple. zhou tian saw that xia wan had come and waved enthusiastically. ¡°so it¡¯s wanwan. come over and talk. what good things did you bring me this time?¡± xia wan looked at liu hua encouragingly. liu hua opened the lingzhi and handed it to zhou tian. zhou tian¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. he held the ganoderma as if he was holding a treasure and scrutinized it carefully. ¡°aiyo, this is a 50-year-old lingzhi. coincidentally, a customer is looking for it.¡± zhou tian sighed and looked at liu hua. he promised solemnly, ¡°girl, with me, i definitely won¡¯t give you a low price. how about this? i¡¯ll give you 4500 for this lingzhi.¡± liu hua was dumbfounded. did she hear wrongly? 4500? her father wouldn¡¯t be able to earn this much in a year. xia wan looked at liu hua¡¯s appearance and could not help but think of xia chen and xia feng¡¯s expressions when she sold ginseng. they were similar to liu hua now. seeing that liu hua did not speak, zhou tian continued, ¡°girl, are you selling or not? don¡¯t worry. i definitely didn¡¯t mistreat you. if you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to other shops and ask. the price won¡¯t be higher than mine.¡± only then did liu hua come back to her senses. she nodded vigorously. ¡°i¡¯ll sell it. i was just too excited. i didn¡¯t expect a lingzhi to be sold for so much money.¡± zhou tian accepted the lingzhi readily and went to the back to get money for liu hua. he smiled and said, ¡°this is only in front of me. it¡¯s fine for you to say that. but if you do business with others in the future, you can¡¯t express your expression too obviously.¡± ¡°for example, when you sell lingzhi, some shop owners will first try to give you a price. for example, if they say 3000, you will be dumbfounded. if you think that they are giving you a lot of money, they will not give you more money.¡± liu hua nodded and was very grateful to zhou tian. ¡°thank you for your teachings, mr. zhou. i¡¯ll remember it..¡± Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: Jewelry chapter 287: jewelry translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zhou tian waved his hand and said directly, ¡°there¡¯s no need to thank me. you¡¯re wanwan¡¯s friend, so you¡¯re also my friend. if you have any good things in the future, just remember to look for me. also, you can learn more from wanwan. this girl is very smart.¡± xia wan smiled. ¡°uncle zhou, that¡¯s not right. i¡¯m here to introduce business to you, but you¡¯re here talking bad about me.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not badmouthing you. i¡¯m praising you,¡± zhou tian said. the middle-aged man had been observing while the three of them were talking. he suddenly told xia wan and liu hua, ¡°both of you are young girls. why don¡¯t you help me see which one of these jewelry designs you like better?¡± as he spoke, the man took out a few design drawings from his briefcase. each design drawing was a bracelet, showing different sides of the bracelet. liu hua looked curiously, but xia wan said, ¡°mr. zhou, this isn¡¯t good. these are the original works of the designers. aren¡¯t you worried that we might plagiarise their designs?¡± the middle-aged man had only treated the two of them as ordinary girls. at most, they were just a little lucky. when he heard xia wan¡¯s words, he took them seriously. he smiled and said, ¡°my name is wang peng. you can call me uncle wang. you don¡¯t have to worry about the original works. honestly, i¡¯m not very satisfied with these works, so i won¡¯t use any of them.¡± ¡°if you can remember the details of these designs and realize the commercial realization of these designs with just a few glances, that is also your own ability. ¡± at this time, wang peng was a little more curious about xia wan. from the conversation between zhou tian and xia wan, he already knew her name but didn¡¯t know what she did. ¡°you¡¯ve studied design?¡± wang peng asked again. xia wan shook her head. ¡°no, but i¡¯ve learned how to draw.¡± wang peng was a little surprised. he thought that people wouldn¡¯t train their children¡¯s drawing skills in such a small county. parents in the county generally thought that their children only needed to improve their studies and that nothing else was important. they didn¡¯t have the extra money to let their children learn so many hobbies after school. ¡°is your family very well off?¡± wang peng asked again. he found that xia wan wore good clothes. although they weren¡¯t high-end, they matched well and gave off a good feeling. xia wan shook her head. ¡°my family is from the countryside. i just study on my own sometimes.¡± zhou tian smiled and introduced, ¡°wanwan, you¡¯re too humble. wang peng, i have to introduce you to xia wan. xia wan is the godly doctor in our county. if the hospital can¡¯t save a patient, they will ask xia wan to do it. even the hospital director is ashamed of her surgery.¡± ¡°now, wanwan is still in the hospital. she goes to the clinic a few days a week.¡± wang peng was even more surprised. ¡°you know medicine? western medicine?¡± xia wan replied, ¡°traditional chinese medicine. i learned it from my grandfather. he¡¯s a village doctor, and i¡¯m not as good as you claim.¡± zhou tian smiled. ¡°it¡¯s okay, wanwan. wang peng is not an outsider. he is your aunt¡¯s younger brother. he has taken care of our family all these years.¡± xia wan understood. so he was sis xiaorou¡¯s uncle. his initial vigilance instantly relaxed a little. ¡°alright, let¡¯s not talk about anything else. help me look at these designs first. if you have any ideas, feel free to mention them.¡± wang peng moved the designs closer so that xia wan and liu hua could see them. liu hua also looked at them, but she only felt that these bracelets and rings were very nicely designed. one look and she could tell that they were very expensive. she could not tell anything else. xia wan read through the designs one by one and then put them away. wang peng noticed that xia wan was very focused and fast when she was reading. he was looking forward to xia wan¡¯s answer. ¡°if these designs are designed according to the steps above, they will be inlaid with diamonds, gold, and jade. the cost will definitely be very high. in addition to the cost of the designer, the cost of the raw materials, and the cost of the processing master, those who can afford these accessories must be top-notch wealthy families.¡± ¡°however, these designs are not advanced enough for the top wealthy families. it feels like many good things have been forcefully pieced together.¡± wang peng¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°go on,¡± he encouraged.. Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: Invitation for Cooperation chapter 288: invitation for cooperation translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan nodded and pointed at the design. ¡°if we remove the gold here and replace it with a cheaper fish, and change the gold bracelet into a hand-woven rope with a few jade beads on the rope, the overall design will be better. moreover, the cost price will be very low, and the seller can make a lot of money.¡± ¡°as a qualified designer, the most important thing is to help the seller make a profit. if their design thinks it¡¯s good, but can¡¯t sell for a high price, no one admires it, and there¡¯s no suitable buyer, then such a design is somewhat unrealistic.¡± wang peng was very excited. ¡°miss xia wan, you¡¯re really my confidant. i think so too, but i didn¡¯t express it as clearly as you did. the changes you suggested just now were also very good. how about this? wait a minute. i¡¯ll record it.¡± as he spoke, wang peng took out a pen and paper and began to record the changes that xia wan had mentioned. xia wan was a little surprised. she didn¡¯t expect wang peng to be so serious, and¡­ wang peng seemed to approve of her. suddenly, xia wan remembered that she had read about wang peng in a financial report in her previous life. he was a big shot in the jewelry industry, with branches all over the country. he had a reputation and guaranteed quality. xia wan suddenly felt that perhaps such a person was worth working with. although she was not a designer herself, she still understood the aesthetics of future generations. she could combine later generations¡¯ popular styles with some of her creativity and give them to wang peng. wang peng took notes and showed a few other designs to xia wan for evaluation. xia wan¡¯s suggestions were very reasonable, which satisfied wang peng. ¡°miss xia wan, can i see your painting?¡± wang peng suddenly suggested. xia wan guessed what he was thinking and did not reject him. she simply drew a bracelet that she had thought of at the last minute. wang peng was even more surprised. he said excitedly, ¡°miss xia wan, are you willing to be our designer? other than giving you a stable commission for the products you design, i will also give you a share after selling them.¡± zhou tian, who was beside her, was dumbfounded. he knew that xia wan was capable, but he did not expect her to be so capable that she even dabbled in the jewelry industry. ¡°wang peng, xia wan is still studying. working with you won¡¯t affect her studies, right?¡± zhou tian asked. although he also hoped xia wan would earn more money, he believed she should still focus on her studies. obviously, xia wan was already a part-time doctor. if she had another job as a designer, would she still be in the mood to study? moreover, xia wan was so good at earning money at such a young age. zhou tian also worried that she would slowly become conceited, so he hoped xia wan would study more and settle down. wang peng saw zhou tian¡¯s worry and comforted him, ¡°don¡¯t worry. we only need to produce one design drawing a month. i believe in xia wan. she definitely has the ability. she won¡¯t become arrogant just because of her abilities.¡± wang peng had traveled extensively in the past few years and had experienced many things. he had seen all kinds of people. he could tell that xia wan was someone who could do great things. seeing how certain wang peng was, zhou tian looked at xia wan. ¡°wanwan, go with your heart. if you don¡¯t want to work with him, just say it. with mr. zhou around, he won¡¯t dare to make things difficult for you.¡± wang peng didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. many designers begged him to work with them, but he didn¡¯t even care. why did zhou tian still feel like he was lying when he took the initiative to invite them? xia wan looked at zhou tian. ¡°thank you for your concern, mr. zhou. i know what to do. don¡¯t worry. it¡¯s just a design. it won¡¯t affect my studies.¡± ¡°i just don¡¯t know. mr. wang, how much of your share do you plan to give me?¡± xia wan suddenly looked at wang peng and said. when he looked at xia wan again, wang peng suddenly felt that the girl before him had become a mature entrepreneur.. Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Working With Wang Peng chapter 289: working with wang peng translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation wang peng laughed heartily. ¡°as long as you can design something that meets our requirements, i will definitely not cheat you. i will definitely give you the best price in the market.¡± wang peng pondered for a while and then said to xia wan, ¡°how about this? after you finish the design, i¡¯ll buy it at the price of 3000 yuan per design. after these jewelry pieces are officially put into production, i¡¯ll give you 10% of the net profit from each piece.¡± even though xia wan had never worked with anyone in her previous life, she imew that wang peng¡¯s offer would give her a lot of profit. the minimum design fee was enough for her to get the money immediately. as for the post-production split, giving him 10% of the profit was already a big concession. after all, she was only in charge of designing. however, if the jewelry were to sell, it would not be just about designing the style. it also required the corresponding labor to forge it. during the post-sales period, there must be sales and publicity personnel to make plans. otherwise, if there was only a design and the post-sales work was not done properly, the design would not sell well. if she wanted really good sales, she needed to invest in labor costs and understand the market. all in all, wang peng offered her a lot of profit. moreover, xia wan was short of money now, so she agreed readily. ¡®mr. wang,¡± xia wan said to wang peng, ¡°i know i¡¯m taking advantage of you by giving me such a large profit share. i can also see that you trust me very much.¡± ¡°how about this, during our cooperation, if you have any incurable illnesses, you can come to me.¡± she didn¡¯t make things too certain. she wasn¡¯t confident enough to say that she would receive free treatment because simple acupuncture couldn¡¯t cure some patients. they might need to buy a lot of rare herbs. if she promised to cure him for free, she would have to spend hundreds of thousands on medicinal herbs. she really could not afford it. when zhou tian heard this, he immediately smiled and said to wang peng, ¡°then you¡¯re lucky. you don¡¯t even know how amazing our wanwan is. the county hospital specially hired her as a professor, and she only needs to go over to work two days a week.¡± wang peng¡¯s eyes lit up, and he looked at xia wan with admiration. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect miss xia to know so many things at such a young age. not only does she have superb medical skills, but she¡¯s also so talented in design.¡± he believed in his intuition. after a little understanding, he could conclude that xia wan would be a dragon among men in the future. she might even be someone he could climb up to. therefore, wang peng¡¯s attitude towards xia wan became more enthusiastic and respectful. xia wan said in embarrassment, ¡°actually, it¡¯s not as powerful as mr. zhou saw. just cnac 1 nappen to know some secret recipes lilac ocners uon?t know. of course, i hope that mr. wang¡¯s friends around you will be healthy and healthy for the rest of their lives.¡± the three of them chatted for a while longer. wang peng didn¡¯t waste any time. he took a pen and paper and wrote two contracts. he and xia wan signed their names and pressed their fingerprints. the cooperation was considered complete. when xia wan left with liu hua, wang peng and zhou tian sent the two of them to the door. wang peng asked zhou tian curiously, ¡°it¡¯s not that i look down on our small county, but with the feng shui of our small county, how can there be such a powerful girl? her vision and boldness are even greater than those of girls in the big cities.¡± zhou tian smiled with pride. ¡°this is what you need to learn. don¡¯t look down on children from small places. their parents may not have provided them with a good educational atmosphere, but some of their talent and hard work are incomparable to children from the city.¡± wang peng nodded. after xia wan¡¯s incident, he had to reflect on himself. xia wan didn¡¯t know that thanks to her influence, wang peng would interact more with local children when he went to some counties or villages. he really found many talented children, so wang peng privately sponsored many children. however, wang peng was a businessman after all. when he sponsored these children, he also signed contracts with them. if they wanted to engage in jewelry design in the future, they had to first choose wang peng¡¯s company. the children who wang peng chose were all smart. they understood that there was no free lunch in this world, so no one was dissatisfied with signing the contract.. Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Liu Hua’s Treat chapter 290: liu hua¡¯s treat translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation liu hua carried 4500 yuan in her pocket, feeling as if she were walking on air. she pinched her own face to sense the real pain and confirm that everything that had just happened was indeed real. ¡°wanwan, you¡¯re truly a little lucky star. tell me, what do you want to eat?¡± liu hua warmly held xia wan¡¯s hand, insisting on taking her out for a lavish meal. xia wan understood her excitement needed to be relieved, so they went together to dongxingge, a restaurant imown for its good reviews. this restaurant was slightly more expensive than others, but it had private rooms and an elegant overall ambiance, indicating the thoughtful attention given to its decoration. upon seeing the two young girls entering, the waiter barely lifted his eyes and said, ¡°if you¡¯re looking to eat, you can try the restaurant next door. they are more affordable, while we are on the expensive side.¡± his words implied that xia wan and liu hua couldn¡¯t afford their food. in the past, liu hua might have left with xia wan right away, but now she had 4500 yuan in her pocket. she was determined to treat her best friend to a great meal, so how could she let herself be driven away? liu hua straightened her chest and sternly told the waiter, ¡°what kind of service attitude is this? we chose to eat at your restaurant today, which means we have enough money to pay.¡± ¡°just because we¡¯re dressed differently, you assume we can¡¯t afford the meal?¡± ¡°if we really can¡¯t afford it, you can call the police and have us arrested, rather than insulting and looking down on us like this.¡± ¡°besides, you¡¯re just a waiter, and this restaurant isn¡¯t yours. what¡¯s with the arrogance?¡± xia wan looked at liu hua in astonishment. she noticed that liu hua¡¯s confidence had grown significantly after having money. her arguments were sharper, and her speech was coherent and smooth. the nearby waiter was now blushing with embarrassment due to liu hua¡¯s strong words. the altercation quickly attracted the attention of other customers in the restaurant. the waiter realized he had touched a sore spot. he had thought these two girls were ordinary, young, and probably couldn¡¯t afford the meal, hence his arrogant behavior. however, now that liu hua was acting so assertively, his confidence waned. after all, he was just a waiter, and if he escalated the situation to the restaurant¡¯s owner, he might lose his job. as the waiter hesitated about whether to apologize, a voice came from a distance. ¡°liu hua, why are you so hot-tempered? the waiter isn¡¯t wrong. how can you and xia wan afford to eat here?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you bother to check the prices before coming in? a meat dish here costs three yuan, and a vegetarian dish costs two yuan. your parents probably earn only two to three hundred yuan a month, right? how can you afford to eat here?¡± as the person spoke, she walked closer to them. xia wan and liu hua turned to look, and it was indeed song zhi. at the table where song zhi had been sitting, there was also zhou chen and a chubby girl. xia wan remembered this girl; her name was li ning. she had a close relationship with song zhi and had grown up together with her. li nings mother ran a small grocery store, and her father worked for the government in a position akin to urban management, which had a certain deterrent effect on ordinary people. li ning had a crush on zhou chen and used to give him various gifts to please him during their school davs. when she was with song zhi, however, it was song zhi taking advantage of her, something li ning was unaware of. seeing the three of them, xia wan suddenly didn¡¯t want to eat there anymore. but song zhi had already stood in front of them, looking at them with a mocking and disdainful expression. song zhi waved at the waiter, ¡°you can go and attend to other matters; i¡¯ll handle this. they are my classmates. i¡¯m sorry for any trouble they caused.¡± the waiter had been ready to apologize, but now, with song zhi¡¯s intervention, he decided to forget about it. before leaving, he couldn¡¯t help but give liu hua and xia wan a contemptuous look. as he had thought, these two were indeed poor and had been exposed by their classmate.. Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: Justice chapter 291: justice ¡°stop right there! if you don¡¯t apologize to us today, we won¡¯t let this matter go.¡± xia wan suddenly raised her voice. the waiter, who was about to turn and leave, froze in place. he didn¡¯t know why, but upon hearing xia wan¡¯s words, he felt an invisible pressure that made him unable to resist. song zhi pretended to be surprised and said, ¡°xia wan, what are you doing? just because you earn a little money selling clothes, you think you can look down on service staff? they also work hard to earn a living. are you really going to trample on their dignity like this? ¡°xia wan, your family is quite poor too. i never expected you would become such a snob one day. why do you bother with a service worker?¡± if someone who didn¡¯t know the situation heard song zhi¡¯s words, they might think that xia wan earned some money selling clothes and now acted arrogant, making trouble for the service staff during their meal. liu hua¡¯s face turned red with anger, thinking that song zhi had no right to accuse xia wan. it was the service staff who made a mistake first, liu hua thought, feeling indignant. however, she noticed that the other people in the restaurant were also looking at them with disapproval, and some were even blaming xia wan. ¡°all right, enough! they thought you were poor at first, didn¡¯t they? the service staff deals with many customers every day, and they are busy. your clothes are so simple, so of course, they misunderstood,¡± some people chimed in. ¡°yeah, the service staff encounters many customers who don¡¯t understand the prices here and end up unable to pay for their orders. in such situations, it¡¯s awkward for the customers, but it¡¯s the service staff who get into trouble.¡± ¡°young girl, just because you earned some money doesn¡¯t mean you can look down on service staff. it¡¯s just a small matter, why make a big deal out of it?¡± the people supporting song zhi were mostly middle-aged, dining with their families. after hearing song zhi¡¯s words, they couldn¡¯t help expressing their dissatisfaction with xia wan and liu hua. liu hua felt extremely wronged. why did these people have the right to blame them? they didn¡¯t do anything wrong. song zhi looked pleased with herself, thinking, ¡°see, this is the art of speaking. i only needed a few words to give everyone a negative impression of xia wan.¡± xia wan coldly snorted, her eyes sweeping over the people eating in the restaurant. ¡°when something doesn¡¯t happen to you, you have no right to judge us.¡± ¡°today, we were the ones troubled by the service staff. he looked down on us first and wanted to drive us away. we just want him to apologize. how is that making trouble for him?¡± ¡°does apologizing for a mistake mean giving up one¡¯s dignity? if you never point out someone¡¯s mistakes, they¡¯ll keep making them, and it could lead to irreparable consequences, even ending up in jail. ¡°when you educate your children, and they curse others, you say it¡¯s okay because they are young. when they start fighting, you say it¡¯s inevitable that kids do, and you shouldn¡¯t be too concerned as adults. ¡°with such a mentality, your children may think it¡¯s fine to insult others and fight just because they have parents backing them up. but what if, one day, they leave someone permanently disabled? what if they offend someone with power and status?¡± as xia wan spoke, some of the people who had previously scolded them showed signs of deep thought, indicating they had taken in her words. however, some others just scornfully looked at xia wan, feeling she wasn¡¯t qualified to lecture them. a middle-aged man raised his neck and shouted at xia wan, ¡°what do you, a little girl, know? i have money, and my son at school should not be bullied. i¡¯ll educate my child how i want, and i don¡¯t need a poor ghost like you to lecture me.¡± although xia wan didn¡¯t possess knowledge of physiognomy, she could discern something about the middle-aged man¡¯s character from his appearance. this man might have some money, but he certainly wasn¡¯t from a wealthy and noble family. instead, he seemed like a nouveau riche who suddenly became rich but lacked refined qualities.. Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: The Boss Appears chapter 292: the boss appears translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation seeing that so many people were helping him, the waiter suddenly felt very confident. he said to xia wan, ¡°my two guests, if there¡¯s nothing else, i¡¯ll go and get busy. as you can see, there are so many customers in our shop. i really can¡¯t waste my time on you.¡± the waiter¡¯s words seemed to be a little polite, but in fact, he was being sarcastic. he was mocking xia wan and liu hua for being unable to afford the food and wasting his time. xia wan smiled coldly. ¡°that¡¯s unfortunate. i have to get to the bottom of this matter today. if you don¡¯t keep your word, go and call the person in charge.¡± she wanted to see if the manager of this restaurant was as short-sighted as this waiter. if that were the case, then the restaurant would probably not be able to operate for long. the reputation that it had painstakingly accumulated would probably be slowly exhausted. when the waiter saw xia wan making such a request, he was slightly stunned. thinking of the manager¡¯s serious face, the waiter said dryly, ¡°our manager is very busy. it¡¯s just a small matter. there¡¯s no need to go to the manager.¡± song zhi also added, ¡°xia wan, don¡¯t use all your power on her. are you trying to use her waitress to show off your power? why didn¡¯t you go somewhere else? why did you bully a waiter here? what kind of ability is this?¡± zhou chen and li ning also walked over. zhou chen glared at xia wan unhappily. ¡°alright, alright. stop making a scene. don¡¯t you feel embarrassed?¡± li ning also pursed his lips in disdain. ¡°some people are just poor and still want to save face.¡± zhou chen originally thought that since he had come over to help mediate, xia wan would definitely not say anything else. after all, xia wan had always chased after him in school and had always listened to his words. but now, xia wan looked at zhou chen coldly. ¡°oh? are you all planning to help this waiter bully us? ¡°if you didn¡¯t mention it, i would have forgotten that we were classmates. as classmates, we were looked down upon by others, but you came to criticize us instead, right? ¡°i don¡¯t think you guys are qualified to teach me how to do things.¡± after xia wan finished scolding zhou chen, she looked at the waiter with a sharp gaze. ¡°call your manager over. this matter won¡¯t be settled so easily.¡± originally, she only needed the waiter to apologize. now that zhou chen and the others were involved, xia wan felt very annoyed. there were also those spectators on the side. none of the things that happened to her happened. they were all making sarcastic remarks. this ignited her little temper. in her previous life, the doctors were highly skilled. she was treated as a guest of honor wherever she went to eat. even billionaires treated her with respect. it had been a long time since she had encountered such a situation where all the people surrounded her. the waiter was still standing there. at this moment, a slightly plump woman in a dress rushed over from behind. ¡°aiyo, what happened? little wu, did you neglect our guest? why didn¡¯t they let the guests in for dinner?¡± the woman questioned the waiter. although her words were polite, her eyes were filled with warning and fierceness. little wu, who originally wanted to get over this matter, immediately straightened his body. ¡°boss, it¡¯s not that the guests are not allowed to enter the room. it¡¯s because they¡¯ve been making things difficult for me. boss, these guests can testify for me.¡± xiao wu was afraid that the boss would deduct his salary, so he quickly defended himself. song zhi also spoke up for little wu. ¡°that¡¯s right, boss. this matter really has nothing to do with them.¡± the woman sneered. ¡°little wu, don¡¯t you know that there are surveillance cameras in my shop?¡± ¡°my daughter happened to see what happened around you just now. i just came out of the toilet and quickly came over to deal with it.¡± then, she said in a serious tone, ¡°this matter is your fault. apologize to the two guests.¡± little wu was unwilling, but the lady boss was present, so he could only say, ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± xia wan could clearly see that little wu¡¯s expression was obviously unconvinced when he apologized. but now that little wu had already apologized, if she continued to hold on, it would really seem like she and liu hua were deliberately looking for trouble.. Chapter 293 - Chapter 293: The Waiter Admits His Mistake chapter 293: the waiter admits his mistake translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan looked deeply at xiao wu. ¡°i hope you truly realize your mistake this time. it¡¯s fine if my friend and i don¡¯t eat this meal, but if one day you offend other powerful people and affect the survival of this shop, i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences.¡± after saying that, xia wan was about to pull liu hua away when the female boss suddenly said, ¡°big sister, today¡¯s matter is our family¡¯s fault. you and your friend can go to the private room to eat. you can order whatever you want. i¡¯ll treat you.¡± after listening to xia wan¡¯s words just now, the boss felt that xia wan was a very far-sighted person. she also noticed that when little wu apologized, he was obviously perfunctory. however, the boss did not want to teach her subordinates a lesson in front of so many customers. it would be a joke. nevertheless, the boss planned to educate xiao wu properly. xia wan waved her hand. ¡°no need. thank you for your kindness, lady boss. if my sisters and i go to eat now, i¡¯m afraid those people¡¯s thoughts will be confirmed. they will think that we are here to ask for compensation.¡± as she spoke, she glanced at zhou chen and the other two. ¡°moreover, these three classmates of mine might even spread the word that i¡¯m deliberately freeloading on your family¡¯s food when they return to school.¡± ¡°lady boss, i understand you have no disrespect for your intentions. this matter is over, but we won¡¯t be eating this meal.¡± after saying that, xia wan left with liu hua. zhou chen remained where he was. he frowned as he looked in the direction xia wan had left. he was a little puzzled. he kept feeling that xia wan had changed. the boss smiled and asked song zhi and the others to go back for dinner. then, she called little wu to the back. with no one else around, the smile on the boss¡¯s face disappeared. looking coldly at little wu, she said, ¡°do you really understand your mistake? is this how you treat a customer i¡¯ve protected with all my heart?¡± ¡°back then, your family was poor. your mother was in poor health, your father¡¯s leg was injured, and you had a younger brother who had to attend school. i hired you as my waiter because we were from the same village. with your attitude, are you trying to ruin my shop?¡± xiao wu finally realized the seriousness of the matter. he had made mistakes before. whether it was breaking plates or using the toilet, the boss was never so harsh on him. at most, she would smile and tell him to be more careful. but now, the boss¡¯s tone was as if she wanted to chase him away. xiao wu panicked, and his heart beat faster. he looked up at the boss, his eyes pleading. ¡°lady boss, i was wrong. i will never look down on anyone who comes to our shop again. you know my family¡¯s situation. if i lose this job, my family will have no source of income.¡± the boss was unmoved, and xiao wu earnestly expressed his remorse. only then did the boss put away her previous indifference. ¡°after today¡¯s incident, you must remember never to look down on anyone.¡± xiao wu nodded. ¡°i understand, sis. i promise i won¡¯t make any more mistakes. if i neglect my customers again, sis, you can punish me however you want.¡± the boss nodded. in the end, she decided to give little wu another chance. his family¡¯s circumstances were difficult, and it was indeed not easy. the boss thought of something and said, ¡°you weren¡¯t like this in the past. perhaps it¡¯s because you¡¯ve seen all kinds of customers in the past two years as a waiter. you think you¡¯ve seen enough customers and can tell who¡¯s rich and who¡¯s poor at a glance. ¡°but you should understand that no matter if they are rich or poor, as long as they enter this shop, they are our customers. moreover, until you reach their level, what right do you have to look down on them? ¡°at least they have the money to spend in our restaurant. if you brought your family to our restaurant for a meal now, could you afford it?¡± it wasn¡¯t that the salary she gave xiao wu was low, but he¡¯d sent all the money to his family except for his usual meals and shopping. sometimes, the family¡¯s needs were more than he could cover. the boss¡¯s words completely sobered little wu up. only then did he realize that he really couldn¡¯t help but judge these customers because he had seen too many of them. little wu lowered his head. ¡°sis, you¡¯re right. i¡¯ll remember this lesson, and i¡¯ll definitely correct my attitude..¡± Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: Returning to the Village chapter 294: returning to the village translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the boss nodded. ¡°if you meet those two customers again, remember to apologize to them once more. it¡¯s not that they can¡¯t see your perfunctory attitude when you apologized before. they just don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you in public,¡± the boss explained. little wu nodded, indicating that he understood. on the other side, liu hua was still grumbling angrily. ¡°wanwan, what right do they have to say that about us? although the waiter apologized to us in the end, why do i feel so uncomfortable?¡± liu hua angrily kicked a stone far away. xia wan smiled and rubbed her head. ¡°the reason why those people speak up for the waiter isn¡¯t necessarily because they have a good relationship with the waiter. it¡¯s because they want to show their tolerance and generosity by criticizing us as bystanders. if this happened to them, they might be very angry.¡± ¡°however, we don¡¯t have to be too calculating with them about this matter. being angry is not good for one¡¯s health. remember not to get angry because of unrelated people in the future. the people who can affect your emotions must be people you care about. as for those people we don¡¯t know, they look down on us and criticize us behind our backs. what does it have to do with us? do we need them to think highly of us?¡± initially, liu hua was still a little unwilling to give up, but after hearing xia wan¡¯s words, he suddenly came to his senses. yes, these people were just strangers. they happened to meet today, and they might not meet again in the future. why should she feel wronged and embarrassed because of these people¡¯s words? liu hua reacted immediately and held xia wan¡¯s arm affectionately. ¡®wanwan, you¡¯re right. i¡¯m not angry anymore.¡± in the end, the meal did not happen. xia wan brought liu hua to apply for an agricultural bank card. she deposited all 4500 yuan into the card and instructed liu hua to put it away. xia wan originally intended to send liu hua back to the village so she would not get robbed. however, liu hua swore she could run fast and had great strength. ordinary people would be unable to do anything to her. ¡°if it were any other time, i wouldn¡¯t have bothered,¡± xia wan insisted. ¡°but now, you have a bank card worth 4500 yuan on you. i¡¯m really worried about letting you go home alone.¡± in the end, liu hua did not argue with xia wan and still let her send her home. liu hua also wanted to invite xia wan inside, but xia wan rejected her. just as xia wan was walking back, she happened to pass by li jin¡¯s house. song yan was walking out of the house. seeing xia wan, song yan was stunned for a moment. xia wan had changed a lot from before. she was wearing a clean white shirt, denim shorts, and a pair of light sneakers. her ponytail was tied up, making her look youthful and lively. xia wan¡¯s skin was already fair, and this outfit made her skin look even fairer. it was very different from her old-fashioned dressing. back when they were at home, xia hail s family handed over all their money to li jin. therefore, other than their daily living expenses and textbook fees, xia wan and the others had no extra money to buy beautiful and fashionable clothes. li jin often said that the three girls in the family could take turns wearing the clothes, so it was often xia ru¡¯s clothes. when xia wan wore them, most of the clothes were outdated and washed until they turned white. xia wan glanced at her, but she had no intention of greeting her. she continued walking forward. when they split up, the two families were so unhappy. in xia wan¡¯s opinion, it was no different from cutting off relations. therefore, when facing song yan, she didn¡¯t have to hypocritically call her aunt. however, song yan hurriedly ran two steps faster and stopped xia wan. a fawning smile appeared on song yan¡¯s face. ¡°wanwan, i haven¡¯t seen you for the past few days. you¡¯ve been dressed very fashionably recently. i heard that your stall¡¯s business is very good. can you get a few sets of clothes for your sister xia ru?¡± xia wan stared at her with a faint smile. ¡°if i remember correctly, xia ru has already run away from home and cheated li jin of her money, right?¡± song yan paused and smiled. ¡°then you can choose a few sets of clothes for me. when the time comes, i¡¯ll tell everyone that you gave them to me. it¡¯ll also make you look good..¡± Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Song Yan Taking Benefits chapter 295: song yan taking benefits translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation song yan smiled cunningly, ¡°you don¡¯t even know that everyone in the village knows that your clothes are selling well. but they just can¡¯t bring themselves to spend that money. if you give me a few sets of clothes, i¡¯ll wear them and stroll around the village daily. ¡°on one hand, everyone will think you¡¯re especially filial, not forgetting to take care of your family even when you have money. on the other hand, when people see these attractive clothes, they¡¯ll also buy from you. this way, you¡¯ll earn more money.¡± xia wan curled her lips, thinking to herself that song yan was still the same as before¡ªalways calculating, always trying to take advantage. when their family had no money, song yan calculated to make her mother do more work, while her father would have to pay more. now that their family had money, song yan was thinking about getting a few sets of clothes from her. it¡¯s really when their family became well-off that they started bullying them. xia wan spoke up, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i can¡¯t agree with what you¡¯re suggesting. these clothes belong to our boss, and the proceeds it generates also belong to the boss. i don¡¯t have the authority to give you clothes. ¡°and there¡¯s no need for promoting in the village or anything like that. if there¡¯s a genuine need, people will naturally buy clothes. and if there¡¯s no need, why deliberately show off in front of others? clothes are something that you only need enough of. ¡°in the past, i used to wear xia ru¡¯s old clothes every year, and i never complained. isn¡¯t that right?¡± song yan¡¯s smile turned a bit stiff. she hadn¡¯t expected xia wan to hold grudges. they used to be quite honest with each other. she forced a smile and said, ¡°wanwan, have you been in the county for too long recently? let me tell you, in the county, the sense of humanity is a bit faint. they always want to keep clear boundaries between people. we¡¯re all family; why make things so clear-cut?¡± ¡°yes, you used to wear xia ru¡¯s old clothes, and that was your grandmother¡¯s intention. she wanted to save some money for the family so that if something major happened, we would have the funds.¡± xia wan immediately countered, ¡°if that¡¯s the case, then why didn¡¯t she choose to use the money to help pay for my father¡¯s medical expenses when he was hospitalized?¡± ¡°xia ru¡¯s family can buy new clothes for everyday expenses, while our family has to make do with old clothes.¡± ¡°she used to say that she¡¯s saving money for future emergencies, but when our family encountered difficulties, you were more willing to cut ties with us than to offer money.¡± ¡°do you all think we¡¯re fools? when it¡¯s time to contribute money, our family has to give it all, and when it¡¯s time to spend money, both your families are the ones who spend. song yan struggled to find a response, forcing a smile. she wanted to say something to ease the tension between her and xia wan, but xia wan¡¯s words were too sharp, leaving her speechless. without paying song yan any more attention, xia wan walked away directly. once xia wan left, song yan¡¯s expression immediately changed. she disdainfully looked at xia wan¡¯s retreating figure and spat on the ground, ¡°what a thing. she¡¯s just made a bit of money now and thinks she¡¯s better off than us. just wait and see. our family will surpass hers sooner or later. the day will come when they¡¯ll beg us!¡± at this moment, chen lian also came out of the house. seeing song yan still standing at the door, she couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°today, it¡¯s your turn to work in the fields. i¡¯ll handle cooking at home. why aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± chen lian noticed that song yan was particularly lazy when it came to work¡ªeither she dawdled on the way or took breaks frequently. when yan han was around, they didn¡¯t mind it much, but now that he was gone, both of them had to handle cooking, feeding the pigs, going up the hill, chopping firewood, and working in the fields. it was simply overwhelming. both of them were averse to being taken advantage of. if one person worked less, the other would be less willing to work too, leading to conflicts and arguments. so, when chen lian saw song yan standing at the door, she assumed she was deliberately trying to shirk work. she didn¡¯t want to work in the fields.. Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Deceiving Xia Hai Back chapter 296: deceiving xia hai back translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°what did she come back for? i didn¡¯t see her go home just now. did you stand at the door and scold her, driving her away?¡± thinking of this possibility, chen lian felt a bit displeased. she was hoping to gain some benefits from xia wan. song yan quickly interrupted her, ¡°don¡¯t accuse me here. of course, i invited her to come to our house, but now that she has money, she doesn¡¯t even look at our family. she even disdains the old clothes we used to give her.¡± hearing this, chen lian also felt a bit unhappy, ¡°so xia wan has changed quite a bit. what¡¯s wrong with wearing old clothes? who in the village didn¡¯t come wearing old clothes? i used to wear my sister¡¯s old clothes when i was young.¡± when there was no one else around, these two would have conflicts, but as soon as they talked about xia wan¡¯s family, they became particularly united. as they talked, their anger grew, so they each sought out their neighbors whom they were on good terms with and spoke ill of xia wan¡¯s family. they said xia wan¡¯s family had become wealthy, and successful, and now looked down on them. they wanted to distance themselves and even refused to come back home. they thought their home was just a muddy, messy, and inferior place, unworthy of their current status. by lunchtime, song yan told li jin about this matter, and li jin was so furious that she slapped the table. ¡°this xia wan is going too far. we are her elders. how dare she talk to you like that.¡± seeing that li jin was about to confront xia wan, song yan quickly stopped her. ¡°mom, we can¡¯t easily cause trouble for them in the county anymore. think about it, the last few times we went there, xia wan called the police every time. moreover, all the neighbors in their area are on their side.¡± after hearing this, li jin found it reasonable. she asked song yan, ¡°so what do you think we should do?¡± song yan suggested, ¡°their family has connections in the county, and we have people in our village too. even though xia hai split from us before, he¡¯s still your son. it¡¯s been so long, and their whole family hasn¡¯t come back to see you.¡± li jin nodded as she listened, ¡°exactly, my son was raised by me with so much effort. now he only cares about his wife and children, completely disregarding me.¡± li jin now felt that xia hai was unfilial, forgetting entirely that she hadn¡¯t supported him when he needed surgery. she believed that he should give her whatever she wanted after raising xia hai for so many years. now that xia hai was not obedient, it had to be because xia wan and yan han influenced him. before, her son was obedient, and all the money he earned was given to her. but now, he couldn¡¯t even spare her a glance. moreover, in the past, xia hai used to give her 300 yuan every month. this 300 yuan was enough to cover many expenses at home, but without the 300 yuan from xia hai, they were struggling to make ends meet. li jin and song yan discussed how to force xia hails family to come back to the village and ideally have xia wan¡¯s family send money to them each month. soon, song yan came up with an idea. she said to li jin, ¡°mom, you pretend to be sick. if you¡¯re sick, as your son, how can xia hai not come back? if he doesn¡¯t come back, we¡¯ll go find him on your behalf. ¡± ¡°this time, going to find him will be different from before. this time, it¡¯s because you¡¯re sick. even xia wan¡¯s neighbors can¡¯t say anything.¡± li jin nodded in agreement, ¡°okay, let¡¯s do it as you said.¡± tomorrow is the first day of school. xia wan has already gone through her textbooks briefly over the past few days. the difficult problems might still be a challenge, but the foundational questions posed no issue. she decided to see how the shop¡¯s renovation was coming along. she heard that manager zhang cheng also goes there often to check. she didn¡¯t think there would be any problems, but she still wanted to see the progress. as she left, she saw song yan lingering at the door. xia wan smirked. this time, song yan had become clever, waiting at the door? ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± xia wan walked up to song yan and asked directly.. Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: Going Home to See Li Jin chapter 297: going home to see li jin translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation song yan earnestly said, ¡°your grandmother is sick and keeps mentioning your dad¡¯s name. she¡¯s missing him. ¡°even if the family has separated, it doesn¡¯t mean your dad and your grandmother¡¯s relationship is cut off. now that the old lady is ill, how can your dad not go see her? that¡¯s being unfilial.¡± xia wan understood what was happening. song yan was using filial piety to pressure their family. in this era, if someone was labeled as unfilial, people would avoid them. as elders, no matter how extreme their actions might be, children still had to show filial piety. so, song yan¡¯s use of li jin¡¯s illness as an excuse was indeed difficult to refuse. with a deliberate look of concern, xia wan said, ¡°really? grandmother is sick? well, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference if dad went, right? i should go check on her. after all, i¡¯m studying medicine.¡± as she spoke, xia wan took song yan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°come, aunt, let¡¯s go see grandmother.¡± song yan stopped and looked helplessly at xia wan¡¯s front door. she wasn¡¯t here to take xia wan back; she was here for xia hai. everyone knew xia wan wasn¡¯t easily fooled, and the key was that she had medical skills. whether li jin was really ill or not, xia wan could figure it out just by checking her pulse. thinking this, song yan quickly found an excuse, ¡°wanwan, i know you¡¯re worried about your grandmother, but what she really wants to see now is your dad. her illness isn¡¯t physical; it¡¯s emotional!¡± xia wan chuckled. she hadn¡¯t expected song yan to become clever and bring up emotional distress. she smiled, ¡°it¡¯s alright, aunt. even if it¡¯s emotional distress, i can cure it.¡± song yan: no matter what song yan said, xia wan found various reasons to decline. she mentioned xia hai being busy and how his recovery would slow down if he saw li jin sick and became sad. song yan felt xia wan was making excuses, but xia wan was dead serious. finally, only song yan and xia wan were left when they returned to the village. li jin was already prepared, lying in bed acting, and when he heard the door open, he immediately started moaning, ¡°my heart hurts so much, my xia hai. how long has it been since i last saw you?¡± following song yan, xia wan entered the room and saw li jin under the covers, with chen lian tending to him. upon seeing xia wan, both chen lian and li jin turned their gazes towards her, while song yan appeared conflicted. xia wan spoke, ¡°grandma, aunt, don¡¯t bother looking. my dad didn¡¯t come.¡± sitting down by the bed, she continued, ¡°grandma, i heard you¡¯re not feeling well. my dad is busy right now. as his daughter and your granddaughter, it¡¯s my duty to take care of you on his behalf. ¡°grandma, extend your arm. i¡¯ll take your pulse,¡± xia wan said, assuming a pulse-taking posture. however, li jin refused to extend her hand no matter what. stubbornly, she said, ¡°i want to see my son. not seeing you is better for my mood. i want xia hai to come home.¡± with patience, xia wan spoke, ¡°grandmother, if you¡¯re really sick, having my dad come won¡¯t help. besides, you¡¯ve never been one to make things difficult for yourself. your character says you wouldn¡¯t be upset just because you haven¡¯t seen my dad for a long time.¡± ¡°unless¡­ you want my dad¡¯s salary.¡± at this point, she smiled, ¡°however, my dad doesn¡¯t work anymore. he doesn¡¯t have an income. grandmother, i¡¯m in charge now. if you have something to say, just tell me.¡± li jin felt a wave of unease at xia wan¡¯s words. what did she mean by having something to say? was she cursing her to die early? thinking about xia wan¡¯s shop¡¯s income, li jin continued, ¡®wanwan, i know i made you suffer in the past. if you hold any grudges against me, i understand.¡± ¡°now, xia ru is missing, and xia yu was taken by the police before and nearly implicated by liu shi. our good children in the family are only you and xia ye now. grandma truly feels for you.¡± li jin affectionately held xia wan¡¯s hand and continued, ¡°i used to be a bit biased, thinking boys were the ones with potential. now it seems girls can also succeed, just like you, wanwan. ¡°all the people in our village know that you¡¯re capable, and grandma is proud of you. wanwan, remember the talk of splitting the family before? should we reconsider it? ¡°your family¡¯s rented house is so big, with many empty rooms. how about our family moving in together? that way, grandma won¡¯t be taking advantage of you. we can pay you ten yuan in rent each month.. what do you think?¡± Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: Disrupting Relationship chapter 298: disrupting relationship translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan¡¯s inability to control her expression was evident as she gazed at li jin, her eyes conveying a mixture of disbelief and amusement, as if she were acting foolishly. she couldn¡¯t help but notice the transformation in li jin and the others. previously merciless due to their haughty demeanor, they had now adapted a smarter approach. li jin, in particular, had taken up the guise of being pitiable. on the surface, it seemed like li jin had humbled herself, offering to pay rent. but¡­ ten yuan a month? might as well have said it was free! considering the current market rate for their rented house, it should have cost at least 300 yuan a month, equivalent to xia hai¡¯s monthly salary. li jin¡¯s request for a mere ten yuan was an audacious attempt to exploit the situation while trying to preserve her reputation. xia wan¡¯s expression turned frosty. ¡°grandma, if you¡¯re considering renting it together, that¡¯s acceptable. i won¡¯t charge exorbitant rent. just a nominal 100 yuan a month. remember, when we initially rented this place, we had to put down a three yuan deposit. that means you¡¯d need to give me 400 yuan now, and you can move in right away.¡± li jin¡¯s eyes widened, and she even sat up straight. ¡®what? a hundred yuan a month? this is daylight robbery!¡± chen lian chimed in sarcastically. ¡°i¡¯ve heard that wealth can sometimes fuel greed, causing people to take advantage of others. wanwan, i believed you were different. unfortunately, it seems the ¡®affluenza¡¯ has gotten to you too. you¡¯re belittling others just because you have some money.¡± ¡°xia wan, your family might be doing well now, but can you guarantee perpetual prosperity? if something befalls your family, wouldn¡¯t we offer help?¡± ¡°we¡¯ve let you off the hook for getting us involved with the police. now that your grandmother proposes to live with you, it¡¯s a gesture of goodwill. it¡¯s okay if gratitude eludes you, but to then ask your grandmother for such a sum¡­¡± ¡°xia wan, aren¡¯t you afraid of karma catching up?¡± xia wan shot chen lian a half-smile. her tone bore sincerity. ¡°aunt chen, feel free to inquire around. our current rental rate is accurate.¡± ¡°in that case, how do you afford such an expensive place?¡± chen lian promptly retorted. xia wan addressed her directly. ¡°the owner helped us secure it. they offered us a lower salary but compensated with other perks.¡± ¡°for instance, the rent gets covered, and they give us special coupons for shopping. many malls now accept these coupons.¡± their shopping habits were no longer a secret. rather than leaving an opening for li jin and the others to exploit in the future, it was prudent to clarify now. in recent times, certain factories rewarded exemplary employees with shopping coupons during holidays. this arrangement benefited both factory and mall. chen lian was unaware of this practice. she turned to song yan and asked, ¡°is that true, sister-in-law?¡± song yan, more informed than chen lian, due to her past employment in the county, nodded. ¡°indeed, some larger factories employ such a reward system.¡± she then scrutinized xia wan. ¡°but xia wan, you¡¯re running a shop. could it be that the owner behind you went out of her way to get you these coupons?¡± her skepticism lingered, doubting xia wan¡¯s authenticity. unfazed, xia wan answered honestly. ¡°our boss isn¡¯t confined to a single store here. haven¡¯t you noticed her absence? she oversees several shops.¡± seeing xia wan¡¯s earnestness, song yan began to believe her claims. seizing the moment, xia wan checked li jin¡¯s pulse, her demeanor growing grave. puzzled, li jin inquired, ¡°what¡¯s with your expression? is something wrong with my health?¡± Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Song Yan and Chen Lian Are Anxious chapter 299: song yan and chen lian are anxious translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan let out a sigh. ¡°grandma, your years of dedication to this family have been immense. you¡¯ve toiled relentlessly, faced your share of anger, yet you¡¯ve not found much reprieve. in the past, you were consumed by concern for your son, and now the burden of worry for your grandson weighs on you. this is what¡¯s causing your depression and exhaustion. your health has taken a toll; your organs are suffering.¡± li jin was taken aback. she had feigned illness, but the revelation that she was truly unwell caught her off guard. ¡°what steps can we take now? can you offer a cure?¡± li jin¡¯s voice trembled with anxiety as she posed the question. xia wan shook her head slightly. li jin¡¯s panic deepened. ¡°what does that head shake imply? is my condition incurable?¡± xia wan looked towards song yu and chen lian. ¡°grandma¡¯s recovery will require the collaboration of the two aunts.¡± song yan and chen lian exchanged uneasy glances, sensing something amiss. ¡°how can we assist?¡± song yan inquired. xia wan explained, ¡°going forward, grandma should not be burdened with household chores. spend time with her, ensure she consumes two eggs daily, spare her from strenuous activities, and most importantly, prevent any situation that might cause her anger. ¡°endure for a month. i¡¯ll return to assess grandma¡¯s progress.¡± turning her gaze back to li jin, xia wan¡¯s expression grew somber. ¡°grandma, i doubted auntie¡¯s diagnosis. i never expected a genuine ailment stemming from heart disease. ¡°i¡¯m convinced that your distress over xia yu and xia ruts disappearance has afflicted your well-being. for the future, you must ease your anxieties. your offspring will find their own fortunes. sometimes, excessive interference can be detrimental to your own health. ¡°as we¡¯ve matured, we bear the responsibility for our actions. grandma, as the family¡¯s elder, your strength remains essential as long as you¡¯re healthy.¡± li jin¡¯s face lit up with joy. she realized that xia wan had a way with words. li jin smiled. ¡°you¡¯re indeed a shrewd businesswoman. your eloquence is admirable. you¡¯re right. the children are grown now. it¡¯s unjust to burden an old woman like me with everything.¡± song yan and chen lian sensed a discrepancy. li jin used to flare up whenever she saw xia wan, but now, she was smiling warmly. this shift was abnormal. li jin personally escorted xia wan to her doorstep, even reminding her to return for a health check when time allowed. upon returning home, li jin immediately laid down and requested song yan and chen lian to cook for her. she emphasized the need to prioritize her well-being. song yan and chen lian were displeased. they hadn¡¯t called xia wan back to relay this message. song yan couldn¡¯t contain her frustration. ¡°mother, you can¡¯t let xia wan deceive you. have you forgotten we summoned her for financial assistance? now, not only did we fail to secure funds, but you¡¯ve also placed your trust in xia wan¡¯s words. ¡°mother, since xia wan proposed to look after you, she should be responsible for it. why should the duty fall to us?¡± li jin¡¯s displeasure escalated at this comment. ¡°what¡¯s that supposed to mean? xia wan is my granddaughter; she can take care of me. you two are my daughters-in-law; are you incapable of looking after me?¡± ¡°fine, i¡¯ll make this known to everyone. i¡¯ve labored all these years raising your husbands. now that they¡¯re leading comfortable lives with stable jobs, isn¡¯t it their duty to be filial to me, their mother-in-law?¡± observing li jin¡¯s rising agitation, chen lian quickly intervened. ¡°mother, please don¡¯t be upset. that¡¯s not our intent. we¡¯re merely suggesting xia wan and others might not want us around, but you can visit alone.¡± ¡°even if we¡¯re apart, is it a big deal for you to stay at your son¡¯s place for a few days?¡± ¡°furthermore, xia wan has medical skills. you can ask her to attend to you daily.¡± in the past, li jin might have been moved by such words. she would have considered going to xia wan¡¯s home and receiving care. however, her recent impression was that these two individuals regarded her as a burden and were unwilling to assist. this was unacceptable to her. li jin huffed with cold disdain. ¡°don¡¯t think i¡¯m unaware of your thoughts. when yan han was around, she looked after me wholeheartedly. the family¡¯s resources also went to your families. what¡¯s wrong with expecting you to care for me now? isn¡¯t that your duty?¡± seeing li jin¡¯s temper flare, song yan hastened to console her. ¡°mom, that¡¯s not what we meant. of course, we¡¯re willing to take care of you.. what would you like to eat?¡± Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: Xia Ye’s Suggestion chapter 300: xia ye¡¯s suggestion translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation song yan skillfully prepared a chives and eggs dish for li jin, while chen lian attended to pouring tea for her. their departure from the residence coincided with li jin¡¯s slumber. as they reached a quiet corner of the courtyard, chen lian voiced her grievances to song yan. ¡°didn¡¯t you assure that we could extract money from xia hai? why did mother believe xia wan¡¯s words?¡± ¡°xia wan exceeded my expectations,¡± song yan said, her voice tinged with a hint of derision. ¡°here¡¯s the thing. even if we parted ways, if something goes awry with mom, xia hai and his kin would step in. but if any trouble befalls our families, he and his people can simply disregard it. ¡°xia wan¡¯s attempting to drive a wedge between mother and us. after all, their family is living more luxuriously than ours and is wealthier too. ¡°you¡¯re aware of mother¡¯s disposition. naturally, she¡¯ll be inclined toward whoever displays potential and pays her respect.¡± chen lian wasn¡¯t pleased with this notion. ¡°that can¡¯t be. xia wan¡¯s family has attained prosperity. shouldn¡¯t they support both our families? if all three households thrive, mother¡¯s quality of life would improve.¡± song yan sneered, her tone dripping with disdain. ¡°what right does xia wan have to assist us? let¡¯s not forget how you mistreated yan han in the past.¡± chen lian wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°i acted on your provocation. you had yan han do your bidding, so why should i handle it myself?¡± xia ye had just returned from town with a newly acquired school bag. observing song yan and chen lian¡¯s troubled expressions, she inquired, ¡°mom, is something amiss at home?¡± seeing xia ye, chen lian immediately perked up and inquired, ¡°xia ye, xia wan came back earlier. she attempted to create discord in front of your grandmother. your grandmother¡¯s attitude towards us has turned unfavorable.¡± ¡°it¡¯s best if she takes the initiative to mend relations with us. xia ye¡¯s eyes flickered with a spark of realization. she swiftly formulated an idea. ¡°mom, when i was in town looking for my classmates, i overheard numerous rumors about xia wan. everyone¡¯s saying that while she makes money from clothing sales, she¡¯s actually relying on her boyfriend¡¯s finances.¡± chen lian was taken aback. ¡°xia wan has a boyfriend? who is he?¡± song yan scoffed, ¡°xia wan never truly focused on her studies before. she always pursued men. it¡¯s only natural for her to have found a boyfriend.¡± ¡°so what if she possesses medical skills? what¡¯s the significance of her earnings? given her foolish nature, any money she makes will ultimately be spent by men!¡± xia ye continued, ¡°she used to have an interest in zhou chen, but sadly, he wasn¡¯t reciprocating. now i¡¯ve heard that she often frequents the store with a handsome man. this man even gifts her jewelry and clothing!¡± ¡°additionally, it¡¯s been said that xia wan¡¯s attitude towards zhou chen is now quite negative. this serves to demonstrate xia wan¡¯s vanity.¡± chen lian retorted, ¡°if men lavish her with gifts, they likely desire her body. xia wan¡¯s intellect is destined to be disregarded sooner or later.¡± song yan chimed in with more. ¡°xia ye, spread this information subtly around the village. let everyone become aware of what kind of person xia wan truly is, so that your grandmother won¡¯t be swayed.¡± xia ye nodded. even without her aunt¡¯s suggestion, she would have taken this initiative. previously, her standing within the family was lower than that of xia ru¡¯s. yet, the xia wan she once looked down upon had now surpassed her. how could she endure this? word quickly spread throughout the village regarding xia wan and her attluent boyfriend. during this time, xia wan remained oblivious to these rumors. at the start of the school term, xia wan inspected the progress of the shop¡¯s renovation. the shop was now more than halfway complete, with wooden flooring laid throughout to ensure patrons¡¯ safety. the store featured distinct sections for men¡¯s, women¡¯s, and children¡¯s clothing, each equipped with tall mirrors for convenient customer use. moreover, there were a total of five fitting rooms available, ensuring that even during peak times, customers could comfortably try on clothes. this scale of expansion was noteworthy for a local clothing store. most establishments of its kind only boasted a single fitting room. coincidentally, zhang cheng was also present. upon spotting xia wan, he greeted her warmly. ¡°xia wan, please assess the progress of my renovations. does it meet your expectations?¡± xia wan nodded approvingly and praised zhang cheng. ¡°there¡¯s no issue with the quality, and the renovations are splendid. they align perfectly with my vision. mr. zhang, your selection of personnel has proven to be adept.¡± zhang cheng beamed with satisfaction, his efforts seeming justified upon receiving xia wan¡¯s commendation.. Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: Liu Xue is Ill chapter 301: liu xue is ill translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia hai and zhang cheng had spent the past few days collaborating closely, forging a strong brotherly bond. presently, xia hai arrived, clutching a box of ripe fruits in his hands. ¡°come, wanwan, help yourself to some fruit. the weather¡¯s scorching.¡± arrayed on the fruits were toothpicks, a delicate touch that highlighted how much xia hai had evolved. in bygone days, he¡¯d have consumed fruit in a much less refined manner, forsaking the art of slicing and dicing for immediate indulgence. the metamorphosis was clearly thanks to the influence of zhang cheng. xia wan accepted his gesture with a smile. ¡°thanks, dad.¡± in this juncture, a young man dashed in, making a beeline for zhang cheng. ¡°dad, you¡¯re still here chatting? mom¡¯s suddenly in agony. the painkillers aren¡¯t working. we need to hurry to the hospital.¡± coincidentally unoccupied, xia wan promptly interjected, ¡°i¡¯ll accompany you. i¡¯ve studied medicine previously.¡± zhang chuan, in turn, scrutinized xia wan with a quizzical expression. ¡°you appear roughly my age. you¡¯re knowledgeable in medicine? you¡¯re likely just in high school.¡± with a nod, xia wan responded, ¡°yes, i¡¯m in my third year of high school. we¡¯re the same grade, though not in the same class.¡± xia wan held residual memories of zhang chuan. in her previous life, zhang chuan¡¯s academic records hadn¡¯t been exceptional, but he¡¯d excelled in sports. during that era, he¡¯d journeyed to the city for a competition, earning a top-three distinction. coupled with his athletic achievements, he¡¯d secured a place in a prestigious university. zhang chuan¡¯s brow creased, skepticism evident in his eyes. zhang chuan was strikingly handsome, perhaps the most appealing lad in their class. unlike zhou chen¡¯s soft countenance, zhang chuan radiated a rebellious aura. many girls had set their sights on him but were met with his resolute rebuffs. his popularity lagged behind zhou chen¡¯s due to his acerbic tongue. in her past life, xia wan had been incapable of deciphering individuals¡¯ true natures, perceiving those like zhang chuan as challenging associates. yet, life¡¯s encounters had equipped her with the ability to discern essence beneath facades. for instance, zhang chuan¡¯s candor was a testament to his disdain for artifice. initially, such personalities might seem challenging, but they invariably became the bedrock of trust. zhang chuan cast a disgruntled glance at xia wan. ¡°i can¡¯t fathom what you¡¯ve said to my dad that¡¯s earned you such staunch belief. let me make this clear: don¡¯t administer my mom¡¯s treatment blindly.¡± ¡°xia wan¡¯s grandfather is a village doctor. i¡¯ve gleaned quite a bit about her these past days, including her commendable deeds. she¡¯s saved numerous lives.¡± zhang chuan compressed his lips. ¡°xia hai is xia wan¡¯s father. naturally, he¡¯d sing her praises. you wouldn¡¯t disparage your own child, would you?¡± zhang cheng interjected, ¡°that¡¯s not true. i¡¯ve informed everyone how troublesome and unruly you are.¡± zhang chuan was left speechless. that was undoubtedly his flesh and blood speaking. xia wan didn¡¯t expend energy clarifying to zhang chuan. she remained unconcerned about his belief in her capabilities. instead of weaving more words, she chose to exhibit her competence through action. subsequently, they reached zhang cheng¡¯s residence. zhang chuan¡¯s mother, liu xue, lay on the bed, contorted with pain. pallor tinted her complexion, sweat forming on her brow. witnessing his spouse¡¯s anguish, zhang cheng hastened to her side. ¡°sweetheart, where does it hurt? don¡¯t fret; i¡¯ll whisk you to the hospital.¡± liu xue¡¯s retort was direct. ¡°hospital? i¡¯m merely grappling with a stomachache. your burgeoning wealth doesn¡¯t confer a carte blanche to spend recklessly. some rest will suffice.¡± a disparaging look at zhang chuan punctuated her statement. ¡°did you fetch your father? i explicitly cautioned you about this recurring issue.¡± zhang cheng¡¯s worry seeped through, ¡°darling, aren¡¯t we working hard to reap rewards? your ailment necessitates care. what¡¯s the purpose of accumulating money if we can¡¯t use it when needed? ¡°should your condition deteriorate, what¡¯d become of us?¡± positioned beside, xia wan comprehended the situation. zhang chuan¡¯s delay in seeking medical attention was clarified. his initial recourse was to locate zhang cheng.. Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Acupuncture on Liu Xue chapter 302: acupuncture on liu xue translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation liu xue was usually known for her frugality, much like many others in the countryside. the prevailing sentiment there was that enduring sickness was preferable to the expense of going to the hospital. their belief was that once you stepped into the hospital, you¡¯d be burdened with high costs, even if you weren¡¯t seriously ill. turning to zhang cheng, xia wan suggested, ¡°let me assess the situation first. if it¡¯s not severe, there¡¯s no need for a hospital trip. but if it¡¯s serious, we should take her there promptly.¡± only now did liu xue notice xia wan¡¯s presence. battling the pain, she inquired, ¡°and who might you be?¡± taking the initiative, xia wan introduced herself, ¡°my grandfather was a village doctor, and i¡¯ve learned much from him about medicine. let me offer my assistance.¡± liu xue readily agreed, ¡°alright, go ahead and take a look.¡± while genuinely uncomfortable, she was also concerned about the hospital expenses. with xia wan¡¯s offer, she anticipated a more cost-effective solution than the hospital. zhang chuan, however, displayed disapproval, stating, ¡°mom, you declined to accompany me to the hospital, but now you¡¯re open to a young girl¡¯s examination. what if she misdiagnoses you?¡± liu xue shot him a pointed look, asserting, ¡°this is my body, not yours. i¡¯ll allow whoever i choose to examine it.¡± ¡°mom!¡± attempting to reason with her, zhang chuan was interrupted by zhang cheng, ¡°alright, let¡¯s see if xia wan can help first.¡± xia wan began her examination by taking liu xue¡¯s pulse. after about five minutes, she withdrew her hand. ¡°have you been consuming cold foods recently?¡± xia wan inquired. liu xue affirmed, ¡°the weather turned suddenly hot, so i had some ice cream. i also cooled watermelons and fruits in the river before consuming them.¡± xia wan nodded, ¡°and i assume you¡¯ve been drinking a lot of hot beverages liu xue confirmed, ¡°my father and grandfather both drink tea. i¡¯ve had a habit of drinking it since childhood. cold tea doesn¡¯t taste good, so i prefer it hot.¡± ¡°ah, that explains it. your stomach is likely struggling with the fluctuations in temperature.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not too severe currently. i¡¯ll start with acupuncture to relieve your pain. within an hour, you should feel much better. i¡¯ll also prescribe some medication.¡± ¡°however, your eating habits need adjustment. alternating between extremes of cold and hot isn¡¯t healthy. avoid that in the future.¡± liu xue listened attentively, a glimmer of hope in her eyes, ¡°so you¡¯re saying i might not need to go to the hospital?¡± xia wan nodded, retrieving silver needles from her bag. zhang chuan, observing xia wan¡¯s intentions, intervened, ¡°mom, you¡¯re taking her words too seriously. this is acupuncture. what if something goes wrong, and you end up paralyzed? ¡°in the past, when we were struggling, it made sense to be thrifty. but now that dad is earning, you¡¯re entrusting your health to a young girl, and rejecting proper medical care!¡± zhang cheng grappled with his stance. despite hearing xia hails praises for xia wan, he had never witnessed her skills firsthand. the sight of the silver needles stirred a sense of unease within him. what if a mistake led to unintended consequences? liu xue stood her ground, ¡°let xia wan proceed with acupuncture. i have faith in her.¡± zhang chuan attempted to dissuade her, met with liu xue¡¯s stern gaze, ¡°did you inform her about my recent consumption of cold fruits before bringing her here?¡± zhang chuan paused, realization dawning. xia wan¡¯s diagnosis was based solely on pulse assessment. neither he nor zhang cheng had shared liu xue¡¯s habits with her. caught in a dilemma, zhang chuan hesitated. unperturbed by his internal struggle, xia wan commenced the acupuncture. her movements were deft, the needle¡¯s insertion swift yet controlled. zhang cheng, originally skeptical, found his doubts waning as he watched her skillful technique. once xia wan completed the procedure, liu xue¡¯s forehead was no longer beaded with sweat. her pained expression had eased. she regarded xia wan with amazement, ¡°incredible. the pain subsided almost immediately after you inserted the needles.¡± zhang chuan remained dumbfounded, gazing at xia wan in utter bewilderment.. how could someone his age possess expertise in acupuncture? Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Zhou Tian Angered chapter 303: zhou tian angered translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan smiled faintly. ¡°the effect will be even better in a while. i¡¯ll help you remove the needle after 15 minutes. after that, you can sleep peacefully. you¡¯ll be fine when you wake up.¡± liu xue nodded and complimented xia wan. xia wan wasn¡¯t idle either. she asked zhang cheng for a pen and paper and casually wrote down a prescription. she handed the prescription directly to zhang chuan. ¡°take this to zhou pharmacy to get the medicine.¡± zhang chuan subconsciously took the prescription and went to zhou pharmacy with some doubt. zhang cheng also reacted at this point and praised xia wan repeatedly. ¡°i¡¯ve only heard of you saving people in the past. now that i¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes, i¡¯m truly amazed.¡± ¡°at such a young age, you already possess so much knowledge. you will undoubtedly become a renowned doctor in the future.¡± previously, zhang cheng had only wanted to cooperate with xia wan for personal gain. however, now, his perception of xia wan had greatly elevated. doctors were always deserving of respect, and xia wan¡¯s youthful expertise was boundless. meanwhile, zhang chuan took the prescription to zhou¡¯s medicine hall. zhou tian was currently organizing medicinal herbs. zhang chuan handed the prescription to tian and inquired, ¡°boss, could you take a look at these prescriptions? zhou tian took the prescription and recognized xia wan¡¯s handwriting immediately. he asked the shop assistant to prepare the medicine while he chatted with zhang chuan. ¡°this prescription was written by wanwan, right? is someone in your family unwell?¡± ¡°you¡¯re familiar with xia wan?¡± zhou tian nodded. ¡°of course i know her. you needn¡¯t worrv about her medical skills. she will undoubtedly bring about a cure.¡± zhang chuan was perplexed. ¡°xia wan is quite young. what makes you have so much confidence in her? is it because the patients she¡¯s treated before all come here to get medicine, leading you to believe in her abilities?¡± despite still being a student, zhang chuan¡¯s father, zhang cheng, held a managerial position. through his connections, zhang chuan had gained insight into various aspects of the world. he harbored doubts about xia wan¡¯s exceptional medical abilities. he speculated that zhou tian must have benefited from his association with xia wan, prompting his defense of her. zhou tian¡¯s expression turned cold upon hearing this. ¡°what are you implying? are you insulting both xia wan and me?¡± ¡°my zhou medicinal shop has been a trustworthy establishment in this county for years, never swindling our customers. you can ask around to confirm.¡± ¡°regarding wanwan, she is a specialist employed by our county hospital.¡± ¡°it¡¯s a privilege to have her administer treatment to you. it¡¯s quite audacious of you to question her medical competence.¡± zhang chuan was left baffled. ¡°she holds a position at the hospital?¡± zhou tian let out a chilly snort. ¡°why would i lie to you about this? however, it¡¯s best not to share this with outsiders. wanwan prefers to keep a low profile and doesn¡¯t desire unnecessary attention. ¡± zhang chuan nodded, still dazed as he departed with the bag of medicine. he didn¡¯t know much about xia wan, but if there truly was a highly skilled medical practitioner in their school, rumors should have circulated. was xia wan¡¯s low-key demeanor truly the reason for his ignorance? when zhang chuan returned home with the medicine, liu xue was already asleep, her countenance serene and pain-free. this time, zhang chuan wholeheartedly believed in xia wan¡¯s medical prowess. nonetheless, he felt awkward for his previous skepticism. he couldn¡¯t instantly turn xia wan¡¯s expression from a smile to pleasant. zhang chuan placed the medicine bags on the table, averting his gaze from xia wan, and said, ¡°the medicine is ready.¡± ¡°dad, even though xia wan knows you, she treated mom¡¯s illness. you should still compensate her appropriately,¡± zhang chuan couldn¡¯t help but remind him. zhang cheng smiled and nodded. ¡°i¡¯ll take care of this, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°how much?¡± he turned to xia wan. xia wan smiled. ¡°i merely performed a simple acupuncture procedure earlier. there¡¯s no need to be overly formal between our families. you needn¡¯t pay me for this.¡± ¡°the business insights you shared with my father are invaluable, beyond mere monetary compensation..¡± Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: Becoming Friends chapter 304: becoming friends translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zhang cheng felt bad that xia wan refused to accept the money, but he wanted to force xia wan to accept the money. in the end, zhang chuan took out two boxes of tea leaves from the cabinet at home and handed them to xia wan. ¡°since you don¡¯t want money, you can take these two boxes of tea leaves. my grandfather planted them himself, and you can¡¯t buy them on the market.¡± this time, xia wan did not refuse. when she left, it was zhang chuan who sent xia wan out. ¡°i owe you a favor this time,¡± zhang chuan said proudly. ¡°if you¡¯re bullied in school in the future, feel free to come and find me.¡± xia wan smiled and looked at him. ¡°so we¡¯re friends now?¡± zhang chuan was a little surprised. he actually didn¡¯t have many friends in school. most of the time, he was used to being alone. since his family lived in the county town, he would eat every meal at home. after class, he would either sleep or go to the toilet. some of the girls in the class had a good impression of him, but he rejected them directly. they began to speak ill of him behind his back, thinking that he was arrogant. the boys, on the other hand, subconsciously stayed far away from him because he was popular and came from a good family. because when she stood next to him, she could only see zhang chuan. no one wanted to be a green leaf that served as a foil to zhang chuan. therefore, when xia wan proposed to be friends with him, zhang chuan felt very complicated. in the end, he nodded. ¡°yes, we¡¯ll be friends from now on.¡± soon, it was time for school to start. xia wan changed into a white shirt and jeans that were more suitable for the time being. she even put on a sun hat. she looked very westernized and had a neutral beauty. xia chen and xia feng also changed into new clothes. xia feng looked at himself in the mirror happily and spun around a few times. he especially looked at the backpack on his back, which xia wan had specially bought for him. xia chen looked at xia wan with some difficulty. ¡°wanwan, you and xia feng are starting school. it¡¯s normal for you to wear new clothes, but i¡¯m going to sell clothes. it¡¯s fine to wear old clothes.¡± xia wan said seriously, ¡°that won¡¯t do. brother, you have to wear new clothes too. when those customers see that you look good, they will naturally buy them too. don¡¯t you think so?¡± yan han smiled and continued, ¡°i think wanwan is right. i¡¯ve already started to wear new clothes. what are you guys still thinking about?¡± at this moment, yan han was wearing a long dark red dress. she had a good temperament, to begin with, but because she often wore old clothes and went out into the field, she did not have the time to dress herself up. now that she had changed her clothes, her temperament was better, and her looks had improved a lot. xia chen saw that yan han had started to persuade her, so he stopped being conflicted. xia wan silently remembered it. after the school matters stabilized in the next two days, she would go to the school¡¯s leaders to communicate with them about xia chen¡¯s return to school. yesterday, she had specially prepared a set of papers for xia chen, and xia chen¡¯s score was very high. it would be best to let xia chen study with her in the third year of high school. the two of them would take the college entrance examination together. when the time came, they would both get into a good university. this was called double happiness. xia chen sent xia feng and xia lan to school before selling clothes. when xia wan entered the class, there were already many people in the class. they gathered in twos and threes and chatted. after xia wan entered, many people looked at her. ¡°eh, is this xia wan? why does she seem to have changed a lot after the holiday? she looks better,¡± a girl said. ¡°it¡¯s not that she¡¯s suddenly good-looking. it¡¯s just that her taste in clothes has improved. in the past, her clothes were very old-fashioned, but now this is the most popular style,¡± a fashion-savvy girl commented. soon, three girls came up to xia wan and asked, ¡°xia wan, what did you do during the holidays? why do i feel that you¡¯ve changed a lot?¡± xia wan didn¡¯t hide it and said directly, ¡°i found a part-time job helping people sell clothes, so my wardrobe has improved a lot. i¡¯ve also learned how to dress myself up a little.¡± the three of them nodded and did not doubt xia wan¡¯s explanation. when song zhi approached the class, she saw the scene of everyone crowding around xia wan. she felt very resentful and said directly, ¡°xia wan is different from us now. she even has guys willing to spend money on her..¡± Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: Isolated by the Students chapter 305: isolated by the students translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation as soon as song zhi finished speaking, the people around xia wan were left in a state of astonishment. turning to xia wan, they inquired, ¡°is what song zhi said true? xia wan, are you acting as a sugar daddy?¡± xia wan shook her head. ¡°no, it¡¯s all baseless speculation.¡± song zhi sneered, taunting xia wan, ¡°xia wan, when you were buying jewelry, wasn¡¯t that guy footing the bill?¡± the three girls directed their gaze at xia wan, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity. xia wan responded with a soft chuckle. ¡°perhaps i assisted him in some way, and he was expressing his gratitude.¡± when chen mo had presented her with the jewelry that day, he had indeed crossed paths with song zhi and zhou chen. chen mo had indeed covered the expenses. however, chen mo¡¯s motive had been his appreciation for her assistance in helping chen shui lead a normal life. this was why she maintained that she had extended help to him initially. the gift from chen mo was founded on genuine gratitude. song zhi sneered again and eyed xia wan with a condescending look. ¡°you helped him? why would a wealthy individual like him require your aid? xia wan, your appearance is your only asset to lure men. since you couldn¡¯t capture zhou chen¡¯s attention, you¡¯ve resorted to seducing other men.¡± addressing the others, song zhi declared, ¡°everyone, distance yourselves from xia wan. people of her ilk don¡¯t excel academically; their minds are mired in deceit. following her will only drag down your grades.¡± song zhi meticulously cultivated a following within the class. he leveraged his family¡¯s standing in the county to dispense favors such as snacks, drinks, and advice on enjoyable county activities. previously, xia wan had been prone to dozing off or chatting with her desk mate during class. her strong performance in junior high had led teachers to overlook her in favor of more promising students. though she outwardly acquiesced to their decision, she continued her nonchalant behavior. gradually, the teachers gave up on her. given these circumstances, song zhi¡¯s words found a receptive audience, leading everyone to side with his narrative. in time, a growing chasm emerged between xia wan and her peers. she found herself subject to curious and reproachful gazes. ¡°we don¡¯t possess xia wan¡¯s alluring looks. we¡¯d do well to focus on our studies. the teachers emphasize that only through education can we change our fortunes.¡± ¡°i had believed xia wan had transformed, but it seems she still relies on men.¡± xia wan regarded them icily, holding her gaze until their chatter subsided. calmly, she spoke, ¡°after years of schooling, don¡¯t you possess any critical thinking?¡± ¡°you took song zhi¡¯s claim that i¡¯m being kept by someone at face value?¡± ¡°just because a man occasionally covers my expenses?¡± ¡°allow me to ask, which among you can confidently say you¡¯ve never benefited from a man¡¯s financial assistance?¡± her gaze swept across the entire classroom as she spoke. they appeared disgruntled at her assertion. ¡°your argument lacks logic. family is different; they¡¯re supposed to support us. you can¡¯t compare that with a stranger. you don¡¯t know that guy¡¯s intentions. how can you equate our experiences?¡± a wry smile touched xia wan¡¯s lips. ¡°i¡¯m merely addressing your earlier remarks. i¡¯ve never leaned on a man financially.¡± ¡°if my response has elicited frustration, it signifies my counterargument has struck a chord. ¡± ¡°relatives can provide, so why can¡¯t benefactors?¡± ¡°ultimately, you defend what you deem right. if you perceive it as correct, it¡¯s logical. if you judge it as wrong, it¡¯s unethical.¡± ¡°however, we live in a society governed by laws, and adherence to the law is paramount.¡± fixing her gaze on song zhi, she added, ¡°should you possess evidence of my supposed misconduct, submit it to the school. let them deduct my grades and expel me if warranted.¡± ¡°however, should your claims be baseless, founded solely on seeing someone pay for my expenses, then i reserve the right to counter-sue.¡± in uttering these words, xia wan exuded an unshakable resolve, unsettling song zhi for reasons he couldn¡¯t quite fathom.. Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: Zhou Chen ‘s Coffee chapter 306: zhou chen ¡®s coffee translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation she tugged at the corner of her mouth. ¡°forget it, forget it. i¡¯m too lazy to argue with you,¡± she said. song zhi placed the snacks in his bag on the table. ¡°everyone, come and eat. these are the snacks my dad brought back from overseas. they¡¯re not available in china,¡± he exclaimed. as she said that, she glanced at xia wan proudly, obviously showing off. xia wan ignored her and took out her textbook to read the new content. the students rushed over one after another. when zhou chen arrived at the class, he saw xia wan reading quietly at the desk. he couldn¡¯t help but cough lightly to show his presence. xia wan didn¡¯t look up, but song zhi greeted zhou chen. ¡°zhou chen, you¡¯re here. i specially left this for you. try it. this is called coffee. it has a refreshing effect. after drinking it, you won¡¯t be sleepy when you study today.¡± as she spoke, she took out her thermos. everyone looked at her thermos flask with envy. in this era, everyone used plastic cups that cost one or two yuan to drink water. there were not many who could afford thermos flasks. sensing everyone¡¯s envious gazes, song zhi¡¯s vanity was satisfied. she took off the lid of the thermos cup and poured the coffee out. then, she handed it to zhou chen. ¡°try it.¡± zhou chen nodded and took the coffee. he first took a sip, then finished it quickly. he handed the lid to song zhi. ¡°it¡¯s very sweet. thank you.¡± xia wan, who was reading with her head lowered, chuckled. coffee, very sweet? he was probably drinking instant coffee. ¡°it tastes a little different from the coffee i drank last time, but the taste is not much different.¡± song zhi¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise. ¡°zhou chen, you¡¯ve had coffee before.¡± zhou chen nodded and appeared very calm. xia wan knew that he was pretending. in her previous life, she didn¡¯t know the real situation of zhou chen¡¯s family. she thought that he was just like he appeared to be. both his parents had good jobs. in fact, only his father worked in the factory in zhou chen¡¯s family. moreover, the factory quickly closed down because of poor profits. after that, zhou chen¡¯s father only took on some odd jobs, and his monthly income was not stable. naturally, it was not a problem to provide for zhou chen¡¯s education, but it was impossible to provide a better life for zhou chen. zhou chen¡¯s family did not have such conditions. therefore, zhou chen was obviously lying when he said that he had drunk coffee. he did not want to embarrass himself in front of the class. song zhi looked at xia wan and smiled. ¡°xia wan, you probably haven¡¯t drunk it before, right? do you want to try it?¡± xia wan didn¡¯t even raise her head. ¡°no need. i don¡¯t need to refresh myself.¡± the others pursed their lips and said to song zhi, ¡°don¡¯t let her drink it. her grades aren¡¯t good. it¡¯s a waste to drink it.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. she might even think that you¡¯re giving her charity. after all, she doesn¡¯t lack people who spend money on her.¡± xia wan ignored the sarcastic tone of the person beside her and continued reading. song zhi glanced at the content of the book that xia wan was reading. it was a math textbook. she said, ¡°xia wan, i remember that your math results are very bad. can you understand the content on this? do you want me to explain it to you?¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t take it anymore. she felt that song zhi was very noisy. she put a pen in the book to mark the page and closed the book. she looked at song zhi with a faint smile. ¡°if you really wanted to help me with my studies, you shouldn¡¯t have asked me to drink coffee and explain the questions to me while i was reading.¡± ¡°although your overall results can be ranked in the top ten of our class, your math score is 150 points. the highest score you¡¯ve ever gotten is 90 points, right?¡± ¡°do you know that 90 marks is only a passing mark for a 150-mark paper?¡± ¡°you just got a passing grade, but you want to give me a lecture here. do you think i dare to believe you?¡± xia wan¡¯s words immediately drew laughter from her classmates. ¡°xia wan, do you want to listen to what you¡¯re saying? your grades are at the bottom of our class. your math scores are always in the 40s, while song zhi scored in the 90s.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. song zhi took the initiative to help you. it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t know how to be grateful, but you¡¯re even mocking song zhi for his low grades. xia wan, your character is so bad.¡± zhou chen also looked at xia wan. ¡°xia wan, i¡¯m really disappointed in you.¡± xia wan silently rolled her eyes in her heart. just as she was about to speak, someone walked into the classroom. it was liu hua.. Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: Liu Hua Maintains Xia Wan chapter 307: liu hua maintains xia wan translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation liu hua stepped over to xia wan and helped her out, saying, ¡°xia wan is very intelligent. she just didn¡¯t like studying before. now she wants to put in the effort to learn. i¡¯ll give her extra lessons. other classmates, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± as liu hua began speaking, the others fell silent immediately. the reason? liu hua¡¯s grades were truly excellent. she had never fallen out of the top three in the class and almost always ranked first during major exams. she was a student highly favored by the class teacher. however, liu hua had an introverted personality, spending most of her time quietly reading, which is why she didn¡¯t hold any class committee positions. currently, their class monitor was zhou chen, and song zhi served as the art committee representative. with liu hua speaking up, no one dared to trouble xia wan anymore. the reason was simple: they couldn¡¯t compete with liu hua¡¯s academic performance. xia wan smiled at liu hua and said, ¡°thank you for speaking up on my behalf.¡± liu hua smiled shyly and then sat next to xia wan. she whispered, ¡°wanwan, i¡¯ve been going up the mountain these days, hoping to find lingzhi again. but i haven¡¯t seen any so far. however, i did find lots of mushrooms, and they taste really good. and the fried mushrooms you taught me, they¡¯re delicious. i brought a big box. let¡¯s eat them together during lunch.¡± ¡°these past few days, my dad went fishing in the river and caught several fat and delicious fish. he made a braised fish dish, and i definitely can¡¯t finish it alone. let¡¯s share it.¡± xia wan consoled her, ¡°lingzhi and ginseng are rare medicinal materials. encountering them once is already fortunate. don¡¯t rely solely on luck for your livelihood. the college entrance exams are approaching. you should focus your energy on studying. what you achieve through your own hard work is the most reliable.¡± previously hopeful, liu hua absorbed xia wan¡¯s words and started to reflect on herself. ever since she traded lingzhi for money the last time, she had tasted the quick satisfaction of making money. she always wondered if she could find more valuable medicinal materials, so her father wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard. yet, she forgot that such things were largely a matter of luck and shouldn¡¯t be forced. liu hua¡¯s gaze became determined. ¡°i understand, wanwan. i will focus on studying. ¡± after some more conversation, as the time approached for the next class, liu hua returned to her seat. the first class was the homeroom teacher¡¯s class. their homeroom teacher was a female teacher who taught the chinese language, named jiang rong. typically, the first class of the day was reserved for the homeroom teacher to give important announcements to the students. jiang rong first took attendance, and once she confirmed all the students were present, she began speaking, ¡°you are now in your senior year. for the coming year, do not let other distractions divert your attention. focus solely on your studies.¡± ¡°though you might not fully appreciate my words, i still hope you give your all to avoid future regrets.¡± as jiang rong prepared to start today¡¯s lesson, song zhi unexpectedly raised her hand. ¡°teacher, i find your words extremely reasonable. however, some students in our class haven¡¯t been studying diligently during the break. instead, they¡¯ve been engaged in business activities. i believe this has skewed our priorities.¡± ¡°if everyone follows the example of this particular student, the overall atmosphere of our class will undoubtedly be affected.¡± jiang rong¡¯s brows furrowed as she asked, ¡°which student are you referring song zhi pointed at xia wan and said, ¡°teacher, it¡¯s her. xia wan already had poor academic performance, and during the break, she started a clothing business. while she did make money, i think she¡¯s leading us in the wrong direction.¡± ¡°if everyone starts thinking that selling clothes is a more lucrative option than studying, our class¡¯s academic performance will inevitably plummet.¡± as a homeroom teacher, the class¡¯s academic performance was naturally an essential criterion for evaluation. so, upon hearing song zhi¡¯s words, jiang rong took this matter seriously. she looked at xia wan and asked, ¡°xia wan, is what song zhi said true?¡± xia wan stood up, her tone composed yet confident, ¡°teacher, it is indeed true. i did start a clothing business during the break.¡± song zhi¡¯s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.. Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: Reading in Public chapter 308: reading in public translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan continued, ¡°but i don¡¯t think selling clothes is tarnishing the class atmosphere. my father got injured during the break and had surgery in the hospital, costing 3,000 yuan. if i hadn¡¯t sold clothes, our family couldn¡¯t have afforded the medical expenses at all. moreover, i didn¡¯t neglect my studies while working.¡± song zhi immediately retorted, ¡°you claim you didn¡¯t neglect your studies? then prove it. recite the preface to king teng pavilion for us.¡± however, xia wan ignored her and simply looked at jiang rong. her words were directed at jiang rong, not song zhi. if song zhi wanted her to recite, she would. she wasn¡¯t concerned about her image. jiang rong also felt torn. if xia wan¡¯s circumstances were as she described, working out of financial necessity, it showcased a commendable spirit. yet, the most critical matter was focusing on studies. she couldn¡¯t openly encourage everyone to work. jiang rong nodded, ¡°then go ahead and recite the preface to king teng pavilion.¡± this was one of the assignments jiang rong had given before the break¡ªreciting the preface to king teng pavilion fluently. but jiang rong didn¡¯t hold high expectations for this task. the text was eloquent but also challenging to memorize, requiring many words to be looked up in the dictionary for proper pronunciation. song zhi suggesting xia wan to recite the preface to king teng pavilion indicated an awareness of its complexity, perhaps thinking that xia wan wouldn¡¯t be able to accomplish it herself. xia wan asked jiang rong, ¡°teacher, if i can fluently recite the preface to king teng pavilion, does that prove i haven¡¯t neglected my studies?¡± jiang rong agreed with a nod. ¡°very well, i¡¯ll do it.¡± xia wan didn¡¯t delay, confidently reciting the entire preface to king teng pavilion without a pause, not stumbling over a single word. jiang rong¡¯s delight grew as she witnessed xia wan recite the passage word for word. ¡°excellent, well done. i¡¯m pleased. it¡¯s evident that xia wan has worked diligently over the break. i hope everyone can learn from her.¡± jiang rong expressed her joy, praising xia wan with a stream of compliments. song zhi was dumbfounded, staring at xia wan in disbelief. how was this possible? xia wan, who typically struggled to memorize even a simple ancient poem, was now reciting such a complex article with such ease? unwilling to yield, song zhi continued, ¡°teacher, this could be a fluke. she might have anticipated your question and memorized this piece in advance. perhaps you should test her on other content.¡± jiang rong was somewhat displeased with song zhi¡¯s confrontational demeanor and couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°song zhi, you¡¯re classmates; you should support each other. let¡¯s conclude this matter here. don¡¯t bring it up again. instead of focusing on your classmates¡¯ shortcomings, why not invest that time in improving your academic performance?¡± reluctantly, song zhi sat down, still unconvinced. she felt xia wan¡¯s success was just due to luck. xia wan, on the other hand, was delighted. in her past life, she hadn¡¯t held a positive view of jiang rong due to her stern attitude. there was an incident during self-study when xia wan was caught passing a note and was subsequently punished with two classes of standing. during that time, many people she knew had passed by the classroom, laughing at her. following that incident, xia wan had developed a strong aversion to jiang rong, believing she had caused her embarrassment. the current xia wan was far more mature than her previous self. she understood that jiang rong¡¯s intentions were kind, hoping she would focus on her studies. unfortunately, her younger self hadn¡¯t grasped jiang rong¡¯s good intentions and had dismissed her as meddlesome. this misjudgment was also related to her desk mate, li pan. as expected, the second class wasn¡¯t taught by jiang rong. li pan immediately began gossiping. ¡°wanwan, i heard you¡¯ve been selling clothes throughout the break and earned quite a bit of money, right? don¡¯t pay heed to song zhi¡¯s nonsense over there. in my opinion, studying is futile. think about it, you¡¯ve spent so many years studying, and in the end, you¡¯re still working for someone else.¡± ¡°if you can earn money now, why not invest it? i have a sister with only a middle school education, and she¡¯s currently working in a big company, earning 1,500 yuan per month.¡± ¡°studying feels like an ongoing expense. i¡¯m planning to work with my sister after graduation..¡± Chapter 309 - Chapter 309: Rejecting Li Pan chapter 309: rejecting li pan translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after taking a sip of water, li pan continued speaking, ¡°let¡¯s consider the students in our class who have tirelessly dedicated themselves this year. in the end, all their hard work only led to admission into a rather ordinary university. they have to spend money on their education. if i had that time, i might have earned a substantial amount of money by now, possibly even becoming wealthy. ¡°furthermore, the most precious asset for us young women is our youth. by the time i graduate from university, how old will i be? trying to find a boyfriend in the midst of all this? the attractive ones are likely already married. ¡°so, wanwan, hear me out. just focus on selling your clothes and don¡¯t give up on this job. as for studying and the like, let destiny play its part.¡± upon hearing this, xia wan reached her limit. she turned her gaze toward li pan and said, ¡°in the past, i didn¡¯t value studying because i was immature. but now i understand its importance. i want to study diligently and achieve a higher social status, rather than spending my life selling clothes. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i hope you won¡¯t talk to me during class anymore. it affects my concentration.¡± after saying that, xia wan turned away, ignoring li pan completely. despite li pan¡¯s continued attempts to converse, xia wan remained unresponsive. growing increasingly frustrated, li pan couldn¡¯t contain her anger after the class ended. she stood up and exclaimed, ¡°xia wan, you¡¯ve gone too far. i was simply sharing some interesting anecdotes about my vacation, and you dare claim that i¡¯m hindering your studies? everyone can see your academic performance, and it¡¯s clear that academics aren¡¯t your strong suit. ¡°in the past, when i didn¡¯t want to talk, you were the one who bombarded me with various trivial matters. now that i¡¯ve embraced your approach, i¡¯m willing to share some interesting things. and yet, you find fault with my chattiness? ¡°xia wan, you¡¯re truly hypocritical. i¡¯m going to tell the teacher right now that i don¡¯t want to be your desk partner anymore!¡± having spoken her mind, li pan stormed out of the classroom, marching straight toward jiang rong¡¯s office. the others directed their gazes toward xia wan, engaging in hushed discussions. quickly, liu hua stepped in front of xia wan, shielding her. he addressed those around him assertively, ¡®what are you all looking at? xia wan has made the decision to study diligently. it¡¯s a commendable choice, and you have no right to gossip about her.¡± soon enough, li pan returned, casting a smug look at xia wan. ¡°xia wan, just wait and see. the teacher will rearrange the seating, and there are still empty seats in our class. you¡¯ll have to sit alone at this desk!¡± xia wan paid no attention, causing li pan to feel ignored and growing even more infuriated. with more than thirty students in their class, the desks were arranged into six rows. xia wan and li pan occupied seats in the fourth row¡ªnot the best, but certainly not bad. after all, their academic performances weren¡¯t outstanding, with the second and third rows typically reserved for top achievers. after the morning class concluded, those residing in the dormitories prepared to head to the cafeteria for lunch. liu hua approached xia wan, saying, ¡°let¡¯s go and eat.¡± xia wan extended an invitation, ¡°come to my place today. my mom has prepared dinner.¡± their rented home was conveniently close to the school, reachable within five minutes by bike or a ten-minute walk. liu hua playfully remarked, ¡°isn¡¯t that a bit awkward?¡± xia wan smiled, ¡°no worries. we¡¯ll study together after dinner.¡± liu hua considered it and found the idea reasonable, agreeing to the plan. li pan inserted a sarcastic comment, ¡°impressive, the one who¡¯s making money. back when i lived in the village, i could only eat cafeteria buns every day. now, i can go home for a meal after class. ¡°liu hua, you¡¯re quite influential. just because xia wan can provide you with a free lunch, you¡¯re on her side?¡± xia wan and liu hua turned to face li pan. at this point, two girls stood beside li pan, the three of them sharing a dormitory. liu hua retorted firmly, ¡°i have a strong bond with wanwan. where she lives doesn¡¯t affect our relationship. don¡¯t generalize us like you.¡± the commotion didn¡¯t attract wider attention as everyone was focused on getting their food. li pan exchanged glances with her roommates, prompting someone to close the classroom door. only the five of them remained in the room. liu hua watched li pan warily. ¡°what¡¯s your intention?¡± li pan sneered, ¡°what do you think? i¡¯m here to teach you all a lesson.¡± ¡°liu hua, this doesn¡¯t concern you. i assume you¡¯d like to keep your peaceful study life intact. so, stay out of this matter and just watch from the sidelines..¡± Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: Bullying chapter 310: bullying translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation sensing a brewing tension, liu hua instinctively shielded xia wan behind him. ¡°li pan, are you trying to harm wanwan? you¡¯re out of your mind, and you¡¯ll face consequences!¡± ¡°i don¡¯t need you to worry about me,¡± li pan retorted with disdain. as she spoke, she pushed liu hua aside, and one of her roommates quickly restrained him. li pan raised her arm, preparing to slap xia wan. in response, xia wan swiftly raised her right hand and firmly caught li pan¡¯s wrist. with a smirk, she effortlessly pushed li pan to the ground. li pan looked at xia wan in astonishment. ¡°how is this possible? when did you become so strong?¡± xia wan glanced at her two roommates, who were standing by her side. ¡°what are you waiting for? come on!¡± the two girls lunged at xia wan, attempting to restrain her. but xia wan evaded skillfully, and her hands swiftly gripped the wrists of the two girls, causing them to cry out in pain. ¡°ah! it hurts! xia wan, let go!¡± ¡°let go? did you intend to let me go earlier? why is it acceptable for you to bully me, but i can¡¯t defend myself?¡± the two girls immediately pleaded for mercy. ¡°we imow we were wrong. li pan said you needed to be taught a lesson, so she asked us to join her. it¡¯s not our intention!¡± liu hua stood beside xia wan, his tone serious. ¡°you¡¯re accomplices in this. when li pan shared her plan with you, did you try to stop her? it seems you¡¯re just glad to see li pan¡¯s actions. you¡¯re only protesting now because you realize you can¡¯t overpower wanwan.¡± xia wan glanced at liu hua, realizing she had underestimated him in her past life. not only was liu hua academically adept, but he also exhibited clear logical thinking. li pan, apprehensive, took a step back. she recognized that xia wan had transformed and was no longer under her control. ¡°xia wan, let me warn you. don¡¯t even think about laying a hand on me. if you dare, i¡¯ll inform my aunt. she¡¯s a teacher here, and she¡¯ll ensure severe consequences for you.¡± xia wan sneered. ¡°really? so, because your aunt is a teacher, you can torment your classmates at will? if i weren¡¯t familiar with some martial arts, what was your plan for teaching me a lesson today?¡± li pan averted her gaze, unable to meet xia wan¡¯s eyes. bending down, xia wan gripped li pan¡¯s chin with a single hand. ¡°li pan, if you¡¯re willing to act, be ready to own up to it. tell me the truth. how did you intend to ¡®teach me a lesson ? under xia wan¡¯s intense gaze, li pan felt a shiver of fear. xia wan¡¯s demeanor had turned ruthless. nervously swallowing, li pan stammered, ¡°i just thought of slapping you a couple of times, then maybe tearing your coat off to teach you a lesson. honestly, i didn¡¯t have any other intentions.¡± xia wan¡¯s gaze grew even colder. ¡°we¡¯re wearing short-sleeved shirts in this season. you planned to rip my shirt off. isn¡¯t that humiliating enough for me?¡± ¡°if i were a weaker person, i might not have the face to remain in school after enduring this humiliation. i might even contemplate suicide.¡± ¡°li pan, come with me to see the teacher.¡± xia wan seized li pan¡¯s collar with a firm grip and marched her to the office. the teachers with no afternoon classes had already departed, leaving those with lessons to enjoy their lunch in the office. coincidentally, jiang rong was present. seeing her student, jiang rong set aside her lunch box and inquired, ¡°what brings you here?¡± jiang rong immediately sensed something amiss, observing the tense atmosphere among the five students. xia wan addressed the situation directly. ¡°teacher, li pan initiated a conversation during class today, but i declined. i expressed my intent to focus on my studies and avoid gossiping in class. after class, she approached me about switching seats.¡± ¡°i¡¯m unaware of her intentions, but i have no objections to changing seats.¡± ¡°however, after school, li pan enlisted her two roommates and locked the classroom door. they intended to intimidate me. teacher, i believe i should report this to you.¡± in the classroom, li pan had been quite confident. now accused by xia wan, she quickly feigned victimhood, saying, ¡°teacher, that¡¯s not true. i did discuss changing seats with xia wan, but i decided to respect her preference for a quieter learning environment. as for us being in the classroom after school, i was simply gathering my belongings.¡± ¡°as for xia wan, she has her own free will.. if she wanted to leave the classroom, who could have stopped her?¡± Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Confrontation with the Teacher chapter 311: confrontation with the teacher translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation liu hua¡¯s frustration overflowed as he exclaimed, ¡°li pan, you¡¯ve already accomplished your plan. why be afraid now? you even fabricated lies right in front of the teacher!¡± li pan¡¯s roommates, defending her, chimed in, ¡°teacher, li pan is telling the truth. we all stayed behind to help her pack her belongings.¡± jiang rong felt a growing headache. qing shui¡¯s claim left her puzzled; she couldn¡¯t discern the truth in the moment. ¡°are there any other students in the classroom?¡± she inquired. ¡°no, li pan shut the classroom door after everyone else left,¡± came the reply. anxiously, li pan interjected, ¡°teacher, if xia wan wanted to leave, she would have left earlier. why wait until the classroom was empty? it¡¯s clear she stayed on purpose.¡± frustration caused liu hua¡¯s chest to rise and fall rapidly as he retorted, ¡°you¡¯re twisting the facts. you intentionally made xia wan stay. you even mentioned wanting to harm her!¡± li pan vehemently denied the accusation, sparking a heated argument with liu hua. ¡°silence!¡± jiang rong¡¯s voice cut through the escalating tension. ¡°i don¡¯t care about the details of what happened. since li pan and xia wan no longer wish to sit together, they¡¯ll learn to coexist from now on. avoid any repetition of such incidents, and do not even think about harming your classmates!¡± xia wan¡¯s expectations of jiang rong wavered slightly; she had hoped for a more ingenious approach to uncover the truth. li pan and her allies seemed united, yet individual questioning was bound to reveal inconsistencies. moreover, both xia wan and liu hua were committed to honesty. this contrast would undoubtedly expose the liar. jiang rong¡¯s measured response was due to the absence of visible harm to either party. just then, the office door swung open. li hong, a year two teacher, entered. spotting li pan, she expressed concern, ¡°pan pan, why are you here? is there an issue with your studies?¡± li pan clung to li hong, seeking refuge. ¡°auntie, you must help me. xia wan has wronged me!¡± li hong embraced her niece and implored, ¡°how has she mistreated you? explain. if it¡¯s true, i¡¯ll certainly intervene.¡± with a piercing gaze, li hong directed her displeasure at xia wan. undeterred, xia wan maintained her composure. li hong¡¯s presence failed to ruffle her. however, liu hua¡¯s heart raced; li hong was li pan¡¯s aunt, and li pan was her only daughter. bias was inevitable. moreover, as colleagues, li hong and jiang rong¡¯s alignment would be difficult to justify if they both sided with li pan. ¡°auntie, xia wan was originally my deskmate. she claimed she wanted a conducive study environment and asked me to move, so i discussed this with our teacher. after class, i called my roommates to help pack, but xia wan refused. she bragged about her affluence and wanting to befriend top students like liu hua. being my deskmate was beneath her.¡± ¡°i hadn¡¯t expected such a transformation in xia wan after her vacation. likely, her interactions while selling clothes changed her. she¡¯s now snobbish.¡± xia wan¡¯s lips twitched; li pan was certainly imaginative. li hong glared at xia wan. ¡°xia wan, pan pan has always been obedient and diligent. your presence as her deskmate resulted in her declining grades. we didn¡¯t complain. yet now, you falsely accuse her. your misconduct warrants serious consequences.¡± turning to jiang rong, li hong asserted, ¡°she¡¯s your student. jiang rong, i expect a resolution. if not, i¡¯ll involve the principal, and matters won¡¯t remain as simple.¡± jiang rong suppressed her irritation at the threat. to her, this was a minor issue, but li hong¡¯s arrival had emboldened li pan, escalating the situation to involve the principal. reining in her emotions, jiang rong responded, ¡°teacher li hong, this might be a trivial matter between students. involving the principal isn¡¯t necessary. he has numerous responsibilities. asking him to mediate such a seating disagreement might reflect poorly on our teaching abilities..¡± Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: Li Pan’s Backers chapter 312: li pan¡¯s backers translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation jiang rong¡¯s words made li hong hesitate. in reality, she didn¡¯t actually want to escalate this matter to the principal. she just wanted to intimidate and threaten jiang rong and xia wan by saying these things. while li hong was hesitating, xia wan looked at her and asked, ¡°if you want to escalate this matter, i don¡¯t mind accompanying you, but you need to think it through. if what li pan said is a lie, the entire school will know about her behavior today. do you realize the consequences it will have on her, something you won¡¯t be able to control?¡± though xia wan¡¯s tone was calm, to li hong, it sounded like a threat. she was a teacher, while xia wan was just a student. now, why should a student like xia wan talk to her at the same level? li hong snorted coldly, ¡°our pan pan has never lied. since she told me this way, it means you are definitely wrong.¡± li pan¡¯s eyes revealed a sense of satisfaction. it felt good to have support. this xia wan was truly foolish. before, she couldn¡¯t keep up with her studies, and she didn¡¯t want to see xia wan study either. she kept telling xia wan about the benefits of entering society early to work. she herself was falling behind and didn¡¯t want to see her desk mate progress. but now, xia wan was not following her into decline; she wanted to become a good student. naturally, li hong had to do something to teach xia wan a lesson. jiang rong wanted to advise further, but li hong wasn¡¯t listening at all. so, they all went straight to the principal¡¯s office. at this moment, the principal was resting in his chair. the strong knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts completely. the principal opened the door with a less-than-pleased expression, greeted by a group of people. he frowned, ¡°what are you all doing?¡± li hong began to play the pity card, ¡°principal, you really need to address this. jiang rong is showing favoritism in resolving conflicts between students. i want you to help judge fairly.¡± principal xue shan felt annoyed inside. when he should have been resting, he was being asked to mediate conflicts? he was quite displeased, but in front of these people, he had to maintain his role as the principal. so, he said, ¡°alright, come in and tell me.¡± after hearing the account of the situation, xue shan looked at xia wan and asked, ¡°xia wan, is what li pan said true?¡± xia wan shook her head, ¡°she¡¯s lying.¡± xue shan had experienced many things and encountered various types of people. he was well aware of the relationship between li hong and li pan. although li pan was trying to hide it, he still sensed that her pretense of being pitiable was just an act. occasionally, he could see a hint of pride in xia wan¡¯s eyes as she spoke. subconsciously, xue shan believed that li pan was not telling the truth in this matter. and xia wan¡¯s attitude also surprised him. to be falsely accused and yet remain so composed¡­ liu hua, who was standing nearby, was almost about to cry out of anxiety. xue shan nodded, turning to xia wan, ¡°then tell me about the sequence of events.¡± xia wan maintained a confident posture and truthfully explained the situation, making it clear that she had intervened when li pan attempted to harm her. xue shan was somewhat surprised, ¡°you, alone, subdued three people? have you learned martial arts?¡± xia wan nodded, ¡°during this break, there was a major incident at home. many people tried to take advantage of us, but i fought them off and some of them even had to go to the police station.¡± as she spoke, xia wan glanced at li pan and li hong. li pan suddenly felt uneasy. why was xia wan sounding so fierce now? she couldn¡¯t be lying, right? she even sent people to the police station? this was the first time jiang rong heard about these events, and she looked at xia wan with mixed emotions. this child suddenly became so determined. it turns out there were problems at home. recalling what xia wan had mentioned in class, that her father was injured and they needed a lot of money for medical expenses, jiang rong¡¯s imagination started weaving stories. li hong involuntarily tightened her grip on li pan¡¯s hand, then looked at her, ¡°pan pan, which of you and xia wan is telling the truth?¡± li pan hesitated, but with so many people staring at her, she couldn¡¯t back down. she gritted her teeth, ¡°i¡¯m telling the truth. xia wan is at fault in this matter.¡± xue shan felt somewhat disappointed in li pan. he had observed all of li pan¡¯s little expressions. on the contrary, xia wan¡¯s eyes remained resolute as she recounted the events. this was the demeanor of someone telling the truth. xia wan looked at li pan, ¡°you still have one last chance. if you admit your mistake voluntarily, i can reluctantly forgive you..¡± Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: The Truth chapter 313: the truth translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation li pan dismissed xia wan¡¯s threat as mere intimidation, believing that xia wan¡¯s intentions were to frighten her. she responded with a cold snort, ¡°i haven¡¯t done anything wrong. the fault lies with you.¡± ¡°alright, principal, please lend me your ear. i have the entire conversation recorded, which proves li pan¡¯s deceit.¡± xia wan placed her mp4 on the principal¡¯s desk. chen mo had acquired the latest mp4 model, which included a recording feature. li pan was taken aback, staring blankly at the mp4. her family¡¯s financial situation didn¡¯t allow for luxuries like an mp4, so she was unaware of its recording capabilities. she had only thought of it as a device for music. the principal promptly played the recording. it captured not only li pan¡¯s classroom bullying of xia wan but also the clear bias displayed by li hong. li hong¡¯s face turned pale as she resentingly glared at li pan. she hurriedly explained, ¡°principal, i wasn¡¯t aware of the whole story. i¡¯ve seen li pan grow up; she had never lied before. this behavior surprised me.¡± li pan looked at li hong with astonishment. had her aunt just abandoned her like that? the principal slammed the table, fixing li pan with a stern gaze. ¡°what¡¯s your defense now?¡± jiang rong cast a guilty look at xia wan. when xia wan and li pan had gone to the office earlier, she had noticed something but hadn¡¯t fully investigated. xia wan might now harbor some resentment towards her. ¡°xia wan, i also have a question about this. i should have probed deeper,¡± jiang rong directly apologized to xia wan, admitting her fault. ¡°xia wan saw the remorse on jiang rong¡¯s face. while she didn¡¯t hold much sympathy for jiang rong, she was still a student in her class, and it wouldn¡¯t be wise to sour their relationship. she responded, ¡°it¡¯s alright, teacher. i should have been clearer from the start.¡± as she spoke, she turned her gaze towards li pan. ¡°i gave you multiple chances, to tell the truth in front of the teachers and the principal. instead of being honest, you implicated your aunt. you blew up a trivial matter and wasted everyone¡¯s time.¡± li pan trembled. it was finally dawning on her that xia wan had orchestrated this entire scenario. she murmured, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, xia wan. i promise not to make things difficult for you anymore. i won¡¯t disrupt your studies.¡± seeing li pan bow her head, li hong interjected, addressing the principal, ¡°principal, this matter doesn¡¯t need to escalate further. if xia wan possesses evidence, she can present it to jiang rong.¡± ¡°they¡¯re in a crucial phase for their college entrance exams. let¡¯s minimize this issue. we shouldn¡¯t let these two students clash.¡± xia wan sneered inwardly. li hong was advocating reconciliation because she held evidence. without it, she would likely pursue a different narrative and demand punishment for xia wan. jiang rong met the principal¡¯s gaze resolutely. ¡°principal, li pan is accountable for this. xia wan was merely defending herself. i believe student li pan should apologize to student xia wan and write a 2000 -word self-reflection.¡± ¡°additionally, i will monitor li pan. if she refrains from causing trouble for xia wan in the near future, we¡¯ll consider this matter resolved.¡± turning to xia wan, jiang rong asked, ¡°xia wan, what do you think of this resolution?¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°the teacher has handled it fairly. i don¡¯t want to hinder li pan¡¯s college entrance exams. i only hope she won¡¯t disrupt others¡¯ studies in the future. ¡± the principal was pleased with xia wan and jiang rong¡¯s approach. li pan didn¡¯t dare to object further and swiftly acquiesced. subsequently, the four exited the office. both li pan and li hong wore disgruntled expressions. ¡°li pan, offer your apology to xia wan now,¡± jiang rong instructed. li pan struggled but finally said to xia wan, ¡°xia wan, i¡¯m sorry. i shouldn¡¯t have involved my roommates in bullying you and shouldn¡¯t have lied to the teacher.¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°if your apology is sincere, then i forgive you. i hope you¡¯ll concentrate on your studies moving forward.¡± li pan lowered her head. ¡°alright, i understand..¡± Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: Xia Wan ‘s Rapid Progress chapter 314: xia wan ¡®s rapid progress translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation when xia wan reentered the classroom, liu hua patiently awaited her arrival. seeing xia wan return, liu hua hurried over with anticipation, inquiring, ¡°how did it go?¡± xia wan offered a reassuring smile, her voice calming, ¡°don¡¯t worry. the mp41 purchased has a recording feature. i managed to capture all of the bullying.¡± liu hua¡¯s eyes sparkled with surprise, ¡°seriously? that¡¯s incredible! an mp4 is quite versatile. i should definitely get one too.¡± with no one else present in the classroom, liu hua spoke freely without restraint. affirming the notion, nodded, ¡°absolutely. the pressure in our third year of high school can be overwhelming. having the ability to listen to music during class can alleviate some stress. plus, you can download relevant materials from the internet and watch them on the mp4.¡± liu hua¡¯s excitement grew as she considered the possibilities. she wished she could obtain an mp4 right away. however, xia wan advised her to remain patient and grab a meal first. due to this delay, by the time they returned home, yan han had already prepared dinner. the dishes were covered, and xia feng was engrossed in an mp4 nearby. upon hearing their footsteps, xia feng stood up with joy, proclaiming, ¡°sister, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°hello, sister liu hua. you¡¯re here as well.¡± liu hua nodded, her smile shy yet warm, ¡°i¡¯m visiting your house again today.¡± yan han emerged holding a plate of fruits, her smile radiant, ¡°huahua, what are you talking about? your relationship with wanwan is wonderful. we appreciate your care for us at school. i hope you two can spend more time together.¡± as they settled down to eat, xia wan spoke up, ¡°mom, i¡¯d like to set up a study room for her. going forward, liu hua will come over every afternoon. we¡¯ll have lunch together at home and study afterward. liu hua¡¯s grades are exceptional. if i come across any difficulties, i can get timely help from her.¡± nervously, liu hua glanced at yan han. despite the close neighborhood and good rapport between the families, she still felt a bit self-conscious. yan han readily agreed, ¡°of course, you can. i¡¯ll be at peace knowing you¡¯re studying alongside wanwan. work hard, both of you. leave the rest to auntie!¡± this declaration put liu hua at ease. after the meal, xia wan led liu hua to her room. the spacious room housed a 1.4-meter desk and an adjacent bookshelf, providing ample space for both of them to study. embarrassed, liu hua placed her textbook on the table and broached a subject, ¡°wanwan, shouldn¡¯t you charge for tutoring? otherwise, i¡¯d feel bad spending your money.¡± xia wan erupted in laughter, ¡°tutoring fees are typically charged by the hour. we¡¯re studying together, and your grasp of the subjects is better than mine. if i encounter something unfamiliar, i can consult you. it¡¯s like you¡¯re tutoring me indirectly. this arrangement is more valuable than a mere meal.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry about it. it¡¯s truly not an issue.¡± xia wan¡¯s words comforted liu hua. she resolved to tutor xia wan earnestly, to make the most of what xia wan was providing. liu hua produced a set of practice papers and proposed, ¡°let¡¯s work through these papers this afternoon and compare our answers. feel free to ask if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand.¡± xia wan agreed with a nod, ¡°sure.¡± as they looked at the questions on the paper, a surge of excitement coursed through xia wan. her grip on the pen quivered with anticipation. during the break, she had managed to study most of the textbooks, though she had only tackled the practice questions at the end. actual test papers hadn¡¯t been attempted yet. receiving the test paper now felt like reclaiming control over her life. knowledge had the power to reshape destiny. forty minutes later, liu hua completed the paper first and patiently awaited xia wan. after another 15 minutes, xia wan also finished. liu hua grinned and suggested, ¡°you were pretty swift. let¡¯s compare our answers. if either of us is wrong, the right one can explain.¡± xia wan agreed, aligning with liu hua¡¯s proposal. in her past life, her academic performance had been subpar. she had put immense effort into studying during the break, an effort liu hua wasn¡¯t aware yet, liu hua¡¯s attitude toward her remained unbiased, untouched by her prior shortcomings. this signaled liu hua¡¯s exceptional character. as they reviewed the questions, liu hua realized that xia wan¡¯s performance exceeded her expectations. in the previous exam, xia wan could only muster 40 to 50 marks in mathematics, her weakest subject. however, upon finishing this practice paper, xia wan scored a perfect 100. she had already surpassed even song zhi, demonstrating her upward trajectory in academics.. Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: Finding a Tutor chapter 315: finding a tutor translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°liu hua¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. however, she quickly recollected that xia wan had been engaged in selling clothes all this while. how could she have possibly found the time to hire a tutor for studying? xia wan chuckled softly. she naturally refrained from disclosing that she had gleaned this knowledge from her previous life. instead, she deftly shifted the credit over to xia chen. she stated, ¡°it was actually my brother who helped me out. although he ended up leaving school midway, his academic performance used to be quite impressive. ¡°i was even contemplating speaking to the principal about letting my brother resume his third year of high school.¡± liu hua¡¯s smile of happiness grew wider upon hearing this. she genuinely felt delighted for xia chen. xia chen had consistently exhibited excellent academic achievements. however, in the past, her progress in studies had been stunted due to the prevailing sentiment in the village that deemed extensive education unnecessary for girls, as they would eventually marry. once, xia chen secured the top rank in her class. buoyant with joy, she hurried to share the news with her family. on her way home, she ran into a familiar face-her second aunt. upon learning about xia chen¡¯s triumph, second aunt didn¡¯t express any happiness for her niece. instead, she responded with a condescending tone, ¡°so what if you came first? sooner or later, you¡¯ll be married off. university education costs a lot of money.¡± ¡°during your university years, you won¡¯t be able to earn anything. by the time you graduate, you¡¯ll be older, making it even harder for you to find a suitable partner.¡± during that moment, liu hua felt a sense of inferiority and was incapable of retorting to second aunt¡¯s words. as luck would have it, xia chen happened to pass by and immediately fired back, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with a girl attending university? liu hua secured the top spot. that¡¯s an achievement to be proud of. it showcases her intelligence and resilience, surpassing many boys.¡± ¡°if you¡¯re so against liu hua¡¯s success, why don¡¯t you ensure your son excels in his exams?¡± xia chen¡¯s verbal reprimand forced second aunt to leave, seething with resentment. xia chen¡¯s intervention had successfully banished liu hua¡¯s feelings of inferiority. subsequently, liu hua doubled down on her studies, scaling from being at the top of her class to conquering the highest rank across the entire grade. in her eyes, xia chen was transforming into a luminous presence. liu hua and xia wan maximized their two-hour lunch break. they meticulously absorbed the contents of the practice test set. mathematics wasn¡¯t akin to other subjects demanding rote memorization. mastery in math hinged upon a complete understanding of problem types. every question was a testament to the application of a specific problem ¨C solving technique. the extent of xia wan¡¯s improvement caught her by surprise. clasping the test paper, a smile spread across her lips. shelving her thoughts, liu hua inquired curiously, ¡°wanwan, how did you manage such rapid progress in mathematics?¡± a grin accompanied her response. ¡°while i was at home, i skimmed through the textbook briefly. most of my efforts went into solving problems. it just so happened that i had encountered many of the questions from this set of papers before. had the test been different, my luck might not have held.¡± liu hua harbored no skepticism. after all, acquiring proficiency in all these topics within such a short time was implausible without a tutor¡¯s assistance. contemplating this, liu hua probed, ¡°wanwan, it¡¯s clear you¡¯re enthusiastic about enhancing your grades. do you think you might require a tutor? i have a cousin currently studying in university. she¡¯s consistently excelled academically and secured a place in a prestigious institution. however, her family is in financial straits. if she could find employment as a tutor, she¡¯d likely jump at the opportunity.¡± xia wan didn¡¯t hastily agree to the proposal. instead, she mused, ¡°let me ponder over it.¡± engaging a tutor did indeed seem promising. despite her tempered abilities from her previous life and a fortified capacity for logical reasoning, high school subjects remained manageable only if she was willing to learn. nevertheless, the limiting factor was time. if she could secure a tutor who could elucidate the core concepts during her revision, her academic growth would doubtlessly experience a meteoric ascent. as they strolled back to school, xia wan spoke up, ¡°could you arrange for your cousin to tutor me?¡± liu hua¡¯s eyes brimmed with astonishment. ¡°you¡¯re genuinely interested?¡± ¡°yes,¡± xia wan affirmed. ¡°in that case, i¡¯ll meet her after school today. would you like to accompany me?¡± liu hua suddenly suggested, ¡°her situation is somewhat unique, after all..¡± Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Xia Wan is Not Easy to Bully chapter 316: xia wan is not easy to bully translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan nodded in agreement, showing no signs of objection. upon reaching the classroom, most of the students were already seated. when xia wan and the others approached, someone approached and inquired, ¡°i heard that you guys had an altercation with li pan after school. some even claimed to have seen you at the principal¡¯s office entrance. what exactly transpired?¡± though the others didn¡¯t approach directly, their curious glances were fixed on xia wan. evidently, they were quite intrigued by the situation. coincidentally, at that moment, li pan hurried back. she exclaimed, ¡°what¡¯s it to you? mind your own business. have you mastered every subject? she was only here to meddle in other people¡¯s affairs.¡± despite their discontent with li pan¡¯s outburst, the students refrained from asking further questions. they maintained a composed facade, but as they lowered their heads, hushed conversations between them revealed their wonder at li pan¡¯s unusual ferocity. as li pan walked past xia wan¡¯s desk, she cast a lingering glance. however, following the incident at the principal¡¯s office, li pan refrained from openly causing trouble for xia wan. she still had 2000 words to write! later in the afternoon, she was summoned by li hong for a stern scolding. li hong chastised her for bullying her classmate and then complaining about it, an act that had made li hong lose face. li pan was well aware that li hong was venting her frustration due to the embarrassment she faced in front of the principal. yet, she remained unconvinced. in order to earn li hong¡¯s favor, her father would bring back the trendiest clothes and various imported snacks whenever he returned from his travels in a sports car. despite li hong being a sophomore, she was frequently the subject of discussions about her fashionable attire. this was a source of great pride for her. however, li hong¡¯s family background was quite modest. her husband was also a teacher, and their combined income was not substantial. it barely sufficed for her lavish wardrobe. in essence, li hong¡¯s pride was a product of her father¡¯s generosity. her father only wished for li hong to be taken care of while in school. hence, li pan never felt indebted to li hong in any way. since li hong had benefited from her family¡¯s resources, it was only fitting that she took care of her. now, merely due to her own misdeeds, which had caused li hong to lose face in front of the principal, li hong dared to reprimand her in such a manner. li pan¡¯s annoyance extended not only towards xia wan but also towards li hong. furthermore, after this incident, li pan realized that the person her father should have shown gratitude to was her homeroom teacher, jiang rong. in reality, the distinction between relatives and strangers was negligible. everyone acted in their own interest. contemplating this, li pan began composing a self-reflection letter. following class, li pan completed her self-reflection letter. she cast a lingering gaze at xia wan before heading to the office. standing before jiang rong, li pan feigned remorse, bowing her head as she handed over her reflection letter. ¡°teacher, i genuinely recognize my mistake. i¡¯ve decided to emulate xia wan¡¯s dedication to studies. i implore teacher to grant me another opportunity.¡± jiang rong accepted li pan¡¯s reflection letter. her penmanship was neat, ant jiang rong sensed her sincerity, uttering a few encouraging words before returning the letter. back in the classroom, li pan reclaimed her seat and periodically glanced at xia wan. it struck her that xia wan appeared truly engrossed in her studies. puzzled, she felt a tinge of rivalry. teachers favored diligent students. xia wan¡¯s unwavering focus on her studies set her apart. in response, li pan resolved to work diligently and surpass xia wan. yet, li pan realized too hastily, for the subject at hand was mathematics. she comprehended her error. the teacher¡¯s pace of instruction wasn¡¯t swift, but li pan found herself unable to grasp the concepts. some of the formulas taught were introduced during her freshman year, but she had since ceased her study of them. math teacher, cheng ya, surveyed the class. ¡°is there anything unclear to anyone?¡± li pan found herself bewildered, yet embarrassment hindered her from raising her hand. she surveyed her peers, hoping someone would take the initiative. normally, in a class, a few earnest but struggling students would raise their hands, hoping for a recap from the teacher. however, this time, no one volunteered. cheng ya nodded in approval. ¡°seems like everyone is following along well. your progress during this period has been commendable. let¡¯s proceed to the next problem..¡± Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: Saving Liu Sha chapter 317: saving liu sha translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation until cheng ya started discussing other topics, li pan only confirmed that no one was really asking how to solve the previous problem. she looked at xia wan and found that xia wan had no intention of asking questions either. li pan sneered, feeling that xia wan¡¯s so-called intention to study hard was just an act. according to xia wan¡¯s usual scores, she couldn¡¯t possibly understand the problem from earlier. so, either xia wan was pretending to understand to save face, even though she didn¡¯t get it, or she had no intention of studying seriously at all, whether she understood or not. the curriculum of the third year of high school actually consolidated the material from the first and second years. if the foundation from the first two years is weak, improving grades in the third year will be very difficult. li pan began to truly study and realized that she didn¡¯t know anything. even the poems and essays she used to be familiar with were now completely forgotten. she discovered that memorizing things like this, even if you memorize them initially, gradually fades over time. to truly master this knowledge, it requires consistent daily repetition. and repetition was something li pan particularly disliked. li pan kept her inner conflict to herself. she was certain that xia wan, who didn¡¯t understand, wouldn¡¯t understand either. she focused on the subject she found easiest to improve her score. throughout the day, neither xia wan nor li pan spoke to each other. when the school bell rang, xia wan and liu hua headed to her cousin¡¯s house. as liu hua had said, even though her cousin¡¯s house was in the county, it was very remote. originally, xia wan thought that even if it was remote, it wouldn¡¯t be worse than the countryside. but looking at the bumpy roads ahead and the desolation of the small houses, xia wan realized that even in the county, there were streets affected by poverty. liu hua pointed to a small house in front and said to xia wan, ¡°this is my cousin¡¯s house.¡± the house in front was made of bricks without any plaster on the outside. the door was a casual wooden one, and the house itself was small and hastily constructed, as if it had been put up temporarily. xia wan gained a deeper understanding from what liu hua had said ¨C her cousin was truly poor. before they could get closer, they heard voices from inside. ¡°liu li, i¡¯m doing this for the good of your daughter. she¡¯s in university now, which costs a lot of money. your legs are not in good shape, and you can only do odd jobs in the factory, earning a hundred yuan a month. who will pay for your daughter¡¯s tuition and living expenses?¡± ¡°the first year, you can borrow money, but what about the future? your daughter got into a good university. are you going to make her borrow money for four years of college?¡± through a crack in the door, xia wan looked inside. there was a plump woman standing next to a thin man, whose dark complexion indicated years of labor. beside them stood a girl in her twenties, liu hua¡¯s cousin, liu sha. seeing clearly, liu hua clenched her fists. ¡°chen li, how dare you have designs on my cousin!¡± without waiting for xia wan to say anything, liu hua stormed in, glaring at chen li. ¡°have you contributed a single penny towards my cousin¡¯s tuition? you know very well that her family is struggling. if you¡¯re not going to help, fine, but now you¡¯re taking advantage of her difficulties. ¡°what, you think our liu family is helpless?¡± seeing it was liu hua, chen li sneered dismissively. ¡°i wondered who could it be, turns out it¡¯s just a little girl. liu hua, even your father doesn¡¯t dare interfere in my affairs. you¡¯re quite bold for a little girl. ¡°i remember you¡¯re still in high school, right? i heard you¡¯re good at studying. your future university might not be worse than your cousin¡¯s.¡± chen li glanced at liu hua and continued, ¡°it¡¯s a pity though, your liu family is a bunch of poor folks. even if you excel in studies, you can¡¯t afford college. ¡°i¡¯m here to save you. you and your cousin are good-looking, and you study well. i can introduce you to a wealthy boyfriend who¡¯ll support your education. you just need to marry him after graduation. he¡¯ll pay your dowry, how advantageous is this deal?¡± chen li put on a facade of being a benefactor, further infuriating liu hua. in response, liu hua said, ¡°my cousin and i study hard not to marry into a better family, but to realize our own life values.. we have our own dreams to pursue, you, with your crude mindset, can¡¯t understand!¡± Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: Official Tutoring chapter 318: official tutoring translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation chen li curled her lip in a sneer, ¡°sure, you can talk all you want about elegance and ideals, but without money, how can you pursue an education? graduating would be a distant dream. what makes you think you can chase after your dreams?¡± ¡°young lady, let¡¯s be practical here. isn¡¯t all your hard work ultimately aimed at making more money and living a better life?¡± ¡°now there¡¯s a convenient shortcut right before you. why not consider taking as chen li¡¯s words echoed, xia wan¡¯s mind drifted back to her past life. it brought to mind liu hua¡¯s cousin who had attended university, only to marry a man from the county with a mere elementary school education. the man had a minor leg disability, and the incident had become a topic of village gossip. many pitied liu sha for her fate. seeing the situation firsthand, xia wan finally comprehended the underlying reasons for that incident. in the past, liu hua might have struggled to counter chen li¡¯s arguments, perhaps even internalizing them, believing that pursuing university education would be futile and a burden on her family. however, things had changed. with 4,500 yuan from selling lingzhi, xia wan found newfound confidence. liu hua stood her ground, ¡°you need not concern yourself with this. our liu family will gather the funds for our cousin¡¯s university education. since you¡¯re unwilling to offer financial assistance, you¡¯re free to leave. your so-called help holds no value for us. you¡¯re disrespecting us!¡± chen li cast a scornful glance at liu hua, ¡°you? you claim you¡¯re ready to assist liu sha. are your parents on board with this? do you think borrowing money is a simple matter now? it won¡¯t be as straightforward if you ever require my help in the future.¡± initially demoralized by chen li¡¯s words, liu sha regained her resolve witnessing liu hua¡¯s defense. she squared her shoulders and addressed chen li, ¡°i won¡¯t marry. auntie, please depart.¡± liu li also chimed in, ushering chen li away, ¡°just go. your help is not needed here.¡± confronted by unanimous rejection, chen li emitted a derisive snort, ¡°you people simply fail to recognize a good opportunity.¡± with that, she departed in a huff, convinced that these sisters would inevitably come knocking for assistance sooner or later. after chen li¡¯s departure, liu sha looked apologetically at liu hua and xia wan, ¡°i¡¯m sorry you had to witness that.¡± liu li expressed his remorse to liu sha, ¡°my child, it¡¯s due to your unfortunate father that you¡¯ve been subjected to this. you¡¯re bright, with excellent grades, and you¡¯re dutiful. if only you were born into a more privileged family, you wouldn¡¯t be grappling with such challenges.¡± in wealthier households, a child with such achievements would undoubtedly be provided the best resources. liu li desired to offer the best for liu sha, but his health limited his ability to work as much as he wished. his eyes glistened slightly as he spoke. they say true men are not quick to shed tears, but when it came to his daughter¡¯s education, his feelings of inadequacy were genuine. liu sha consoled him, ¡°dad, it¡¯s alright. where i¡¯m studying, there are plenty of job opportunities. i can work part-time when i don¡¯t have classes, and i can even find work in the school cafeteria.¡¯ upon hearing this, liu li¡¯s distress deepened, ¡°working in the school cafeteria? what if your classmates see you? they might mock you.¡± despite both attending university, some could afford luxurious lives, while his daughter had to work to make ends meet. liu sha smiled, masking a hint of bitterness in her gaze, as she assured him that it didn¡¯t matter. observing their interaction, liu hua could no longer contain herself, ¡°cousin, uncle, i can lend you some money. it¡¯s not much, but i can provide 1,000 yuan.¡± although she hadn¡¯t yet commenced her university studies, liu hua had spoken with liu sha previously and knew that her annual tuition was 1,000 yuan, with living expenses varying. some who ate at the cafeteria spent only a few yuan per day. while liu hua¡¯s family wasn¡¯t affluent, they still possessed some savings. lending 1,000 yuan could assist liu sha in covering her tuition, with other expenses becoming minor concerns. liu sha looked at liu hua in astonishment, ¡°hua hua, where did your family acquire such money?¡± she was aware of their circumstances; they only earned 200-300 yuan each month. earning 1,000 yuan would necessitate four months of income, even without accounting for other expenses. liu hua fabricated a story, ¡°wan wan¡¯s shop is undergoing renovations. they require extra hands for daily tasks, and my dad is helping out. coupled with the occasional work at the shop, i managed to accumulate some funds.¡± ¡°and i still have a year before university expenses become a concern. cousin, please use the money for now. this could alter your destiny. wouldn¡¯t you like to postpone marriage for a while?¡± once a woman married, she might face pressure from in-laws to have children, potentially hindering her career prospects. liu hua couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her cousin enduring such a fate.. Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: Xia Chen Studying chapter 319: xia chen studying translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan saw the two of them talking about borrowing money. she spoke up. ¡°sister liu sha, i came to see you today to ask you to help me with tutoring. it¡¯s 15 yuan per hour, and i need three hours of tutoring each day¡ªhalf an hour during lunch and one hour during the evening. what do you think?¡± fifteen yuan per hour was already a high price. even if it were a teacher providing extra lessons, it wouldn¡¯t exceed this price. liu sha¡¯s face lit up with joy. ¡°really?¡± xia wan nodded, ¡°i know, sister liu sha, about your stellar academic achievements. my foundation in the first and second years of high school is weak. although i¡¯m in my third year, and despite my best efforts, i still don¡¯t understand many basic problems. i hope you can help me systematically review the knowledge from the first and second years.¡± liu sha agreed without hesitation. fifteen yuan per hour, three hours of tutoring per day¡ªtotaling 45 yuan. with this, she could earn 1300 yuan in just one month. xia wan suddenly recalled something. ¡°but, liu sha, you¡¯re probably still attending classes now. you might not be able to tutor me regularly, right?¡± liu sha quickly replied, ¡°that¡¯s not a problem. i can understand the lessons by myself through studying. i¡¯ll ask for leave from the teacher, and once i finish tutoring you, i¡¯ll go back to attending classes.¡± university studies were much easier compared to high school. she only needed to return to school one month before exams to prepare and, if lucky, even secure a scholarship. xia wan nodded and added. ¡°liu sha. you should apply for the school¡¯s financial aid as well. the support should be substantial and could help ease your family¡¯s situation.¡± liu sha¡¯s expression turned a bit sorrowful. xia wan asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? is it difficult to apply?¡± liu sha shook her head. ¡°applying is easy, but in our class, there are many students with worse financial conditions than mine. only three students from each class can receive financial aid, so my application wasn¡¯t approved.¡± her father earned little money, but there were families where neither parent had the ability to earn. some relied on their grandparents, and some survived by collecting recyclables. seeing this, xia wan didn¡¯t inquire further. after all, she had already done a great favor by inviting liu sha to tutor her. liu sha wanted to invite both of them to stay for dinner, but both liu hua and xia wan declined. after leaving, liu li looked at liu sha with satisfaction and said, ¡°both hua and xia wan are good kids. since you¡¯re helping xia wan with tutoring, let¡¯s not take money from hua hua¡¯s family anymore. they are struggling to make ends meet themselves.¡± liu sha nodded in agreement with her father¡¯s words. with the arrangements settled on liu sha¡¯s side, another person joined the family for lunch at xia wan¡¯s house every day. xia wan introduced liu sha¡¯s situation to yan han, who was pleased. even though xia wan had earned a lot of money before, yan han always felt uneasy. he felt reassured when he saw xia wan focusing on her studies. yan han had specifically prepared a study room, where the three could study together. liu sha¡¯s tutoring mainly covered foundational material. for topics likely to appear in exams, she would emphasize them multiple times. after liu hua completed her daily tasks, she would also listen in. one day, during their tutoring session, xia chen returned home. he stood outside the door and listened to liu sha¡¯s teaching. the familiar atmosphere of learning excited him. it was a thirst for knowledge. sensing the movement outside, xia wan paused and turned to look at xia chen. ¡°brother, you¡¯re back. this is perfect. from now on, you should also attend classes with me. i can increase liu sha¡¯s fee for you.¡± upon hearing this, liu sha quickly waved her hand, ¡°no need. the money you¡¯ve given me is already enough. there¡¯s no need for a raise. ¡°and i eat at your house every day. the meals are abundant, and eating at a restaurant outside would cost several times more. ¡°i already feel quite grateful. if i can tutor xia chen as well, i¡¯ll feel more at ease. ¡± seeing liu sha¡¯s firm refusal to increase the fee, xia wan didn¡¯t insist. however, xia chen seemed somewhat hesitant. xia wan stood up and said to him, ¡°brother, i¡¯ve already talked to the principal. he said that once you¡¯re prepared, you can enroll anytime. ¡°when i mentioned you, the principal remembered you. you could have gotten into a good university. he felt regret when you dropped out.¡± liu hua also chimed in, ¡°uncle and aunt are both capable. the shop¡¯s renovation is almost done, and aunt is doing really well with her clothing business. staying at home won¡¯t contribute much. ¡°if you truly want to change the family¡¯s circumstances and uplift our status, studying is the way to succeed.¡± with the combined persuasion of the two, xia chen finally agreed. so, the daily tutoring sessions grew to include four people.. Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: Pestered by a Hooligan chapter 320: pestered by a hooligan translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation on the day xia chen returned to school, yan han returned home and discreetly wiped away tears. she felt that he had dropped out due to their inadequacy. now that xia chen was back in school, they finally felt they were no longer letting him down. for several consecutive days, li pan didn¡¯t trouble xia wan. on the other hand, xia wan directed all her energy toward studying. on that day, after school, as xia wan was heading home alone, she was stopped by a group of young men. one of the disreputable-looking young men had dyed yellow hair, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and was wearing torn pants. it was clear he had left school early and taken to a delinquent lifestyle. he sized up xia wan with a lecherous gaze. ¡°this chick looks pretty good. how about you join us for a drink today? don¡¯t worry. we¡¯ll pay you well.¡± xia wan stared coldly at them. in her past life, she hadn¡¯t encountered situations like this. after being victimized repeatedly, she instinctively suspected that this group had been sent specifically to target her. xia wan asked directly, ¡°who sent you? how much did they offer you?¡± yellow hair was taken aback, not expecting xia wan to guess that they were sent by someone. but since they had taken money, he still had a sense of integrity. yellow hair pretended not to understand the implication behind xia wan¡¯s words and replied, ¡°no one sent us. it¡¯s just your bad luck that you¡¯ve encountered us. ¡°if you accompany us for a drink today, we¡¯ll let this matter go. if you don¡¯t cooperate, we¡¯ll come to your school every day and cause a scene. ¡°don¡¯t you want your teachers to have a talk with you?¡± xia wan¡¯s gaze grew even colder. these people¡¯s actions were undoubtedly aimed at ruining her student life. it reminded her of a patient from her previous life ¨C a girl from a wealthy family whose reputation was tarnished due to harassment by thugs. despite her well-off background and beauty, she was known as the school¡¯s flower, and quite a few outstanding boys secretly admired her. however, the appearance of these thugs led to a steady decline in the girl¡¯s reputation. rumors spread, and it was even claimed she had worked as a hostess at a bar. though these claims lacked evidence, everyone believed the rumors and believed that there must be something wrong with her. some even went to the principal and wrote reports demanding her expulsion. every day, the girl bore the disdainful and scornful gazes of her peers. her desk often had dead mice, and glue regularly glazed her chair. she would try to go to the restroom, only to be blocked by other girls. even when the school authorities bullied her, the teachers believed she was at fault. according to the teachers¡¯ logic, why would these people bully only her and not others? they believed it was because of her lifestyle. the girl didn¡¯t dare to tell her parents about this; they were both busy with their businesses and rarely at home. in the end, the girl couldn¡¯t handle the pressure and attempted suicide by jumping off a building. fortunately, she was saved in time and survived. the doctor who operated on her was xia wan in her past life. in her previous life, her academic performance was poor, and she hadn¡¯t faced harassment from thugs. now that she was dedicated to her studies, obstacles were emerging. she sneered and immediately called the police. yellow hair was dumbfounded. ¡°you have a phone? and¡­ the latest model?¡± they had only told him that xia wan looked good and asked them to take her to a bar for drinks. they didn¡¯t need to do much; they just needed to ruin xia wan¡¯s reputation. they didn¡¯t intend to do anything to xia wan. after all, assaulting a girl was a serious crime, and they didn¡¯t want to spend their lives in jail. but he hadn¡¯t expected that xia wan would actually call the police? xia wan sneered, ¡°are you now concerned whether or not i have a phone? once the police arrive, can you still escape? yellow hair finally realized that xia wan had indeed called the police. he hurriedly left with his friends. soon, a police car arrived, and the police officer stepping out was officer song. xia wan understood that officer song was likely responsible for this area.. Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: Hooligan Caught chapter 321: hooligan caught translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation when the blond was caught, everyone was still bewildered. the police arrived too quickly, and why did xia wan seem to be familiar with the police? the blond immediately protested, ¡°we didn¡¯t do anything to her, we just stopped her.¡± officer song snorted coldly, ¡°if we hadn¡¯t come, would you have just stopped her? whatever you have to say, say it at the police station.¡± he then waved to the people behind him, ¡°take the person away.¡± the others got into the police car, while officer song stayed behind to talk to xia wan. ¡°he¡¯s zhou kai. his parents passed away while working elsewhere. he was raised by his grandparents and can¡¯t be controlled. but he hasn¡¯t done anything seriously harmful.¡± xia wan nodded, ¡°i¡¯ve recently offended some people at school. it¡¯s possible someone hired him to confront me and teach me a lesson. ¡°it would be best to make him reveal the instigator behind this. if he confesses voluntarily, we can consider forgiving him for his involvement in intimidating me. officer song looked deeply into her eyes, ¡°so you already have a suspected person in mind?¡± xia wan nodded, not hiding anything from officer song, ¡°i do have some suspicions, but until zhou kai confesses, i can¡¯t be sure. let¡¯s see what he says.¡± soon, officer song took the person away, promising to provide xia wan with the results later that day. police station. zhou kai didn¡¯t admit that someone hired him to intimidate xia wan. in his view, he just stopped xia wan and didn¡¯t harm her. as long as he didn¡¯t confess, the police couldn¡¯t do anything to him. officer song reasoned with his grandparents. he told zhou kai that having a criminal record would affect him for life, and his grandparents wouldn¡¯t be able to hold their heads up in the village. these words touched zhou kai, and he eventually confessed. he revealed that it was li pan, a classmate of theirs, who instructed him to make things difficult for in the afternoon, officer song brought zhou kai directly to xia wan¡¯s classroom. it happened to be their class teacher jiang rong¡¯s class. seeing the police coming, jiang rong looked somewhat panicked. ¡°officer, what¡¯s going on?¡± jiang rong asked, with a sense of unease. she had a bad feeling about this. officer song nudged zhou kai, ¡°tell them yourself.¡± li pan, sitting in a lower seat, became visibly nervous, avoiding zhou kai¡¯s gaze. ¡°li pan asked me to stop xia wan, take her to a bar for drinks, and then release her the next day. li pan also gave me 200 yuan as compensation.¡± upon hearing zhou kai¡¯s words, the classmates below looked at li pan in astonishment. 200 yuan! that¡¯s equivalent to their family¡¯s monthly income. li pan actually spent such a significant amount to trouble xia wan. li pan immediately denied, ¡°i didn¡¯t hire him to do this. he¡¯s framing me.¡± officer song¡¯s gaze sternly fixed on her, ¡°when you met zhou kai, two of his friends were also present. we interrogated them separately, and their accounts matched. we have eyewitnesses now, proving that you were behind this.¡± ¡°zhou kai hasn¡¯t spent your 200 yuan. if you don¡¯t honestly confess, we will contact your parents. ¡± li pan stood up immediately, ¡°no, you can¡¯t contact them. they¡¯re already disappointed in me because of the previous incident.¡± officer song continued, ¡°if you confess voluntarily, considering your young age and the fact that the consequences of this incident haven¡¯t escalated, there¡¯s still room for maneuver.¡± ¡°but if you keep lying, refusing to admit, the nature of this incident will change.¡± jiang rong also anxiously looked at li pan, ¡°li pan, did you really do this? if it¡¯s true, confess quickly.¡± biting her lip, li pan finally nodded, ¡°i did it.¡± officer song took her away, and the other students in the classroom lost their focus on the class. jiang rong knocked on the desk, looked at xia wan with mixed emotions, and then said, ¡°focus on the lesson. if there¡¯s anything to discuss, do it after class.¡± under jiang rong¡¯s intimidation, the students dared not discuss further. after class, many people gathered around xia wan and asked, ¡°xia wan, what¡¯s the deal between you and li pan? how could she still have someone go after you? you used to be so close, chatting endlessly every day.¡± song zhi also approached and said, ¡°xia wan, you¡¯re being too ruthless. we¡¯re about to take the college entrance exam this year. reporting her to the police and getting her arrested, isn¡¯t that ruining her life? which university would accept her in the future?¡± her gaze towards xia wan was accusatory, as if she were the guardian of justice.. Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Li Pan Defended chapter 322: li pan defended translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation initially, the blame was squarely on li pan, but song zhi¡¯s words changed everyone¡¯s perspective. they found song zhi¡¯s reasoning convincing and turned their collective gaze towards xia wan. ¡°xia wan, why not talk to the police and clear li pan¡¯s name?¡± ¡°indeed, let¡¯s wait until her college entrance examination is over.¡± ¡°i heard zhou kai didn¡¯t actually harm you. just release li pan. we¡¯re classmates, after all, showing some compassion is only fair.¡± xia wan lifted her head and regarded those advocating for li pan with a detached air. these students, untouched by the incident, found it easy to suggest leniency. truly laughable. ¡°release her?¡± xia wan retorted. a unanimous nod from the students. xia wan¡¯s response was a sardonic smile. ¡°if i hadn¡¯t managed to call the police, can you guess what would have transpired next?¡± without allowing anyone to interject, she continued, ¡°i would have been forcefully dragged to a bar by zhou kai and his gang. coerced to drink, maybe even assaulted. ¡°they would parade me the next day, showcasing xia wan as weak, self-indulgent, lacking self-respect. ¡°this rumor would spread like wildfire in the school.¡± she scanned the gathering, contemplating, ¡°what conclusions will you draw then? ¡°you would think being associated with me is embarrassing, that i¡¯m cheap. ¡°even if i explained being dragged, you¡¯d retort¡ªwhy not anyone else? it must be my fault.¡± xia wan¡¯s words silenced the crowd. they placed themselves in her shoes and contemplated. perhaps they would genuinely think as she described. those urging xia wan to be magnanimous found their voices stilled. some looked guiltily at xia wan. ¡°apologies, xia wan. i oversimplified things.¡± liu hua approached, addressing everyone, ¡°wanwan knows your intentions are good; she won¡¯t hold it against you. someone manipulated your goodwill.¡± the one with sinister intentions was song zhi, as liu hua implied. the crowd¡¯s perception of song zhi altered. they might not have confronted xia wan if song zhi had not egged them on. a hot-tempered individual confronted song zhi, ¡°song zhi, did you engineer this? did you want us to trouble xia wan?¡± ¡°exactly, song zhi. li pan was at fault. why mislead us?¡± song zhi was rendered speechless. usually, these individuals were easily misled. what changed now? they were swayed by xia wan¡¯s perspective. song zhi avoided the confrontation and walked away. the others grasped the situation. they ceased crowding around xia wan. those needing the restroom attended to their needs, while some engaged in hallway conversations. li pan returned to school three days later but soon left again, packing her bags and heading home. rumors circulated that the school suspended li pan due to her behavior, only allowing her return during the next exam. with li pan¡¯s case resolved, xia wan felt an unburdening of her chest. from then on, liu hua and xia wan became inseparable in school. today marked xia chen¡¯s enrollment day. xia wan and liu hua eagerly awaited him at the school gate. yan han accompanied xia chen. he beamed upon spotting xia wan and waved in greeting. xia wan ushered them to the principal¡¯s office. the principal¡¯s eyes twitched upon seeing xia wan again. her again? ¡°ahem, here for enrollment, xia chen, right?¡± the principal perused xia chen¡¯s records. among the papers were xia chen¡¯s test results and a recommendation letter from a teacher. xia chen nodded respectfully. ¡°yes, principal. i left due to personal reasons, but with improved family circumstances, i wish to return and commit to diligent studies, elevating my grades for the school¡¯s honor.¡± xia chen¡¯s sincerity impressed the principal, who examined his report card. given his past scores, xia chen stood a chance at a top-tier university, maybe even a prestigious one. in their small county, entry into such a university was a rarity, an accomplishment that would genuinely elevate the school¡¯s reputation.. Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Xia Chen Studying chapter 323: xia chen studying translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°sure, please complete these forms and then head straight to class. you¡¯re going to be in your third year of high school,¡± the principal instructed. ¡°no problem,¡± xia chen replied promptly. he began to fill out the forms. ¡°do you want to be in the same class as your sister?¡± the principal inquired. xia chen nodded. ¡°it would be great if that¡¯s possible. we can study together and support each other if any issues arise.¡± the principal considered it and agreed. ¡°very well, xia wan¡¯s grades could use some improvement. i hope you can help her make progress.¡± xia chen nodded in affirmation. after completing the forms, jiang rong approached to accompany him to the classroom. jiang rong grinned and addressed the students, saying, ¡°allow me to introduce you all to someone. this is xia chen. he was a student here previously but had to leave due to some special circumstances. having faced challenges in life, he¡¯s come to understand the importance of education in shaping his future. so, he¡¯s returned to continue his studies.¡± ¡°let¡¯s warmly welcome xia chen back with a round of applause.¡± the students started clapping. xia chen smiled bashfully. being two years older than his fellow students, he felt a bit self-conscious about the warm reception. jiang rong directed him, ¡°there¡¯s an empty seat in the fifth row. you¡¯re tall, so it¡¯ll suit you.¡± ¡°okay, thank you, teacher,¡± xia chen responded, carrying his bag to his designated seat. as he walked past xia wan, she gave him an encouraging gesture, adding to his inv the lunch bell rang. xia wan and liu hua eagerly approached xia chen. ¡°brother, let¡¯s go to the cafeteria. you haven¡¯t eaten there in a while, right? the food is really diverse and affordable now.¡± liu hua chimed in, ¡°and it¡¯s quite cheap. one yuan can get you two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a steamed bun!¡± listening to them, xia chen smiled, touched by the youthful enthusiasm around him. there was something deeply touching about returning to school after facing difficulties in the outside world. as the three of them walked, xia wan noticed the lingering glances and whispers from others. liu hua observed xia wan¡¯s reaction and explained, ¡°the recent incident between you and li pan has caused quite a stir. people are discussing it.¡± xia wan nodded and asked, ¡°do some of them view me as too harsh?¡± liu hua looked unsure, wanting to reassure xia wan but struggling to find the right words. xia wan continued, ¡°i had a prearranged understanding with officer song. if i hadn¡¯t, li pan instigating others to harm me would be a crime, reflecting on her record. even if she scores well on the college entrance exams, many universities wouldn¡¯t accept her.¡± liu hua hadn¡¯t been aware of this detail, but xia wan¡¯s explanation sparked his anger. ¡°wanwan, why didn¡¯t you share this with everyone? knowing this, they wouldn¡¯t see you as heartless.¡± liu hua felt close to xia wan, which is why these discussions didn¡¯t reach his ears. however, in the restroom, he overheard some girls talking about xia wan. they insinuated that she must have used xia wan for her own advantage, given her good grades. fueled by anger, liu hua confronted the girls, but they mocked her mercilessly. they implied that xia wan¡¯s friendship was the reason for her success. liu hua regretted not being able to counter them effectively. xia wan shook her head. ¡°there¡¯s no need. i can explain when necessary. otherwise, they¡¯ll think i¡¯m insincere. my focus now is on improving my grades. everything else is secondary.¡± xia chen had also learned about li pan¡¯s harassment of xia wan in the past few days from liu hua, but since xia wan had already managed the situation, he didn¡¯t comment further. he and xia feng couldn¡¯t match xia wan¡¯s abilities. if they wanted to challenge her, they needed to assess her strength first. during lunch, the cafeteria was bustling with students. every serving window was crowded. xia wan looked up at the second floor. it was less crowded there, but the food was pricier. she glanced at xia chen and liu hua. ¡°let¡¯s go to the second floor. i¡¯ll treat you both today.¡± liu hua seemed uncertain. ¡°i heard the second-floor food is expensive.¡± xia wan grinned. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i can afford it.¡± ¡°alright then, let¡¯s head to the second floor,¡± xia chen agreed readily.. Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Meeting an Old Friend chapter 324: meeting an old friend translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation he was well aware of the amount of money xia wan had earned from selling clothes over the past few days. it was just a meal, so it wasn¡¯t a concern. if it were only him, he could manage with inexpensive food. however, now that liu hua was present, xia chen hoped they could enjoy a better meal. the trio headed to the second floor. the selection of dishes there was much broader than on the first floor. they had sichuan and chongqing-style stir-fried dishes, specialty dishes, and even several western options. in the end, they opted for the stir-fried dishes. despite the bustling crowd, there were still three available tables. they picked a spot to the side and settled in. just then, a male voice chimed in. ¡°hey, isn¡¯t that senior xia chen? my sister is in the same grade as you and is now in university. are you back in high school?¡± xia wan furrowed her brows and turned her attention to the speaker. the four young men sat together. their table held three dishes, four bowls of rice, and four bottles of beer. their appearance was far from that of exemplary students. at a glance, xia wan could discern their nonchalant attitudes. furthermore, the speaker had a clear hostility towards xia chen. xia chen glanced at him. ¡°chu yue. congratulations to your sister for making it into a good university.¡± chu yue was far from appreciative. he let out a disdainful snort before continuing, ¡°indeed, my sister is already in her second year of university. she excels academically and garners admiration from many, who even present her with various gifts. it¡¯s a shame you didn¡¯t get a chance to meet her.¡± ¡°at that time, you and she were well-regarded.¡± xia wan paused, her interest piqued. chu yue¡¯s sister and brother had been acknowledged publicly as a couple? she leaned closer to xia chen and inquired, ¡°brother, did you have a girlfriend before?¡± liu hua also watched xia chen, his hands clutching his clothes corner. his feelings were indiscernible. xia chen blushed. ¡°no, we weren¡¯t in a relationship. people just thought we were a good match.¡± chu yue¡¯s mocking tone grew louder. ¡°of course, you¡¯ve always been aloof. you excel academically, attracting the attention of numerous girls. consequently, you may think my sister isn¡¯t worthy of you. ¡°you¡¯re fully aware of her feelings for you, yet you choose to ignore them and dampen her spirits repeatedly. ¡°she¡¯s in a relationship now. her boyfriend is wealthy and handsome. he even intends to spend the new year at our house. ¡°let me tell you, letting my sister go was your loss.¡± xia chen¡¯s expression grew complex. he lowered his head, his thoughts obscured. initially, xia wan had regarded this as a mere story. but, hearing chu yue¡¯s increasingly audacious statements, she stood in front of xia chen, shielding him from chu yue¡¯s gaze. ¡°your sister is living well. we wish her the best. you need not provoke my brother with these matters. ¡°why? just because your sister had feelings for my brother, does that mean he had to agree to be with her and attend the same university?¡± chu yue stared at xia wan. ¡°so, xia chen is your brother. how much do you know about him?¡± xia wan held her ground. ¡°how much do i know? how much do you know? the situation between my brother and your sister is none of your concern. hence, you have no right to discuss it.¡± then, she tugged xia chen. ¡°let¡¯s go, brother. let¡¯s eat. don¡¯t waste time on him.¡± a waiter, who¡¯d been waiting, hastened over as they finished their conversation. ¡°wanwan, shall we find another place to eat?¡± liu hua suggested softly. xia wan responded, ¡°no need. he doesn¡¯t own this place. why shouldn¡¯t we eat here?¡± with that, she ordered loudly: sweet and sour pork, chicken with mushrooms, spicy cabbage, three servings of rice, a large drink, and a bowl of green bean porridge. the waiter was content. xia wan¡¯s choices were all high-priced dishes. ¡°seems like you¡¯re doing quite well. you¡¯re dining lavishly,¡± chu yue taunted. xia chen was about to respond, but xia wan intervened. ¡°don¡¯t bother with him, brother.¡± as she spoke, she retrieved her mp4 player and handed a pair of headphones to liu hua. seeing this, xia chen also retrieved his mp4 player and put on his headphones. as expected, the world around them grew quieter. the guy beside chu yue muttered, ¡°brother chu, they seem wealthy. that¡¯s the latest mp4 model. it costs two to three hundred yuan. that¡¯s equivalent to my dad¡¯s monthly salary.¡± chu yue¡¯s expression soured. ¡°let¡¯s leave,¡± he declared, rising from his seat. after the four of them departed, xia wan glanced at their retreating figures and removed her headphones. simultaneously, she took off xia chen¡¯s headphones. ¡°brother, they¡¯re gone.. can you tell us about you and sister chu yue?¡± Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: Xia Chen s Admirer chapter 325: xia chen s admirer translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia chen felt somewhat helpless, but in the face of xia wan and liu hua¡¯s eager eyes, he still recounted the story of him and chu xin. back when xia chen was studying, he had always been the top student in the class, while chu xin consistently ranked within the top five. so, she had always regarded xia chen as a goal to surpass. but time and time again, chu xin couldn¡¯t surpass xia chen. when chu xin learned that xia chen was going to drop out of school, she angrily went to confront him. however, xia chen didn¡¯t say anything and only told her not to try to dissuade him anymore. chu xin had even tried to find out where xia chen lived to go and persuade him at his home, but no one told her. it was then that chu xin realized that xia chen had told others not to reveal his home address to her. xia wan asked, ¡°what happened afterward? did you two keep in touch?¡± xia chen shook his head, ¡°no, i heard that she ranked third in the class during the college entrance examination. she must have gotten into a very good school. i¡¯m genuinely happy for her.¡± xia chen smiled bitterly, ¡°i understand what she means, but at the time, our family conditions weren¡¯t good. my mother was sick during that period, and my father had heavy work at the factory. if i didn¡¯t drop out, who would have taken care of things at home?¡± xia wan sighed. her brother was just too responsible. at the same time, there was a hint of reproach towards song yan and chen lian. if they hadn¡¯t left all the household chores to her to handle, how could she have fallen ill, and how could her brother have needed to drop out of school? xia wan clenched her fists. at first, the classmates thought xia chen, being older, might not keep up with the academic pace. however, each time the teacher asked questions, xia chen answered correctly. gradually, everyone understood that xia chen was a true academic genius! as a result, after each class, many girls gathered around xia chen to ask him questions. during the big break, with twenty minutes of rest, two girls went over to ask xia chen questions. it was at this moment that liu hua walked over. she said to the two girls, ¡°xia chen has just returned to school and still has a lot of practice problems to work on. if you both have questions, you can ask me. i can also help you with the answers.¡± xia chen gratefully looked at liu hua. however, the two girls weren¡¯t interested in asking liu hua. they didn¡¯t really want to ask questions; they just wanted to get close to xia chen. xia chen was handsome, excelled in his studies, and his smile was very warm. song zhi and zhou chen returned from the convenience store with snacks and witnessed this scene. zhou chen furrowed her brows, somewhat displeased. after xia chen arrived, many girls in the class gathered around him. many girls bought him snacks and asked him questions, so many girls ignored him, and he received fewer snacks than before. zhou chen held animosity toward xia chen. moreover, xia chen was xia wan¡¯s brother, which made zhou chen even more bothered. zhou chen walked over in their direction and invited xia chen, ¡°this weekend, the school is organizing a basketball game. do you want to participate?¡± other girls looked at xia chen with anticipation, ¡°xia chen, you should join. you must look handsome playing basketball.¡± ¡°i really want to see you play basketball, xia chen.¡± xia chen hesitated a bit. he knew how to play basketball, but now he preferred studying. zhou chen sensed his hesitation and provoked him, ¡®what¡¯s wrong? don¡¯t you know how to play basketball ¡°the teacher also said that besides studying, it¡¯s important to exercise regularly. if your health deteriorates, your academic progress will naturally suffer. i invited you to the basketball game for your own good.¡± zhou chen added persuasively. he was sure now that xia chen¡¯s basketball skills weren¡¯t that great; otherwise, why would he hesitate? he wanted to regain the attention taken from him by xia chen. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll agree,¡± xia chen said. liu hua frowned, ¡°xia chen, you didn¡¯t have to agree.¡± xia chen smiled at her, ¡°it¡¯s okay. there¡¯s not so much at home to keep me dusy now. ylaymg dasketda11 ana exercising can de gooa.¡± seeing his determination, liu hua didn¡¯t say anything more. in the afternoon after school, xia wan didn¡¯t choose to go home. she wanted to go to the store to check on the renovation progress. xia chen had intended to accompany her, but xia wan refused. ¡°we have the basketball game to attend this weekend. you should go home and study. i¡¯ll check on things myself,¡± xia wan said. when xia wan arrived at the store, the signboard had already been changed. it now read ¡®xia¡¯s clothing¡¯.. Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Shop Renovated chapter 326: shop renovated translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the entrance had been built. the doors on both sides were transparent, so one could clearly see the decorations inside. xia wan smiled in satisfaction. she could already envision what clothes to put here in the future. as they approached the clothing store, the renovation was almost complete. the number of workers had been reduced by more than half. now, they were only setting up the shelves. the warm colors on the walls were prominent, and all the shelves were neatly arranged in rows. every few steps, one could spot a mirror and a fitting room. the women¡¯s, men¡¯s, and children¡¯s clothing were divided into three areas. in the center of the store, there were two large tables. xia wan planned to place her bags and accessories here. a separate area was designated for shoes, with a few cushions for customers to try them on. ¡°wanwan, you¡¯re here!¡± zhang cheng shouted enthusiastically. xia wan looked toward the voice and greeted with a smile, ¡°hello, mr. zhang.¡± ¡°wanwan, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re here. once we finish all this today, we¡¯ll be completely done. you can open for business tomorrow. how about it?¡± zhang cheng led xia wan around the shop. xia wan was very pleased with the decorations. ¡°mr. zhang, your renovation is excellent. there are no issues on my side. thank you for your hard work, mr. zhang. let¡¯s have a meal together today.¡± xia wan said. zhang cheng waved his hand. ¡°how can that be? you¡¯ve already paid for the renovation. of course, i¡¯ll cover the meal. don¡¯t underestimate your mr. zhang.¡± seeing this, xia wan no longer insisted. ¡°where¡¯s my dad? isn¡¯t he here?¡± xia wan asked. she had walked around, but xia hai was nowhere to be seen. zhang cheng smiled and said, ¡°he went home for dinner. he¡¯ll be back later. wanwan, aren¡¯t you going to school today? why aren¡¯t you in a hurry to go home for dinner?¡± xia wan replied, ¡°i thought the renovation would be completed, so i came to take a look. as expected, mr. zhang is very efficient.¡± after being praised, zhang cheng¡¯s smile became even brighter. after spending 20 minutes, she had already finished browsing the entire shop and was very satisfied with it. next, it was time to plan for the opening. tomorrow was friday, so she decided to open on saturday. after leaving the shop, xia wan returned home. yan han, xia hai, xia chen, since xia wan hadn¡¯t returned home, they didn¡¯t start eating. xia wan said helplessly, ¡°you guys eat first. you don¡¯t have to wait for me. just save me a bit of rice.¡± yan han immediately smiled and said, ¡°you¡¯re the hero of the family now. how can i neglect you? come and eat quickly. they¡¯re all your favorite dishes.¡± xia wan sat down and updated yan han about the shop. ¡°mom, let¡¯s get ready to open for business tomorrow. the shop has been fully renovated. ¡± ¡°really? can we finally start selling clothes at the shop?¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°when i¡¯m done with school tomorrow afternoon, let¡¯s go to sister hong¡¯s place to buy some clothes first. with the shop opening, we¡¯ll need a lot of clothes for display. we need to double the stock, and there¡¯s also the matter of buying shoes.¡± yan han immediately asked worriedly, ¡°wanwan, we¡¯ve already spent a lot of money on renovating and building the shop. do you still have money to buy inventory now?¡± xia hai had mentioned that the raw materials were not inexpensive. xia wan smiled. ¡°don¡¯t worry, mom. i don¡¯t only earn money from selling clothes. i¡¯ve earned quite a bit treating other people too.¡± seeing xia wan¡¯s confidence, yan han felt reassured. they had just finished eating when someone knocked on the door. the whole family was a bit puzzled. who would be visiting at this time? xia chen went to open the door, and two people walked in. the older one was about the same age as xia hai, while the younger one was younger than xia feng. ¡°may i help you?¡± xia chen asked curiously. the man said, ¡°hello, i¡¯m huo ci. this is my son, huo chen. we¡¯re leaving this place, so we wanted to say goodbye to the miracle doctor.¡± hearing the voice, xia wan hurriedly walked over. huo chen saw xia wan and said with a smile, ¡°sister xia wan. xia wan smiled and welcomed the two of them in. huo ci carried two large boxes and handed them to xia wan. ¡°miracle doctor, these are the precious herbs i specially purchased for you. i hope you can use them.¡± xia wan quickly declined, ¡°there¡¯s no need. you¡¯ve already given me a consultation fee; you don¡¯t need to give me these herbs.¡± huo ci handed a card to xia wan. ¡°miracle doctor, this is the remaining payment. the medicine you prescribed worked very quickly. huo chen¡¯s health has completely recovered. i followed your instructions and took him for a full-body checkup. the doctor confirmed his improved condition. he¡¯s much better than before.¡± ¡°i¡¯m glad to hear that. it¡¯s all thanks to your cooperation.¡± xia wan felt a bit embarrassed by the praise.. Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: Received Money Again chapter 327: received money again translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation she was hesitant to accept the card because the previous one from huo ci had contained a substantial 50,000 yuan. the amount had been more than generous. ¡°miracle doctor, if you decline this card, we won¡¯t leave,¡± huo ci insisted, his demeanor unwavering. xia wan found herself without much choice but to acquiesce. huo ci¡¯s visit was brief. he exchanged phone numbers with xia wan before departing. meanwhile, as huo ci left, huo chen¡¯s gaze lingered on xia wan, his departure appearing reluctant. he called out before leaving, ¡°sister xia wan, we shall cross paths again.¡± once the two had exited, xia feng promptly approached. ¡°sis, how much is on this card?¡± yan han chimed in, ¡°just moments ago, i was worried about funds for our purchases. unexpectedly, someone came and offered financial support. proficiency in medical skills truly proves rewarding.¡± she directed her attention to xia chen and xia feng. ¡°you both are also your grandfather¡¯s biological grandchildren. why haven¡¯t you delved into the study of medical skills?¡± their embarrassment was evident in the twins¡¯ expressions. xia wan, too, felt a degree of helplessness. she hadn¡¯t truly learned medicine from their grandfather; it had been more of an excuse. ¡°since everyone is curious, let¡¯s uncover the truth,¡± xia wan suggested. her proposition garnered unanimous agreement from the family. the following afternoon, post-lunch, the entire family accompanied liu hua to the bank. their presence left the bank staff visibly surprised. never before had they encountered a situation where a group assembled to withdraw funds. given the lack of self-service machines, the process involved manual balance checks. xia wan patiently waited in line for her turn. when her turn came, an audience gathered to witness the spectacle. the staff member¡¯s hands trembled as they took the card. all eyes were on the staff member as they were eager to ascertain the card¡¯s contents. finally, the staff member managed to regain composure. with a note of envy, they reported, ¡°there¡¯s 150,000 inside.¡± in a respectful tone, the staff member continued, ¡°would you like to deposit it? we offer high-interest rates on savings.¡± ¡°no need to save. please help me withdraw ten thousand yuan,¡± xia wan requested. having received this directive, the staff refrained from further persuasion and promptly facilitated the transaction. xia wan reclaimed the card and stowed away the money. it was then she noticed everyone¡¯s astonished expressions. ¡°what has caught you all off guard?¡± xia wan inquired. yan han¡¯s hands shook slightly. ¡°wanwan, did mom mishear? that much money?¡± hushed to prevent others from overhearing, yan yan¡¯s voice revealed her disbelief. with a smile, xia wan confirmed, ¡°that¡¯s the accurate amount.¡± ¡°alright, let¡¯s step outside and discuss this,¡± xia wan suggested, prompting the group to follow her, their steps marked by astonishment. liu hua was deeply moved. ¡°i once thought that selling my lingzhi for 4500 was a mark of wealth. now i understand the vast difference between us.¡¯ among them all, xia feng remained the most genuine. he clung to xia wan¡¯s arm, exclaiming, ¡°sister, you¡¯re incredible!¡± amused, xia wan playfully ruffled his hair. ¡°now you see how truly well-off i am. if you want candy in the future, just enjoy it. if you desire something, let me know. i can afford it.¡± eagerly, xia feng nodded. ¡°okay, then i want a bicycle.¡± laughter echoed through the group. xia wan responded, ¡°sure thing! we¡¯ll buy one. bicycles aren¡¯t pricey. you can easily get one for 80 yuan.¡± her attention then turned to xia chen. without hesitation, xia chen remarked, ¡°i¡¯m already struggling with my tuition fees. there¡¯s no need to add to the financial strain.¡± xia wan merely smiled, refraining from pressing the matter further. upon arriving at the bicycle store, she declared, ¡°each of us will choose a bike. mom, dad, make your selections too. huahua, pick one as well.¡± liu hua was taken aback. ¡°wanwan, am i part of this too?¡± xia wan nodded, affirming, ¡°absolutely. you¡¯ve been helping me with my studies. if we calculate it like tuition, it¡¯s sufficient for a bicycle.¡± liu hua quickly declined, feeling she shouldn¡¯t take advantage. ¡°no, i¡¯ve been eating your family¡¯s food. i can¡¯t accept a bicycle.¡± xia hai chimed in, ¡°i¡¯m good as well. walking is sufficient for me.¡± yan han added, ¡°mom feels the same. our home is quite close to the store, and i¡¯m not familiar with riding a bicycle.¡± observing their conversation, a shop assistant approached, evidently thinking they couldn¡¯t afford bicycles. ¡°buying bikes, are you? if you¡¯re short on funds, you could return later.¡± xia wan glanced at the assistant and calmly stated, ¡°we have the necessary funds. we¡¯re simply considering a few options.¡± this left the shop assistant momentarily flabbergasted, thinking that xia wan was boasting.. Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: Buying a Bike chapter 328: buying a bike translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°our shop prides itself on offering bicycles of the utmost quality in the entire county. each bicycle comes at a price of 100 yuan. are you certain about your decision to purchase one for each person? the shop assistant took a moment to calculate, finding six individuals present. if all six opted to buy, the total would amount to 600 yuan¡ªequivalent to three months of his salary. with a nod, xia wan affirmed, ¡°yes, one for each of us. please assist us in selecting the right ones.¡± amused, the shop assistant chuckled, ¡°cease with the jests¡­¡± however, xia wan swiftly revealed a stack of hundred-yuan bills from her bag, prompting the shop assistant¡¯s demeanor to change immediately. he bowed slightly and adopted an obsequious smile, saying, ¡°please step inside, ma¡¯am. our selection of bicycles is diverse, and i assure you, i will aid you in finding the perfect fit.¡± as he began introducing the bicycles one by one to xia wan and her companions, he soon managed to present nearly the entire range within the shop. xia wan chose a pink bicycle for liu hua and a blue one for herself. yan han opted for a purple bike, while xia hai and xia chen went for black bicycles. xia feng¡¯s preference was a dark blue model. as the money was being tallied, xia wan inquired, ¡°considering our substantial purchase, could we receive a discount?¡± responding promptly, the shop assistant smiled, ¡°certainly, i can offer you a 10% discount. the total comes to 540 yuan.¡± accepting the offer, xia wan agreed, ¡°very well.¡± upon departing, the six of them pedaled their new bicycles, accompanying each other on their journey home. the choice to walk alongside their bicycles arose from the fact that only xia wan knew how to ride one. moreover, with the bicycles being brand new, they took precautions to avoid any accidental dirt or damage. at one point, they passed a hardware store, prompting xia wan to enter and procure six locks. she advised her companions to always secure their bicycles when parking, to prevent theft¡ªa risk heightened by the novelty of their bicycles. despite the severe consequences for thieves in this era, apprehending them was no simple task. hence, self-preservation remained key. the group nodded in agreement. upon their return, they encountered liu sha waiting by the entrance. observing their bicycles, liu sha inquired, ¡°did you purchase bicycles?¡± apologizing, xia wan said, ¡°i apologize for not informing you earlier, leading to your wait. ¡± liu sha waved it off with a smile, ¡°no worries, i arrived ahead of time.¡± though surprised initially, liu sha refrained from further mention of the bicycles. xia wan¡¯s financial capabilities rendered her immune to envy. for liu sha, the opportunity for supplementary classes was already a satisfying outcome. with the acquisition of bicycles, the tutoring session concluded ahead of schedule. xia wan took charge of teaching the group how to ride, aided by xia chen, who already had some experience. this culminated in liu hua and xia feng successfully mastering the skill. when it was time for school, liu hua and xia feng were already adept at cycling. the four of them rode together, drawing attention from passersby, especially near the school gate where students gathered. as they approached the school, the students¡¯ gaze fixed upon xia wan and her friends cycling, eliciting reactions ranging from curiosity to admiration. xia chen¡¯s bashful nature caused him to lower his head, while xia feng, embarrassed, felt a gap between herself and the spectators. in contrast, liu hua wore an air of pride, celebrating the unique gift from wan wan, recognizing that it set them apart. once their bicycles were safely locked, the quartet entered their classroom. their entrance sparked a flurry of questions from classmates, who marveled at their simultaneous bicycle purchases and inquired about the cost. some even speculated about the financial backgrounds of xia wan and liu hua, recalling their previous impression of their families as less affluent. mockingly, they suggested that the two might have stolen money to afford the bicycles. although most families could afford a bicycle, they were usually reserved for daily commutes for working parents and not the students themselves. liu hua glanced at xia wan, unsure how to reveal that the bicycles were her gift. as for xia chen, he remained hesitant, fearing any misstep that might upset xia wan¡¯s intentions. with a generous smile, xia wan addressed the curious crowd, ¡°indeed, we purchased these bicycles with our own funds. if anyone is interested, you could consider part-time work during the holidays.¡± ¡®there are factories nearby hiring temporary workers.¡¯ despite her reply, the crowd¡¯s curiosity persisted. they pressed on, eager for more answers.. Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Zhou Chen’s Resentment chapter 329: zhou chen¡¯s resentment translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation as song zhi and zhou chen approached, they found themselves amidst a gathering of onlookers, all focused on xia wan. observing the scene, song zhi remarked to zhou chen, ¡°look at her now, so full of arrogance. she¡¯s the center of attention. remember how she used to always be around you? is she just abandoning you after making some money?¡± zhou chen responded firmly, ¡°she¡¯s not putting her effort into her studies as a student. instead, she¡¯s flaunting her earnings from selling clothes. her ambitions seem quite limited. what meaningful achievements can she really attain?¡± having spoken his piece, zhou chen returned to his seat and casually opened a book. however, for the next ten minutes, he stared blankly at the same page, his mind clearly elsewhere. images of xia wan surrounded by people filled his thoughts, aggravating his growing frustration. back in the day, xia wan had offered him snacks and bought him attractive books, but back then, she didn¡¯t possess much wealth. those were the significant perks she could provide him. however, her present circumstances were vastly different. she could afford a bicycle, purchase the latest gadgets, and even dine at upscale restaurants. despite these changes, she distanced herself from him, depriving him of these privileges. zhou chen¡¯s resentment towards xia wan intensified. he believed that she had either become snobbish or was deliberately seeking his attention. xia wan¡¯s influence prevented zhou chen from truly engaging in the morning¡¯s lessons. the school bell startled him, revealing how quickly the day had passed. someone approached him, reminding him, ¡°zhou chen, don¡¯t forget about tomorrow¡¯s basketball game.¡± suddenly remembering that he had invited xia chen to join, zhou chen hurried over to xia chen, who was packing his books. ¡°rest well today. we have the basketball game tomorrow. looking forward to your performance,¡± zhou chen said, stealing glances at xia wan from the corner of his eye. yet, xia wan was solely focused on her packing, paying him no heed. xia chen nodded in response, assuring, ¡°got it. i won¡¯t be late.¡± liu hua appeared by xia wan¡¯s side, chirping, ¡°let¡¯s head home.¡± standing up, xia wan linked arms with liu hua and passed by zhou chen without acknowledging him. xia chen followed suit, trailing behind them. as zhou chen observed the trio¡¯s backs, his eyes simmered with frustration and anger. why did xia wan stick to him so ardently before when she was trying to impress him, only to now cast him aside? unable to control his emotions, zhou chen trailed them. the school day was ending, so many students streamed from the teaching building toward the school gate, and xia chen and the others didn¡¯t notice zhou chen¡¯s pursuit. at the gate, a crowd surrounded a luxurious car that stood out with its sleek black appearance. xia wan halted in her tracks, recognizing chen mo¡¯s car. liu hua¡¯s father had already arrived to pick her up. waving at xia wan and xia chen, liu hua announced, ¡°i¡¯m heading home.¡± as the car door opened, chen mo emerged. xia chen regarded him warily. ¡°why are you here?¡± he inquired. chen mo greeted him politely, ¡°i¡¯m delivering something to xia wan.¡± curious, xia chen pressed, ¡°what is it?¡± chen mo¡¯s gaze shifted among the students, and he explained, ¡°something to aid xia wan¡¯s learning.¡± upon hearing this, xia wan¡¯s face lit up. she speculated that chen mo must have sent over a computer. she looked at xia chen, suggesting, ¡°brother, we can discuss this at home. let¡¯s go back now.¡± xia chen nodded, joining chen mo in the car. he could use the bicycle to return home tomorrow. after chen mo drove away, bystanders began to speculate. ¡°that car is quite expensive, isn¡¯t it? my dad mentioned it before. it¡¯s some limited edition.¡± ¡°the girl i saw earlier is familiar. she¡¯s xia wan, i believe. word is she made a fortune selling clothes during the holidays and even bought a bike.¡± ¡°now it seems her bicycle money might not have come from clothes. maybe it was given by that man.¡± ¡°this car must cost around 200,000.¡± hearing this sum, the onlookers gasped. in this era, 200,000 yuan could buy five houses. as they speculated about chen mo ls identity and his connection to xia wan, she remained oblivious. upon their return home, yan han had prepared dinner, though xia hai was still absent.. Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: The Computer is Here chapter 330: the computer is here translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation chen mo and xia chen extracted three computers from the car¡¯s trunk, situating them in their respective rooms. in a simultaneous move, chen mo unpacked the latest tv. with precision, chen mo positioned the television at the center of the living room and manually tuned the channels. their synchronized efforts culminated just as yan han emerged from the kitchen. a delighted grin painted yan han¡¯s face upon sight of chen mo. ¡°why keep your visit a secret? today¡¯s cooking wasn¡¯t anything special.¡± chen mo assumed a compliant demeanor. ¡°auntie¡¯s dishes are always delicious. they surpass restaurant fare by far. it¡¯s a pleasure to savor her cooking.¡± yan han¡¯s smile widened, basking in chen mots praise. meanwhile, xia chen felt a pang of unease. something about chen mo¡¯s actions didn¡¯t sit well with him. he had observed chen mots elaborate displays of goodwill towards his sister and mother, even eliciting a brighter smile from his mother than he could recall receiving. as xia wan headed to the restroom, chen mo seized the opportunity. ¡°allow me to guide you with the computers,¡± he proposed to xia wan upon her return. xia wan nodded, leading chen mo to her study. the setup was optimized for her study sessions, the computer placed where she often worked. although proficient with computers in her previous life, this incarnation left xia wan unfamiliar. she feigned curiosity, absorbing chen mo¡¯s explanations attentively. chen mo recognized her sharpness, marveling at her quick grasp of the information. suddenly, the study¡¯s door swung open and xia chen strolled in. pretending eagerness to learn, he remarked, ¡°i¡¯m clueless about computers. teach me as well.¡± in truth, he worried about his sister¡¯s safety around chen mo. as a man, he grasped male intentions well; such fervor often indicated attraction. seeing through xia chen¡¯s motives, chen mo remained unruffled. his affection for xia wan was real, yet nefarious thoughts were not part of his agenda. his aspiration was to become xia wan¡¯s lifelong partner, aiding her growth and tackling challenges together. xia chen¡¯s hostility stemmed from chen mo¡¯s earlier actions, necessitating further clarification. despite explaining this to xia wan, chen mo persisted, comprehending the urgency behind xia chen¡¯s concerns. he offered additional guidance, also installing some light-hearted games on xia chen¡¯s computer to ease stress. chen mo¡¯s explanations were patient, his demeanor so accommodating that even xia chen refrained from pushing too hard. their conversation paused only when yan han summoned them for dinner. noticing xia feng¡¯s absence, xia wan inquired, ¡°mom, why isn¡¯t xia feng back?¡± yan han shared the news she had received, ¡°one of his classmates came by. the teacher spotted his artistic talent and selected him, along with two others, to create a blackboard drawing for the class.¡± ¡°he¡¯ll return about an hour later.¡± joy glinted in xia wan¡¯s eyes. ¡°that¡¯s fantastic! if xia feng excels in art, we can get him an art teacher during vacations to nurture his talent.¡± yan han¡¯s face fell as financial concerns arose, ¡°art studies can be costly. paints, brushes, all that. buying materials can drain our budget for several meals. ¡± xia wan dispelled those worries, stressing, ¡°our work earns money to better our lives. if we deny my brother opportunities due to finances, he might regret it forever.¡± she continued, ¡°i¡¯m here to support our family financially. we won¡¯t lack for money.¡± chen mo chimed in, his perspective comprehensive, ¡°i know people in the art world. xia feng¡¯s young, we can find him a basic tutor and assign practice to strengthen his foundation.¡± ¡°during breaks, we can visit renowned artists. if xia feng catches their attention and becomes their apprentice, he¡¯ll have a significant future in art.¡¯ yan han stood flabbergasted. xia wan and chen mo¡¯s contemplation over a mere blackboard project showcased remarkable foresight.. Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: Learning Art chapter 331: learning art translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation yan han¡¯s sudden realization brought to light the limitations of her own perspective and foresight. it became apparent that xia wan possessed a broader and more long-term vision. in accordance with her insights, many essential actions should be undertaken. xia chen wholeheartedly concurred with xia wan¡¯s viewpoint on this matter. the collective discussion that followed further solidified their shared understanding. even xia feng¡¯s ambitious career trajectory had been meticulously laid out. a spark ignited within yan han¡¯s eyes as she absorbed the discourse. it was as though she could already envision xia feng ascending to a prominent position within the art world. amidst the ongoing conversation, xia feng returned home to an eerie spectacle. the assembled family fixed their gazes on him in unison, an intensity emanating from their eyes that sent shivers down his spine. taken aback, xia feng involuntarily stepped back and stammered, ¡°why are you all looking at me like that?¡± ¡°i got held up drawing some blackboard notices at school, that¡¯s all. i¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± xia feng hastily reassured, believing their scrutiny was due to concerns about his well-being. with an air of excitement, yan han advanced towards xia feng, scrutinizing him closely. ¡°now, tell me candidly, do you have a passion for drawing? although puzzled by yan han¡¯s query, xia feng nodded without hesitation. ¡®yes, i enjoy it. when i¡¯m drawing, i find tranquility. i can immerse myself in the realm of my imagination.¡± chen mo nodded approvingly. ¡°xia feng derives satisfaction from the process of drawing, which is crucial for mastering the art.¡± ¡°should his interest endure, he¡¯ll willingly dedicate himself to mastering the craft. perseverance shall yield substantial results in the field of art.¡± understanding gradually dawned upon xia feng. he gazed at yan han in astonishment. ¡°mom, are you suggesting i pursue art seriously?¡± xia wan took the initiative to rise and elucidated, ¡°big brother, while academic studies hold significance, embracing your passions is equally vital.¡± subsequently, xia wan unveiled their proposed course of action to xia feng. their blueprint entailed securing an art instructor for him and arranging trips to beijing during breaks to interact with an art expert. xia feng¡¯s heart raced with excitement. his ardor for art had always remained concealed within him. aware of a fellow classmate who ardently pursued art, xia feng had observed the classmate¡¯s parents held steady jobs at a bank, enjoying financial security. allegedly, this classmate¡¯s monthly expenditure on art supplies such as paper, pens, and paints could easily reach 100 yuan. the revelation left xia feng flabbergasted, deterring him from ever disclosing his interest in art. he resolved to stay back at school that day only because his seatmate had enthusiastically recommended him as the better artist to the teacher. upon viewing his typically impromptu doodles, the teacher expressed contentment and tasked him with illustrating the classroom bulletin. encouraging him to contemplate art classes, the teacher¡¯s words were acknowledged but never truly entertained out of concern for his family¡¯s financial strain. despite his sister¡¯s lucrative earnings, xia feng regarded her income as distinct from his family¡¯s communal resources. additionally, the sustainability of the family¡¯s newfound financial stability remained uncertain. surveying the abundance of clothes in his sister¡¯s boutique, xia feng pondered the steady stream of customers ¨C many entering, few purchasing. a gnawing apprehension manifested within him, fearing that the boutique¡¯s profits wouldn¡¯t cover its operational expenses in the long haul. after a brief internal struggle, xia feng shook his head resolutely. ¡°no, i don¡¯t wish to delve into art. i¡¯ll concentrate on my academic studies.¡± unbeknownst to xia feng, his inner turmoil was laid bare before yan han, who perceived his concern. she promptly intervened, stating, ¡°it¡¯s already in motion. we¡¯ve secured an art instructor for you. henceforth, you¡¯ll dedicate weekends to honing your artistic skills at home. what¡¯s more, we¡¯ve already covered the expenses.¡± xia chen cast an astonished gaze at yan han. when did she manage to arrange an art teacher for xia feng? as the ever-present figure in both school and home settings, xia chen couldn¡¯t recall any instance of yan han consulting an art instructor. gradually, a realization dawned upon him ¡ª yan han had cunningly cornered xia feng into a position where he couldn¡¯t refuse art education. in accordance with this revelation, xia chen extended his cooperation, adding, ¡°indeed, we¡¯ve found someone for you. refusing to learn would amount to a waste of our resources.¡± with everyone voicing unanimous support, xia feng found himself capitulating to the plan. post-dinner, yan han departed under the pretext of bidding farewell to chen mo.. Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Looking for an Art Teacher chapter 332: looking for an art teacher translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after confirming that no one had followed her out, xia wan immediately turned to chen mo and asked, ¡°do you know who is skilled in art in our county? chen mo couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at xia wan¡¯s nervous expression. he gazed affectionately at her and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°let xu ye handle the task of finding an art teacher. he has plenty of connections, so he should have no trouble locating one.¡± had chen mo not mentioned it, xia wan might have forgotten about xu ye. lately, she had been caught up in her own affairs and hadn¡¯t seen xu ye come to visit. now that chen mo had brought up xu ye, xia wan appeared somewhat embarrassed. ¡°brother xu has helped our family multiple times in the past, but i haven¡¯t had the chance to properly thank him. and now i have to trouble him to find an art teacher. i feel bad.¡± seeing xia wan blame herself, chen mo quickly reassured her, ¡°he¡¯s my brother, and you¡¯re my girlfriend. what concerns you concerns him. it¡¯s only natural for him to assist you.¡± xia wan blushed immediately. though she had implicitly acknowledged their relationship, she still felt a bit bashful when chen mo expressed these sentiments. with no one else around, chen mo held her hand and asked tenderly, ¡°tomorrow is saturday. do you have any plans?¡± as he spoke, his affectionate gaze remained fixed on xia wan. feeling her heart race, xia wan lowered her head, unable to meet chen mo¡¯s affectionate gaze. ¡°liu sha is coming in the afternoon to tutor me for three hours. i¡¯m free the rest of the day,¡± she murmured. chen mo¡¯s soft laughter rang out. ¡°alright, then i¡¯ll consider the morning and evening as mine.¡± his neck nestled against the top of her head, causing xia wan¡¯s heart to race even faster. chen mo parked the car by the roadside, and they leisurely strolled along the field¡¯s edge. they walked hand in hand for quite a while, only realizing the encroaching darkness when they saw the sky dimming. it was time for xia wan to head home. ¡°i should get going. if i stay out too late, my mom will get worried,¡± xia wan mentioned. reluctance filled chen mots eyes, yet he also understood that if he detained her, yan han and others would grow concerned. ¡°i¡¯ll take you back,¡± chen mo offered. xia wan nodded. at the alley entrance, chen mo dropped her off. after waving goodbye to chen mo, xia wan began her journey home. chen mo¡¯s gaze remained on her retreating figure until she vanished from sight. upon returning to his car, he promptly dialed xu ye¡¯s number and requested his help in finding an art teacher. xu ye¡¯s playful voice emitted from the other end of the line. ¡°searching for an art teacher? how old are you? why the sudden interest in art?¡± ¡°considering you¡¯re in new york, shouldn¡¯t there be an abundance of capable art teachers? plus, with your family¡¯s influence, you could have your pick of attractive instructors.¡± chen mo interjected, playfully teasing, ¡°it¡¯s not for me, but for xia wan¡¯s younger brother, xia feng. he¡¯s taken an interest in art, and i hope you can find a suitable teacher for him.¡± xu ye paused briefly before bursting into laughter. ¡°alright, kid. i worried you¡¯d struggle with pleasing xia wan, given this is your first relationship. but it seems i fretted needlessly. you¡¯ve even managed to win over xia wan¡¯s brother and begin with her family.¡± ¡°are you content with the xia family now?¡± ¡°i¡¯m good to xia feng because i want to support his interests,¡± chen mo responded earnestly. ¡°don¡¯t read too much into it.¡± ¡°come on, many folks in our county want art lessons. why not find a teacher for them too? why the secrecy from her brother? it¡¯s not embarrassing to ingratiate yourself with your future wife¡¯s family. ¡± chen mo remained silent, which was tacit agreement. thankfully, he hadn¡¯t informed xu ye about the mp4. otherwise, xu ye would¡¯ve likely laughed even harder. ¡°rest assured,¡± xu ye declared confidently. ¡°leave this to me. i¡¯ll find someone in the next two days and have her visit xia wan¡¯s house on sunday.¡± ¡°in any case, since xia wan addresses me as ¡®brother,¡¯ i should take good care of her.¡± chen mo nodded, his gaze lingering on xia wan¡¯s residence. he remarked, ¡°i should tend to business. i¡¯ll entrust xia wan to you.¡± ¡°have you informed xia wan about this?¡± xu ye sounded surprised. ¡°no,¡± chen mo shook his head. ¡°you¡¯re leaving? without telling xia wan? aren¡¯t you concerned she¡¯ll be upset with you?¡± xu ye¡¯s astonishment was evident.. Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Chen MO’s Thoughts chapter 333: chen mo¡¯s thoughts translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation chen mo smiled mysteriously. ¡°after you help xia feng find a teacher, go and tell xia wan personally that i went out because of an emergency and didn¡¯t have time to say goodbye to her. i¡¯ll make it up to her next time.¡± xu ye instantly reacted and scolded with a smile, ¡°you¡¯re really cunning. you deliberately left without saying goodbye to make xia wan miss you, right?¡± chen mo didn¡¯t say anything, which was a silent agreement. xu ye realized that chen mo was smart, and he was smart when it came to relationships. he did not need to teach him anything. in his opinion, chen mo and xia wan should be able to get married. but for him, although he had changed many girlfriends over the years, none of them were eager to get married. he did not know how to describe them. it was not that those girls were not good, but he did not think that they were this person. perhaps his destiny was still on the way. on saturday morning, xia wan brought xia chen and xia feng for a morning jog. at the same time, xia wan told xia chen some things to take note of when playing basketball. when they got home, xia hai bought them soy milk and fried dough sticks. the three of them ate happily. xia wan reminded xia chen again. ¡°zhou chen invited you to the basketball game. i have a feeling that he has bad intentions. you have to be careful of them. for example, they might trip you when you¡¯re running.¡± xia chen nodded. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ve remembered everything you said. i¡¯ve been training with you these days. i know which parts of my body to focus on.¡± seeing that xia chen was really sincere, xia wan was relieved. xia feng had just finished his meal when he excitedly went to work on his comduter. he had returned home late yesterday because xia chen had taught him how to use the computer. xia feng was very perceptive and immediately downloaded many popular songs and many world-famous works for the mp4. although his sister had bought him a lot of extra-curricular reading materials, e-books were more convenient. he could read them after class. xia feng wasn¡¯t particularly sociable in school. most of the time, he chose to be alone in silence. in the past, he was always in a daze. now that he had an e-book, he could read. xia wan was using her computer to browse the news and understand some of the latest information. she noticed that the price of real estate was about to rise. she also wanted to be a rich landlady and collect rent every month in a few years. but she was short of funds now. she took out all the cards in her hand. xia wan did some calculations. she left a portion for the shop to stock up and pay the workers. she still had 300,000 yuan left. 300,000 yuan could buy ten houses in the county, but in the capital or other first-tier cities, it could only buy three or four houses. to make money, she had to accumulate a significant sum. it would be best if she could make millions. xia wan scratched her head with a headache. she hated herself for not knowing enough about the lottery in her previous life. if she knew the winning lottery numbers, she would have been so happy to win the lottery and buy a house. suddenly, she thought of something and quickly started working on the computer. she remembered that in her previous life, this year, there was a stock that soared dozens of times after the price fell. at that time, the people who bought this stock made a lot of money. xia wan gritted her teeth, packed her things, and went to the place where she bought stocks in the county. as soon as she walked into the hall, she saw that many people were buying stocks, while others were selling them. there was a long queue at every window. ¡°what a lousy steel mill in nanyan caused me to lose so much money. i have to withdraw the money quickly. if i continue to lose money, i won¡¯t have a single cent,¡± a man was complaining. xia wan¡¯s eyes moved slightly. steel mill was the stock in her memory. in the past, the steel mill was very stable and there was a market for steel. however, as the country continued to introduce high-tech equipment, the original steel mill technology suffered a heavy blow, and many steel mills closed down. however, the nanyan steel mill that the man mentioned did not give up. they actively introduced high-tech equipment and hired top technical talents with high salaries, allowing the steel produced to reach new heights and almost monopolizing the steel market. of course, this was all for later. at this moment, the nanyan steel plant should still be under research, but xia wan knew that there was only about a month before the research was completed. she came to the man¡¯s side and said to him, ¡°big brother, since you¡¯ve already bought it for so long, you¡¯ll only lose money if you take it out now. why don¡¯t you take a gamble and keep the shares? if the stock price rises, your capital can be returned, and you can even obtain a high profit..¡± Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: Buying Stocks chapter 334: buying stocks translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the man observed xia wan, who appeared to be a little girl, and a look of disdain crossed his face. ¡°little girl, you¡¯re still in school. what do you know about stocks? the stocks i¡¯ve bought outnumber the books you¡¯ve read. can you possibly comprehend more than i do?¡± xia wan scrutinized him. he seemed to be around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, dressed in ordinary attire. she retorted mercilessly, ¡°if you were truly adept in the stock market and achieving high returns, you wouldn¡¯t be in such a sorry state now. you would have ascended to an elite status in society long ago.¡± ¡°if i were you, i¡¯d take a risk. nonetheless, whether you heed this advice is your concern.¡± with that, xia wan left. she had merely offered him a well-intentioned reminder. whether he accepted it was his choice. xia wan proceeded to a less crowded queue and silently waited in line. during this interval, numerous glances were cast her way, accompanied by hushed discussions. xia wan recognized that most of these onlookers were conversing about her youthful venture into stock purchasing. after approximately an hour, it was finally xia wan¡¯s turn. observing her youth, the staff member presumed she hailed from a well-off background. perhaps she was trying her luck by investing her allowance in stocks. the employee¡¯s demeanor was somewhat casual. ¡°are you looking to buy or sell stocks?¡± xia wan produced three cards and handed them over. ¡°i¡¯d like to purchase shares of nanyan. three hundred thousand worth.¡± the somewhat drowsy staff member suddenly became alert. he glanced at the three cards and then at xia wan, his expression growing serious. ¡°young lady, are you certain? you haven¡¯t absconded with this money from your family, have you?¡± xia wan responded, ¡°all these cards are registered under my name. if you doubt it, you can verify. i¡¯m already eighteen and legally accountable for my actions. kindly assist me with the purchase. thank you.¡± the staff member couldn¡¯t help but offer a cautionary note. ¡°this stock has been declining. if you buy now, you might lose everything.¡± internally sighing, he mused that this young girl truly didn¡¯t understand the value of hard-earned money. three hundred thousand yuan ¨C the possibilities were boundless. however, xia wan remained resolute. ¡°please proceed with the purchase. i appreciate your help. i don¡¯t wish to waste anyone¡¯s time.¡± despite the queue of people behind her, not all shared the same sentiment. a woman in her thirties stood behind xia wan and inquired, ¡°why did you choose this stock? did someone assure you it¡¯s profitable?¡± others were also eavesdropping, given that someone who could produce 300,000 yuan in one go wasn¡¯t an ordinary individual. they speculated she might possess insider information. xia wan feigned innocence. ¡°my father enjoys stock trading. i¡¯ve observed him researching for the past two days. moreover, i dreamt last night that nanyan¡¯s stock would yield profits, so i decided to invest.¡± the woman maintained a hopeful expression initially, but at xia wan¡¯s explanation, her lips twitched. she regarded xia wan with a hint of ridicule, as if she were gazing at a fool. inwardly, she pondered whose unfortunate child this was. to squander three hundred thousand yuan solely due to a dream was beyond comprehension. meanwhile, the rest of the onlookers lost interest, assuming xia wan was merely frivolous. the staff member opted to cease his attempts to dissuade her and carried out the purchase. coincidentally, the man whom xia wan had attempted to advise witnessed this scene from the sidelines. reflecting on her earlier words, he gritted his teeth and resolved not to sell his nanyan shares¡ªhe would hold onto them. the young girl had been right. selling now wouldn¡¯t yield substantial gains. in comparison to his initial investment, the potential was meager. the stock market often came down to a contest of bravery. if he wasn¡¯t prepared to take risks, why did he dabble in stocks? silently departing from the crowd, he hastened to catch up with xia wan. facing the man¡¯s presence before her, xia wan inquired, ¡°what do you need?¡± his demeanor had undergone a transformation. he set aside his previous arrogance and earnestly addressed xia wan, ¡°i¡¯m zheng hua. thank you for your advice. i suspected you were attempting to deceive me.¡± ¡°i¡¯m willing to trust you and join you in purchasing the shares.¡± xia wan was taken aback. she had merely given zheng hua a straightforward suggestion. why was he suddenly placing such faith in her? could it be because of her 300,000 yuan investment? abruptly, zheng hua adopted an enigmatic tone. ¡°tell me honestly, do you possess any inside information that could cause this stock¡¯s value to rise?¡± a smile graced xia wan¡¯s lips. ¡°i apologize. it was merely a fortuitous dream..¡± Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: Working Hard chapter 335: working hard translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zheng hua considered asking again, but xia wan interjected, ¡°i still have work to finish. please don¡¯t follow me. thank you.¡± once she concluded her statement, she quickened her pace and departed. she sought to limit her interactions with him, already having extended a kind enough reminder. pulling out her phone, xia wan checked it for any missed calls or messages from chen mo. chen mo had mentioned having availability in the morning and evening when they spoke yesterday. she had anticipated him coming to find her. giving her face a pat, xia wan muttered, ¡°xia wan, you need to be more focused. don¡¯t let all your attention be consumed by men. you have a lot of other tasks.¡± upon returning home, xia wan resolved to divert her focus through designing. recalling popular bracelet, necklace, and earring designs from her past life, she delved into creating her own designs. she was deeply engrossed in the process until yan han summoned her for dinner, making her realize how much time had passed. a happy smile spread across xia wan¡¯s face as she revealed six completed designs. recalling that wang peng had guaranteed a minimum price of 3000 yuan per design, the total amounted to 18000 yuan for the six designs. considering her goal of buying a house, xia wan felt it was still a distant target. for her to gain the commission from these designs, she needed to promptly deliver them to wang peng for processing and subsequent sale. this process would likely take at least three months, even if it were expedited. contemplating this, she realized it might not be sufficient. she needed alternative methods to earn money. the average price of a house in first-tier cities was 80,000 yuan. if she aimed to purchase property in the two most prosperous cities, say five houses in each, totaling ten houses, the cost would be 800,000 yuan based on regular land prices. for houses in central locations, xia wan approximated a cost of 100,000 yuan each. factoring in renovation expenses and annual property management fees, xia wan estimated an annual fee of 10,000 yuan per house. with ten houses, this would sum up to 100,000 yuan annually. effectively, she was looking at nearly a million yuan for ten ordinary houses. waiting for property values to rise substantially would take several years. yan han excitedly shared, ¡°our clothing store opens this afternoon. wanwan, after dinner, let¡¯s go shopping for clothes. there seems to be a lot of variety.¡± ¡°sure,¡± xia wan agreed. her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of buying a house, making her somewhat absent-minded while selecting clothes. yan han and xia feng were the ones really participating in the shopping process. xia hai was primarily responsible for carrying the items, having little fashion insight. he considered functionality more than anything. sister hong offered them competitive prices and showcased the latest fashion trends. yan han engaged in animated discussions with sister hong about current clothing styles. xia wan told yan han, ¡®mom, you all stay here. i¡¯ll check out other places.¡± ¡°okay, go ahead.¡± familiar with the area, yan han trusted xia wan to explore. ambling through the wholesale market, xia wan observed potential buyers gathering around various stalls. while some simply inquired about prices, a few made direct purchases. amid the stalls, she spotted bubble-blowing toys, a range of sunglasses, and sun hats. however, their quality was subpar, failing to meet xia wan¡¯s standards. she aimed to sell high-quality clothing, products that would uphold the store¡¯s reputation. it wasn¡¯t until she encountered a familiar sunblock garment at a stall that she found something suitable. these sunblock clothes were available in different colors, all crafted from gauze material. lightweight and sun-protective, they were comfortable to wear. examining a piece, xia wan appreciated the fabric¡¯s comfort and lack of allergens. ¡°boss, how much is this dress?¡± she inquired. the stall owner, a man in his thirties, smiled upon hearing her query. ¡°these are our latest sunblock clothes. each piece is only 15 yuan..¡± Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Buying Sunscreen Clothes chapter 336: buying sunscreen clothes translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan also smiled and replied, ¡°boss, i¡¯m not just buying one piece. i¡¯m still studying. i think your style is very good. if i wear it to school, there will definitely be many students who want to buy it.¡± ¡°after i sell the first batch of goods, i¡¯ll buy the goods from your shop in the future.¡± ¡°so in terms of price, what¡¯s the lowest you can give me?¡± after hearing xia wan¡¯s words, the middle-aged man pretended to be in a difficult position and said, ¡°i can see that you¡¯re sincere in buying them. how about this? if you buy more than 30 pieces, i¡¯ll give you 12 yuan per piece.¡± xia wan shook her head. ¡°no, if it¡¯s 12 yuan per piece, i can only earn three yuan per piece. boss, you know that this kind of sunscreen is only worn by young people. i can only sell a dozen pieces a day at most.¡± ¡°if you can allow me to make more profit, i can find more people to advertise and try to sell dozens of pieces a day. that way, i can sell faster and you can get the goods to me faster.¡± the middle-aged man couldn¡¯t lower the price any further. he insisted on the price of 12 yuan per piece. xia wan rolled her eyes. ¡°how about this? for the first 30 pieces, you can charge me 12 yuan per piece. i¡¯ll buy another 70 pieces from your shop, and then you¡¯ll have to charge me 10 yuan per piece.¡± as she spoke, xia wan helped the boss analyze. ¡°i don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem to sell 30 pieces, but it¡¯ll be difficult to sell 100 pieces.¡± ¡°boss, even if the sales of your sunscreen clothes are good, you should only sell a dozen of them a day, right?¡± with this comment, xia wan implied, ¡®if you¡¯re willing to sell, then sell. if you¡¯re not willing to sell, then i¡¯ll change stores to stock up.¡¯ she continued, ¡°in short, this is the price in my mind. boss, see if you can accept it. if you can, i¡¯ll give you the money now. if you think my asking price is too high, then we won¡¯t cooperate.¡± after the boss heard this, he was very tempted. this was 100 pieces. according to xia wan¡¯s price, she only needed to make this deal to earn 1360 yuan. the boss pretended to be in a difficult position. ¡°alright then. i¡¯ll give you this price because you¡¯re buying a lot.¡± ¡°but we have to tell you that if you sell out these sunscreen clothes and want to buy more in the future, you have to come to my shop.¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°of course, but if i come back to buy more, you¡¯ll have to sell them to me at 10 yuan per piece.¡± ¡°as long as you buy 50 pieces, i¡¯ll give you 10 yuan per piece.¡± xia wan agreed with the boss, and the two of them made an agreement on the spot. the boss smiled and said, ¡°100 pieces of clothes is quite a lot. where is your shop? i¡¯ll arrange for someone to send it to you.¡± upon hearing this, xia wan provided the address of their shop. ¡°boss, there¡¯s no one in the shop right now. how about this? you can send it to me in an hour.¡± the boss agreed decisively. later, xia wan looked around for other items, focusing on things that girls could use. the nail polish caught xia wan¡¯s attention. even though she didn¡¯t use nail polish, many girls in school did. she had specifically bought some solid-colored ones so that it wouldn¡¯t be too noticeable when applied to her hands. in summer, when people drank less water, their lips were prone to cracking. so, xia wan bought a lot of lipstick. she walked further and found stockings. thinking of the denim shorts she had seen at sister hong¡¯s place, xia wan bought a large number of stockings. when the time came, she would pair denim shorts with stockings and canvas shoes and place them at the entrance of the shop. she believed that this style would definitely attract many girls. at the same time, xia wan also bought some unique hair clips and leather ropes. there were hairpins that tied the front of the hair directly to the back, as well as small hairpins the size of half a finger. these could be pinned on the head as ornaments. the other shops didn¡¯t hold much appeal for xia wan. after a round of shopping, she returned to sister hong¡¯s shop. by this time, yan han had already picked out most of the clothes. xia wan also purchased a batch of denim shorts and denim skirts. sister hong also agreed to have someone help deliver the goods, which would arrive in an hour. xia wan and the others bought some fruits and then returned to the shop. the shop was already quite clean, but yan han was still concerned, so she personally wiped the entire shop with a rag.. Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Hotel Reorganization chapter 337: hotel reorganization translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation an hour later, the goods they had ordered were all brought over in their own cars. some used tricycles, while others arrived in luxurious small trucks. upon seeing xia wan¡¯s shop, these people all praised her. ¡°little girl, your shop is really well-decorated. from the outside, i can tell that the clothes must be of high quality,¡± the man driving the minivan kept praising her. ¡°it looks very high-end, better than the other shops in our county.¡± ¡°i think this shop will have good business in the future.¡± no one disliked hearing compliments, and yan han was no exception. her face couldn¡¯t help but break into a smile upon hearing these words. once all the goods were collected, xia wan and the others began to tidy up the shelves. xia wan took charge of overseeing the process, instructing everyone on which clothes to put where. after about two hours of tidying up, everything was in its place. she checked the time; it was three in the afternoon. the weather was scorching at this time. many people would opt for a nap between 2:00 and 4:00 and then head out shopping afterward. xia wan gestured, ¡°let¡¯s go to a restaurant.¡± this time, no one in the family objected. xia wan led them to dongxing pavilion restaurant. when they arrived, the waiter treated them with great courtesy. xia wan didn¡¯t choose a private room; instead, she sat them down directly by the window. the entire family sat together, the seats filled. xia wan spoke, ¡°everyone worked hard today. order a dish each. don¡¯t worry about wastage. if you can¡¯t finish it, we can take the leftovers home.¡± xia hai hesitated, ¡°wanwan, there are only five of us. three dishes should be sufficient.¡± xia wan remained silent, but yan han shot him a glare. ¡°we may be older, so we can adjust, but we have three kids. they¡¯re still growing, so we shouldn¡¯t deprive them of good food.¡± ¡°in the future, our family must enjoy good meals without compromise, understood?¡± yan han¡¯s earnest expression prompted xia hai to nod promptly. ¡°got it.¡± yan han added, ¡°wanwan mentioned that eating more fruits is beneficial for health and boosts the immune system. let¡¯s make it a habit to buy fruits every time we head home.¡± ¡°alright,¡± xia hai agreed. as the waiter came to take their order and witnessed this interaction, he smiled and remarked, ¡°you two have such a strong bond.¡± xia wan realized that the waiter¡¯s attitude had improved compared to her last visit. ¡°i noticed there are many new faces in your shop. are you not working as a waitress anymore?¡± she inquired. the waiter smiled in response. ¡°you must be a regular customer. here¡¯s the story. our store had issues with service attitude before, so the manager focused on service training. those with poor attitudes were given three warnings and then let go.¡± xia wan was slightly surprised but didn¡¯t comment. she recalled her previous visit when a waiter had looked down on her, and the manager had intervened. it seemed the manager had taken her feedback seriously, which reassured her. the family enjoyed a delightful meal. after settling the bill, they exited the restaurant. at the opening of a new shop, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was typical. often, someone with a reputation was invited for this. xia wan chose zhang cheng and her mother for this task. zhang cheng and yan han stood on either side, with xia wan at the center. xia chen and xia feng held the fireworks at the side. as the fireworks burst into vibrant colors, xia wan completed the ribbon-cutting ceremony amidst the congratulations of everyone present. the festivity drew the attention of many passersby. numerous people had followed the shop¡¯s renovation and now wanted to explore it further now that it was open. with a smile, xia wan placed a sign at the entrance and announced, ¡°today marks the first day of our new shop. all clothes are available at a 10% discount. additionally, every purchase earns you corresponding points.¡± ¡°accumulate enough points to redeem prizes.¡± ¡°for those buying more than three items totaling 200 yuan, a sunblock clothing piece worth 25 yuan will be included.¡± as xia wan finished speaking, the crowd couldn¡¯t contain their excitement and said, ¡°let¡¯s hurry in and see the clothes.¡± yan han and the rest happily welcomed the eager visitors inside, captivating their interest instantly.. Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Famous chapter 338: famous translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the 200-square-meter space had been divided into distinct areas, each marked by a corresponding colorful board indicating the clothes for sale. the men¡¯s and women¡¯s clothing sections were clearly demarcated, with a dedicated area for children¡¯s clothing. every garment bore a price tag. periodically, cabinets displayed trendy gadgets, and sunblock clothing offered as gifts proved especially popular. xia hai and xia feng managed the men¡¯s wear section, yan han and xia wan oversaw the women¡¯s wear section, while xia chen handled the accounting. on the inaugural business day, a multitude of customers arrived. among them were returning patrons who had previously shopped at the store, as well as newcomers drawn in by its offerings. two women huddled together, conversing in hushed tones. ¡°imagine, this shop had never been rented out. i thought it would remain vacant. yet, someone has taken it up. i was genuinely curious about who was behind it. now that i see these clothes, i¡¯m genuinely impressed. they¡¯re truly exquisite!¡± ¡°i feel the same way. i¡¯ve lived next door to this shop for years. now that it¡¯s open, irrespective of what it sells, i¡¯m compelled to visit and take a look. i never anticipated being captivated by the clothes displayed right at the entrance.¡± both women were local neighbors, hailing from prosperous families. while xia wan¡¯s clothing was slightly pricier than what was available elsewhere, they believed it was justified. if the prices were too low, doubts about the clothing¡¯s quality would arise. among the clientele were both well-to-do individuals and students who utilized weekends for shopping expeditions. normally, these students would spend around 20 to 30 yuan on a short-sleeved shirt. however, some of the short-sleeved shirts in xia wan¡¯s store were priced at 50 yuan, a significant sum for students. 50 yuan would typically suffice for purchasing two outfits priced at more than 20 yuan each. one of the girls selected a purple short-sleeved shirt. the shirt boasted a faux double-layer design. at first glance, it seemed like a purple short-sleeved shirt combined with a smock, but in reality, it was a single piece. the design of the dress was impeccable, catering to student preferences. she held it uncertainly. ¡°xu ran, that dress suits you perfectly,¡± her friend advised. ¡°you should get it. it¡¯s bound to attract envious looks from classmates.¡± xu ran hesitated, torn. ¡°but the price is quite steep. it¡¯s over 50 yuan. i could buy an entire outfit with that money.¡± amidst the commotion, xia wan chimed in with a smile, ¡°today marks our opening day. if you spend 200 yuan or more, you¡¯ll receive a sunblock jacket as a gift. additionally, all your purchases will be eligible for a 10% discount. buy three items, and i¡¯ll throw in an extra 20% discount.¡± xu ran¡¯s temptation grew stronger. she picked up a pair of jeans beside her, priced at 45 yuan. although pricey, they equated to two pieces of clothing. she glanced at zhao yu beside her and suggested, ¡°zhao yu, you should pick one too. that way, we¡¯ll have three items and qualify for a 20% discount.¡± when zhao yu had been the one recommending xu ran to make a purchase, she had been enthusiastic. yet, now that it was her turn, she turned shy. xu ran came from a relatively well-off family, which made the prices seem acceptable to her. if xu ran deemed the items expensive, she would naturally find them even more so. zhao yu had accompanied xu ran for shopping and hadn¡¯t intended on buying anything herself. ¡°ran ran, i didn¡¯t bring any money today,¡± zhao yu explained. ¡°you go ahead and buy. i¡¯ll do so next time.¡± fearing xu ran¡¯s insistence, zhao yu added, ¡°didn¡¯t you hear what they said earlier? spending over 200 yuan gets you a free sunblock jacket valued at 25 yuan.¡± xu ran found zhao yu¡¯s reasoning convincing. she gritted her teeth and settled on a beige dress with a white smock, costing 120 yuan. xia wan assisted in tallying up the bill, stating, ¡°the three pieces total 55, 45, and 120 yuan, respectively. that¡¯s over 200 yuan, earning you a sunblock jacket and a 20% discount. your total comes to 176 yuan. please take the receipt to the front desk for payment. thank you.¡± xu ran clutched the receipt, feeling as though she¡¯d scored a deal. what should have cost her 220 yuan had been reduced to 176 yuan after the discount. additionally, the sunblock jacket, usually priced at 25 yuan, was free. thus, these three pieces of clothing had effectively cost her only 151 yuan. with her purchases in tow, xu ran exited the store with a happy gait. before spending the money, she had been contemplating ways to save. yet, after actually buying the clothes, the feeling of contentment surpassed any financial consideration. zhao yu followed behind silently, her gaze slightly downcast.. Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Opening Discounts chapter 339: opening discounts translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation today, xu ran purchased new clothes, setting the stage for tomorrow¡¯s monday when she was sure to capture the attention of her classmates, allowing her to stand out conspicuously. once again, she would become her own antithesis. xia wan¡¯s accounting work proceeded seamlessly, swiftly completing the bookkeeping on each occasion. yan han also excelled in clothing sales these days, her calligraphy and arithmetic skills ensuring smooth task execution. however, xia hai found settling the bills somewhat challenging each time. xia wan directly advised him to clarify the rules to customers and provide them with tickets, each clearly displaying the clothing price. by presenting the ticket to xia chen, customers would receive a discount. initially, xia hai was flustered, often making calculation errors. nevertheless, practice honed his skills, improving his ability to estimate whether the clothes totaled 200 yuan and whether they qualified for free sunblock clothing. it wasn¡¯t until eight o¡¯clock in the evening that the shop¡¯s customer count dwindled. the few remaining were fatigued and began to rotate for rest. xia wan asked xia feng to fetch a few fried cakes, and the family had dinner. after around half an hour, xia feng returned. one person remained in the men¡¯s and women¡¯s sections, while the others went to eat. upon finishing their meals, xia wan took over xia chen¡¯s position. the shop remained open until ten o¡¯clock at night. xia chen retrieved the day¡¯s earnings from the drawer and placed the money on the table. seeing the substantial amount of money, their eyes lit up. xia chen smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯ve already done the calculations. we earned a total of 3500 yuan today. after deducting the costs of 1300 yuan, our net income is 2200 yuan.¡± the group cheered excitedly. despite making money, it was significantly less than their earnings today. yan han¡¯s happiness was tempered by concern. ¡°although business is thriving now, it might dwindle after a couple of days. what should we do?¡± ¡°our shop has ongoing expenses such as water, electricity, and rent. it¡¯s distinct from the previous stalls.¡± understanding yan han¡¯s apprehensions, xia wan said, ¡°mom, did you notice that most of the customers who bought clothes from our store were new customers? moreover, their fashion sense was more sophisticated than our previous customers.¡± yan han nodded, acknowledging this observation. the shop¡¯s visitors had different clothing preferences compared to those at the stalls. after selling clothes for a while, yan han had developed a knack for assessing the quality of a customer¡¯s attire. this provided insights into the financial status of their families. today, among the individuals visiting their shop to purchase clothing, there was a notable group of students. the women who had come for shopping were all well-presented, both in terms of their hairstyles and attire. their well-groomed hands suggested that they weren¡¯t accustomed to strenuous labor, and it was evident that they came from affluent backgrounds. xia wan nodded and continued, ¡°the town¡¯s population is significantly larger than our village¡¯s. despite being on a busy street, many quality-conscious shoppers wouldn¡¯t even consider us.¡± ¡°so, my strategy is to sell all the summer clothes. when autumn arrives, i¡¯ll venture to other cities to procure high-quality clothing.¡± sister hong¡¯s garments were of higher quality compared to other shops, but this was only within the local context. xia wan aimed to ascend, entering the realm of affordable luxury. xia chen, xia hai, and yan han were taken aback by xia wan¡¯s proposal. xia chen said, ¡°you¡¯re still a student. traveling to other cities could be risky and potentially affect your studies.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry about my grades,¡± xia wan reassured them. ¡°liu sha is helping me catch up on lessons every day. i¡¯ve covered all the material from grades one to three.¡± xia chen wanted to persuade her otherwise, but xia wan¡¯s determination was evident. she was resolute about procuring goods outside the town. xia chen said, ¡°if you¡¯re set on this, i¡¯ll accompany you. i won¡¯t be at ease otherwise. ¡± this time, xia wan readily agreed. as long as she could embark on the journey to source clothes, she didn¡¯t mind who accompanied her. additionally, having xia chen by her side would offer valuable experience. an agreement was quickly reached. xia wan and the other two would return to school for the day, while yan han and xia hai would manage the shop. yan han felt a bit apprehensive about the significant responsibility entrusted to her. ¡°today, all five of us were so busy.. if it¡¯s just your dad and me tomorrow, what if we struggle with the accounts?¡± Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Recruiting Staff chapter 340: recruiting staff translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation when xia wan was around, she felt more at ease. when she was alone, yan han was always a little lacking in confidence. xia wan thought about it and found it reasonable. there were many customers in the shop today, which was completely beyond her expectations. after contemplating for a moment, xia wan said, ¡°right now, sister liu sha has nothing else to do except helping me with my lessons every day. how about this? i¡¯ll let her help us look after the shop and handle the usual accounts.¡± ¡°sister liu sha will be here for about a month, during which we should find a suitable shop assistant.¡± upon hearing xia wan¡¯s proposal, yan han felt relieved. ¡°what are the requirements?¡± asked xia hai. ¡°tell us first, and we¡¯ll jot them down.¡± yan han also inquired, ¡°how much salary does the shop assistant need to receive each month?¡± considering the prevailing economic conditions, xia wan responded, ¡°it would be best if the shop assistant we¡¯re seeking is a young girl who is capable in mathematics. education-wise, a junior high school degree or above would be preferable.¡± ¡°if the shop assistant appears unfriendly, customers might lose their inclination to purchase upon seeing her.¡± ¡°as for her remuneration, a base salary of 200 yuan, plus an additional 50 yuan for full-time work.¡± ¡°we can provide her with four days of leave every month, and as long as she doesn¡¯t take any leave, we will grant an additional 50 yuan for perfect attendance. ¡± ¡°additionally, offer her a commission of two yuan for every piece of clothing she sells.¡± feeling that one shop assistant might not suffice, xia wan suggested, ¡°how about hiring another person specifically for accounting? her role would involve handling transactions at the counter. she¡¯d receive a fixed monthly salary of 200 yuan, along with the 50 yuan attendance bonus, but no commission.¡± ¡°our shop isn¡¯t overly strict. when customer flow is light, she can sit and rest. however, during busy periods, she should stand to assist customers with their payments.¡± yan han¡¯s initial reaction upon learning they were hiring two shop assistants was a pang of financial strain. the combined basic salary for these two assistants amounted to 500 yuan per month. nevertheless, compared to the expenses for their three children¡¯s education, 500 yuan seemed minor. ultimately, yan han clenched his teeth and consented, ¡°alright, let¡¯s follow wanwan¡¯s plan.¡± the next day at school, xia wan didn¡¯t arrive early. as she entered, she overheard her female classmates conversing in hushed tones. ¡°did you notice? zhao yu from class 6 was wearing a new outfit. she looked amazing. the yellow hair clip matched her dress perfectly, making her appear so fair.¡± ¡°i saw that too. i even asked her where she got it. she mentioned a new clothing store. she availed a 20% discount when purchasing three items yesterday. i wonder if the discount continues today.¡± listening to their chatter, xia wan found it oddly familiar. could the zhao yu they were talking about be the same girl who had bought three pieces of clothing from her yesterday? although suspicions arose, xia wan refrained from joining the conversation. calmly seated at her desk, she opened her textbook to prepare for the day¡¯s lessons. approaching xia wan, song zhi intentionally remarked, ¡°weren¡¯t you selling clothes before? a new clothing store has opened in our county. it¡¯s quite large and boasts high-quality attire. why not go and have a look?¡± ¡°considering your extensive experience in selling clothes, you could suggest a few sets for us.¡± song zhi smiled as she spoke, but her words carried an underlying implication. she seemed to be treating xia wan as a salesperson for clothing. looking up at her with a cold expression, xia wan responded, ¡°it¡¯s your choice whether to buy clothes. no need to involve me. i¡¯m quite occupied and don¡¯t have time to go shopping with you.¡± song zhi was taken aback by xia wan¡¯s gaze. after a moment, she retorted indignantly, ¡°what¡¯s with your attitude? i only invited you to accompany us for shopping. why are you taking your frustrations out on me?¡± ¡°could it be that the new shop has better quality clothes than yours? it¡¯s attracting more customers, making you jealous and bitter, which is why you¡¯re venting on me?¡± with every word, song zhi¡¯s voice grew louder and more assertive.. Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: Song Zhi Looking for Trouble chapter 341: song zhi looking for trouble translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation song zhi shot a glare at xia wan. ¡°xia wan, this is your fault. your family¡¯s clothing business isn¡¯t doing well. instead of picking fights with your classmates, you should focus on finding a solution.¡± ¡°i¡¯m extending a friendly invitation for a shopping trip. perhaps exploring clothes from different shops will broaden your horizons.¡± ¡°but let¡¯s be honest, your shop can¡¯t afford to rent such a spacious place, and in terms of clothing quality, it can¡¯t compete with others.¡± ¡°who¡¯s the mysterious boss behind your shop? why have they never shown themselves? could it be the boy who picked you up from school earlier?¡± xia wan was taken aback. she set her book down and gazed at song zhi with irritation. ¡°if you¡¯re genuinely concerned about our business, you¡¯re welcome to visit our store and buy clothes. if it¡¯s not within your budget, there¡¯s no need to gossip here.¡± ¡°song zhi, it¡¯s their business to run a clothing store. let¡¯s not make it sound like you own it.¡± song zhi was provoked by her response. in the past, whenever she mocked xia wan, xia wan never dared to retort. but now, xia wan was challenging her? the person she had always looked down upon was suddenly declaring war on her? song zhi huffed coldly. ¡°don¡¯t provoke me here. my parents are skilled workers. they have no interest in the clothing business.¡± ¡°just like your family. when the clothing business was booming, you probably earned a decent commission. now that you¡¯ve upgraded to a better store, your family¡¯s business will naturally take a backseat.¡± ¡°but my parents have different jobs. regardless of which store closes down, my parents¡¯ jobs remain stable.¡± others chimed in to support song zhi. ¡°that¡¯s right. song zhi¡¯s parents have stable jobs. my parents always say they don¡¯t expect me to excel in school. as a girl, having a secure job is what matters.¡± xia wan didn¡¯t argue. in this era, running a business was indeed precarious for most people. many believed that success in business required a lot of luck. if this were decades later, xia wan might not have chosen to start a business immediately. back then, the market was already dominated by experienced and daring entrepreneurs. but things were different now. it was the perfect time to start a business, and if she seized this opportunity, her future could change significantly. she knew that her classmates would be green with envy once her family started making money. xia wan replied, ¡°alright, i won¡¯t deny that what you¡¯re saying makes sense, but everyone has the freedom to choose. our family chooses to help others sell clothes. we¡¯re not the owners, and we don¡¯t have to bear the risks associated with it. so, we¡¯re just workers.¡± ¡°if you have time to debate whether our family should continue selling clothes, why not focus on improving your grades?¡± ¡°i¡¯m going to study now. i hope you won¡¯t disturb me, or i¡¯ll have to inform the teacher.¡± with that, xia wan resumed her reading. some of the students sneered. ¡°why is she pretending? with her grades, no matter how hard she tries, she won¡¯t improve much.¡± liu hua entered the classroom at this point. she had arrived a little late due to oversleeping, missing the earlier situation where students were ostracizing xia wan. but liu hua¡¯s presence also halted the criticism of xia wan. her grades were excellent, and if xia wan complained with liu hua by her side, the teacher might actually punish them. that afternoon, after school, xia wan prepared to head home as usual but was intercepted by song zhi and her friends. song zhi smiled and said, ¡°xia wan, we¡¯re planning to take advantage of our lunch break to shop at that newly opened store. join us. since you used to sell clothes, you¡¯re familiar with clothing styles. help us pick out some outfits.¡± xia wan knew that song zhi wanted to use this opportunity to humiliate her and demonstrate the difference between her stall and a real store. however, song zhi was unaware that the shop belonged to xia wan¡¯s family. liu hua didn¡¯t intervene and simply said, ¡°i¡¯ll come along too.¡± she often hung out with xia wan and was well aware that the shop belonged to xia wan¡¯s family.. Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Xia Wan Agreed to Accompany Her chapter 342: xia wan agreed to accompany her translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan said, ¡°you keep inviting me. if i don¡¯t go, it won¡¯t make sense, so i¡¯ll go with you this time.¡± song zhi was a little surprised. she didn¡¯t expect to be able to invite xia wan so easily. she thought that xia wan would come up with all kinds of excuses. ¡°alright, let¡¯s go then.¡± after leaving the classroom, xia wan asked, ¡°how are we going to handle lunch today?¡± ¡°of course, we¡¯re eating in the cafeteria,¡± song zhi replied. ¡°where else would you like to eat?¡± xia wan questioned, ¡°i was planning to use my lunch break to study. you dragged me into helping you choose clothes, so shouldn¡¯t you treat me to lunch?¡± xia wan didn¡¯t mind the cost of the meal, but song zhi had delayed her studies and insisted on dragging her along to pick out clothes. she felt that she should contribute something in return. song zhi had always subtly bragged about her family¡¯s good financial situation among her classmates, so it wouldn¡¯t be right for her to refuse now. she pretended to be generous and said, ¡°alright, it¡¯s my treat then.¡± xia wan smiled and continued, ¡°in that case, let¡¯s go to the second floor. the food there is better. anyway, your family is well-off, so the food on the first floor probably isn¡¯t up to your usual standards, right?¡± although song zhi was also a day student, her parents were often busy with work. they wouldn¡¯t prepare meals for her every day, so she occasionally ate at the school cafeteria. however, most of the time, she dined on the first floor. she would only go to the second floor once or twice a week. the cost of a meal on the second floor was about three times higher than on the first floor. moreover, this time, in addition to xia wan and liu hua, there were also her two sisters and herself, totaling five people. this would indeed be a considerable expense. however, since going shopping together was song zhi¡¯s way of provoking xia wan, and xia wan had accepted the invitation, saying that she couldn¡¯t afford to treat her to a meal would give xia wan an opportunity to mock her. song zhi wasn¡¯t about to let that happen. ¡°hmph!¡± song zhi huffed. ¡°let¡¯s go to the second floor then.¡± her two sisters cheered, ¡°sister zhizhi is so generous!¡± ¡°sister zhizhi is indeed the most generous.¡± xia wan simply smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. if she had to pay for a meal just because someone praised her for being generous, then she would let song zhi bask in that praise. she couldn¡¯t afford to be overly generous. song zhi led the four of them to the second-floor restaurant. one of song zhi¡¯s friends pointed at the western restaurant and said, ¡°sister zhizhi, i want to eat western food. let¡¯s go there. i heard the western food in our school is good and cheaper than outside.¡± song zhi¡¯s lips twitched uncomfortably. she had heard about western food and hamburgers before. a hamburger cost two yuan, so for five people, it would be ten yuan. her heart ached. she was regretting this now. she had hoped that someone would suggest changing restaurants, but no one did. song zhi could only suppress her emotions and say, ¡°alright, let¡¯s have western food then.¡± the money was already spent. song zhi turned to xia wan and asked, ¡°xia wan, you haven¡¯t had western food before, have you? there¡¯s quite a difference between western food and our usual meals. i hope you¡¯ll like it.¡± xia wan thought for a moment. since she had returned, she hadn¡¯t had western food yet. well, she could bring her family here next time and let them try pizza or something. once inside the restaurant, a waiter greeted them warmly. ¡°hello, what would you like to order?¡± the waitress smiled and showed them to their seats. xia wan looked around. the people dining at the western restaurant seemed well-off, with only two couples present. it appeared that the prices here were still a bit high for most high school students. the waitress handed them the menu, and song zhi quickly scanned the prices. the cheapest option was a hamburger, costing two yuan each, with a choice of chicken or beef. there were also some snacks: chips for one yuan a box, coke for one yuan a cup, and chicken nuggets for one yuan per serving. song zhi¡¯s friend, lin shuang, said, ¡°eating just one hamburger won¡¯t fill us up. sister zhizhi, can we order an extra serving of chicken nuggets?¡± she continued, ¡°coke looks delicious too. i¡¯ve never had coke before, sister zhizhi.. can i have a cup of coke?¡± Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: Song Zhi’s Treat chapter 343: song zhi¡¯s treat translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°if xia wan and liu hua were not here, song zhi would have found another reason to reject lin shuang. however, in the presence of xia wan and liu hua, song zhi couldn¡¯t afford to lose face. she tried her best to suppress her anger and pretended to be generous. ¡°of course, you can order whatever you want. make sure to eat your fill.¡± the waitress became even more polite and took the initiative to suggest, ¡°for the five of you, i recommend our set meal. ¡°we include a ten-inch pizza, five glasses of coke, three snacks, and five burgers, all for a total of 38 yuan.¡± song zhi¡¯s heart ached. if the waitress hadn¡¯t suggested it, they would have spent at most 15 yuan on this meal. however, now they would have to spend much more. she laughed awkwardly and said to the waitress, ¡°let¡¯s give it a little thought. maybe some of us don¡¯t like pizza, or these snacks might not suit our tastes.¡± the waitress responded, ¡°that¡¯s alright. we can customize the snacks for you.¡± xia wan, imitating song zhi¡¯s usual provocative tone, remarked, ¡°song zhi, didn¡¯t you always claim your family was very wealthy? can it be that you can¡¯t afford this?¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay. if you¡¯re short on cash, we can cover it ourselves,¡± liu hua added. the waiter¡¯s smile froze. what did they mean? this woman couldn¡¯t afford it? song zhi quickly retorted, ¡°what nonsense are you talking about? how could i order this set meal without money?¡± only then did the waiter regain his smile and said, ¡°alright, we¡¯ll prepare your order right away.¡± lin shuang pretended to look apologetic and said, ¡°sister zhizhi, i shouldn¡¯t have asked for so much.¡± in the past, lin shuang had always aimed to please song zhi, and song zhi had relished that sense of accomplishment. they were both students, but song zhi had always been the envy of others. however, now, looking at lin shuang¡¯s pitiful expression, song zhi felt inexplicably frustrated. she had already spent her money, so why was lin shuang acting so pitiful? ¡°it¡¯s nothing. it¡¯s just 38 yuan. i can afford it,¡± song zhi replied, lowering her head as if she didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation. xia wan and liu hua exchanged knowing glances and smiled. if song zhi wanted to pretend to be generous, she¡¯d have to spend a lot of money! about 20 minutes later, all their food arrived. the waiter even brought five napkins. ¡°please enjoy your meal,¡± the waiter said with a smile. xia wan, who had experienced various lavish meals in her previous life, paid no attention to the so-called western food in front of her. she calmly picked up a burger. it was the first time lin shuang and the others had tried western food. they stared at their plates, worried that their food might be devoured by others. song zhi had hoped to see surprise on xia wan¡¯s face, but she noticed that xia wan ate very naturally, as if it was an ordinary meal. ¡°xia wan, have you ever tried western food before?¡± song zhi asked. ¡°i haven¡¯t,¡± xia wan replied with a shake of her head. ¡°in that case, what do you think of the taste?¡± song zhi inquired again. lin shuang spoke up first, ¡°it¡¯s delicious! i had no idea chicken could taste this good. and is this coke? it¡¯s still fizzing. i¡¯ve never had this drink before.¡± song zhi couldn¡¯t help but glare at lin shuang. ¡°i was asking xia wan, not you.¡± lin shuang promptly fell silent and continued to eat her burger hastily. she occasionally took sips of her coke, savoring the taste. ¡°the taste is so-so. i think my mother¡¯s cooking is better,¡± xia wan remarked. lin shuang wasn¡¯t pleased with this response. she raised her eyes and looked at xia wan. ¡°xia wan, you¡¯re such a liar! do you really think this western restaurant¡¯s food is just average? you said your mom¡¯s cooking is better than this. why doesn¡¯t your mom open a restaurant?¡± ¡°you may not have had western food before, but song zhi treated you to a meal. it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t know how to be grateful, but now you have this attitude. i really despise you.¡± xia wan gave her a cold look. ¡°in my opinion, no matter how delicious the food outside is, it can¡¯t compare to my parents¡¯ cooking. you may value your freedom, but that doesn¡¯t mean i have to emulate you.¡± after finishing her burger quickly, she declared, ¡°i¡¯m full. you guys can finish the rest.¡¯ she didn¡¯t touch the cola; she didn¡¯t care for soda. observing this, lin shuang felt embarrassed for picking a fight with xia wan and offered, ¡°you¡¯re not having any of these?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want it,¡± xia wan replied. lin shuang collected xia wan¡¯s portion. ¡°it¡¯s a shame to waste food..¡± Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: Xia Wan’s Shop chapter 344: xia wan¡¯s shop translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation song zhi was seething with anger. why hadn¡¯t she realized that lin shuang was such a person before? seeing that xia wan wasn¡¯t eating much, song zhi decided to ask the waitress to wrap up the leftovers and give them to zhou chen. she hadn¡¯t taken zhou chen to a western restaurant before. song zhi felt rather dissatisfied with the meal. while the food tasted good, she was disappointed that she hadn¡¯t seen any surprise or shock on xia wan¡¯s face. especially when it came time to foot the bill, song zhi wanted to give lin shuang a piece of her mind. all those smiles¡­ he had been following her around every day, seemingly only interested in taking advantage of her. seeing song zhi¡¯s unhappiness, xia wan couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased. xia wan smiled and said, ¡°let¡¯s go. i can accompany you to look at clothes now. i¡¯ve made you spend money.¡± song zhi snorted coldly and remained silent. on the way to the clothing store, xia wan was engrossed in conversation with liu hua, while song zhi remained silent, and lin shuang chatted with another girl about school gossip. liu hua muttered softly, ¡°they¡¯re always gossiping about school stuff. how boring. if they put in the effort, they could get into a good university.¡± ¡°everyone has their own aspirations; they just don¡¯t see the value in studying.¡± soon, they arrived at the clothing store, and song zhi¡¯s smile finally returned. upon entering the shop, she noticed an elegantly dressed young lady at the front desk. when song zhi walked in, the girl greeted her with a warm smile and said, ¡°welcome.¡± song zhi turned to xia wan and remarked, ¡°did you see that? her service attitude is much better than yours.¡± xia wan also looked at the girl. it was liu sha, the person she had asked for help. upon seeing xia wan, liu sha¡¯s smile became even more sincere. ¡®wanwan, you¡¯re here. are these your classmates?¡± song zhi¡¯s smile immediately faded, and she asked, ¡°you know each other?¡± liu sha, unaware of the dynamics, replied honestly, ¡°i know her. i, wan wan, invited her to help me manage the shop.¡± song zhi¡¯s expression froze. she questioned xia wan, ¡°what does this shop have to do with you?¡± xia wan smiled and explained, ¡°it¡¯s our previous stall. my boss said we made good money for her, so she asked me to rent this shop to increase our income. she also asked me to help find new employees.¡± as they began shopping for clothes, song zhi followed xia wan stiffly, feeling like a clown. lin shuang and the others also appeared unhappy. such a beautiful shop was managed by xia wan? lin shuang couldn¡¯t resist asking xia wan, ¡°is your boss in the county now? can i work here too? what¡¯s the salary?¡± xia wan politely declined, ¡°you can¡¯t. you¡¯re still a student. our boss doesn¡¯t hire students. she believes students should focus on their studies.¡± ¡°you¡¯re a student too,¡± lin shuang retorted, ¡°why do you get to work here?¡± xia wan replied matter-of-factly, ¡°i only worked during the holidays. now that school has started, i¡¯ll focus on studying. it was you who brought me here; otherwise, i¡¯d be studying right now.¡± lin shuang was left speechless. xia wan energetically introduced various clothes to song zhi. song zhi had fair skin, so xia wan selected a blue dress for her, paired it with a white cardigan, canvas shoes, and a blue hairband. she even tied the hairband for song zhi. when song zhi looked at herself in the mirror, she felt satisfied. the blue dress accentuated her figure ¡ª long legs and a perfectly proportioned body. the blue hairband added to her overall look. however, when song zhi turned to see xia wan smiling at her, she felt inexplicably frustrated. song zhi had intended to humiliate xia wan, but her plan had backfired. she asked stiffly, ¡°how much is this set?¡± xia wan answered with a smile, ¡°the dress is 120 yuan, the headband is 8 yuan, and the canvas shoes are 25 yuan.¡± ¡°i suggest you buy another 50 yuan item. that way, i can give you a sunblock and a 9.0% discount ¡± xia wan nicked in a shirt and a pair of jeang and began measuring them on song zhi. song zhi was touched by xia wan¡¯s helpfulness. when song zhi left the store, she had spent 220 yuan, leaving her with only three yuan in her pocket. this was the living allowance her parents had given her for the month, and she had spent it all in just a few days. song zhi felt like crying, but when she looked at the clothes in the packaging, she couldn¡¯t help but feel happy.. Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: Changing Into New Clothes chapter 345: changing into new clothes translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation on the way back, an unusual silence filled the atmosphere. song zhi clutched her newly bought clothes tightly, but her happiness was marred by xia wan¡¯s presence. ¡°xia wan, is this shop rented by your family?¡± lin shuang asked. ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell us? were you trying to make us lose face?¡± song zhi shared lin shuang¡¯s suspicion as she glanced unhappily at xia wan. xia wan responded, ¡°if i said my family owned the shop, would you believe lin shuang was momentarily taken aback. naturally, they wouldn¡¯t believe it if xia wan claimed ownership; they¡¯d think she was boasting. lin shuang pursed her lips. ¡°whether we believe it or not is one thing. you should¡¯ve still told us.¡± xia wan gave her a cold look. ¡°since you don¡¯t believe me, why bother saying it? instead of explaining, how about i just show you?¡± lin shuang wanted to argue more, but song zhi interrupted her. ¡°alright, lin shuang, enough talking.¡± what lin shuang wanted to say was whether xia wan had embarrassed them enough. xia wan noticed the shopping bag in song zhi¡¯s hand and suggested, ¡°let¡¯s go to the school dormitory and change your clothes. they look great on you.¡± despite song zhi causing trouble for her at school, since song zhi had purchased clothes from her store, she considered her a customer. xia wan wanted to ensure that her customers looked stunning in her clothes to boost sales. furthermore, while her body was 18 years old, her soul felt almost 30. song zhi and the others were mere children in her eyes, so there was no need to be petty with them. in her previous life, it was zhou chen who had mistreated her and taken advantage of her feelings, unrelated to the other girls. song zhi blushed slightly. her relationship with xia wan was far from amicable. normally, she wouldn¡¯t listen to xia wan¡¯s suggestions, but this time, xia wan¡¯s words struck a chord. song zhi had bought these new clothes to wear them, to make other students envious and earn their praise. she had spent a significant amount on them. however, because xia wan suggested it, song zhi felt somewhat embarrassed to admit it. liu hua chimed in, ¡°those clothes suit you really well. you¡¯re tall, and they enhance your appearance.¡± with liu hua¡¯s encouragement, song zhi nodded proudly. ¡°alright then. since you¡¯ve persuaded me, i¡¯ll wear them.¡± she feigned reluctance but was secretly pleased. xia wan accompanied song zhi to her dormitory with a customer service attitude. the dormitory had six beds, a mix of bunk and single beds, with no desks for students to study. if someone wanted to study in the dormitory, they¡¯d usually sit on their own bed or buy a small stool or table and place it on the floor. song zhi quickly changed into her new clothes. unfortunately, there was no large mirror in the dormitory, so she couldn¡¯t see her appearance clearly. lin shuang suggested, ¡°let¡¯s go to the bathroom; there¡¯s a big mirror there.¡± song zhi agreed and followed them. at this noon break time, many girls were washing their hair in the bathroom using basins and kettles. song zhi¡¯s arrival drew the attention of many. ¡°song zhi, your dress is gorgeous. where did you get it?¡± one girl inquired. a crowd gathered around song zhi, offering compliments on her outfit. song zhi¡¯s vanity was satisfied. she smiled and shared, ¡°i didn¡¯t have much to spend. it¡¯s only 120 yuan per piece, from the newly opened clothing store near the school.¡± she discreetly glanced at xia wan while speaking, expecting her to step forward and claim ownership of the store. however, xia wan remained silent. song zhi found this somewhat surprising. she had assumed xia wan would take the opportunity to reveal her involvement. however, xia wan didn¡¯t say a word. song zhi wondered if she had misunderstood xia wan in the past. now that she observed her more closely, xia wan¡¯s personality seemed quite low-key. xia wan felt pleased as she witnessed everyone praising song zhi¡¯s beautiful dress. it meant that her clothing store was gaining popularity. she then suggested to liu hua, ¡°liu hua, let¡¯s go back to the classroom.¡± ¡°alright,¡± liu hua agreed. they left, leaving song zhi behind with mixed emotions. after soaking up the praise, song zhi returned to her dormitory with lin shuang. puzzled, song zhi asked the girls in lin shuang¡¯s dormitory, ¡°don¡¯t you guys feel like xia wan has changed since school started?¡± Chapter 346 - Chapter 346: Zhou Chen I s Interrogation chapter 346: zhou chen i s interrogation translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation initially, she believed that xia wan was merely feigning disinterest in zhou chen. now, however, she realized that xia wan genuinely didn¡¯t pay much attention to zhou chen. on the contrary, zhou chen would occasionally speak ill of xia wan in her ear. lin shuang contemplated this seriously and remarked, ¡°in the past, xia wan was rather naive. she believed everything others said, and her thoughts were always written on her face. now, it seems like she¡¯s become more complex.¡± song zhi was left speechless. ultimately, song zhi couldn¡¯t fathom the reason behind her sudden transformation. she decided to take a nap in the dormitory before heading to class with renewed enthusiasm. as she reached the classroom, zhou chen approached her with a displeased expression. ¡°i heard you treated xia wan to lunch today,¡± zhou chen said, ¡°did you take her to the second floor for western food?¡± song zhi had initially thought zhou chen was going to compliment her dress, so his question caught her off guard and instantly dampened her good mood. she shot an unhappy glare at zhou chen and retorted, ¡°yes, i did take xia wan to eat. but what business is it of yours? since when do you need to know who i treat?¡± zhou chen found it unbelievable. he stared at song zhi in shock, as if her actions had betrayed him. ¡°didn¡¯t you used to dislike xia wan? why would you treat her to a meal now? besides, you¡¯ve never taken me out for western food. is our relationship worse than yours with xia wan?¡± in the past, song zhi might have interpreted zhou chen¡¯s words as jealousy. however, zhou chen¡¯s expressions were so transparent, possibly due to his anxiety. song zhi¡¯s intuition told her that zhou chen was more concerned about not being treated to western food himself. this only made song zhi even more dissatisfied with zhou chen. if she wanted to treat zhou chen to western food, she would do so willingly and feel quite pleased about it. however, if zhou chen pressured her into it, she¡¯d feel like he was simply asking her for money. song zhi¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°if you want western food, go and get it yourself. don¡¯t you come from a wealthy family? don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even afford western food?¡± in the past, she had chosen not to argue with zhou chen, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t. zhou chen was behaving rather spoiled now, and song zhi felt that he was overstepping his boundaries. despite zhou chen being relatively popular with a girl in their class, song zhi was no less appealing. her figure and looks were considered top-notch in their class, and many boys had a crush on her. after her response, song zhi returned to her seat, and many girls in the class kept glancing her way. some of those close to her approached to inquire about her outfit. only then did song zhi¡¯s mood brighten. this, she thought, was the reaction she deserved. when song zhi entered the classroom, she found xia wan already engrossed in her studies. zhou chen¡¯s questioning of song zhi had taken place in front of the whole class, and xia wan had heard everything. xia wan lowered her head and smiled. she noticed that zhou chen appeared even more anxious than before. zhou chen seemed to expect that all the girls should flatter him and be his admirers. however, he had forgotten that song zhi was also a proud person and wouldn¡¯t be easily controlled by him. at that moment, xia chen entered the classroom. upon seeing xia chen, zhou chen promptly turned around, intending to return to his seat. however, xia chen intercepted him, blocking his way. ¡°zhou chen, have you forgotten what you said before the basketball game?¡± xia chen inquired. ¡°if you couldn¡¯t outperform me, you agreed to treat the entire class to snacks.¡± zhou chen¡¯s expression soured. ¡°i was just talking casually back then. why are you taking it so seriously?¡± xia chen replied, ¡°i never make promises lightly. if i lost, i would also treat the whole class to snacks. however, i scored more goals than you and blocked more as well.¡± ¡°the referee even stated that my performance was superior to yours.¡± ¡°as a man, can¡¯t you accept your defeat?¡± all the students in the class watched their exchange. a classmate who was participating in the upcoming basketball game spoke up, ¡°let me explain. before zhou chen and xia chen played basketball, they made an agreement. if one of them didn¡¯t perform as well as the other, they would buy snacks for the entire class after the school year began..¡± Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: Zhou Chen Loses chapter 347: zhou chen loses translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°in the end, xia chen emerged as the victor, leaving the responsibility of purchasing snacks in zhou chen¡¯s hands.¡± zhou chen remained silent. after the basketball match concluded, he departed with a visibly displeased expression. based on his knowledge of zhou chen, he doubted whether zhou chen would uphold his promise to buy snacks for the class. however, he hadn¡¯t anticipated xia chen¡¯s determination to bring this up in front of the entire class. ¡°zhou chen, since you¡¯ve lost, it¡¯s only fair that you honor your commitment. real men should be gracious in defeat.¡± ¡°indeed, zhou chen, you¡¯re quite popular in our class. many girls often give you gifts. are you telling us you can¡¯t even afford snacks?¡± a few of the boys pounded the table and chimed in, ¡°ladies, take heed. this stingy fellow isn¡¯t suitable boyfriend material. you¡¯ll have a tough time with him in the future.¡± ¡°zhou chen can¡¯t even afford snacks. how will you survive with him? you¡¯ll be eating plain cabbage every day.¡± zhou chen typically held a moderate reputation in the class. his striking looks and good grades made him a favorite among both girls and teachers. yet, his interactions with numerous girls had caused some boys to resent him. it seemed the speaker had a discerning eye for zhou chen, as they were more attuned to his shortcomings. for instance, during exams, if someone sought zhou chen¡¯s help, he would simply ignore them. when dining out with the boys, zhou chen never considered footing the bill. zhou chen might have been forgiven if he came from a financially challenged background. however, he often dressed conspicuously, giving the impression of wealth. zhou chen seemed to prioritize himself, spending his money on personal pursuits while being miserly with others. consequently, many whispered behind his back that zhou chen was incredibly selfish. they believed zhou chen¡¯s challenge against xia chen stemmed from jealousy, as xia chen was on par with him in terms of both looks and academic performance. with xia chen¡¯s arrival, the class¡¯s female population had developed a newfound adoration. her status was poised to surpass zhou chen¡¯s, which may have fueled his deliberate targeting of her. however, none could have foreseen that zhou chen, the instigator, would actually lose. under the collective gaze of everyone, zhou chen¡¯s face turned crimson. he retorted angrily, ¡°i¡¯m just buying snacks; what¡¯s the big deal? i didn¡¯t bring any money today. i¡¯ll get them for you in a couple of days.¡± someone interjected, ¡°when exactly is ¡®in two days¡¯? you always renege on your promises. we¡¯re still waiting for those snacks.¡± zhou chen was secretly irritated. he could tell that these taunting individuals were generally unlikable. ¡°tomorrow, i promise i¡¯ll get them for you tomorrow, alright?¡± he said with exasperation. upon receiving zhou chen¡¯s assurance, the others remained silent. during the break, xia wan called xia chen aside. the two siblings strolled around the campus. ¡°brother, why didn¡¯t you tell me about the bet?¡± xia wan inquired. xia chen smiled. ¡°when i arrived at school, i overheard some things. i knew you used to have a soft spot for zhou chen, often buying him things, but he didn¡¯t appreciate it. fortunately, you¡¯ve come to your senses. i¡¯m glad.¡± his expression then turned serious. ¡°however, i had to teach the person who bullied my sister a lesson. he needed to understand that he can¡¯t bully just anyone.¡± xia wan felt a warm surge within her. her brother was taking action to help her find closure. that afternoon, after school, zhou chen suddenly approached xia wan. ¡°xia wan, i need to talk to you privately.¡± sensing something amiss, xia chen hurried over to xia wan. xia wan responded, ¡°there¡¯s no need, brother. i¡¯ll hear what he has to say.¡± in a quiet corner, zhou chen fixed his gaze on xia wan. ¡°xia wan, your brother¡¯s basketball skills are outstanding. why didn¡¯t you tell me? are you trying to embarrass me?¡± xia wan chuckled in exasperation. ¡°you¡¯re the one who provoked my brother. how could i have known you¡¯d stoop so low?¡± ¡°my brother and i have never been in the same class before. how could i have known about his basketball skills?¡± she continued, ¡°even if my brother excels in basketball, i¡¯d rather see him focus on his studies in his spare time..¡± Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: Chen MO is Here chapter 348: chen mo is here translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zhou chen comprehended xia wan¡¯s implication and shot her a glare. ¡°what do you mean? do you think competing with me is a waste of time?¡± xia wan rolled her eyes. ¡°what else can i do? are you really that good? isn¡¯t competing with you a futile effort?¡± zhou chen seethed with anger, but he managed to suppress it momentarily. he donned a gentle smile and said, ¡°wanwan, i understand that you¡¯ve always held a special place for me in your heart. whether it was the man driving the car before or your deliberate indifference in class now, it was all just to catch my attention.¡± ¡°i admit that you¡¯ve become even more charming lately, and i recognize my past mistakes. i¡¯ve consistently disregarded your feelings.¡± ¡°wanwan, i promise to treat you better from now on. how about we get along well?¡± as he spoke, zhou chen moved closer, intending to hold xia wan¡¯s hand. however, this action startled her, and she quickly stepped back. xia wan regarded zhou chen warily. ¡°maintain your distance from me. i don¡¯t want people to misunderstand and think i¡¯m pursuing you.¡± impatience flashed in zhou chen¡¯s eyes, but he continued, ¡°wanwan, my family¡¯s situation is somewhat complicated. my parents haven¡¯t received their salaries yet, and it costs at least ten yuan to buy snacks for the class. i imow you made a lot of money selling clothes during the break. can you lend me ten ¡°don¡¯t worry; i¡¯ll repay you as soon as my parents receive their salaries.¡± xia wan could sense that zhou chen had asked her to meet him to borrow money. ¡°i don¡¯t have any money, and even if i did, i wouldn¡¯t lend it to you,¡± she replied firmly. zhou chen was furious. ¡°don¡¯t push it too far. i¡¯m already humbling myself by asking you. what more do you want?¡± xia wan was about to respond when she noticed a familiar figure approaching. chen mo walked over and pulled xia wan into his arms. he warned zhou chen, ¡°if you bother my girlfriend again, i won¡¯t hesitate to involve the police.¡± zhou chen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°what? girlfriend? you¡¯re xia wan¡¯s boyfriend?¡± chen mo raised an eyebrow. ¡°yes.¡± xia wan¡¯s heart raced. though she had agreed to chen mo¡¯s pursuit, she hadn¡¯t thought of announcing it publicly. zhou chen ground his teeth. ¡°fine, very well. xia wan, just wait!¡± with that, zhou chen turned and hastily left in embarrassment. xia wan extricated herself from chen mot s embrace, her face displaying a hint of unease that she hadn¡¯t realized. ¡°why are you here? aren¡¯t you busy? i can handle my own affairs. zhou chen isn¡¯t a threat to me.¡± chen mo glanced at his empty arms and felt a twinge of disappointment. he leaned in closer to xia wan, speaking with a hint of remorse, ¡°wanwan, are you upset with me?¡± xia wan averted her gaze and avoided chen mo¡¯s eyes. ¡°no, why would i be upset with you? you didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± though she uttered these words, her slightly pursed lips betrayed her inner discontent. chen mo pressed his forehead against xia wan¡¯s. ¡°is it because i didn¡¯t see you over the weekend?¡± xia wan¡¯s face flushed suddenly. chen mo had hit the mark. ¡°what nonsense are you talking about? i¡¯m not upset. i had plans this weekend, and i¡¯m not waiting for you to come to me,¡± she retorted defensively. however, deep down, she couldn¡¯t help but anticipate chen mo¡¯s visit over the weekend. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, wanwan,¡± chen mo said in a hushed voice. ¡°i intended to see you over the weekend, but something came up with work. xu ye was nearly assaulted, and i had to assist him.¡± xia wan immediately looked up, concern evident in her voice. ¡°how is big brother xu? is he injured? take me to see him quickly.¡± seeing xia wan so worried about xu ye, chen mo felt a twinge of jealousy. ¡°he¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry. we¡¯ve encountered situations like this before. not just anyone can harm us.¡± as chen mo spoke, he locked eyes with xia wan, a hint of sorrow in his gaze. ¡°wanwan, why are you so concerned about xu ye? you don¡¯t seem to worry about me at all. i could get hurt helping someone.¡± caught in the intensity of chen mo¡¯s affectionate gaze, xia wan found herself unable to meet his eyes. xia chen and liu hua, worried about xia wan, arrived on the scene just in time to witness this close interaction. xia chen raised his voice, ¡°chen mo, what are you doing? xia wan and chen mo were both startled, and they abruptly distanced themselves from each other.. Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: Public Relationship chapter 349: public relationship translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation liu hua looked at xia chen helplessly and tugged at the corner of his shirt. ¡°don¡¯t be so fierce. you¡¯re scaring them,¡± she said. ¡°chen mo is always deliberately getting close to wanwan. i think he has other motives, so we have to be wary of him,¡± xia chen felt that liu hua was xia wan¡¯s good sister and also treated liu hua as one of his own, so he said directly. liu hua was a little helpless. she imew xia wan¡¯s character better than xia chen. if xia wan didn¡¯t want chen mo to get close to her, then chen mo wouldn¡¯t have the chance. now that chen mo was so close to xia wan, it meant that xia wan was willing. xia wan looked at xia chen shyly. ¡°brother, zhou chen came to borrow money from me just now. i didn¡¯t lend it to him.¡± she looked at chen mo again and mustered up her courage to say, ¡°there¡¯s one more thing i have to confess to you. i¡¯m dating chen mo now.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± xia chen¡¯s eyes widened in shock. chen mo was filled with joy. wanwan actually confessed that they were dating in front of her brother. this meant that he had completely obtained xia wan¡¯s approval. liu hua, on the other hand, was all smiles. she took the initiative to say, ¡°congratulations.¡± although she did not have much contact with chen mo, she had heard xia wan mention him a few times. every time chen mo was mentioned, xia wan¡¯s expression would always become gentle. perhaps even xia wan herself did not notice it. xia chen¡¯s gaze shifted back and forth between the faces of chen mo and xia wan. ¡°wanwan, it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t want you to date,¡± he said seriously. ¡®you¡¯re still a student. your main focus should be on your studies.¡± some of his former classmates were also in love, but dating would more or less affect their studies. there were even many girls who stopped studying because of dating. he had also heard that some girls had already been admitted to university, but because they were in a relationship and the man wanted to marry them, the woman directly gave up the opportunity to go to university. he didn¡¯t want his sister to become like those girls who gave up their studies and careers because of love. xia wan saw xia chen¡¯s worry and took the initiative to say, ¡°brother, don¡¯t worry. i won¡¯t let my relationship affect my grades. ¡°and i think a good relationship should help each other enter a better state. ¡°it¡¯s two people working hard to have a better life together, making life more motivated. ¡°chen mo is with me. he will take care of me a lot in life. when i have trouble, he will help me solve it. ¡°brother, please believe me. take a look at this monthly test. my results will definitely improve.¡± ever since she was reborn, she had never gone through an examination. in her previous life, her grades at this stage were very bad, at the middle or lower end of the class. so as long as she worked a little harder, she would definitely be able to improve a lot. by then, xia chen would believe her. chen mo also promised, ¡°i definitely won¡¯t do anything to wanwan that crosses the line. i¡¯ll work hard to help her get into a better university.¡± xia chen still didn¡¯t believe it. he said, ¡°your family is in the capital, and our family is only in a small village. in terms of status, we don¡¯t match. ¡°moreover, xia wan is in high school now, and you¡¯re not going to school anymore. what if wanwan meets a boy she likes more after she goes to university? ¡°you fell in love with someone else at work. what should wanwan do? ¡°the two of you are not in the same place, so it¡¯s very easy for problems to arise. once there are problems in your relationship, it will definitely affect wanwan¡¯s academic results.¡± only then did xia wan realize that her brother was not a blockhead. his analysis of relationships was clear and logical, making her look at him in a new light. ¡°i¡¯ve been surrounded by many girls since i was young, ¡± chen mo said firmly. ¡°to others, they are good-looking, have good family backgrounds, and are good at studying. but they have never caught my eye. ¡°i¡¯ve never been in a relationship before. xia wan is my first love and will be my only lover in this life. ¡°it¡¯s precisely because my family background is good that i¡¯ve seen many outstanding girls. those outstanding girls can¡¯t even move me, let alone other girls. ¡°in my heart, xia wan is the only existence. no one can replace her position.¡± xia chen was shocked by chen mo¡¯s words. he could feel that chen mo¡¯s words came from the bottom of his heart. he had to admit that chen mo¡¯s words made sense.. Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Giving a House chapter 350: giving a house translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation some boys did not cheat on others because they did not have the qualifications or capital to do so. however, chen mo was different. as long as he waved his hand, many girls would take the initiative to hug him. liu hua also helped persuade xia chen, and in the end, xia chen reluctantly agreed. however, he still said that he would observe chen mo for a while. if chen mo was sincere with xia wan and would not affect xia wan¡¯s grades, then he would agree. that day, they did not go home for dinner. chen mo brought the three of them to a restaurant. the place chen mo chose was far from their school, but the restaurant¡¯s decoration was much more luxurious than the previous dongxing pavilion. looking down from the window of the private room, one could see a commercial street. at this moment, the commercial street was still in its infancy. there was a shop open every three or five days. chen mo took the initiative to say, ¡°according to what i know, this street in your county will develop and slowly become the most prosperous place in the county. ¡°if you want to buy a house, you can consider buying one on this street. ¡°there are still relatively few people who have received the news, so the price shouldn¡¯t increase much.¡± chen mo didn¡¯t say where he got the information from, but xia wan knew that everything he said had a basis. moreover, xia wan had some understanding of this commercial street. in her previous life, two large shopping malls had opened here, leading to the development of the surrounding streets. there were food streets and entertainment streets. however, if she wanted to buy a house, she still wanted to buy it at the place she rented because it was close to the school. the price of the school district house would be more expensive in the future. chen mo suddenly handed a book to xia wan. ¡°i have already bought two houses here. we can live in one. you can take the other one.¡± xia chen¡¯s eyelids twitched. was there such a thing as a relationship? giving a house directly? he was feeling very complicated. chen mo had even given her a house, which was enough to prove that he was sincere about his sister. however, such a generous brother-in-law exerted a lot of pressure on their family. xia wan quickly pushed the book back to chen mo. ¡°you bought this house. you can keep it. why are you giving it to me? ¡°although i¡¯m your girlfriend now, i don¡¯t want to spend your money all the time.¡± chen mo immediately said with a hurt expression, ¡°wanwan, you¡¯re my girlfriend. i¡¯ll naturally think of you when i buy anything. to me, a house is just a small object.¡± xia wan felt helpless. was this the generation gap caused by the gap between the rich and the poor? for the locals of the county, their lifelong goal was to buy a house. however, to chen mo, a house was just an ordinary thing. liu hua was so shocked that she did not know what to say. was this the so-called rich people? it was a world that she could not understand. however, liu hua was not jealous of xia wan at all. in her eyes, xia wan was the most outstanding girl in the world. she was worthy of the best boy¡¯s care and love. chen mo treated xia wan so well. in liu hua¡¯s opinion, it was what he should do. if she were a man and had a powerful and beautiful girlfriend like xia wan, she would, of course, be willing to give all the good things to xia wan. thinking of this, liu hua suddenly understood chen mo¡¯s actions. ¡°my mother is also in charge of all the money in my family. my father said that his motivation to work hard is to give us a better life.¡± ¡°perhaps chen mo thinks the same way. he has already treated you as the most important woman in his life. you are his housekeeper.¡± chen mo looked at liu hua gratefully. he said, ¡°that¡¯s what i mean. i hope my girlfriend can have the best in the world. letting her have a better life is my motivation.¡± xia wan glared at liu hua. ¡°what time is it now? why are you still adding to the mess?¡± she handed the book to chen mo. ¡°alright, take this. i¡¯m only your girlfriend now, not your wife. we don¡¯t have your marriage certificate. keep your things.¡± chen mo couldn¡¯t hide the hurt on his face, but he could see xia wan¡¯s determination. he could only silently keep the book.. Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: The Studious Liu Sha chapter 351: the studious liu sha translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation however, he had decided in his heart that he would sell this house to xia wan. even if xia wan did not accept it now, he would find an opportunity to give this house away in the future. xia wan didn¡¯t open the room book to take a look, so she didn¡¯t notice that the name written on the room book was hers. in other words, regardless of whether the house was in xia wan¡¯s hands or not, chen mo¡¯s house was bought for her. the dishes were served very quickly. they tasted delicious and were dishes that they had never tasted before. liu hua and xia chen both ate an extra bowl of rice. after dinner, chen mo sent them home and left. he seemed to be busy with something else. xia wan didn¡¯t think too much about it. she went back to her room and took out her book to continue studying. liu sha came over to help her with her revision. however, xia wan could tell that liu sha was exceptionally excited today. ¡°sister liu, did you encounter something happy?¡± she asked. liu sha nodded. ¡°when i was looking at the shop today, a woman brought her husband to buy clothes. they were about to leave, but i saw that they couldn¡¯t find anything suitable after looking for a long time. it just so happened that the shop wasn¡¯t that busy, so i boldly went over to help them. ¡°in the end, under my introduction, this woman bought two sets of clothes for her husband and one for herself. ¡°i helped the shop earn 300 yuan. i¡¯m still so excited. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect that i would actually be able to successfully sell the clothes.¡± for others, selling clothes might be a very common thing, but liu sha was usually introverted and never took the initiative to help others promote nnvthino after selling three sets of clothes today, she realized that it wasn¡¯t difficult to sell clothes to others. xia wan also laughed and said, ¡°then the clothes sold will be counted as your commission. will mom help you calculate it?¡± liu sha nodded. ¡°forget it. i told you not to, but auntie insisted.¡± ¡°wan wan, i¡¯m happy because i helped you sell the clothes and i can get a commission. i¡¯m really happy because of this.¡± xia wan realized that she was a little nervous when she spoke, so she quickly said, ¡°i know. i remember that you majored in economics. you can take advantage of this holiday to train your marketing skills.¡± xia wan¡¯s tone also became serious. ¡°anyone can do the job of sales, but it¡¯s very difficult to be the best in sales. ¡°he must have foresight, be able to read people¡¯s minds, know how to maintain his connections, and make others trust him. ¡°sister liu sha, if you can become a good salesperson, you won¡¯t have to worry about money for the rest of your life.¡± liu sha was encouraged and felt even happier. after liu sha left, xia wan went to the living room to find yan han and asked her about the business in the store for the past few days. yan han didn¡¯t want to delay xia wan¡¯s studies previously, so as long as xia wan didn¡¯t ask, she wouldn¡¯t tell her subordinates about the situation in the shop, afraid that xia wan would be worried. now that xia wan had taken the initiative to ask, she told xia wan everything that had happened in the shop over the past two days. xia wan learned from yan han that liu sha was meticulous in her accounting and had never made a mistake. moreover, whenever a customer came to buy clothes, she would learn from yan han¡¯s introduction. yan han couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°it¡¯s a pity that liu sha is still a university student and has her own studies to attend to. she definitely won¡¯t be selling clothes in the future. otherwise, i really want her to stay and help me.¡± xia wan smiled. ¡°it¡¯s okay, mom. it¡¯s indeed a little unfair for sister liu sha to sell clothes. however, if we set up our own company in the future, we can let sister liu sha take on a bigger role.¡± yan han was dumbfounded. xia wan nodded and took out two pieces of design paper from her bag. ¡°mom, look at these two sets of clothes that i designed,¡± she said. ¡°i want to find two masters to help me cut the clothes. this dress is considered our personal product. the price will be much higher than other clothes, but its biggest feature is its uniqueness..¡± Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Xia Wan I s Imagination chapter 352: xia wan i s imagination translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation yan han didn¡¯t quite understand and asked, ¡°what is uniqueness? are we only going to make one of the clothes you designed? ¡°then wouldn¡¯t that be too much of a loss? every time you sell a piece of clothing, you have to spend a lot of effort to design one. ¡°you only earn a few dozen yuan from selling clothes. what a waste of your brain.¡¯ yan han refused without thinking. she could not let her precious daughter suffer so much. the most important thing for her daughter now was to study hard for the college entrance exammauon. xia wan knew that yan han had misunderstood. she patiently explained, ¡°actually, it¡¯s not difficult. for example, we only sell one of the designs i designed in this color, but we can design different colors or make some changes to the details. ¡°in this way, every piece of clothing is different, and we don¡¯t have to spend too much effort on the design. ¡°and those who are willing to spend a lot of money to buy clothes and maintain the uniqueness of the clothes must be from the high-income class. ¡°what they want the most is for their clothes to be something that others can¡¯t afford, something that others envy and are different from others. ¡°to put it bluntly, we¡¯re just taking the light luxury route and only cater to some high-end customers. ¡°and i don¡¯t plan to sell these clothes in our shop. we mainly sell clothes at a fair price and earn money by quantity. ¡°i¡¯ll get someone to make these clothes first. i¡¯ll bring them to the capital to sell during the holidays.¡± yan han could not sit still anymore. ¡°the capital? wanwan, there are so many rich people in xindu. will they buy our clothes?¡± yan han felt that his daughter was too ambitious. she was afraid that she would not be able to manage the business well even if she could open a shop in a small county. if she went to the capital, would they be able to survive? looking at the agitated yan han, xia wan tried her best to persuade her. ¡°mom, don¡¯t be agitated. listen to me slowly. ¡°we¡¯re not going to the capital to open a shop. the rent there is too expensive, and we don¡¯t have any power to protect us. ¡°so my idea is to set up a stall there during the holidays. at the same time, i want to understand the style of clothes that people like now and accumulate some customers. ¡°now that we have a mobile phone at home, if the customer wants any clothes, we can contact them directly by phone. it¡¯s very convenient.¡± this was only the first step of xia wan¡¯s plan. selling clothes was partly for the sake of making money, but also to find out about the lu family¡¯s situation. according to the development of her previous life, old master lu¡¯s health was already on the decline. she wanted to diagnose old master lu in person. it would be best if she could recuperate his health. because there was lu laoye, lu lin, unable to find her trouble, but if lu laoye was not there, even if chen mo protected her, lu lin also had many ways to give her a hard time. she was not afraid of anything, but she was afraid that her family would be implicated. instead of passively waiting to be beaten, it was better to take the initiative to attack. however, she couldn¡¯t tell her family about this because it would make them worried. therefore, selling clothes became the best reason. yan han was slowly softened by xia wan¡¯s words, but she still did not agree immediately. yan han only told everyone about xia wan¡¯s idea when everyone returned home at night. when xia feng heard that he was going to the capital, he became excited. ¡°it¡¯s good to go to the capital. some of my classmates have been to the capital before and said that it¡¯s very prosperous there. if our family can go to the capital to sell clothes, we¡¯ll be in the limelight.¡± xia chen glared at him. ¡°show off? you just want to show off. aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll get lost in the capital and come back without you?¡± ¡°why aren¡¯t you vigilant at all? can anyone go to the capital? can we survive?¡± xia chen¡¯s face was serious as he asked xia wan, ¡°tell me the truth. after finding out about chen mo and xia wan¡¯s relationship, xia chen was now very wary of chen mo. he was afraid that xia wan wanted to go to the capital to sell clothes just to meet chen mo more often. yan han was a little surprised.. how did this have anything to do with chen mo? Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Clothes Are Costly in the Capital chapter 353: clothes are costly in the capital translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation yan han asked xia wan, ¡°wanwan, what¡¯s going on? did you really go to the capital for chen mo?¡± xia wan felt helpless and quickly explained, ¡°mom, believe me. i¡¯m really not being emotional. ¡°let¡¯s put it this way. the clothes that i spent the same amount of time and effort to make can only be sold for more than 100 yuan in our county. but if i go to the capital to sell them, i can sell them for more than 500 yuan, or even 1000 yuan.¡± xia wan¡¯s words dumbfounded yan han. she looked at xia wan in shock. ¡°a piece of clothing can be sold for 1000 yuan? what kind of shocking price is this? when your dad was working, his monthly salary was only 300 yuan.¡± xia chen was also in disbelief. ¡°wanwan, don¡¯t lie to your family just to go to the capital.¡± xia hai knew that he had no status at home, so he sat quietly and listened. xia feng, on the other hand, was staring at xia wan. no matter what his sister said, he would trust her unconditionally. xia wan slowly explained, ¡°the clothes i want to make have their own characteristics. there are many shops in the capital. they are not only sold to domestic customers. every year, there will be many foreign tourists. the price for selling to tourists is very expensive. ¡°even if it¡¯s a customer from our country, if my clothes are unique enough, they¡¯re willing to buy them. ¡°the income of ordinary people in our county may be around a few hundred yuan, but in jingdu, many people have already taken advantage of the opportunity of reform and opening up to achieve a well-off life. their monthly income can reach tens of thousands or even more.¡± yan han and the others were shocked when xia wan finished speaking. the huge difference in income between the capital and the county surprised them. xia chen was the first to react. he asked, ¡°how do you know all this?¡± xia wan had already found an excuse. she pointed to the study. ¡°of course, i found it on the computer. ¡°i¡¯ve been checking the current economic development level and average wage in various parts of the country on the internet these two days. at the same time, i¡¯ve also checked the stocks of related companies. ¡°i¡¯ve also done a lot of research on clothing. in the bustling areas of the capital, when wealthy families attend important banquets, the price of the gowns they wear starts at a thousand yuan. ¡°to us, the extravagant lifestyle is out of reach, but to the wealthy families in the capital, it¡¯s just a daily expense.¡± xia wan was exaggerating. clothes that cost 1,000 yuan were very expensive in the capital. but now, in order to convince her family to let her go to the capital to sell clothes, she could only exaggerate a little. yan han hesitated for a moment. ¡°if you really want to go to the capital, mom will go with you.¡± xia wan refused. ¡°no, the shop still needs you. you have to be in the shop.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go with you,¡± xia chen said. ¡°i¡¯ll rest when you¡¯re on vacation. you can¡¯t go alone. ¡± xia feng also said, ¡°i¡¯ll go too. i¡¯ll go too. i have more holidays, and my learning tasks aren¡¯t that heavy.¡± besides, i can¡¯t help much in the shop.¡± in the end, yan han decided to let xia chen and xia feng accompany xia wan to the capital. in the next two days, xia wan studied even harder. she had arranged the weekend time and could only complete the weekend study tasks during the week. yesterday, after school, xu ye had been waiting for her at the door with a smile. seeing xia wan, xu ye immediately waved at her. xia wan walked over quickly, her face filled with joy. ¡°big brother xu, why are you here?¡± xu ye smiled. ¡°i told you before that i¡¯m going to find an art teacher for your brother. now that i¡¯ve finally found a suitable one, i¡¯ll bring you over to take a look when you have time.¡± ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go now.¡± xia wan immediately agreed. she told xia chen and liu hua to go home first while she followed xu ye to find the art teacher. xu ye would send her home when she returned. xia chen had also heard about xu ye. he knew that xu ye had helped xia wan a lot, so he was very relieved. after getting into the car, xu ye said to her, ¡°the art teacher i found graduated from a key university, but she couldn¡¯t find a suitable major after graduating from university. she wanted to go into the design industry, but the design industry doesn¡¯t just require drawing. she¡¯s passionate about learning design, but she doesn¡¯t have enough talent..¡¯ Chapter 354 - Chapter 354: Art Teacher chapter 354: art teacher translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°but her drawing level is very high. she has won many awards in school. ¡°she had no choice but to give tuition to the children in the capital. however, most of the children who learned painting in the capital came from good families. some people looked down on her country background and were always very picky about her. they didn¡¯t cooperate with her at all. ¡°she was also holding back her anger. in the end, she chose to return to her hometown first and talk about how to develop in the future. ¡°it just so happens that you wanted to find a teacher for xia feng, so i thought of her. ¡°i should have brought her over this weekend, but she¡¯s a little resistant to being a teacher now. she¡¯s afraid that she won¡¯t be able to teach her students well, and she doesn¡¯t want to be despised and despised by her students anymore.¡± xia wan nodded, understanding the situation. it was already difficult for many families to continue providing for their children¡¯s education. since this university student was able to major in fine arts, her family background should be pretty good in the county. however, the good family background in a small county could not be compared to the capital. soon, they arrived at the art teacher¡¯s house. it was a two-story building. the decoration was still very new, and it could be seen that the family was not bad. xu ye knocked on the door. ¡°she¡¯s here.¡± a woman¡¯s voice rang out, and the next moment, the door was opened. the woman looked to be in her twenties. she was wearing a simple dress, her hair was tied up lazily, and she wore a pair of glasses. her skin was exceptionally fair as if she had not been in the sun for a long time. the woman looked past xu ye to xia wan and asked, ¡°are you the one who wants to find an art teacher for your brother?¡± xia wan nodded and reached out her hand. she smiled and said, ¡°hello, my name is xia wan.¡± the woman¡¯s expression paused slightly. in the end, she shook hands with xia wan and said, ¡°my name is zhou en.¡± the two of them entered the house. xia wan realized that zhou en¡¯s house was decorated very differently from the outside. it could even be said to be avant- garde. she didn¡¯t use a rigid renovation routine, but made full use of the space. for example, there were two cabinets at the entrance that could be used to store shoes and bags. there was a large dressing mirror in the corner that could be used to look into the mirror before going out. xia wan and the rest had changed into disposable slippers. there was a blanket in the lobby on the first floor, stacked under the sofa, and a table in the middle. usually, the family could sit on the blanket when watching tv on the first floor. the staircase was a revolving design. the white wooden staircase was not made of cement. seeing that xia wan¡¯s gaze was fixed on the renovation of her house, zhou en poured them a glass of water and asked, ¡°why? do you like my design?¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°the design is not bad. the use of space is good, and it¡¯s novel enough.¡± zhou en¡¯s originally dull eyes were now filled with a hint of a smile. ¡°you have good taste. i designed these myself, but my family thinks they¡¯re fancy and doesn¡¯t like them. ¡°are you saying that on purpose because you want me to be your brother¡¯s art teacher?¡± zhou en asked. xia wan shook her head. ¡°no, your design concept is very much in line with the aesthetic standards of young people. however, if it¡¯s your parents, most of them have more traditional ideas. they prefer red designs because they think it¡¯s festive and grand.¡± zhou en nodded and started to talk to xia wan about design. then, she realized that xia wan knew a lot. xu ye couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise, so he just quietly sipped his tea. he only knew that xia wan knew a lot, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be able to talk so much about design. in the past, xu ye thought that he was considered powerful in this county, but now that he was compared to xia wan, xu ye felt that he still had a lot to learn. about half an hour later, zhou en and xia wan ended their conversation. xu ye was so sleepy that he yawned. zhou en had gained a lot of inspiration from her conversation with xia wan. she realized that her problem was that she wanted to express too much, but her current ability could not perfectly express these things. zhou en pulled xia wan back. ¡°come with me to my studio to take a look at my work and help me comment..¡± Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: Zhou En Was Enlightened chapter 355: zhou en was enlightened translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xu ye was very surprised. he and zhou en had known each other for a long time. the elders of the two families had a good relationship. among the people of the same generation, zhou en did not approve of many people. she felt that those people were vulgar and couldn¡¯t understand her thoughts. even fewer people were allowed to enter her studio. now, xia wan had the chance to enter her studio. this was a unique opportunity. ¡°then, can i go and take a look?¡± xu ye asked with a smile. zhou en glared at him. ¡°you can¡¯t.¡± xu ye rubbed his nose dejectedly. ¡°alright, alright. i¡¯ll wait for you at xia wan¡¯s.¡± he turned on the television skillfully and started watching. initially, he was worried that zhou en and xia wan wouldn¡¯t get along well. now, it seemed that his worries were completely unnecessary. xia wan looked at zhou en¡¯s work seriously and commented on them one by one. at the same time, she also talked about zhou en¡¯s feelings when painting. zhou en admired xia wan more and more. when they went downstairs, zhou en sighed with emotion. ¡®my family used to say that i was too arrogant and that i needed to see more powerful people and things. i was always unconvinced and felt that my family was wrong.¡± ¡°but after meeting you today, i finally believed that what they said was right.¡± ¡°you¡¯re not an art major, but you can analyze these paintings like this. i¡¯ve studied them for so many years, but i don¡¯t understand them as much as you do. ¡± zhou en¡¯s praise made xia wan very embarrassed. it was just that she had experienced more in her previous life. after seeing many paintings by famous artists worldwide, it was naturally easier for her to comment on zhou en¡¯s paintings. in fact, zhou en¡¯s painting skills were already very high among her peers. xia wan even felt that if zhou en could persist in her original intention and continue painting like this, she would have her own place in the art world in the future. however, according to xia wan¡¯s memories from her previous life, there did not seem to be any great artists in their county. it seemed that zhou en in her previous life might have encountered something that changed her original intention. the three of them agreed on the time and fee for tutoring and signed a contract. xia wan gave zhou en 20 yuan per hour. she would tutor xia feng for two hours every day, which was 1200 yuan per month. before she left, xia wan told zhou en that if her family asked, she would say that she only needed 10 yuan a day. otherwise, her family would definitely think that it was too expensive. zhou en understood xia wan¡¯s actions and was very cooperative. zhou en sent her to the door. xu ye suddenly asked xia wan, ¡°i heard that you plan to go to the capital? do you want me to go with you?¡± zhou en also asked, ¡°are you going to the capital?¡± i¡¯m familiar with it too. i¡¯ll go with you.¡± although he had only chatted with xia wan for a short while, zhou en felt that she hit it off with xia wan. although the capital had given her some bad memories, she was still very familiar with the capital. it was rare for someone to hit it off with her, so she wanted to get to know her more. xia wan wanted to refuse, but the two of them were very persistent. helplessly, xia wan agreed. after returning home, xia wan told xia chen and xia feng about this. ¡°with zhou en and xu ye following me, i¡¯ll be very safe,¡± xia wan said. xia chen saw that xia wan had someone protecting her, so he didn¡¯t force her. the next day, zhou en came to xia feng¡¯s house after school. when yan han saw zhou en, she couldn¡¯t stop smiling. yan han couldn¡¯t help but praise her. ¡°as expected of someone who studies art. the teacher looks really good. our xiafeng doesn¡¯t have much of a foundation. in the past, our family was poor, so we didn¡¯t have the resources to let him learn art. i hope teacher won¡¯t mind.¡± zhou en also felt a little embarrassed. ¡°auntie, you¡¯re too polite. i¡¯ve received your money, so i should naturally teach xia feng well.¡± as she spoke, she looked at xia feng. previously, xia feng was more introverted. now, under xia wan¡¯s training, he was much better than before. he dared to speak, so when zhou en looked at him, xia feng took the initiative to stand up and say, ¡°hello, teacher zhou. my name is xia feng. i will study art well under teacher zhou.¡± zhou en nodded, very satisfied with xia feng. this child looked like an obedient child. zhou en smiled and handed a large box to xia feng. ¡°this is a gift from my teacher. there are some basic painting tools inside. you can use them.¡± she handed him another bag. ¡°these are the books that i gave you. i bought them all in the past, and i¡¯ve read them all. i hope you don¡¯t mind..¡± Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: The Xia Family Is Very Nice chapter 356: the xia family is very nice translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia feng didn¡¯t dare to take it,¡± mommy said that you can¡¯t just take other people¡¯s things.¡± yan han also said, ¡°teacher, it¡¯s already very good that you can teach him. how can he accept your gift?¡± xia wan smiled and said, ¡°since it¡¯s a gift from teacher, then let xia feng accept it. it would be impolite not to accept it.¡± as she spoke, she touched xia feng¡¯s head. ¡°teacher zhou is sincere towards you and wants to nurture you well. if you really don¡¯t want to disappoint teacher, then just focus on learning how to draw.¡± xia feng nodded heavily. ¡°yes, i will learn well from you.¡± yan han said to zhou en, ¡°our family¡¯s meal is ready. you can eat with us before going to tutor xia feng.¡± ¡°no need, auntie. i¡¯ve already eaten at home before i came,¡± zhou en quickly said. yan han¡¯s face revealed a look of pity. ¡°then you can eat at our house in the future. after you finish eating, you can teach xia feng.¡± zhou en still wanted to reject her, but xia wan smiled and took her hand. ¡°it¡¯s already very hard for you to teach xia feng. just eat at our house. my mother also likes others to eat her cooking.¡± under everyone¡¯s enthusiastic invitation, zhou en accepted. after teaching xia feng, she realized that xia feng was very talented and had his own understanding of art. xia feng would even put forward some different ideas about what she said. for example, when she said that these two colors would make the color more intense, xia feng would put forward his own idea and choose to add a third color. then, the traditional color would immediately become extremely high-class. when he was teaching xia feng, zhou en also had many feelings. after the two-hour class ended, xia wan went to send zhou en off. zhou en said excitedly to xia wan, ¡°wanwan, i can tell you with certainty that as long as your brother doesn¡¯t give up art, he¡¯s definitely a genius in the art world!¡± xia wan was a little surprised. zhou en had always been very steady during her time with him. she had never seen him so excited before. ¡°my brother is an art genius?¡± xia wan found it hard to believe. in her previous life, xia feng did not show any talent in art. could it be that she had neglected it? zhou en saw that xia wan didn¡¯t quite believe him, so he quickly told her many things about xia feng¡¯s talent. xia wan was naturally happy. she was determined to properly nurture xia feng¡¯s talent in this lifetime and not waste it. the two of them talked a lot more and accidentally mentioned university life. zhou en¡¯s expression was a little gloomy, as if he had had an unpleasant encounter in university. xia wan also saw that she was unwilling to talk about it in detail, so she directly found another topic to skip. while tutoring xia feng, zhou en had also slowly built a good relationship with the xia family. she found that the xia family was very simple, kind, and polite, making people feel very comfortable. in the past, she would never eat at other people¡¯s houses because it would make her feel uncomfortable. however, she felt very integrated when she ate at the xia family¡¯s house. there was no such thing as not being able to speak while eating. everyone would share whatever they thought of happily. zhou en felt that his character had been brought to life. the weekend arrived very quickly. it was the time when they had agreed to leave for the capital. xu ye had already picked her up early in the morning. he had bought the tickets in advance, which were three sleeping berths. with xu ye coming to pick them up, yan han and xia hai were relieved and allowed xia wan to leave with her. nowadays, many places in the capital allowed the use of credit cards, so xia wan did not bring much cash and only kept 1,000 yuan. zhou en was wearing black sportswear and a sun hat this time. his entire aura was different from before. he was simple and capable. xia wan was wearing a simple white short-sleeved shirt and black cropped pants, coupled with a pair of canvas shoes. it was an extremely ordinary outfit, but because of her good image and temperament, even simple clothes made her look like a model. when they arrived at the station, xu ye parked the car and followed the two of them on the train. there were still a lot of people on the train. some of them didn¡¯t have tickets yet. when it was time to set off, a large group of people gathered in front of the train, making it particularly crowded. zhou en was very melancholic. every train ride was a painful memory, but she still stood close to xia wan and reminded her, ¡°you have to be careful. it¡¯s easy to encounter thieves when you¡¯re squeezing in the train.¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°i understand.¡± as the door opened, everyone rushed forward like a swarm of bees. xia wan was basically squeezed onto the train. fortunately, the three of them were standing together, so even if they were squeezed, they could still see each other.. Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: Seated chapter 357: seated translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the three of them only felt better when they got into the car. xu ye was already regretting it. he would have asked someone to drive him back instead of taking this crowded train. he couldn¡¯t drive there because he was the only one with a driver¡¯s license among the three of them. it would take at least three days to drive from the county to the capital. he couldn¡¯t stay awake for three days. it was very dangerous to drive when he was tired. when they arrived at their seats, xia wan realized that her seat had been occupied by an old man and a child. zhou en felt a little helpless after seeing this. every time, he would always encounter people who occupied seats, especially when the other party was an old man or a child. it was easier to stand in the moral position and carry out moral kidnapping. she lowered her voice and said to xia wan, ¡°the elderly and children are not easy to deal with. ¡°why don¡¯t i go and find the train attendant to solve it?¡± xia wan shook her head. ¡°no need. i¡¯ll talk to them.¡± xia wan walked straight to the old man and the young man, raised the ticket in her hand, and said to them, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, this is my seat. please make way.¡± the old woman looked to be in her sixties, and half of her hair was already white. the boy beside her looked to be about ten years old. he had a fat head and big ears, and his eyes were rolling. he looked like he was filled with bad ideas. the old man shouted at the top of his voice, ¡°you look young and strong. why are you bullying an old man here? haven¡¯t you learned to respect the old and love the young? ¡°there are so many seats on this train. can¡¯t you just find an empty seat and sit first? i¡¯m old, and my legs and waist are not good. if you chase me down and i get sick, will you be responsible?¡± zhou en was so angry that his chest heaved up and down. she had seen unreasonable elders before, but this was the first time she had seen someone as shrewish as this woman. this was not only unreasonable, but also arrogant and despotic. the surrounding people watched the show silently. no one made a sound. xia wan was not affected by the old lady¡¯s words and asked directly, ¡°the tickets you bought, show them to me.¡± the old man¡¯s eyes immediately evaded. ¡°why should i show you my ticket? can¡¯t you just find another seat?¡± ¡°no,¡± xia wan said firmly. she looked at the old lady again. ¡°if you didn¡¯t buy a ticket, you can occupy the seats of the people who bought the tickets. in the future, no one should buy tickets anymore and just get on the bus. ¡°then do you still want to earn money? everyone, don¡¯t talk about morality and quality. whoever¡¯s older has the final say. ¡°there¡¯s no need to formulate any laws and regulations. you old people see a lot. we¡¯ll listen to you and use your language as the standard of behavior.¡± the old man did not realize that he was being mocked at all. he continued to look up. ¡°what you said makes sense. we are older people who have seen more and understand more reason than you. you should obey us. ¡°when our country was besieged by other countries, it was the young people who gave many speeches. the ones who went on stage to kill the enemies were also young people. ¡®you old people and children are all hiding in the rear. it¡¯s us young people who have bathed in blood that we have today. ¡°now you have the face to say such things. do you know what it means to be disrespectful?¡± the old man glared fiercely at zhou en. ¡°don¡¯t talk to me about that. my body can¡¯t stand anyway. i can only sit here.¡± the ten-year-old boy also started to shout, ¡°we came here first. why do you have to follow us? my grandmother is old. can¡¯t you give in to her?¡± xia wan¡¯s lips curled up slightly. she reached out like lightning and grabbed the old lady¡¯s wrist. she quickly said, ¡°your pulse is very stable. you usually eat and drink well, and your sleep quality is also high. you won¡¯t die even if you starve for three days, let alone standing here.¡± as she spoke, she placed one hand on the old lady¡¯s shoulder and flung her forcefully. the old lady was already thrown into the middle of the train. when the child saw that his grandmother had been thrown out by xia wan, he waved his arms and rushed towards xia wan. ¡°how dare you hit my grandmother? i¡¯ll fight you to the death.¡± the boy was aggressive and his eyes were filled with ruthlessness. he looked like he wanted to fight xia wan to the death. xia wan kicked out with one leg, sending the child flying.. Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Xia Wan chapter 358: xia wan translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the old lady was thrown out, and her grandson was kicked aside. the old lady realized that she was no match for xia wan in terms of physical strength. her expression changed, and she began to cry. ¡°is there anyone who can control this? someone is bullying the elderly and children here. ¡°we were the ones who came over to take the seats first, but she threw us out without saying anything. ¡°how can my old bones withstand a fall like this? i feel that my entire body is in pain, and i¡¯m about to die.¡± as she spoke, the old lady rolled back and forth on the ground, looking very uncomfortable. the kid rolled his eyes and mimicked his grandmother as he wailed, ¡°i¡¯m in so much pain too. someone, someone¡¯s hitting someone here. help!¡± as the two of them howled, more and more people looked over. the bunks here were divided into three levels. a girl who had sat opposite the old lady couldn¡¯t help but frown and say, ¡°you¡¯re being unreasonable. so what if you have a ticket? the old lady is old. can¡¯t you talk to her properly? ¡°if someone really gets hurt, won¡¯t you feel uneasy even if you sit in this position?¡± xia wan looked at the girl who spoke. she was in her early twenties, and the clothes she was wearing were of good quality. it didn¡¯t seem like they could be bought in a small county. however, her eyes were filled with disdain and arrogance. with just a few glances, xia wan could tell that this girl was not a good person. she smiled slightly and said to the girl, ¡°since you¡¯re so kind, then give up your seat for them. i¡¯m a bad person. i only know that i have to sit here after buying the ticket.¡± the girl is not willing to give up, why should i give up my position for others?¡± xia wan replied, ¡°you take care of your position, and i¡¯ll take care of mine. what right do you have to meddle in my affairs?¡± the girl choked. actually, she didn¡¯t like the old man and the young man. she felt that their quality was too poor, and they looked like country bumpkins at a glance. however, xia wan¡¯s rude behavior also made her look down on them, so she couldn¡¯t help but say a few words to show her superiority. however, she didn¡¯t expect xia wan to be so confrontational. the girl snorted. ¡°i can¡¯t communicate with country bumpkins like you. you can do whatever you want, but please don¡¯t disturb me.¡± xia wan curled her lips. ¡°a country bumpkin with no manners? then i¡¯m really sorry. most of the people on our train are probably country bumpkins. why? do you look down on country bumpkins?¡± following xia wan¡¯s words, many people in the car looked at the girl with hostility. the girl¡¯s attitude instantly weakened a little. although she looked down on country bumpkins, she wasn¡¯t foolish enough to say such things in front of them all. ¡°not all country bumpkins are uncultured. i just feel that your behavior is not very good.¡± xia wan didn¡¯t pay her any more attention and simply pulled zhou en to sit in her seat. zhou en suddenly stood up and walked in front of the girl, showing her ticket. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, the lower berth you¡¯re sitting in now is mine. your seat should be in the middle berth. ¡°you seem like a cultured girl. you wouldn¡¯t do something like occupying someone else¡¯s seat, right?¡± when xu ye bought the tickets, he bought three lower bunks. among them, zhou en and xia wan happened to be facing each other. xia wan¡¯s seat was occupied by an old man and a young man. zhou en¡¯s seat happened to be occupied by that girl. the girl¡¯s expression immediately turned ugly. just a moment ago, she was standing on the moral high ground and reprimanding xia wan and the others for their immoral actions, but now zhou en pointed out that she had taken zhou en¡¯s seat. a boy on the upper bunk couldn¡¯t help but laugh. from the beginning of this farce, he had been watching the show, adding a lot of fun to his originally boring journey. now that he saw the girl being humiliated, he couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter. he didn¡¯t expect everyone to look at him. the boy quickly waved his hand and said embarrassedly, ¡°my position is correct. i didn¡¯t take someone else¡¯s position. i just couldn¡¯t hold in my laughter.¡± the girl stood up unhappily, but she still returned to the middle bunk.. Chapter 359 - Chapter 359: The Train Attendant is Here chapter 359: the train attendant is here translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation however, she was still mumbling, ¡°i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re so proud of. you¡¯re just lucky to have bought two lower bunks. didn¡¯t everyone spend the same amount of money?¡± ¡°luck is also a part of strength,¡± xia wan said calmly. ¡°also, if i had bought a middle berth, i wouldn¡¯t have sat on the lower berth and taken someone else¡¯s seat. this is a quality that even a country bumpkin like me has. i don¡¯t know why you don¡¯t have it.¡± the girl choked. she realized that she was no match for xia wan in terms of arguing. she silently moved to her seat and simply covered herself with the blanket, ignoring xia wan. the old lady and the child were still creating a scene. soon, a train attendant came over and shouted, ¡°what are you all doing? hurry up and return to your seats.¡± the old lady seemed to have seen her savior and immediately went to the train attendant. she pointed at xia wan and scolded, ¡°she threw us off our seats. now my whole body is in pain. i must have been hurt by her. you have to help me.¡± the child also came over. ¡°she kicked me, and i rolled on the ground a few times. everyone saw it.¡± someone spoke up for them. although it wasn¡¯t right for the elderly and children to occupy the seats, their age was obvious. many people still subconsciously spoke up for them and felt that xia wan¡¯s actions were a little too extreme. humans were always like this, subconsciously helping the seemingly weak. the train attendant listened to their conversation and combined it with the reactions of the people around him. he approached xia wan seriously. ¡°why did you kick them?¡± the train attendant questioned. xia wan said directly, ¡°they occupied my position. i asked them to get up, but they humiliated me. i had no choice but to use force.¡± ¡°then you shouldn¡¯t have fought with them. you can come to us for help.¡± xia wan spread her hands. ¡°this is my first time taking a train. i didn¡¯t know that i could ask the train attendant for help. i know now. i¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡± old mrs. han couldn¡¯t take it anymore and immediately scolded, ¡°she¡¯s lying. if it¡¯s her first time taking a train, why would she chase us away so confidently? she¡¯s clearly taken a train many times. ¡± xia wan said, ¡°old man, your words are unreasonable. even if it¡¯s not my first time taking a train, i would have asked about the rules before taking the train.¡± ¡°there are plenty of standing tickets on this ticket. it¡¯s clearly written on my ticket that it¡¯s a lower berth and a detailed train number. why can¡¯t i find my seat?¡± ¡°it¡¯s impossible to sell the same train ticket to two people. the one in my hand must be real, so you definitely don¡¯t have a train ticket.¡± the old lady was speechless at xia wan¡¯s rebuttal. she decided to throw a tantrum and wailed on the ground, claiming she was feeling unwell and wanted the doctor to check on her, while also asking xia wan to pay compensation. the child also cried beside her. the train attendant was a little conflicted after seeing this. if these two people were really injured by xia wan on the train, then logically speaking, xia wan should be responsible. ¡°is anyone here a doctor?¡± he asked, looking at the people around him. ¡°i¡¯m a doctor,¡± xia wan said. ¡°there¡¯s no need to check. there¡¯s nothing wrong with their bodies. they¡¯re just trying to scam us.¡± the old man immediately said, ¡°how old are you? how can you be a doctor? everyone, look. this young lady is full of lies.¡± the train attendant was also suspicious of xia wan¡¯s claim to be a doctor. everyone knew that a doctor needed to have a lot of experience, and the older they were, the better their medical skills would be. xia wan looked like she was only in her teens and was obviously still a student. how could she be a doctor? xia wan spread her hands. ¡°if you don¡¯t believe me, you can look for other doctors on the train to help check this old lady¡¯s body and see if it¡¯s consistent with what i said earlier.¡± the young man who had been watching the situation said, ¡°let me do it. i studied at a medical university and know a little about chinese medicine.¡± as he spoke, the young man had already walked down from the upper bunk. at the same time, he took out his student id. ¡°look, this is my student id. it can prove that i¡¯m from a medical university.¡± the train attendant nodded and asked him to help with the examination. the old lady became flustered and averted her gaze.. Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: She’s Not Sick chapter 360: she¡¯s not sick translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the young man took her pulse and said about five minutes later, ¡°her pulse is very stable. there is indeed no problem with her body.¡± the old lady immediately started to cry out in pain. ¡°he¡¯s in cahoots with this little girl. i really feel uncomfortable all over from being kicked by him.¡± ¡°this chinese medicine doctor can, at most, check if there¡¯s any problem with my body, but this is an external injury.¡± xia wan immediately said, ¡°if it¡¯s an external injury, lift up your clothes for us to see.¡± the old lady immediately glared at her. ¡°think about it. why is this girl so shameless? how could i let others see my body in front of so many people?¡± xia wan looked at her with a cold smile. ¡°both of us have checked your body. there¡¯s nothing wrong with your body. you said that we worked together. ¡°you said it was an external injury. we wanted to check your wound, but you said we couldn¡¯t see it.¡± xia wan looked at the train attendant. ¡°just because she¡¯s old, you¡¯re indulging her without a bottom line, right? ¡°she can be so arrogant without a ticket. do we have to give up our tickets to them obediently? ¡°if this is how you handle things, i want to lodge a complaint against you.¡± hearing that xia wan was going to complain, the train attendants immediately panicked. they originally thought that xia wan was just an ordinary country bumpkin who could be fooled with a few words. they did not expect this girl to be so serious. the train attendant¡¯s attitude immediately changed. they began to persuade her. ¡°alright, it¡¯s just a matter of a seat. now that you¡¯ve taken your seats, since the old lady¡¯s body is fine, this matter will be over. ¡°it¡¯s fate that we can meet in the same carriage. don¡¯t make things so bad.¡± seeing that the train attendants were not going to help them, the old lady finally stopped crying. at the same time, she felt a little resentful towards this young man. she felt that this young man was in cahoots with xia wan. when the young man passed by xia wan and the others, he took the initiative to say, ¡°hello, my name is li nian. from the looks of it, you¡¯re going to the capital, right?¡± xia wan nodded in agreement. li nian¡¯s words made xia wan feel that he was very sensitive. he could guess their destination just from their words and actions. zhou en had a better impression of li nian because he had helped them before. she asked, ¡°how did you guess that we were going to the capital?¡± li nian smiled. ¡°there are more people going to the capital on this bus. moreover, the aura you have is different from ordinary people.¡± he couldn¡¯t tell exactly how he felt. perhaps he had seen too many people. if it was an ordinary person who saw their seat being forcefully taken by an old man, they would definitely feel embarrassed. however, xia wan and the others were so generous and logical when dealing with things. it was obvious that they weren¡¯t from a small town. xia wan didn¡¯t want to communicate with li nian. she only said a few words perfunctorily. li nian also noticed her attitude and only said a few polite words before returning to his upper bunk. when the young woman saw this, she snorted coldly. ¡°what¡¯s the use of you being so enthusiastic with him? he doesn¡¯t want to communicate with you at all. at the same time, she looked at xia wan with disdain. ¡°some people just think that they are good-looking and that it¡¯s easy to get the protection of the opposite sex.¡± ¡°people who rely on their looks for a living will be ruined by their looks sooner or later.¡± xia wan looked at her. ¡°it¡¯s better than some people who are ugly and can¡¯t even rely on their looks.¡± the woman asked her angrily, ¡°what do you mean?!¡± ¡°it¡¯s exactly what you understand,¡± xia wan said lightly. the woman gnashed her teeth in hatred. ¡°don¡¯t be so smug. people like you won¡¯t do well in the capital. there are many people in the capital who are better looking than you.¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. she simply lay on the bed and took out the book she had brought with her to read. when the woman saw that xia wan was reading a high school textbook, she sneered. ¡°so you¡¯re still a high school student. don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re preparing to enter university?¡± xia wan was still reading and ignored her. seeing that xia wan was ignoring her, the woman slowly felt bored and stopped talking. however, every time she got out of bed to fetch water and passed by xia wan, she would always glare at xia wan coldly.. Chapter 361 - Chapter 361: Arriving in the Capital chapter 361: arriving in the capital translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the train took 24 hours to reach the capital. xia wan took a nap and spent the rest of her time either reading or drawing designs. she had drawn another three at home, and now she had 12 designs in total. before she came, she had asked zhou tian. wang peng was now in the capital. while selling clothes, she could also hand over the design drawings to wang peng. thinking about the money that was about to be transferred into her account, the smile on xia wan¡¯s face increased. soon, they arrived in the capital. when she got out of the car, the old lady glared at xia wan. as soon as xu ye got off the train with the two of them, a car immediately came to pick them up. the driver was a young man around 18 or 19 years old. when he saw xu ye, he immediately called out, ¡°brother xu.¡± xu ye nodded and introduced xia wan and zhou en to him. ¡°these are two girls from our hometown. if they need a car these two days, you can bring them along. ¡± ¡°okay, big brother xu.¡± soon, the three of them got into the car and arrived at a two-story villa. xia wan looked at the house in front of her. the decoration was quite new. after leaving the alley, she turned left and there was a very busy street. it was obvious that the location was not bad. she asked xu ye, ¡°brother xu, is this your house?¡± xu ye nodded. ¡°i bought it before. i wanted to bring my parents to live in the capital, but they said that they were used to staying in their hometown and were not familiar with the place after moving, so this villa has been empty.¡± xia wan nodded and followed xu ye in. the interior of the house looked very clean, as if someone had cleaned it. ¡°i knew you were coming to the capital for two days,¡± xu ye explained. ¡°i immediately got someone to clean this place up. i also put everything i ate in the fridge.¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t want to cook, i¡¯ll take you out to eat. there¡¯s a night market nearby that¡¯s very lively at night.¡± xia wan nodded and agreed to each of them. actually, she didn¡¯t have many requirements for where to live. as long as she had a place to live, it would be fine. after putting the things in the room, xia wan continued to paint. after collecting a total of 12 paintings, she called wang peng. the two of them agreed on a place and time to meet. they had lunch at xu ye¡¯s house. zhou en had cooked for them. xia wan tasted it. it was surprisingly delicious. she praised, ¡°the food is delicious. i like it very much.¡± zhou en¡¯s face was slightly red. ¡°i only learned how to cook after i went to university. it¡¯s good that you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°i¡¯m going to meet someone later to give him my design. you can come with me,¡± said xia wan. ¡°after i gave him the design, i planned to sell clothes, but i don¡¯t know where to buy clothes. i still need you to introduce me to them.¡± zhou en immediately agreed happily. ¡°sure, i wanted to accompany you anyway.¡± xu ye said, ¡°i can¡¯t go with you guys later. i¡¯ll get my underlings to drive you there. i just happen to have some things to deal with here.¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°don¡¯t worry, brother xu. we¡¯ll be fine.¡± xu ye also knew a little about xia wan¡¯s skills. moreover, the quality of her work in the capital was very good. with his underlings escorting her, xu ye felt much more at ease. after the meal, xia wan took the design drawings and clothes and put them directly into the suitcase. xu ye¡¯s underling sent them to yuelai restaurant. she walked to the private room that wang peng had agreed to. just as she was about to enter, she saw two figures coming out of the private room next door. when they saw xia wan, the two of them immediately exploded. it turned out that they were the old and young people who had tried to scam xia wan on the train. the old lady immediately shouted, ¡°since when did yuelai restaurant have such a low threshold? do you have the money to eat here?¡± the child also mumbled, ¡°grandma said that you were kept by someone and didn¡¯t learn well at such a young age.¡± zhou en was very angry when she heard that. wasn¡¯t he slandering someone in public? people who could come to yuelai restaurant for a meal were generally from good families. at this moment, many passersby also looked at xia wan, their eyes filled with disdain. ¡°yuelai restaurant isn¡¯t owned by your family. why can¡¯t we eat here?¡± zhou en retorted immediately. ¡°who said that we¡¯re here to be kept by someone? on the train, you didn¡¯t have a ticket and still occupied someone else¡¯s seat. now, you¡¯re spreading rumors about someone else in public.¡± at this moment, another young man walked out of the old lady¡¯s private room.. Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: Wang Peng Appears chapter 362: wang peng appears translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation he looked to be in his thirties and appeared very refined in his glasses and suit. however, his eyes darted around from time to time, giving the impression that he was deep in thought. ¡°mom, what happened?¡± he asked the old lady. the appearance of the man in a suit gave the old lady a boost in confidence. he immediately placed his hands on his hips and said, ¡°it¡¯s this wretched girl. not only did she occupy my seat on the train, but she also kicked me off. ¡°it¡¯s bad enough that she attacked me, but she even dared to attack my grandson. if anything happens to my grandson, i¡¯ll definitely seek compensation.¡± zhou en was seething with anger. this old lady was blatantly slandering them. xia wan retorted, ¡°it was you who didn¡¯t buy the tickets. it was you who occupied our seats. yet you¡¯re here complaining. ¡± the man in the suit adjusted his glasses and said self-righteously, ¡°i give my mother a lot of money every month. she wouldn¡¯t be unable to afford a train ticket.¡± while scrutinizing xia wan and zhou en, he continued, ¡°both of you look well-dressed, but your actions are despicable. if you couldn¡¯t afford a ticket, why did you lie? ¡°assaulting the elderly and children, is this how you behave? ¡°you look like students. tell me which school you attend. i want to speak to your teacher about their teachings.¡± zhou en was taken aback. this man didn¡¯t even know the facts, but he believed the old lady¡¯s false accusations. he assumed they were the ones who occupied the seats and even initiated the confrontation. xia wan stopped zhou en and addressed the man in the suit, ¡°we still have our train tickets. would you like to check them? ¡°if your mother is lying, what will you do? will you apologize to us in person? ¡°why don¡¯t you tell us which company you work for? i¡¯d also like to have a discussion with your supervisor about your behavior.¡± the man in the suit was taken aback. he was genuinely surprised. normally, a young girl should be terrified when confronted in such a manner. however, not only was this girl unafraid, but she also issued a counter-threat. zhou en looked at xia wan with admiration. why couldn¡¯t she be as clever as xia wan? the man in the suit snorted. ¡°little girl, you¡¯re still young. some matters aren¡¯t as simple as they seem.¡± ¡°it¡¯s easy for me to visit your school and find your teacher, but if you want to find my workplace and report me to my supervisor, you¡¯ll have to see if they believe you. ¡°on the other hand, if i go to your school, your teachers will unquestionably side with me.¡± xia wan understood. the man in the suit likely worked at a prestigious company with a high-ranking position. even the teachers at the school would likely be compelled to respect him. just as the two sides were engaged in a heated argument, the door to the adjacent private room swung open. wang peng stepped out. wang peng first glanced at the man in the suit, then turned to xia wan and said with a smile, ¡°i heard some commotion outside. it sounded like your voices, so i came out to see what was happening. did you run into some trouble?¡± the man in the suit was taken aback when he saw wang peng. he felt that this person looked familiar, but he couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen him before. xia wan smiled and voluntarily explained, ¡°we encountered them on the train. they occupied our seats, and i had to ask them to leave. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect to bump into them at the restaurant.¡± the old lady glanced at wang peng and concluded that he appeared very wealthy. she examined wang peng and xia wan, and soon reached a judgment. she snorted with disdain. ¡°i was wondering why you were so audacious. so this is the man you¡¯ve been fawning over. ¡°you¡¯re so young, but you¡¯ve already learned how to be a mistress for a wealthy man. ¡°i was wondering how you could afford train tickets. it turns out you earned the money by selling your body.¡± before xia wan could respond, wang peng admonished the old lady sternly, ¡°madam, please choose your words carefully. miss xia and i have a professional relationship. it¡¯s not what you¡¯re insinuating. ¡°if you persist in making baseless accusations, i won¡¯t hesitate to involve my lavvyer. ¡°before the law, everyone is equal, regardless of age.¡± as wang peng spoke, he unintentionally conveyed his authority, causing the old lady to momentarily falter.. Chapter 363 - Chapter 363: Flattering Wang Peng chapter 363: flattering wang peng translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the man in the suit finally recognized wang peng. he slapped his forehead and walked up to wang peng. ¡°so it¡¯s mr. wang peng. our company has wanted to work with you before, but unfortunately, we haven¡¯t been able to secure an appointment with you. ¡°it¡¯s such a coincidence to meet you today. do you think we should discuss our potential cooperation?¡± wang peng¡¯s jewelry business was highly successful, with a market both domestically and internationally. a long-term collaboration with wang peng¡¯s jewelry business would secure their company¡¯s financial prospects for the foreseeable future. wang peng regarded him coldly. ¡°you¡¯ve unjustly accused my partner. do you think it¡¯s appropriate to discuss cooperation with me at this point?¡± the man in the suit realized that xia wan was a friend of wang peng. he quickly turned to xia wan and said, ¡°i apologize, miss. what transpired between you and my mother was a misunderstanding. i will have a talk with my mother later to ensure she refrains from making false accusations again.¡± the specifics of who took whose seat on the train were inconsequential to the man in the suit. his primary goal was to cultivate a favorable relationship with wang peng, potentially securing a substantial order that could propel his career within the company. xia wan sneered inwardly. the world could be harshly realistic. despite her best efforts to explain herself, no one believed her. wang peng, with his casual words, easily attracted admiration and favor. this was the stark contrast brought about by differing social statuses. wang peng wasn¡¯t inclined to engage with the man in the suit. he made it clear that he wasn¡¯t currently considering cooperation, then invited xia wan into the private room. observing their entry into the private room, the man in the suit cast an irritated glare at the old lady. ¡°mom, who did you offend? wang peng is a major client of our company who we are eager to establish ties with. if the higher-ups find out i¡¯ve had a falling out with him, it could jeopardize my job.¡± the old lady was frantic. her son provided her and her grandson with financial support each month. if her son¡¯s job suffered due to this incident, they would be left without any means of support. ¡°son, what should we do now?¡± she asked anxiously. ¡°should i apologize to that girl right now?¡± the man in the suit shot her a disapproving look. ¡°it¡¯s too late for that now. i hope mr. wang peng won¡¯t hold this against us. be cautious not to offend anyone in the future. perhaps the other party holds a high social status.¡± old mrs. han nodded in agreement but couldn¡¯t help but murmur to herself. she hadn¡¯t expected that the girl had such a high status. in the private room, wang peng poured tea for zhou en and xia wan. zhou en appeared composed, but inwardly, she was thrilled. she knew of wang peng¡¯s reputation. his jewelry business was extensive, and zhou qiao had studied his jewelry designs in the past. the designs were incredibly unique, and she held wang peng in high esteem. she never expected to encounter such an influential figure who happened to be friends with xia wan. zhou qiao felt that this trip had been enlightening, expanding her knowledge significantly. simultaneously, she realized that her initial intention of acting as xia wan¡¯s guide in the capital had taken an entirely different turn. xia wan retrieved the 12 design drawings from her bag and presented them to wang peng. ¡°these are designs i created based on the twelve zodiac signs. ¡°i¡¯ve crafted a bracelet, earrings, and necklace for each design. i can introduce variations in color or design couple-themed pieces.¡± wang peng accepted the designs and immediately examined them with fascination. the more he studied them, the more pleased he became. wang peng commended her, saying, ¡°you¡¯ve created three variations for each design, so i should offer a higher price. how about 5,000 yuan per design?¡± xia wan had ushered zhou en into the private room while discussing business, indicating her belief that zhou en could be privy to their conversation. consequently, wang peng didn¡¯t conceal anything from zhou en. zhou en¡¯s hands trembled upon hearing the proposed price of 5,000 yuan per design. she never expected xia wan to be so adept at making money. it was no wonder she had been so generous when tutoring xia feng. xia wan nodded, expressing her agreement with wang peng¡¯s offer. after all, this represented the base price, and when wang peng initiated production, she would still receive a share of the profits. wang peng handed a card to xia wan. ¡°take this card for now. i¡¯ll transfer the money to it later.¡± xia wan accepted the card.. Chapter 364 - Chapter 364: Shopping chapter 364: shopping the two of them discussed design topics before wang peng inquired, ¡®why did you suddenly decide to come to the capital? are you planning to attend school in new york? ¡°i happen to have some contacts in the capital. if you face any difficulties with your schooling, i can help you get in touch with them.¡± xia wan immediately shook her head. ¡°no, i¡¯ve designed some clothing myself and want to sell it here in the capital.¡± she introduced zhou en to wang peng, saying, ¡°this is zhou en. she¡¯s also from our county and happens to be my younger brother xia feng¡¯s art teacher. she attended university here in the capital, so she¡¯s familiar with the area.¡± ¡°hello, mr. wang peng,¡± zhou en greeted wang peng promptly. wang peng responded cordially, showing no signs of disdain. upon learning that xia wan intended to sell clothing, wang peng provided information about two streets where clothing stores typically operated. he didn¡¯t request to see the clothing xia wan had designed, as his primary focus was on jewelry design at the moment. an hour passed as they finished their meal. wang peng was eager to set xia wan¡¯s jewelry designs into production, so he hurried off to his company. xia wan, on the other hand, was guided by zhou en to the bustling wen hua street. the shops here were generally of similar size, packed closely together, and actively open for business. additionally, various stalls lined the street, offering items like socks, gloves, melon seeds, and fruits. zhou en expressed concern, ¡°wanwan, your clothing designs are intended to be high-end, but if we set up a stall here, we won¡¯t be able to sell them at a high price.¡± xia wan had already explored the area and inquired about clothing prices from many vendors. as zhou en noted, selling their clothes at a stall would significantly limit the prices they could charge. she surveyed the surrounding stores and asked zhou en, ¡°which well-known shop around here sells high-quality clothing at a premium price?¡± zhou en pointed in a particular direction. ¡°if you continue straight and take a right at the end of this street, you¡¯ll find a three-story clothing store. they specialize in custom-made clothing, and their clientele consists of the affluent and aristocratic.¡± xia wan nodded and said, ¡°alright, let¡¯s visit that store. currently, we don¡¯t have a strong reputation to sell these clothes independently. so, we can initiate collaboration with this store.¡± zhou qiao expressed her reservations, ¡°but these clothes are your designs. if this shop uses your ideas and claims these clothes as their own, it could be detrimental to you.¡± xia wan smiled, saying, ¡°no worries. i¡¯ll negotiate with them to be recognized as the brand¡¯s designer. if this shop has limited vision and tries to monopolize my designs, i¡¯ll consider it a lesson learned. ¡°if they genuinely want to work with me, i can provide them with design concepts over the long term. they¡¯ll have their team responsible for creating the garments.¡± zhou en comprehended xia wan¡¯s intent, asking, ¡°are you suggesting that if we establish a long-term partnership, you¡¯ll solely handle clothing design, while they¡¯ll manage the rest of the production?¡± xia wan nodded in agreement, saying, ¡°precisely.¡± after considering it for a moment, zhou en concurred that xia wan¡¯s approach made the most sense given their current situation. establishing their store in the capital and gaining a foothold there was an unrealistic endeavor. they lacked the time and required substantial capital. the brand xia wan mentioned was known as green spear and had branches in several cities across the country. it possessed a favorable brand image. if xia wan could secure cooperation with this brand, it would be the most practical course of action. with this decision in mind, zhou en no longer carried a psychological burden. she led xia wan to green spear clothing store. through the glass storefront, the store¡¯s interior was elegantly decorated. upon entering the store, a shop assistant promptly approached to extend a warm welcome. while zhou en¡¯s clothing was relatively upscale, xia wan¡¯s selections were more budget-friendly, totaling just over 100 yuan combined. however, the shop assistant treated xia wan with the same courtesy, maintaining a pleasant demeanor. the shop assistant inquired, ¡°what can i help you find today?¡± xia wan was content with the service she received.. Chapter 365 - Chapter 365: Reaching an Underatanding chapter 365: reaching an underatanding translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation she looked around and noticed that the first floor was filled with new seasonal products. women¡¯s clothing was displayed in the front, while men¡¯s clothing was situated in the rear. ¡°i¡¯d like to speak with your boss regarding a potential collaboration. is he currently available?¡± hearing that xia wan was inquiring about the boss, the waiter seemed a bit surprised, but he quickly composed himself. ¡°the boss isn¡¯t in the shop right now, but his residence is right next door. if you¡¯re certain you need to see our boss, i can run an errand for you. ¡°however, it¡¯s best if you could let me know the reason you wish to speak with our boss. otherwise, our boss may find it inconvenient if people keep coming to look for him without explanation.¡± xia wan nodded, indicating her understanding of the waiter¡¯s concerns. she retrieved a folded piece of paper from her backpack and handed it to the waiter. ¡°take this and inform him that i¡¯m interested in collaborating. see if he¡¯s open to the idea.¡± the waiter accepted the piece of paper, which felt a bit sturdier than ordinary paper, and carried it to the boss with a sense of curiosity. about half an hour later, the shop¡¯s door opened. the woman who entered wore a red cheongsam. her black hair glistened like ink, exuding a charming and enchanting aura. as she entered the shop, her gaze zeroed in on xia wan, and she spoke directly, ¡°did you design that dress?¡± xia wan didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°yes, i did. i hope my designs have piqued your interest. ¡± the female boss smiled. ¡°you¡¯re quite young, yet you possess a wealth of creativity. i¡¯m quite fond of your design sketches. follow me to the meeting room. ¡± with that, the female boss took a couple of steps forward and turned back to address zhou en. ¡°please remain in the shop for a while. feel free to browse our collection or enjoy some tea and snacks.¡± her intention was clear; she didn¡¯t want zhou en to be part of her discussion with xia wan. zhou en didn¡¯t take offense and followed the other waitstaff to the lounge area. the female boss led xia wan to her usual office. the office featured a large floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the bustling street. in addition, there were leather sofas and a sizable coffee table. the female boss unfolded the design drawing, a bright smile on her face. ¡°the concept of your fashion designs is very contemporary. i¡¯ve studied abroad before, and i can detect some foreign influences in the clothing you¡¯ve designed.¡± ¡°may i ask if you¡¯ve studied abroad?¡± xia wan shook her head. ¡°no, i¡¯m just a third-year student.¡± the female boss appeared surprised. ¡®you¡¯re still in your third year of high school?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t seem very old. how can you prove that you created these designs yourself?¡± she inquired. ¡°it¡¯s not that i judge people based on appearances,¡± she clarified. ¡°you see, my shop has a sterling reputation, and many individuals have approached me for collaboration. however, some of them are genuinely talented, while others simply reassemble ideas from various sources.¡± xia wan understood her point and didn¡¯t take offense at her suspicion. ¡°i can draw a design for you right here,¡± xia wan offered. ¡°sure,¡± the female boss accepted without hesitation. the female boss provided a pen and paper, and xia wan considered for a moment before beginning to sketch. as xia wan worked on her design, the female boss compared the two drawings, ultimately verifying that xia wan had also created the initial design. by the time xia wan completed the second sketch, the female boss was fully convinced. ¡°i apologize for doubting you earlier. you are indeed the designer of this work,¡± she acknowledged graciously. xia wan smiled and didn¡¯t take offense. in fact, she was quite satisfied with the female boss¡¯s cautious approach. if just anyone could collaborate with qingge clothing store, it might not have maintained such a sterling reputation. the female boss cut to the chase. ¡®your designs are exceptional, but we handle production, external sales, and brand establishment. therefore, i¡¯ll present three collaboration options.¡± ¡°the first option is for us to purchase your designs outright at a generous price.¡± ¡°the second option allows you to provide your designs, and we will pay you a percentage of the proceeds from clothing sales.¡± ¡°the third method involves us providing you with a lump sum for each design you create. in the future, if your designs sell well, we will continue to provide you with a share, albeit a smaller one compared to the second method.¡± with her explanation complete, the female boss turned to xia wan. ¡°which collaboration option do you prefer? please let me know..¡± Chapter 366 - Chapter 366: Making Fame chapter 366: making fame translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°i want the second plan,¡± xia wan said without hesitation. she needed money now and in the future, and the second cooperation plan was most suitable for her current situation. the female boss nodded. ¡°okay.¡± xia wan took out all the designs she had created and also presented three finished products made from her designs. the female boss touched the clothes and couldn¡¯t put them down. xia wan began to explain her views. ¡°i don¡¯t really want to create popular styles. i hope to cater exclusively to customers who are willing to buy high-end products. ¡°i only want to make one of each style. ¡°you can change the color and some subtle designs when you sell them, but i hope you can maintain the uniqueness of these clothes.¡± the boss put down the clothes in her hand and looked at xia wan with admiration. ¡°you have a very unique vision. we are also working toward this goal. however, in this case, you may need to provide a lot of design drawings. ¡°and because each design can only produce one piece, the income that miss xia can generate may not be that substantial.¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°that¡¯s why i¡¯ve created some more affordable designs that can be sold in larger quantities. ¡°i believe your company doesn¡¯t only have a single high-end brand. you also operate some budget-friendly stores, right?¡± the female boss was genuinely surprised this time. she didn¡¯t expect xia wan to be so insightful. ¡°indeed.¡± ¡°then, miss xia, do you want to establish your own independent brand?¡± the female boss asked.¡¯ xia wan nodded. ¡°yes, i hope that every piece of clothing i design will bear my own logo. that way, it can increase my brand¡¯s value.¡± ¡°you are very thoughtful, miss xia. with the help of our store¡¯s brand, we can quickly raise your profile.¡± ¡°then, do you want us to announce your true identity to the public, miss nia? or would you prefer a code name?¡± few designers use their real names; they often prefer to use pseudonyms. xia wan thought for a moment. ¡°let¡¯s go with ¡®ai er.¡±¡® the female boss smiled and said, ¡°alright, then i¡¯ll arrange for our official website to collaborate on promotion. don¡¯t worry. all of this will be promoted free of charge.¡± xia wan knew that these brands all had their own official websites, both domestic and foreign versions. by showcasing her work on their official website, it was equivalent to getting free marketing. this could significantly boost her popularity. if customers were satisfied with her designs, her value would increase significantly in the future. the two of them finalized some details of the cooperation, and the female boss quickly had someone deliver the contract for both parties to sign. at this point, xia wan also learned the female boss¡¯s name. her name was ling yan. ling yan accepted her six designs and offered a minimum price of 300 for each one. the exact price would depend on how well they sold. ling yan suddenly thought of something and said to xia wan, ¡°even if we only sell one piece of clothing, it doesn¡¯t mean that other stores won¡¯t imitate our creativity. you have to be prepared for this.¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°don¡¯t worry, sister ling yan. you can take a closer look at these clothes of mine. they contain some unique details that can distinguish them from imitations. ¡°this is our first collaboration, so i¡¯ve designed some standard clothes for now. in the future, i¡¯ll also work on evening gowns and wedding dresses.¡± ling yan¡¯s eyes filled with surprise. ¡°you know how to design evening gowns and wedding dresses?¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°yes, i¡¯ve studied related books before. of course, you¡¯ll have to wait for my design drawings to be completed before deciding whether to adopt them.¡± ¡°if your designs are good, i can guarantee that we can sell them at a premium. evening gowns and wedding dresses will fetch double the price of your regular clothes,¡± ling yan said happily. xia wan thought so too. although the profits from selling these clothes weren¡¯t very high, they could help establish her reputation as a designer. once her fame reached a certain level, the clothes she designed would become highly sought after.. Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Going to Zhou En ‘s School chapter 367: going to zhou en ¡®s school translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation by the time the two of them came out of the meeting room, an hour had already passed. zhou en¡¯s stomach was now full from the waiter¡¯s offerings. she noticed that even the snacks in qingge clothing store were of high quality. seeing xia wan come out, zhou en¡¯s eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over to xia wan. however, she held back and didn¡¯t immediately inquire about how the discussion went. nonetheless, judging by the expressions on xia wan and mingri¡¯s faces, it was evident that their collaboration was going well. as they left, ling yan personally escorted xia wan to the door, and they even exchanged contact information. after they departed, a waiter asked ling yan, ¡°boss, is miss xia our future business partner? she looks so young.¡± ling yan stopped smiling and replied solemnly, ¡°don¡¯t underestimate her. she¡¯s very talented at such a young age. i believe that in a few years, she¡¯ll become a renowned designer. right now, we¡¯re providing her with a platform to showcase and sell her clothing. in the future, we may even benefit from her success.¡± the waitress widened her eyes, surprised by miss xia¡¯s capabilities. she didn¡¯t know xia wan well, but she respected her boss¡¯s judgment. if her boss said that xia wan was capable, then she must be very capable. ¡°how did it go? how was the collaboration?¡± zhou en asked xia wan excitedly. xia wan smiled and nodded. ¡°it went better than i expected. many of sister lingyan¡¯s ideas align with mine. i believe we can have a successful collaboration.¡± zhou en¡¯s smile grew even brighter. she was genuinely thrilled for xia wan. ¡°then let¡¯s go to my school. i know that area well, and there are many delicious eateries around. ¡°you¡¯ve been busy with business this time and haven¡¯t had a chance to relax. i¡¯ll show you more about the current situation in the capital.¡± xia wan didn¡¯t refuse and instructed the driver to take them to zhou en¡¯s university. it had been more than a year since zhou en graduated. she felt nostalgic as she returned to her alma mater. back when she was in school, she was a popular figure, with many admirers. however, she was focused on her design studies and had little time for relationships. zhou qiao took her to a nearby restaurant and ordered a chicken hot pot for dinner. as they were enjoying their meal, four girls entered the restaurant. when one of the girls saw zhou en, she exclaimed, ¡°senior zhou en, why are you back? didn¡¯t you graduate already?¡± hearing the familiar voice, zhou en¡¯s smile stiffened. xia wan noticed something was amiss and asked, ¡®what¡¯s wrong? is it someone you don¡¯t like?¡± zhou en nodded stiffly. ¡°she¡¯s a junior. she used to have a crush on a guy, but he pursued me, and i turned him down. after that, she resented me and felt embarrassed.¡± xia wan frowned and consoled her. ¡°well, that¡¯s not your fault. you don¡¯t need to feel awkward. she¡¯s the one who should be embarrassed.¡± at that moment, the girl approached and sat down beside zhou en. she said, ¡°senior, you were so outstanding during your time here. why didn¡¯t you find a good job? ¡°didn¡¯t your artwork win an award? ¡°i heard you¡¯re tutoring now, but your skills aren¡¯t that great, are they? ¡°senior, sometimes a person¡¯s background is still very important, especially in the field of art. who wouldn¡¯t want their child¡¯s art teacher to be refined?¡± zhou en put her bowl down and glared at her. seeing her anger, li ru smiled even more broadly. ¡°senior, i was just making casual remarks. why are you getting upset? did i say something hurtful? ¡°senior, we all know about your situation. you don¡¯t have to hide it. you¡¯re facing criticism from the parents of the students. ¡°who asked you to come from a less privileged background?¡± zhou en snorted coldly. ¡°even though i don¡¯t come from a privileged family, i¡¯m still better than you. i couldn¡¯t win over the man i liked, so i didn¡¯t resort to making life difficult for others..¡± Chapter 368 - Chapter 368: Public Competition chapter 368: public competition translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation li ru¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°zhou en, do you really think you¡¯re so great? you¡¯re just fond of acting high and mighty. ¡°when you were in school, senior lin hong pursued you on a whim. do you really think you were very popular?¡± li ru had never thought of herself as inferior to zhou en. she was very beautiful, and in terms of family background, they were deeply rooted in the capital, a place where not everyone could enter. the only difference was that she didn¡¯t carry herself as haughtily as zhou en. zhou en always had an air of aloofness, making it easier for men to feel the desire to conquer her. li ru believed that senior liu hong was under zhou en¡¯s spell. zhou en¡¯s expression remained indifferent. ¡°i¡¯ve never thought of myself as particularly popular, so could you please keep your distance? i don¡¯t want your presence to affect our appetite.¡± only then did li ru notice xia wan beside her. she raised her chin and looked at xia wan disdainfully. ¡°you and zhou en are from the same village, right? both of you are from the countryside, aren¡¯t you? ¡°don¡¯t tell me you also aspire to attend imperial university? ¡°i suggest you give up on that idea. not everyone can get into imperial university.¡± zhou en looked at xia wan apologetically and whispered, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, wanwan. i didn¡¯t expect to encounter her here. i¡¯m sorry for involving you.¡± xia wan shook her head. ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡± she looked up at li ru. ¡°you¡¯re disturbing our meal. if you have nothing else to say, please leave.¡± li ru was surprised. she didn¡¯t expect xia wan to be so composed. ¡°didn¡¯t you hear what i said earlier?¡± she asked with a frown. xia wan gazed at her calmly. ¡°i heard you. what comes after that?¡± li ru pointed at zhou en. ¡°she¡¯s not a decent person. you won¡¯t learn anything good from her.¡± zhou en looked ashamed and angry, but she couldn¡¯t muster a response. she had once had a good reputation in school, but after leaving, her life had taken a different turn. she had been a promising student, but now she couldn¡¯t even find a stable job. ¡°who said she¡¯s worthless?¡± xia wan said. ¡°don¡¯t worry. her future achievements will definitely surpass yours.¡± li ru sneered. ¡°keep boasting typically, those who returned to their hometowns after leaving for the big city didn¡¯t fare well. zhou en held xia wan¡¯s hand. ¡°let¡¯s forget about this. let¡¯s go somewhere else to eat.¡± it didn¡¯t matter if she embarrassed herself, but she didn¡¯t want to drag xia wan into it. besides, xia wan had come to the capital for business, and she didn¡¯t want to hinder her. xia wan gave her a reassuring look, then said to li ru with a bit of provocation, ¡°since you look down on zhou en, why don¡¯t you compete in front of the students of imperial university?¡± li ru frowned slightly and did not immediately agree. xia wan prodded further. ¡°why? are you afraid?¡± li ru was provoked and straightened her neck. ¡°why wouldn¡¯t i dare? if you want to compete, let¡¯s do it.¡± even though she said that, she still lacked confidence. although zhou en had not been in the capital for the past year, she had won many awards during her university days. if li ru didn¡¯t win against zhou en, it would be embarrassing. li ru¡¯s sister lowered her voice and said to her, ¡°li ru, don¡¯t be nervous. we all believe in you. didn¡¯t you study abroad this holiday? you must be better than her.¡¯ li ru forced a smile. she had claimed to be going abroad to study, but in fact, she had only attended a few art exhibitions and spent most of her time having fun. but now, she was provoked by a young girl. if she didn¡¯t agree, she would lose face. as they argued, many people in the shop came over to watch. now that a competition was in the works, the news quickly spread, and everyone wanted to see it unfold. their meal was interrupted. xia wan followed zhou en to imperial university. this was the first time in xia wan¡¯s two lifetimes that she had set foot there. in her previous life, her high school grades were average, and she ended up attending a very ordinary undergraduate school. even though she achieved great things in medicine later on, not attending a prestigious university had always been a regret for her.. Chapter 369 - Chapter 369: Xia Wan Agreed to Compete chapter 369: xia wan agreed to compete translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the competition between zhou en and li ru this time aimed to help zhou en regain his confidence and allow her to understand the students of imperial university better. she planned to develop these students into her future customers once she attended university. the competition took place at the venue of the university student union¡¯s cultural and entertainment department. the judges selected three individuals from the student union who had good reputations and were unfamiliar with zhou en and li ru. in addition to them, many students had spontaneously gathered to watch the competition. these students believed that if the judges acted unfairly, they had the right to protest. this suqqestion had been approved bv the student council. zhou en nervously clenched her hands. being scrutinized by so many people made her feel embarrassed and anxious about her performance. what she didn¡¯t know was that li ru was also nervous. she had agreed to the competition but lacked confidence in her ability to beat zhou en. li ru looked at xia wan, who was standing beside zhou en, and suddenly suggested, ¡°we should form teams of two for this competition. we¡¯ll design together, and the final results will be judged.¡± hearing li ru ts proposal, the surrounding people began to discuss it. ¡°no way. what¡¯s wrong with li ru? if she¡¯s afraid of losing, she should just admit it. everyone knows that lin lin is of mixed race, and her mother is a famous british designer.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. zhou en only has xia wan as her partner. how can they compete?¡± the people around were clearly in favor of zhou en, believing that li ru was afraid of losing, so she sought lin lin¡¯s help. zhou en breathed a sigh of relief. she knew that xia wan¡¯s design abilities surpassed hers, especially after witnessing xia wan¡¯s design drawings while working with wang peng. she couldn¡¯t match that level of design at the moment. li ru responded, ¡°i can find people to help; it¡¯s my ability. my connections are also part of my success. i won¡¯t restrict you from finding teammates. if you have good connections, you can find a better designer. however, the other party must be a student. using a professional designer would be unfair.¡± upon hearing li ru¡¯s words, the surrounding students were incensed and began to criticize her. ¡°how can she claim that it¡¯s unfair for zhou en to find a professional designer? the one she found, lin lin, is practically half a professional.¡± li ru glanced at the person who spoke and said, ¡°you¡¯re mistaken. lin lin¡¯s mother¡¯s influence doesn¡¯t necessarily mean she has a good background. she is still a student. she hasn¡¯t engaged in any professional design work before, so it¡¯s not fair to say that i¡¯m taking advantage of zhou en.¡± the people around were infuriated by li ru¡¯s remarks but couldn¡¯t refute her. li ru provocatively looked at zhou en, expecting her to get angry. however, zhou en responded calmly, ¡°that¡¯s great. the friend i found is currently only a high school student. her parents aren¡¯t designers, and she has never been involved in any design-related work. i hope that if you lose, you won¡¯t use my friend¡¯s identity as an excuse.¡± li ru sneered, thinking that zhou en was just causing trouble. the young girl beside her clearly lacked experience. she said, ¡°fine, what if i lose to you? i¡¯m willing to make a bet.¡± xia wan asked directly, ¡°how would you like to compete?¡± li ru explained, ¡°we¡¯ll each directly sketch our designs. then, we¡¯ll present them to the judges for feedback and determine whose design is more innovative. of course, the specific topic can be discussed and decided upon by the three judges.¡± xia wan agreed with her proposed method of competition. as the three judges began discussing the details, a woman in her forties approached them. the students greeted her upon seeing her. ¡°hello, professor chen ning.¡± chen ning smiled and nodded at everyone. ¡°hello.¡± chen ning then turned her attention to zhou en. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect to see you here. let me be one of the judges for your competition. does anyone have any objections?¡± as chen ning was a design professor at imperial university, no one dared to voice any objections, and they all expressed their approval.. Chapter 370 - Chapter 370: Judge Teacher chapter 370: judge teacher translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation another male teacher also said, ¡°it¡¯s not easy to determine the winner among the four judges.¡± the person who spoke was professor zhang han from the fine arts department of capital university. the students cheered even louder. teacher zhang han was quite influential in the art world. his paintings were sold at very high prices. moreover, professor zhang han¡¯s personality was unrestrained, and he was quite handsome. he was very popular among the students. with the addition of these two teachers, the competition¡¯s results would be fairer. the three members of the student council who were originally judges seemed a little nervous. after all, they were only students, but they had become judges alongside the professors at the school. professor yang ning noticed the nervousness of the three students and comforted them, saying, ¡°you don¡¯t have to feel too much pressure. you just need to choose according to your preferences.¡± ¡°no matter what kind of design it is, the ultimate goal is to satisfy the customer. only the design that the customer accepts is good.¡± hearing teacher yang ning¡¯s words, the other students cheered as well. ¡°as expected of professor yang ning. what she said makes sense.¡± ¡°yes, some people design very well, but i can¡¯t understand them at all. i still like designs that i can understand.¡± the next question was set by teacher yang ning. she asked the members of the two groups to design school uniforms suitable for the students, one set for men and one for women. after finishing her request, teacher yang ning smiled and said, ¡°this year, the school is going to customize uniforms. if the designs from your two groups satisfy the school, i will discuss with the school and purchase your design drafts.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, the price i¡¯ll offer you won¡¯t be lower than the market price.¡± the crowd cheered again. ¡°gosh, if i had known that the school uniform i designed could be adopted by the school, i would have wanted to participate in the competition.¡± ¡°i want to try too.¡± someone even asked professor yang ning, ¡°professor yang ning, can we participate too?¡± it wasn¡¯t just one or two people who were interested. professor yang ning smiled. ¡°if you are confident, you can come up and participate in the competition. it doesn¡¯t matter even if you lose. just do what you want to do boldly.¡± with professor yang ning¡¯s encouragement, more and more students came to participate in the competition. originally, it was just a small competition between the two of them, but it quickly evolved into 12 groups of players participating in the competition. more and more people gathered around to watch. professor yang ning assigned their positions, allowing them to form groups of one or two as they wished. after the teams were divided, professor yang ning announced the start of the competition. the competition would last for two hours. after that time, the papers would be collected, and regardless of how well one had done, they had to submit their work. ¡°there are 12 groups of students now. are you confident that you can secure first place?¡± li ru asked lin lin in a low voice. it would be quite embarrassing if she lost to someone other than zhou en.¡± although she wanted to surpass zhou en, the prerequisite was that zhou en was considered quite talented among the students. he had also won an award for painting before. if she won against zhou en, it would only make her look good. however, if she defeated zhou en in this competition but lost to other ordinary students, it would not be a glory for her but a disguised disgrace. lin lin understood her worries and comforted her, ¡°don¡¯t worry. if any of our classmates are very talented, they will usually submit some design drafts. there¡¯s no need to hide their talent.¡± ¡°and i¡¯ve seen many books on school uniform design. if we combine the characteristics of our school¡¯s people in our design, the standard will definitely not be bad.¡± with lin lin¡¯s comforting words, li ru felt relieved. their collaboration with lin lin mainly involved lin lin providing ideas while li ru took charge of the painting. lin lin was essentially the leader of this design group, and li ru executed their designs. zhou en was a little nervous and excited at the same time. she had thought about designing school uniforms on several occasions. now that she had the opportunity to do so, she was very excited but also worried that she might not perform well and lose the competition.. Chapter 371 - Chapter 371: Encouraging Zhou En chapter 371: encouraging zhou en translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zhou en took the initiative to say, ¡°wanwan, it¡¯s better if you do the design. my thinking is a little too narrow. the school uniform i design will definitely not be simple and generous enough.¡± xia wan did not agree immediately. instead, she asked, ¡°have you thought about the design of the school uniform before?¡± zhou en did not want to hide it from xia wan, so she said, ¡°i had thought of a few school uniforms before, but there are so many people in this competition, and professor yang ning is the judge. i don¡¯t think my design is presentable at all. ¡± xia wan encouraged her. ¡°you can draw first. when the results of your school uniform are out, i¡¯ll help you modify it.¡± zhou en was a little nervous. ¡°is this really okay?¡± ¡°of course, you have to believe in yourself,¡± xia wan continued. with xia wan¡¯s encouragement, zhou en heaved a sigh of relief. then, she slowly drew the school uniform that she had previously designed. xia wan observed quietly. she realized that zhou en¡¯s drawing skills were indeed very strong. although there were some flaws in the design, her drawing skills were the best that xia wan had seen so far. by the time zhou en finished drawing her three sets of designs, it was already an hour later. however, this kind of drawing speed was also very fast. some of the team members hadn¡¯t even finished drawing a single painting. xia wan took the brush and began to modify zhou en¡¯s painting. because they all drew with a pencil, they could just erase it with an eraser. with xia wan¡¯s modifications, the three originally ordinary uniforms became very distinctive. the light in zhou ent s eyes grew brighter. sne 100kec1 at xra wan witn some aanuratlon. ¡°wanwan, your mocnncatlons are really great. the originally ordinary school uniform has become very unique under your modifications. it¡¯s as if it was tailor-made for the students of capital university.¡± xia wan smiled. ¡°it was only after i saw your basic design that i had the inspiration to modify it. without your three drawings as the foundation, i wouldn¡¯t have known how to modify it.¡± xia wan spoke very sincerely, and zhou en felt encouraged when she saw this. about half an hour later, xia wan¡¯s modification was completed. li ru had just finished drawing a design and looked at zhou en provocatively. then, she realized that zhou en and the others had stopped painting. li ru¡¯s heart tightened. she looked at lin lin and asked, ¡°have they finished drawing? why aren¡¯t they drawing anymore?¡± lin lin also looked in their direction and said, ¡°the overall design of the school uniform is still relatively simple. perhaps they have combined it with the uniforms of other schools to improve it.¡± ¡°if i had to do some design thinking before doing the drawing, the time would definitely not have been so fast.¡± after listening to lin lin¡¯s words, li ru felt relieved. she had thought that zhou en and the others were very impressive, but it turned out that they had only combined the uniforms of other schools and added some modifications. to put it bluntly, it was just a summary of the characteristics of other school uniforms. although this was not considered plagiarism, it did not have her own intentions and ideas. looking at their design, li ru was very satisfied. she felt that the standard of the school uniform designed by lin lin was much higher than the school uniforms of other universities. it was certain that they would be the first place. however, she did not know if the school would be willing to buy their designs. if the school was willing to buy it, then she and lin lin would be famous. when she looked for a job after graduation, her resume would also be very glamorous. thinking of this, li ru felt very excited. when the two hours were up, professor yang ning asked the other three students from the student union to collect their papers. everyone¡¯s name was written on the back of the design. this also prevented the judges from affecting their judgment when they evaluated the design results because they saw people they knew. the three of them quickly collected all the paintings. in order to prevent them from appreciating certain paintings, they did not dare to look at them too much when they were collecting them. ¡°next, we¡¯ll be judging the results of the competition,¡± said professor yang ning. ¡°we¡¯ll choose three more outstanding works and rank them.¡± ¡°choose the first place in our hearts..¡± Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: Painting Quickly chapter 372: painting quickly translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°at the same time, i will also present these three pieces of work to the principal. as for which piece of work can be used as the design draft for our school uniform, it will be decided by the principal.¡± the students cheered again after professor yang ning said that. he had thought that only the first place would have a chance to be recruited by the school, but now, the top three all had a chance. the anticipation in the students¡¯ hearts increased a little. the five judges began to evaluate the artworks. they placed each design draft in the middle of the table so that the five judges could see it. professor yang ning and professor zhang han stood in the middle. the basic design drafts in front were very ordinary. it was obvious that they were copied from the uniform designs of other schools. they were quickly rejected. only a few had added their own thoughts in the last part of the book, but these designs were not mature enough. if they were really made into clothes, they would not look good in front of the public. therefore, these designs were also rejected. none of the paintings they had seen so far were perfect. professor yang ning was a little disappointed. these students were already considered outstanding among their peers for being able to get into new york university. judging from their drawing skills, these people who came to participate in the competition should have a certain level of artistic foundation. however, the clothes they designed were far from what professor yang ning wanted. just as professor yang ning was not expecting much from the design work, she suddenly saw a design that was not bad. she pointed at the design and said, ¡°compared to the other school uniform designs, this one incorporates my own ideas. if it¡¯s made into clothes, the effect will be better. what do you think?¡± the other judges also agreed with professor yang ning¡¯s point of view. they were not blind. they could tell at a glance that this uniform design was much more high-end than the previous ones. everyone set the painting aside. among these design drafts, it was the most outstanding. professor yang ning thought that she wouldn¡¯t see any more stunning works, but she didn¡¯t expect the next design to make her eyes light up. she held the drawing paper, her eyes shining with excitement. ¡°this is the school uniform style i want. not only does it have a good overall presentation, but it also combines the advantages of our country¡¯s ancient style. ¡°look at the design here. it¡¯s an orchid, representing a noble and pure character. ¡°and here, this is an ancient text designed using embroidery.¡± the other judges also saw this and expressed their agreement. ¡°if the other paintings are only good in terms of drawing skills and design, then this painting is completely tailor-made for our school. ¡°it aligns perfectly with our school¡¯s vision. we all hope that our students will become talented, but we also hope that they will have noble hearts. this way, the greater their ability, the greater their contribution to society. ¡°at the same time, if our students wear such a uniform, other foreign schools will recognize them as chinese students.¡± professor yang ning nodded in agreement with professor zhang han. the first place, without a doubt, was the painting that they had highly praised. the second painting was the one that had caught their attention at the beginning. the third painting was of a lower standard than the previous two, but it had its own unique characteristics. after deciding on the ranking, they turned the paintings around to confirm the names behind them. when professor yang ning saw the name behind the first place, the smile in her eyes deepened. then, professor yang ning said to everyone, ¡°let me announce the final results of the competition. first place goes to zhou en and xia wan, second place goes to li ru and lin lin, and third place goes to zhou chang.¡± upon hearing this result, li ru was very unconvinced. she shouted, ¡°teacher, i want to know how our design is worse than zhou en¡¯s..¡± Chapter 373 - Chapter 373: Questioning the Results chapter 373: questioning the results translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°i know that zhou en always received a scholarship when she was in school, and the teachers all liked her very much. but now that this is a competition, we should be more fair and rank according to the results of the designs.¡± professor yang ning¡¯s expression turned ugly when she heard her words. ¡°so you mean that because zhou en performed very well in school, you suspect that professor zhang han and i deliberately fabricated your results to put her in first place?¡± li ru noticed professor yang ning¡¯s dissatisfaction and knew that if she continued to fight, professor yang ning would definitely hate her. however, it would be fine if she had drawn this work herself. however, with lin lin¡¯s participation, she did not think that lin lin¡¯s design would be worse than a student¡¯s design. at this time, lin lin also held li ru¡¯s hand and said to professor yang ning,¡± teacher, we don¡¯t think that you¡¯re biased, but we¡¯re confident in our artwork. now that we¡¯ve heard that we¡¯re only in second place, we¡¯re a little puzzled. we want to see the work of the first place.¡± with lin lin¡¯s words, professor yang ning¡¯s anger calmed down a little. she said, ¡°i was just announcing your final rankings. of course, i will let everyone see the artwork that you have designed. this is also to prevent you from saying that our judges are not fair enough. all of your artwork will be posted on the campus wall for all students to see.¡± as he spoke, some students raised the first, second, and third-place paintings so that all the students who had participated in the competition could see them. when she saw zhou en and xia wan¡¯s designs, lin lin¡¯s eyes widened. she muttered, ¡°the design of this school uniform is too exquisite. i actually didn¡¯t think of adding some ancient elements. ¡°if this painting is the first, then i¡¯m willing to get second place.¡± li ru was unhappy after hearing lin lin¡¯s words. she grabbed lin lin¡¯s hand and said, ¡°can¡¯t you be a little more promising? just because her design has some elements of national style, does she want to get first place?¡± ¡°many of the students in our school have to participate in international competitions. your design drawings are clearly more diverse. shouldn¡¯t we choose yours?¡± after seeing xia wan and zhou en¡¯s daintinzs. li ru also felt that their designs were very beautiful. however, she was more inclined to the designs that she and linlin had made, so she could not help but express her dissatisfaction with zhou en¡¯s designs. a student heard li ru¡¯s words and said directly, ¡°even if the students from our school represent the school to participate in international competitions, do you think we should give up our national elements just because we have to participate in international competitions? if that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t we lose our courage? ¡°if we haven¡¯t even started the competition and already subconsciously think that foreign countries are more advanced than our country, how can we still have any hope of winning? ¡°and i think our country will become stronger and stronger. our students are also very outstanding. everyone has put in more effort than ordinary people to get into new york university.¡± this student¡¯s words received the approval of the other students. after seeing zhou en and xia wan¡¯s designs, many girls¡¯ eyes lit up and they liked them very much. ¡°i really like female school uniforms. if this was our school uniform, i would wear it every day. ¡°black and white are always the most fashionable and high-end. i like this school uniform too.¡± seeing that everyone liked the school uniform designed by zhou en and xia wan, li ru was furious. she felt that these students had no taste. the most important thing was that even lin lin thought that their design was good. she took out her phone and made a call. soon, the call was connected and a middle-aged man¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°ruru, what¡¯s wrong?¡± li ru deliberately made her voice sound a little choked. ¡°uncle, i feel so wronged. ¡± then, li ru told her uncle about their competition with zhou en and xia wan in detail. then, she said, ¡°uncle, if this matter gets to the principal and even the principal thinks that the school uniform they designed should be adopted, then i¡¯ll really be embarrassed..¡± Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: Ascending to New Heights chapter 374: ascending to new heights translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°uncle, i know you¡¯re quite close to the principal of our school. could you please speak to the principal and ask him not to select zhou en¡¯s design for the school uniform?¡± the man on the other end of the phone smiled upon hearing li ru¡¯s request. in his opinion, this seemed like a minor issue. how impressive could students¡¯ designs for school uniforms really be? he had dined with the principal of new york university on a few occasions, and although there were over a dozen people at the table, the two of them had exchanged a few words. those who could do that at a dinner table were not ordinary individuals. li sheng believed that if he went in person, the principal would certainly consider his request. so he proposed to li ru, ¡°how about this? i¡¯ll drive to your school right now. you and your friends go to the principal¡¯s office. while the principal reviews these school uniform design drafts, i¡¯ll accompany you.¡± ¡°if your design is of the same caliber as the first-place winner, having me by your side will carry some weight, and the principal is likely to choose your design. ¡± li ru¡¯s face lit up with excitement. ¡°thank you, uncle. i knew you¡¯d come through for me.¡± after hanging up the phone, she shared the news with lin lin. li ru exclaimed, ¡°so what if zhou ents design wins first place? if the principal accepts our design, it will be even more embarrassing for them. ¡°they may win first place, but if the school rejects their design, it can only mean that their designs weren¡¯t up to par. ours are more internationally appealing and suited for a big city.¡± lin lin frowned slightly. ¡°isn¡¯t this a bit unfair? i¡¯ve seen their design sketches, and they do have talent. ¡°if our design gets accepted because of your uncle¡¯s influence, wouldn¡¯t that be considered cheating? if other students find out, it would be quite embarrassing for us.¡± li ru offered some reassurance. ¡°this is just how things work in the real world. even in your future career, you¡¯ll need to navigate such situations. ¡°if their designs are genuinely superior to ours, my connections won¡¯t make a difference. but if i contacted my uncle and the principal chose our design, it only suggests their designs were ordinary and replaceable.¡± though lin lin had been impressed by zhou en and xia wan¡¯s design, she didn¡¯t believe her own design was subpar. so, after considering li ru¡¯s point, she nodded. ¡°alright, let¡¯s proceed as you suggest.¡± with li sheng¡¯s assurance, li ru felt a surge of pride. she couldn¡¯t wait to see zhou en face disappointment in the principal¡¯s office. after allowing everyone to view the paintings, professor yang ning informed them that she would take the top three works to the principal¡¯s office for his decision. as for the other works, they could be displayed on the school¡¯s website immediately. some enthusiastic students promptly uploaded their remaining works to the website. even if these designs didn¡¯t make the top three, they showcased impressive design standards. some were average in design but displayed exceptional drawing skills. professor yang ning escorted the top three students to the principal¡¯s office. at that moment, the principal was engrossed in his computer screen, peering through his glasses. upon hearing a knock at the door, he said without looking up, ¡°come in.¡± when the principal saw the students accompanied by professor yang ning, he was taken aback and inquired, ¡°what brings you here?¡± professor yang ning explained with a warm smile that she had coincidentally been passing by the school today and had heard about the student competition. she decided to join as a judge. she also mentioned that she had brought the top three designs for the principal¡¯s consideration. professor yang ning added, ¡°i find these three artworks to be quite exceptional. ultimately, the decision to use them as our school uniform is yours to make.¡± ¡°if you believe they have room for improvement, then i¡¯ll consider it as introducing you to the outstanding work of our students today..¡± Chapter 375 - Chapter 375: Li Sheng l s Dissatisfaction chapter 375: li sheng l s dissatisfaction translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the principal was also quite interested in the matter. he took the initiative to stand up and said, ¡°excellent. for students to participate in such a competition, those who dare to take part are already quite courageous. ¡°i appreciate students who show bravery and confidence. ¡°if any of these three works stand out, i will certainly support it.¡± professor yang ning¡¯s smile grew even warmer upon hearing the principal¡¯s words. she arranged the three pieces of artwork on the desk, and the principal examined them carefully through his glasses. he didn¡¯t immediately announce his favorite piece of work but instead offered comments on each one. ¡°i can tell that the student who designed this piece has extensively studied foreign fashion journals. they have boldly incorporated foreign fashion elements into their design. ¡°as a result, this piece is quite remarkable and surpasses the design standards of most students at capital university.¡± the principal was praising lin lin and li ru¡¯s works. upon hearing this praise, li ru couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of pride. lin lin expressed her gratitude to the principal, saying, ¡°thank you for your kind words. principal. we are thrilled to be recognized by vou.¡± the principal also directed his attention towards lin lin. ¡°so it was you two who created this. it¡¯s quite impressive. you display creativity and courage. keep up the good work.¡± ¡°thank you, principal,¡± the two of them replied in unison. the principal then moved on to comment on zhou chang¡¯s work. ¡°this piece is very well-executed. the overall design aligns with aesthetic principles, but it could benefit from more distinctive elements. ¡°if i were to summarize it briefly, it would be best described in a single sentence. ¡°we can compare this work to the one next to it.¡± he was referring to the work by zhou en and xia wan¡¯s team. ¡°you might have noticed that the most distinctive feature of this painting is its incorporation of ancient elements. ¡°furthermore, whether it¡¯s the artwork or the design of the clothing, the aesthetic portrayal of the human form has been carefully considered. ¡°in other words, after the initial drawing was completed, this school uniform was elevated, adding depth and meaning to it. ¡°i believe this is why you favor it, professor yang ning.¡± professor yang ning nodded in agreement. ¡°yes, i also believe that the design of this school uniform is exceptional.¡± zhou chang had been listening to the principal¡¯s comments attentively. after seeing the school uniforms designed by xia wan and her team, he had already recognized his own shortcomings. he voluntarily admitted, ¡°although i didn¡¯t secure first place in today¡¯s competition, i¡¯ve learned a great deal. ¡°before participating in this competition, i felt quite accomplished in design due to my internships with various companies during breaks. ¡°this led to a certain level of arrogance on my part, thinking i had surpassed many students. however, after seeing the designs by senior zhou en and her team today, i realized how limited my perspective was. ¡°the only reason i considered myself highly skilled was due to my lack of exposure to more experienced individuals.¡± with a smile, he looked at zhou en and xia wan. ¡°i¡¯m delighted to have competed with you both today. you¡¯ve contributed significantly to my growth.¡± zhou en and xia wan reciprocated the smiles. just then, there was another knock at the office door. upon seeing that it was li sheng, the principal smiled and asked, ¡°what brings you here today?¡± li sheng appeared to be in his forties, slightly plump with a protruding belly. his eyes gleamed when he smiled. ¡°i heard from my niece that she was participating in a fashion design competition at school. i happened to be in the vicinity for business discussions, so i decided to drop by and see.¡± the principal¡¯s gaze wandered, and he casually inquired, ¡°then who is your niece?¡± li sheng stood beside li ru and said, ¡°this is my niece.¡± ¡°i¡¯m curious about how my niece¡¯s designs have fared. have any of them caught your attention?¡± he asked in a nonchalant tone. the smile in professor yang ning¡¯s eyes faded, and she regarded li ru with a hint of displeasure. although she typically prioritized her appreciation for art, it didn¡¯t mean she was unaware of the intricacies of the world.. Chapter 376 - Chapter 376: The Principal I s Perseverance chapter 376: the principal i s perseverance translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation this li sheng didn¡¯t usually attend, but he came when li ru was competing. moreover, it seemed that he had some friendship with the principal. in addition, when she first announced the competition results, li ru questioned her judgment. therefore, yang ning guessed that this person was the helper li ru had specifically invited. at this moment, she was a little unhappy. she did not want the principal to favor li ru and lin lin¡¯s works over zhou en and xia wan¡¯s works simply because he was friends with li sheng. although li ru and lin lin¡¯s designs were not bad, zhou en and xia wan¡¯s designs were better suited for their school. the principal pointed to the three pieces of artwork and said to li sheng, ¡°their works are all here. you can take a look for yourself. ¡°your niece, li ru, and her team¡¯s work is very good. it¡¯s already an achievement that they secured second place. ¡°after reviewing these three works, i believe the first place is well-deserved. ¡°it¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re here today. i can share this good news with you. ¡°i want to offer a contract to the top student and officially adopt their design drafts as our school uniform design.¡± li sheng couldn¡¯t maintain the smile on his face. ¡°principal, are you making a hasty decision to choose the first-place design as our school uniform? ¡°considering they are just students, don¡¯t you think this decision is too rushed?¡± the principal gently tapped the table. ¡°you can come over and examine their designs before deciding if they are suitable.¡± li sheng approached to inspect the three works. upon seeing zhou en and xia wan¡¯s design drafts, li sheng¡¯s eyes filled with amazement. ¡°is this the first-place design?¡± the principal nodded. li sheng conceded at this point. although his niece¡¯s group of paintings was good, if he were the principal, he would also choose the first prize. he said to the principal, ¡°you have excellent taste. the design of the first-place uniform is outstanding.¡± only then did the principal¡¯s expression slightly improve. ¡°however, i believe the design of the second-place entry is also exceptional. we can consider using it as well. this way, students can have two uniform options,¡± li sheng suggested. professor yang ning couldn¡¯t help but chime in, ¡°i don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. the design styles of these two uniforms are quite distinct. we asked the students to have a uniform look. ¡°if students wear two different uniforms, it will clearly go against our original intention of uniformity.¡± li sheng narrowed his eyes and addressed professor yang ning, ¡°you must be professor yang ning. i¡¯ve heard of your name. you are indeed talented in design. i can see your admiration for the two children who won first place.¡± ¡°but i believe the second-place design has a more international appeal. when kyoto university students participate in international competitions, they can wear the second set of uniforms. ¡°while the first set showcases ancient culture, who in an international metropolis would understand this so-called ancient culture?¡± professor yang ning felt a bit irritated after hearing li sheng¡¯s remarks. li sheng¡¯s words seemed to imply that china¡¯s current influence wasn¡¯t sufficient to gain international attention. professor yang ning¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°mr. li sheng, i believe there¡¯s an issue with your attitude. as citizens, we should always maintain pride and confidence. ¡°if you don¡¯t believe in the strength of your own country, how can you expect other nations to have faith in us? ¡°i believe this confidence should be backed by corresponding strength.¡± li sheng smiled slightly. xia wan didn¡¯t expect that judging a fashion design competition would lead to a discussion about the country. nonetheless, she could sense that li sheng was here to cause trouble. she smiled and stepped forward. ¡°mr. li sheng, i think there might be a misunderstanding in your statement..¡± Chapter 377 - Chapter 377: Teaching Li Sheng chapter 377: teaching li sheng translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation if xia wan had not taken the initiative to speak up, li sheng would have ignored her. he raised his head slightly and looked at xia wan with disdain. ¡°what do you have to say?¡± he sneered. ¡°have you ever seen foreigners wearing clothing with chinese characteristics at international competitions?¡± xia wan inquired. ¡°of course not, ¡± replied li sheng. ¡°why would they wear clothes designed in the national style? our country¡¯s strength doesn¡¯t match up to other nations.¡± xia wan fixed her gaze on him. ¡°capital university is one of our country¡¯s top institutions. its purpose is to nurture talents for our nation, making it stronger and our people prouder. ¡°if everyone thinks like you, believing that foreign countries are superior to our own, our nation will never become strong. ¡°overseas, there are indeed places that are more advanced than our country. we should learn from their progress and spirit, but this should not be an excuse to deny our own homeland!¡± she then turned to the principal. ¡°principal, i don¡¯t think we should base our decision solely on his viewpoint. ¡°there¡¯s an old saying that goes, you cant win the battle if you lose the formation.¡¯ ¡°even if we are currently not as powerful as other nations, as long as we persevere and work harder than anyone else, our country will not be overlooked. ¡°our country boasts a rich history spanning thousands of years. in the past, it flourished, and it will do so again in the future.¡± professor yang ning regarded xia wan with approval. ¡°well said, young lady. your words make sense.¡± she gazed straight at li sheng. ¡°today, on behalf of all the educators in this institution, i express our support for the national style design.¡± she wasn¡¯t disregarding the achievements of foreign nations, but as a patriot, she couldn¡¯t abandon her love for her homeland. as a high school student, xia wan felt gratified to have such awareness. li sheng¡¯s expression turned sour. he glared at xia wan. ¡°you¡¯re young, but your words are bold. ¡°to create this school uniform, you¡¯re merely lending a hand, aren¡¯t you? ¡°don¡¯t tell me you think that zhou en alone gives you the confidence to oppose zhou en was dumbfounded. it appeared that, in li sheng¡¯s eyes, she was the sole contributor to this project. at that moment, she simply wanted to make it clear that she couldn¡¯t take credit for xia wan¡¯s contributions. zhou en stepped forward and said, ¡°we collaborated on this project. i initially designed three sets of school uniforms, and then wanwan assisted in refining them. ¡°all these elements of the national style were conceptualized by wanwan. ¡°if you claim that the artistic foundation of these three designs is strong, i can accept credit for that. however, if you attribute these innovative designs to wanwan, then i must correct you.¡± zhou en¡¯s words astounded even professor yang ning, not to mention li sheng. ¡°zhou en, are you speaking the truth?¡± professor yang ning inquired. zhou en nodded. ¡°yes, wanwan possesses remarkable design talent. i can¡¯t compare to her.¡± she didn¡¯t mention the collaboration between xia wan and wang peng. if these individuals knew that wang peng was willing to pay a high price for wan wan¡¯s design work, they¡¯d be even more astonished. yang ning regarded xia wan with warm eyes. ¡°impressive, my dear. your design talent is truly exceptional. i hope you¡¯ll continue to excel in the future. capital university warmly welcomes you.¡± xia wan held a deep respect for these university educators who displayed such love for their country. she responded, ¡°teacher, i will work diligently. i came to capital university with sister zhou en because i aspire to enroll here.¡± professor yang ning nodded. with each passing moment, she grew more satisfied with xia wan. li ru, who had been ignored, seethed with anger. she scornfully remarked, ¡°not everyone can secure a place at new york university just by desiring it. given the education standards in your small county, even if you¡¯re the top student there, you might not gain admission to new york university.¡± xia wan remained unfazed by li ru¡¯s words and retorted, ¡°even though it was challenging, sister zhou en managed to gain admission to capital university. it seems that sister zhou en possesses considerable abilities.¡± she smiled at li ru. ¡°you¡¯re a native of the capital city. with such excellent teachers, it should be easier for you to secure a spot at the capital city university compared to sister zhou en.¡± in essence, she implied that li ru didn¡¯t measure up to zhou en. she used li ru¡¯s words to counter her. li ru pointed at xia wan, appearing as though she wanted to take action. xia wan stared back at her coldly, unafraid. the principal banged his hand on the table. ¡°the decision about which school uniform design to adopt is not open to outsiders. it¡¯s settled.¡± seeing the principal¡¯s determination, li sheng felt embarrassed. he locked eyes with the principal and warned, ¡°principal, i hope you won¡¯t regret your actions today..¡± Chapter 378 - Chapter 378: Buying School Uniform chapter 378: buying school uniform translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the principal snorted. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i can handle this,¡± he assured. li sheng escorted li ru out of the office, while lin lin offered an apology to the principal before departing. once outside the principal¡¯s office, lin lin decided not to accompany the other two any further and fell back a few steps. while she believed in the excellence of the school uniform she had designed, she couldn¡¯t help but feel dissatisfied with li ru and li sheng¡¯s attitudes. professor yang ning was their teacher, and the principal held the highest authority in the entire school. yet, li ru and li sheng displayed no intention of showing them respect. lin lin still upheld the principle of respecting teachers. she felt that she had known too little about li ru in the past and decided to maintain some distance from her in the future. furthermore, most of their work had been completed by her, with li ru contributing relatively little. inside the principal¡¯s office, professor yang ning addressed the principal, ¡°principal, do you think li sheng might seek revenge for this? he strikes me as a rather vindictive person.¡± her initial impression of li sheng wasn¡¯t very positive, as she considered him a profit-driven businessman. ¡°he doesn¡¯t have that much influence,¡± the principal responded dismissively. ¡°besides, i¡¯ve been an educator for many years and have never engaged in any illegal activities. even if he were to seek revenge, i won¡¯t give him the opportunity.¡± professor yang ning found solace in the principal¡¯s words. the principal turned to xia wan and zhou en. ¡°let¡¯s proceed with signing the contract now.¡± even after signing the contract and receiving the 10,000 yuan from the principal, zhou en remained somewhat perplexed. professor yang ning ushered the two of them out and warmly invited them to dinner. xia wan couldn¡¯t decline, so they all went together. compared to their small county, the restaurants in the capital were more luxurious and offered private rooms. throughout the meal, professor yang ning inquired about xia wan¡¯s background. her enthusiastic interest made xia wan contemplate feigning ignorance. upon learning that xia wan had a phone, professor yang ning unabashedly asked for her number. after saving the number, professor yang ning addressed xia wan, ¡°wanwan, even if you don¡¯t gain admission to imperial university in the future, i hope you¡¯ll consider enrolling here. our teachers are exceptional, security is top-notch, and i have a soft spot for you.¡± zhou en found this peculiar. professor yang ning at their school had extensive experience and was respected by students, but she rarely displayed such care for a student. xia wan sensed that professor yang ning genuinely wished to look after her. after brief contemplation, she said, ¡°thank you for your kindness, teacher. there¡¯s something i¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡± ¡°if you have something on your mind, don¡¯t hesitate to share it. you¡¯re among friends here,¡± professor yang ning encouraged with a smile. ¡°teacher, have you been married for many years without being able to conceive?¡± xia wan asked directly. professor yang ning ceased laughing, her surprise evident. ¡°how did you know?¡± xia wan responded matter-of-factly, ¡°when we were conversing earlier, i took your pulse and reached this conclusion.¡± professor yang ning was even more astonished. ¡°you have knowledge of medicine?¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°my grandfather is the village doctor in my hometown. he served in the military when he was younger. i learned a great deal from him and read numerous medical texts.¡± ¡°in our village, some individuals have experienced a similar condition to yours. so, i ventured to guess that your situation might be comparable.¡± hope filled professor yang ning¡¯s eyes. ¡°wanwan, can you cure my condition?¡± ¡°yes, absolutely,¡± xia wan affirmed. ¡°if i¡¯m not mistaken, you likely contracted a cold during your menstruation in your youth. the underlying cause of your condition dates back to that time. ¡°it has been a while since then. to fully resolve it, you¡¯ll require both acupuncture and medication. ¡°however, i won¡¯t be staying in the capital for long. two days is clearly insufficient to treat your condition. if you trust me, you could visit my hometown when you find the time. ¡°after two weeks of continuous acupuncture, your condition should significantly improve. in the future, you¡¯ll only need acupuncture three times a month.¡± without hesitation, professor yang ning agreed, ¡°certainly. i¡¯ve been teaching at the school for many years without taking a break. now, in order to heal my body, i¡¯ll request a leave of absence from the school.¡± xia wan sensed a profound level of trust from professor yang ning. she had encountered patients before, but most initially doubted her medical skills. however, professor yang ning displayed no such doubt.. Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: Treating Yang Ning chapter 379: treating yang ning translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°why do you trust me so much, professor yang ning?¡± xia wan inquired. ¡°many people believe that chinese medicine should be practiced by older individuals,¡± professor yang ning replied with a serene smile. ¡°you, at such a young age, have designed a school uniform with a national style. why can¡¯t you possess exceptional medical skills? ¡°when i was in school, there were numerous prodigies in our class. at the same age, their knowledge far surpassed ours. ¡°later, during my overseas studies, i encountered people who were incredibly accomplished at a young age. some had the creativity to forge ahead, others possessed the vision to lead, and a few seemed to foresee the future. ¡°eventually, i grasped that there would always be individuals in this world whose abilities i couldn¡¯t match, regardless of my efforts. since then, i¡¯ve reminded myself not to become conceited or complacent, no matter what accomplishments i achieve.¡± xia wan was deeply impressed by professor yang ning¡¯s humble attitude. she admired professor yang ning¡¯s ability to stay true to her core values despite reaching such a high societal standing. ¡®you both can stay at my house tonight,¡± professor yang ning suggested. ¡°i¡¯ll request leave from the school and take you home with me.¡± ¡°alright, professor, we appreciate your hospitality,¡± xia wan replied. she could sense professor yang ning¡¯s strong desire to treat her condition. at 40 years old, every passing day made it more challenging for her to conceive. in addition to curing professor yang ning¡¯s illness, xia wan planned to prepare medicinal dishes to bolster her overall health. premature pregnancy could potentially harm her body, but xia wan decided not to mention this concern to her yet. after dinner, professor yang ning received a phone call that left her visibly distressed. ¡°teacher, is something wrong?¡± xia wan inquired. putting down her phone, professor yang ning sighed. ¡°i don¡¯t have any children of my own. my nephew often stays at my place, but he¡¯s not a well-behaved young man and often gets into trouble. ¡°he just called me, informing me that he got into a fight with someone. he¡¯s currently at the police station and asked me to come and get him. ¡°furthermore, based on what he told me, it seems he may have angered someone influential this time. i¡¯m afraid this issue can¡¯t be peacefully resolved.¡± ¡°then we¡¯ll accompany you,¡± xia wan insisted. however, professor yang ning shook her head. ¡°this isn¡¯t your concern. don¡¯t get involved in this mess. i¡¯ll go on my own.¡± xia wan persisted, ¡°teacher, i often research legal topics online. let me accompany you. perhaps i can be of assistance.¡± zhou en chimed in, ¡°yes, teacher. we should go with you. you¡¯ve been a great help to me during my studies. it¡¯s only right that we help you in return when your nephew is in trouble. ¡°even if we can¡¯t do much, we can provide support.¡± professor yang ning felt a warmth in her heart. she believed that these two were truly admirable individuals. regrettably, her nephew was far from obedient and well-behaved. if he were, she might have considered having a child of her own. seeing their unwavering determination, professor yang ning relented. she hailed a taxi, and the three of them rushed to the police station. upon arrival, they explained the situation, and the police directed them to the back. in the corridor, two groups of young men were squatting on either side. they bore injuries on their faces, and their clothing was in disarray, indicating they had been in a heated brawl. one boy, around 16 or 17 years old, sprang up excitedly and shouted upon spotting professor yang ning, ¡°auntie, i¡¯m here!¡± professor yang ning swiftly seized his ear and admonished, ¡°how many times have i told you not to cause trouble? now, you¡¯re even creating a ruckus at the police station.¡± the boy, wincing from the ear-pulling, pleaded, ¡°auntie, it really wasn¡¯t me causing trouble this time. we were singing in the ktv room, and they barged in and forcefully took over our room. ¡°auntie, there¡¯s a ¡®first-come, first-served¡¯ principle for everything. we had already booked the private room in advance, and my friends have been here for half an hour..¡± Chapter 380 - Chapter 380: Meeting Lu Lin Again chapter 380: meeting lu lin again translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation professor yang ning released yang chao¡¯s ear upon hearing his response. however, her past experiences with her nephew¡¯s troubles made her still somewhat uncertain. she questioned him, ¡°are you absolutely certain you didn¡¯t instigate any trouble this time?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, auntie, ¡± yang cnao assertecl nrnuy. ¡°1 genume1y nau notmng to do with this altercation.¡± as xia wan scanned the individuals on both sides of the corridor, her gaze fixed on a familiar figure. it was lu lin, the individual who had visited her hometown to demand the engagement token from their past. a faint smile touched xia wan¡¯s lips. her trip to the capital had included an inquiry into lu lin¡¯s current circumstances, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated this unexpected encounter. ¡®yang chao, you were the one who declined my offer. i offered you an extra hundred yuan, but you failed to appreciate the gesture and turned me down,¡± lu lin exclaimed, standing up and pointing an accusing finger at yang chao. yang chao turned to face him. ¡°need i remind you of the offensive language you used at that time? if someone insulted your parents and family, wouldn¡¯t you have retaliated?¡± yang chao countered. lu lin huffed disdainfully. ¡°even if i had brought your entire family along, you were the one who initiated the attack. my brother sustained severe injuries. there¡¯s no way this matter will be resolved easily.¡± he then glanced at professor yang ning and was about to say something when he noticed xia wan. he pointed at her. back when he had visited the xia family to dissolve the engagement, he had been misled by xia ru. only upon returning home did he discover that the individual responsible for arranging the engagement was named xia wan. xia wan was the girl who had thwarted him during his visit to the county town. she had played tricks on him, treating him like a fool. she had even informed his grandfather about the incident, leading to him being scolded and grounded for an entire month. that month had been a torturous confinement, and he had yearned for freedom. finally released, he had intended to take his friends out for some relaxation and karaoke. yet, he had ended up at a ktv without available rooms. in the past, people had always offered him a private room when he showered them with money. however, yang chao had refused him. now, while at the police station, he encountered xia wan once more. in that moment, lu lin didn¡¯t harbor as much resentment toward yang chao. his anger was primarily directed at xia wan. xia wan responded with a smile. ¡°lu lin, it¡¯s been quite some time. it appears you haven¡¯t improved at all. you always bring a group of people with you, yet you can¡¯t seem to win any fights.¡± ¡°if i were you, i¡¯d be too embarrassed to show my face. i¡¯d just stay home and retire. ¡± it was only then that yang chao noticed two girls standing behind his aunt, and one of them seemed to know lu lin. he lowered his voice and inquired of professor yang ning, ¡°auntie, who is this person? how does he know lu lin? it feels like there¡¯s a grudge between them.¡± professor yang ning also felt perplexed. she explained, ¡°i don¡¯t know either. i only met wanwan at school today. zhou en, who is standing beside her, used to be my student. they both hail from the same hometown.¡± ¡°although i don¡¯t know wanwan well, i believe she¡¯s a good-hearted child. there must be a reason for the animosity between lu lin and wanwan. lu lin must have done something wrong.¡± yang chao remained speechless. when did his aunt develop such a strong fondness for a girl? she was usually quite stern with her nephew. lu lin, provoked by xia wan¡¯s remarks, lunged toward her, intending to confront her physically. ¡°stop!¡± a police officer immediately commanded. before the police could intervene, xia wan swiftly kicked lu lin away. xia wan blinked innocently and addressed the police officer. ¡°officer, you all witnessed it. he attacked me first, and i merely defended myself. i didn¡¯t expect him to be so frail that a gentle kick sent him crashing into the wall. ¡± the police officer appeared taken aback. they had indeed witnessed xia wan¡¯s light kick, and it should not have resulted in such serious injuries to lu lin. yang chao burst into laughter. ¡°lu lin, you¡¯re utterly pathetic. you got kicked by a girl and ended up plastered against the wall. are you trying to extort money from me?¡± lu lin felt a discomfort in his chest. the spot where xia wan had kicked him was particularly painful.. Chapter 381 - Chapter 381: Someone From the Lu Family chapter 381: someone from the lu family translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation in front of so many people, lu lin felt that he could not keep his face. he glared at yang chao fiercely. ¡°stop making sarcastic remarks here. if you have the ability, you can try being kicked. ¡± yang chao crossed his arms. ¡°why should i be kicked? i¡¯m different from you. i don¡¯t hit girls.¡± the police officer also reacted at this time and scolded, ¡°all of you shut up. i asked your parents to come over to mediate this matter. it would be best if you can reach an understanding. if you can¡¯t handle it, then we¡¯ll do it according to the rules.¡± at this moment, another middle-aged man rushed over. he was wearing a suit, his facial features were well-defined, and he wore a pair of black glasses. he looked refined and refined. he walked over and smiled at the police officer. ¡°i¡¯m sorry to trouble you, officer. my nephew, lu lin, is still young and is a little impulsive. i¡¯ll apologize to you on his behalf.¡± the man¡¯s attitude was very good, and he seemed to have a high status. the police¡¯s attitude towards him was also a little gentler. ¡°alright, since the parents of both parties are here, let¡¯s negotiate.¡± then, he pointed at yang chao and lu lin. ¡°the two of you, as the representatives of both sides, follow me.¡± if it was a normal fight, it would be easy for them to handle it. basically, both sides would criticize and educate each other. then, they would find out who started it and adjust it. however, one of the people fighting this time was the nephew of professor yang ning of capital university, and the other was the grandson of the lu family. both of them had connections in capital city. if they really left a criminal record in the police station, both sides would definitely be unhappy. they naturally hoped that the people on both sides could mediate and not cause any more trouble. xia wan and zhou en also entered the mediation room. after the middle-aged man¡¯s introduction, she learned that his name was lu jing, the younger brother of lu lin¡¯s father. he was the youngest of his father¡¯s generation and was currently working in the industry and commerce bureau. xia wan¡¯s eyes darkened. he was working in the industry and commerce bureau. he could be considered a capable person in the lu family. even if the lu family¡¯s power declined in the future, it would not affect him. he just didn¡¯t know what kind of character he had. did he come to protect lu lin this time because he was close to lu lin, or was it to protect the lu family¡¯s face? the police briefly explained the situation, and it was clear what had happened. lu lin wanted to take yang chao¡¯s private room by force, but yang chao rejected him. lu lin said some nasty and humiliating words, and yang chao led his brothers to attack. then, the two sides fought, and both sides were injured. it was the manager of the ktv who called the police. the police officer concluded, ¡°in general, both parties made mistakes. lu lin shouldn¡¯t have taken yang chao¡¯s private room by force. yang chao and the others¡¯ reactions were also a little too extreme. both of you are famous people here. i also hope that you can come up with a good agreement. it¡¯s best if you can sign a letter of understanding.¡± lu jing said guiltily, ¡°this nephew of mine is a junior in the family. his parents are usually busy with their business, so they¡¯re not strict enough with him. speaking of which, we were in the wrong first. lu lin, hurry up and apologize to yang chao and the others. after that, we¡¯ll treat yang chao and the others to a good meal and let this matter pass.¡± he then looked at yang ning and asked, ¡°professor yang ning, what do you think?¡± yang ning didn¡¯t expect lu jing to know her, but she wasn¡¯t too surprised. besides teaching at imperial university, she usually went to other universities to teach. perhaps lu jing had heard of her from somewhere else. she nodded. ¡°yang chao is also at fault in this matter. this child is just impulsive.¡± yang chao¡¯s expression was very ugly. ¡°auntie, i won¡¯t apologize to him. he was wrong in the first place. it¡¯s only right for him to apologize to me.¡± yang ning¡¯s expression changed. ¡°you child, i¡¯ve already decided to apologize to you. what else do you want? isn¡¯t it true that you did it?¡± yang chao couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°lu lin insulted me and my brothers, saying that we were all lowly people and were not worthy of fighting with him. he said that our parents were trash and were not even worthy of carrying his shoes.¡± ¡°he even said that he could occupy our private room because he was giving us face. he said that lowly people like us should be content.¡± at this point, yang chao clenched his fists. ¡°aunt, you always said that everyone is born equal.. what right does he have to humiliate us like this and put on a high and mighty appearance as if we are slaves?¡± Chapter 382 - Chapter 382: Lu Jing chapter 382: lu jing translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation yang ning¡¯s expression was also ugly. she did not expect lu lin to speak so harshly. this was not as simple as snatching a private room. this was clearly an insult to his character. lu jing looked at lu lin warningly. ¡°did you really say something that overboard?¡± lu lin was still a little afraid of his brother-in-law and did not dare to lie in front of him. he only nodded but still defended himself, ¡°i was too angry at that time. he kept refusing to give it to me, so i said that out of anger.¡± lu jing slapped the table. ¡°bastard! is this how your parents usually educate you? do you think that as a descendant of the lu family, you¡¯re superior?¡± ¡°the glory of the lu family was earned by your grandfather¡¯s hard work. what about you? not only did you not bring glory to your grandfather, but you also ruined the lu family¡¯s reputation!¡± ¡°if it weren¡¯t for your parents, i wouldn¡¯t have bothered about you today!¡± xia wan¡¯s eyes lit up. she could tell that lu jing meant what he said, and the anger in his eyes was real. therefore, he really looked down on lu lin¡¯s actions. it seemed that lu jing was one of the few sober people in the lu family. well, she could consider befriending him. xia wan made a decision. lu lin¡¯s face turned pale from the scolding. he wanted to refute, but he didn¡¯t dare. he only said gloomily, ¡°i know i was wrong, little uncle. i won¡¯t say that again.¡± although he said that, his lowered eyes flashed with hatred and resentment. he felt that his little uncle was crazy. he was clearly his uncle, but lu jing was scolding him in front of outsiders. the lu family was very powerful to begin with. everyone in the capital had to give the lu family face. the merit points that his grandfather had earned were originally meant for his descendants to enjoy. who asked others not to reincarnate? they did not have a powerful grandfather. besides, lu jing was able to work in the industry and commerce bureau because he had the backing of the lu family. if it weren¡¯t for the lu family, even if lu jing was outstanding in his studies and had returned from studying abroad, the industry and commerce bureau might not have wanted him. lu lin was filled with unwillingness. he felt that lu jing had enjoyed the benefits of the lu family just like him, but now lu jing was scolding him. his father had said that the lu family would belong to them in the future. now, the old master held power. when the old master died, the lu family¡¯s company would be in their hands. lu jing¡¯s job was stable, but his financial resources could not compare to his father¡¯s. from the bottom of his heart, lu lin looked down on lu jing. however, he had been the strictest to him since he was young and had even hit him when he was young, so now he was subconsciously afraid of lu jing. seeing that lu lin did not refute him, lu jing thought that he had realized his mistake, so he did not scold him anymore. he looked at yang ning apologetically. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, professor yang ning. it¡¯s our lu family¡¯s fault for not educating our children well. i¡¯ll bring a gift to visit you personally some other day to apologize. i think we should sign a letter of understanding for today¡¯s matter.¡± yang ning¡¯s expression was still cold, and she did not speak immediately. the atmosphere suddenly became a little stiff. lu jing didn¡¯t rush her anymore and waited for yang ning to speak. ¡°wanwan, what do you think?¡± yang ning asked xia wan. xia wan didn¡¯t expect yang ning to ask for her advice. she was stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°this matter has nothing to do with me. teacher, you can do whatever you want.¡± lu jing was a little surprised. he had heard of yang ning¡¯s reputation. although she was gentle, she was aloof and aloof. why would she listen to a little girl now? who was this girl? ¡°i don¡¯t have an idea now. wanwan, you tell me. i want to hear your opinion.¡± seeing yang ning¡¯s insistence, xia wan no longer declined. she slowly looked at lu lin and said, ¡°lu lin is at fault in this matter. if he asks for a lavvyer later, it can be considered self-defense on yang chao¡¯s side.¡± ¡°first of all, yang chao bought the private room first. before the time limit for their purchase is up, the right to use the private room should belong to yang chao.¡¯ ¡°during this period, lu lin used forceful means to enter the private room and forced yang chao to agree to an unfair deal. this is a violation of the market trading law.¡± ¡°if everyone acts like lu lin, then there will be no rules in doing business.¡± lu jing gradually looked at xia wan seriously. he thought that the little girl would say something that most adults could not say. she even knows the law? Chapter 383 - Chapter 383: Agree to Understand chapter 383: agree to understand translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation lu jing also put away his previous contempt. he admitted that he had misjudged xia wan because of her appearance and age. now, it seemed that xia wan knew more than he had imagined. it was also more difficult to deal with. ¡°how do you want to deal with this?¡± lu jing asked humbly. ¡°i can get lu lin to apologize to you and compensate you for your losses.¡± when lu lin heard this, he shouted, ¡°why should we? we were the ones who were more seriously injured. why should we compensate them?¡± lu jing glared at him. ¡°don¡¯t talk anymore.¡± xia wan looked at lu lin with a half-smile. ¡°you were the ones who were looking for trouble first. you wanted to use force to drive yang chao and the others out of the private room, but you couldn¡¯t beat them.¡± ¡°if i were you, i wouldn¡¯t have the face to say such things in front of so many people.¡± ¡°you took the initiative to find someone to fight and lost. aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± lu lin¡¯s face was green and red, and his eyes were filled with hatred and ruthlessness as he looked at xia wan. this b*tch would fall into his hands sooner or later. he would torture her ruthlessly. but now, he was speechless. he had to admit that xia wan was telling the truth. yang chao looked at xia wan with admiration and admiration. he treated xia wan as yang ning¡¯s student. he had seen yang ning¡¯s students in the past, and they would only talk about books and theories. there were very few people like xia wan, who would use such sharp words to hit the other party¡¯s sore spot. he suddenly realized that not all of yang ning¡¯s students were nerds. lu jing could tell that yang ning was really planning to let xia wan handle this matter. he looked at xia wan and asked tentatively, ¡°i¡¯ve asked around. yang chao¡¯s private room cost a total of 500 yuan. how about this? we¡¯ll compensate yang chao 3000 yuan and let this matter go.¡± yang chao¡¯s injuries were not serious. they were just some superficial scratches. in xia wan¡¯s opinion, this amount of compensation was enough. if the compensation was too much, it would put yang chao in a disadvantageous position. ¡°we accept this compensation, but i want to add a clause to the letter of understanding. ¡± ¡°add what?¡± lu jing asked. ¡°if lu lin wants to stir up trouble again, we reserve the right to pursue this matter.¡± lu jing was shocked. he sighed at xia wan¡¯s thoughtfulness. at the same time, he felt that this girl was quite ruthless. according to xia wan, if lu lin caused trouble for yang chao again, the compensation and forgiveness this time would be nullified. they could continue to pursue the matter of lu lin hitting yang chao. ¡°alright,¡± lu jing said. ¡°i¡¯ll agree to your request. i¡¯ll write this condition on the letter of understanding.¡± lu lin wanted to explain himself, but lu jing did not give him the chance. he forced him to apologize to yang chao and took out 3000 yuan from his wallet and gave it to yang chao. when he knew that lu lin had gotten into trouble this time, he had already withdrawn some money from the bank. fortunately, the amount of compensation was not as much as he had expected. before he left, lu lin glared at xia wan fiercely and warned, ¡°just you wait.¡± xia wan smiled. ¡°you¡¯ve said the same thing many times. i¡¯ve been waiting for your revenge. i hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡± lu jing also stopped in his tracks and looked at xia wan with confusion. ¡°did you know lu lin before? what grudge did you have before?¡± the girl in front of him was good-looking, elegant, and easy to talk to. she was logical and hit the nail on the head. lu jing admired her very much and could tell that she was an outstanding girl. logically speaking, even if lu lin did not admire such a girl, he should not have such an attitude. moreover, this girl was too bold. she said something that put lu lin in an awkward position in front of so many people. according to lu lin¡¯s petty personality, he would definitely find an opportunity to take revenge in the future. xia wan had no intention of hiding her identity from lu jing. she came to the capital in the dark. however, now that she had met lu lin, she had to reveal her identity so that lu lin would be wary. at the same time, she had to let the lu family understand that if something happened to her in beijing, it must be lu lin¡¯s doing.. Chapter 384 - Chapter 384: Invited to the Lu Family chapter 384: invited to the lu family translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°my grandfather once arranged a marriage with his comrade on the battlefield,¡± xia wan said calmly. ¡°that comrade is lu lin¡¯s grandfather and also your father. ¡°previously, lu lin went to my hometown and wanted to force our family to hand over the token so that he could take it back and tell the old master of the lu family that we were unwilling to get married. ¡°of course, i really don¡¯t like him. however, i took the initiative to give up on this matter, and he forced me to give up. ¡°he even hurt my family and slept with my cousin, xia ru. ¡°although this is considered a matter of mutual consent between the two of them, i¡¯m the one who arranged the marriage with him. isn¡¯t he slapping me in the face by getting together with my cousin? ¡°if i hadn¡¯t seen you, i would have thought that the lu family was like lu lin and had no upbringing.¡± although xia wan said these things with a smile, her words were completely impolite. even the lu family¡¯s upbringing was directly involved. if someone else had said that, lu jing would definitely be unhappy and angry. lu lin being unreasonable was his own business. not everyone in the lu family was like lu lin. especially since the lu family¡¯s current achievements were all thanks to his father. old master lu¡¯s reputation could not be blasphemed by others. but now, not only could lu jing not pursue xia wan¡¯s words, he even felt guilty. if lu lin didn¡¯t want to marry her, he could have just told his father directly. he actually used such a forceful method. although the lu family was powerful and rich, apart from the lu family¡¯s status, lu lin was indeed far from xia wan in terms of personal conditions. moreover, he could feel that an independent and clear-headed girl like xia wan was not someone lu lin could control. what was worse was that lu lin actually slept with xia wan¡¯s cousin. this was simply a disgraceful act. lu jing pulled a long face and scolded lu lin, ¡°you actually did such a despicable and shameless thing. you¡¯re simply throwing the lu family¡¯s face to the ground for others to trample on.¡± ¡°when i first met her, i didn¡¯t know she was from the xia family.¡± lu lin defended himself. ¡°she hit my bodyguard at that time.¡± ¡°then why don¡¯t you tell everyone why i hit your bodyguard?¡± xia wan looked at him. ¡°isn¡¯t it because you stopped me on the street and wanted to force me to accompany you back to the hotel? ¡°you think that people from our small place have no power and influence, so you can bully them as you please and taint the innocence of a little girl as you please. ¡°why can¡¯t i teach you a lesson when you are of such low character?¡± lu jing flew into a rage and slapped lu lin¡¯s face. ¡°nonsense! how dare you do such a thing on the street!¡± lu jing understood lu lin¡¯s mentality just by listening to xia wan¡¯s description. when he was in beijing, lu lin¡¯s girlfriend was at least willing. or he would go to bars, ktv, and other places to find girls to accompany him. but at least he didn¡¯t do anything like snatching girls on the street or forcing them to sleep with him. obviously, after lu lin arrived in xia wan¡¯s hometown, he looked down on people from small places and felt that people from small places could be easily bullied. lu jing wanted to slap him again. his father had asked him to go to the xia family¡¯s residence and ask them politely about their attitude, and that was what he had done! no wonder he was brought home by his father¡¯s men last time and was locked up for two months. at that time, he was on a business trip and did not understand what had happened. it was only after he returned home and asked the servants at home that he found out that lu lin had done something wrong when he went to the xia family. he thought that based on lu lin¡¯s character, he would at most have a fight with the locals. he did not expect lu lin to do such a disgraceful thing. no wonder lu lin¡¯s parents never mentioned this to him. every time they talked, the two of them would use other things to avoid this topic. lu lin was stunned. he covered his face and looked at lu jing. ¡°uncle, how could you slap me in front of everyone?!¡± ever since he was young, his uncle had been very serious with him. occasionally, when he caused trouble, lu jing would hit him with a stick. however, after he grew up, no matter how angry lu jing was, he would not hit him. at most, he would ask his family to limit his pocket money. this was the first time he had been slapped in the face in public since he was born. this was too embarrassing! Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: Inquiring About the Lu Family chapter 385: inquiring about the lu family translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation lu jing looked at him coldly. ¡°you¡¯ll get beaten up for what you¡¯ve done.¡± after saying that, he no longer looked at lu lin and turned to look at xia wan apologetically. ¡°miss xia wan, i¡¯m very sorry that lu lin caused you so much harm back then. since you¡¯re already in beijing, why don¡¯t you come with me to visit the old master?¡± afraid that xia wan would not agree, lu jing said, ¡°my father is a serious and principled person in politics. with his protection, lu lin won¡¯t dare to do anything to you.¡± ¡°little uncle, how could you invite her to grandpa¡¯s place?!¡± lu lin immediately said. lu jing didn¡¯t even look at him as he waited for xia wan¡¯s reply. xia wan smiled. xia wan asked professor yang ning to help take care of zhou en first and decided to go personally. professor yang ning was worried. ¡°let yang chao drive you there. bring you to my house when you come back. since you¡¯re staying in the capital tonight, you can stay at my house.¡± xia wan wanted to stay in a hotel, but yang ning was very enthusiastic, so she had to agree. lu lin and lu jing sat in the same car while xia wan sat in yang chao¡¯s car. there were only two people in the car. yang chao immediately asked her excitedly, ¡°are you that powerful? you beat up lu lin¡¯s bodyguard back then? have you learned martial arts before?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve heard before that lu lin seems to have a fianc¨¦e. it¡¯s been so many years, but i¡¯ve never seen her before. i didn¡¯t expect you to be his legendary fianc¨¦e.¡± without waiting for xia wan to speak, yang chao continued, ¡°but let me tell you, this lu lin is not a good person. he changes girlfriends very frequently, and his character is bad. he has no sense of responsibility. you¡¯d better not marry him. ¡± when yang chao finally finished, xia wan said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t marry him. i¡¯ve already told old master lu that our marriage is invalid.¡± ¡°so you¡¯ve met old master lu before?¡± yang chao was surprised. xia wan shook her head. ¡°no, i just spoke to him on the phone, but i think he must be a very good person.¡± yang chao nodded. ¡°old master lu is a good man. it¡¯s just a pity that his grandson is too unreasonable.¡± xia wan asked him, ¡°did lu lin do anything immoral?¡± yang chao was disdainful at the mention of lu lin. he said, ¡°this guy has done too many wicked things. if you want to hear it, i¡¯ll tell you in detail.¡± ¡°sure, ¡± xia wan said. through yang chao¡¯s explanation, xia wan learned about the despicable things that lu lin had done in the capital. not only did he change girlfriends frequently, he even got a girl pregnant in his second year of high school. the girl¡¯s family background was average. with the help of the lu family, the girl was forced to get an abortion. however, it was said that the girl had a health problem, and it was difficult for her to get pregnant again after the abortion. because of this, the girl¡¯s family went to the lu family more than once to cause trouble. in the end, the lu family compensated her with a large sum of money before the matter was over. from then on, those girls with good family backgrounds stayed far away from lu lin. although the lu family was powerful and rich, lu lin was too much of a jerk. being together with lu lin was the beginning of a tragedy. in school, those girls who approached lu lin were all after his money. he was also happy to be flattered by these girls. the bar was a place that lu lin frequented. he had gotten into many disputes with people in the bar. it was either because he wanted to snatch a girl or because he had a disagreement. the lu family had lectured him many times, but it was completely useless. after being obedient for a month or two, lu lin committed another crime. xia wan had a rough understanding of lu lin¡¯s personality and took the initiative to ask, ¡°since old master lu is so strict with him, why does he keep making mistakes? is it because his parents dote on him?¡± ¡°his mother dotes on him,¡± yang chao said. ¡°his father is busy making money all day and has no time to care about him. but his father is very happy when he gives him money.¡± ¡°what about old master lu¡¯s other children?¡± xia wan asked again. i saw his uncle, lu jing, just now. he¡¯s a nice guy.¡± yang chao also said in puzzlement, ¡°it¡¯s strange. they obviously grew up in the same family. lu jing and old master lu are very similar. both of them are very upright. lu xi is lu lin¡¯s father. he¡¯s a complete businessman. in his eyes, he only sees benefits..¡± Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: Visiting the Old Master chapter 386: visiting the old master translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°old master lu¡¯s second son, lu dong, is a bit of a bookworm. he went to university for postgraduate studies and then pursued a phd. now, he¡¯s teaching at a university. i heard that he barely has any social interactions and spends most of his free time reading books. ¡°his wife is the daughter of his postgraduate teacher.¡± xia wan nodded repeatedly and secretly memorized the information about the lu family. according to yang chao, if old master lu passed away, the power of the lu family would basically be in the hands of lu lin¡¯s father, lu xi. lu xi owned a company and was rich and powerful. although lu jing was very upright, it was precisely because he was too upright and disdained to take advantage of others that she guessed that most of the lu family¡¯s assets had fallen into lu xi¡¯s hands after old master lu¡¯s death. or perhaps lu xi had given lu jing and lu dong money, but the power was still in his hands. in this way, lu xi would help lu lin settle whatever despicable things he did. lu jing and lu xi probably didn¡¯t know what happened to her family in her previous life. now that she had the chance to see old master lu in advance, xia wan was happy. seeing that xia wan didn¡¯t say anything else, yang chao didn¡¯t say anything else. he always felt that this girl was not simple. she was full of vigor when facing lu lin, and she was not nervous at all when talking to lu jing. her mental strength was very strong. it was either because they had a good family education or because they had experienced a lot. when they were almost there, yang chao said, ¡°turn right after this intersection.¡± xia wan nodded and didn¡¯t say anything. seeing that she didn¡¯t seem nervous at all, yang chao admired xia wan even more. the lu family¡¯s old residence was located in a villa area. the villas here were very scattered, with a considerable distance between them. it was challenging to find a taxi because most residents in the villa area had private cars and didn¡¯t rely on taxis. when the car reached the gate, it was stopped. the two security guards asked about their identities. coincidentally, lu jing¡¯s car arrived at this time. he took the initiative to say, ¡°open the door; this is an important guest.¡± the security guard immediately opened the iron gate and welcomed them in. yang chao and lu lin went to park the car while xia wan followed lu jing to see the old man. lu jing smiled. ¡°father hasn¡¯t been in a good mood recently. he might be happy to see you. you can talk to him more about your grandfather.¡± xia wan nodded and did not say anything else. when she arrived at the living room, xia wan saw an old man sitting on the sofa, reading the newspaper. he was wearing reading glasses, and his hair was half-white. he had a commanding presence that couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡°dad, look who i brought here,¡± lu jing said happily. old master lu put down the newspaper and looked over. when he saw xia wan, old master lu was still a little puzzled. ¡°this is?¡± xia wan took the initiative to walk over and said to old master lu with a smile, ¡°hello, grandpa lu. my name is xia wan. i¡¯m the one who spoke to you on the phone earlier.¡± old master lu was in a daze for a moment, then his eyes lit up with joy. ¡°you are xia wan? good child, quickly sit down.¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t resist old master lu¡¯s enthusiasm and sat down beside him. lu jing asked the servants to prepare fruits and tea. old master lu observed xia wan and nodded. ¡°yes, you¡¯re a good child. it¡¯s a pity that my lu lin is a disappointment. it¡¯s only right that you don¡¯t like him.¡± in front of old master lu, xia wan naturally wouldn¡¯t say anything negative about lu lin. even though lu lin had done many wrongs, he was still old master lu¡¯s biological grandson, and their relationship was closer than hers. when old master lu asked xia wan about her grandfather, xia wan didn¡¯t mind. she took the initiative to talk about some of the principles that her grandfather had taught her when she was young. after hearing xia wan say that she had followed her grandfather to practice medicine in the village and learned some medical skills, the old man even reached out his hand and said, ¡°then you have to let me take a look. your grandfather¡¯s medical skills are very good.¡± seeing old master lu¡¯s expectant look, xia wan also started to take his pulse. in fact, even if the old man did not say it, she would have checked old master lu¡¯s health. in her previous life, old master lu passed away in less than three years. she took this opportunity to check if old master lu had any hidden health issues.. Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Excellent chapter 387: excellent translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan was earnestly taking the old man¡¯s pulse when lu lin and yang chao walked in. seeing that his grandfather actually let a young girl take his pulse, lu lin exclaimed in surprise, ¡°grandpa, your health is so precious. how can you allow her to treat you? ¡°she¡¯s just a young girl. what could she possibly know? there can¡¯t be a medical expert in a small county like this. ¡°grandpa, if you¡¯re not feeling well, i¡¯ll take you to the hospital right away.¡± old master lu glared at him, but because xia wan was checking his pulse, he refrained from saying anything. xia wan had already finished taking his pulse and withdrew her hand. finally, old master lu had the opportunity to scold lu lin, ¡°shut up. you¡¯re about the same age as wanwan. wanwan is so capable. what have you accomplished besides causing trouble since you were young?¡± being scolded by his grandfather in front of xia wan, lu lin felt both wronged and embarrassed. ¡°my dad is always so busy. it¡¯s because he hasn¡¯t managed me properly.¡± old master lu said bluntly, ¡°when i was young, i was on the battlefield. your grandmother didn¡¯t have much time to take care of your father and uncle. why weren¡¯t your father and uncle as irresponsible as you when they were young?¡± lu lin retorted with logic and evidence, ¡°at that time, your circumstances weren¡¯t great. your family struggled to put food on the table. of course, you couldn¡¯t afford to indulge. ¡°but, grandpa, you¡¯re very successful now. you have numerous military achievements, and my father¡¯s business is thriving. i lack nothing. of course, i want to enjoy my youth. ¡°my mother said your hard work is meant to provide me with a happy life, so i don¡¯t have to conform to others¡¯ expectations.¡± old master lu was infuriated by his words. he knew that this was the result of his daughter-in-law spoiling lu lin excessively. however, now that lu lin was about to graduate from high school, strict discipline wouldn¡¯t yield much. lu lin had been pampered by his mother ever since he was a child. old master lu rolled his eyes at him. ¡°i can¡¯t be bothered to deal with you. wanwan is my guest today. stay out of my sight and don¡¯t ruin the atmosphere.¡± it was only then that the old man noticed yang chao. the yang family and the lu family were closely connected. old master lu nodded at him. ¡°consider this place your home; feel free to make yourself comfortable. ¡°lu lin, yang chao is our guest today.¡± old master lu couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°look at yang chao¡¯s academic performance, and then look at yours. if you were half as sensible as yang chao, i wouldn¡¯t have to scold you every day.¡± lu lin was irritated by his words and dragged yang chao away. he¡¯d rather have a confrontation with yang chao outside than endure the old man¡¯s nagging. yang chao felt a bit guilty, despite having better grades than lu lin. he wasn¡¯t one to strictly adhere to the rules. he¡¯d complete his assignments and consistently ranked among the top 300 in his class. but he was sociable and had a penchant for making friends. he was also fiercely loyal. if a friend faced trouble, he¡¯d often stand up for them. his aunt and parents were concerned about this aspect of his personality. however, in terms of character, he believed he was far superior to lu lin. at least he had never toyed with someone¡¯s emotions, let alone gotten them pregnant. even when he fought, it was typically in self-defense. with these two no longer being a nuisance, old master lu turned to xia wan and asked, ¡°how is my health? is there an issue?¡± xia wan smiled. ¡°you¡¯re in good health, but your sleep quality has been poor lately. do you experience dull headaches when you sleep?¡± old master lu¡¯s eyes lit up. he had only half-jokingly asked xia wan to take his pulse. he didn¡¯t anticipate that xia wan could deduce his current condition just from the pulse reading. she was even more remarkable than xia wan¡¯s grandfather. old master lu nodded. ¡°yes, i¡¯ve been experiencing headaches when i sleep lately, and i struggle to sleep well. i usually wake up after three to four hours of sleep. ¡°after that, it¡¯ll be very difficult for me to fall asleep again..¡± Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Acupuncture chapter 388: acupuncture translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°i went to see the doctor for this, and the doctor prescribed some medicine for me. i can sleep for a few more hours now, but my head still hurts.¡± at this point, old master lu was a little nervous. ¡°don¡¯t tell me i have cancer?¡± xia wan comforted him. ¡°don¡¯t worry, grandpa lu. your body is fine. the headache is just because you¡¯ve been worried about a lot of things recently. i suggest you let go. ¡°i¡¯ll prescribe some medicinal dishes for you and give you the method to make them. i¡¯ll give them to your servant later and ask her to make a meal for you tomorrow. ¡°also, if you trust me, i can help you with acupuncture.¡± old master lu¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. ¡°you know acupuncture? ¡°how come i¡¯ve never seen your grandfather perform acupuncture? did your grandfather learn this by himself after he returned home from the army?¡± xia wan felt guilty for a moment. her grandfather really didn¡¯t know acupuncture. she made up a random excuse. ¡°grandpa saved a patient once. the patient was also an old chinese doctor. however, he met with robbers on the way and was seriously injured. ¡°after grandfather saved him, the old chinese doctor gave grandfather many things. acupuncture was one of them.¡± her grandfather¡¯s medical skills could only be said to be above average. he was definitely not at the level of a divine one. her master in her previous life was a divine doctor. if she were to display medical skills that surpassed her grandfather¡¯s, it would inevitably arouse the suspicion of others. especially old master lu, who knew her grandfather very well. the excuse that she had made up just now could actually find a suitable reason for her medical skills. hearing xia wan¡¯s words, old master lu had an expression of ¡®as expected.¡¯ ¡°your grandfather is kind-hearted. this is the blessing of your grandfather¡¯s life.¡± xia wan nodded and took out the needle she carried with her. when lu jing walked over with fruits, he happened to see this scene. ¡°what are you doing?¡± he asked in surprise. xia wan replied, ¡°i want to give grandpa lu acupuncture.¡± ¡®what?¡± lu jing was so shocked that he almost dropped the plate in his hand. he looked at old master lu. ¡°dad, acupuncture isn¡¯t something that can be done casually. if it¡¯s not done well, it can paralyze a person. ¡°i know that you have a good relationship with grandpa xia. you also said that grandpa xia¡¯s medical skills are very good, but she¡¯s xia wan, not grandpa xia.¡± lu jing looked very serious. although he thought that xia wan was very outstanding, no matter how outstanding she was, it was impossible for her to have superb acupuncture skills at such a young age. he thought that xia wan was messing around. lu jing looked at xia wan. ¡°the lu family is very sorry about what happened to lu lin, but my father has always been very protective of you. if you have a grudge against the lu family, the lu family will compensate you.¡± ¡°but my father has been contributing to the country all his life. his body is especially precious.¡± xia wan raised her eyebrows slightly. did lu jing think that she was deliberately taking revenge on the lu family? before she could say anything, old master lu scolded lu jing. ¡°shut up!¡± ¡°just now, wanwan only took my pulse and was able to tell me about my recent illness. could it be that you¡¯ve already mentioned my illness to wanwan on the way here?¡± lu jing was a little surprised. he shook his head quickly. ¡°no, i didn¡¯t tell her that. ¡± old master lu said, ¡°that¡¯s because wanwan saw it herself. it can be seen that wanwan¡¯s medical skills are very high. i believe in wanwan¡¯s medical skills. stop standing here and being an eyesore.¡± lu jing wanted to persuade him again, but old master lu insisted. in the end, it was only when lu jing said that he wanted to stay by the side and watch that old master lu reluctantly agreed. at the same time, lu jing gripped his phone tightly. if anything happened to old master lu, he would immediately contact the hospital. xia wan didn¡¯t care about lu jing¡¯s attitude. after killing the poison, she began to insert the needles into old master lu¡¯s acupoints. she held the needle very steadily. after each needle was inserted, the end of each needle trembled slightly. at first, lu jing suspected that xia wan was experimenting on old master lu, but when he saw xia wan pricking him with the needles, he realized that she was very skilled.. Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: Misunderstood chapter 389: misunderstood translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation it was not that lu jing had never seen a doctor perform acupuncture on a patient. previously, when his wife was not feeling well, he had also looked for an old chinese medicine practitioner to perform acupuncture. however, lu jing suddenly felt that the acupuncture techniques of those old chinese doctors were not as good as the young lady in front of him. her eyes were focused on the needle, and her father did not show any pain on his face. lu jing slowly began to believe in xia wan¡¯s medical skills. after all of them were done, xia wan said to old master lu, ¡°wait for 15 minutes before taking out the needle. you can close your eyes and rest for 15 minutes.¡± ¡°alright,¡± old master lu replied. lu jing had already put away his previous dissatisfaction and contempt. he said to xia wan solemnly, ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i judged a book by its cover. your acupuncture skills are very good. even if i don¡¯t know medicine, i can tell.¡± xia wan was a little surprised. she didn¡¯t expect lu jing to come to such a conclusion just because she helped old master lu with acupuncture. ¡°mr. lu, do you know something about acupuncture?¡± she asked. lu jing shook his head. ¡°of course, i¡¯ve never learned acupuncture. but i¡¯ve seen chinese doctors perform acupuncture on others. their acupuncture is not as stable as yours.¡± ¡°mr. lu, you have a good eye,¡± xia wan smiled. she had admitted that her acupuncture skills were far superior to those of ordinary chinese medicine. ¡°who is your master?¡± lu jing asked. ¡°of course it¡¯s my grandfather.¡± lu jing looked regretful. ¡°if grandpa xia has such superb acupuncture skills, it would be a pity if he stayed in a small county.¡± ¡°if he had developed in beijing, he might have become a famous doctor.¡± ¡°my grandfather didn¡¯t have such great ambitions. he didn¡¯t know acupuncture at first, so he just happened to learn it,¡± xia wan said without changing her expression. ¡°wealth is alluring. if grandfather had more wealth, he might not be able to maintain his original heart.¡± ¡°i think grandpa prefers a simple life in the countryside.¡± xia wan was just making it up, but lu jing admired grandpa xia and praised him a lot. xia wan felt even more guilty after being praised by lu jing. she had made all of this up herself. if her grandfather¡¯s medical skills were to be brought to the capital, it would be completely inadequate. old master lu also smiled. his comrade was praised, so he was naturally happy for his comrade. after 15 minutes, xia wan helped old master lu remove the needle. ¡°grandpa lu, what do you think?¡± she asked. old master lu¡¯s eyes were filled with joy. ¡°i feel very good. in the past, my head would always ache, but now i feel especially energetic. i even want to go out and run a few laps.¡± lu jing didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°dad, you didn¡¯t say that on purpose to cooperate with xia wan, did you? i already believe that xia wan knows medicine. you don¡¯t have to act like this anymore.¡± old master lu glared at him. ¡°who said i was acting? i really feel much better.¡± he looked at xia wan again. ¡°girl, you talk to him. i can¡¯t get through to him. he¡¯s too stupid.¡± lu jing choked. ever since he was young, only his father had called him stupid. ¡°can you tell me the reason for my dad¡¯s headache?¡± lu jing asked xia wan. xia wan said, ¡°it¡¯s very simple. it¡¯s just too troublesome. did something happen to the lu family recently?¡± realizing that she seemed to have said something she shouldn¡¯t have, xia wan said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, this is a private matter of the lu family. i shouldn¡¯t have asked. ¡± lu jing said, ¡°it¡¯s okay. you¡¯re my father¡¯s doctor now. in order to cure my father¡¯s illness, it¡¯s okay for me to tell you these things.¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t reject him anymore. in fact, she was also curious. today, the lu family did not come in vain! lu jing said bluntly, ¡°recently, there have been some problems with my brother¡¯s company. he bought a piece of land. there might be a cemetery underneath it. according to the country¡¯s regulations, such a piece of land has to be confiscated.¡± ¡°in order to bid for this piece of land, my brother took out a lot of loans from the bank before snatching it from someone else. after giving up the land, he might be able to get some compensation, but he would lose a lot of money.¡± ¡°how much will you lose?¡± xia wan asked tentatively. ¡°seventy million.¡± 70 million was just the money for a medical consultation for xia wan in the past, but 30 million now was about the same as 200 million in the future. it was very rare for large enterprises in the market to have a liquid capital of 70 million. losing 70 million was a small matter. the key was that if the land was returned, the lu family would not be able to use this land to build a house. the loss would be many times more than 70 million. in her heart, xia wan was happy. after all, lu xi had lost money, which was equivalent to weakening lu lin¡¯s strength. it was a good thing for her. however, according to what she knew, even if the lu family was in trouble now, the lu family would still develop very well in the future. at least before she died, the lu family was still in high society.. Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Revealing Old Madam Xia chapter 390: revealing old madam xia translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan asked lu jing, ¡°can i see the relevant information about this land?¡± lu jing looked at her in surprise. ¡°you know about land?¡± xia wan found a random excuse. ¡°i have a neighbor near my rented apartment. he¡¯s very interested in real estate in the capital. you guys just happened to be talking about land, so i wanted to take a look first.¡± lu jing wanted to say more, but old master lu urged him, ¡°since wanwan wants to see it, just show it to her quickly. this piece of land won¡¯t be ours anyway.¡± lu jing went to get the company¡¯s previous plan, which contained detailed information about the land and the future development plan for the land. xia wan looked at it carefully. this piece of land would develop very well in the future. however, the contractor at that time did not seem to be the lu family. therefore, the most likely possibility was that lu xi had heard the news at that time and knew that there might be an ancient tomb under this piece of land. therefore, to be on the safe side, he had sold this piece of land. however, this piece of land had an opportunity to be developed again in the future. if she had money now, xia wan would choose to contract this piece of land. she did not even have a million now, let alone tens of millions. lu jing didn¡¯t expect xia wan to notice anything, but seeing that she was looking at him seriously, he asked, ¡°wanwan, did you see anything from this piece of land?¡± only then did xia wan put away the plan. ¡°uncle lu has planned this piece of land very well. if we can build a house, it will definitely bring a lot of benefits.¡± ¡°but it¡¯s a pity. if there really is a cemetery under this land, the country will definitely protect it.¡± lu jing didn¡¯t feel it was a pity that he didn¡¯t hear anything useful from xia wan. he had only wanted to show it to xia wan. old master lu also smiled and said, ¡°if this piece of land can be developed normally, i¡¯ll have to leave a house for you, wanwan.¡± xia wan waved her hands. ¡°there¡¯s no need, grandpa lu. even if this piece of land is built, it¡¯s all your money and effort. it has nothing to do with me. my mother taught me since i was young not to take advantage of others.¡± ¡°this isn¡¯t considered taking advantage,¡± old master lu said seriously. ¡°my ignorant grandson caused a lot of trouble for your family. ¡°do you think that my life is more than just a house?¡± xia wan was a little helpless. she was in the wrong to argue with the old man. thinking of the changes in the lu family in the future, xia wan decided to tell the truth. ¡°grandpa lu, actually, i have something to tell you in detail about this trip.¡± ¡°what is it?¡± old master lu asked. ¡°my grandfather saved a lot of people on the battlefield, but my grandmother might be old, so she¡¯s a little unfair.¡± ¡°for example, when lu lin came to look for us previously, my grandmother once thought of letting my cousin replace me to marry lu lin.¡± ¡°it¡¯s so that we can become in-laws with the lu family and obtain benefits from the lu family.¡± old master lu was a little surprised when he heard that. seeing that xia wan had been raised very well, he thought that her grandmother must be a reasonable person. he did not expect her to be a short-sighted woman. xia wan saw the change in old master lu¡¯s expression and still said, ¡°so, if grandpa lu meets my grandmother or my two uncles one day in the future, please think twice before making a decision.¡± at this point, xia wan did not say anything else. she only reminded old master lu not to be taken advantage of by the xia family. she believed that the lu family would definitely investigate what she had said, and the truth would be revealed to them. old master lu understood what xia wan meant and comforted her, ¡°it¡¯s been hard on you all these years.¡± ¡°i think your grandfather must have given you this marriage because he values you the most, right?¡± xia wan shook her head and said truthfully, ¡°back then, my grandmother didn¡¯t know how the lu family was developing. she thought that she was as poor as our family, so my two cousins didnt agree to this marriage.¡± ¡°i have a good relationship with grandpa and i can¡¯t bear to let him down. besides, my mother has a soft personality, so when grandma said this, my mother agreed.¡± ¡°it¡¯s just that i didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: The Lu Family Only Respects Xia Wan chapter 391: the lu family only respects xia wan translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but old master lu understood. it was just that her grandmother did not expect that the marriage she despised was actually the powerful family she wanted the most. old master lu felt that it was not worth it for xia wan and said, ¡°no matter what the process is, since this marriage has fallen on you in the end, it¡¯s indeed unfair for your grandmother to want it back for your cousin. our lu family only recognizes you as our granddaughter-in- law.¡± ¡°but since you don¡¯t like my grandson, i won¡¯t make it difficult for you. if i were a girl, i wouldn¡¯t like him either.¡± old master lu wanted to say more, but lu jing gave him a look, and old master lu stopped talking. old master lu smiled and said, ¡°since wanwan is here, she must stay at our house for dinner. you can¡¯t refuse this.¡± this time, xia wan did not say anything. when it was time for dinner, lu lin and yang chao were already at the dining table. lu lin¡¯s father did not return home for dinner because he was busy with business. everyone was used to this and did not ask for much. lu lin¡¯s mother, mrs. lu, had an average relationship with old master lu. she had also left early to live, so she did not specially come over for dinner. madam lu must have heard the news that xia wan had come to the lu family¡¯s old residence as a guest. however, she didn¡¯t care about xia wan¡¯s identity because of her selfishness. she felt that the child from the countryside came over just to ask for benefits. in addition, madam lu had seen xia ru before and could see clearly that xia ru was a woman who did not love herself and worshiped money. this time, xia wan and xia ru were relatives. madam lu felt that the two of them were the same kind of people and looked down on them. old master lu was a little unhappy that madam lu did not come, but he did not say anything in the end. lu jing felt a little lucky. if mrs. lu had come, the meal would not have been so peaceful. during this period, old master lu kept adding more dishes for xia wan to eat. lu lin felt a little upset. usually, when he ate at his grandfather¡¯s place, his grandfather would always have a stern face and scold him every time he ate. but now, his grandfather was looking at xia wan lovingly. it was a completely different attitude from when he was looking at him. lu lin couldn¡¯t help but pout. ¡°grandpa, you¡¯re too biased. i¡¯m your grandson. xia wan is just the granddaughter of your former comrade. why are you siding with her?¡± old master lu looked at him coldly. ¡°do you need me to repeat what you did back then in front of the guests?¡± the so-called guest, yang chao, was quietly pricking up his ears, trying to hear something. when he was at the police station, he had already felt that there was something wrong between xia wan and lu lin. there must be some conflict between the two of them. it was only when they arrived at the lu family¡¯s old mansion that yang chao realized that xia wan was not only related to lu lin but also to the entire lu family. he was very curious but did not dare to ask. as a result, he felt very uncomfortable. lu jing tried to smooth things over. ¡°alright, let¡¯s just eat. lu lin, don¡¯t say anything more to make your grandfather angry.¡± lu lin lowered his head unwillingly and dug into the rice in his bowl. after the meal, old master lu asked xia wan to go to the garden with him. he did not let anyone else accompany him. xia wan wrote down the prescription for old master lu and the supplements he needed on a piece of paper and secretly gave it to lu jing. she did not let lu lin know about this. xia wan and old master lu walked to a more secluded place. old master lu then asked, ¡°wanwan, ever since we came here, you¡¯ve been checking my body first. it seems casual, but it also seems like you¡¯re worried. do you know something?¡± xia wan was surprised by old master lu¡¯s sensitivity. she thought that she had hidden it better, but old master lu still saw through it. she didn¡¯t know how to explain this to old master lu. she couldn¡¯t tell him that she knew that old master lu would die in the next three years because she was reborn. the lu family¡¯s reputation would be completely ruined by lu lin. xia wan hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°originally, the lu family¡¯s matters had nothing to do with me. however, grandpa lu, you and my grandfather were friends back then..¡± Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: Lu Xi Has an Illegitimate Son chapter 392: lu xi has an illegitimate son translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°lu lin came to find trouble with me because he had grandpa lu¡¯s help. ¡°the lu family is developing very well now. grandpa lu, this has a lot to do with you. ¡°you¡¯re still a deterrent in the lu family, but your grandson, lu lin, is not a pushover. ¡°lu lin¡¯s father is busy with business matters, and his mother dotes on him so much. if old master lu doesn¡¯t restrain him, the lu family will definitely go downhill in the future. ¡°a person¡¯s three views are already formed when they are young. to put it bluntly, lu lin¡¯s personality is like this. if the lu family falls into lu lin¡¯s hands in the future, he will definitely not be able to protect it.¡± old master lu did not interrupt her. he had actually considered what xia wan had said. it was just that his health had been good all these years, so he had not considered these things too early. now that he heard xia wan say this, he felt a sense of crisis. perhaps he should prepare in advance. at this point, xia wan hesitated before saying, ¡°and i heard that uncle lu xi doesn¡¯t seem to have only one son, lu lin.¡± old master lu felt that what he said made sense, but when he heard that his son, lu xi, had other sons, he was dumbfounded. ¡°my son only gave birth to lu lin. what do you mean?¡± he could not hide his surprise. xia wan nodded at him, tacitly agreeing with old master lu¡¯s guess. old master lu¡¯s figure swayed, and xia wan quickly supported him. old master lu was so anxious that he used his walking stick to hammer the ground a few times. he suppressed his anger and said, ¡°my unfilial son, he actually dared to have an illegitimate child behind my back!¡± old master lu looked at xia wan in surprise. ¡°where did you get this news from?¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t say that she knew about it after her rebirth, so she decided to push the blame onto chen mo. ¡°chen mo told me about this. he also accidentally met a young man when he was doing business. he telt that he looked a little similar to uncle lu xi, so he observed him more. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect that person to be uncle lu xi¡¯s illegitimate son.¡± in her previous life, her family had died tragically under xia ru¡¯s oppression. after old master lu passed away, the lu family began to decline. lu xi¡¯s business talent was not bad, but not long after old master lu passed away, lu xi¡¯s illegitimate son entered the house, and his mistress also competed with madam lu. under the repeated provocation, lu lin¡¯s personality had become more extreme, and his attacks had become more ruthless. xia wan had said it in advance so that she could balance lu lin and prevent him from finding trouble with her when he had time. secondly, she also brought up the hidden dangers of the lu family in the hope that old master lu would always control the lu family in his hands. old master lu fell silent. he restrained his anger and calmed himself down. then, he said solemnly to xia wan, ¡°wanwan, i hope you won¡¯t mention it to anyone else. i¡¯ll think of a way to deal with it.¡± xia wan nodded and did not have any objections. then, xia wan took the initiative to leave. old master lu was also busy dealing with his son¡¯s problem and did not ask her to stay. however, when he left, old master lu gave xia wan a small box of jewelry. xia wan did not refuse. the main thing was that she thought that old master lu had only given her some pretty accessories. on the way back, yang chao asked curiously, ¡°didn¡¯t you open the box to take a look? old master lu¡¯s gift must not be ordinary.¡± xia wan was still thinking about how old master lu would deal with lu xi and how he would settle the illegitimate child if he knew in advance that lu xi had an illegitimate child. hearing yang chao¡¯s words, she suddenly remembered that she had received a gift. xia wan smiled. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll open it and take a look.¡± the box was quite small, about the size of a palm, so she thought it was not very precious. however, when she opened the box, xia wan realized how wrong she was. the earrings inside were made of red jade. judging from the color, it was definitely the best jade.. Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: Precious Earrings chapter 393: precious earrings translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation yang chao saw it too and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°as expected of old master lu. how many people would want earrings made of such material on the market?¡± xia wan put it away after examining it and said firmly, ¡°no, i have to return this gift to grandpa lu.¡± ¡°this gift is too expensive. besides, i don¡¯t usually wear such things.¡± if it was an ordinary earring or bracelet, she could still wear it. however, with her current status, if she wore such an expensive earring, it would only attract jealousy and resentment. yang chao was a little surprised. he didn¡¯t expect xia wan¡¯s first reaction when she saw such an expensive earring was not to be happy but to return it to old master lu. he advised, ¡°forget it. there¡¯s no reason to take back what old master lu has given out. since he gave it to you, he thinks you¡¯re worth it. you can accept it without worry. ¡°moreover, old master lu has a lot of valuable possessions.¡± xia wan pondered for a moment. it was also the same principle. there was a saying that said an elder¡¯s gift could not be refused. what she thought was too precious might just be a beautiful accessory in old master lu¡¯s eyes. lu. how many people would want earrmgs maae or sucn material on tne market?¡± xia wan put it away after examining it and said firmly, ¡°no, i have to return this gift to grandpa lu.¡± ¡°this gift is too expensive. besides, i don¡¯t usually wear such things.¡± if it was an ordinary earring or bracelet, she could still wear it. however, with her current status, if she wore such an expensive earring, it would only attract jealousy and resentment. yang chao was a little surprised. he didn¡¯t expect xia wan¡¯s first reaction when she saw such an expensive earring was not to be happy but to return it to old master lu. he advised, ¡°forget it. there¡¯s no reason to take back what old master lu has given out. since he gave it to you, he thinks you¡¯re worth it. you can accept it without worry. ¡°moreover, old master lu has a lot of valuable possessions.¡± xia wan pondered for a moment. it was also the same principle. there was a saying that said an elder¡¯s gift could not be refused. what she thought was too precious might just be a beautiful accessory in old master lu¡¯s eyes. xia wan put the earring away again. ¡°alright then, i¡¯ll keep it for now. if i have something good in the future, i¡¯ll give it to grandpa lu.¡± ¡°of course, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± yang chao nodded. in fact, what he was thinking was that a person like old master lu had seen all kinds of valuable things. what could genuinely amaze him? however, he felt that it was already very kind of xia wan to have the intention to return the favor. the two of them returned to professor yang ning¡¯s house. zhou en was already helping professor yang ning cook. xia wan went over with interest and found that the two of them were actually making pastries. they placed the dough that they had prepared in advance on square utensils and sprinkled some of their favorite flour. then, they took the pastries out of the utensils and steamed them. xia wan looked at it curiously. when professor yang ning saw her, she smiled and said, ¡°you can eat in about an hour. i saw that it was lunchtime and you guys weren¡¯t back yet, so i guessed that you might have eaten at old master lu¡¯s place. ¡°you can have some of these pastries later. when you return to your hometown, you can take some with you.¡± xia wan nodded. after some hesitation, professor yang ning asked, ¡°can you tell me about your relationship with lu lin?¡± xia wan didn¡¯t plan to hide anything. she directly told her about the marriage between old master lu and her grandfather, as well as how she rejected lu lin. of course, she didn¡¯t mention chen mo¡¯s role in this. professor yang ning was furious. ¡°lu lin, this kid, he¡¯s getting more and more unruly. ¡°he still thinks that it¡¯s ancient society now, where he can do whatever he wants with power. ¡°give me your number. if lu lin gives you trouble in the future, contact me immediately. ¡°although my family is not as powerful as old master lu¡¯s family, i still have some influence. i can help you speak up.¡± xia wan didn¡¯t resist leaving professor yang ning¡¯s contact information and immediately saved her number. then, xia wan smiled and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, professor. grandpa lu is a reasonable person. with him around, lu lin won¡¯t dare to do anything to me.¡± moreover, she believed that lu lin would not have time to find trouble with her soon. after staying at professor yang ning¡¯s house for a night, xia wan and her husband booked train tickets to return the next day. xia wan had received the money and had a new business, so she was in a good mood. she had already discussed it with zhou en. in the future, when she was doing fashion design, zhou en would assist her. she would give zhou en 20% of the money she received. zhou en was very satisfied with this. she was willing to help even if he didn¡¯t receive money, let alone money. she felt that the design of these clothes was mainly due to xia wan¡¯s efforts. she was just assisting and doing some basic work. however, xia wan didn¡¯t think so. zhou en¡¯s drawing skills were excellent, and he also had an understanding of domestic and foreign clothing. however, zhou en hadn¡¯t fully explored his creative potential. during her conversations with zhou en, she was able to inspire him from time to time. she believed that as long as zhou en persisted, he would be able to create many beautiful and innovative clothes.. Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Questioning Lu Xi chapter 394: questioning lu xi translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the lu family was in turmoil. lu xi was originally at the company, but he received a call from old master lu, instructing him to come home that night. mrs. lu had also received a notice from old master lu to be present that evening. lu lin was locked in his room by old master lu. at eight o¡¯clock that night, the lu family gathered in the living room. in addition to lu xi¡¯s family, lu jing was also present. lu xi couldn¡¯t help but glance at lu jing, hoping to glean some information from him. lu jing subtly shook his head, indicating that he had no idea what the old man was about to say. old master lu stared coldly at lu xi and then turned to madam lu with an apologetic expression. finally, he spoke, ¡°i have gathered all of you here today because i have something important to announce.¡± then, he fixed a stern gaze on lu xi. ¡°let me ask you, do you have an illegitimate child outside who is about the same age as lu lin?¡± lu xi grew nervous and averted his gaze. he instinctively retorted, ¡°dad, where did you hear that from? how could i have an illegitimate child? you know i¡¯ve been occupied with company matters all these years.¡± madam lu was initially shocked, but soon her shock gave way to anger as she looked at lu xi. during her frequent mahjong sessions with other affluent women, she often heard rumors about other men having affairs, mistresses, and illegitimate children. every time, she proudly asserted that her husband was too engrossed in his company to engage in such behavior. but now, she found herself confronted with shocking news. if lu xi indeed had an illegitimate child of the same age as lu lin, it meant that he had been involved in an affair not long after their marriage. moreover, he had never severed ties with this child. mrs. lu clutched the sofa tightly, her gaze intense as she glared at lu xi. ¡°don¡¯t lie to us. did you cheat on me or not? dad wouldn¡¯t call us here without evidence. he must have evidence since he convened such a serious family meeting.¡± while mrs. lu publicly called for lu xi to admit his wrongdoings and hoped for a misunderstanding, deep down, she couldn¡¯t help but believe that old master lu¡¯s words were likely true. lu xi panicked, unwilling to meet madam lu¡¯s eyes. however, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to admit having an illegitimate child in front of their child. ¡°dad, i don¡¯t know where you heard this from, but i don¡¯t have an illegitimate child. ¡± old master lu snorted in response. ¡°i knew you wouldn¡¯t readily admit it. after all, you¡¯ve been in the business world for too long. you always quibble before seeing evidence.¡± with those words, he tossed a stack of photos onto the table. mrs. lu reached for the photos first. as she perused them, she observed lu xi holding a boy in his arms, accompanied by a woman who appeared to be smiling at them. upon recognizing the woman in the photos, mrs. lu was overwhelmed with emotions. gripping one of the photos tightly, she directed a fierce glare at lu xi. ¡°you¡¯re still in contact with zhou wan? it was our family that assisted you in securing that business deal with mr. smith when you were struggling.¡± ¡°if that business venture had failed back then, you would have gone bankrupt long ago.¡± ¡®without our family¡¯s support, you wouldn¡¯t be where you are now!¡± ¡°and what about her? when you were in dire financial straits and on the verge of bankruptcy, she promptly went abroad.¡± ¡°why are you still associating with this woman who abandoned you in your time of need?¡± the more madam lu spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, and she erupted, ¡°she¡¯s already abandoned you, yet you still want to be with her and raise her son. are you that cheap?¡± lu xi glared back, his anger mounting. ¡°watch your words. don¡¯t call zhou wan such names.¡± initially, he had felt a twinge of guilt toward madam lu. however, her outburst had largely dispelled that feeling.. Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: Madam Lu Enraged chapter 395: madam lu enraged translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°zhou wan didn¡¯t know that she was pregnant when she went abroad. she was already two months pregnant when she went abroad,¡± lu xi explained. ¡°i¡¯ve already tested my son. he¡¯s indeed my biological son. he¡¯s two months older than lu lin. ¡°do i have to watch my son wander outside and let others bully him?¡± ¡°your illegitimate child is older than lu lin?¡± madam lu was in disbelief. ¡°lu xi! you¡¯re really shameless! ¡°don¡¯t forget that without our family, you wouldn¡¯t be here!¡± lu xi looked at her coldly and said, ¡°yes, it was indeed because of your help that i was able to stabilize my business back then. that¡¯s why i¡¯ve never cheated on you to find another woman all these years. ¡°zhou wan and my son were only left behind by me before i got married. after all, my blood flows in him. what¡¯s wrong with me taking care of them occasionally?¡± hearing lu xi¡¯s shameless words, madam lu went forward to hit him. lu xi pushed her away. lu xi looked at her coldly. ¡°where did your self-restraint go? how dare you hit me in front of dad and my younger brother? ¡°all these years, the company has been managed by me. i give you dividends every year. what are you doing? ¡°if you¡¯re not at the beauty salon, you¡¯ll be playing mahjong or going shopping to show off to your so-called best friends. ¡°what has your son become after being disciplined by you? he¡¯s been eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling. ¡°the only thing you can show off is me, your husband. the only thing you can show off is the lu corporation.¡± the more lu xi spoke, the more confident he felt. he raised his head and said, ¡°i admit that it was your family who helped the lu corporation tide over the crisis back then, but i was the one who made the lu corporation bigger and stronger all these years. ¡°moreover, my only son is lu lin. zhou wan and my son will not split the company. i will only leave some money for her to raise my son healthily.¡± mrs. lu looked at him blankly, her eyes filled with despair. how could he say such a thing? it was as if he had given her a great gift. mrs. lu sobbed. ¡°lu lin was born in my stomach, but he is also your son. all these years, you were always busy. i was the only one who taught my son. ¡°which family¡¯s child is brought up by the mother alone? the father plays an important role in the child¡¯s growth, but have you ever cared about him all these years? ¡°do you know that when he was in primary school, his classmates laughed at him for not having a father? ¡°but he clearly has a father. his father is so successful, but you, a successful father, have never held a parent- teacher conference. when those children bullied and laughed at him, i was the one who brought people to seek justice for him. ¡°sometimes, even when your brother comes out, you won¡¯t. ¡°you never cared about the process. you only cared about the results. you only saw lu lin¡¯s current ignorance and incompetence. you saw all his bad habits, but why did he become like this? do i have to bear all the responsibility?¡± madam lu stood up and looked at lu xi with a strange gaze. ¡°it¡¯s been so many years,¡± she questioned. ¡°so i¡¯m just a superficial person in your eyes. every time we¡¯re at peace, it¡¯s because we¡¯ve always kept things to ourselves and never communicated. ¡°what¡¯s the value of maintaining such a marriage? let¡¯s get a divorce.¡± although madam lu doted on lu lin, she also had her own pride. their family was indeed not as glorious as before, but it was more than enough to give her and lu lin a house to live in. moreover, when lu xi¡¯s company was in trouble, it was her family who injected funds into lu xi and found connections. now, she also held 15% of the shares in lu xi¡¯s company. with these shares, she would have a lot of money every month. she could not imagine how embarrassing her life would be if the news of lu xi having an illegitimate child was exposed. in the past, when she played mahjong or went to the beauty salon, she would happily listen to other people¡¯s jokes and comment on other people¡¯s terrible lives. however, now that lu xi had an illegitimate child, and he had never stopped contacting zhou wan for so many years, once this matter spread, she would become a laughing stock in the circle.. Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Divorce chapter 396: divorce translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation everyone could laugh at her. she was like a fool, like a clown on the stage. she couldn¡¯t live like this. instead of being laughed at by those people, she might as well get a divorce and retain her dignity. that was what madam lu thought. before lu xi could say anything, lu lin immediately said, ¡°no, mom, you can¡¯t divorce him. ¡°if you divorce dad, aren¡¯t you giving up your position to the mother and son?¡± lu lin said anxiously. ¡°you¡¯re the real mrs. lu. you were the one who suffered with dad back then. he didn¡¯t care about us at all.¡± lu lin glared fiercely at lu xi. ¡°the reason why your company can develop to its current state is inseparable from my mother¡¯s help back then. your company must be inherited by me. that illegitimate child can forget about getting a single cent!¡± lu lin sensed a sense of crisis in his heart. in the past, he thought that he was the only son of lu xi. no matter how much of a bastard he was, the lu corporation was in his hands. with the lu corporation as his foundation, so what if he played for a few more years? when he calmed down in the future, he would naturally take good care of the company. moreover, his father had said that if he wanted to make the company bigger and stronger, the chairman of the company did not need so many professional skills. he only needed to know how to make good use of people. therefore, every time lu lin brought his friends out to eat and drink, he would mentally prepare himself. he was also accumulating connections and understanding human nature so that he could lay the foundation for managing the company in the future. but now, everything was different. his father, the pride he spoke of, actually had other illegitimate children. even now, all of this had been put on the surface by his grandfather. his father¡¯s words were still protecting that illegitimate child. it felt like his precious toy had been snatched away by someone else. lu lin¡¯s current mentality was that the lu corporation was his. even if the lu corporation went bankrupt, he would definitely not let that illegitimate child get away with it! lu xi was very dissatisfied with lu lin¡¯s attitude. although he had no intention of giving the company to his illegitimate son, he took the initiative to leave the company to lu lin and lu lin threatened him to hand over the company. these were two different things. when the company was in danger, he relied on his wife¡¯s money and connections to get the company back on track. this matter was a little embarrassing to him. he also knew that many of his peers were laughing at him behind his back. now, his wife and son had mentioned it in public. this made lu xi feel very embarrassed and embarrassed. he stared at lu lin coldly. ¡°why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself now? you¡¯re not good at your studies, and the friends you make are all ignorant and incompetent hooligans. if i hand the company over to you, how can you manage it? i think you can only let the company go bankrupt. ¡°you don¡¯t have the ability, you don¡¯t have the big picture, and you don¡¯t have any achievements. what right do you have to make those capable higher-ups in the company obey you? ¡°you do whatever you want and always think about yourself. if you want to be the successor of the company, you have to prioritize the company¡¯s interests and ensure that the company can operate normally. at the same time, you have to ensure the welfare of the employees. only by retaining the employees can the company¡¯s core strength exist. ¡°do you think you can do all this with your current strength? ¡°i don¡¯t think you have any other skills other than drinking, playing with women, and taking your friends to race. ¡°i originally wanted to leave the company to you, but now that you¡¯ve said so, i have to reconsider. you dare to use the company to threaten me before you take charge of the company. if i really put the power in your hands, then as a father, do i have to do things according to your wishes?¡± lu lin did not dare to be impudent after lu xi¡¯s angry attack. he also realized that he had spoken too rashly and made lu xi unhappy. if lu xi gave up on him in a hurry and gave the company to his illegitimate son, that would be something he could not see.. Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: Threatening with the Company’s shares chapter 397: threatening with the company¡¯s shares translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation lu lin immediately softened his attitude, but he only stopped talking back. he couldn¡¯t say anything soft now. mrs. lu smiled. ¡°it¡¯s just a lousy company. if we get a divorce, i don¡¯t want the shares either. you can convert all my shares into money and transfer it to my account.¡± she then looked at lu lin. ¡°if my son wants to start a business, i can support him with funds. ¡°but even if i withdraw my shares, half of your company will be left to your son.¡± lu xi¡¯s tone was a little impatient. ¡°what do you mean? are you threatening me with divorce and shares?¡± madam lu looked at him fearlessly. ¡°don¡¯t tell me that these things are not a threat to you? ¡°if the news of our divorce spreads and everyone knows the truth, do you think it will not affect your company¡¯s shares? ¡°moreover, although i only have 15% of the shares, it can¡¯t compare to your 40% share. ¡°but as far as i know, the second shareholder of the company has 27% of the shares. ¡°if i transfer 15% of my shares to the second shareholder, he will have 42% of the shares. ¡°just enough to surpass your shares, and he will be able to become the company¡¯s first shareholder. ¡°you¡¯re going to step down as the so-called chairman. ¡°after all, the second shareholder, the chen family, has a good style. they don¡¯t have any illegitimate children, unlike you. you¡¯ve been married for so long, but you still have an illegitimate child outside. how can the company be handed over to you with your character?¡± lu xi clenched his fists. ¡°are you threatening me?¡± he asked. mrs. lu sneered. ¡°i just want you to see the situation clearly. it¡¯s not that i¡¯m begging you now, and it¡¯s not that my son wants to see your face. it¡¯s whether you can stabilize the company or not. it depends on my son and my attitude.¡± at the same time, madam lu was also a little disappointed with lu lin. as a mother, she had been wronged. for so many years, she had been betrayed by lu xi, but as a son, all she could think of was the right to inherit the company. if it were her, her mother had been betrayed by her father for many years. her first thought would be to protect her mother¡¯s dignity. mrs. lu felt a little hurt. all these years, although she often went to the beauty salon and played mahjong, she spent the rest of her time with lu lin. however, as lu lin gradually grew up, he resisted management and did not want her to ask about everything in his life. that was why she was forced to slowly let go. while the three of them were arguing, old master lu had been watching and did not interrupt. until now, the three of them were a little silent. old master lu finally spoke, ¡°whether or not you want a divorce depends on how you plan to deal with this mother and son. ¡°lu xi, i believe that you should have a balance in your heart.¡± lu jing also tried to persuade him. ¡°brother, lu lin is still young. he seems to have done a lot of bad things in the past, but he¡¯s still the only son of you and sister-in-law. ¡°if you think that he has a lot of bad habits now, i can bring him around and teach him well in the future. ¡°but if you divorce sister-in-law, not only will it have a bad impact on the company, but do you think someone with zhou wan¡¯s personality can be your wife? ¡°if you marry zhou wan, how will others talk about you behind your back?¡± seeing that lu xi¡¯s expression was a little relaxed, lu jing continued to persuade him, ¡°they will say that zhou wan abandoned you when you were about to go bankrupt. now that you have money, you are begging zhou wan to come back and be your wife.¡± lu jing knew very well that his brother, lu xi, cared a lot about his dignity. at the same time, he also imew that zhou wan was a woman with means. unlike madam lu, zhou wan knew how to show weakness. it was easier for such a woman to manipulate a successful man. they were all sought after outside and did not want to listen to their wives¡¯ recitations when they returned home. a woman like zhou wan was indeed qualified to be a mistress. if she were to be the first wife, it would be a little embarrassing. moreover, zhou wan had once abandoned lu xi. this was a fact that could not be changed. at this moment, lu xi felt that his mind was in a mess. in fact, he had never thought about divorce. his wife held 15% of the company¡¯s shares and had a major impact on the company. furthermore, her father and brother did not think highly of zhou wan.. Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: The Decision Lies With Lu Xi chapter 398: the decision lies with lu xi translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation although he could pamper zhou wan now, it was only because zhou wan was sensible and obedient. if zhou wan became his wife and became his wife in name, it was not easy for him to judge whether zhou wan would change. the only one who was better was his illegitimate son, lu xun. lu xun had good grades since she was young and was very obedient. one lu xun was equivalent to four or five lu lins. but lu xun¡¯s obedience was also due to her awkward status. because he knew that he was an illegitimate child, he did not have the confidence like lu lin to do whatever he wanted, to eat, drink, and gamble. although lu xi was unwilling to admit defeat, he knew it in his heart. his wife¡¯s family was indeed weak now. it was not as strong as it was in the past, but it was still stronger than zhou wan¡¯s family. zhou wan¡¯s family had already gone bankrupt long before she went abroad. she packed up her things and left the country early because she was afraid that her family¡¯s bankruptcy would implicate her. lu xi knew that such a woman was actually cold and heartless. however, zhou wan was the woman he had loved when he was young. at that time, zhou wan was extremely beautiful. many rich young masters pursued her, but zhou wan had taken a fancy to him. at that time, there were people who were stronger than the lu family who pursued zhou wan. lu xi was especially happy because zhou wan had chosen him. he only wanted to marry zhou wan. however, at that time, the lu corporation was in danger and zhou wan ran away. that was why there was no follow-up between them. later, zhou wan took the initiative to look for him. she said that she had been forced to leave back then and that her family had asked her to leave. he believed her, but he also knew that zhou wan might be lying. lu xi sighed and said, ¡°i was wrong about this. i won¡¯t get a divorce, and i won¡¯t let zhou wan become my wife.¡± he looked at mrs. lu. ¡°let¡¯s pretend that this never happened. i will never let zhou wan appear in front of you, okay? you can still maintain your dignity.¡± mrs. lu sneered. ¡°since father knows about this, why can¡¯t others?¡± ¡°i¡¯m guessing that many people in the industry might know about it, but they deliberately hid it from me because they wanted to see me make a fool of myself in the future!¡± lu xi sensed madam lu¡¯s attitude. she did not want to let it go just like that. lu xi felt his head hurt even more. he asked, ¡°then what do you want?¡± mrs. lu said bluntly, ¡°it¡¯s very simple. i want you to write a statement under the witness of a lawyer. zhou wan and her son can never inherit your company shares, nor can they get any of your inheritance.¡± lu xi widened his eyes. ¡°after all, he¡¯s my biological son.¡± ¡°so what if he¡¯s your son?¡± mrs. lu sneered. ¡°we all know how beautiful zhou wan is. she is very beautiful. even if she has a son, she is completely qualified to find a man with good conditions to marry. ¡°back then, she was so arrogant. why is she willing to be your mistress now? ¡°do you dare to say that she¡¯s not waiting for you to get a divorce? ¡°lu xi, don¡¯t lie to yourself. if it were me who gave birth to a son before marriage, i would also find a good father for my son and not be willing to be someone else¡¯s mistress. ¡°to put it bluntly, zhou wan is willing to be cheap!¡± lu xi pointed at madam lu. his fingers were trembling with anger, but he could not say anything to refute her. madam lu¡¯s words were unpleasant to hear, but they made sense. he had asked zhou wan about it all these years, but she always said that she loved him, so she was unwilling to marry someone else. she would rather follow him without a status. she also said that she had let him down for what happened back then, so she was willing to give up and follow him now. but now, madam lu¡¯s words were like a heavy hammer smashing into his heart. lu xi was a little dejected. ¡°in that case, let¡¯s do as daughter-in-law says.¡± old master lu said. lu xi widened his eyes. ¡°dad!¡± old master lu looked at him. under old master lu¡¯s gaze, lu xi finally gave up. lu xi lowered his head. old master lu immediately asked lu jing to prepare and made it clear that he did not believe lu xi.. Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: Signing the Contract chapter 399: signing the contract translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation lu jing was busy preparing the contract. before signing the contract, he still had to consult the lu family¡¯s lawyer to ensure that the contract was formal and legal. only old master lu and lu xi¡¯s family of three were left in the living room. old master lu took lu lin away, leaving the couple some space to talk. lu xi looked at madam lu. ¡°you weren¡¯t so aggressive in the past. i thought you were different from others. back then, you were gentle, virtuous, and generous. today, you¡¯re like a shrew. ¡°yue ya, when did you become so unreasonable?¡± yue ya looked at lu xi coldly. ¡°you still have the cheek to ask me why i¡¯ve become so unreasonable? ¡°isn¡¯t it because you betrayed this family first? ¡°this is the first time. i won¡¯t divorce you. if zhou wan and her son do anything that crosses the line in the future, or if you violate the agreement with me, i will definitely divorce you. ¡°it has nothing to do with you that we¡¯re not getting a divorce today. i¡¯m mainly doing this for the sake of my son and father.¡± yue ya¡¯s gaze turned colder as she said that. she looked at lu xi with a hint of mockery in her eyes. ¡°you¡¯re quite good in the business world. you¡¯ve calculated all kinds of things and won the contract with the best profit. ¡°but everyone has their flaws, and you are no exception. ¡°if you have nothing left, do you think zhou wan and her son will still follow you? ¡°the difference between a wife and a mistress is that if you are poor, the wife will still accompany you and do her best to help you make a comeback. however, if you are a mistress, she will only rely on you when you have power.¡± yue ya stood up. ¡°i really don¡¯t want to stay with you for a moment longer because your existence makes me feel that the air is dirty!¡± she turned around and returned to her room. with lu jing and old master lu keeping an eye on the contract, yue ya had nothing to worry about. she returned to her room and stared blankly out the window. lu lin liked to play with women. in the past, she could not understand that whether it was her or lu xi, the two of them were very loyal in terms of love. she did not know who lu lin had taken after his lewdness. today, she had an eye-opener and understood that lu lin had learned these bad habits from lu xi. she could not help but think of xia ru, who had once come to the lu family. what was the difference between that woman and zhou wan, who was by lu xi¡¯s side now? they all saw the wealth of the lu family and desperately wanted to squeeze into the lu family¡¯s door, wanting to get a share of the lu family¡¯s wealth. half an hour later, lu jing brought his lawyer over. after explaining yue ya¡¯s request, the lawyer drafted an agreement. the general content of the agreement was that because lu xun was lu xi¡¯s son, lu xi could give lu xun a certain amount of child support every month. however, lu xun could not inherit the company¡¯s shares or lu xi¡¯s inheritance after his death. after confirming that there was nothing wrong, lu xi signed and pressed his fingerprint. lu jing also called yue ya out of the room. yue ya read the agreement carefully twice before signing it. she kept her share and left without hesitation. lu xi did not want to stay here and look at old master lu¡¯s expression. he lied that he had a meeting and left in a hurry. only old master lu, lu jing, and lu lin were left in the living room. at this moment, lu lin had yet to recover from this huge change. even though lu lin was usually very mischievous and had done many wrong things, he looked a little lost and helpless at that moment. old master lu was still a little soft-hearted in the end. ¡°when i asked people to investigate this mother and son, i also investigated their current life. ¡°your father settled them overseas and even bought them a house. his illegitimate son, lu xun, has excellent academic results and is modest and gentle. ¡°you should be glad that you¡¯re your mother¡¯s son. if lu xun wasn¡¯t an illegitimate child, he would be more outstanding than you.¡± lu lin¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that. he looked at old master lu in disbelief. ¡°grandpa, are you going to side with that illegitimate child too? i¡¯m father¡¯s legitimate son.. how can his dirty identity compare to mine?¡± Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: Warning Lu Lin chapter 400: warning lu lin translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation old master lu continued in a rare tone, ¡°i¡¯m not saying this to discourage you. i just want you to understand that if you can¡¯t sit firmly in this position, there are many people who want to pull you down. even with this contract in hand, we can¡¯t be sure what will happen in the future. ¡°you should calm down. you shouldn¡¯t only think about having fun and playing with women all day. you should learn business and management. only then can you firmly hold the wealth that belongs to your parents in your hands.¡± after saying that, old master lu waved his hand. ¡°i¡¯m a little tired. you can go out first. let lu jing stay and take care of me.¡± lu lin left indignantly, leaving only old master lu and lu jing in the living room. lu jing didn¡¯t have to worry about anything when he spoke. he said to old master lu, ¡°dad, i got someone to investigate brother¡¯s company. the old people who fought alongside you back then have all been fired by brother for various reasons or forced to retire early. ¡°the people who hold important positions in the company now are all people that i¡¯ve nurtured myself. ¡°brother¡¯s intentions are very obvious. he wants to completely control the company in his hands so that you can¡¯t change his decisions.¡± old master lu nodded, and he looked a little older. ¡°your brother has long been unwilling to let me control him. he thinks that he¡¯s still young and his thoughts are ahead of his time. ¡°but it¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t listen to me. he even fired the backbone of the company that i founded. how disappointing would it be for the old employees of the company? ¡°i¡¯ve already sent people to find out where these former backbones are working now,¡± lu jing said. ¡°if you need help, i can help you contact them at any time.¡± old master lu looked at lu jing with relief. ¡°you¡¯re a kind child. it¡¯s a pity that your mind is not on business. otherwise, i would be really relieved if i handed the company to you.¡± of the 40% shares in lu xi¡¯s hands, 30% had already fallen into lu xi¡¯s hands, and the remaining 10% was still in the hands of old master lu. while old master lu was alive, lu xi had the right to exercise old master lu¡¯s shares. after old master lu passed away, the 10% shares would completely fall into lu xi¡¯s hands. seeing that lu xi was expanding his business, old master lu was relieved. however, with this unforeseen event and xia wan¡¯s special visit to nurse his body, old master lu was a little worried. he felt that he shouldn¡¯t be so quiet anymore. xia wan did not know about the situation on the lu family¡¯s side. at this time, she had already returned home. it was undoubtedly very tiring to travel on the road. in addition, when they took the train, they had to be careful of whether there were thieves stealing things around them. they could not sleep well at all, so when they returned home, xia wan fell asleep until yan han woke her up to eat. it was already eight o¡¯clock at night. yan han personally made four dishes. there was fish, meat, vegetables, and tofu. xia wan ate happily, but she noticed that xia hai seemed a little worried. although yan han was trying his best to talk to her, it was obvious that he was hiding something in his heart. xia wan put down her chopsticks and asked xia hai and yan han, ¡°dad, mom, did anything happen while i was in new york?¡± yan han quickly shook his head and smiled at xia wan. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. it¡¯s just that there aren¡¯t as many customers as before, so i¡¯m a little worried about the sales.¡± xia wan could clearly feel that yan han was not telling the truth. she continued, ¡°it¡¯s almost time for the season to change. didn¡¯t we already agree to sell clothes at a discount? how can the sales not be good? did you encounter any problems?¡± under xia wan¡¯s questioning, yan han could not hide it and directly said, ¡°there¡¯s a shop opposite our house that also sells clothes. their renovation isn¡¯t as good as ours, but the style of their clothes is similar to ours. most importantly, their clothes are cheaper.¡± xia wan frowned slightly and asked, ¡°then did you ask sister hong if they got these goods trom her!¡± ¡°i¡¯ve asked around. sister hong said that the goods weren¡¯t taken from her. they were taken directly from the source.¡± xia wan understood what yan han meant.. Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Competitor chapter 401: competitor translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the other party had their own connections, and they were able to obtain goods at a lower price than xia wan¡¯s shop. as a result, they could engage in a price war with xia wan¡¯s store for similar clothing. xia wan was somewhat perplexed. ¡°if they want to sell clothing with the same style as ours, they should just do so. why do they have to lower the prices to the point where our clothing can¡¯t sell? have we somehow offended them?¡± yan han shook his head. ¡°we don¡¯t have any information on that. ever since our shop opened, we¡¯ve run it with integrity. we even offer discounts to customers who make larger purchases, but we¡¯ve never had conflicts with anyone.¡± xia wan shared the same sentiment. since the beginning, her store had been targeting the light luxury market, and those selling clothes on the street were not their competitors. most clothing retailers had similar pricing. however, the other party not only opened a store across from theirs but also sold clothes with the same style, clearly targeting their business. ¡°i¡¯ll go with you tomorrow afternoon after school,¡± xia wan said. while yan han didn¡¯t want to disrupt xia wan¡¯s studies, she recognized that they couldn¡¯t resolve this issue at the moment, so going together was the only option. at night, yan han lay in bed, unable to sleep, tossing and turning. ¡°honey, what¡¯s bothering you?¡± xia hai asked. yan han opened her eyes and spoke to xia hai with a serious tone, ¡°i feel like i¡¯m still too inexperienced. wan wan has been managing the store¡¯s renovations and purchases with us, and she¡¯s still studying. she should be focusing on her education, but as parents, we can¡¯t even effectively run the store. when problems arise, we still rely on wan wan to solve them.¡± ¡°after we resolve this matter, we need to grow. running a business isn¡¯t as straightforward as it seems.¡± ¡°if we knew who we were up against this time, there might be a way to resolve it.¡± after hearing yan han¡¯s words, xia hai couldn¡¯t sleep either. he let out a deep sigh. ¡°it¡¯s my fault as a father for not being capable. the friends i know only do manual labor most of the time. while they can help with physical tasks at home, they don¡¯t understand anything about business.¡± yan han nodded and refrained from saying more. she realized that to expand their business, both she and xia hai needed to expand their social circles. in the past, yan han hadn¡¯t been very ambitious; her main goal was to manage the shop well and earn a stable income to support their three children¡¯s education. but now, as troubles began affecting her daughter¡¯s education, yan han secretly resolved not to stay stagnant while her children grew. after xia wan woke up, yan han and xia hai returned to their usual routines. yan han continued to prepare breakfast with a smile for their three children. upon arriving at school, xia wan noticed that her classmates were giving her strange looks. approaching a couple of girls, she asked, ¡°can you tell me what you¡¯re talking about?¡± the girls were taken aback, not expecting xia wan to inquire so directly. one of them blushed and stammered, ¡°we heard from others that you have an engaged fianc¨¦ in kyoto, who is wealthy and influential. you came back during the break to meet your fianc¨¦. ¡°they also mentioned that your fianc¨¦ has influential connections and that you don¡¯t need to focus much on your studies because he will arrange for you to attend kyoto university.¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t help but raise a corner of her mouth. ¡°do you truly believe such absurd rumors? kyoto university is one of our country¡¯s top institutions, with highly stringent admission criteria. can anyone simply use connections to gain admission? ¡°if i had such an impressive fianc¨¦ who had everything planned for me, why wouldn¡¯t i be attending high school in kyoto right now?¡± the girls became even more nervous as xia wan questioned them. one of them hesitated, saying, ¡°i¡­ i don¡¯t know. we heard it from others.¡± ¡°i truly don¡¯t know. if you want answers, you should ask someone else.¡± with that, the girl turned her face away, clearly unwilling to respond to any more of xia wan¡¯s questions. xia wan didn¡¯t press further and returned to her seat. as more students entered the classroom, many of them couldn¡¯t resist stealing glances at xia wan. at that point, xia wan had already opened her textbook and begun preparing for the day¡¯s lessons.. Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Someone to Support chapter 402: someone to support translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation liu hua walked in, visibly angry, and slammed her school bag onto the table. she deliberately raised her voice and said, ¡°i don¡¯t know who the clueless person is spreading rumors that wanwan has an unmarried fianc¨¦ in kyoto, and that he can get her into kyoto university without taking the entrance exam. ¡°are the people who believe these rumors out of their minds? kyoto university¡¯s admission process is so standardized; can anyone just get in? ¡°i simply don¡¯t know any of the teachers at kyoto university. if i did, i¡¯d immediately inform them about this and have them investigate who¡¯s spreading these rumors behind our backs! ¡°this isn¡¯t just tarnishing wanwan¡¯s reputation; it¡¯s also tarnishing kyoto university¡¯s!¡± xia wan looked at liu hua, touched by her actions. she knew that liu hua was doing this to protect her. however, liu hua was right. the person spreading these rumors definitely wanted everyone to be dissatisfied with her. but, in the same breath, they were tarnishing kyoto university¡¯s reputation, and she couldn¡¯t let that happen. song zhi and zhou chen entered the classroom together. when they saw xia wan, song zhi even provocatively smiled. xia wan didn¡¯t say anything. even though she suspected that it might be song zhi spreading the rumors, she had no evidence, and whatever she said wouldn¡¯t be believed. zhou chen came up to xia wan and said in a disappointed tone, ¡°xia wan, i didn¡¯t expect you to be this kind of person. you already have a boyfriend, and now you¡¯ve created an unmarried fianc¨¦ just to get into kyoto university.¡± ¡°do you really need a man to succeed?¡± xia wan looked up at zhou chen, her gaze cold, as if she could see through his dark thoughts. xia wan asked, ¡°what evidence do you have to prove that i have an unmarried fianc¨¦ in kyoto? what evidence do you have to prove that my fianc¨¦ has already planned for me to get into kyoto university without taking the entrance exam?¡± zhou chen was left speechless by her question and couldn¡¯t meet her gaze. but he stubbornly said, ¡°everyone¡¯s saying it, so it must be true. besides, didn¡¯t you go to kyoto last weekend? ¡°in the past, your boyfriend always came to pick you up after school. this time, when you went all the way to kyoto, why didn¡¯t your boyfriend see you off? ¡°it can only mean that you¡¯re doing this behind your boyfriend¡¯s back, secretly seducing another man.¡± xia wan looked at him disdainfully, ¡°if you continue to slander me like this, i don¡¯t mind reporting it to the police.¡± as she spoke, she raised her phone, ¡°i¡¯ve already recorded everything you said just now.¡± her gaze swept across the other students in the class and she warned, ¡°recently, there have been a lot of malicious rumors about me in class. i don¡¯t know who started them, but if these rumors affect my life at school, i won¡¯t hesitate to involve the police.¡± xia wan¡¯s warning reminded the students of what had happened to li pan. back then, li pan had also slandered xia wan and even made a scene with the principal. even when li pan¡¯s aunt stepped in, she couldn¡¯t protect him. at that moment, no one dared to talk about xia wan behind her back. some girls couldn¡¯t stand zhou chen¡¯s behavior and spoke up, ¡°zhou chen, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far? xia wan isn¡¯t close to you. since this semester, you¡¯ve been the one trying to get close to xia wan. can¡¯t you see that xia wan doesn¡¯t like you anymore?¡± zhou chen¡¯s expression turned very ugly after being scolded by the girls in the class. it was a slightly plump girl with average grades in the class. zhou chen looked at her unhappily, ¡°since when is it your turn to care about my matters? are you siding with xia wan because you¡¯re unpopular in class and no one wants to hang out with you? you¡¯re overestimating yourself. xia wan would never be friends with an ordinary girl like you.¡± the next moment, zhou chen¡¯s collar was lifted. the person who rushed over was xia chen. xia chen stared at zhou chen, ¡°don¡¯t think i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. in the past, my sister spent money on you every day. now that my sister has seen through your character and has already distanced herself from you, you¡¯re still approaching her. ¡°anyway, i¡¯m also a school dropout. if you dare to insult my sister again, i¡¯ll beat you up until you can¡¯t go to school anymore. anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter if i take the college entrance exam or not.¡± zhou chen was truly afraid when he saw xia chen determined to get him expelled.. Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: Zhou Chen Afraid chapter 403: zhou chen afraid translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zhou chen wanted to humiliate xia wan to show everyone that xia wan hadn¡¯t chosen him because she willingly chose to be frugal now. however, he didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to take the college entrance exam. his grades were excellent, and the teacher had assured him that as long as he maintained steady performance, getting into a top-tier university wouldn¡¯t be a problem. zhou chen became terrified. he stammered, ¡°let go of me. i won¡¯t talk to xia wan again.¡± xia chen snorted and shook zhou chen off. ¡°you better keep your word, or else don¡¯t blame me for being rough with you!¡± xia wan felt warmth in her heart. even in the face of rumors, her friends and brother stood firmly by her side. xia wan also looked at the girl who had spoken up for her. ¡°thank you, xiaotian.¡± xiaotian blushed and nodded. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. they were just talking nonsense. i think it¡¯s because your family owns a shop that many people don¡¯t like you.¡± xia wan smiled and took out some candy from her bag, handing it to xiaotian. ¡°regardless, thank you for standing up for me.¡± xiaotian wanted to refuse, but xia wan was very insistent, so she reluctantly accepted the candy. xia wan still remembered xiaotian. in her previous life, she used to chase after zhou chen every day. sometimes, girls from other classes didn¡¯t like her and wanted to catch her and teach her a lesson. once, she was cornered by four girls in the corridor. it was xiaotian who appeared and threatened these girls, telling them she had already informed the homeroom teacher. only then did these girls let xia wan go. xiaotian had always been a kind-hearted girl. perhaps because of xia chen¡¯s warning, xia wan didn¡¯t hear anyone badmouthing her that day. at noon, she went to the clothing store with xia chen and liu hua. when she saw the clothing store across the street, xia wan¡¯s expression darkened. the interior design of the shop was different from theirs, but the decorations at the front were almost identical. they both had glass doors with two mannequins displaying fashionable clothes on either side. even the clothes on display were exactly the same as those in her shop. this was outright plagiarism. xia wan felt that her patience had been considerable since her rebirth, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel angry. this blatant copying of another shop¡¯s creativity was shameless. she led xia chen and liu hua straight into this shop. when a salesperson saw customers approaching, they warmly greeted them. ¡°welcome, three customers! please take a look at our latest season¡¯s clothing designs. you¡¯ll look more attractive and popular in school when you wear them.¡± ¡°plus, we have a loyalty points system. every dollar you spend here earns you two points. which von can redeem for gifts from our store.¡± xia wan sneered. this shop was even copying their loyalty points system. in their shop, one yuan equaled one point, but in this shop, one yuan equaled two points, doubling the points value. ¡°who¡¯s the owner of this shop?¡± xia wan asked coldly. ¡°bring him out. i need to talk to him.¡± the salesperson noticed that xia wan wasn¡¯t here to buy clothes, and her previously friendly smile disappeared. the salesperson scrutinized xia wan and said irritably, ¡°so you¡¯re not here to shop. you should have said so earlier.¡± ¡°not just anyone can meet our boss. why are you looking for him?¡± xia wan took a more assertive stance. ¡°i want to speak to your boss. can a salesperson like you make that decision?¡± ¡°either you bring your boss out now, or i¡¯ll block the entrance of your shop today and claim there¡¯s a problem with your clothing.¡± the salesperson was taken aback by xia wan¡¯s words. she assessed xia wan, saying, ¡°you still look like a student. how could you say something so shameless?¡± xia wan sneered, ¡°if your boss can engage in a price war with my family, what else can¡¯t i do?¡± ¡°since you won¡¯t allow my family to sell clothes, then your family won¡¯t sell clothes either.¡± ¡°i came here to meet him today to give both sides a chance to negotiate. if your boss is unwilling to negotiate, then there¡¯s nothing more to say.¡± as she spoke, xia wan walked straight to the shop¡¯s entrance, ready to create a scene if necessary. the salesperson realized xia wan wasn¡¯t joking and started to panic. ¡°wait a minute, i¡¯ll call our boss..¡± Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: So It Was Xia Wan chapter 404: so it was xia wan translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the call connected, and the waitress provided a brief explanation of the situation. it remained unclear what transpired on the other end, but the waitress swiftly ended the call. confidence emanated from the waitress, possibly because of her backing from the boss. she peered disdainfully at xia wan and remarked, ¡°we¡¯re both in the clothing business, but your family can¡¯t compete with ours. now, resorting to this thievery. just wait until our boss arrives!¡± with her words delivered, the waitress found a seat and settled down. the noon heat kept potential customers at bay. before long, a couple entered the shop. a middle-aged man, with a noticeable paunch and a rather disheveled appearance, was clad in a suit that looked out of place. beside him, a girl clung to his arm, displaying an intimate bond that signaled them as a boyfriend and girlfriend. the waitress chimed in with enthusiasm, ¡°boss, lady boss, you¡¯ve finally arrived. these three caused trouble in our shop!¡± as xia wan laid eyes on the girl, everything fell into place. standing alongside the man in the suit was xia ru, who had vanished for some time. at that moment. xia ru wore heavy make up. adding years to her appearance. dust-covered, it was evident she hadn¡¯t embarked on anything substantial during her absence. xia ru cast a haughty look at xia wan. ¡°well, isn¡¯t this my dear cousin? shouldn¡¯t you be in school? what brings you to our shop?¡± xia chen, too, gazed at xia ru, a mixture of surprise and confusion etched on his face. he inquired with a stern tone, ¡°xia ru, what¡¯s going on here? who is this man?¡± only then did xia ru notice xia chen and liu hua¡¯s presence. a flicker of panic flashed across her smug demeanor. though she had compared herself to xia wan, she had no intention of letting others know she was involved with an affluent older man. liu hua hailed from their village, and if she saw, it would surely become village gossip. xia ru pursed her lips and quickly adjusted her stance. the opinions of others wouldn¡¯t deter her from enjoying her newfound prosperity. she had had enough of the village¡¯s poverty. now, with a wealthy man by her side, she savored the finest cuisine, slept in opulent quarters, and used the best cosmetics. all the waitstaff addressed her as ¡°lady boss.¡± this was an opportunity others coveted but couldn¡¯t obtain. with this in mind, xia ru stood tall and faced xia chen. ¡°ah, it¡¯s my dear cousin. what¡¯s your concern? is it a problem that i¡¯m with my boyfriend?¡± ¡°have you forgotten, cousin? we parted ways a long time ago. naturally, my life choices aren¡¯t your concern.¡± xia chen was taken aback. ¡°he could practically be your father!¡± the suited man looked at xia chen with displeasure. ¡°i¡¯ll let it slide this time because you¡¯re xia ru¡¯s cousin. but if you try to sow discord again, don¡¯t blame me for taking action!¡± xia chen felt like his entire worldview had been shaken. in the past, xia ru had been vain at most. how had she ended up on this path? xia wan halted him. ¡°brother, no need to say more. xia ru chose this path for herself. she doesn¡¯t want to tread the right path because it takes longer.¡± ¡°we didn¡¯t come here today to reminisce about the past. i couldn¡¯t figure out why someone was deliberately targeting our shop before. now i know it¡¯s you behind it.¡± ¡°xia ru, to target me, you intentionally sold these clothes at a low price. did you consider the cost?¡± as she spoke, she glanced at the man in the suit. ¡°your boyfriend seems to treat you well too. he¡¯s willing to accompany you without earning money just to please you.¡± she wanted to gauge the man¡¯s response. she believed that even if the man in the suit had a better supply channel, the purchase price wouldn¡¯t be significantly lower. given that the cost price of these clothes was clear, engaging in competition would undoubtedly lead to losses for their shop.. Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: Xia Ru Pleased chapter 405: xia ru pleased translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation from the moment xia wan entered the store, the man in the suit had been lecherously eyeing her. now, upon hearing xia wan¡¯s words, the man in the suit moved even closer to her. with a lascivious look, he said to xia wan, ¡°i¡¯ve heard from xia ru that she has a cousin, but she never told me her cousin was this beautiful. ¡°you must have done some research before coming here. i have a source for obtaining goods at a low cost, and i don¡¯t really care how profitable this store is. i¡¯m only here to make xia ru happy. ¡°but now that i¡¯ve seen you, i¡¯ve changed my mind. if you¡¯re willing to be with me, i can share my supply source with you. ¡°in the future, the cost price of the clothes your store sells will be at least 5 yuan cheaper per piece than other stores. this piece of clothing costs five yuan. you can imagine the profit you can make with 100 or 1000 pieces, right?¡± xia wan stared at him coldly. his lecherous gaze made her feel like gouging his eyes out. xia chen stood in front of xia wan, shielding her from the man¡¯s lecherous gaze. xia chen stared at him coldly, his fists clenched. ¡°stop giving my sister those disgusting looks. ¡± xia wan also smirked and said intentionally, ¡°my boyfriend is younger than you, more handsome than you, and wealthier than you. why would i want to be with you? ¡°even if my store doesn¡¯t make any income, my boyfriend can still support me. ¡°i¡¯ll be leaving such a handsome guy for you, an ugly freak. don¡¯t you think there must be something wrong with my brain?¡± the man in the suit was infuriated and sneered, ¡°since you have such strong opinions, why did you come here?¡± xia wan said, ¡°i didn¡¯t understand who was targeting me before, so i came to your store just to figure that out.¡± ¡°now that i know, i really have no reason to stay here. ¡°because i¡¯m very clear that there¡¯s no possibility of reconciliation between us.¡± xia wan turned to xia chen and said, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± after xia wan and her group left the store, xia ru finally looked at the man in the suit. xia ru said, ¡°wen shu, why were you staring at my cousin like that earlier? are you attracted to her?¡± having just been embarrassed by xia wan, wen shu naturally wouldn¡¯t admit that he was drawn to xia wan¡¯s beauty. he disdainfully said, ¡°your cousin is just good-looking, nothing more. she¡¯s far inferior to you in comparison, far less obedient.¡± xia ru nestled in wen shu¡¯s arms, her eyes sparkling. meanwhile, xia wan and her group returned to their own store. yan han and xia hai had been waiting for them. seeing xia wan approach, they quickly asked, ¡°so, do you know who owns that store and why they¡¯re opposing us? xia wan answered truthfully, ¡°that man is xia ru¡¯s boyfriend. she despises our family and is determined to ruin our store, even if it means not making any money.¡± facing a competitor is not scary; what¡¯s terrifying is facing a competitor who acts like a fool. he doesn¡¯t care how much profit he loses; he just wants to bring you down. it¡¯s like being bitten by a rabid dog. xia chen added, ¡°that man looks at least ten years older than xia ru. such men can¡¯t possibly be without wives. i suspect xia ru is his mistress.¡± xia ru was xia hail s niece after all. hearing this, xia hai¡¯s face darkened. ¡°how could she lack self-respect like this? no, i need to go and tell my brother.¡± just as xia hai was about to leave, yan han grabbed him. ¡°you come back here. you¡¯ve already separated from your older brother, and they don¡¯t like you at all now. if you go back and tell them this, they¡¯ll just think you¡¯re mocking them.¡± upon hearing this, xia hai stiffened. ¡°what do you think we should do now?¡± he asked. yan han looked at xia wan and said, ¡°wan wan, what do you think?¡± xia wan said, ¡°dad¡¯s right about one thing; we should tell grandma and the others about this.¡± ¡°however, we should also help xia ru gain some publicity.¡± xia chen understood her meaning and said, ¡°i¡¯ll go back now.¡± liu hua also chimed in, ¡°i¡¯ll go with you.¡± she then said to xia wan, ¡®you should go to your class on time. if we¡¯re late coming back, you can tell them i hurt my foot, and xia chen took me to see a doctor on the way.¡± ¡°besides, our academic performance is good, and the teachers are lenient with us. they won¡¯t give us a hard time.¡± xia wan:¡­ alright, the three of them are indeed better students compared to her. ¡°alright then, you guys go back..¡± Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: Informing Li Jin chapter 406: informing li jin translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia chen and liu hua went back to their hometown, and the round trip on bicycles didn¡¯t take too much time. however, due to the rush on the way back, they could only buy a bun to satisfy their hunger and didn¡¯t have time for a proper meal. after they left, yan han looked at the empty store without customers and couldn¡¯t help but worry, ¡°what should we do with our store here?¡± xia wan thought for a moment and said, ¡°since the other side has already started challenging us, even if it means losing money, we can¡¯t let them take advantage of us. ¡°we¡¯ll sell our clothes at the same price as their store. ¡°i guess their cost price won¡¯t be much higher than our wholesale price. at most, we¡¯ll earn a little less. even if we only make back the cost, it¡¯s better than having the clothes sit in the store unsold.¡± yan han still couldn¡¯t relax completely. ¡°but now that we¡¯ve lowered our prices, what will we do in the future? xia ru¡¯s family has a better source of merchandise; each time they purchase, it¡¯s cheaper than ours, and their clothing styles are the same as ours. we definitely can¡¯t compete with them.¡± xia wan reassured her, ¡°it¡¯s okay. it¡¯s almost time for the season change, and we should prepare to buy autumn clothes. this batch of clothes will eventually be discounted sooner or later. let¡¯s consider it as an early preparation.¡± xia wan added, ¡°mom and dad, just focus on selling clothes, and leave the rest to me. ¡°let¡¯s say, even if our family¡¯s store can¡¯t continue, i have other ways to make money.¡± seeing xia wan¡¯s determination, yan han finally let go of her worries. after a simple meal, xia wan went back to school. xia chen and liu hua rode their bicycles back to the village. the two of them went straight to li jin¡¯s house. before entering the house, they could hear an argument coming from inside. clearly, things weren¡¯t going well for li jin and her family lately. when they saw xia chen, the xia family members were surprised. xia jiang and xia he were working outside, so only song yan and chen lian were at home during the day. seeing that xia chen had returned, song yan dropped the hoe in her hand. she scrutinized xia chen from head to toe and asked, ¡°what are you doing back?¡± her intuition told song yan that xia chen¡¯s return was definitely not good news. xia chen didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said directly, ¡°we saw xia ru in the county town.¡± song yan immediately became excited. ¡°she¡¯s finally back? where is she now? has she found a good job?¡± xia chen sneered, ¡°i can¡¯t say her job is good, but she¡¯s found a boyfriend who¡¯s very wealthy. the only thing is, he¡¯s over ten years older than her. would you accept a son-in-law like that?¡± upon hearing the first half, song yan was still happy, thinking that her daughter was indeed capable of attracting wealthy boyfriends. but when she heard that the man was over ten years older than xia ru, song yan couldn¡¯t muster a smile. she forced a smile and asked, ¡°maybe this man is just older, but is he at least decent-looking?¡± xia chen didn¡¯t hold back and said, ¡°his appearance can¡¯t compare to any of the men in our family.¡± song yan fell silent. she was hesitant about accepting xia ru in her current situation. before xia ru left home, she had told song yan that she had to make something of herself outside before returning home. now that xia ru had returned, she had brought home a much older man. even if song yan convinced herself not to mind, the villagers would surely gossip when they saw such a man in the village. chen lian had been worried at first, thinking that if xia ru had really found a wealthy boyfriend, her daughter xia ye would be overshadowed. unexpectedly, xia ru had found an older man, which made chen lian happy. chen lian thought about how song yan had been constantly arguing with her in recent days, covertly assigning many tasks to her, and making her suffer. now, she didn¡¯t hesitate to say, ¡°xia ru is indeed capable. older men are more experienced. being able to win the heart of an older man means she¡¯s skillful. she truly is a clever girl raised by her sister-in-law, and xia ye can¡¯t compare in terms of intelligence. ¡°xia ye is only suited for studying diligently. after she gets into a university, she can find a boy her age. we don¡¯t need them to live too well. having a job in the city after graduating is good enough. as for the blessings of an older man, our xia ye won¡¯t be able to enjoy them..¡± Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: Bringing Someone to Xia Ru chapter 407: bringing someone to xia ru translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation song yan sensed chen lian¡¯s mocking tone and turned to glare at her. ¡°enough with the sarcasm. do you really believe that xia ye will definitely get into a university?¡± ¡°you know, many people manage to get into universities every year, but only a handful from our county make it,¡± she continued. ¡°even if he does get into a university, if it¡¯s not a top-tier one, it remains to be seen if he can handle the big city.¡± chen lian seemed unconvinced and was on the verge of arguing with song yan. however, it was xia chen who intervened, wisely preventing a confrontation. ¡°auntie, i came back specifically to avoid seeing you and other aunties argue. regardless of whether you accept xia ruts boyfriend or not, it might be best for you to meet him.¡± xia chen deliberately left the door open when he spoke, ensuring that his words were heard by the people nearby. many were out for a post-lunch walk, and they overheard the conversation. curiosity got the better of them, and they joined the gathering. one passerby said, ¡°this is quite unusual. let¡¯s go see xia rut s boyfriend.¡± only then did song yan realize that the door was ajar, and she shot xia chen a fierce glare. ¡°you used to be the most straightforward in the family. now, you¡¯ve become so cunning. did you leave the door open on purpose to invite ridicule upon my xia in the past, xia chen would have been at a loss for words, knowing he was in the wrong. however, dealing with customers had thickened his skin. he replied calmly, ¡°auntie, that¡¯s not the case at all. i just believe that it¡¯s essential for you to be aware of this. do you think xia ru¡¯s boyfriend is not suitable?¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong with him being older?¡± he continued. ¡°he¡¯s financially stable. hasn¡¯t xia ru always wanted a well-off boyfriend? ¡°wealth takes time to accumulate; how can a young man have that much money? xia ru must have chosen her boyfriend with her goals in mind. you¡¯ve always been open-minded, auntie.¡± liu hua couldn¡¯t help but chuckle discreetly, hiding her face behind her hand to avoid being caught. she noticed how much xia chen had changed. in the past, he would never have been able to say such words that left no room for retort. chen lian joined in, playfully teasing song yan. ¡°sister-in-law, xia chen is right. let¡¯s not do anything today. let¡¯s go see xia ru first. after all, it¡¯s her child who¡¯s returned.¡± chen lian took the items from song yan¡¯s hands and encouraged her to join the group. the onlookers, eager for drama, also expressed their desire to go. song yan scowled, exclaiming, ¡°it¡¯s my daughter who¡¯s back, not yours. it¡¯s only natural for me to go see her. why are you all so eager to join in?¡± an elderly person spoke up, ¡°your argument isn¡¯t valid. xia ru is your daughter, but she¡¯s also part of our village. now that she¡¯s with a foreigner, it¡¯s only right for us to assess his reliability.¡± ¡°even if you¡¯re wise, you¡¯re still a woman. you haven¡¯t seen much of the world. we¡¯re going on xia jiang¡¯s behalf to check on his daughter¡¯s boyfriend.¡± another added, ¡°exactly, song yan. don¡¯t be ungrateful. if you hadn¡¯t treated xia ru as your own, would we be so concerned?¡± song yan glared at their faces, growing increasingly frustrated. she knew exactly what they were thinking¡ªcuriosity about xia ru¡¯s relationship had led them to tag along. however, song yan, as a woman, had lower status in the village, and these men used their authority and experience to dominate the situation. she had no choice but to reluctantly agree. through clenched teeth, she said, ¡°fine, but only one person can go.¡± a 50-year-old man stepped forward, volunteering himself. ¡°i¡¯ll go. i¡¯ve seen a lot of people and can help xia ru judge the situation.¡± the chosen representative was uncle chen from the village, known for taking care of the villagers. however, he had one major flaw: a penchant for gossip. seeing uncle chen stepping up, song yan felt even more uneasy. she feared that the entire village would be aware of the situation when uncle chen returned. the others appeared quite pleased with the developments.. Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Xia Chen ‘s Act chapter 408: xia chen ¡®s act translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation it would be advantageous if word got out. uncle chen had seniority and a gift for storytelling that made it captivating. song yan wanted to refuse, but she had no valid reason to do so. chen lian also insisted on accompanying them. li jin had been taking an afternoon nap but was awakened by the commotion in the courtyard. when she saw xia chen, surprise flickered in her eyes. ¡°xia chen, why are you back?¡± she inquired. ¡°is it to bring grandma some money?¡± xia chen, concerned about xia ru¡¯s deliberate rivalry by opening a shop, decided to address it upfront in response to li jin¡¯s question. his expression turned somber as he spoke, ¡°grandma, usually i¡¯d be more than willing to bring you money and food, but this time, our business is in dire straits. ¡°recently, a new shop opened up right across from ours. they¡¯ve copied our decor and offer clothes very similar to ours. the kicker is, they¡¯re selling their clothes at even lower prices, so all our regular customers have flocked over there to shop. we¡¯re struggling to sell our merchandise. ¡°curious, my sister decided to investigate this new shop, only to discover that it¡¯s none other than xia ru who opened it. ¡°grandma, xia ru has found a wealthy boyfriend with a reliable supply chain, allowing her to purchase clothes at a significantly lower cost. as a result, her profit margins are soaring. ¡°grandma, if you¡¯re in need of money, i suggest you turn to xia ru. her boyfriend seems quite generous with her, and i¡¯m confident that if xia ru asks, he¡¯ll willingly provide the funds.¡± liu hua couldn¡¯t help but silently applaud xia chen¡¯s words. on one hand, he confirmed their family¡¯s financial difficulties, and on the other hand, he planted the idea of benefiting from xia ru in li jin¡¯s mind. xia ru seemed eager to flaunt her newfound wealth and prove that her boyfriend could render xia wan¡¯s shop unable to compete in sales. xia wan and her family could exploit li jin¡¯s greed to coerce xia ru into sharing some of her earnings. liu hua couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved that she was on xia wan¡¯s side. with xia wan¡¯s family¡¯s cunning, anyone who crossed them would be courting trouble. li jin¡¯s eyes gleamed upon hearing xia chen¡¯s words. unlike song yan, she was more concerned with whether xia ru¡¯s boyfriend could bring wealth. if this boyfriend had the means to open a clothing store, he must be incredibly affluent. although xia wan¡¯s family also had a clothing store, their circumstances were different. they only operated on behalf of others, whereas xia ru¡¯s store belonged entirely to her boyfriend. it was clear that xia ru¡¯s boyfriend was wealthier than xia wan¡¯s family. li jin might not excel at mathematics, but she had a keen understanding of this aspect. ¡°what are you waiting for?¡± li jin promptly exclaimed. ¡°go see xia ru.¡± song yan had no opportunity to say anything more. everyone washed their hands and tidied up before rushing to the county town. xia chen and liu hua had bicycles, while the others had borrowed tricycles from the villagers. by the time they arrived at the county town, nearly forty minutes had passed. the group entered xia ru¡¯s clothing store with an air of importance, leaving the attendant somewhat bewildered. judging by their attire, they didn¡¯t appear to be customers who could afford the store¡¯s clothing. the attendant, who had seen xia chen and liu hua before, remembered that they were recent visitors and relatives of the shop¡¯s owner. despite being relatives, their relationship didn¡¯t seem to be on good terms. suspicion flickered in the attendant¡¯s eyes as she observed the group. she had a hunch that they might be there to cause trouble. ¡°what brings you here?¡± she inquired, warily eyeing the crowd. upon entering the shop, li jin quickly assessed it. the store featured the latest fashion trends, offering clothing for men, women, and children, which delighted li jin. she stepped forward and picked up a random piece of clothing. when she saw the price tag, li jin¡¯s excitement grew. the clothes were priced at 80 yuan each.. Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: Li Jin All Smug chapter 409: li jin all smug translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation as per xia chen¡¯s previous statement, the owner of this store has access to lower-cost suppliers, ensuring he makes a substantial profit from this piece of clothing. consider her two sons who toiled hard for just 200 yuan a month. that amount only allowed them to purchase two pieces of clothing here. li jin immediately smiled and assumed the demeanor of the clothing store owner. she gazed arrogantly at the female attendant and said, ¡°the owner of your store is my granddaughter. she has been working elsewhere for some time and has only just returned home. knowing that she must be tired from the journey and hasn¡¯t had the chance to visit home yet, we came to find her first.¡± ¡°where is she? please ask her to come out and meet us.¡¯ the female attendant looked at li jin in surprise, with a hint of disdain in her eyes. she didn¡¯t expect her boss¡¯s granddaughter to be so unrefined and uncultured. previously, xia ru used to boast in front of them, pretending to be noble, but now it seemed her background was quite ordinary. the female attendant didn¡¯t dare to say anything and simply replied, ¡°the boss and the boss¡¯s wife are currently taking a nap. let me go wake them up.¡± after saying that, another attendant went upstairs to fetch xia ru. soon, xia ru and her boyfriend, wen shu, descended the stairs. when xia ru saw li jin, song yan, chen lian, and uncle chen approaching, she was taken aback. she shot a fierce glance at xia chen, and by now, xia ru understood that these people had been intentionally summoned by xia chen. she forced a smile, greeted them politely, and said, ¡°grandmother, i had planned to settle down here first before returning to the village to see you. i didn¡¯t expect you to arrive so soon after my return.¡± ¡°how about having a meal here today? let my boyfriend, wen shu, treat everyone.¡± xia ru tugged at wen shu¡¯s arm, and wen shu was also shocked at this moment. he knew xia ru came from the countryside, but he didn¡¯t expect her grandmother and mother to be so uneducated and rustic. their clothes appeared somewhat worn, their hair dry and lacking luster, and their skin not in the best condition. it was evident they had been working in the fields for a long time. he originally thought that someone like xia ru, who appeared so fresh and refined, would at least come from a family with some level of sophistication. if he had met xia ru¡¯s relatives privately, wen shu wouldn¡¯t have appeared so displeased. but unfortunately, this was happening in his store, with three waitstaff present. today, when li jin and the others arrived, all the staff had seen them. these staff members were also hired by him in the county town. while their education levels might be low, at least these three staff members were all from the county town, setting them apart from the people in the village. wen shu just wanted to quickly escort these people out of his store now and said, ¡°certainly, i¡¯ll take you all to have a meal.¡± however, xia chen interjected, ¡°dining is not the primary concern right now. we¡¯ve come here as xia ru¡¯s maternal family, and we have some questions we¡¯d like to clarify.¡± seeing xia chen¡¯s confrontational stance, wen shu¡¯s expression became even darker. he glared at xia chen and said, ¡°if i remember correctly, you¡¯re merely xia ru¡¯s cousin, and it seems your relationship isn¡¯t amicable. what qualifications do you have to speak on behalf of xia ruts elders?¡± xia chen wasn¡¯t intimidated at all and continued, ¡°i¡¯m xia rut s father¡¯s cousin, and as a male member of the family, i certainly have the right to ask you some questions. what are you so afraid of? are you afraid of my questions because you can¡¯t answer them?¡± wen shu snorted, ¡°i have nothing to fear. go ahead and ask.¡± suddenly, xia ru had a bad feeling. she tugged at wen shu¡¯s sleeve and reminded him, ¡°let¡¯s discuss these matters at the restaurant first.¡± but xia chen didn¡¯t give him a chance to evade the situation. he continued, ¡°you are more than ten years older than xia ru, and you are quite wealthy, so it¡¯s impossible that you haven¡¯t been married before.¡± ¡°i want to ask right now, are you divorced and interested in a relationship with xia ru, or have you not divorced at all and are just maintaining xia ru as a mistress?¡± xia chen¡¯s question was sharp and direct, and after he finished speaking, xia ru¡¯s face immediately turned ugly. wen shu¡¯s face also darkened.. Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Xia Chen ‘s Direct Question chapter 410: xia chen ¡®s direct question translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the attendants in the shop were so surprised that their mouths hung wide open. they quickly closed it and discreetly moved to the side, attempting to diminish her presence. simultaneously, their eyes sparkled with curiosity. although xia ru claimed to be the boss¡¯s wife, they had their suspicions that she wasn¡¯t the official wife but possibly the boss¡¯s mistress. however, they lacked the courage to ask xia ru. they didn¡¯t anticipate xia ruts cousin would pose such a pointed question. without waiting for wen shu to respond, xia ru immediately reprimanded, ¡°xia chen, it¡¯s not your place to meddle in my affairs. even though you¡¯re my cousin, we¡¯ve already grown apart. what right do you have to interfere? ¡°furthermore, our two families have a strained relationship. it¡¯s common knowledge in the village. ¡°wen shu was previously married but has been divorced for a long time. i¡¯m with him because he¡¯s currently single. ¡°if he had a wife, why would i consider being a mistress? ¡°xia chen, i assumed you brought your family elders to visit me. i didn¡¯t expect you to come here deliberately to cause trouble for me. ¡°which cousin would ask such a question in front of so many people?¡± xia chen remained unmoved. his intention with this question was evidently to publicly embarrass xia ru. given that xia ru had already employed tactics to harm their shop¡¯s business, why should he care about xia ru¡¯s reputation? however, xia chen still had to maintain appearances in front of everyone. he continued, ¡°of course, we need to clear this up publicly. just as i¡¯ve asked and explained in front of everyone, the truth will become known. if we don¡¯t address this now, people will continue to speculate that you are his mistress behind his back. ¡°i¡¯m also giving you an opportunity to clarify things publicly. why would you assume the worst of me?¡± xia chen then glanced at the attendant. ¡°my cousin is still young and lacks experience. she¡¯s easily misled. i hope what you¡¯ve said is true.¡± ¡°even though our family is small, my sister knows some influential people. they are involved in various businesses and travel extensively. ¡°i¡¯ve spent a considerable amount of time with them and have picked up a few things. judging by your accent, you¡¯re from the south. perhaps my sister¡¯s friends might have the chance to meet your acquaintances, who might happen to be able to verify your true situation.¡± xia chen said this with a smile, but wen shu perceived it as a veiled threat. it essentially conveyed that his family had connections and the means to investigate if he was lying. wen shu scoffed, ¡°what xia ru said is the truth. i would never consider her as my mistress. she¡¯s young, beautiful, and articulate¡ªideal for managing a clothing store. i opened this shop to make xia ru happy.¡± xia ru¡¯s smile grew wider. she nestled into wen shu¡¯s arms and coquettishly added, ¡°you¡¯re just too good to me.¡± xia chen, not wanting to witness their intimacy, forced a smile and remarked, ¡°it appears that you have a deep affection for my cousin. that¡¯s wonderful.¡± ¡°my grandmother is a simple person with modest desires¡ªmoney being her sole interest. if you hinder our clothing store from selling, we won¡¯t have the means to support her financially. ¡°coincidentally, we¡¯ve already gone our separate ways. therefore, i¡¯ll have to request that you contribute more financially to grandma in the future. ¡°and considering you mentioned that the purchase price of your shop is quite reasonable, i noticed that many items in your store would suit grandma and my two aunts. ¡°since you hold such fondness for xia ru, you should extend your affection to her family as well. you wouldn¡¯t want grandma and my two aunts to leave empty-handed, would you?¡± xia chen¡¯s intention was evident. he wanted wen shu to provide a few outfits to li jin, song yan, and chen lian. wen shu never intended to give away any of his clothing for free. although his clothing had a low purchase price, it didn¡¯t mean he could give them away for free. selling them at a reduced price would still yield some profit, while giving them away would result in none. moreover, judging by li jin and the others¡¯ attire, they didn¡¯t appear to be wealthy. if they were willing to spend money on someone they favored, it would be a wise investment.. Chapter 411 - Chapter 411: Forced to Give Clothes chapter 411: forced to give clothes translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation giving money to these impoverished relatives was simply a way to assist those in need. wen shu felt he wasn¡¯t so noble and didn¡¯t possess such a hobby at all. so he promptly instructed the waitress, ¡°please fetch t-shirts for each of these three, matching their sizes. t-shirts are quite suitable for this season.¡± t-shirts were considered the most affordable clothing items in the store. if he were to provide them with a complete outfit, including a top, bottom, and shoes, it would cost at least 100 yuan for each person. however, by giving each of them a t-shirt, he could save a considerable amount of money. at the same time, he signaled the waitresses to select the least expensive t-shirts for li jin and the others. li jin complained, ¡°your store has so many clothes, yet you only gave me a t-shirt?¡± the elderly neighbor had received a full set of clothes just two days ago, courtesy of her son. her son¡¯s monthly salary amounted to only 300 yuan. now that her granddaughter, xia ru, owned such a large shop, all she received was a t-shirt. returning to the village, many might ridicule her. li jin continued unhappily, ¡°with your large store, all you gave me was a t-shirt. don¡¯t you find that embarrassing? ¡°or maybe you don¡¯t care about our xia ru at all, and you¡¯re simply handing us a t-shirt to send us away? song yan, who had been silent until now, expressed her dissatisfaction upon hearing wen shuts words, she pulled xia ru closer to her. song yan glared at wen shu. ¡®you are many years older than our xia ru, and you¡¯re a divorced man. though xia ru didn¡¯t graduate from high school, she¡¯s smart and capable. in the past, many in the village pursued her.¡± ¡°now, she¡¯s making sacrifices to be with you, yet you don¡¯t value her family. this implies you don¡¯t care about my daughter either.¡± initially, xia ru didn¡¯t intend to give her grandmother a full set of clothes, but after hearing her grandmother and mother¡¯s words, xia ru pondered for a moment and agreed. even though giving away these clothes incurred a loss for the shop, it also meant a loss for xia ru. however, if wen shu were to casually send her family away with just a t-shirt, it would signify a low regard for xia ru. consequently, xia ru stood quietly beside song yan, without resistance, gazing at the document. wen shu was fuming at this point and secretly cursed xia ru for being naive. however, after being reprimanded by li jin and song yan in front of an audience, wen shu had no choice but to say, ¡°alright, alright, alright. i¡¯ll select a complete outfit for each of you.¡± ¡°but we don¡¯t sell shoes in my store.¡± he glanced at xia chen, who was watching the drama unfold, and gestured towards him. ¡°isn¡¯t this your grandson? his store sells shoes. after you choose the clothes here, you can head to his store and pick out a pair of shoes. it¡¯s quite convenient.¡± xia chen immediately responded, ¡°that won¡¯t work. you¡¯re the owner of this store. you have the authority to give away clothes to others, but i¡¯m not the owner of our store. ¡°my sister and our parents are merely helping the boss sell clothes. these clothes are purchased with the boss¡¯s money. every time we make a sale, we only earn a commission. ¡°if i want to gift grandma and the two aunts, i¡¯ll have to pay for it myself. but i¡¯m still a student. the money i earned a while ago was used to cover my tuition fees. ¡°but you¡¯re much older than me and have enough money to open a store. how can you not afford to buy a pair of shoes for grandma and the others? ¡°you also mentioned that your family lacks shoes, while our store has plenty. you can simply give grandma and the others 100 yuan each and let them purchase shoes from our store. xia chen¡¯s few words easily shifted the blame onto wen shu, making it seem as if wen shu was financially challenged if he couldn¡¯t provide the money.. Chapter 412 - Chapter 412: Wen Shu Swindled chapter 412: wen shu swindled translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation wen shu was getting frustrated. he signaled to xia ru, hoping she would help him, but xia ru ignored him. instead, she felt she should stand with li jin and the others at this moment. even if she dined well and dressed well while staying with wen shu, he wouldn¡¯t give her much money. he only gave her a monthly allowance of two to three hundred yuan. if wen shu could now give 300 yuan to her grandmother and mother, it would still benefit their family. it would just mean a discount for chen lian, who would also get 100 yuan. feeling helpless and under the watchful eyes of so many people, wen shu reluctantly took out 300 yuan and handed it to li jin and the others. ¡°please buy a pair of shoes yourselves after you¡¯ve chosen your clothes,¡± wen shu said, extending his hand, but li jin quickly took the 300 yuan from him. she grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. ¡°sure, i¡¯ll hold onto this 300 yuan for now. whenever we need shoes, we¡¯ll come to the county town to buy them.¡± after saying this, li jin turned to song yan and chen lian and said, ¡°what are you two waiting for? hurry up and pick out some clothes.¡± after speaking, li jin dragged song yan and chen lian towards the clothing section. wen shu said to a waitress, ¡°go and help them quickly.¡± he was now very worried that li jin and the others would dirty his new clothes with their dirty hands, which would affect the sale of these new clothes. the smart waitress followed them. li jin and her companions were not polite at all. they took the clothes one by one and tried them on right there. the interior of wen shu¡¯s clothing store was not as exquisite as the one xia wan and her group had decorated. xia wan¡¯s store had mirrors here and there, allowing customers to see themselves wearing the clothes. wen shu¡¯s store only had two mirrors. he had only purchased these mirrors after seeing xia wan¡¯s store. now, these two mirrors were occupied by li jin and her two companions, who occasionally tried on clothes in front of them. in the end, li jin chose a long-sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved shirt, a pair of jeans, and a floral skirt. song yan picked out a dress, a pair of long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. chen lian chose two short-sleeved shirts and two pairs of jeans. they were too lazy to go to the fitting rooms to try on the clothes. they just thought they could fit into them and carried them to the front. the waitress couldn¡¯t help but say from behind, ¡°you should still try them on. while they may seem to fit in the mirror, there might be issues when you wear them. it¡¯s better to try them on in the fitting room.¡± li jin casually replied, ¡°no need to try. i¡¯ve bought so many clothes before; how could i not know my own size?¡± the waitress couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°but the boss said each of you could pick one outfit. it seems like each of you picked two.¡± ¡°while this store belongs to the boss, every piece of clothing here was purchased with money. you¡¯ve picked six outfits, which will cost the boss a lot,¡± the waitress said, helping the boss by speaking up. she felt these three people were here to take advantage, greedy and vain. she found them annoying. moreover, those beautiful clothes would only go to waste on them. the three of them walked ahead with large strides, and the waitress struggled to keep up. unfortunately, by the time she caught up, li jin and the others had already reached wen shu. the three of them threw the clothes onto the counter. li jin said, ¡°the clothes here are quite nice. we couldn¡¯t resist taking a few extra. son-in-law, since you¡¯re so wealthy, you shouldn¡¯t mind, right?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve seen other people in stores have their clothes packaged for them. as your elders, having received your gifts, you should package them for us, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± wen shut s eyelid twitched. he glared fiercely at xia ru and, with clenched teeth, said to the counter staff, ¡°help them package these clothes.¡± the staff couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°boss, packaging so many clothes will cost the store a lot.¡± wen shu gritted his teeth. ¡°since they are xia ruts relatives, it¡¯s only right to spend some money on them. don¡¯t waste any more time. just package them.¡± ¡°alright,¡± the waitress finally started packaging the clothes.. Chapter 413 - Chapter 413: Take Me Out For a Meal chapter 413: take me out for a meal translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation in fact, xia ru didn¡¯t really care whether li jin and the others would end up losing money by taking so many clothes because, in essence, that money was invested in wen shu. however, in the presence of wen shu, the attendants naturally had to put on a performance. otherwise, if wen shu got upset, xia ru might try to smooth things over by saying something pleasant, and wen shu might let her off the hook. but the attendants weren¡¯t as fortunate. they could very well be scolded by wen shu and have their bonuses deducted. furthermore, these attendants had long held a grudge against xia ru. she would act obedient and sensible in front of the boss, but when the boss wasn¡¯t around, she¡¯d put on an air of arrogance in front of them, treating them as if they were subhuman, almost like slaves. they had long believed that xia ru had poor character. she was a classic case of someone with power who lacked manners. at the same time, they were secretly praying that the boss would quickly grow tired of xia ru and replace her with a new lady boss. they didn¡¯t expect that today, fate would present them with an opportunity. xia ru had such a group of shortsighted relatives, and she would undoubtedly be looked down upon by the boss. in the future, they could even use xia ruts relatives to say things that would sow discord between the boss and xia ru. some of the attendants even thought that their looks weren¡¯t inferior to xia ru¡¯s. as long as they worked hard, they might be able to replace her position. li jin and the others held the packaged clothes and wore satisfied smiles. then, li jin turned to wen shu and said, ¡°let¡¯s go eat now; i¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°son-in-law, since you¡¯re so wealthy, why don¡¯t you treat us to the most expensive place in our county?¡± wen shu gritted his teeth but reluctantly agreed. xia chen and liu hua also planned to go along. ¡°don¡¯t you have classes?¡± wen shu asked them. xia chen smiled and said to liu hua, ¡°go to class and help me request a leave.¡± he then looked at wen shu. ¡°as xia ru¡¯s cousin, of course, i should join this meal.¡± he pointed at uncle chen. ¡°and uncle chen came with us this time; he¡¯s been working hard too. before we leave, i hope you can buy some things for uncle chen, like some good wine and cigarettes.¡± ¡°that way, when uncle chen returns to the village, he can speak highly of you.¡± wen shu was nearly fuming. these people were clearly here to exploit him. uncle chen, on the other hand, smiled with his eyes squinted. ¡°since xia chen suggested it, i¡¯ll accept it without hesitation. ¡°don¡¯t worry; when i return to the village, i¡¯ll definitely speak well of you. despite being much older than xia ru, you are generous and polite. we¡¯re very satisfied with you.¡± wen shu was very frustrated, but he had to maintain his composure. he tried to console himself, thinking that these people were just rural folks, while he was a city dweller, making him different from them. nevertheless, he held many grievances against xia ru. he believed that xia ru was useless when it came to dealing with these relatives. she didn¡¯t know how to save money for him or protect his dignity. liu hua returned to school, while xia chen and the others headed to a restaurant in the county town. li jin even specially reserved a private room. she had only eaten in the dining hall before and hadn¡¯t experienced ordering in a private room. now that wen shu was treating them, she naturally insisted on reserving a spacious private room. what¡¯s more, li jin intentionally left the door to the private room open, hoping that passersby would see it. the waiter brought the menu and asked everyone to place their orders. wen shu politely handed the menu to li jin and asked her to make the selections. li jin didn¡¯t hesitate at all. she ordered three meat dishes, all of them the most expensive ones. song yan and chen lian also chose one meat dish and one vegetable dish each. wen shu was even more frustrated. there were only six of them, and they had already ordered seven dishes. he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°we don¡¯t have that many people. generally, we¡¯d only need to order five dishes. if we order too much and there are leftovers, it¡¯s wasteful.¡± ¡°you¡¯re all farmers, so you know how precious food can be.¡± wen shu wanted to convince them otherwise, but li jin responded, ¡°what¡¯s the harm? even if we order 18 dishes, we can take the leftovers back to the village. ¡°i still have two sons at home. they work hard during the day. when they come back at night, they can enjoy some restaurant food..¡± Chapter 414 - Chapter 414: Wen Shu Angered chapter 414: wen shu angered translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°they are both xia rut s father and uncle. as xia ruts boyfriend, you didn¡¯t buy them gifts or give them money; you just packed some food for them. are you still reluctant?¡± wen shu grimaced and said stiffly, ¡°of course not.¡± the menu had now reached uncle chen¡¯s hands, and he ordered a meat dish and a vegetarian dish without hesitation. he added, ¡°i¡¯ve never had a chance to eat such expensive food before. now that i¡¯m here, i¡¯d like to order two dishes i enjoy.¡± uncle chen looked at wen shu and asked, ¡°you don¡¯t mind me ordering so much, do you? wen shu struggled to respond, ¡°of course not. you¡¯re our elder, and it¡¯s perfectly fine to order. even if we can¡¯t finish it, we can take the leftovers home.¡± when the menu reached xia chen, he only ordered a soup, and wen shu didn¡¯t order anything at all. xia ru sensed that wen shu was now upset, so she refrained from ordering dishes and instead asked for a pot of tea. she sat next to wen shu, intending to hold his hand, but he evaded her touch. he shot xia ru an annoyed look and said, ¡°i need to use the restroom. excuse me for a moment.¡± he signaled to xia ru with his eyes. xia ru understood that wen shu wanted to talk to her privately. so, she stood up and said, ¡°i¡¯ll go to the restroom too.¡± they both stepped outside, and wen shu pulled xia ru into a corner. his eyes were blazing as he stared at her. ¡°are these really your relatives? didn¡¯t you say your family was intelligent? is this their idea of intelligence? swindling my money in front of my employees. ¡°coming to a restaurant to eat like they haven¡¯t had a meal in centuries. ¡°xia ru, you¡¯re clearly deceiving me.¡± xia ru pleaded immediately, ¡°wen shu, i didn¡¯t expect my grandma and my mom to suddenly behave this way. it must be xia chen who said something to them. ¡°my grandma had a tough life in her earlier years, raising three sons on her own. naturally, she values money more. ¡°my mom can only follow my grandma¡¯s lead. ¡°what happened today must be because xia chen influenced my grandma to scam your money.¡± wen shu sneered, ¡°they are all part of the xia family, so why is your cousin¡¯s family so well-behaved and elegant? the couple next door who sell clothes, they¡¯re your aunt and uncle, right? i¡¯ve dealt with them before, and they speak and behave properly, without such greed. ¡°take another look at your mother and grandmother; they¡¯re worlds apart from xia chen¡¯s parents!¡± xia ru was also upset. wen shut s disdain for her family, she could tolerate because she knew her family could be petty at times. but she couldn¡¯t stand him praising xia wan¡¯s family. wen shu clearly knew that she despised xia wan¡¯s family the most. xia ru glared at wen shu and said, ¡°so, do you really love me? if you do, what¡¯s wrong with getting a few sets of clothes for my grandma and mom? you said it yourself that this restaurant was opened for me, so why do you get so angry about buying my family a few pieces of clothing? ¡°wen shu, were all those sweet words you said to me fake?¡± wen shu was caught off guard. he wanted to say, ¡°of course they were fake.¡± he chose xia ru because he was attracted to her youth and hoped she would give him a son. he already had a wife, but she was fierce, and the only reason he had become successful was because of her support. so, he couldn¡¯t divorce his wife. instead, he needed an excuse to do business in another city. on one hand, he could find a mistress, and on the other hand, he could secretly have a son. his wife had only given birth to a daughter, and doctors said she might never be able to have more children. so, he didn¡¯t feel like he was doing anything wrong. but xia ru wasn¡¯t pregnant yet, and he needed to keep her stable for now. as soon as xia ru had a son, he could run away with the child. thinking this way, wen shu regained his composure. he smiled at xia ru and said, ¡°of course, i care about you. i was impulsive earlier, and i apologize..¡± Chapter 415 - Chapter 415: Xia Ru t s Peace Talks chapter 415: xia ru t s peace talks translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°xia ru doesn¡¯t really want to have a falling out with wen shu. now, wen shu has taken the initiative to give her a way out, and she naturally follows, saying, ¡®i knew you loved me, wen shu. we should get along well now and not let xia chen come between us.¡±¡® wen shu nodded, agreeing with this. after their conversation on this side ended, their relationship had also improved. when they returned to the table again, the waiter had already served two dishes. upon seeing how messy li jin and the others were eating, wen shu couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow again. normally, when xia ru ate with him, she didn¡¯t eat so hurriedly. it felt as if they hadn¡¯t eaten for days. and while they were eating, there was a constant smacking sound coming from their mouths. all of this made wen shu find it hard to accept. he couldn¡¯t help but imagine how others would view him if he took li jin and his friends out together. he was glad that li jin chose to eat in a private room; otherwise, they would surely be ridiculed in the dining hall, and he couldn¡¯t afford that. xia chen appeared to be silent, but he had been observing the two¡¯s expressions all along. he noticed that xia ru and wen shu didn¡¯t seem very happy at first. however, after wenci returned from the restroom, the two had reverted to their previous relationship. this also made xia chen realize that xia ru had a talent for soothing people, at least she could quickly calm wen shut s emotions. on this side, xia chen was having dinner, while xia wan was diligently listening to the teacher¡¯s lecture. this class was a chinese language class, and she had already mastered the content of the class, so her thoughts drifted elsewhere. now that xia ru had opened a shop similar to hers and was selling clothes just like theirs, if xia rut s goal was to ruin their shop, she might not need to come up with new tricks, and her wish might come true. she had gone to kyoto over the weekend, and her design proposals had been accepted by the qingge brand. according to her estimation, the designs she submitted should be produced by qingge within a week. afterward, they would start selling them. her design sketches, when placed in a place like kyoto, could fetch a high price. the clothes she made there could also be liked by wealthy ladies and young heiresses in kyoto. but now, she was in a small county, and even if the clothes she designed were beautiful, the number of customers was limited. so, to attract customers now, she had to approach it from two angles. first, she had to design the clothing styles herself and then commission a factory to help with processing. this way, the cost price would be reduced significantly. second, the fabrics used for her clothing had to be of high quality, and it was best if they had their own unique features. this meant that even if other stores wanted to imitate her clothing styles, they would either fall short in terms of quality or the overall clothing would not be as exquisite as hers. now it was almost autumn, and everyone was wearing sweaters, autumn pants, and coats. sweaters were worn on the inside, and everyone cared more about quality and comfort. the style of jeans didn¡¯t vary much, so even if she designed something very trendy, it wouldn¡¯t significantly increase sales. so, the easiest point to focus on was outerwear. online shopping hadn¡¯t taken off yet, and even if she opened an online store, she couldn¡¯t achieve online sales. so she still had to manage her physical store well. for a whole class, xia wan pondered how she should proceed. after this class ended, xia chen also returned. he called xia wan out, and the two of them started whispering. xia chen said, ¡°i tried to get some information during the meal, but that guy wen shu is very tight-lipped. all i could find out is that he¡¯s from the southern region, but he didn¡¯t tell me the specific city where he sources his goods.¡± in her heart, xia wan had already made a simple guess. during this period, sourcing goods usually meant h city. but from h city to their place and back was quite far, and each sourcing trip would probably take three or four days. simply relying on taking the train wouldn¡¯t allow them to carry much merchandise. so, the most convenient option was to find a nearby factory..¡± Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: Designing Her Own Clothes chapter 416: designing her own clothes translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan shared her thoughts with xia chen. xia chen nodded, ¡°this idea is good. do you want me to help you find a factory in this regard?¡± xia wan shook her head, ¡°no need. i¡¯ll ask brother xu for help. he has a wide network, and he can definitely find the best manufacturer for this.¡± xia chen mentioned that he had only eaten one-third of the dishes on the table during dinner, and the rest had all been packed by li jin to take away. li jin even thought the beef dish was delicious and asked the restaurant to prepare a new one to take with them. xia wan smiled, ¡°grandma has a good taste. beef is the most expensive dish.¡± xia wan also asked, ¡°wen shu has good patience, and xia ru is quite resourceful. she managed to win people over so quickly.¡± the two of them chatted for a while until the school bell rang, and they returned to the classroom. when school was over, a familiar car appeared at the school gate. joy filled xia wan¡¯s eyes. someone got out of the car, and it was chen mo. seeing xia wan, chen mo waved and smiled. at the same time, many students¡¯ eyes turned in their direction. xia wan got into the car, while xia chen rode a bicycle home with liu hua. after settling in the car, xia wan said somewhat helplessly, ¡°every time you show up, it attracts attention at school. i¡¯m sure there will be a lot of people gossiping about me when i go to school tomorrow.¡± chen mo affectionately ruffled her hair, ¡°well, others can only envy that you have a good boyfriend.¡± xia wan smiled and tacitly accepted chen mot s words. ¡°let¡¯s go, i¡¯ll take you out for hotpot,¡± chen mo said, starting the car. on the way, chen mo asked, ¡®why didn¡¯t you tell me when you encountered trouble? i only found out because xu told me.¡± xia wan understood that chen mo had heard about xia ru opening a shop and her conflicting situation. xia wan replied, ¡°it wasn¡¯t a big deal to begin with. i was planning to ask brother xu for help after school.¡¯ ¡°now that you¡¯re here, i don¡¯t need to find him anymore.¡± chen mo smiled satisfactorily. he liked the fact that when xia wan encountered difficulties, she relied on him. he knew that xia wan was an independent and strong-willed girl who never wanted to trouble others for things she could handle on her own. now that she was in trouble, her first thought was to turn to him. that meant he held a special place in her heart, and their relationship was very close. xia wan didn¡¯t mind inconveniencing him, and this conclusion made chen mo very happy. xia wan shared her plan with him, hoping that chen mo could help her find a high-quality factory that wouldn¡¯t overcharge. since xia wan was studying here, chen mo had already conducted investigations on various local factories and had invested in some of them, hoping that they would be able to help her in the future. now xia wan¡¯s idea aligned perfectly with his preparations. chen mo smiled, ¡°after we finish eating hotpot, i¡¯ll take you to visit the factory.¡± xia wan was a bit surprised, ¡°after we finish eating hotpot, won¡¯t the factory workers have gone home?¡± chen mo smiled, ¡°the workers at the factory may have gone home, but we can go to the factory manager¡¯s house directly.¡± xia wan said, ¡°isn¡¯t that a bit inappropriate? the factory manager has probably already rested. visiting at this time might be troublesome.¡± chen mo replied, ¡°no, because i¡¯ve invested in this factory. if they want to secure my investment in the next round, they won¡¯t refuse my visit.¡± at this point, xia wan didn¡¯t know what to say. she could only marvel at the power of wealth. the hotpot restaurant chen mo chose was just two streets away from the school, and it was the perfect time for a meal, so the restaurant was quite crowded. chen mo led xia wan directly to the reserved private room. chen mo asked, ¡°i heard you went to kyoto. are you planning to open a clothing store there?¡± ¡°i have several shops in kyoto. if you ever want to open a store, you can use mine.¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°you¡¯re being too considerate. if i get used to being pampered like this every day, i might lose my motivation..¡± Chapter 417 - Chapter 417: The Thoughtful Chen MO chapter 417: the thoughtful chen mo translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation chen mo also said, ¡°a man¡¯s hard work is ultimately for the happiness and well-being of his wife and children. ¡°and my wanyan has excellent medical skills and knowledge. she can do many things. i don¡¯t want you to toil for money. providing for the family should be a man¡¯s responsibility. ¡°as long as you¡¯re by my side, i feel at ease, and i¡¯m motivated to do anything. i¡¯d rather have you at home doing things you love, like reading and painting, than facing competition in the marketplace alone.¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t help but imagine along with what chen mo said. if she hadn¡¯t experienced betrayal and harm in her previous life, maybe she could truly be a happy couple with chen mo in this life. but she knew that there hadn¡¯t been much disturbance yet because she hadn¡¯t entered the capital city. her current parents weren¡¯t her real parents. her face resembled her birth mother to some extent, and sooner or later, she would be recognized once she entered the capital. those who coveted her identity would naturally want to kill her to take her place. and even if uncle chen was willing to accept her as chen mo¡¯s wife, there would still be many people who would question her and feel that she didn¡¯t deserve to stand by chen mo¡¯s side. she imew that these external voices wouldn¡¯t affect chen mo and wouldn¡¯t diminish their feelings. but she wanted to become someone who deserved to stand by chen mo¡¯s side through her own efforts. the current calm life was just the calm before the storm. xia wan smiled slightly, ¡°when you¡¯re young, you should strive. the kind of life you mentioned is more suitable for retirement.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry; i¡¯ll rest when i¡¯m tired and rely on you when i need to. ¡°i just want to be someone who can progress alongside you.¡± the two exchanged smiles, and at that moment, chen mo understood xia wan¡¯s meaning. chen mo smiled, ¡°alright, i support you in pursuing what you want, but promise me that when you face difficulties, i¡¯ll be the first one you think of.¡± naturally, xia wan replied, ¡°of course, when i encounter difficulties, you must do your best to help me.¡± xia wan enjoyed the hotpot, and after a leisurely stroll, chen mo drove her to the home of the factory manager. when they arrived at the factory manager¡¯s house, his wife had just finished cooking. the factory manager¡¯s wife was a warm and attractive lady. when she saw the two of them, she smiled and invited them to have a meal together. the factory manager treated chen mo with special warmth. chen mo said, ¡°we¡¯ve already eaten, so you go ahead and eat. we can discuss matters later.¡± the factory manager didn¡¯t want to keep chen mo waiting for long, so after quickly finishing the meal, he led them to the study. xia wan placed several clothing design sketches she had prepared on the table. ¡°manager song, these are some outerwear and sweaters i¡¯ve designed. i know the quality of your factory¡¯s production is excellent. if you can produce these, i¡¯d like to entrust it to you completely.¡± manager song took the design sketches and examined them closely. he couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°these designs for trench coats and sweaters are very innovative. don¡¯t be fooled by my role as a factory manager; i travel to other places every year, and the most fashionable clothing can¡¯t compare to what you¡¯ve designed.¡± ¡°however, once a design like this is released, others will imitate it. if you can establish your own brand, that would be the best.¡± xia wan nodded in agreement with manager song¡¯s philosophy. she pointed to the sleeve and said, ¡°manager song, look here. after the clothing is produced, i want to add an embroidered character here.¡± manager song¡¯s eyes lit up, and he looked at xia wan with even more admiration. ¡°miss xia wan, you are truly clever. adding your own label here will distinguish genuine from fake instantly.¡± ¡°but to make this embroidery even better, it¡¯s best to hire skilled artisans for the job. i recommend finding highly skilled individuals.¡± ¡°this way, the embroidery will not only look better but also make it difficult for others to imitate or surpass it..¡± Chapter 418 - Chapter 418: Unique Design chapter 418: unique design translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan nodded and said, ¡°i think the same way. however, i don¡¯t know whose embroidery skills are good. if director song knows suitable people, he can recommend them to me. ¡°in addition to these clothes, i usually design other clothing as well. the embroiderers you help me find will definitely have a role to play.¡± director song readily agreed. ¡°in our county, we may lack many things, but we have a certain heritage in embroidery. there are still many skilled embroiderers here. ¡°moreover, most of them are now staying at home after having children, doing daily household chores. if we can give them some work like this, they won¡¯t need to stay in the factory all day, they¡¯ll have more free time, and their income will also increase. they will definitely be willing.¡± xia wan smiled, ¡°this kind of collaboration is naturally the best. for embroiderers, they just need to produce within the specified time frame, no need to restrict them to the factory.¡± both parties discussed it well, and xia wan decided to design several clothing items by the end of the weekend. during this time, director song would contact the embroiderers and train a group of workers specifically for processing these garments. the discussions went well, including the terms of the partnership, and they eventually signed a contract. rm,vo hours had passed by the time they left director song¡¯s house. chen mo accompanied xia wan home and said, ¡°if you need money, you can tell me. partnering with director song will require an initial investment in labor and materials.¡± xia wan smiled, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i still have a lot of income right now.¡± seeing that she didn¡¯t seem to be lying, chen mo left in peace. when xia wan returned home, she found that the atmosphere was different from before. yan han and xia hai both looked worried. although xia chen was by their side, he couldn¡¯t find comforting words to say. the atmosphere was only broken when xia wan returned home. yan han asked with concern, ¡°did chen mo take you out for a meal? why did you spend so much time eating today? i almost went out to look for you.¡± xia wan smiled slightly, ¡°it¡¯s not just about eating. i went with chen mo to see director song and discuss our future collaboration in making clothes.¡± as she spoke, yan han¡¯s eyes immediately brightened. she looked at xia wan with anticipation and asked, ¡°wanwan, is what you said about making your own clothes true?¡± xia wan nodded, ¡°of course, why would you think i was saying those things just to comfort you and dad?¡± yan han felt a bit embarrassed because that was indeed her initial thought. today, after hearing xia chen¡¯s description of the situation with the legal documents, yan han felt that dealing with the legal document was going to be difficult. without money, their family was at a disadvantage, and if they continued to fight with the legal document, they were likely to lose in the end. yan han had already thought about what to do if the clothing store went out of business. with such a large storefront, they would have to figure out what to sell. admitting defeat to xia ru, however, was not realistic. yan han knew xia ruts personality well, and she held grudges. since xia ru failed to take xia wan¡¯s marriage away from her earlier, she probably resented xia wan even more now. yan han couldn¡¯t eat much because she was worried, and she felt helpless, unable to come up with any ideas. xia hai was also prepared to contact factories and work in a factory again. unexpectedly, when xia wan came back, she brought such good news to everyone. it turned out that xia wan really had a way to resolve this crisis. xia wan reassured them, ¡°in the future, our store will definitely sell fewer clothes than before, but with the price reductions, we should attract more buyers. ¡°mom and dad, don¡¯t hesitate to lower the prices. as long as xia ru¡¯s side lowers theirs too. ¡°director song can start production officially next monday. we won¡¯t be able to sell these clothes within a week, so you¡¯ll still be busy. ¡°and mom, i asked chen mo to help order some books on clothing. he¡¯ll have them sent over, and you can study this subject when you have free time. ¡°also, after the new clothes are put into production, mom, you can go to the factory to be a supervisor. on one hand, you can learn about the clothing production process, and on the other hand, you can see if you¡¯re interested in embroidery..¡± Chapter 419 - Chapter 419: Don ‘t Worry, Yan Han chapter 419: don ¡®t worry, yan han translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation upon hearing xia wan¡¯s arrangements, yan han felt a profound sense of fulfillment. his once-empty heart now had a place to call home. seeing the relief on his parents¡¯ faces, xia chen also breathed a sigh of relief. over the next few days, xia ru wore an air of pride. their clothing store saw a steady stream of customers, and the sales of their clothes were exceptionally strong. xia wan¡¯s shop was eventually forced to lower its prices to compete. it was a typical friday when xia wan decided to help out at the shop after her classes. xia ru had been eager to tease xia wan, so when she spotted her cousin¡¯s figure, she strutted into xia wan¡¯s shop, high heels clicking on the floor. first, xia ru assessed the store¡¯s decor and clothing selection. after glancing at the price tags, xia ru¡¯s smile broadened. with a sly grin, she remarked to xia wan, ¡°i¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve dropped your prices several times this week. take this t-shirt, for instance. it used to be priced at 28 yuan, but now it¡¯s only 20 yuan. ¡®you¡¯ve slashed the cost by 8 yuan on each item. your purchase price must be around this mark, right? ¡°i¡¯ve also heard that you used to give customers various gifts like gloves, umbrellas, and sun-proof clothing. ¡°but it appears that the giveaways have dwindled in recent days. is it because you¡¯re starting to run into financial trouble? ¡°hasn¡¯t your boss given you an earful for not managing the business well? ¡°could you please share your boss¡¯s contact number with me? i¡¯d really like to give your boss an update on the shop¡¯s current state.¡± xia ru genuinely wanted to reach out to xia wan¡¯s boss. she hoped to fan the flames in front of the boss, making it seem like xia wan¡¯s family was running the shop poorly, resulting in its current financial difficulties. this would hopefully lead to xia wan and her family getting fired. if she succeeded, her goal would be achieved. their shop wouldn¡¯t have to sell clothes at such rock-bottom prices. selling at a discount for a short period was meant to cripple xia wan¡¯s clothing store. selling at such low prices for an extended period would lead to significant losses. rent, utility bills, and employee salaries were all substantial expenses. xia wan looked at her coldly. ¡°you needn¡¯t concern yourself with our shop. it¡¯s impossible for you to reach our boss. ¡°truth be told, our boss is currently overseas, managing a multitude of businesses. this shop is just one of her many ventures. even if it incurs losses or closes down, our boss wouldn¡¯t be bothered in the slightest. ¡°our boss entrusted us with this shop because she knows we won¡¯t manipulate the accounts or deceive her. even if the shop closes, she¡¯ll continue to employ us. ¡°but you, on the other hand, are different. you¡¯re merely the secretary¡¯s girlfriend. by trying to harm our family, you¡¯ve forced the secretary¡¯s shop to sell clothes at a price far below market value. if the secretary grows weary of you or feels you¡¯ve caused significant financial losses, do you think he¡¯ll seek compensation for this period of losses?¡± xia ru had intended to provoke xia wan but found herself concerned instead. her ability to use the documents to secure low prices was contingent on the secretary¡¯s favor. if the secretary truly grew tired of her, or if he believed she had incurred substantial losses by opposing xia wan, he might gradually distance himself from her. however, the price war had been ongoing for a week already, and xia ru believed that xia wan and the others couldn¡¯t hold out much longer. she couldn¡¯t afford to give up at this crucial juncture. though she harbored these thoughts internally, xia ru refused to concede on the surface. she took a seat at the counter and said bluntly, ¡°you don¡¯t need to argue about the secretary¡¯s affection for me. we genuinely love each other. furthermore, the money in question is mere pocket change for the secretary. ¡°but i hate seeing you all continue to endure these losses.. how about this? xia wan, why don¡¯t you take the initiative to withdraw, allowing the boss behind you to find someone else to take over the shop?¡± Chapter 420 - Chapter 420: Xia Wan Has An Idea chapter 420: xia wan has an idea translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan sneered, realizing that xia ru truly lacked intelligence. despite having found a wealthy older man whose money could be used for various investments, she chose to use it to undercut them, even if it meant sacrificing her own interests. such behavior from xia ru was incredibly narrow-minded. xia wan rolled her eyes and retorted, ¡°this is impossible. if you¡¯re willing to engage in a price war, we¡¯ll accompany you to the end.¡± failing to negotiate with xia wan, xia ru left in a huff. later that afternoon, xia wan received a call from director song, informing her that everything on their end was prepared. the design sketches she had provided had been put into production by the factory workers. xia wan smiled knowingly and made a decision. the next day, she placed a sign outside the shop that read, ¡°weekend event: entire store 50% off.¡± passersby who saw the 50% discount immediately flocked to the shop. recognizing that the event would be bustling, xia wan and her family decided to stay in the store. their two hired service staff members assisted in selling clothes, and liu hua and zhou en also rushed over to help. by nine-thirty in the morning, their clothing store was already full of customers. initially, xia ru was oblivious to this as she had gone out for a weekend outing with the secretary. it wasn¡¯t until their store¡¯s employees noticed the unusually low number of customers that they learned about the 50% discount promotion at xia wan¡¯s family store. the employees quickly called the secretary to inquire about how to handle the situation. at that moment, xia ru was happily enjoying ice cream, wearing a sun hat, and snuggling in the secretary¡¯s arms. the phone call completely disrupted her plans, and she nearly dropped her ice cream. the secretary¡¯s expression also turned grim. rather than immediately displaying a 50% off sign, he instructed the employees to wait for further instructions within the store. after hanging up the phone, the secretary looked at xia ru with a serious expression. ¡°you previously mentioned being mistreated by your cousin and wanting me to support you by lowering our prices. i followed your instructions. ¡°but now, explain to me why their store can offer a 50% discount? ¡°currently, i¡¯m making a profit of only 2 to 5 yuan on each item i sell. to make a profit of a few dozen yuan, i need to sell at least 10 items. ¡°every day, i have to cover high electricity and water bills, as well as employee expenses. if we go for a 50% discount now, i¡¯ll be directly incurring losses. ¡°i¡¯m willing to support you, but not to squander my money. with this amount of money, we could do so many other things. why should we cheapen our products just to compete with xia wan¡¯s family, at the expense of our customers?¡± xia ru remained in a daze, shaking her head, and said, ¡°this can¡¯t be possible. how could xia wan¡¯s boss behind the scenes allow her to offer a 50% discount? doesn¡¯t her boss want to make money?¡± the secretary¡¯s deep-set eyes responded, ¡°are you sure this store isn¡¯t actually owned by xia wan herself? every time i see her, she exudes such confidence and even persuades her boss to offer a 50% discount on clothing.¡± xia ru immediately refuted, ¡°that¡¯s impossible. xia wan¡¯s boyfriend isn¡¯t from this area, and he appears to be extremely wealthy. why would he get involved in selling clothes like this? he wouldn¡¯t even consider such a small business.¡± the secretary now had a headache. he believed that following xia ru¡¯s initial suggestion was a mistake. even if this store didn¡¯t belong to xia wan. if her boyfriend was as wealthy as she claimed, he would probably secretly provide her with money to oppose them.. Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: The Secretary Knows the Truth chapter 421: the secretary knows the truth translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia ru had no idea what was going through the secretary¡¯s mind at the moment. she pleaded, ¡°now that xia wan ¡®s family is offering a 50% discount, can¡¯t we quickly sell our clothes at half price too? otherwise, customers will all go to xia wan¡¯s place, and what will happen to our clothes?¡± the secretary sneered, ¡°i won¡¯t sell my clothes at 50% off. if xia wan¡¯s family is going for a 50% discount this weekend, i can just close my store for two days.¡± ¡°if she¡¯s willing to sell clothes, let her do it to her heart¡¯s content. after all, it¡¯s her who will incur losses. i won¡¯t engage in such unprofitable business.¡± after saying this, he didn¡¯t give xia ru a chance to continue making requests. instead, he called the store¡¯s employees and instructed them to close the store for two days and resume normal operations on monday. he had made up his mind that xia wan¡¯s so-called 50% discount wouldn¡¯t last more than two days. after this whole ordeal, both xia ru and the secretary lost their enthusiasm for leisure activities, and they went straight back home. at this point, the secretary also realized something¡ªhe had underestimated xia wan¡¯s family¡¯s abilities. leaving xia ru at home, the secretary took his car to gather information about xia wan¡¯s family. not many people in the county knew much about xia wan¡¯s family. to get more accurate information, the secretary drove to the village where li jin and the others lived. upon arriving in the village, he had just parked his car and was preparing to ask someone for directions when he coincidentally ran into chen shu, who had previously received a free meal from him. chen shu was very welcoming upon seeing him. ¡°secretary, why are you here? are you looking for xia ru¡¯s family? come on, i¡¯ll take you there.¡± noticing that the secretary wasn¡¯t carrying any gifts, chen shu couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°this is your first visit to the girl¡¯s family. it¡¯s better to bring some things as a token of goodwill. let me take you to the village store to buy some cigarettes, alcohol, and fruits.¡± the secretary quickly stopped him. since chen shu had approached him voluntarily, he decided to ask chen shu directly. the secretary said, ¡°i didn¡¯t come to visit xia rut s family this time. i want to understand why the relationship between xia ru and xia wan has escalated to this point of conflict. do they have any conflicts between them?¡± chen shu was highly intelligent and immediately understood the situation. he realized that the secretary had come to secretly investigate xia ru¡¯s family. chen shu felt that he had received quite a bit of cigarettes and alcohol the last time, so he shouldn¡¯t reveal everything about xia ru¡¯s family. after all, xia ru¡¯s reputation in the village was quite poor. if the secretary found out the truth, he might even break up with xia ru. so, chen shu said, ¡°this child xia ru has always been a top student. she used to have better grades than xia wan, but during the high school entrance exams, xia wan performed exceptionally well and got into high school, while xia ru didn¡¯t. after that, they had some disagreements.¡± ¡°this child xia wan learned some medical skills from her grandfather. when xia ru fell ill once, the treatment xia wan suggested was quite challenging, and xia ru thought that xia wan was intentionally torturing her. so, the conflict between them escalated.¡± ¡°later, xia ru¡¯s family got an opportunity to sell clothes for a wealthy boss, but xia ru made a mistake at work and had to resign from her original job.¡± ¡°you know, xia ru has always been proud, so she couldn¡¯t accept such a fall in her status. gradually, their relationship became even more strained.¡± ¡°later, when they divided their family assets, they completely cut off contact with each other.¡± ¡°that¡¯s the general course of events.¡± the secretary, however, didn¡¯t fully buy his explanation. he felt that chen shu¡¯s eyes were evasive while he was speaking, indicating that he was hiding something. nevertheless, he decided to leave it for now. once chen shu¡¯s figure disappeared, the secretary randomly found two women chatting by the village entrance and asked them about xia ru¡¯s situation. upon hearing that he was inquiring about xia ru, the women looked him up and down.. Chapter 422 - Chapter 422: Xia Ru Garners a Bad Reputation chapter 422: xia ru garners a bad reputation translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡®who are you, and why are you inquiring about xia ru?¡± wen shu was caught off guard. at his age, if he directly claimed to be xia ru¡¯s boyfriend, these people would surely look down on him. so, he had to fabricate a lie: ¡°xia ru currently works at a factory under my management. she had a conflict with a female employee there, and i want to understand xia ruts usual behavior to decide whether or not to terminate her employment.¡± wen shu appeared to be well-off, and this explanation immediately convinced the two women. they began to share stories about xia ru¡¯s romantic escapades in the village. for instance, they mentioned a strange illness she had contracted with liu shi, which was only resolved by xia wan washing her body with feces. hearing this, wen shu¡¯s expression soured, but the women were oblivious to his change in demeanor as they continued. they went on to discuss a wealthy newcomer in the capital who wanted to cancel his engagement with xia ru. however, xia ru was determined to marry him and even spent the night with the wealthy young man from the capital in the county town. wen shu¡¯s expression worsened. while he had never considered marrying xia ru due to her social status, hearing about a woman who had been soaked in feces and willingly offered herself to other men made him view xia ru as lowly and lacking self-respect. he even contemplated taking xia ru to the hospital for a checkup to see if she had undergone abortions for other men. suppressing his anger, wen shu asked, ¡°what about xia wan?¡± when they mentioned xia wan, the women had many praises for her. they talked about how xia wan had made the family wealthy by selling clothes and how they could now afford to live in the county town. they also mentioned xia wan¡¯s very rich boyfriend and how she had helped several village girls find good jobs, with those girls now sending money home every month. the envy of the villagers was palpable. wen shu also asked why xia hai and yan han had separated from li jin. upon learning that li jin had refused to pay xia hail s medical bills, wen shuts disgust towards li jin reached its peak. he had always seen li jin as someone greedy and money-hungry, but he had not imagined that she could be so selfish as to refuse to pay for her own son¡¯s medical expenses. if he were to be with xia ru, he could already imagine how much money li jin would try to extract from him, especially if she became his grandmother. when li jin was mentioned, the women warned him in hushed tones, ¡°if you¡¯re planning to terminate xia ru¡¯s employment, it¡¯s best not to let li jin see you. she¡¯s a troublemaker, and if she finds out where your factory is, she¡¯ll bring her family to block your factory gate, talking about how her granddaughter has been wronged, making it impossible for your factory to operate.¡± wen shu¡¯s heart sank. he had thought xia ru looked obedient and knew how to please him, but now he was having second thoughts. comparing her to the female employees in the clothing store, even if they weren¡¯t as clever as xia ru, they at least behaved properly, were obedient, and weren¡¯t as troublesome as her family. seeing her disheveled appearance and lack of concern for her image, wen shu couldn¡¯t help but question his own judgment. why had he chosen such a woman as his girlfriend? hearing the commotion, xia ru turned towards the door and saw that wen shu had returned. she hurriedly placed her snacks on the table and casually tidied her hair. she approached him with a smile on her face. ¡°wen shu, you¡¯re back! i thought you¡¯d be out for a while longer.¡± previously, wen shu had often been out late negotiating business deals with people from the county town, so she hadn¡¯t expected him back so soon. she hadn¡¯t bothered to manage her appearance accordingly.. Chapter 423 - Chapter 423: Wen Shu’s Choice chapter 423: wen shu¡¯s choice translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation wen shu coldly eyed her. xia ru felt uneasy. today, wen shuts gaze was particularly indifferent, which was something she hadn¡¯t seen before. she stepped forward, hooked her arm around wen shuts neck, and coquettishly asked, ¡°wen shu, what¡¯s wrong with you? did something unhappy happen today?¡± wen shu replied coldly, ¡°indeed, this unhappy matter has to do with you.¡± xia ru was taken aback and instinctively asked, ¡°what happened?¡± wen shu stared at her and said, ¡°i went to your grandmother¡¯s house.¡± xia ru exclaimed, ¡°you¡­ why did you go to my grandmother¡¯s house alone? you should have taken me with you. my father is not at home right now.¡± wen shu continued to fixate on her, making xia ru struggle to continue her words. he had no intention of beating around the bush and said straightforwardly, ¡°i already understand the situation in your family.¡± ¡°previously, when you told me that your cousin was bullying you, i believed you. but based on what i¡¯ve learned, it¡¯s you who¡¯s been causing trouble for xia wan. you wanted to compete with xia wan, but you¡¯ve never been her match.¡± ¡°now that we¡¯re together, you¡¯re only using me as a tool to compare and suppress xia wan.¡± ¡°xia ru, i consider you my girlfriend, but you¡¯re taking advantage of me.¡± ¡°do you know how much money i¡¯ve earned less in these days?¡± xia ru was becoming flustered. she didn¡¯t know what wen shu had found out, especially considering her bad reputation in the village. she particularly resented xia chen now. if it weren¡¯t for xia chen coming to their store last time and bringing li jin and the others, wen shu wouldn¡¯t have known which village she was from. but in front of wen shu, she couldn¡¯t mention any of this. her eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she looked at wen shu with a pitiful expression. ¡°what did you find out from our village?¡± wen shu countered, ¡°what do you think i could find out? the things you¡¯ve done are widely known in your village.¡± ¡°when i first met you, you were working in a restaurant.¡± ¡°because i used to eat there every day, you noticed that my clothes were expensive, so you set your sights on me, right?¡± ¡°initially, i thought you were innocent because of your young age, and i didn¡¯t mind when you made mistakes occasionally. you were competing with your cousin, trying to prove that you were better, and i indulged you.¡± ¡°but now, i see that despite your youth, you¡¯re just as cunning as those who¡¯ve been around society for a long time. you chose me because you saw my money, didn¡¯t you?¡± xia ru rolled her eyes internally, finding wen shut s words a bit too insincere. but while she cursed wen shu in her mind, she dared not say a word in front of him. instead, she put on an expression of affection. ¡°yes, i did notice that you were a wealthy individual back then, but i¡¯ve been used to a tough life since childhood. i didn¡¯t want my future children to suffer, so i only wanted a better life. is that wrong?¡± ¡°moreover, the restaurant where i worked had many wealthy patrons who came in every day, but i didn¡¯t like any of them. i only liked you. among those wealthy individuals, some were young men, but i never intended to be with any of them.¡± ¡°the reason i chose you is that i felt you had a successful career, which gave me a sense of security. besides, i believed you were knowledgeable, and being with you would allow me to learn about things i didn¡¯t know before. you could broaden my horizons, and you never looked down on me for being poor.¡± as they say, a half-truth can be more convincing. wen shu listened to her words. at that time, the restaurant where xia ru worked was one of the better ones in the vicinity, offering relatively high wages to the servers, most of whom were attractive. the reason he had initially taken an interest in xia ru was twofold. firstly, he thought she was well-behaved. while the other female servers ignored his advances, xia ru always greeted him with a smile. secondly, despite her average appearance, she had a good figure with ample bosom and ample hips. according to the beliefs of his hometown, a woman with such a figure was more likely to give birth to sons.. Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: Xia Ru Gives Up on Li Jin chapter 424: xia ru gives up on li jin translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°wen shu had previously inquired and discovered that xia ru was not a local resident. this meant that xia ru was even more vulnerable. if his relationship with xia ru was discovered by his wife, he could simply claim that xia ru had seduced him, and xia ru wouldn¡¯t have any support from her family. he had thought that xia ru¡¯s family would be poor and lacking in education, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated that li jin would be so morally bankrupt. this was no longer just about poverty; it was about being completely unscrupulous. wen shut s expression softened slightly under xia ruts coaxing. without hiding anything, he asked directly, ¡°i¡¯ve heard from the villagers about your relationship with liu shi. were you ever his girlfriend?¡± xia ru quickly shook her head and denied, ¡°he was never my boyfriend. liu shi is just a thug and troublemaker in our village. he often robs the children in our village with his gang.¡± ¡°i started working to earn money for my family a long time ago. how could i have a good relationship with him, let alone consider him as a boyfriend?¡± wen shu asked, ¡°then why do people in your village say that you had a relationship with him? moreover, both of you got the same strange illness. if you didn¡¯t have close contact, how did you both contract the same disease?¡± for instance, some diseases nowadays are only transmitted through close contact between men and women. xia ru swore, ¡°i absolutely never had any relationship with liu shi. i admit that i was jealous of xia wan back then. after all, in middle school, she always scored lower than me in every exam. but when it came to the high school entrance exam, she got in, and i didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°i felt unjust, so i wanted liu shi to help me teach xia wan a lesson.¡± ¡°but as you know, the result was different. xia wan was innocent, and instead, liu shi and i contracted a strange illness. we never had any relationship between us. how could i have the same illness as him unless xia wan tampered with something behind the scenes?¡± ¡°i underestimated xia wan in the past. she was always introverted until she started high school. i didn¡¯t expect her to be so sinister.¡± ¡°she must have heard about me trying to seek revenge with liu shi, so she poisoned us.¡± since wen shu had already learned about his relationship with liu shi from the villagers, he was probably aware of how they had been cured as well. so, xia ru didn¡¯t hide the fact that they had been soaked in feces. ¡°have you ever heard of using feces to cure illnesses? i had never heard of it before either, but xia wan used this method to cure us.¡± ¡°it¡¯s obvious that she was deliberately retaliating against us!¡± wen shu hesitated for a moment. he had never heard of using feces as a cure, and combined with xia rut s pitiable appearance, he believed her suspicion. he then asked, ¡°what about lu lin, the man from the capital? many people saw you leaving his hotel, where you stayed overnight. can you honestly say that nothing happened between you two?¡± xia ru was seething with anger internally. she lowered her head slightly and quickly thought about how to defend herself. after a moment, she looked up, her eyes misty with tears, and said, ¡°between lu lin and me, he forced me.¡± ¡°that day, i did go to his hotel, but it wasn¡¯t to marry him.¡± ¡°when he came to our village, he was almost going to demolish my house. at the time, he made it clear that he despised our family and was here to annul the engagement.¡± ¡°although i was born in a rural area and lacked exposure, i knew that people like lu lin were out of our league. even if i slept with lu lin for one night, he still wouldn¡¯t marry me.¡± ¡°so when i went to see him that day, it was just to tell him that i wanted to annul the engagement.¡± ¡°i can swear to the heavens that i absolutely didn¡¯t deceive you.¡± at that time, she had initially told lu lin about the annulment, but she had used it as an opportunity to make him think she wasn¡¯t interested in wealth, hoping to make him like her. unfortunately, she hadn¡¯t expected lu lin to be so disappointing. he had returned to his family with just one phone call from his father, leaving her without the chance to seduce him further.. Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: Questioning Xia Ru chapter 425: questioning xia ru translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°wen shu noticed that she was speaking very earnestly, which somewhat alleviated his suspicions about xia ru. ¡°since you¡¯ve explained all of these things, everyone has their own past, and i¡¯m not such a petty person to hold your past against you. ¡°but i can¡¯t stand your grandmother. if you want to continue being with me, you¡¯ll have to choose between me and your grandmother.¡± xia ru almost hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°of course, i choose to be with you. my grandmother only loves her grandson, xia yu, in her heart. in her eyes, we granddaughters are just tools for her to accumulate dowry. she doesn¡¯t truly care about us. ¡°when i saw her taking advantage of you that day, asking for clothes from your shop and ordering so much food, my heart ached for you. ¡°but i also don¡¯t want my family to look down on you. wen shu, you understand how much i genuinely care for you, right?¡± seeing xia ruts attitude of looking up to him and trusting him completely, wen shu felt satisfied. his wife was like a tiger mother, often getting angry at him. in front of his wife, he felt disrespected. however, all of these feelings were being fulfilled while he spent time with xia ru. that night, wen shu stayed up all night, finally making a decision. first, he had to help xia ru separate from her family. during the entire weekend, xia wan¡¯s shop offered a 50% discount, and by sunday evening, the family gathered to calculate the income from these two days. after xia wan finished calculating, everyone looked at her expectantly. yan han asked, ¡°how much did we earn?¡± xia wan replied, ¡°these two days, we didn¡¯t earn any money. in fact, we lost nearly 800 yuan.¡± ¡°what? we lost so much money? how many clothes do we need to sell to make up for it?¡± yan han couldn¡¯t help but lament. xia chen comforted her, ¡°mom, we were already selling at a 50% discount, so naturally, we would lose money on each piece of clothing. however, we sold a lot of clothes, some at a bigger loss, some at a smaller loss, and even some that made a profit. so, even though we lost 800 yuan in two days, i think it¡¯s acceptable. ¡°based on my estimate, even if we lost 1,500 yuan in these two days, it¡¯s still manageable. ¡± yan han couldn¡¯t find any joy in this. she looked at xia chen and said with a wry smile, ¡°you¡¯re afraid that i haven¡¯t been hit hard enough, so you¡¯re here to criticize me. if we really lose 1,500 yuan, i won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight.¡± xia wan also comforted her, saying, ¡°it¡¯s okay, mom. although we lost some money these two days, once monday comes, we¡¯ll return to our regular prices. many customers visited during the weekend, and we can expect more on monday. ¡°my clothes are already in production at the factory, and the owner told me that the first batch of goods can be delivered within five days. ¡°so, this week, all we need to do is check how many clothes we have left and sell them all in this week. ¡°by next week, we¡¯ll be selling only autumn clothes.¡± yan han was a bit puzzled, ¡°the weather is still very hot now. will anyone buy autumn clothes? ¡± xia wan explained, ¡°i¡¯ve already checked the weather forecast. there will be three days of rain in the coming week. once it rains, the weather will immediately turn cooler. ¡°plus, this week, we¡¯ll buy a batch of umbrellas and put them in the store. if anyone wants to buy them, we can sell umbrellas as well. ¡°people usually buy summer clothes when the summer starts, so they won¡¯t buy them now that summer is almost over. that¡¯s why selling autumn clothes will last longer..¡± Chapter 426 - Chapter 426: The Sale Goes On, Even at a Loss chapter 426: the sale goes on, even at a loss translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation yan han understood xia wan¡¯s point and began to comprehend it. xia chen, however, raised a different opinion. ¡°if we start selling autumn clothing so early, won¡¯t other stores notice and follow suit?¡± he asked. ¡°didn¡¯t director song express concerns about this before, especially the shop across the street? they¡¯ve been keeping an eye on our store.¡± xia wan smiled and responded, ¡°selling autumn clothes now is actually targeting xia ru¡¯s store. think about it, we are organizing various activities this week to clear our summer stock. once we sell out our summer clothing, we can directly promote our autumn collection. ¡°but as for wen shu¡¯s store, they won¡¯t do the same. remember, during these two days when we offered discounts, wen shu chose to close his store, not compete with us. his goal is to minimize his losses. ¡°so, as long as we make our promotions big enough this week, wen shu won¡¯t follow suit. when we stop offering discounts, he will continue selling. ¡°but we¡¯ll have created a time gap. after a week when our clothes are sold out, they will still have a lot of stock. ¡°right now, the entire county doesn¡¯t have a wholesale source for autumn clothing. even if they want to sell autumn clothing like us, they will need to go to other cities. ¡°and based on my estimation of wen shut s store, their source is likely in city h, which would take three to four days round trip. moreover, he can¡¯t bring back a large quantity by himself unless he makes a special trip. if he drives, it will take him a week for the entire journey. ¡°most importantly, the clothes i¡¯ve designed are unique. even if he buys from city h, he won¡¯t have the same styles as ours. ¡°if he wants to copy my designs, first, he¡¯ll need someone to record the styles in our store. then, he¡¯ll have to find a local workshop for processing. ¡°all of this would delay him by at least two weeks.¡± xia chen listened attentively and said excitedly, ¡°so during those two weeks he¡¯s delayed, we can promote our clothing first, giving him no time to prepare.¡± ¡°exactly.¡± after hearing xia wan¡¯s explanation, yan han felt completely reassured and couldn¡¯t help but smile. following xia wan¡¯s plan, the family members got busy with their respective tasks. xia wan devoted more time to her studies because an important event was approaching in the coming week: their first monthly exam in their senior year. over the next few days, chen mo didn¡¯t come to see her. instead, he sent her a text message explaining that he had urgent matters to attend to and wouldn¡¯t be able to return for about two weeks. he told xia wan to contact xu ye if she encountered any problems and provided her with director song¡¯s contact information, emphasizing director song¡¯s high standing in the local county. if there was a need for cooperation with the factory, xia wan could directly contact director song. xia wan spent her days productively. during school hours, she focused on her studies, and after school, she attended extra classes. every day, she would have a phone call with chen mo, ranging from ten minutes to half an hour, with the longest conversation lasting a whole hour. as for the clothing store, they executed xia wan¡¯s plan to the letter. on monday, many customers still chose to visit their shop. when they realized that the 50% discount had been discontinued, some expressed disappointment. one customer complained, ¡°yesterday, you had a 50% off promotion, but we came one day late, and now there are no discounts at all. we feel like we¡¯ve missed out.¡± ¡°exactly! we were out of town yesterday and heard about your promotion, so we rushed here today. it¡¯s disappointing that there are no discounts now. we¡¯re missing out. ¡± fortunately, xia wan had forewarned yan han about customer complaints, so yan han didn¡¯t get nervous due to these inquiries. she put on an apologetic expression and said, ¡°originally, we thought there would be more customers during the weekend, and we had a lot of stock on hand, so we decided to offer a 50% discount. ¡°we indeed didn¡¯t consider that some customers might not make it in time. ¡°so here¡¯s what we can do. we can¡¯t offer a 50% discount anymore because we actually lost a lot of money this weekend. but today, we can give you an 80% discount. ¡°if you buy three items, we can even throw in a pair of gloves. ¡°now that the weather is gradually getting cooler, it¡¯s important to protect your hands when you go out. they say hands are a woman¡¯s second face, and taking good care of them represents elegance..¡± Chapter 427 - Chapter 427: The Time Gap chapter 427: the time gap translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation hearing that there would be a 20% discount, the complaining customers¡¯ expressions brightened a bit. ¡°it¡¯s still considerate of the boss lady. she¡¯s giving us a 20% discount; we should at least buy two pieces of clothing,¡± one of them remarked. even though 20% off was still more expensive than 50% off, the customers were delighted with the discount, especially since they had negotiated it themselves. with the store offering reduced prices, it would be difficult for them to justify not buying at least two items of clothing. due to yan han¡¯s performance, customers were developing a fondness for this shop. some who had made purchases would return to tell their friends, encouraging them to come and explore the store as well. today, wen shu¡¯s store was open as usual. since there was no 50% discount sign displayed in front of xia wan¡¯s store, wen shu assumed they had reverted to regular prices. at this moment, wen shu felt quite proud of himself. he turned to the store¡¯s employees and said, ¡®you see, even if they offer a 50% discount on weekends, their prices are still higher than ours during regular days. customers won¡¯t go to their shop. ¡°as long as we stick to our prices, their sales won¡¯t be as good as ours.¡± the employees naturally flattered wen shu, offering supportive comments. ¡°it¡¯s all thanks to the boss¡¯s foresight. yesterday, when i went to their store, there were so many people buying clothes. i calculated the prices, and on average, they were losing 5 yuan for every piece they sold. ¡°that means they¡¯ve lost at least 1,000 yuan these past few days!¡± that was a significant amount, equivalent to several months¡¯ worth of wages for them. after hearing this, wen shu immediately chuckled, ¡°what a bunch of fools! they came up with this idea just to sell more clothes than me.¡± seeing that xia ru didn¡¯t accompany him today and that there were no customers in the store at the moment, one of the employees asked, ¡°boss, why didn¡¯t boss lady come with you today?¡± mentioning xia ru made wen shuts expression somewhat complex. ¡°she went to the beauty salon today, so i didn¡¯t ask her to come with me,¡± he replied. the employee nodded and deliberately said with an envious tone, ¡°boss lady is really lucky. boss, you treat her so well. if i were boss lady, i¡¯d stick with you devotedly for the rest of my life.¡± saying this, the employee gazed at wen shu with eyes full of desire, and for the first time, wen shu appraised the employee¡¯s appearance. different from xia ru¡¯s seductive allure, the employee had a petite face with not particularly large eyes, but she had an innocent charm. compared to xia ru, it had a unique appeal. wen shu had been spending most of his time with xia ru these days and was starting to feel somewhat weary of her constant attention. seeing that there were no customers in the store, he took the initiative and said to the employee, ¡°come with me, let¡¯s take a look at the weekend¡¯s accounts.¡± wen shu had set up his office on the second floor, while the employee kept the accounts at the counter on the first floor. she knew that going upstairs to review the accounts wasn¡¯t the real purpose, but she played along. once they reached the second floor, wen shu immediately closed the door. a lecherous smile spread across his face, and he gazed at the employee with lustful eyes. ¡°were you envious of xia ru when you said that?¡± with one hand, he lifted the employee¡¯s chin. the employee was nervous, her face turning red. she couldn¡¯t meet wen shu¡¯s eyes and shyly averted her gaze. however, her bashful demeanor only fueled wen shut s desire. xia ru had always been the one taking the initiative when they were together. initially, wen shu believed her boldness was due to her trust and closeness to him. however, after hearing about xia ru¡¯s past behavior in the village, he realized her previous innocence and shyness were merely an act. now, the employee¡¯s bashfulness appeared to be genuine. wen shu pulled her into his embrace. ¡°1 heard you didn¡¯t get to go to high school because your family was poor, and you haven¡¯t pursued further education since then. i also heard your mother fell seriously ill, and your father is highly educated.¡± ¡°do you really want to be a service worker your whole life?¡± upon hearing this, the employee¡¯s excitement overcame her nervousness. she widened her eyes, looking at wen shu with enthusiasm. ¡°boss, what do you mean?¡± wen shu smiled faintly. ¡°if you can make me happy, i don¡¯t mind sponsoring your high school education. i heard you can continue high school here by paying some money. don¡¯t you want to go to college?¡± the employee was elated. ¡°boss, i want to go to college.¡± ¡°boss, if you can help me attend college, you¡¯ll be my lifelong benefactor. i¡¯ll never forget you.¡± as she spoke, the employee leaned closer into wen shu¡¯s embrace.. Chapter 428 - Chapter 428: The Assistant’s Weak Appearance chapter 428: the assistant¡¯s weak appearance translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation just as xia ru was making a fuss, the long-closed door swung open. stepping out from inside were none other than wen shu and the employee, ke xin. xia ru¡¯s gaze turned unkind as she fixed her eyes on ke xin, who instinctively moved closer to wen shu, seeking refuge. xia ru sneered, ¡°in broad daylight, the two of you are up in the room on the second floor, checking accounts? the ledger is downstairs, so what kind of accounts were you checking? let me have a look.¡± ke xin hung her head, too afraid to face xia ru. the more innocent ke xin appeared, the more xia ru seemed domineering. wen shu found xia ru¡¯s loud behavior embarrassing. he shouted in displeasure, ¡®enough! you¡¯re still the boss lady after all. why are you so harsh on the employee? she works for you, not your slave.¡± ¡°we weren¡¯t doing any accounting; there have been some issues with the accounts these past few days. she came to verify with me. what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± xia ru sneered, ¡°why didn¡¯t you come to me to verify the accounts? since when did you care about the store¡¯s finances?¡± ¡°i can see you two sneaking around here in broad daylight. have some shame!¡± xia ru¡¯s words infuriated wen shu. now, xia ru depended on him for support. what right did she have to question him like this? growing anxious, wen shu¡¯s tone turned harsher. ¡°regardless of ke xin¡¯s actions, at least she doesn¡¯t have opportunistic relatives like yours.¡± xia ru looked hurt as she gazed at wen shu. ¡°so, you¡¯re starting to dislike me because of my family now?¡± ¡°when we first met, you already knew about my background.¡± ¡°you said you wouldn¡¯t despise me.¡± the emotion in xia ruts voice was partly genuine and partly an act. the incident earlier when wen shu and ke xin had a private meeting had angered her, almost causing her to lose her composure. she knew that appearing vulnerable could trigger a man¡¯s protective instincts. if she continued to question wen shu now, it would only provoke his resistance. men had their pride. she could be angry with wen shu, but not in front of so many employees. as her words trailed off, she indeed saw a guilty and remorseful expression on wen shu¡¯s face. ke xin, hiding behind wen shu, watched with curiosity. a woman understands another woman best, and ke xin was well aware that xia ru was acting. however, it was evident that wen shu still had feelings for xia ru. in wen shu¡¯s heart, ke xin couldn¡¯t compete with xia ru. to secure her place in the store and continue building a good relationship with wen shu, ke xin stepped forward voluntarily. with a look of apology, she turned to xia ru. ¡°boss lady, it was my decision to come and speak to the boss. due to my family¡¯s illness, i couldn¡¯t continue my education. ¡°i know the boss has the means, so i wanted him to sponsor my college education. after i graduate from college, i will also repay the boss and continue to serve in the boss¡¯s store. ¡°i was a bit greedy, and i¡¯m sorry, boss lady. i won¡¯t bring up such matters again in the future.¡± xia ru was puzzled, and ke xin¡¯s words didn¡¯t sound like a lie. could she have misunderstood? with the opportunity ke xin provided, wen shu naturally followed up. he said, ¡°that¡¯s exactly what happened. i was afraid you¡¯d get angry, so i didn¡¯t let the boss lady know about sponsoring ke xin. that¡¯s why i brought her to the second floor to discuss. ¡°you are my wife, and you have the final say in our family¡¯s finances. whether or not to support ke xin is entirely up to you.¡± now, xia ru was torn. if she disapproved, ke xin would continue to work in the store. what if something happened next time between wen shu and ke xin? however, supporting ke xin¡¯s education would likely cost them a significant sum. after a quick deliberation, xia ru said, ¡°my other cousin is also in her senior year of high school. ke xin, i remember you dropped out in your senior year, right? in that case, you can directly join the same class as my cousin. ¡°if your progress keeps up, and you manage to get into college, we¡¯ll definitely provide some financial support. ¡°but if your grades aren¡¯t up to par and you don¡¯t make it to college, you can obtain a high school diploma and continue working in our store.¡± ke xin felt displeased in her heart.. Chapter 429 - Chapter 429: Xia Ru Has Her Ways chapter 429: xia ru has her ways translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation her academic performance had always been at an average level. even if she were to return to high school, it would be best for her to start from the second year. it would be ideal if she could hire a teacher for tutoring; that way, her chances of getting into a good university would significantly improve. however, now that wen shu had entrusted the decision to xia ru, she didn¡¯t dare to bring up these conditions. wasn¡¯t xia wan the cousin that xia ru mentioned? the relationship between xia wan and xia ru was extremely strained, and now xia ru had another cousin. she wondered if this cousin had a good relationship with xia ru. if this cousin didn¡¯t have a good relationship with xia ru, it would still be possible for them to be in the same class. she could get closer by speaking ill of xia ru behind her back. but if this cousin had a good relationship with xia ru, then this cousin might become xia ruts informant. xia ru would be able to monitor her academic progress at any time. ke xin smiled awkwardly. ¡°i should think about it first. if i go straight to the third year, i might not be able to keep up.¡± ¡°i think some customers might be coming to the shop again. i¡¯ll go and help.¡± she felt that she needed to reconsider. it would be best if she had the opportunity to interact with xia rut s other cousin. ke xin followed another shop assistant to the first floor to continue selling clothes, while xia ru and wen shu returned to the room on the second floor. xia ru immediately wrapped her arms around wen shu¡¯s neck and acted coquettishly. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i was too impulsive earlier. i thought you were getting interested in ke xin and getting tired of me. that¡¯s why i got so angry.¡± ¡°you have to understand that a girl only gets angry and unreasonable when she cares about a man. if i didn¡¯t care about you, i wouldn¡¯t have lost my temper with you over such a small matter.¡± xia ru was skilled at comforting people, and wen shu was quickly won over by her. an hour later, when they came down again, they seemed to be very close. ke xin lowered her head, her eyes glistening dimly. another shop assistant, lu ping, said, ¡°boss, there aren¡¯t many people in our shop today. i saw that the shop across the street is crowded. are they holding an event without us knowing?¡± xia ru was already holding back her anger. when she heard lu ping¡¯s report, she immediately said, ¡°i¡¯m going to visit my uncle and aunt to find out about their shop.¡± wen shu nodded and casually picked up a bunch of grapes, handing them to xia ru. ¡°if you go empty-handed, it might arouse their suspicion. take this bunch of grapes and say that we just bought them and specially sent them over.¡± ¡°alright.¡¯ xia ru took the grapes and went to xia wan¡¯s shop. xia wan was still in class, while yan han and xia hai were busy with their own tasks. even though it was almost noon, there were still many customers in the shop. after entering the shop, xia ru noticed that there was a small whiteboard on each clothing rack with ¡°20% off on all items¡± written on it. the person in charge of accounting at the counter was zhou en, who recognized xia ru. she immediately stopped xia ru and asked, ¡°what are you doing here?¡± xia ru picked up the grapes in her hand. ¡°the secretary bought a few bunches of grapes. i thought they tasted good, so i sent them over.¡± zhou en looked at her with a half-smile. ¡°our shop is crowded with customers, and you only brought a bunch of grapes. aren¡¯t you being too stingy?¡± ¡°i think your gift is insincere. your main purpose is to find out why there are so many customers in our shop, right?¡± ¡°if you want to know about our shop, just come over openly. why make excuses?¡± ¡°i¡¯m also curious. we¡¯re both from the xia family. why is xia wan so generous, but you¡¯re so stingy?¡± xia ru was furious to be compared to him. feeling inferior to xia wan had always been a thorn in her side. when a customer visited her shop and praised zhou en, saying that she was indeed a graduate of a prestigious university with excellent math skills, it hurt xia rut s self-esteem once more. her own academic qualifications were lacking. she didn¡¯t know that zhou en only occasionally helped out at xia wan¡¯s shop and wasn¡¯t a regular employee. xia ru assumed zhou en worked there full time. disdainfully, she remarked, ¡®what¡¯s there to be proud of? even if you graduated from a famous school, you¡¯re still just running a store.¡± zhou en wasn¡¯t at all bothered by xia ruts words, as she had her own achievements and awards to boost her confidence.. Chapter 430 - Chapter 430: Attacking Xia Ru chapter 430: attacking xia ru translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation she smiled, ¡°i can give lessons to students and earn 30 yuan per hour. can you do that? ¡°there are many ways to make money; i just didn¡¯t choose them. ¡°you and i are different; you didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°helping to watch the store, i¡¯m not looking to make money. it¡¯s just to save face for xia wan. ¡°if this were your family¡¯s store, i wouldn¡¯t help even for 50 yuan an hour.¡± xia ru was infuriated. she gritted her teeth, ¡°zhou en, don¡¯t go too far. you know, i have someone backing me now. if we anger our family¡¯s document, xia wan¡¯s store won¡¯t be able to continue.¡± zhou en, aware of xia wan¡¯s plan, intentionally provoked xia ru. ¡°what are you planning to do against us? is your family also going to lower prices?¡± ¡°but when we had a 50% discount on weekends, you didn¡¯t dare to follow suit. and now you¡¯re flaunting your wealth like this? ¡°xia ru, if you can¡¯t afford it, don¡¯t act tough. if you can¡¯t handle a price war, why did you start it in the first place? why are you backing out now?¡± xia ru couldn¡¯t argue with zhou en, so she left in a huff, not even leaving the grapes with her. zhou en watched her retreating figure and muttered, ¡°stingy.¡± yan han, who had just finished two deals, also had time to walk over and inquire about what had happened with zhou en. zhou en didn¡¯t hide anything and told her everything truthfully. worried that yan han might develop sympathy for xia ru, zhou en reminded, ¡°auntie, xia ru is not a good person. you don¡¯t need to uphold any moral principles with her. if she comes again next time, just drive her away.¡± yan han nodded and didn¡¯t have any objections. back in her shop, xia ru immediately told wen shu about xia wan and them offering an 80% discount. wen shu sneered, ¡°do they not want to make money anymore?¡± xia ru said, ¡°if they offer an 80% discount, let¡¯s do 70%. that way, customers will come back to our store.¡± wen shu wasn¡¯t pleased, ¡°nonsense! do you know how much of a loss i¡¯ll incur by giving a 30% discount? we¡¯ll lose money on every piece of clothing. ¡°the rent for this store and the cost of renovation¡ªall of it costs money. ¡°even if i have cheaper sources for inventory, every time we restock, we need to hire a special truck, which costs 300 yuan for a round trip.¡± xia ru frowned, ¡°wen shu, what do you mean? are you not going to offer a discount? are you just going to admit defeat like this?¡± wen shu remained composed, ¡°don¡¯t worry, their 80% discount won¡¯t last long. if they keep selling like this, they¡¯ll quickly run out of inventory.¡± ¡°i think they¡¯re more likely strapped for cash, which is why they¡¯re constantly offering short-term discounts. their goal is to quickly get cash flow.¡± xia ru, who was initially anxious, felt reassured after hearing wen shu¡¯s words. she regained her smile and clung to wen shu¡¯s arm playfully. ¡°you always think ahead, wen shu. i almost fell for it. ¡°see, xia wan¡¯s store only had a 50% discount on weekends. how could they suddenly lower their prices? it turns out they¡¯re short on cash. ¡°they deserve to lose money! ¡°i don¡¯t care how the store develops from here. i just need to prove that i¡¯m better than xia wan.¡± in the following days, xia ru and wen shu¡¯s store didn¡¯t initiate any other price-cutting activities. xia wan¡¯s store, on the other hand, continued its discounts without interruption. this resulted in xia ruts store selling almost no clothing. some customers, after buying clothes from xia ru¡¯s store, would go to xia wan¡¯s store and find that the clothes were cheaper there. they then returned to xia ruts store to request a refund. however, xia ruts store refused to accept returns, claiming that the clothes had no quality issues. xia wan hadn¡¯t been to her store in the past few days. the first monthly exam for the senior year officially began. each student took the exam at their own desk, but during the test, no textbooks were allowed on the desks. two invigilators were assigned to each exam room to ensure the fairness of the exams. the exams lasted for two consecutive days, and xia wan was feeling excited. this was her first exam since her rebirth, and she finally had the chance to prove herself. coincidentally, the day after the exams were over was a friday. song zhi suggested that everyone in the class go to a new bar in the county town to celebrate. several people joined in with the idea.. Chapter 431 - Chapter 431: Refusing To Go To The Bar chapter 431: refusing to go to the bar translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation when xia wan and xia chen were about to leave, song zhi approached them with a cheerful smile. ¡°xia wan, xia chen, why don¡¯t you come along? the exams are over, and it¡¯s time to relax a bit. you should strike a balance between work and rest.¡± xia wan declined directly, saying, ¡°no, my foundation is weak, and there¡¯s still a lot i need to study. i won¡¯t be going to the bar.¡± song zhi¡¯s interest wasn¡¯t really in xia wan, so when she refused, song zhi turned to xia chen. ¡°how about you, xia chen? i know you¡¯ve always had good grades, and you can answer teachers¡¯ questions during class. are you not afraid of falling behind in your studies?¡± xia chen also refused, saying, ¡°i won¡¯t be going either. i need to go home and help with some work.¡± after being rejected by both, song zhi¡¯s smile faded, and she said with annoyance, ¡°i haven¡¯t bothered you all this time. now, it¡¯s a class activity, and i came over to invite you voluntarily. yet, you heartlessly refuse. it¡¯s not giving face to me or our classmates.¡± some classmates who had agreed to go along chimed in, ¡°that¡¯s right, everyone is going, so you should come too.¡± despite the crowd, xia wan didn¡¯t feel embarrassed about refusing. ¡°we¡¯re in our senior year now, and we should prioritize our studies. going to a bar at any time is not a recommended activity.¡± she scanned the faces of her classmates and added, ¡°if you keep insisting, i won¡¯t mind telling our homeroom teacher.¡± hearing xia wan threaten to inform the teacher, the classmates dared not persuade further, but they became even more displeased with her. ¡°is xia wan still a child? she runs to the teacher whenever there¡¯s an issue. she¡¯s just putting on airs. let¡¯s see how well she does in this month¡¯s exam.¡± ¡°some people look like they work hard but don¡¯t actually learn anything.¡± liu hua didn¡¯t go to the bar either. she comforted xia wan, ¡°don¡¯t overthink it. you¡¯ve been working hard during this time, and your grades will surely improve.¡± xia wan smiled, ¡°it¡¯s alright. i¡¯m fine. i won¡¯t let them affect me.¡± during the weekend, xia wan continued taking extra classes and working on her design sketches. at the same time, she visited a bookstore in the county town and picked up some art-related books. one day, while xia feng was tutoring xia chen at home, she noticed xia wan reading art books on the small balcony in the living room. xia feng smiled and said, ¡°you seem interested in art. i have many books about it. would you like me to get them for you?¡± xia wan looked at her with a smile, ¡°sure, your books are definitely good ones.¡± xia feng was originally practicing drawing in her room and noticed that the two of them were discussing something related to art, so she came over to join in the conversation. sunlight streamed through the window onto the balcony, creating a warm atmosphere. it wasn¡¯t until yan han and xia hai returned that zhou en took her leave. she didn¡¯t stay for dinner. as usual, xia wan inquired about yan han¡¯s business and whether there were any issues. yan han, washing vegetables as she spoke, said, ¡°there¡¯s nothing wrong. our family¡¯s business is doing well right now. but i am curious why wen shuts store hasn¡¯t followed suit with discounts. ¡°i¡¯ve been observing these past few days, and they¡¯ve never posted any discount notices. ¡°some of my close friends even purposely went to their store to check, and there were no discounts inside. ¡°wan wan, have they given up competing with us? if i were them, i¡¯d be anxious by now.¡± when calculated, they had been offering a 20% discount for a week, and the clothes in their store were nearly sold out. xia wan also found it strange and asked, ¡°has xia ru not caused any trouble again?¡± yan han shook her head, ¡°no.¡± ¡°that¡¯s indeed strange. well, let¡¯s just be cautious. maybe wen shu simply doesn¡¯t want to follow us in making losses.¡± hearing xia wan¡¯s words, yan han felt reassured. their clothing store was already operating at a loss, and she didn¡¯t worry that wen shuts group would do anything harmful. besides, they had installed security cameras both outside and inside the store, and their store was close to the police station. she couldn¡¯t imagine that wen shu would do something foolish.. Chapter 432 - Chapter 432: The Results Are Out chapter 432: the results are out translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation if the document really did that, they could directly report it to the police and make a big deal out of it. this would tarnish the reputation of this store, and people would never shop there again. thinking about it this way, yan han felt even more relieved, and even his mood when cooking became much lighter. after serving the food, yan han suddenly remembered something. he looked at xia wan and xia chen with eager eyes. ¡°your monthly exam results should be out by now. how did both of you do?¡± xia wan and xia chen exchanged a glance, and xia wan smiled as she replied to yan han, ¡®we were actually planning to give you a surprise. this weekend, there will be a parent-teacher meeting, and since you asked, mom, we don¡¯t want to keep it a secret anymore.¡± yan han thought she hadn¡¯t done well when he heard this. yan han immediately blamed himself, saying, ¡°it¡¯s okay if wan wan didn¡¯t do well this time. it¡¯s my fault for not letting you focus on your studies during this time when you¡¯ve been helping out at the store. ¡°in the future, just concentrate on your studies, and don¡¯t worry about the store. your dad and i can handle it. and if we need someone for physical work, we have your little brother. you and your brother have one goal ¡ª to get into a good university.¡± xia chen couldn¡¯t hold back and laughed, telling yan han, ¡°both of us did well in the mock exams this time. i came first in the class, and wan wan came tenth. even the teachers said that wan wan has made great progress.¡± ¡°what? wan wan came tenth? how is that possible? she used to be in the twenties in class rankings.¡± xia wan¡¯s class had over thirty students, and her previous academic performance was typically in the twenties. moving from twentieth to tenth might not seem like a big gap in terms of the number of students in the class, but it could mean a significant improvement in the overall school rankings. yan han was immediately thrilled, almost ignoring xia chen¡¯s first-place achievement. ¡°our wan wan has made great progress. if i had known earlier, i should have prepared a fish stew for you today, wan wan. you must have been working really hard these days, and a fish would have been good for your brain.¡± xia wan smiled and said, ¡°mom, it¡¯s okay. i drink milk every day, and getting tenth place isn¡¯t my limit. i¡¯ll work even harder and continue to improve. ¡°besides, i¡¯ve spent so much money on tutoring. if my grades don¡¯t improve, it would be a waste of money.¡± thanks to xia wan¡¯s reminder, yan han also remembered liu sha, who had been tutoring her. yan han said, ¡°next time when teacher liu sha comes over, we should prepare some gifts for her to show our appreciation for her tutoring you these days.¡± xia wan nodded in agreement. the next day at school, the class teacher entered the classroom with a cheerful demeanor. she smiled and said, ¡°in this exam, one of our students has shown significant improvement, and that is xia wan.¡± ¡°during the first part of the senior year, xia wan¡¯s grades were quite unstable, but in this first monthly exam of the senior year, she achieved a top 10 ranking in our class with a score of 530.¡± ¡°based on previous admission criteria, this score is sufficient to secure a place in a top-tier university.¡± ¡°the teacher would like to commend xia wan in this class but also hopes that she will continue to work hard because her current score, while impressive, still falls a bit short for the best universities.¡± ¡°at the same time, the teacher hopes that xia wan¡¯s progress will motivate everyone to study harder, collectively raising our class¡¯s overall performance.¡± after the teacher finished speaking, the students were surprised and turned their attention towards xia wan. it was the first time so many people had looked at her in this way, and xia wan felt a bit nervous. previously, she had been the underachiever in the class, known for her arguments with others. but now, the gazes were filled with admiration and envy. the class teacher continued, ¡°so, next, we¡¯ll have xia wan come to the front and share with us the reasons for her recent academic improvement.¡± as the teacher applauded and smiled at xia wan, she hadn¡¯t expected to be asked to speak about her progress. she hadn¡¯t prepared anything. during the few steps she took toward the podium, xia wan hastily composed a few sentences.. Chapter 433 - Chapter 433: Speech On Stage chapter 433: speech on stage translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after stepping onto the stage, xia wan looked down at the audience, appearing calm and composed. the class teacher had been concerned that xia wan might get nervous, as she had a somewhat introverted personality when she was in the class. but when he saw xia wan¡¯s calm demeanor, he was quite pleased. xia wan smiled faintly and began, ¡°actually, i didn¡¯t do anything special. i just realized that i had wasted a lot of time in the past, and my family works so hard to support my education. i should cherish this opportunity and study diligently. ¡°because i wasn¡¯t very diligent in the previous two years, i had fallen behind in many subjects. so, for the past month, i¡¯ve been studying at school during the day and attending tutoring sessions after school. ¡°if you were to ask me for a study tip, it would be to make the most of every available moment for studying and avoid unnecessary distractions.¡± as she said this, xia wan glanced in the direction of song zhi, whose expression was quite grim. it was clear that xia wan was subtly hinting at their past escapades at the bar. despite song zhi scoring seventh in the current exam, xia wan had achieved tenth place, just three positions behind him. this made him feel extremely uncomfortable. furthermore, xia wan¡¯s brother had outperformed zhou chen in the exam. before xia chen transferred to their class, zhou chen had consistently been the top student in their class. now, many girls in the class had shifted their admiration from zhou chen to xia chen, leading to some girls trying to befriend xia wan. previously, she could openly cause trouble for xia wan, but now she didn¡¯t dare to. if those who liked xia chen saw her bullying xia wan, they would subtly target her. her public image had always been one of kindness and generosity, and she couldn¡¯t let xia wan tarnish her hard-earned image. xia wan chose the right moment to stop speaking and said to the class teacher, ¡°that¡¯s my study strategy for this period. there¡¯s nothing more to it. ¡± the class teacher led the applause and then turned to xia chen. ¡°next, let¡¯s have xia chen come up and say a few words.¡± ¡°as xia wan¡¯s older brother, he had dropped out of school previously and returned to school, achieving such outstanding results. please share your experiences with us.¡± xia chen nodded, understanding the class teacher¡¯s intention. he wanted him to talk about why he had dropped out of school, hoping to inspire his classmates to cherish the opportunity to study. xia chen walked up to the podium and began to tell his story. ¡°i dropped out of school initially because i have a younger sister and a younger brother. if all three of us were to attend high school and then college simultaneously, it would have placed a significant financial burden on my parents. ¡°my family had recently split, and before the split, all our property was controlled by my grandmother. ¡°if all three of us were to go to school, my grandmother wouldn¡¯t have agreed. so, i voluntarily chose to drop out and tried to find a job to ease my father¡¯s financial pressure. ¡°my father was in his prime but already had white hair, coming home very late at night and leaving early in the morning to work, just to save on transportation costs. ¡°as the eldest son of the family, i couldn¡¯t comfortably enjoy my parents¡¯ sacrifices.¡± the classmates in the classroom expressed sympathy and admiration for xia cnen?s past. they had only seen xia chen as a good student who was handsome, but they never knew that his family had faced such hardships. someone in the class knew that xia wan¡¯s family owned a clothing store and asked, ¡°isn¡¯t your family selling clothes now? although you¡¯re working for the boss, i can see that your business is doing well. you must have earned a good amount of money. why couldn¡¯t you afford to study earlier?¡± xia chen¡¯s face did not reveal any annoyance at being exposed. he calmly looked at the classmate who raised the question and said, ¡°that¡¯s what i¡¯m going to explain next. ¡°when my father injured his wrist and had to get stitches at the hospital, our family faced a huge medical bill that needed to be paid, and all that money came from my sister¡¯s earnings. ¡°later, my sister found a job selling clothes for someone, and she persuaded our parents to join her in the clothing business. ¡°it was my sister¡¯s decision that turned our family¡¯s situation around, allowing me to return to school, and my father no longer had to work so hard every day..¡± Chapter 434 - Chapter 434: Thanking My Sister chapter 434: thanking my sister translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°so, i am very grateful to my younger sister, and i hope i can become even better to serve as a role model for her.¡± as he said this, xia chen and xia wan locked eyes, and xia wan¡¯s eyes became slightly teary. even though xia chen had put in more effort, every word he spoke praised her. the class teacher, being a sentimental person, also felt her eyes welling up as she stood up and applauded, saying, ¡°both of you, siblings, are exemplary. i am proud of your parents.¡± the classroom atmosphere became harmonious, with everyone congratulating xia wan and xia chen. just then, a female classmate named wang yuan raised a question, ¡°teacher, i suspect xia wan of cheating. ¡°everyone knows that she sits next to liu hua, and they are from the same village. they eat together every day, and sometimes liu hua even helps out at the clothing store. they have a close relationship. ¡°if, during the monthly exam, liu hua deliberately moved her test paper closer to xia wan¡¯s side, xia wan could easily see it with a sidelong glance.¡± the class teacher hesitated for a moment and didn¡¯t immediately suspect xia wan. instead, she asked xia wan and liu hua, ¡°did both of you cheat?¡± xia wan answered with a calm gaze, ¡°during the exam, liu hua and i didn¡¯t communicate in any way. there was no cheating.¡± liu hua, feeling displeased, added, ¡°teacher, it¡¯s precisely because we were seated together that i know how hard xia wan works in her studies. her current score is all due to her diligent note-taking during class and thorough revision after school.¡± liu hua then turned to wang yuan and said, ¡°i think some classmates are rather narrow-minded. just because xia wan improved quickly, they suspect her of using unfair means. ¡°clearly, xia wan has worked so hard, yet she faces suspicion from others. if hardworking individuals are always doubted, who would want to put in the effort?¡± xia wan noticed that liu hua had a talent for eloquence. in just a few words, she managed to explain the situation and make the class teacher take the matter seriously. indeed, at this moment, the class teacher had significantly reduced her doubts about xia wan and instead turned to wang yuan, asking, ¡°do you have any evidence that they cheated? did you see them passing notes or anything?¡± wang yuan stuttered and couldn¡¯t provide any concrete evidence. she struggled to say, ¡°i just find it hard to believe. xia wan used to perform so poorly.¡± suddenly, wang yuan seemed to remember something, her eyes brightened, and she said, ¡°teacher, compare xia wan and liu hua¡¯s papers to see if they made the same mistakes. that can prove whether xia wan cheated or not.¡± the class teacher furrowed her brow, saying, ¡°difficult questions are prone to mistakes for many students. i¡¯m not convinced by this method you¡¯ve proposed to check for cheating.¡± ¡°however, i can compare their papers to see if they are identical. but if the result of the check shows that xia wan did not cheat, i hope you will publicly apologize to xia wan in front of the class. ¡± wang yuan¡¯s face showed a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. she had expected the class teacher to immediately agree with her. at this point, she had no choice but to agree. wang yuan gritted her teeth and said, ¡°fine, if their wrong answers are different, i¡¯m willing to apologize!¡± the class teacher compared xia wan and liu hua¡¯s papers, and they had different mistakes and different problem-solving approaches. with a stern look, she turned to wang yuan and said, ¡°what else is there to say? both of their papers have different mistakes. xia wan answered correctly where liu hua made mistakes. how could xia wan have copied liu hua¡¯s paper?¡± wang yuan stared blankly at the comparison of the two papers and mumbled, ¡°this can¡¯t be. how could xia wan make such significant progress? why does she deserve it?¡± the class teacher gave her a stern look and said, ¡°xia wan knows that her previous performance was poor, so she took the initiative to seek tutoring.. why can¡¯t she make progress?¡± Chapter 435 - Chapter 435: Xia Wan Didn ‘t Cheat chapter 435: xia wan didn ¡®t cheat translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation then, after reprimanding wang yuan for a few words, the class teacher looked at the entire class and said, ¡°i hope that from now on, none of you will have biases against your classmates. even those who used to perform poorly in studies may improve in the future. ¡°we should treat our classmates with tolerance, give them encouragement, and not assume that someone has cheated just because a classmate who used to struggle has shown improvement. ¡± at this point, wang yuan didn¡¯t have much to say. she lowered her head and replied, ¡°i understand, teacher. i won¡¯t do it again.¡± the class teacher, seeing this, decided not to dwell on the matter further and instructed wang yuan to personally apologize to xia wan after class. after the class ended, several classmates gathered around xia wan, inquiring about her study methods. wang yuan also approached xia wan. liu hua noticed her but remained silent, her expression unfriendly. wang yuan fidgeted with her hands, her head hanging low as she said, ¡°xia wan, i¡¯m sorry for misunderstanding you earlier. i hope you can forgive me.¡± after speaking, she lowered her head even more, fearing that xia wan might make things difficult for her. xia wan smiled and replied, ¡°it¡¯s okay. it¡¯s normal to have doubts. just don¡¯t do such things in the future; it can harm friendships.¡± wang yuan raised her head, nodding with relief. she hadn¡¯t expected xia wan to forgive her so easily. she withdrew her previous suspicions, realizing that xia wan was indeed a very kind person! the news of xia wan¡¯s 10th-place achievement quickly reached xia ye¡¯s ears. glancing at her own test paper, xia ye clenched her fists. this time¡¯s exam, she had only ranked 15th in the class, with a score of 460 points. according to the admission scores of their city in previous years, her score would only get her into a low-tier local university. although it was still a university, the tuition fees were high, and the quality of education and the school¡¯s reputation couldn¡¯t compare to top-tier universities. in fact, it was almost equivalent to buying a degree. xia ye couldn¡¯t understand it and felt unjust. she, too, faced criticism from her grandmother while studying in high school, with her grandmother saying she was a girl and didn¡¯t need to study so hard since she would eventually get married. but xia wan, also a girl, had poor grades before and yet continued to be supported in her studies. now xia wan was earning money and even hired a tutor. as granddaughters of the same family, why was there such a huge difference in treatment? after school, xia ye discreetly approached some of xia wan¡¯s classmates to inquire about why her academic performance had improved so significantly. that¡¯s when xia ye learned about xia wan¡¯s tutoring sessions. xia ye¡¯s resentment bloomed. while she was studying in high school, she often faced criticism from her grandmother, but xia wan, who had performed poorly before, continued to be supported in her education. now, xia wan had even hired a tutor to help her study. as granddaughters of the same family, why was there such a stark difference in treatment? when xia ye returned home that day, she sat there sullenly. chen lian noticed her unhappiness and asked her what was wrong. xia ye snorted coldly, saying, ¡°mom, do you think i¡¯m the most useless granddaughter in the xia family? xia wan used to be bad at studying, but now she¡¯s earning money. xia ru didn¡¯t even get into high school, but she found a wealthy boyfriend.¡± ¡°i¡¯m the only one who not only can¡¯t earn money but also lags behind xia wan.¡± chen lian and xia he were both stunned by her words. chen lian even reached out to touch her forehead and asked, ¡°xia ye, are you running a fever? why are you talking nonsense like this? ¡°xia wan¡¯s family¡¯s money comes from her own efforts. right now, you¡¯re blaming your parents, thinking that we¡¯re incapable and can¡¯t match xia wan¡¯s parents, right?¡± xia ye had long been dissatisfied, and now she no longer held back. she said directly, ¡°are you better off than xia hai and yan han? before the family split, our family earned less money than xia hai, and all the household chores were done by yan han..¡± Chapter 436 - Chapter 436: Xia Ye Unresigned chapter 436: xia ye unresigned translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°you and song yan are both slacking off every day, doing very little work in the field. you¡¯re leaving all the dirty and tiring tasks for yan han to do. ¡°my dad used to slack off a lot when he worked, and he got fined by the factory manager several times, you know? ¡°my younger brother is even more irresponsible. we¡¯ve already finished dinner, but he hasn¡¯t returned yet. is he out asking you guys for pocket money to treat someone again? ¡°we barely have any money at home, and he¡¯s going around acting all extravagant. it¡¯s just because he¡¯s young, those people hang around him. ¡°what do you think people are after from xia yu? isn¡¯t it just to freeload off him? ¡°xia he can use the money you all worked hard for to show off, but why can¡¯t that money be used to support me, so i can buy nice clothes, a new backpack, toys, or even take extra classes to improve my grades?¡± xia he slammed the table in frustration, standing up and saying, ¡®who gave you the right to talk to our parents like this? ¡°we are the ones who brought you into this world, and we decide if you can go to school or not. ¡°it¡¯s already a privilege for you to attend school. do you really want extra classes? if you put in enough effort, pay attention in class, how could your grades be bad?¡± xia yu, witnessing the anger in xia he, felt a twinge of fear deep down. back when she was younger, her father had even beaten her with a stick, and that fear ran in her veins. xia ye took a step back, creating some distance from xia he. she continued to protest, ¡°you two are just useless parents, still favoring your son and showing gender bias. in your eyes, your worthless son is a treasure, and no matter how hard i try, you¡¯ll always see me as worthless.¡± xia he grew even angrier upon hearing this and raised his hand, ready to slap xia ye. chen lian, however, couldn¡¯t bear to see her daughter treated this way. she quickly intervened, stopping xia he. ¡°don¡¯t be impulsive, xia ye is just being a bit foolish. she used to be so obedient. it¡¯s probably xia wan¡¯s influence at school. ¡°well, xia ru isn¡¯t any better. xia ye used to be the most obedient child in our family. she¡¯s just being a bit confused right now.¡± while trying to calm xia he down, chen lian signaled xia ye to leave quickly. xia ye had let out all the resentment she had hidden in her heart. seeing xia he ready to strike her, she hurriedly fled. as a high school senior, getting beaten by her father and having it spread around would be incredibly embarrassing. she wandered aimlessly through the village, feeling increasingly aggrieved. unable to contain her emotions, she ended up by the riverbank, crying quietly. when song yan returned from the fields, she happened to witness this scene. she had been in the fields checking on the crops she had planted and was surprised to find xia ye crying by the riverbank. song yan approached and asked, ¡°xia ye, what¡¯s the matter? why are you crying?¡± hearing song yan¡¯s voice, xia ye quickly wiped her tears and stood up, looking somewhat uncomfortable as she faced song yan. ¡°i¡¯m not crying about anything. i¡¯m just a bit upset because i didn¡¯t do well in my exams.¡± she smiled and comforted, ¡®you¡¯re a girl, even if your studies aren¡¯t great, it¡¯s okay. as long as you can get a high school diploma, there are plenty of boys in our village who would love to marry you. ¡°by then, i¡¯ll ask your parents to make more money and help you establish connections. maybe we can find you a stable job. ¡°when the time comes, i¡¯ll also find you a good matchmaker to introduce a respectable man with a good job. that way, your life will be set.¡± xia ye forced a smile and said, ¡°thank you, auntie, for your kind words. i think i¡¯ll take a walk for now; my mind¡¯s a bit confused.¡± after speaking, xia ye hurriedly left. she didn¡¯t agree with anything song yan had said, especially the condescending attitude behind her words. she knew that song yan had always looked down on her. as the sky darkened, xia ye still didn¡¯t dare to return home. out of nowhere, liu shi emerged from the bushes, carrying a bundle of firewood on his back, as if he had just returned from collecting it nearby. seeing xia ye, liu shi was surprised.. ¡°xia ye, it¡¯s late, why aren¡¯t you home? what are you doing here?¡± Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Meeting Liu Shi chapter 437: meeting liu shi translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia ye looked at liu shi somewhat strangely; she noticed a significant change in him. in the past, liu shi never did any proper work; he would roam the village with a group of friends, wasting his time. but now, he was helping his family with chores every day and even actively hunting in the mountains. many people in the village had noticed liu shi¡¯s transformation. xia ye shook her head and said, ¡°it¡¯s nothing, i¡¯m just taking a casual walk.¡± liu shi asked, ¡®your eyes are red, obviously, you¡¯ve been crying. what happened? why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± looking into liu shi¡¯s eyes, xia ye saw that he had lost the delinquent demeanor he used to have. his eyes were now filled with sincerity. for some reason, she found herself confiding in liu shi about her grievances. she felt that she wasn¡¯t any worse than xia wan or xia ru, but these two had surpassed her. liu shi said, ¡°i thought it was something serious, turns out you¡¯re just a bit sensitive. ¡°you¡¯re already better off than most of the girls in our village. just think about it, how many girls in our village can afford to go to high school? ¡°some people have better academic records than you, they got into high school, but their parents don¡¯t allow them to continue their education. ¡°some girls had excellent grades in primary school, but they didn¡¯t even have the chance to go to junior high. ¡°compared to them, you¡¯re already very lucky. ¡°and about xia wan being outstanding, i agree with that. you can use xia wan as your goal, strive to surpass her. but xia ru¡¯s character is terrible. she used to encourage me to harm xia wan, to tarnish her innocence.¡± xia ye widened her eyes, not expecting to hear this. liu shi continued, ¡°back then, xia ru and i were both born with some strange illness. before the illness struck, she secretly came to me, wanting me to plot against xia wan. ¡°now that i think about it, i probably got that strange illness as karma for harboring ill intentions toward xia wan. after saying this, liu shi got up and walked away, leaving xia ye in deep thought. her once-confused heart was gradually becoming resolute. she and xia wan didn¡¯t necessarily have to be in a life-and-death competition. xia wan¡¯s success didn¡¯t mean she had to be unsuccessful; xia wan could progress, and she could, too. perhaps her father didn¡¯t earn as much as xia hai, but he was working hard to support the family. her mother might take advantage of situations sometimes, but she didn¡¯t have any malicious intentions. the only troublemaker in the family was her lazy and useless younger brother. however, xia yu¡¯s transformation into what he was now was also due to their grandmother¡¯s excessive pampering. she couldn¡¯t stop her grandmother¡¯s favoritism, but she could work on herself and strive to break out of this small mountain village. she wanted to develop herself in a bigger city and see more of the world. at this moment, xia ye knew that she had changed. the next day, when she went to school, xia ye noticed a stylishly dressed girl standing at the entrance. upon seeing xia ye, the girl stopped her and smiled, ¡°hello, are you xia ye, my cousin?¡± xia ye felt a bit puzzled. she didn¡¯t recognize this girl. people from their class were also looking in their direction, secretly listening. ¡°i¡¯m ke xin, i work at your cousin xia ru¡¯s store. there¡¯s something i¡¯d like to ask you.¡± ke xin smiled as she spoke. xia ye frowned, not having a good impression of xia ru¡¯s employees. ¡°what is it?¡± xia ye asked, somewhat displeased. ke xin continued to smile, ¡°i want to go to school, and i heard that you are our boss¡¯s cousin. you have good looks and good grades, so i thought about being in the same class as you.¡± ¡°the boss said that i should get to know you early on and learn from you.¡± hearing the compliments, xia ye¡¯s mood improved. indeed, she had always been good-looking. out of courtesy for the girl¡¯s eloquence, she decided to be a bit more polite. xia ye sized up ke xin, who seemed to carry a certain sophistication about her. xia ye asked her, ¡°how old are you?¡± ke xin felt a bit embarrassed and replied, ¡°i¡¯m already 20 years old.¡± xia ye was shocked. ¡°20 years old? you¡¯re two years older than me. are you going to study in the same class as me for senior year? can you keep up with the curriculum?¡± ke xin: . she thought xia ye had very low emotional intelligence, just like her sister xia ru.. Chapter 438 - Chapter 438: Helping Ke Xin chapter 438: helping ke xin translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ke xin suppressed her inner dissatisfaction and smiled, trying to please xia ye. she said, ¡°that¡¯s why i specifically wanted to come and ask for your help.¡± she had come to sound things out, and she couldn¡¯t let her impulsiveness hinder her future prospects. xia ye chuckled, ¡°i can¡¯t really help you with anything! if you need something, go ask xia ru!¡± after saying this, xia ye turned and walked away. ke xin raised an eyebrow, as if realizing something. she quickly caught up with xia ye and whispered, ¡°actually, the reason i came to you is because i¡¯m worried that i won¡¯t be able to keep up with the curriculum. so, i wanted to ask your aunt to find me a tutor. ¡°but i¡¯m afraid that if i make this request directly, your aunt won¡¯t agree. so, i thought that if you, her niece, are with me, maybe she¡¯ll agree?¡± hearing ke xin mention a tutor, xia ye immediately stopped in her tracks. wasn¡¯t this exactly what she desired right now? since xia he and chen lian wouldn¡¯t provide the money for a tutor, wouldn¡¯t it be even better if xia ru did it? seeing xia ye stop, ke xin realized that she had piqued her interest. ¡°i¡¯m not very bright, and i¡¯m worried that even if i get a tutor, i won¡¯t understand. if we study together, maybe i can catch up quickly!¡± ke xin mused, her eyes sparkling. xia ye didn¡¯t care if ke xin could catch up or not; the fact that she was interested was enough! ¡°will xia ru agree to spend money on you?¡± xia ye turned to ke xin, not very sure. with xia ru¡¯s stingy nature, how could she be so generous to an employee? ke xin quickly explained, ¡°she promised that if i can keep up with the coursework, she¡¯ll sponsor my education. ¡°although she hasn¡¯t agreed to hire a tutor for me yet, with you being her niece, i believe she will agree!¡± ke xin spoke briefly, but she had other calculations in her mind. currently, xia ru was avoiding her, but with xia ye advocating for hiring a tutor, xia ru would have no way to escape the responsibility. both of them were making their own calculations, but xia ru was the common denominator in their plans. xia wan had made significant progress in her grades. those who used to avoid her were now flocking around her. xia wan knew that most of these people had ulterior motives. however, xia chen was now completely focused on his studies and didn¡¯t pay any attention to those people. the gifts that had been given to xia chen one after another ended up in xia wan¡¯s hands. ¡°xia wan, you received so many delicious things today!¡± liu hua looked at the pile of items on xia wan¡¯s desk and couldn¡¯t help but salivate. xia wan didn¡¯t reply; she just pushed the items on her desk toward liu hua. liu hua had always been kind to her, and these items were just given to her in passing. ¡°i heard that there¡¯s a new student transferring to xia ye¡¯s class,¡± liu hua mumbled, ¡°i heard their relationship is really good; they¡¯re always together!¡± xia wan wasn¡¯t too concerned about xia ye¡¯s actions. liu hua said a few more words but found it uninteresting and stopped talking. when xia wan lifted her head, she happened to see xia ye walking with someone from the school entrance. she frowned, looking at the person who seemed somewhat familiar. ¡°isn¡¯t that an employee from xia rut s store? what is she doing here?¡± xia chen came over to xia wan and placed a test paper on her desk. upon xia chen¡¯s reminder, xia wan also remembered that person. xia chen and xia wan rarely helped out at the store, so they weren¡¯t very familiar with the employees there. this employee had stood in front of the store holding an advertising sign several times, so xia wan had some impression of her. although she was curious about why the woman was at the school, neither of them delved further into the matter. after dinner, yan han was cleaning up the dishes and casually mentioned what had happened at the store that day. ¡°xia ru¡¯s store is short-staffed, and they¡¯ve posted a job advertisement specifically looking for male employees. i wonder what happened.¡± ¡°i thought they had a pretty hardworking girl working there? did she quit?¡± xia hai was usually busy at the store and didn¡¯t pay much attention to these matters. upon hearing this, xia wan remembered the person she saw at school earlier and said, ¡°it seems like she came to our school a few days ago.¡± ¡°a few days ago, my sister mentioned that xia ru sponsored a student. could it be her?¡± yan han found it somewhat unbelievable. with xia rut s stingy nature, yan han assumed that it was just a joke from song yan. ¡°she¡¯s sponsored by xia ru?¡± xia wan raised an eyebrow, her mind filled with new thoughts. this store employee seemed more complicated than she initially thought! Chapter 439 - Chapter 439: Fishing chapter 439: fishing translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia yu had borrowed some money from chen lian a few days ago, but he had spent it all in just a matter of days. helpless and out of options, xia yu returned home and extended his hand toward his parents. ¡°you good-for-nothing! all you do is eat, drink, and have fun!¡± xia he was still simmering with anger from what had happened at xia ye¡¯s place when xia yu returned home and walked right into his rage. seeing xia he about to pick up the ashtray from the table to smash it on xia yu¡¯s head, chen lian hurriedly rushed over to shield him. in the heat of the moment, xia he swung the ashtray, and it struck chen lian¡¯s head hard. seeing that chen lian¡¯s head had been cut open, xia he panicked. xia yu, who had been fearing a beating himself, never expected to see his own mother being harmed. he yelled, ¡°someone¡¯s attacking! murder!¡± at the same time, he ran outside. hearing the commotion, xia jiang and song yan rushed over. they saw chen lian sitting at the table, holding her head, while xia he stood there, still holding the ashtray stained with blood. song yan was the first to react and called out to xia jiang, ¡°don¡¯t just stand there! go find dr. niu!¡± when xia ye returned home, she was surprised to find a police car parked in front of the house. a group of people had gathered outside, and upon seeing her, they tried to comfort her. ¡°don¡¯t worry too much. your father should be out in a few days.¡± ¡®yes! your mother¡¯s injury isn¡¯t too serious. she should recover in a few months.¡± the words of these people left xia ye feeling confused. ignoring the noisy crowd, xia ye passed through and entered the house. inside, she saw xia jiang sitting outside, smoking a cigarette and sighing. ¡°uncle, why are you here?¡± xia ye approached him. xia jiang glanced at xia ye, then lowered his head to take a drag from his cigarette. seeing that xia jiang wasn¡¯t responding, xia ye asked again, ¡°what happened?¡± ¡°go and get your father out of there as soon as possible!¡± chen lian grabbed xia ye¡¯s hand, looking far from someone who had suffered serious injuries. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± xia ye winced, pulling her hand away from chen lian¡¯s grasp. ¡°your father didn¡¯t hit me on purpose! but the police arrested him!¡± chen lian cried as she rambled, ¡°those police officers are unreasonable! hurry up and get your father out of there!¡± xia ye¡¯s face showed a hint of panic. she clenched her teeth and said, ¡°how can i get him out? i¡¯m just a student! let¡¯s wait for xia yu to come back!¡± ¡°he¡¯s your son!¡± hearing xia yu¡¯s name, chen lian cried even louder. unbeknownst to xia ye, it was actually xia yu who had run and shouted for help, leading the neighbors to call the police. upon arrival, the police immediately took xia he into custody for questioning. as soon as he entered the police station, xia he cooperated and explained how things had escalated. seeing his cooperation, the police detained him for a few days first before deciding on the next steps. seeing xia jiang looking distressed, song yan nudged his arm, urging him to speak. with a flick of his hand, xia jiang dropped the nearly extinguished cigarette on the ground and stamped it out. he reluctantly said, ¡°i don¡¯t have a choice either! you need to pay money to get someone out! i don¡¯t have any money!¡± as soon as xia jiang mentioned money, song yan didn¡¯t press him further. they didn¡¯t have the money for bail, so they would have to figure out a solution themselves! chen lian cried for a while, and the onlookers gradually dispersed. ¡°go! find your third uncle to get him released!¡± chen lian pushed xia ye, who was sitting by the bed. xia ye immediately became alert. ¡°right! xia wan¡¯s family has money!¡± without wasting any time, xia hai told xia ye to stay at home and took xia chen with him to the police station. as soon as they entered the police station, they heard xia he¡¯s desperate pleas for mercy. without much ado, xia hai rushed inside, fearing that the police might use excessive force against xia he. as soon as he entered, xia hai heard the impatient shouts of the police. ¡°shut your mouth! ¡°you¡¯ve been howling all night! ¡°if you didn¡¯t hit someone, would you be detained here? ¡°if your family comes to bail you out, can you still stay here?¡± hearing the police officer¡¯s frustrated words, xia he finally fell silent. however, after just a few seconds, he began begging again. xia hai immediately sought out the investigating officer to understand the process for bail. ¡®you can take him home, but he needs to report to the station regularly,¡± the officer explained. they were eager to get xia he out since he had been quite a nuisance. however, the formal process still needed to be followed.. Chapter 440 - Chapter 440: Do You Have Any Money? chapter 440: do you have any money? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after completing the necessary procedures, xia he was released, looking disheveled as if he had been mistreated inside. xia hai quickly called for xia chen to help support xia he. the three of them returned to xia he¡¯s home, and as they entered, they spotted xia yu lurking around the doorway. upon seeing xia yu, xia he¡¯s anger flared up even more. his previously dispirited appearance seemed to have suddenly transformed into one full of vigor. with a swift kick to xia yu¡¯s backside, xia he fiercely scolded him, ¡°do you want to kill your father?¡± realizing he had caused trouble, xia yu held his backside and exclaimed, ¡°ouch, ouch,¡± as he scurried behind xia hai. chen lian heard xia he¡¯s voice and hurriedly rushed out, not bothering to thank xia hai. she grabbed xia he and led him into the house. she looked concerned and said, ¡°how did things escalate to this point in such a short time?¡± ¡°that place is not fit for humans! fortunately, i¡¯m strong, or they would have killed me!¡± xia he was full of indignation. xia hai and xia chen exchanqed glances and turned to leave. xia yu grabbed xia hai¡¯s hand and pleaded, ¡°uncle, can you take me away? i have nowhere to go tonight!¡± despite xia chen¡¯s reluctance, xia hai brought xia yu back home. upon seeing xia yu return with xia hai, yan han, though surprised, quickly arranged a place for him to stay. meanwhile, xia wan stayed in her room, refusing to communicate with xia ye and xia yu. early the next morning, ke xin handed carefully prepared snacks to xia ye. ¡°xia ye, i noticed you and xia wan came to school together today. to please you, i¡¯ve been putting a lot of effort into these little things recently.¡± xia ye didn¡¯t reach for the snacks ke xin was holding out, and her expression remained gloomy. after spending the night at xia wan¡¯s house, xia ye was even more frustrated by her unfair treatment at home. the bedding provided by yan han was soft and comfortable, a far cry from the bedding at her own home, which hadn¡¯t been changed in years. earlier that morning, yan han had even prepared breakfast for them, ensuring they were well-fed before heading to school. such treatment was unprecedented in xia ye¡¯s household. the more xia ye thought about it, the angrier she became. with a sharp flick, she tossed the snacks ke xin had offered onto the ground. ke xin¡¯s expression changed momentarily, but she quickly put on a smile and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? is something bothering you?¡± without responding, xia ye¡¯s stone-faced expression made her feelings clear. ke xin handed her a flyer, saying, ¡°come on! let¡¯s have some fun!¡± xia ye glanced at the black-and-white flyer and her expression changed accordingly. the town¡¯s cinema had been open for a while, and several romantic movies were said to be showing. xia ye had been pestering chen lian for money, wanting to experience the atmosphere of the cinema. however, chen lian had consistently refused. she knew xia yu had secretly gone several times already. she had found several movie ticket stubs in his pockets! ¡°i don¡¯t have money!¡± while xia ye was eager to go, there was no way she could get money from her. ke xin didn¡¯t mind, and she smiled, saying, ¡°the boss gave me two movie tickets, and i didn¡¯t know who to go with. they¡¯re real!¡± ¡°really?¡± xia ye raised an eyebrow, clearly excited. ¡°am i lying to you?¡± ke xin tucked the movie tickets into xia ye¡¯s hand. seeing those tickets, xia ye couldn¡¯t contain her excitement. finally, after enduring the school day, xia ye was about to pull ke xin to go to town when she saw xia yu standing at the school gate, clutching his stomach. xia ye wanted to act like she hadn¡¯t seen him, but xia yu promptly called out to her, ¡°sister! where are you going? your brother is here!¡± xia ye quickened her pace, but ke xin held her back. ¡°that person seems to be calling you. what should we do?¡± with her eyes closed, xia ye whispered, ¡°i don¡¯t know him. let¡¯s go.¡± xia yu had appeared here likely because he couldn¡¯t get money at home and had come to her for help. she didn¡¯t intend to let xia yu ruin her good mood! as expected, xia yu approached them despite xia ye¡¯s attempt to ignore him. ¡°i called you, didn¡¯t you hear me? do you have any money? give me some!¡± xia yu held out his palm in front of xia ye. ke xin looked surprised at xia yu¡¯s behavior. she hadn¡¯t expected xia ye¡¯s family members to be like this, just like xia wan¡¯s family members, except for xia ru.. Chapter 441 - Chapter 441: Broken Hand chapter 441: broken hand translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia ye¡¯s already bad mood worsened. she glared at xia yu. ¡°what else do you know besides asking for money?!¡± xia yu did not mind. ¡°cut the crap! hurry up and take it out! ¡°otherwise, i¡¯ll go back and tell mom and dad that third aunt secretly gave you money this morning, but you planned to keep it for yourself!¡± hearing xia yu¡¯s words, xia ye¡¯s face darkened even more. in the morning, yan han did give xia ye some money to buy some supplements for chen lian. yan han said that the business in the shop was too busy, and he didn¡¯t have time to visit chen lian, so he asked xia ye to bring her back. xia ye originally planned to keep the money for herself, but she did not expect xia yu to see it! seeing that xia ye was just staring at her, xia yu looked as if she had seen through her scheme. ¡°how is it? i guessed it! ¡°how about this? we¡¯ll split it 20 ¨C 80. a little girl like you won¡¯t need much money! ¡°otherwise, i¡¯ll tell mom and dad about this. i guarantee that you won¡¯t get a single cent!¡± hearing xia yu¡¯s threat, xia ye¡¯s face turned green and purple. after a while, she suddenly chuckled. ¡°are you kidding me?¡± ¡°this money is for mom to buy supplements! how could i possibly want to keep it for myself! and it¡¯s even more impossible for me to give it to you!¡± after xia ye finished speaking, she pulled ke xin and left. ¡°let¡¯s go! let¡¯s go to the department store!¡± however, she was dragged away in a daze. she turned around and saw xia yu¡¯s angry face and could not help but shake her head secretly. the xia siblings were really¡­ it was not easy to evaluate! xia yu saw that she didn¡¯t get any benefits from xia ye and didn¡¯t dare to go home now, afraid that her father would hate her and beat her up again. now that li jin was not at home, no one could protect him. xia yu did not have any extra money on her and was worried about what to do. when she turned around, she saw xia chen and xia wan walking over. the siblings did not sleep well the night before because of xia yu and xia wan¡¯s arrival. at this moment, xia wan rubbed her temples hard and let out a deep breath. ¡°are you in a bad mood?¡± xia chen asked with concern. the dark circles under his eyes showed his fatigue. ¡°why does dad still care about their matters? had he forgotten about the past?¡± xia wan was a little dissatisfied. she was very worried that her father would fall into the same situation as before. even though xia hai was different from before, he was still a stubborn person. when he heard that something had happened to xia he, he went to redeem her without asking why. xia wan was helpless. it seemed that she had to keep an eye on him in the future. xia chen was about to comfort xia wan when he saw xia yu rushing towards them. xia yu rushed in front of xia chen and his sister and grinned. ¡°yo! what a coincidence!¡± ¡°where are you going?¡± ¡°why don¡¯t we go together?¡± xia chen frowned at xia yu¡¯s malicious look and was about to refuse when xia wan stopped him. ¡°go away! where we go has nothing to do with you!¡± when xia yu heard this, her face darkened. she reached out to grab xia wan¡¯s arm and cursed, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you, girl? they hadn¡¯t seen each other for such a long time. was he lacking in education?¡± xia yu had just reached out to xia wan when xia chen grabbed her arm. the next second, xia yu cried out in pain and fell to her knees in front of xia chen and xia wan. xia chen was shocked and immediately let go of xia yu¡¯s hand, afraid that this guy would try to trick them again. however, when xia chen let go of her hand, xia yu still had a pained expression on her face. she grabbed her other hand and rolled on the ground in pain. seeing that xia yu was not pretending, xia chen realized that xia yu might really be injured. however, he had clearly not done anything just now. xia yu¡¯s cry of pain attracted the attention of the people around her. the crowd gradually gathered around to see what had happened. someone looked at xia yu and exclaimed, ¡°look! did that person break his hand?¡± with that person¡¯s reminder, everyone looked over and saw that xia yu¡¯s wrist was bent at a strange angle. xia chen was even more shocked. he had only grabbed her arm, how could he have broken xia yu¡¯s wrist? xia yu fell to the ground. the pain did not go away, but her mind was gradually waking up. she angrily shouted at xia chen, ¡°xia chen! what did you do to me?¡± before xia chen could react, xia wan moved first. ¡°cousin! what happened to your hand? is it an old illness?¡± ¡°get up first! we¡¯ll take you to the hospital!¡± Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: So, it Was All To Blackmail Someone chapter 442: so, it was all to blackmail someone translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after xia wan finished speaking, she made a gesture to help xia yu up. xia yu hurt his hand for no reason and was very impatient with xia wan¡¯s ¡°kindness.¡± ¡°get lost!¡± xia yu waved his arm violently, trying to block xia wan¡¯s outstretched hand. xia wan¡¯s hand had just touched xia yu¡¯s arm when it bounced away. she looked at him in disappointment. ¡°don¡¯t be angry!¡± ¡°i know you don¡¯t like me. why don¡¯t i go get xia ye? he¡¯s your biological brother. ¡± hearing xia wan¡¯s slightly aggrieved words, the people around them suddenly realized that the person who was screaming was xia ye¡¯s biological brother? it was really embarrassing to throw a tantrum at the school gate! xia yu recalled xia ye¡¯s attitude just now, and his anger soared. he suddenly stood up and walked a few steps towards xia wan, forcing xia wan to hide behind xia chen with a terrified look. xia yu¡¯s anger exploded. ¡°you bastards, you want to let me go just like that after hurting me?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t care! if you don¡¯t pay my medical fees today, i won¡¯t leave!¡± xia wan poked her head out from behind xia chen and said earnestly, ¡°your habitual dislocations will reset themselves. why did you come to extort our money?¡± after xia wan¡¯s reminder, everyone realized that xia yu¡¯s wrist had really returned to its original shape. someone else pointed out, ¡°i saw him use this hand when he stood up! he doesn¡¯t look injured at all!¡± ¡°so you¡¯re here to extort people! how disgusting!¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t expect xia ye to have such a brother. it¡¯s really¡­ it¡¯s very difficult to evaluate!¡± everyone was discussing animatedly. even though xia yu did not care about these things, his face turned red and white from the comments of the people around him. he pointed at xia wan angrily. ¡°it¡¯s you again, isn¡¯t it?¡± xia chen¡¯s face was gloomy as he scolded xia yu in a low voice. ¡°enough! if you dare to touch my sister again, i¡¯ll really cripple that hand of yours!¡± xia chen¡¯s threat was not loud, but xia yu did not dare to take another step forward. this was a fear that came from a young age. in all these years, when had xia yu ever won a one-on-one battle with xia chen? if it weren¡¯t for li jin¡¯s cover every time, he would have been beaten to death by xia chen! xia wan caught the fear in xia yu¡¯s eyes and almost laughed out loud. xia yu looked defeated, but he knew that this was not the place for him to be unreasonable. he gritted his teeth and said to xia wan and xia chen, ¡°just you wait! i¡¯ll go back and find third uncle and third aunt to reason with them!¡± xia yu turned around and ran, not giving xia chen and xia wan a chance to stop him. seeing that xia yu had run away, everyone left as well. the opera singer had already run away, so why would he stay? xia wan looked at xia yu¡¯s back as he left and couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°dad and mom won¡¯t be deceived by this guy again, right?¡± xia chen glanced at xia wan and said, ¡°you have to have faith in your parents. they are no longer the same as before!¡± ¡°let¡¯s go! let¡¯s go to the shop and see if we can help!¡± after xia chen finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the clothing store. xia wan also followed closely behind. if xia yu had a brain, he might have gone to the clothing store to cause trouble. if they rushed over now, they should be able to stop him. after walking for a distance, xia chen spoke again. ¡°how did you do it?¡± xia wan pretended to be innocent. ¡®what did you say?¡± ¡°xia yu¡¯s hand!¡± xia chen glanced at xia wan. ¡°you did it, didn¡¯t you?¡± xia chen knew xia wan¡¯s ability. xia yu did not have any habit of dislocating his joints since he was young, so there was a high chance that xia wan was the one who did it. however, he really did not see how xia wan did it! xia wan chuckled and said mysteriously. ¡°i¡¯m not telling you!¡± after saying that, she paused for a moment before saying. ¡°if there¡¯s a chance, i¡¯ll show you!¡± xia chen didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he didn¡¯t know who was going to suffer again. xia ye was annoyed by xia yu and was not in the mood to go shopping. she was not in the mood to watch the movie that kexin had arranged for her, so she walked aimlessly on the road. she had originally wanted to take the opportunity to curry favor with xia ye so that they could urge xia ru to arrange a tutor for them. she did not expect that she would not be able to curry favor with him and instead wanted to accompany him to relax. however, she was a little impatient in her heart. she could not show her dissatisfaction on her face directly, so she could only sigh secretly at the side. she had just sighed when xia ye turned around at this moment. however, her heart was almost suffocated by her own breath as she stared at xia ye in a daze. xia ye didn¡¯t say anything, looking troubled.. Chapter 443 - Chapter 443: I Need Money chapter 443: i need money translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after a while, ke xin finally let out a sigh of relief and asked xia ye, ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°let¡¯s go find xia ru!¡± after xia ye finished speaking, she pulled ke xin away. but xin didn¡¯t react for a moment. she was pulled over three to four hundred meters before she asked, ¡°where to?¡± ¡°go find your lady boss!¡± xia ye did not turn around. happiness came so suddenly that she almost thought she was dreaming. however, she did not intend to break this dream. she followed xia ye to xia ru¡¯s clothing store. just as he reached the entrance of the clothing store, he saw xia ru with her hands on her waist, instructing a shop assistant to put up a new job notice. xia ye walked behind xia ru and called out coldly, ¡°sis.¡± xia ru was shocked by the way he addressed her. she turned around and saw that it was xia ye. ¡°you¡­ called me?¡± xia ru pointed at her own nose to confirm again. was this girl possessed? why did he come to the shop to go crazy? xia ye could not be bothered with xia ru and continued to explain her intentions. ¡°i need money.¡± ¡°what?¡± xia ru thought that there was something wrong with her ears. she widened her eyes and looked at xia ye. ¡°what did you just say?¡± ¡°i need money!¡± xia ye gritted her teeth and spoke again. xia ru looked left and right, her face filled with disbelief. ¡°if you need money, go ask your parents! why look for me? i don¡¯t have money!¡± after xia ru finished speaking, she suddenly waved her hand. ¡°go, go, go! i won¡¯t be able to catch the bus home in a while!¡± seeing how xia ru was behaving like a beggar, xia ye secretly gritted her teeth and continued. ¡°you¡¯re the rich girl in our family. who else would i look for if not you ¡°i don¡¯t care who you¡¯re looking for! money? no!¡± xia ru growled impatiently. ¡°you must be dreaming, coming to my door in the daytime!¡± hearing xia ru¡¯s words, xia ye pursed her lips and said again, ¡°you and liu shi¡­¡± xia ru¡¯s expression changed, and she immediately pulled xia ye back. ¡°sister, let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± ke xin was standing next to the two of them. if ke xin heard something that she couldn¡¯t hear, wouldn¡¯t her status be in danger?! however, her heart naturally saw that there must be some secret between the two of them, and she had more plans in her heart. xia ru pulled xia ye and walked a few steps, then turned to ke xin and said, ¡°you can go back first! we sisters have something to say.¡± but how could ke xin be sent away just like that? she immediately said, ¡°i came with xia ye. i¡¯ll wait for her and go back together later.¡± ¡°no need!¡± xia ru¡¯s expression was unfriendly. ¡°i¡¯ll send her back later!¡± however, just as she was about to fight back, she saw xia ye¡¯s brother running over from afar. xia ye saw that ke xin did not speak and followed her gaze. she saw xia yu at a glance. xia ru didnt expect another problem to appear before she could even solve one. xia yu was pleasantly surprised to see xia ru. he had originally wanted to come to the clothing store to complain to xia hai and his wife. he had heard that xia ru was not in the clothing store much, so he did not expect to meet her. he did not expect to meet xia ru at the entrance of the shop as soon as he arrived. now, he was going to make a good profit today before going back! xia yu rushed toward xia ru and xia ye excitedly. xia ru cursed in her heart and was about to enter the shop without caring about xia ye. xia ye did not react as fast as xia ru. in a flash, xia yu had already rushed to the door. xia yu grabbed xia ru¡¯s wrist and pulled her out of the door. the shop assistant was shocked and stepped forward to help xia ru stop xia however, xia yu was tall and fat, so she knocked into the shop assistant. xia ru¡¯s wrist was in pain, and she wanted to struggle, but xia yu was too strong, and she could not break free. ¡°what are you trying to do? let go!¡± xia ru growled angrily. she was even more furious at this fatty. xia ye seemed to be frightened. she stood at the side and watched in a daze, not knowing if she was doing it on purpose or not. however, ke xin had no intention of stepping forward to help. xia ru was usually so domineering to others. now that she was in trouble, who would save her! the shop assistant rushed up because she was worried about her work and was afraid that xia ru would fire her in anger. the secretary was not in the shop today, so xia ru did not have to worry about her image in front of the secretary. at that moment, her unreasonable expression was revealed.. Chapter 444 - Chapter 444: Li Jin ‘s Serious Illness chapter 444: li jin ¡®s serious illness translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation when xia wan and xia chen arrived at the entrance of the shop, they saw xia ru smashing the signboard at xia yu¡¯s head crazily. xia wan never thought that xia ru would have such martial arts prowess. xia chen did not expect to see such a scene. he thought that xia yu would cause trouble at his clothing store, but he did not expect him to be the one who suffered. xia yu was beaten up by xia ru. ¡°xia ru, you lunatic! i¡¯m your cousin! how dare you hit me like this!¡± xia ru acted as if she did not hear him and hit xia yu on the head a few more times before saying to the shop assistant beside her, ¡°call the police!¡± xia yu did not expect xia ru to call the police after he was beaten up. he panicked and ran away while holding his bleeding head. xia ye was shocked. she did not expect xia ru to be so ruthless to xia yu. it was probably because he had been too resentful of li jin over the years that this time, he seized the opportunity to take revenge. it was xia yu¡¯s bad luck. initially, xia yu had the upper hand, but for some reason, he suddenly lost his grip on her wrist. this gave xia ru an opportunity to pick up the signboard and call out to xia ye. when xia ye came to her senses, she did not think of helping her own brother. instead, she hoped that xia ru would be able to chase xia yu away. however, this was the first time they had seen xia ru so valiant. in the past, her domineering attitude had only caused them to be dissatisfied, but now, they were really afraid. fortunately, she had not had a direct conflict with xia ru. otherwise, she might be the one who had been slapped! however, she shrunk her neck in fear and turned around to leave. xia ru threw away the signboard and said to the few people in front of her, ¡°if wen shu finds out about what happened today, the few of you will be in deep trouble!¡± after xia ru said this, she glared at xia wan and xia chen fiercely before turning around and entering the shop. xia ye stood at the door, but she suddenly stopped. he wanted to threaten xia ru just now. if she really entered the shop, would she be sending a sheep into the tiger¡¯s mouth? just as she was hesitating, she said to xia ye, ¡°let¡¯s go first! the lady boss is not in a good mood today.¡± however, she knew very well that wen shu was not in the shop today. xia ru would probably not agree to their request. moreover, xia ru seemed to have gone crazy from killing. no one could say for sure what she would do next. hearing ke xin¡¯s words, xia ye seemed to have come to her senses. she turned around and followed ke xin. xia wan and xia chen walked to their shop and found that there was no one in the shop. ¡°what happened?¡± xia wan saw a piece of white paper on the door that said, ¡°please forgive me if something happens to the main family.¡± xia chen was also confused. ¡°did he have something to do at the last minute?¡± ¡°why did the two of them leave together?¡± xia wan was even more confused. how urgent was this? when the two of them returned home, they saw xia feng sitting alone in the living room, flipping through a book. ¡°why are you alone? where are mom and dad?¡± xia chen asked as he looked at the house, which seemed to be the same as when he left in the morning. ¡°grandma is seriously ill, so dad and mom rushed over.¡± xia feng put down the book and looked at xia feng and xia wan with bright eyes. this child¡¯s ability to control his emotions was still so worrisome. could he restrain his happy expression a little? otherwise, people would think that their family had plotted against li jin! however, how did li jin suddenly become seriously ill? ¡°pulling a fast one again, aren¡¯t you?¡± xia wan muttered to herself. ¡°what do you think she wants to do?¡± xia chen sat beside xia wan. this sister was very different from before, so he wanted to discuss everything with her now. li jin¡¯s illness came too suddenly. how could a person who was usually so lively suddenly become seriously ill? moreover, li jin had gone to look for xia ru. looking at xia ru¡¯s expression today, she did not seem to know that li jin was seriously ill! ¡°there must be a reason for this abnormality. i¡¯m afraid this matter has something to do with xia ru.¡± xia chen recalled xia ru¡¯s performance today. it seemed abnormal. ¡°let¡¯s go and take a look! i don¡¯t want mom and dad to suffer!¡± xia wan stood up and pulled xia feng and xia chen out. xia feng struggled for a while, but it seemed like he couldn¡¯t break free. he was pulled away by xia wan. the three of them arrived outside xia ru¡¯s shop. at this moment, xia ru was about to close the door. when she saw xia chen and his siblings, she immediately showed an unfriendly expression.. ¡°what are you doing here? looking for trouble again?¡± Chapter 445 - Chapter 445: It Would Take His Life chapter 445: it would take his life translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°grandma is seriously ill?¡± xia chen ignored xia ru¡¯s unfriendly attitude and asked directly. xia ru seemed initially puzzled but soon responded, ¡°yes! grandma is seriously ill! why don¡¯t you go and see her?¡± xia wan, sensing something was amiss, inquired, ¡°is grandma at your house or in the hospital?¡± xia ru glanced at xia wan from the corner of her eyes and said, ¡°at the hospital, of course! how could a seriously ill person be at home?¡± ¡°what if¡­¡± xia ru¡¯s voice trailed off as she suddenly fell silent. xia wan couldn¡¯t help but smirk, knowing what xia ru had left unsaid. if this person had really passed away at home, it would be a terrible omen. however, given xia ru¡¯s attitude, was li jin genuinely unwell? xia chen glanced at xia wan and said, ¡°let¡¯s go take a look?¡± xia wan shared the same intention. whether li jin was genuinely sick or pretending, they would soon find out when they visited. the three of them followed the address xia ru had provided and found a humble three-story township hospital. xia ru cast a critical eye on the rundown hospital building and the weed-covered gravel path, muttering, ¡°it¡¯s fitting for xia ru to choose such a place.¡± xia chen suggested, ¡°let¡¯s go in and check first.¡± as they approached the hospital¡¯s entrance, a disheveled middle-aged man in khaki attire blocked their path. ¡°where are you headed?¡± xia wan was taken aback and surprised that there was someone guarding this rundown place. ¡°we¡¯re here to visit a patient,¡± xia chen calmly informed the man. ¡°visiting a patient again, are you?¡± the man¡¯s face was etched with displeasure as he fumbled with his clothing and reached out towards xia chen. ¡°any police officers among you?¡± xia chen was bewildered. ¡°police officers?¡± ¡°if there are no police officers, why are you staring at people? move along!¡± the man waved them off impatiently. puzzled, xia wan asked, ¡°what kind of place is this?¡± ¡°are you here to cause trouble?¡± the man was even more irritated. ¡°i don¡¯t know where you came from!¡± ¡°let me tell you, this is the town¡¯s mental hospital!¡± ¡°every day, all sorts of odd characters come here! ¡± xia chen and the others were taken aback by the man¡¯s words. why had li jin been admitted to a mental hospital? or was xia ru deceiving them? while they were pondering, xia hai and yan han emerged from the hospital. ¡°dad, mom!¡± xia chen immediately called out to them. xia hails face was originally marked with worry, but upon seeing the expressions of xia chen and the others, his concern deepened. as the guard observed xia hai and his wife exit, he huffed, ¡°i told you not to enter, but you didn¡¯t listen!¡± ¡°what¡¯s so great about going in there?¡± the guard spewed contemptuously. ¡°can anything good come out of there?¡± ¡°okay, okay! let¡¯s go! don¡¯t come back here!¡± the guard hollered at them, then suddenly choked and fell backvvard. xia hai instinctively reached out to catch him, but he fell to the ground. yan han and the others rushed to help xia hai up, only to see the guard lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing. panicking, xia hai immediately called into the hospital. soon, a doctor in a white coat rushed out. after assessing the guard¡¯s condition, the doctor hurried back inside. he returned with a syringe a few moments later, followed by several attendants. ¡°what should we do? old zhao is unwell again!¡± ¡°what other choice do we have? give him another shot! if he lives, he lives; if he dies, he dies!¡± ¡°the last injection kept him bedridden for days!¡± ¡°do you have any better ideas?¡± the attendants crowded around the guard, talking in rapid succession, yet none made a move to help him. as the doctor prepared to inject the guard, xia wan suddenly called out, ¡®wait!¡± the doctor was startled, and the needle made a small cut on the guard¡¯s arm as he paused. ¡°young lady, what are you shouting for?¡± the doctor stared fiercely at xia wan. the doctor, however, didn¡¯t dare move after hearing xia wan¡¯s words. but shortly thereafter, he responded, ¡°what do you know, young lady? old zhao is incurable! we can only administer a sedative.¡± as the doctor spoke, he directed the needle towards old zhao¡¯s vein once again. before xia wan could voice her objection, xia feng unexpectedly grabbed the doctor¡¯s wrist. ¡°can¡¯t you see that this injection could kill him?¡± xia wan hadn¡¯t anticipated xia feng intervening at this critical moment, but she trusted him.. Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Your Pride or Your Life chapter 446: your pride or your life translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation as the doctor¡¯s hand was seized, the onlookers rushed to assist. however, xia wan swiftly reached old zhao¡¯s side. she tilted his head to the side, used her fingers to pry open his foaming mouth, and began to clean it. one person halted in shock, frowning at xia wan¡¯s actions, while another nearly gagged at the sight. old zhao clenched his teeth, and in the process of cleaning, xia wan¡¯s hand was scratched by his teeth, drawing blood. yan han¡¯s heart ached when he witnessed this. he wanted to intervene but recognized that she was saving a life. ¡°allow me to help.¡± xia chen stepped forward, intending to take over xia wan¡¯s task. he didn¡¯t understand why, but he didn¡¯t want to see xia wan get hurt. ¡°don¡¯t concern yourself with me. unfasten his clothes.¡± ¡°show me his chest area and unfasten his belt.¡± xia chen didn¡¯t hesitate and promptly started unbuttoning old zhao¡¯s clothes. upon observing that old zhao was on the brink of being stripped naked in public, the staff from the mental hospital reacted again. ¡°this isn¡¯t allowed! you¡¯re¡­ outraging his modesty!¡± xia wan glared at the person who had spoken. ¡°do you want him to live or not?¡± the individual was rendered speechless by xia wan¡¯s stern gaze. xia chen adeptly unbuttoned old zhao¡¯s attire, while xia wan also finished cleaning his mouth. nonetheless, old zhao¡¯s body continued to twitch uncontrollably, signaling no improvement. ¡°look, this isn¡¯t working! your commotion is tormenting old zhao!¡± the doctor interjected once more. ¡°don¡¯t grip my wrist so tightly; it hurts!¡± ¡°let me remind you, i¡¯m doctor chen from the town! if you injure my wrist, you¡¯ll see who¡¯ll administer your injections in the future when you¡¯re sick!¡± the doctor maintained a smug expression while delivering his threat. xia wan paid him no mind. with xia feng restraining him, there was little he could do. after ensuring there were no foreign objects in old zhao¡¯s mouth, xia wan retrieved a small wallet from her pocket and placed it in his mouth. she then pressed her hand to old zhao¡¯s wrist and promptly withdrew it. ¡°as expected!¡± xia wan declared, removing a small pouch containing several silver needles. before anyone could react, xia wan had already inserted the silver needles into old zhao¡¯s zhongchong and shaochong acupoints. she then pulled off old zhao¡¯s socks and conducted acupuncture on the taichong acupoint, all under the watchful eyes of the spectators. the last few needles were inserted into dazhui, houxi, and shuigou. just as everyone was amazed by xia wan¡¯s swift acupuncture technique, the silver needle in her hand inadvertently pierced old zhao¡¯s baihui acupoint. although the doctor¡¯s medical skills weren¡¯t top-notch, he understood where the human body¡¯s vulnerable points were. seeing xia wan apply acupuncture in that location, he immediately shrieked, ¡°you¡¯ve killed him! you¡¯ll kill him! good heavens! call the police! call the police!¡± a barrage of shrill cries caused xia wan¡¯s pent-up emotions to explode. ¡°shut up! if you¡¯re capable, come and assist! if not, then keep your mouth shut!¡± xia wan didn¡¯t even glance at the doctor, but her voice was resolute. after xia wan inserted several needles, old zhao gradually began to settle down, his breathing becoming more steady. observing his improved condition, the others attempted to relocate old zhao. xia wan reached out and restrained them. ¡°don¡¯t touch him yet! wait until he awakens! ¡± the individuals, though uncertain, refrained from moving, listening to xia wan¡¯s directions unquestioningly. ¡°prepare a clean room and some hot water. fetch some fever-reducing and wind-dispelling medicine,¡± xia wan instructed the staff standing there. they exchanged bewildered glances but made no effort to act. ¡°why aren¡¯t you moving?¡± xia wan inquired with a furrowed brow. although xia wan¡¯s tone was not loud, it exuded an undeniable authority. yet the few individuals appeared hesitant. ¡°we¡¯re here solely for employment. we know nothing about fever-reducing and wind-dispelling medicine.¡± ¡°exactly! this is a mental hospital, not a regular medical facility. how can we administer treatment?¡± ¡°i believe it would be better to transfer her to the newly established hospital in town. i heard it¡¯s managed by a retired city doctor!¡± the group relayed their opinions one after the other, deeming this as a viable solution. frustrated by their chatter, xia wan exclaimed, ¡°if you wish for him to survive, stop the prattle! otherwise, this person will remain here, and you¡¯ll be collecting his lifeless body!¡± xia wan¡¯s words might have seemed hyperbolic, but as of now, old zhao had been rescued. with a bit more rest, his life should no longer be at risk. nonetheless, their attitudes left xia wan no choice but to direct an acerbic gaze at them.. Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: Li Jin Gone Crazy chapter 447: li jin gone crazy translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after being reprimanded by xia wan, those individuals lost their temper and promptly found a cloth sheet to transport old zhao. witnessing that he was stable, xia hai¡¯s family made preparations to leave. however, the doctor seized xia wan, preventing her from departing. ¡°no, you can¡¯t leave! although this person seems fine now, what if something happens later? you must accompany me inside!¡± the doctor insisted. xia wan had initially intended to enter and investigate li jin¡¯s condition. after the doctor¡¯s outburst, she exchanged farewells with xia hai and yan han, following the physician into the hospital. xia hai and his companions couldn¡¯t permit her to venture alone into such a precarious situation. what if a real issue arose? thus, they all entered the hospital together without further debate. xia wan was led to the room where old zhao had been placed temporarily, its wooden window half shattered. inside, there was merely a wooden bed, one of its legs propped up precariously with a wooden stick. old zhao lay on the bed, his face still pallid. the doctor approached to assess old zhao¡¯s condition, noting that he appeared to be sleeping, with his breathing no longer as labored. ¡°your good fortune won¡¯t last long. if anything happens to old zhao, i¡¯ll head straight to the police station to report you!¡± the doctor admonished xia wan, still skeptical of her capabilities. xia wan couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain herself and simply said, ¡°he¡¯s stable for now. can i go check on my grandmother first?¡± ¡°who¡¯s your grandmother?¡± the doctor¡¯s foul mood persisted. ¡°li jin, who was recently admitted here,¡± xia wan replied. xia hai added, ¡°yes, the elderly lady in the innermost ward.¡± ¡°that elderly woman!¡± mentioning li jin, the doctor seemed even more infuriated. ¡°ever since she arrived, she¡¯s been causing a ruckus every day, even when sedated, she won¡¯t keep quiet.¡± upon learning that li jin had been sedated, xia wan frowned. ¡°who brought her here? what¡¯s her ailment?¡± ¡°how would i know her ailment?¡± the doctor was still irate. ¡°she was sent here for a reason.¡± ¡°those admitted here are all lunatics!¡± ¡°why should we be concerned about their lives?¡± xia hai was the first to lose his temper. ¡°i inspected her thoroughly. why is she now deemed insane?!¡± upon seeing li jin¡¯s appearance today, he couldn¡¯t discern any abnormalities beyond momentary bewilderment. his intention had been to return home and discuss with his children how to secure li jin¡¯s release. he hadn¡¯t anticipated these statements. naturally, xia wan couldn¡¯t believe it either. with li jin¡¯s noisy personality, she doubted that he had gone insane for no reason. ¡°take us there,¡± xia wan demanded, leading the way as she departed the room. the doctor didn¡¯t attempt to halt her and merely trailed behind xia wan, continuing his tirade about how challenging it was to tend to li jin. the group arrived at the designated room and suddenly heard a scream emanating from within. subsequently, a girl with braided hair, her visage drenched in blood, bolted out of the room, appearing quite frightening. ¡°then what?¡± the doctor hollered and managed to intercept the screaming girl. ¡°she¡­ she¡­¡± the girl panted and sobbed, revealing that she had been through distress. however, it was unclear what had transpired within the room. the hospital staff hesitated to enter recklessly as they were dealing with a deranged patient. after all, the person inside was more unhinged than those at the hospital! observing the staff¡¯s hesitation, xia wan pushed the door open and entered. xia hai, concerned about xia wan¡¯s safety, hastened to her side. she gazed up at his towering frame and smiled. ¡°please wait outside,¡± xia wan instructed the others, apprehensive that too many people entering might agitate li jin. xia wan stepped into the ward and encountered li jin, his feet and one hand bound to the bed. a cloth belt was fastened around the wrist of his other hand, which the girl with braided hair seemed to have injured when securing li jin¡¯s hands. li jin shut his eyes and writhed on the bed. ¡®xia ru, you vile girl! just wait, i¡¯ll peel your skin off!¡± as anticipated, the situation was tied to xia ru! ¡°xia hai! you heartless wretch! i raised you for nothing!¡± li jin railed while brandishing a metal plate in his free hand. xia hai was on the verge of consoling li jin when xia wan halted him. xia wan extended a hand to retrieve the unused sedative on the table, and, pushing li jin¡¯s restrained arm, she administered the drug. li jin sensed something amiss. he waved his hand and brought down the metal plate on xia wan¡¯s face.. Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: The Deal chapter 448: the deal translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan did not dodge. she grabbed li jin¡¯s wrist with one hand and stopped her. soon, the medicinal liquid took effect, and li jin¡¯s hand collapsed weakly. xia hai went up to check if xia wan was hurt. ¡°i¡¯m fine¡­ dad, was she like this when you came in just now?¡± xia wan looked at li jin, whose hands and feet were bound, and frowned slightly. only patients with severe violent tendencies who could not control themselves would be subjected to such a forceful measure. even if li jin had a bad temper, tying him up was a little too much for an old man. xia hai looked at li jin¡¯s expression and regretted his decision. ¡®when we came, she was just locked in her room. she refused to take medicine or cooperate with the treatment.¡± ¡°i never expected¡­¡± xia hai sighed again. ¡°your grandmother kept asking me to take her away from here. i should have listened to her!¡± ¡°but the people here said that the person who sent her in had to agree before they could let her out.¡± ¡°we wanted to go back and discuss it with you, but we met you at the door.¡± ever since xia wan took care of all the family matters, xia hai and yan han had been following her every word. xia wan¡¯s way of thinking was different from theirs. she was much more advanced than them. they needed to listen to her opinions many times. especially after xia wan showed her medical skills, they handed all the problems in this area to xia wan to deal with. li jin¡¯s illness was really strange this time, so they decided to go home first and muse about it. however, li jin knew that xia hai had no intention of taking him away when he came to see him, so he immediately lost his temper. li jin, who was originally locked up in the room, had her hands and feet tied up as soon as xia hai left. ¡°dad, you don¡¯t have to blame yourself too much. you shouldn¡¯t blame yourself!¡± xia wan comforted xia hai. li jin was injected with a small dose of sedative and quickly regained some consciousness. however, she could not move her body and could not open her mouth to speak. xia wan took the opportunity to ask what she wanted to know. ¡°if i ask you now, you only need to use your eyes to answer me.¡± ¡°if you¡¯re right, blink once. if you¡¯re wrong, blink twice. understand?¡± as xia wan expected, li jin rolled her eyes at her. xia wan did not mind and continued, ¡°if you¡¯re willing to cooperate, i¡¯ll think of a way to get you out.¡± upon hearing that he could get out, li jin immediately blinked his eyes desperately. ¡°good! then answer my question now.¡± xia wan asked when she saw that li jin was no longer struggling. ¡°xia ru sent you here?¡± after xia wan asked, she stared at li jin¡¯s eyes. li jin blinked twice, causing xia hai to exclaim in surprise. xia wan didn¡¯t seem surprised and continued to ask, ¡°did she take something from you?¡± li jin¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and then he blinked hard. ¡°alright after xia wan asked this question, li jin glared at xia wan angrily. when xia hai¡¯s family left, li jin tried to find a chance to get some benefits from them several times, but she never succeeded. now, this wretched girl actually took advantage of her predicament and wanted her to completely sever ties with them? this was impossible! li jin snorted angrily and glared at her, as if she did not intend to respond to xia wan¡¯s question. xia hai knew that xia wan was worried that li jin would cling to them again in the future. but right now, saving a life was the paramount issue. xia hai was about to persuade her when xia wan said, ¡°i can let xia ru¡¯s family support you until you die and ensure that you don¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing. what do you think?¡± li jin blinked her eyes and thought seriously. even though xiahai¡¯s family was living a good life now, it was nothing compared to xia ru¡¯s boyfriend. even if xia ru did such a despicable thing this time, if xia wan really had a way to make xia ru acknowledge her and support her, why not? li jin thought for a while and winked at xia wan. xia wan nodded in satisfaction and continued, ¡°it¡¯s estimated that in about an hour, the effect of this medicine will completely disappear. at that time, you can move freely.¡± ¡°i will take you away within three days, but you have to promise not to cause any trouble in this period.¡± after xia wan warned li jin, she walked towards the door of the ward without waiting for her reply. xia hai looked at li jin worriedly, but he didn¡¯t reach out to untie her.. Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Would You Believe That I’d Call the Police to Arrest You? chapter 449: would you believe that i¡¯d call the police to arrest you? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation upon leaving the ward, a sense of eager anticipation and nervousness radiated from the small group of onlookers gathered at the entrance, fixated on xia wan and her husband. as the couple stepped into the room, the cacophony within swiftly hushed. the spectators outside remained hesitant, grappling with the enigma shrouding the interior. it wasn¡¯t until xia wan and xia hai reemerged from the room unscathed that assurance washed over the bystanders, ensuring that the ¡®madman¡¯ had not inflicted harm upon them. indeed, in a matter of days, li jin had left more than five casualties in his wake at the hospital. ¡°are you both alright?¡± yan han¡¯s gaze bore a trace of worry as he hurried towards xia hai and xia wan to inspect potential injuries. with a reassuring smile, xia wan replied, ¡°we¡¯re fine! dad, mom, you should head back now. i need to discuss something with the director.¡± yan han¡¯s concern for xia wan still lingered, but xia hai¡¯s nod to yan han conveyed his trust in their daughter. ¡°i¡¯ll stay here with wanwan. don¡¯t worry.¡± knowing that her objections would fall on deaf ears, xia wan yielded to xia chen¡¯s resolve. as xia hai and yan han departed with xia feng, xia wan, addressing the doctor, declared, ¡°i wish to see your director.¡± the doctor, stammering, hesitated, clearly concealing something. xia wan, in response, offered a derisive snort, and said, ¡°then summon someone who can address this matter.¡± dismayed by xia wan¡¯s abruptness, the doctor was on the verge of reprimanding her and reminding her of her place. however, in the next instant, xia wan¡¯s words startled him, ¡°unless you want the authorities to seal this place and invite the police in right now, i suggest you avoid further exposure of your concealed activities.¡± taken aback, the doctor weighed his options. regardless of what suspicions this young woman had unearthed, the prospect of outsiders discovering their hidden secrets was unsettling. xia wan, sensing his hesitation, added, ¡°i don¡¯t wish to cause you any trouble. just fetch someone capable, and i¡¯ll communicate directly with them.¡± she continued, ¡°also, as for the gatekeeper, it would be prudent to transfer him to the hospital once he regains consciousness. otherwise, i cannot guarantee his well-being during the next bout of illness.¡± having said her piece, xia wan took a seat nearby, falling silent. xia chen, too, leaned against a wall with arms folded, awaiting further developments. the doctor, torn between a rock and a hard place, ground his teeth and relented, ¡®very well! i shall locate the person in charge. wait here. do not wander.¡± xia wan nonchalantly gestured for him to proceed. once the doctor had departed, xia chen inquired, ¡°what is your plan?¡± approaching xia chen, xia wan lowered her voice, ¡°i believe something is amiss within this hospital.¡± ¡°a matter that strikes you as odd?¡± xia chen raised an eyebrow, intrigued. ¡°the level of professionalism among the doctors is questionable, even unable to identify basic medications. isn¡¯t that peculiar?¡± ¡°moreover, how can a mental institution employ an individual with epilepsy as a gatekeeper? this, i suspect, provides an opportunity for patients seeking to escape. ¡± as xia chen contemplated the incidents that had unfolded, he concurred, ¡°you make a valid point.¡± ¡°then what is your intent? do you genuinely wish to rescue grandma?¡± xia chen inquired once more. though li jin was his grandmother, xia chen harbored no particular affection for her. his chief concern was that her rescue might precipitate negative repercussions on their family. xia wan appeared unperturbed, her smile unwavering as she settled back into her chair. ¡°there¡¯s no rush. they¡¯re arriving¡­¡± scarcely had xia wan retaken her seat when two individuals entered the room. the doctor bowed, accompanying a portly man into the chamber. clad in an ill-fitting gray suit, the man¡¯s protruding belly extended beyond the constraints of his suit jacket, unveiling a substantial expanse of slightly discolored white shirt. the man¡¯s leather shoes bore mud stains, bearing the marks of arduous travel. a scant few strands of sweat-drenched hair clung to his bald head. introducing them, the doctor said, ¡°this is director zhang, our head.¡± ¡°director, these are the two individuals who¡¯ve stirred up trouble,¡± he indicated, alluding to xia wan and xia chen. director zhang lowered his chin ever so slightly, scrutinizing xia wan and xia chen with a measured gaze, and inquired, ¡°you two are the culprits causing commotion? do you believe that i won¡¯t hesitate to summon the police?¡± xia wan stifled a laugh at the prospect of police intervention.. Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: Report chapter 450: report translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation director zhang moved his hefty frame and settled into the chair. then, he turned to xia wan and xia chen with a sincere expression and said, ¡°i can understand how you feel as family members.¡± ¡°but it¡¯s truly unreasonable for you to come to the hospital and cause trouble like this!¡± ¡°you have to believe that we will treat every patient well!¡± looking at director zhang¡¯s mouth opening and closing, xia wan did not hear a single word. ¡°director zhang, right? may i ask if your hospital has a proper business license?¡± xia wan interrupted director zhang¡¯s chatter. ¡°what is it? what did you say?¡± director zhang seemed not to understand and leaned over to ask. ¡°business license! do you have a medical license for the hospital?¡± xia wan was rather patient and wasn¡¯t afraid that the other party would pretend not to understand. ¡°i think you¡¯re simply practicing medicine without a license here. these staff members should be randomly found and have no professionalism. if they really called the police, who knew who would suffer in the end! ¡± when director zhang heard this, he laughed disdainfully. it was obvious that he was fearless. ¡°i really have to thank you for worrying about us!¡± ¡°why don¡¯t we give it a try?¡± xia chen understood the meaning of director zhang¡¯s words. they had obviously established a relationship with the surrounding police stations. xia wan naturally understood the meaning behind director zhang¡¯s words. she smiled. ¡°director zhang, you¡¯re so confident. could it be that you¡¯ve already established connections around you, or do you have someone backing you up?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t need a little girl like you to care about this!¡± director zhang snorted unhappily. ¡°i¡¯m not going to waste any more time talking to you!¡± ¡°do you want to leave now, or should i get the police to take you away? director zhang took off his hypocritical mask and asked sternly. it seemed that they would not shed tears until they saw the coffin! after director zhang finished speaking, he gestured for the people guarding the door to call the police. xia wan immediately took out her phone. ¡°i just contacted a police officer. he should be here soon.¡± xia wan had just finished speaking when she heard a commotion outside. soon, a familiar voice rang in her ears. ¡°someone reported that this place is illegally imprisoning people. what¡¯s going on?¡± officer song appeared at the door. he glanced at xia wan and did not deliberately greet her. he only asked, ¡°you called the police?¡± xia wan nodded and walked to officer song¡¯s side. ¡°my grandmother was forcibly detained in this hospital. i suspect that this hospital doesn¡¯t have the qualifications to practice medicine at all.¡± officer song looked at xia wan in surprise. obviously, he didn¡¯t expect the person who was illegally detained to be xia wan¡¯s grandmother. officer song did not let his emotions leak too much. he said to director zhang, ¡°please cooperate with the investigation.¡± ¡°does she have to do whatever she says? this is a hospital, how can we just check casually!¡± director zhang was obviously unwilling to cooperate. he even winked at the doctor beside him. the doctor understood and was about to run out to get help. just as she ran to the door, she was stopped by the people brought by officer song. ¡°since the public has reported it, we need to check it carefully. please cooperate.¡± officer song said, and then his tone became even more severe. ¡°otherwise, we¡¯ll have to use force.¡± seeing this, director zhang said to the doctor, ¡°xiao li, go and bring our qualifications over for the police officer to take a look.¡± ¡°ah?¡± doctor li obviously did not understand director zhang¡¯s intentions. he subconsciously asked, ¡°what materials?¡± ¡°it¡¯s the materials i asked you to prepare last time!¡± director zhang¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°the ones in the office upstairs!¡± hearing director zhang¡¯s hint, doctor li finally understood his intentions. he nodded and walked out. ¡°i understand now! i¡¯ll go now!¡± ¡°wait!¡± officer song had been handling cases for many years. how could he not see through the way the two of them were signaling? ¡°i¡¯ll send a police officer with you.¡± after officer song finished speaking, he said to the officer who stopped doctor li. ¡°go with him. come back quickly. don¡¯t waste time!¡± the young police officer immediately nodded and gestured for doctor li to walk in front. doctor li looked back at director zhang and sighed. he resigned himself to his fate and walked upstairs to the office.. Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Coming to Make Trouble chapter 451: coming to make trouble translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation for a moment, only the xia siblings, officer song, and director zhang were left in the room. it was unknown if it was because the room was too hot or if he was feeling guilty, but director zhang¡¯s forehead was sweating profusely. it flowed down his forehead, down his chin, and into the collar of his white shirt. after a while, he finally said, ¡°officer, what¡¯s your name? which police station are you from? do you know officer tang from the xiang county police station?¡± hearing director zhang¡¯s words, it was obvious that he was trying to build connections. officer song wasn¡¯t so easy to get close to. a cold ¡°i don¡¯t know him¡± cut off director zhang¡¯s thoughts. however, director zhang was not going to give up so easily. he continued to ask, ¡°officer, you came all the way here. there¡¯s new good tea in my office. why don¡¯t we drink it while we wait?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so polite. we¡¯re carrying out official duties. these actions are suspected of obstructing justice,¡± officer song responded expressionlessly and then said to xia wan, ¡°where are the people detained?¡± ¡°since the hospital can¡¯t bring the materials over so quickly, let¡¯s go and see him first. ¡± the expression on director zhang¡¯s face was even more complicated. it was said that li jin had been cursing his parents all day since he was admitted to the hospital. if he really said something bad and the police caught him, how would he explain it to those higher-ups? ¡°officer song, this person is crazy! violent! if you go over and get hurt, it won¡¯t be good!¡± as director zhang spoke, he rolled his eyes and said, ¡°why don¡¯t i get someone to give her an injection first to calm her down before we go over?¡± xia wan immediately said, ¡°i told you to give her another shot and knock her unconscious. it¡¯s whatever you want!¡± director zhang wanted to defend himself, but xia wan stopped him. ¡°i think we still need a professional appraisal agency to determine if there¡¯s anything wrong with this person. i don¡¯t trust the professionalism of your hospital, so please prove that your hospital is trustworthy first!¡± after xia wan said that, director zhang had nothing to say. the other party did not force them to take her away, so they could not stop her. he gritted his teeth and thought quickly, thinking of a way to send these people away first. at this moment, another voice came from the corridor. ¡°what happened? i heard that someone came here to cause trouble?¡± a tall and slender man dressed like a police officer walked in from outside, holding a kraft paper file in his hand. he walked to the door and looked at the few people in the room before saying to officer song, ¡°comrade, which unit are you from?¡± officer song glanced at the man and flashed his work pass. ¡°we received a report from the public that there are cases of illegal medical practice and illegal detention here. we¡¯re here to investigate.¡± ¡°oh? why didn¡¯t i know about this? director zhang, didn¡¯t you show director lei your information when you had dinner with him last time?¡± the policeman looked surprised. director zhang seemed to have thought of something. he slapped his forehead and said, ¡°that¡¯s right! last time, when the city¡¯s chief lei came to inspect, we had dinner together!¡± ¡°at that time, director lei checked our qualifications. there was definitely no problem!¡± ¡°that¡¯s it! with director lei as a guarantee, what are you afraid of?¡± the police officer said to officer song, ¡°why don¡¯t we go to the city and ask the police?¡± the other party actually mentioned the city leader. officer song really couldn¡¯t react for a moment. he wasn¡¯t very clear about the titles of the leaders in the city, but it seemed that there was indeed a deputy bureau chief surnamed lei. officer song was hesitating when xia wan said, ¡°i don¡¯t know anything about a lightning trap! i knew they didn¡¯t have the qualifications to run a business here. they even captured my grandmother!¡± ¡°also, i don¡¯t know who you are! why should i believe what you say? when the policeman heard xia wan¡¯s words, his expression changed. ¡°where did you come from, wild girl? you have no right to speak here!¡± seeing the policeman speak to xia wan like that, officer song¡¯s expression changed. ¡°comrade, we have received a report and are doing our job. please don¡¯t interfere with our work! please show me your work permit!¡± the police officer saw that officer song had already retreated, but his attitude suddenly changed. his expression became even uglier. he took out a document and waved it in front of officer song.. he said impatiently, ¡°good! i¡¯ll call director lei now and see how you explain it!¡± Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Are You Worried About Grandma? chapter 452: are you worried about grandma? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation officer song glanced at xia wan, feeling a little nervous. he had been in officialdom for so long, and it was not easy for him to start taking care of his subordinates now. he could not risk his future because of these insignificant matters. however, the relationship between xia wan and chen mo added another layer of consideration for officer song. just as he was hesitating, he heard a policeman say, ¡°just you wait! someone will come to take care of you shortly!¡± xia chen, who had been silent all this while, looked in xia wan¡¯s direction. xia wan was currently typing a text message on her phone. she didn¡¯t know who the message was going to. while they were waiting, doctor li and the young police officer had already returned with the materials. officer song was about to reach out to take them, but the policeman stopped him, saying, ¡°no one is allowed to touch anything here before director lei sends someone over!¡± ¡®you don¡¯t even have a search warrant. can you just search this hospital as you please?¡± officer song looked at the policeman suspiciously and continued, ¡°we¡¯ve accepted a mission. if you have any doubts, you can come back to the station with us. we¡¯ll provide you with a satisfactory answer.¡± just as he finished speaking, a call came in. officer song picked up the phone. after hanging up the phone, officer song flipped through the documents in his hand and said to director zhang, ¡°you are suspected of illegal detention. please cooperate and return to the police station for an investigation.¡± after officer song finished speaking, he gestured for the young police officer to take director zhang away. doctor li looked around in panic. seeing that officer song had no intention of arresting him, he subconsciously shrank into a corner of the room. the police officer was about to step forward to stop him, but officer song stopped him, saying, ¡°we suspect that you are impersonating a police officer and interfering with the police¡¯s investigation. please come with us.¡± after officer song finished speaking, he twisted the shoulder of the ¡°policeman¡± and forced him to kneel on the ground. ¡®what are you talking about?¡± the policeman struggled. ¡°i¡¯m a police officer! i have a police badge!¡± officer song: ¡°oh right, i forgot to mention that there¡¯s also a charge of altering and forging state agency documents! let¡¯s go!¡± the policeman¡¯s face instantly turned ashen. ¡°how is that possible? how is that possible?¡± director zhang and the police officer were taken away. officer song said a few words to xia wan and left hurriedly after saying, ¡°i¡¯ll have to invite you to the police station to record your statement later.¡± only xia chen, xia wan, and doctor li were left in the room. doctor li laughed dryly and asked xia wan, ¡°you guys¡­ do you want to bring your grandmother home?¡± he thought that xia wan would agree immediately, but he did not expect xia wan to shake her head and say, ¡°no, i can¡¯t! i¡¯ll just leave her here with you.¡± ¡°take good care of her three meals a day!¡± ¡°definitely! ¡± ¡°don¡¯t use the sedative!¡± ¡°definitely! ¡± ¡°just switch to oral medicine!¡± ¡°definitely¡­ eh?¡± under doctor li¡¯s shocked expression, xia wan pulled xia chen out of the mental hospital. as they walked out of the mental hospital, xia chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°when did you call the police?¡± ¡°when grandma was shouting in the ward¡­¡± xia wan replied absent-mindedly. ¡°are you worried about grandma?¡± xia chen guessed. xia wan tilted her head and looked at xia chen, not saying a word. xia chen pursed his lips. ¡°let¡¯s go back! xia ru should have already received the news,¡± xia wan said and pulled xia chen to speed up. ¡°we might have to go to the house to make a scene later!¡± xia chen was stunned for a moment and immediately followed xia wan¡¯s footsteps. the two of them rushed home. xia chen and xia wan had just entered the house when they heard xia ru¡¯s scream from inside. ¡°you¡¯re ruining my life!¡± ¡°how can your family be so selfish!¡± ¡°what have i done wrong to you?¡± ¡°why are you doing this to me?¡± xia ru¡¯s series of questions left xia hai and his wife dumbfounded. ¡°xia ru, if you have something to say, just say it. there¡¯s no need to be so angry.¡± xia ru didn¡¯t restrain herself. instead, she picked up a potted plant and threw it at the couple¡¯s feet. xia chen and xia wan happened to walk into the house at this time. xia chen was about to scold xia ru, but he did not expect xia wan to step forward first and slap xia ruts face. xia ru covered her face with one hand and stared at xia wan in shock. ¡°what are you doing? why did you hit me? what¡¯s wrong with you!¡± xia wan clapped her hands and walked over to xia hai and yan han. ¡°if you can come to my house to cause trouble, why can¡¯t i hit you? ¡°if you dare to cause trouble again, i will still dare to hit you..¡± Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Xia Ru Causes Trouble at Xia Wan I s Home chapter 453: xia ru causes trouble at xia wan i s home translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia ru looked at xia wan as though she were a lunatic. during this period, xia wan had become increasingly irrational, always doing things that took her by surprise! it was truly despicable! yan han, upon witnessing xia ru getting slapped, felt anxious as well. if xia wan¡¯s uncle¡¯s family found out about this, there would be a huge commotion! yan han was tense, and she subconsciously grabbed xia hai¡¯s arm. xia hai patted his wife¡¯s hand and addressed xia ru, ¡°xia ru, we are your uncle and aunt. what¡¯s the matter with you coming to our house and causing such a scene?¡± xia wan¡¯s slap had finally provoked xia hai¡¯s anger. xia ru usually didn¡¯t take them seriously, considering she was pampered by the li jin and xia jiang couple. however, now she dared to create a scene in their home! with xia hai¡¯s reminder, xia ru remembered the incident she had forgotten because of xia wan¡¯s slap earlier. ¡°yes! xia wan! it¡¯s all because of you! if you hadn¡¯t gone there today, none of this would have happened¡­¡± xia ru couldn¡¯t find the words to continue her sentence. her original plan was not like this. li jin was sent into a mental hospital, and there was no way anyone could get her out! she had brought this upon herself! who told her to unnecessarily irritate wen shu! xia ru had painstakingly managed to make wenshu happy. because of that, wen shu had demanded that she cut off all contact with the poor relatives in her family. even without wen shu¡¯s request, xia ru had no intention of maintaining contact with those poor relatives. the hospital, she heard, was run by wen shu¡¯s friend. once someone was admitted there, they would never get out. it was because of this that xia ru knew xia hai, the filial son, would not sit still. the more helpless they were, the happier she felt. but who would have thought that her well-laid plans would be ruined by xia wan! ¡°i don¡¯t care! you all better explain it to wen shu for me!¡± xia ru acted stubbornly. ¡°he¡¯s very angry right now and won¡¯t listen to my explanations! ¡°if wen shu leaves me because of this, it will all be your family¡¯s fault!¡± hearing xia ru¡¯s theory, xia wan wished to give her another couple of slaps to clear the nonsense from her head. however, since everything had been arranged by wenshu, xia wan had solidified her thoughts. ¡°you tell me, was it wen shu who had you send grandma in? is the mental hospital related to him?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! the mental hospital is wen shu¡¯s friend¡¯s place. he even invested money in it!¡± xia ru, unaware of xia wan¡¯s intentions, proudly spoke. ¡°our family is very influential. wen shu has a hand in every pie!¡± ¡°i¡¯ve underestimated him.¡± xia wan muttered to herself. ¡°hmph! i¡¯m telling you! you all better give up on the idea of bringing grandma out! also, tomorrow night is the deadline. if you can¡¯t get wen shu back for me, i will turn up at your house every day and make sure you¡¯re not at peace! ¡°you have to tell us where wen shu is now so that we can help you get him back!¡± xia wan, contrary to what they expected, readily agreed. even xia hails family and xia chen were surprised by xia wan¡¯s behavior. with xia ru gone, xia wan continued her inquiry, ¡°give me the address, so i can help you get your wen shu back. ¡°otherwise, if he gets even angrier and doesn¡¯t want to talk to you, we won¡¯t be able to help you!¡± after saying this, xia wan dialed a phone number. the others assumed she was calling wen shu. it turned out that she was actually reporting wen shu¡¯s address to officer song. after giving officer song wen shu¡¯s address, xia wan turned, returned to her room and went to sleep, leaving xia hai and the others stunned.. Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: The Award chapter 454: the award translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation over the next few days, xia ru seemed to have vanished, and she surprisingly didn¡¯t cause any more trouble. xia wan, naturally, didn¡¯t go looking for the document, and she didn¡¯t get involved in the subsequent events. as for li jin, with the words xia wan had left earlier and the police keeping an eye on her, the people from the psychiatric hospital wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to li jin. they could just let her stay there quietly for a few days! half a month later, xia wan arrived at the police station. ¡°miss xia, you¡¯re truly remarkable!¡± deputy police chief cai jia tightly held xia wan¡¯s hand and excitedly exclaimed. xia wan¡¯s expression remained unchanged, though she was somewhat surprised by the deputy chief¡¯s enthusiasm. she had received a call from officer song asking her to come to the county police station. xia wan had initially thought she was needed to cooperate with the investigation of the psychiatric hospital, but she didn¡¯t expect to be worshipped like a deity as soon as she entered. officer song, standing next to deputy chief cai, spoke with a smile, ¡°miss xia, your report this time led to our successful bust of a human organ trafficking operation spanning three provinces!¡± ¡°you¡¯re like our local lucky star! ¡°we¡¯ve been pursuing this case for weeks without any progress, and we didn¡¯t expect such a sudden and successful breakthrough!¡± xia wan was stunned for a while before she finally understood what officer song meant. ¡°is there really something wrong with that psychiatric hospital?¡± although xia wan was a bit confused, she still raised the question. ¡°other than the issue of qualifications, there wasn¡¯t actually much wrong with the psychiatric hospital,¡± officer song explained. ¡°however, when we visited the facility, we found that patients there would die of sudden illness every three to five days. ¡°therefore, we launched another round of investigations on these patients who died. it was at this time that we discovered traces of organ trafficking! ¡°we followed the clues and really caught a few of the leaders in one fell swoop!¡± officer song gushed proudly. cai jia saw that officer song had stolen her limelight and immediately interrupted, ¡°to acknowledge miss xia¡¯s contribution, we¡¯ve specially applied for a bravery medal and a courageous citizen award for you!¡± the series of news shocked xia wan so much that her mouth could not help but open wide. she thought that she was here to assist in the investigation, but she didn¡¯t expect that she was here to receive the award. ¡°i heard that you are still studying, so we¡¯ve decided to hold a commendation ceremony in school, with your approval, of course, miss xia,¡± cai jia continued. ¡°of course, we have already informed the school about this matter, and they will fully cooperate.¡± after cai jia finished speaking, she glared at officer song. ¡°if xiao song hadn¡¯t said that miss xia likes to keep a low profile, we would have held the commendation ceremony at school today!¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t help but praise deputy chief cai¡¯s efficiency! if it were in that era¡­ xia wan took a deep breath and said to cai jia, ¡°deputy chief cai, i¡¯m just being a responsible citizen. i don¡¯t need these commendations.¡± ¡°no, no, no! i specially went to the city and spent half a day applying for this!¡± cai jia was unhappy. ¡°this is a matter of national pride! she even said that she wanted to ask for her opinion. this was clearly a forced purchase. xia wan didn¡¯t know how to refuse, and officer song was also urging her to agree. the day of the commendation ceremony was set to be the following monday. the school had already made preparations early in the morning. all the students and teachers had gathered at the field. one had to know that even when the entire school held a general meeting, they had never gathered everyone like this. just as the students were wondering what was going on, the principal walked up to the podium first. ¡°students! i have great news! our school has produced a brave citizen, a national hero! ¡°as the principal, i feel extremely honored and proud that our school has been able to nurture such an outstanding student!¡± the students instantly boiled over. they whispered to each other, not knowing who the principal was talking about. at this moment, the principal spoke again. ¡°students, please be quiet! let us give a warm round of applause to our brave citizen, xia wan!¡± the principal¡¯s words brought cheers from the students again. xia wan walked up to the podium amidst the voices. facing the crowd, xia wan recited the acceptance speech that the teacher had prepared for her in the morning and took the certificate and bonus envelope from cai jia. there was a round of applause from the audience, and many students were cheering.. Chapter 455 - Chapter 455: A Clean Person chapter 455: a clean person translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation under the watchful eyes of the crowd, xia wan descended from the podium. the ceremony was finally over. xia wan hadn¡¯t felt much about such ceremonies initially, but when she caught a glimpse of the resentful gaze from xia ye, she suddenly felt that the attention wasn¡¯t so bad after all! back in her classroom, liu hua leaned in close to xia wan and asked, ¡°you did a great job with this secret mission! come on, spill the beans, what did you liu hua¡¯s question piqued the curiosity of many other students, who crowded around. xia wan didn¡¯t intend to reveal everything, so she replied by saying she had provided the police with some leads, which had helped them catch the culprits. while it was somewhat evasive, it wasn¡¯t entirely untrue. passing by the classroom door, xia ye happened to see a group of people gathered around xia wan, engaged in a lively discussion. she clenched her teeth, her fingers digging into her palms, her eyes filled with anger. ke xin approached xia ye and looked in xia wan¡¯s direction. ¡°xia ye, your sister really knows how to steal the spotlight! i heard her exam results improved significantly, and the teacher even praised her!¡± ke xin loved to hit where it hurt, and just a few words managed to reveal xia ye¡¯s resentment through her already furious gaze. exactly! she resented xia wan! why did xia wan get so much attention? why did she manage to find those leads? why did her grades improve so rapidly? the more xia ye thought about it, the more unfair it seemed. she clenched her teeth so tightly that they produced an audible grinding sound. ke xin saw xia ye¡¯s fury was on the verge of boiling over, so she decided to add fuel to the fire. ¡°i heard the clothing store hasn¡¯t been open for days. do you know where the shop owner went?¡± xia ye¡¯s anger instantly redirected towards ke xin. ¡°how should i know where she went? her whereabouts are none of my business!¡± xia ye¡¯s voice was loud, immediately drawing the attention of those around. ke xin put on an innocent face, grabbed xia ye¡¯s arm, and led her toward the corridor, speaking in a hushed tone, ¡°don¡¯t get angry! you three are sisters; i thought you¡¯d be familiar with each other and know what each other¡¯s been up to.¡± xia ye pushed ke xin away with a shout, ¡°i¡¯m not close to those two at all! what they do has nothing to do with me!¡± ¡°if you want to know what they¡¯ve been up to, go ask them yourself! stop clinging to me!¡± xia ye let out an angry roar and ran in the direction of the schoolyard. ke xin, looking hurt, watched xia ye¡¯s retreating figure while a few students gathered around her to offer consolation. xia ye ran to the center of the schoolyard and finally stopped, panting heavily. ¡°what¡¯s going on? xia wan has suddenly become the center of attention! xia ruyu has a rich boyfriend, even if he¡¯s old and ugly, he treats her well, and that should be enough!¡± ¡°why am i the only one so unlucky? why me!¡± xia ye yelled out her frustration, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. just then, a clean white handkerchief was handed to her. ¡°don¡¯t cry! wipe your tears! the schoolyard is dusty, and your face will be a mess in no time!¡± the voice was gentle, almost bewitching, and xia ye couldn¡¯t resist taking the handkerchief and looking at the clean person before her. clean face, clean clothes, clean handkerchief, and even a clean voice. xia ye sniffled and used the handkerchief to wipe her tears, allowing her blurry eyes to focus on the immaculate person before her. ¡°who are you?¡± xia ye asked with a heavy nasal tone. the person immediately extended their hand, offering a friendly greeting. ¡°hello! i¡¯m jiang lu, and i just transferred here today.¡± xia ye hesitated for a moment and then shook the extended hand. ¡°hello! i¡¯m xia ye.¡± ¡°you have the same last name as well? the student who was just on stage seems to have the last name xia too. isn¡¯t that you?¡± jiang lu asked, looking somewhat excited. xia ye quickly shook her head. ¡°no! that¡¯s xia wan. i¡¯m xia ye¡­¡± reluctantly, xia ye admitted that xia wan, not herself, was the one who had just stolen the limelight. jiang lu immediately apologized, ¡°i¡¯m sorry! i got confused¡­¡± seeing the sincere apology, xia ye¡¯s anger and frustration seemed to dissipate. ¡°it¡¯s okay. you just transferred here today, so it¡¯s normal to mix us up,¡± xia ye said with a shy smile. ¡°you¡¯re very kind!¡± jiang lu praised without reservation. ¡°i have something to do; i need to go now!¡± xia ye watched as jiang lu quickly walked away, feeling a sense of relief in her heart.. Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: New Transfer Student chapter 456: new transfer student translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan¡¯s incident had created quite a stir in the school, though not many of the new transfer students had caught wind of it. the particular transfer student who drew xia wan¡¯s attention bore a striking resemblance to chen mo, but it was inaccurate to say they looked alike¡ªtheir facial features were notably dissimilar. yet, inexplicably, xia wan couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was staring at chen mo when she gazed at this person. this sensation was strange, making xia wan feel slightly uneasy. the first interaction between xia wan and this transfer student occurred during the final class of the afternoon, right after the commendation ceremony. her intention had been to collect her marked test papers from the teacher¡¯s office, but to her surprise, the teacher was absent, and instead, she found the transfer student skulking around like a thief. ¡°what are you doing?¡± xia wan inquired, her tone forceful. the transfer student, named jiang lu, was fervently searching for his student id on each desk. his teacher had clearly mentioned that it was on the third desk in the second row of the office, but despite an extensive search, it remained elusive. startled by xia wan¡¯s voice, he glanced up, then confusion flickered across his face. ¡°have we met before?¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t hide her irritation at this response. ¡°i¡¯m asking what you¡¯re doing in the teacher¡¯s office,¡± she reiterated firmly. jiang lu seemed to relish the opportunity to play around. ¡°i thought i¡¯d sneak in and steal the exam papers while the teacher¡¯s away!¡± xia wan, unperturbed by his nonchalant response, advised, ¡°the teachers are in a meeting. if you have nothing to do, you¡¯d better not linger here for too long.¡± ¡°why can¡¯t i be here if you can?¡± jiang lu questioned, showing no concern. refusing to engage further, xia wan gathered her marked papers and headed toward the exit. since her academic performance had significantly improved, teachers from various subjects were eager to recruit her as their subject representative. consequently, her form teacher had assigned her the role of class study committee member. as xia wan approached the office door, jiang lu intercepted her. ¡°hey, classmate, why are you leaving like that?¡± ¡°i still have something to ask you.¡± ¡°can¡¯t i seek your advice? i don¡¯t know how to be a thief!¡± xia wan quipped, lightly pushing jiang lu aside before departing. jiang lu rubbed his slightly bruised arm but couldn¡¯t help but smile. walking back to her classroom with frustration, xia wan encountered liu hua near the entrance. he immediately approached her, concerned. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? who got you so worked up?¡± setting her papers on her desk, xia wan pulled liu hua back to his seat. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i spotted a suspicious individual¡ªa thief!¡± ¡°a thief? where is the thief?¡± liu hua inquired, his eyes wide. ¡°is there a thief in the school? did someone lose something? should we call the police?¡± xia wan quickly gestured for him to lower his voice. ¡°nothing was stolen, and there¡¯s no need to involve the police. i just saw someone sneaking around the teacher¡¯s office.¡± ¡®who was it?¡± liu hua asked, intrigued. ordinarily, students avoided the teacher¡¯s office as much as possible. who would dare to sneak in? ¡°it¡¯s that new transfer student,¡± xia wan said, her tone tinged with disdain. ¡°you saw the new transfer student? i heard he¡¯s quite good-looking!¡± liu hua exclaimed with anticipation. xia wan pursed her lips; she had no interest in sly and young guys like him. as they chatted, jiang lu suddenly appeared at the classroom door. some students recognized him and asked, ¡°transfer student, who are you looking for?¡± without hesitation, jiang lu introduced himself with a friendly smile, ¡°i¡¯m jiang lu. i¡¯m looking for the girl from your class who was holding the papers just now.¡± everyone¡¯s gaze landed on xia wan. she squinted at jiang lu, her expression intimidating. however, jiang lu raised the two papers he held with a flattering grin. ¡°hey, you dropped these. i¡¯m here to return them to their rightful owner.¡± xia wan was astonished, having been oblivious to her lost papers. it seemed she would need to keep her distance from this person in the future.. Chapter 457 - Chapter 457: Xia Ye Gets Married chapter 457: xia ye gets married translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the news of the transfer student going to xia wan¡¯s class to look for xia wan had already spread throughout the school before school ended. when xia ye heard this news, her mood, which had improved because she saw jiang lu, instantly plummeted. ¡°xia wan! xia wan again!¡± xia ye kept writing xia wan¡¯s name in the notebook and then crossed it out again and again. ¡°xia ye, what¡¯s wrong with you? weren¡¯t you quite happy just now?¡± after spending a few days together, ke xin had already gotten used to xia ye¡¯s unpredictable personality. ¡°did you see that new transfer student? i heard that he¡¯s from an influential family!¡± ke xin said mysteriously. seeing that xia ye did not respond, ke xin continued, ¡°i heard that he went to xia wan¡¯s class to look for her just now!¡± ¡°this xia wan is really amazing! this transfer student had actually been taken down by her as soon as he arrived!¡± ¡°you two are sisters. if there¡¯s a chance, help me ask her how she did it¡­¡± however, as soon as ke xin finished speaking, the pen in xia ye¡¯s hand snapped. ke xin immediately shut her mouth. she didn¡¯t want to provoke xia ye at this time. if she really provoked her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to find a tutor. strangely enough, she would occasionally go to the clothing store these days, but the boss and the lady boss were not in the store. the two staff members looked at the store and looked lifeless. she chatted with the shop assistant for a while, but she didn¡¯t know what had happened. nothing could happen to the boss and his wife at this time! however, her mind was riddled with her own thoughts, and she did not notice the hatred in xia ye¡¯s eyes. xia ye took the broken pen and walked to the trash can at the door of the classroom. she threw the pen in and walked out of the classroom. when ke xin reacted, she heard others say that xia ye had asked for leave from the teacher because she was not feeling well. since xia ye had gone back, there was no need for her to pretend to be a good baby anymore. ke xin also packed her things and asked for sick leave from the teacher. she walked out of the school gate and headed to the clothing store. xia ye returned home with a stomach full of anger. she saw chen lian with a bandage on her forehead and was busy in the kitchen. xia he calmly lay down on the wooden chair and closed his eyes, looking very satisfied. when xia ye got home, she went straight into the house. xia he heard the commotion and narrowed his eyes at xia ye. ¡°you unruly girl! you didn¡¯t even say hello when you came back!¡± xia ye pretended not to hear him and hid in her room, refusing to come out. ¡°really! what¡¯s the use of raising this girl? look at xia ru and xia wan, which one of them didn¡¯t help their family¡¯s luck turn around!¡± ¡°this good-for-nothing! it¡¯s useless!¡± the room wasn¡¯t soundproof to begin with, and xia he deliberately spoke very loudly. it was difficult for xia ye to pretend that she didn¡¯t hear it. chen lian came out of the kitchen and advised xia he, ¡°our ye ye is still young. after two years¡­¡± ¡°two years?! if xia wan can earn her keep, why can¡¯t our daughter? ¡°you only know how to spend our family¡¯s money every day! ¡°in my opinion, don¡¯t go to school! ¡°i heard that the son of the old presbyopic family from the neighboring village has returned from the provincial capital. i¡¯ll find someone to go and propose marriage in a few days.¡± chen lian tried to recall what her presbyopic son looked like. before she could remember, xia ye rushed out of the room and shouted, ¡°i¡¯m not marrying! ¡°i want to go to school! ¡°if xia wan can go to school, why can¡¯t i? ¡°i won¡¯t marry anyone!¡± in order to be able to go to school, xia ye had fought for a long time. it was not easy for her to continue going to school. how could she lose the opportunity to change her fate just like that? ¡°xia wan can go to school, and she can also earn! can you?¡± xia he had a look of disdain. ¡°third brother¡¯s family is rich enough to support xia wan¡¯s education, but our family doesn¡¯t have that kind of spare money! ¡°your grandmother said that she was going to look for xia ru a few days ago, but she hasn¡¯t come back these days. ¡°without her support, our family is about to run out of money. how can we let you go to school?¡± in the past, li jin lived with xia he¡¯s family. occasionally, because she disliked the food at home, she would give xia he some money to buy some good food. xia he would always secretly take some out to give himself a snack. li jin had been at xia ruts house for so many days now, but there was no news at all. she did not even know where the money for her meals would come from! ¡°let me tell you, if you can¡¯t get the money, you have to marry this presbyopic family¡¯s son no matter what!¡± after xia he finished speaking, she stood up angrily and slammed the door. seeing this, chen lian quickly chased after him and asked, ¡°the food is ready! where are you going?¡± ¡°let¡¯s go find old man chen for a drink!¡± after xia he spoke, he left without looking back.. Chapter 458 - Chapter 458: Doesn’t Seem to Know Him chapter 458: doesn¡¯t seem to know him translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after xia he left, chen lian sighed and started tidying up the food in the kitchen, preparing to wait for xia he to return in the evening to eat. xia ye was so angry that he stomped his feet in place and then sat on the ground, hugging himself, crying. she had initially thought that she could change her fate by going to school, and even at school, she had encountered someone who she thought could change her life. but unexpectedly, within a single day, she was hit by one blow after another. chen lian finished tidying up and saw xia ye still crying. she pulled her up and said, ¡°alright, alright! stop crying!¡± ¡°is your father angry now? he¡¯ll calm down in a couple of days.¡± chen lian¡¯s consolation had no effect at all. ¡°has he been planning to sell me for a long time?¡± xia ye¡¯s eyes held a hint of resentment. in this family, she had always been the one in surplus. chen lian sighed, ¡°don¡¯t blame your father. our family¡¯s situation¡­¡± ¡°ever since the family split, things haven¡¯t been good.¡± ¡°especially since your grandmother went to see xia ru, she hasn¡¯t been around for several days, and we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± xia ye knew that chen lian wasn¡¯t worried about li jin but about losing the benefits gained through her. as for why li jin had been absent for so long, xia ye didn¡¯t care. she was only thinking about how to avoid the fate of being truly ¡°sold¡± to the hua family. while xia ye was thinking, chen lian suddenly clapped her hands. ¡°i was wondering why the name ¡®hua family¡¯ sounded so familiar! ¡°isn¡¯t it the hua family from the neighboring village that specializes in the funeral business?¡± chen lian said with a smile, ¡°i heard their son has done well, and their business has even reached the provincial capital! ¡°hey, ye ye, this marriage proposal isn¡¯t bad. why not¡­¡± before chen lian could finish her sentence, xia ye had already yelled, ¡°i won¡¯t marry!¡± with that, xia ye ran out of the house crying. after school, jiang lu leaned against a big tree at the school gate, waiting for someone. because the teacher had asked xia chen to stay back and help organize the new books in the school library, xia wan had left with liu hua. before they even reached the school gate, xia wan spotted jiang lu. subconsciously, xia wan grabbed liu hua and headed in the direction of the school¡¯s back gate. but before they had taken a few steps, jiang lu, who had sharp eyes, saw them. ¡°hey, xia wan! over here! let¡¯s walk together! ¡± jiang lu greeted warmly. xia wan wanted to pretend she didn¡¯t hear him and quickened her pace. however, jiang lu seemed not to have noticed xia wan¡¯s avoidance and caught up with her, saying, ¡°did you not hear me calling? why are you running away? i¡¯m not a ghost!¡± jiang lu said cheerfully and also greeted the somewhat dazed liu hua beside him, ¡°hello, i¡¯m the new transfer student, jiang lu!¡± liu hua nodded absentmindedly and, while being hurried along by xia wan, extended her hand and waved, ¡°hello, i¡¯m liu hua.¡± seeing that xia wan had no intention of stopping, jiang lu took a few big steps and came in front of her, saying, ¡°why are you running away? is a ghost chasing you? i¡¯m not a ghost!¡± xia wan was finally forced to stop and looked up at jiang lu, saying, ¡°classmate, i don¡¯t think i know you.¡± ¡°i know you! your name is xia wan!¡± jiang lu was undeterred by xia wan¡¯s attitude, introducing himself with a cheerful smile. ¡°i¡¯m jiang lu! it¡¯s not too late to get to know each other now!¡± low murmurs could be heard from the surroundings. everyone could tell that this new transfer student was quite interested in xia wan! xia wan didn¡¯t want to become the subject of gossip, so she told jiang lu, ¡°fine! we¡¯ve met now. we¡¯re going home, so don¡¯t follow us!¡± ¡°let¡¯s walk together!¡± jiang lu didn¡¯t mind xia wan¡¯s cold attitude. xia wan¡¯s brows furrowed, almost squeezing the life out of a fly. ¡°we¡¯re not going the same way! why should we walk together?¡± jiang lu was about to say something, but xia wan stopped him again. ¡°stop! don¡¯t follow me anymore! otherwise, i¡¯ll call the police!¡± jiang lu finally halted his steps. he wasn¡¯t afraid that xia wan would call the police; he just found her even more interesting. however, interesting people were best enjoyed after some time of getting to know them. liu hua, who was being pulled along by xia wan, looked back at jiang lu, who was gradually moving out of sight. ¡°i think that jiang lu is interested in you!¡± liu hua said sincerely. after jiang lu had moved out of sight, xia wan finally slowed down her pace.. ¡°he¡¯s not interested in me; i think he¡¯s just looking for trouble!¡± Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: Take Her Away chapter 459: take her away translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation liu hua was stunned. ¡°what do you mean ¡°this person may look untidy, but their intentions are too obvious. it makes people suspicious that they have ulterior motives,¡± xia wan said cautiously. liu hua frowned. ¡°aren¡¯t you overthinking this?¡± ¡°maybe he¡¯s genuinely friendly and enjoys making friends?¡± xia wan didn¡¯t respond but secretly decided to keep her distance from jiang lu in the future. this was the first time she had such a feeling since her rebirth, a feeling that his motives were impure. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? did you get rejected?¡± a boy in black and white sportswear with a buzz cut approached jiang lu. jiang lu nonchalantly tossed his bag to the boy. ¡°why do you think that?¡± the boy with the buzz cut hugged his bag and looked at jiang lu with a pained expression. ¡°are you still unwilling to give up?¡± ¡°no!¡± jiang lu didn¡¯t even turn his head. after saying that, he got into a black car parked in a distant alley. after xia wan and liu hua parted ways, xia wan felt as if someone was following her. she looked around a few times but didn¡¯t spot any suspicious figures. she quickened her pace, comforting herself. just as she reached her front door, a figure suddenly appeared in front of xia wan. startled, she took a step back, her right hand holding a silver needle between her fingers. upon recognizing the person, her tense emotions relaxed significantly. ¡°xia ru? what are you doing here?¡± xia ru, who had not seen xia wan for a few days, appeared haggard and had lost weight. ¡°xia wan, it¡¯s all because of you! i¡¯m going to kill you!¡± xia ru¡¯s expression turned ferocious, and she extended her red-nailed hands to grab xia wan. xia wan did not dodge, seemingly unconcerned about xia ru¡¯s attack. xia ru¡¯s hand was about to reach xia wan¡¯s neck when xia wan quickly stabbed xia rut s wrists with the silver needles in her right hand. xia ru¡¯s hands instantly went limp, and her body fell forward. xia wan let out an ¡°oh¡± and turned her body, causing xia ru to fall to the ground. xia wan patted her chest lightly and exhaled. ¡°that was close, that was close. fortunately, my reaction was fast!¡± because xia ru had not rested well in the past few days and was highly agitated, she had actually fainted from the fall. xia wan, seeing xia ru lying on the ground motionless, checked her briefly and became a bit impatient. ¡°you¡¯re nothing but trouble!¡± although she wasn¡¯t on good terms with xia ru, having her collapse at her doorstep would still invite unwanted attention. after some thought, xia wan picked up her phone and made a call. ¡°doctor li, i need your help.¡± a while later, doctor li arrived with a few people in white coats. ¡°miss xia, what can i do for you?¡± doctor li no longer displayed his previous arrogance. he nodded and bowed to xia wan. since director zhang and the individuals behind the mental hospital had been arrested, the hospital had been closed for several days. fortunately, someone stepped in to protect the hospital and the jobs of these employees. however, doctor li, lacking a medical license, could only operate in a nursing home for the time being. though doctor li didn¡¯t know who had saved the hospital, he owed his position as the acting director of the sanatorium to xia wan. ¡°please take this person away, doctor li,¡± xia wan motioned in xia ru¡¯s direction. ¡°let her stay at your place for a few days when she wakes up.¡± when doctor li arrived and saw someone lying on the ground, he was worried that xia wan might ask him to do something illegal again. hearing that she would wake up put him at ease. ¡°of course! don¡¯t worry, miss xia. i¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± doctor li added, ¡°we won¡¯t release her until you say it¡¯s okay.¡± xia wan nodded and signaled for doctor li and his team to take her away. after xia ru was settled, xia wan saw yan han when she entered the room. upon seeing xia wan, yan han instinctively hid the objects he was holding behind his back. pretending not to notice, xia wan greeted yan han and then returned to her room. yan han, still clutching the items, sighed as he walked out. ¡°how have you been lately?¡± chen mo¡¯s voice came from the receiver. ¡°when are you coming back?¡± xia wan asked without answering. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? do you miss me?¡± chen mo sounded elated. ¡°yes¡­¡± xia wan replied, and chen mo ts heart skipped a beat.. Chapter 460 - Chapter 460: Taking Down the Psychiatric Hospital chapter 460: taking down the psychiatric hospital translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation then, xia wan continued, ¡°yes, there¡¯s something i need your help with.¡± the corners of chen mo¡¯s lips, which had originally curled up, fell again. ¡°if you have something to say, just say it. you don¡¯t have to be polite with me.¡± xia wan naturally had no intention of being polite. ¡°i want you to help me investigate someone.¡± ¡°who is it?¡± ¡°a new transfer student named jiang lu.¡± ¡°a student?¡± chen mo found it strange. ¡°did he do anything to you?¡± knowing xia wan¡¯s personality, if this person hadn¡¯t affected her, she wouldn¡¯t have asked him to investigate. ¡°not yet,¡± xia wan said lightly. ¡°i just feel that he¡¯s a little strange.¡± ¡°good! then leave it to me!¡± chen mo didn¡¯t press further. investigating a single person wasn¡¯t a challenging task. ¡°how have you been recently?¡± since xia wan had initiated the call, chen mo naturally didn¡¯t want to miss the chance to chat. ¡°it¡¯s alright. it¡¯s just that something has happened at home during this period of time¡­¡± xia wan paused for a moment. she felt there was no need to share the details with chen mo, so she changed the topic. ¡°when are you coming back?¡± ¡°is something bothering you?¡± chen mo probed further. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i¡¯m just a little tired.¡± xia wan decided to end the call and found an excuse. ¡°i have a test tomorrow, so i need to study. you must be busy too!¡± ¡°mm.¡± chen mo bid goodbye and hung up. chen mo dialed xu ye¡¯s number after ending the call. ¡°did something happen to xia wan?¡± chen mo sounded a bit impatient. xia wan¡¯s voice had sounded very tired during the call, and he felt she might be hiding something. ¡°something did happen in the xia family over the past few days. it¡¯s not a big deal, but i was planning to tell you when you return,¡± xu ye replied in a relaxed tone. he clearly didn¡¯t take the matter seriously. ¡°what happened?¡± however, chen mo couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. ¡°speaking of this, i have to admire xia wan. she¡¯s incredibly brave,¡± xu ye couldn¡¯t help but praise. ¡°it¡¯s said that she led the xia family to take down an organ trafficking gang.¡± ¡°what?¡± chen mo instantly exclaimed, ¡°you said she defeated an organ trafficking gang?¡± ¡°yeah,¡± xu ye confirmed. ¡°it¡¯s a long story.¡± he briefly explained the situation to chen mo, adding that he didn¡¯t immediately inform him because xia wan and her family didn¡¯t directly participate in the police operation this time. he continued, ¡°i heard that this case involves her cousin¡¯s boyfriend, the secretary, who is now missing. i assumed her cousin might cause trouble, so i had someone monitor her whereabouts.¡± ¡°do you know what happened in the end?¡± ¡°she knocked him out and even arranged for someone to clean up the mess,¡± xu ye said with a chuckle. ¡°arrange someone to clean up the mess? who did she contact?¡± chen mo felt a bit miffed. was xia wan already seeking help from someone else? did she no longer need his assistance? ¡°they were all people in white coats, likely doctors from the hospital,¡± xu ye explained. ¡°when i investigated further, i realized that the place was the same psychiatric hospital as before.¡± ¡°xia wan is quite resourceful. the people there now follow her orders.¡± ¡°i never expected her to take down a psychiatric hospital like that!¡± chen mo couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. he didn¡¯t consider this something to be proud of. ¡°is that place trustworthy, or could there be someone manipulating things behind the scenes?¡± chen mo was still concerned. ¡°don¡¯t worry about that,¡± xu ye reassured him. ¡°i¡¯ve already had that place investigated. since those behind-the-scenes figures were arrested, the place should have been shut down. ¡°however, since there are still many patients residing there, they couldn¡¯t be simply evicted, so the town temporarily repurposed it as a temporary sanatorium. ¡°the person in charge is a doctor named li. i looked into his background; it seems clean, but he doesn¡¯t have much influence. ¡°for now, we don¡¯t need to worry about him causing trouble.¡± xu ye provided chen mo with the information he had gathered, and chen mo finally felt a bit reassured. ¡°if anything arises in the future, you must inform me immediately,¡± chen mo emphasized once more.. Chapter 461 - Chapter 461: First Experience at the Dancing Hall chapter 461: first experience at the dancing hall translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°i know, i know!¡± xu ye sighed helplessly. ¡°but i think xia wan is definitely more powerful than you think. you don¡¯t have to worry so much!¡± ¡°that¡¯s none of your business! anyway, i definitely won¡¯t allow her to fall into any possible danger!¡± chen mo¡¯s voice sounded exceptionally determined. ¡°alright, alright! i¡¯ll be more careful next time!¡± xu ye was a little dissatisfied. ¡°you¡¯re actually worried about me doing things! really.¡± before xu ye could finish his sentence, chen mo interrupted him. ¡°i haven¡¯t finished dealing with my matters here and can only go back next week. i don¡¯t want anything to happen to xia wan during this week.¡± xu ye moved the phone further away and cursed silently. before chen mo could ask again, he said, ¡°i know! i won¡¯t do it again!¡± ¡°in the future, i will report every action of xia wan to you! is this okay?¡± xu ye couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. he really didn¡¯t know why his life was so bitter. chen mo simply said ¡°thanks¡± and hung up. xu ye held his phone and cursed for a few more minutes before he fell back into bed and continued to enjoy his beautiful night. however, she did not expect to see xia ye at her doorstep. xia ye squatted at the door of kexin¡¯s rented house and hugged herself, looking aggrieved. however, she cursed inwardly before she gritted her teeth and walked forward. ¡°xia ye, why are you here?¡± ¡°i remember you told me last time that you lived here,¡± xia ye looked up at kexin. ¡°can i stay here for a few days?¡± upon hearing xia ye¡¯s question, kexin opened her mouth slightly. what was going on? however, she did not show her emotions. she only gently pulled xia ye up. ¡°let¡¯s go in first!¡± however, the place where she lived was a small bungalow that was less than five square meters. a rusty copper lock hung on the wooden door. she unlocked the lock and walked into the room. on her left was a table with a broken leg and a lame chair. on her right was a towel hanging from a washstand. further in was a brick bed with a set of washed white bedding and pillows on it. xia ye couldn¡¯t hide the disgust on her face. she fanned her nose with her hand, as if she couldn¡¯t stand the damp and moldy smell in the room. kexin¡¯s expression changed slightly as she cursed in her heart. ¡°did she think she was some noble young lady? wasn¡¯t she from a poor family in the countryside? what is she pretending for!¡± although she was unhappy, she did not show it on her face. kexin took out a cup from the windowsill behind the table and poured some water for xia ye. ¡°drink a glass of water first.¡± xia ye took the water and looked around the room. in the end, she chose to sit down by the bed. kexin pursed her lips and sat down on the chair beside the table. the chair creaked because one of its legs was broken. xia ye lowered her head slightly and looked at the cup in her hand. after a while, she said, ¡°i¡­¡± she hesitated for a moment, but still stood up and placed the cup on the table. ¡°i¡¯d better leave first!¡± after xia ye finished speaking, she smiled at kexin and walked towards the door. ¡°hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± but xin pretended not to notice xia ye¡¯s disgusted expression and chased after her. ¡°is there something that you¡¯re unhappy about?¡± ¡°why don¡¯t we find a place to talk?¡± ¡°find a place?¡± xia ye stopped and turned to look at ke xin. as long as she did not stay in this lousy place, she could go anywhere now! ke xin smiled and pulled xia ye¡¯s hand out. after locking the door, kexin said mysteriously, ¡°let¡¯s go! i¡¯ll bring you to see the world today!¡± the two of them arrived at the entrance of a dance hall before they stopped in their tracks. xia ye looked up and saw the colorful lights above. she suddenly felt uneasy. ¡°why, why is it such a place?¡± but her heart was unconcerned. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with this place? if i jumped in, all my worries would be gone!¡± xia ye was afraid and worried, not daring to take another step forward. xia he had lost her temper a few times because xia yu went to the dance hall every now and then. the villagers also said that the people who went to the dance hall were not good people! seeing xia ye¡¯s hesitation, ke xin said as if she had seen through her. ¡°so you¡¯re so timid that you don¡¯t even dare to go to the dance hall!¡± ¡°no wonder your things were snatched away by xia wan!¡± as she spoke, she did not forget to add, ¡°oh right! there are still people!¡± Chapter 462 - Chapter 462: A Hero Saving a Beauty chapter 462: a hero saving a beauty translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after hearing kexin¡¯s words, xia ye¡¯s anger overwhelmed her reason. ¡°what am i afraid of?! let¡¯s go! let¡¯s get in!¡± following her declaration, xia ye strode confidently toward the entrance of the dance hall, with kexin following closely behind. kexin smiled and glanced to the right before entering the dance hall along with xia ye. inside, the dim lighting forced people to move forward, and the only source of dazzle came from the colorful lights on the stage. the unfamiliar atmosphere made xia ye¡¯s steps somewhat unsteady. just a few paces in, she tripped over an object and stumbled forward. quickly, a hand reached out to grasp xia ye¡¯s arm, preventing her from falling. she was about to turn her head to thank the person when she was startled by the appearance of a shining face right in front of her. ¡°ah!¡± startled, xia ye instinctively shook off the hand and retreated to avoid the unexpected face. however, the individual who had grabbed her arm was quick to prevent her from falling and hurting herself. steadying herself, xia ye looked at the person who had helped her, who seemed displeased. ¡°i saved you, and you still have this attitude. how ungrateful!¡± yet, kexin appeared to know this person and offered a friendly explanation. ¡°brother zhao, don¡¯t be upset. ¡°it¡¯s her first time here, and she was just startled.¡± ¡°humph!¡± brother zhao clearly wasn¡¯t satisfied with kexin¡¯s response. he directed his dissatisfaction toward xia ye, saying, ¡°you¡¯re too timid. maybe you shouldn¡¯t come out to socialize in the future!¡± after brother zhao¡¯s statement, he sat down on a nearby sofa and took out a cigarette. kexin gave xia ye a meaningful look, hinting that she should apologize to brother zhao. xia ye, however, showed no interest in doing so. he looked disheveled and overweight, and the mere sight of him made her cringe. kexin¡¯s expression soured as she witnessed xia ye¡¯s refusal. she leaned in and whispered to xia ye, ¡°brother zhao is a big deal in this place. you can¡¯t afford to offend him, no matter who you are!¡± xia ye remained unfazed. she had little regard for who he was. in her mind, it didn¡¯t matter how important he might be; she had no intention of associating with people who disgusted her. seeing xia ye¡¯s resistance, kexin expressed her frustration. ¡°i brought you here to show you a good time. don¡¯t cause trouble for me!¡± xia ye noticed kexin¡¯s change in attitude and responded, ¡°i didn¡¯t ask you to bring me here. besides, i don¡¯t want to stay here.¡± with those words, she turned around and started to leave. she had no desire to spend another moment in this dismal place. brother zhao, however, wasn¡¯t willing to let her depart without confrontation. annoyed, he kicked a low table in front of him and demanded, ¡°leaving so soon? what¡¯s your problem?¡± brother zhao¡¯s outburst attracted several young men in colorful shirts who gathered around him. despite kexin¡¯s attempt to mediate, he remained upset. ¡°brother zhao, don¡¯t be angry. my friend isn¡¯t familiar with the place. i¡¯ll make her apologize.¡± while she spoke, kexin felt exasperated. she regretted bringing xia ye along and feared that this could lead to trouble. xia ye, on the other hand, stood her ground. ¡°why should i apologize? who does he think he is? let me tell you, our xia family is not to be trifled with!¡± upon hearing this, she almost rolled her eyes. what was there to be proud of in a poor countryside family that had resorted to selling their own daughter for a better life? if it weren¡¯t for xia ru, her family would still be in the countryside. however, when kexin heard xia ye¡¯s words, her face darkened. she whispered to xia ye, ¡°brother zhao is a big deal here. no matter what, you can¡¯t offend him!¡± xia ye didn¡¯t seem to care. to her, the identity of the person in question was irrelevant, and she had no intention of compromising her dignity. when brother zhao overheard xia ye¡¯s defiance, he got up and stumbled over to her. ¡°oh? the xia family? do we even have a xia family anymore?¡± his taunting words elicited laughter from those around him. but xia ye was in no mood to engage further. she firmly stated, ¡°don¡¯t come any closer. if you do, i won¡¯t be polite! let me tell you, the xia family won¡¯t be underestimated!¡± her voice echoed throughout the dance hall, attracting the attention of other patrons.. Chapter 463 - Chapter 463: We Meet Again chapter 463: we meet again translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°this girl is quite feisty! i like it!¡± brother zhao said, licking his greasy lips. ¡°come on, take her away!¡± ¡°tonight, i really want to see how impudent she can be!¡± after brother zhao finished speaking, he leered at xia ye. the people around them also joined in with laughter, as if they had already anticipated xia ye¡¯s fate for the night. however, kexin was getting a little anxious. though this situation was of xia ye¡¯s own making, she had brought her here after all. if something actually happened, things would become extremely messy. furthermore¡­ kexin gritted her teeth and stood in front of xia ye. ¡°brother zhao, please don¡¯t act like this! we¡¯re here to look for someone today!¡± ¡°this young lady acted thoughtlessly, made a mistake, and upset you. i apologize on her behalf!¡± after kexin finished speaking, she turned towards the bar and beckoned, saying, ¡°boss, come, open a bottle of good wine for brother zhao!¡± brother zhao¡¯s expression remained sour, and he snorted. ¡°who do you think you are? how dare you meddle in my affairs?¡± although kexin naturally knew that she wasn¡¯t that important, if she didn¡¯t step up, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to explain. while she apologized to brother zhao, her eyes kept scanning the venue as if she were looking for someone. the boss was tactful and quickly provided a bottle of imported liquor to brother zhao. ¡°come, brother zhao, don¡¯t be angry! ¡°we¡¯re all out for fun. why should we let these little girls affect our mood? ¡°hurry and pour brother zhao some wine and apologize!¡± the boss signaled to kexin. but she didn¡¯t ask xia ye to do anything to avoid further angering brother zhao. however, at that moment, brother zhao swept the wine glass off the table, and it shattered on the floor. kexin was stunned, realizing that this round wouldn¡¯t be so easy to pass. seeing this, the boss turned away and went behind the bar counter to make a phone call. brother zhao pushed kexin aside and stood in front of xia ye once again. ¡°what¡¯s it going to be? will you follow me willingly, or do i have to do it the hard way? xia ye could see that brother zhao was not to be trifled with. she wanted to retreat, but she found herself with nowhere to go. xia ye reached out and grabbed kexin¡¯s clothes, seeking shelter for herself. brother zhao, however, smiled and took xia ye¡¯s outstretched hand into his own, touching it with both hands. ¡°the little girl¡¯s hand is so tender. it feels oh-so-good!¡± xia ye was shocked and struggled to pull her hand back, but this time, brother zhao didn¡¯t release her. instead, he pulled her into his arms. kexin was panicking and looking around, but she couldn¡¯t find the person she was searching for. brother zhao pinched xia ye¡¯s cheek and licked his lips again. ¡°yes, this little mouth looks tender. come, let master zhao kiss it!¡± xia ye, in fear, used her hands to push away the greasy face that was slowly approaching, but she couldn¡¯t stop the other party¡¯s advances. just as everyone thought that xia ye couldn¡¯t escape this time, a hand suddenly appeared and blocked brother zhao¡¯s lips, pushing his large face back. brother zhao made a few remarks of protest, and his neck involuntarily leaned back due to his unsteady balance. when brother zhao¡¯s chin was shoved, he lost his balance and fell backward. it didn¡¯t matter that he fell, but xia ye, who was still in his arms, also fell. as xia ye closed her eyes and prepared to land, a force pulled her back. by the time xia ye realized it, she was already standing firmly in front of someone. this person was smiling and waving at her. ¡°hey! we meet again!¡± xia ye was stunned for a moment. before she could finish her sentence, she bit her lip and started crying. jiang lu withdrew his hand awkwardly and looked at kexin. ¡°this¡­ i didn¡¯t make you cry!¡± ¡°take her to rest for a while. i¡¯m here.¡± after jiang lu finished speaking, he waved at kexin. kexin immediately nodded and brought the crying xia ye to the bar counter. brother zhao was helped up from the ground. he was about to curse at the guy who ruined his plan when he saw jiang lu. after a moment of shock, brother zhao¡¯s expression immediately changed.. ¡°oh, young master jiang, why are you here?¡± Chapter 464 - Chapter 464: Brother Zhao Considers the Big Picture chapter 464: brother zhao considers the big picture translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation jiang lu furrowed his brow, fixing his gaze upon brother zhao as he inquired, ¡°that young lady from earlier happens to be my fellow classmate. pray, may i inquire as to your pursuit of her, my good sir?¡± brother zhao, upon hearing this revelation, couldn¡¯t help but burst into a hearty laugh. he responded, ¡°well, i¡¯ll be! i hadn¡¯t the faintest inkling she was connected to your esteemed academic circle!¡± with a slightly humbler demeanor, brother zhao added, ¡°had i been aware of this fact, i would have certainly extended a more deferential approach.¡± ¡°in truth,¡± brother zhao continued, his eyes glancing in xia ye¡¯s direction, ¡°i was merely partaking in a jesting exchange with my fellow classmate. i implore her not to take it to heart.¡± witnessing xia ye¡¯s distress as brother zhao¡¯s gaze fell upon her, she found herself choking back her sobs, her fear evident in her eyes. observing her fright, brother zhao¡¯s lips twitched awkwardly. he then turned to jiang lu, saying, ¡°ah, but we do have other matters that require our attention. we shall be taking our leave, young master jiang.¡± ¡°enjoy your repast, young master jiang!¡± brother zhao called out as he waved towards the bar counter. ¡°all expenses today are on my account, boss!¡± the proprietor nodded in acknowledgment. with a sigh of relief, brother zhao and his entourage finally departed as they reached the dance hall¡¯s exit. a curious underling, oblivious to the situation, couldn¡¯t help but voice his puzzlement, ¡°who exactly is this young master jiang? why does our esteemed brother zhao show him such deference?¡± brother zhao, his ears attuned to the remark, immediately shot his underling a stern look. ¡°what do you mean i show deference? ¡°i had no intention of engaging in a dispute,¡± brother zhao declared. ¡°in a direct confrontation, it¡¯s uncertain who would emerge the victor.¡± several of brother zhao¡¯s trusted subordinates, who had been by his side for an extended period, promptly concurred. ¡°indeed, indeed! our brother zhao has a keen sense of the bigger picture!¡± after brother zhao and his subordinates had departed, jiang lu approached the bar counter. upon surveying xia ye¡¯s tear-stained face and then glancing at ke xin, he inquired, ¡°are you both unharmed?¡± xia ye sniffled and suddenly threw herself into jiang lu¡¯s arms. jiang lu, taken aback by the gesture, did not resist her embrace. ke xin, after observing the interaction, ¡°assisted¡± xia ye in extricating herself from jiang lu¡¯s arms. with a concerned tone, jiang lu questioned, ¡°may i inquire as to the reason for your presence here?¡± ¡°xia ye was feeling despondent, and i thought it would be beneficial to take her out for a change of scenery,¡± ke xin replied with simplicity. xia ye rolled her eyes at ke xin, displaying her dissatisfaction with the prompt response to jiang lu¡¯s query. ¡°i¡¯m perfectly fine. it¡¯s just¡­¡± xia ye began, her voice laden with grief and her eyes cast downward. however, the vibrant atmosphere in the dance hall made it challenging for jiang lu to discern her words clearly. xia ye endeavored to express herself, but jiang lu interjected, ¡°i have other matters to attend to. if there is nothing else, i suggest you return home promptly.¡± with that, jiang lu departed, leaving xia ye and her companions behind. xia ye gazed longingly at jiang lu¡¯s retreating figure, disappointment etched across her countenance. taking a deep breath, ke xin turned to xia ye and declared, ¡°shall we depart? i will accompany you home.¡± xia ye turned and shot ke xin a withering glare, exclaiming, ¡°it¡¯s all your fault! if it weren¡¯t for you, i would have been spared the company of that odious fellow!¡± following this proclamation, xia ye pushed ke xin away and briskly exited the dance hall. although xia ye hurriedly left the premises, she could no longer locate jiang lu. ke xin, following suit, exited the dance hall and observed xia ye scanning her surroundings, a sardonic smile playing on her lips. since xia ye seemed intent on proceeding without her accompaniment, ke xin opted to return home and rest. after ke xin¡¯s departure, xia ye stood for a moment at the dance hall¡¯s entrance before proceeding homeward with a perplexed expression. ¡°in the end, did you pull me out of bed just to play the role of a gallant hero rescuing a distressed damsel?¡± in the narrow alley adjacent to the dance hall, the short-haired man regarded jiang lu with a look of disbelief. jiang lu¡¯s lips curled into a subtle grin as he responded, ¡°not at all! there are far more pressing matters that demand my attention tonight.¡± ¡°let us proceed,¡± he added, leading the way in the opposite direction of xia ye. as they walked away, the short-haired man inquired, ¡°youngster, where have you been these past few days?¡± xia he¡¯s voice pierced through the night, causing xia ye, who had just reached her doorstep, to halt in her tracks. ¡°dad, please, no need for the physicality,¡± xia ye replied, raising her voice. ¡°i¡¯ve been ruminating on the hardships our family faces, so i sought a visit with grandma to request some financial assistance for our household.¡± in response to her explanation, xia he halted his advance. ¡°and how did your grandmother respond to your plea?¡± ¡°why have you returned empty-handed? not even a morsel to show for your efforts?¡± ¡®your grandmother xia ru is certainly a stingy one!¡± ¡°and the sum your grandmother bestowed upon you? pray, reveal it.¡± ¡°rest assured, i¡¯m onto any schemes you might have to keep the spoils for yourself! ¡° Chapter 465 - Chapter 465: Where Did Li Jin Go? chapter 465: where did li jin go? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia he issued a stern warning to xia yu and extended her hand, eagerly awaiting the anticipated exchange. li jin had expressed her desire to visit xia ru¡¯s place that day, ostensibly driven by her disdain for the modest means of xia he¡¯s household. the frugality of their meals, she contended, paled in comparison to the sumptuous fare available at xia rut s residence. although xia ru had maintained minimal contact with her family after li jin and the others had visited her home to partake in her hospitality, she remained their granddaughter, and xia he refrained from imposing undue hardship upon li jin. li jin had been absent for several days, leaving the imagination to run wild with visions of her living the high life alongside xia ru. this time, xia yu might return home with some money in tow! upon seeing xia he¡¯s outstretched hand, xia yu let out a sigh and slumped into a chair. ¡®we haven¡¯t even seen her. where do you expect the money to come from?¡± clearly skeptical, xia he picked up a stick and appeared ready to unleash a blow upon xia yu. swiftly, chen lian intervened. ¡°enough of this! we¡¯ll sort it out later!¡± she directed her attention toward xia yu. ¡°speak civilly to your father. hand over whatever your grandmother provided you with!¡± ¡°why on earth would your grandmother not want to see you?¡± xia he retorted, her disbelief apparent. ¡°who are you trying to deceive?¡± ¡°she doted on you the most since you were a child!¡± xia he continued, her rod raised in frustration. undaunted, xia yu protested, ¡°i¡¯m telling you, i didn¡¯t see anyone!¡± ¡°i haven¡¯t even laid eyes on xia ru, let alone grandma!¡± before xia yu could continue, she received a blow to her head. ¡°stop your cursing! ¡± ¡°ouch! don¡¯t hit me! let me explain!¡± xia yu shielded her head and evaded the attack. ¡°i went to xia ruts house, but no one was there, so i returned.¡± ¡°and i have no idea where grandma has gone.¡± ¡°i only heard from the neighbors that a few days ago, grandma seemed to have gone to xia ru¡¯s house, causing a ruckus, and then she was turned away.¡± ¡°they don¡¯t know where she was sent.¡± ¡°but a few days later, a particular document vanished.¡± ¡°afterward, xia ru disappeared as well.¡± an aggrieved xia yu concluded his explanation, turning her gaze toward xia he. ¡°i didn¡¯t even finish my sentence before you started hitting me!¡± chen lian paid no heed to xia yu¡¯s complaints, instead looking to xia he. ¡°was third uncle¡¯s visit several days ago related to this?¡± ¡°could it be¡­¡± xia he was left in a state of astonishment. just days earlier, xia hai and his wife had paid a visit. fearing they might be seeking bail money, xia he had feigned illness and tasked chen lian with shooing them away. reflecting on the situation now, it was clear that xia hai and his wife were likely privy to crucial information. ¡°should we pay a visit to third uncle¡¯s residence and inquire?¡± chen lian speculated with a scheming glint in her eyes. ¡°if third uncle knows the whereabouts of mom, the money she has might¡­¡± though she left the sentence unfinished, the implications were apparent. xia he swiftly grasped her meaning. ¡°are you suggesting that mom gave all her money to third brother?¡± ¡°that simply won¡¯t do!¡± xia he exclaimed, springing up from his seat and making his way to the exit. chen lian seized his coat and called after him, ¡°calm down and dress first before you head out!¡± exiting in tandem, they spotted xia ye hesitating at the door. ¡°why are you back?¡± xia he, upon seeing xia ye, bemoaned the apparent lack of utility in his daughter. xia he was far from impressed, viewing xia ye as lagging behind not only in the lifestyle department but also when compared to xia wan of the third son¡¯s family. confronted with xia he¡¯s displeasure, xia ye chose to withhold her knowledge. if her parents wanted to visit xia hai¡¯s home, they were free to do so. after all, grandma was nowhere to be found! while xia ye remained uncertain of li jin¡¯s whereabouts, she was acutely aware of xia wan¡¯s recent accomplishments in solving a major case and earning recognition at school. she had heard that xia wan had resolved the case to secure her family¡¯s well-being, and xia hai¡¯s family was safe and sound. the only exception seemed to be xia yu. it was evident that xia wan¡¯s actions were connected to xia jiang¡¯s family or, perhaps, even li jin. given that xia ru was elusive at the clothing store and that the document had inexplicably vanished, there was a strong likelihood that xia ru had hidden li jin. moreover, xia ru¡¯s actions were closely linked to the ongoing case. upon spotting xia ye and sensing her reticence, xia he shoved her aside indignantly. ¡°move! don¡¯t block the way!¡± xia he hastened to depart, with chen lian urging xia ye not to wander and following closely behind.. Chapter 466 - Chapter 466: Xia He Comes Looking for Him chapter 466: xia he comes looking for him translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°second brother, i truly have no idea where mom is,¡± xia hai expressed helplessly, confronting xia he¡¯s confrontational demeanor. xia wan had already advised them not to retrieve li jin for the time being. although xia hai remained unaware of the reason, he abided by his daughter¡¯s every word, refraining from posing too many inquiries. in any case, the place had been transformed into a convalescent center, making it an ideal spot for li jin to recuperate under supervision. ¡°it¡¯s not possible that you¡¯re entirely clueless!¡± xia he, however, remained unconvinced. ¡°let me tell you, if you don¡¯t reveal where mom went today, i won¡¯t leave!¡± xia he was proving to be utterly irrational, leaving xia hai with limited options. this second brother was initially timid, but ever since they had gone their separate ways, his temper had grown increasingly volatile. in particular, when under the influence of alcohol, he would recklessly lash out without differentiating between right and wrong. xia hai was apprehensive that xia he and company might disturb the children¡¯s well-deserved rest. his intention was to see them off after a brief conversation. yet, xia he, persisting stubbornly, chose to lie down on the sofa and collapse, defying all expectations. xia chen had just returned from school and, upon entering, spotted xia he sprawled out on the couch, with chen lian seated beside him. meanwhile, xia hai and his wife sat at the dining table, their expressions contorted in bitter resignation. ¡°dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± xia chen approached xia hai and his wife and inquired. ¡°don¡¯t fret about it,¡± xia hai preferred to keep xia chen uninvolved and urged him to head upstairs. ¡°go and check up on wanwan. she hasn¡¯t had a meal since she returned.¡± xia chen, comprehending his father¡¯s intention to distance him from the situation, promptly left. upon knocking on xia wan¡¯s door, he discovered a multitude of blueprints scattered across her desk. ¡°in such a chaotic setting, you can still sketch. you¡¯re truly remarkable!¡± xia chen complimented, offering a thumbs-up in approval. xia wan responded with a shrug and a smile. ¡°the background noise?¡± xia chen furrowed his brow, clearly puzzled. however, xia wan refrained from offering an explanation, opting to proceed instead. ¡°did the teacher invite you over today merely to assist with the project?¡± xia chen¡¯s eyes lit up, surprised by xia wan¡¯s astuteness. ¡°yes, my teacher mentioned there¡¯s a skills competition next month. he hopes i can represent the school,¡± xia chen admitted, lowering his gaze slightly and revealing a rare trace of uncertainty. ¡°that¡¯s wonderful! if you represent the school and secure a prize at the competition, it could potentially bolster your university prospects!¡± xia wan encouraged xia chen. ¡°don¡¯t forgo any opportunities!¡± xia chen nodded in agreement, though he was somewhat conflicted. ¡°but my teacher stressed that i should engage in a month of training. it¡¯s concerning.¡± ¡°are you anxious that the family won¡¯t manage without you?¡± xia wan teased, blinking as she observed xia chen. xia chen felt a bit awkward in response to xia wan¡¯s query. ¡°that¡¯s not quite it.¡± ¡°with you around, i¡¯m completely at ease!¡± xia chen bit his lip. ¡°since our separation, while our lifestyle may not be luxurious, it¡¯s considerably more comfortable than before.¡± ¡°i understand that your efforts are responsible for our improved circumstances,¡± xia chen stated seriously, his gaze fixed on xia wan. ¡°it¡¯s precisely due to my awareness of this that i sometimes feel rather ineffectual as an elder brother,¡± xia chen sighed. ¡°i can¡¯t contribute much, and.. without hesitation, xia wan reached out and halted xia chen. ¡°alright, alright! your current mission is to participate in the training camp, achieve first place in the competition, and gain admission to a reputable university.¡± ¡°there will be many responsibilities you¡¯ll be able to assist with at home in the future. for now, focus on completing what you can!¡± upon hearing xia wan¡¯s reassurances, xia chen abandoned his uncertainties. ¡®great! i¡¯ll respond to the teacher tomorrow and commit to the training. trust me, i¡¯ll win the competition!¡± a smile graced xia wan¡¯s lips. she lowered her voice and inquired, ¡°what¡¯s happening downstairs?¡± though xia wan couldn¡¯t discern the details from her vantage point upstairs, xia he¡¯s voice intermittently reached her ears. it likely pertained to li jin. upon their arrival, yan han had specifically instructed xia wan and the others to remain in their rooms, devoting their time to study. xia wan had little inclination to entertain any relatives and instead cherished the opportunity to work independently within her room. upon xia chen¡¯s return, he could provide additional insights. ¡°second uncle and second aunt are making a scene, accusing dad and mom of hiding grandma and demanding they surrender her,¡± xia chen elaborated with a shrug. xia wan¡¯s expression took on a peculiar hue. ¡°hand over grandma? or hand over grandma¡¯s money?¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°leave them be! in any case, they won¡¯t locate her anytime soon.¡± ¡°they¡¯ll probably depart on their own tomorrow..¡± Chapter 467 - Chapter 467: What About the Money? chapter 467: what about the money? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple,¡± xia chen sighed. ¡°i heard that second uncle has been looking for people to borrow money recently.¡± ¡°i also heard that they plan to let xia ye go on a blind date¡­¡± ¡°blind date?¡± although xia wan did not have a good impression of xia ye, if xia ye really got married like this, her future life would probably be over. ¡°anyway, it¡¯s second uncle¡¯s family matter. we can¡¯t interfere, so it¡¯s better not to trouble ourselves,¡± xia chen saw that xia wan was frowning and deep in thought, so he comforted her. xia wan¡¯s lips twitched and she said to xia chen, ¡°oh right, brother, stay away from that transfer student in the future.¡± ¡°however, you¡¯re going to the training anyway, so you can avoid him.¡± ¡°transfer student?¡± xia chen thought for a moment before continuing, ¡°i was just about to tell you that i think that transfer student looks a little familiar.¡± ¡°familiar? do you remember where you¡¯ve seen him before?¡± xia wan asked anxiously. she felt that jiang lu was very strange and somewhat familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember. if xia chen also found him familiar, then they must have seen him before! xia chen shook his head. ¡°i wanted to remind you to be careful of him today, but i didn¡¯t expect you to remind me first,¡± xia chen smiled helplessly. ¡°then it seems that we are all on guard against him. it¡¯s better to be careful!¡± xia wan was not as relaxed as xia chen. ¡°alright, i won¡¯t disturb you anymore. rest early.¡± after xia chen finished speaking, he walked out of xia wan¡¯s room. the moment he opened the door, xia hai¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°xia hai, i¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t play dumb with me.¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you hide mom for money?¡± ¡°speak! how much money did xia ru give you to take care of mom?¡± ¡°give me the money and i¡¯ll take care of mom. how about that?¡± hearing xia hails words, xia hai felt a surge of anger building up in him. in the past, he rarely fell out with his family, as if it was only right for him to suffer some grievances for his family. it was difficult to change the personality that had been formed since a young age. it was as if what big brother and second brother said was always right. however, xia hai was different now. ¡°second brother, if there¡¯s nothing else, you can go back!¡± mom really isn¡¯t with me,¡± xia hai said angrily. ¡°if you want to know where mom is, why don¡¯t you ask xia ru?¡± xia hai did not go to xia ru because xia wan had stopped him. however, that did not mean that xia hai would allow such a thing to happen. he was also holding back his anger as he waited, waiting to come and settle the score with xia jiang¡¯s family. ask them how they raised a good daughter! xia he thought that xia hai had something on his mind, which was why he was in such a hurry to find xia ru, who had disappeared. he was even more certain that xia hai knew where li jin was. ¡°since you say so, then let¡¯s go find xia ru together and be witnesses!¡± yan han held it in for a long time and finally said, ¡°we don¡¯t know where xia ru is.¡± ¡°we went to look for xia ru a few days ago, but we couldn¡¯t find her.¡± ¡°that day, we went to your house to talk about this matter. in the end, we were chased out by you before we could say anything.¡± ¡°what do you want to do by coming here today?¡± xia he didn¡¯t expect yan han to suddenly explode. she had never seen yan han argue so strongly, so she didn¡¯t know how to respond. however, chen lian reacted quickly. ¡°yan han, you¡¯re being a little too much of a snitch.¡± ¡°we don¡¯t know why you¡¯re looking for xia ru. when you came that day, xia he was indeed not feeling well. i only explained that it was not convenient for him to receive guests.¡± ¡°besides, we¡¯re also worried that mom might have been wronged outside for so long, so we wanted to bring her back to live. a familiar environment would be more comfortable.¡± yan han naturally did not believe a single word of chen lian¡¯s explanation. ever since she started selling clothes, she had come into contact with more and more people. she knew very well what kind of people did not mean what they said. chen lian was someone who could not wait to get someone else to come over. how could she specially come to pick her up just because she was worried about li jin! ¡°second sister-in-law, no matter what your motive is, you can see that mom is not with us.¡± yan han interrupted chen lian¡¯s passionate speech. ¡°then¡­¡± xia he subconsciously wanted to ask, ¡°what about the money?¡± chen lian realized what xia he was thinking and slapped him to interrupt him.. Chapter 468 - Chapter 468: Meeting Li Jin chapter 468: meeting li jin translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia hai saw the anger in his wife¡¯s eyes and her stiff body. he knew that she was trying her best to suppress her anger. in the past, yan han rarely revealed her emotions. she had always held it in, giving off the impression that she was the easiest to bully. however, ever since they moved out of the house, yan han had not only shown her talent in the clothing business but also her magnanimity in dealing with people. now that he saw his wife holding back her temper in front of his brother and sister-in-law, xia hai could not help but feel angry. ¡°alright! go back! if there¡¯s anything, we¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow!¡± ¡°come over tomorrow. i¡¯ll give you a satisfactory answer!¡± after xia hai finished speaking, he dragged xia he and chen lian out without any explanation. since xia hai had promised to give them an answer tomorrow, xia he and cnen llan nad no reason to stay any longer. ¡®l¡¯ney pusned eacn otner and lett xia hails house. after xia he and chen lian left, xia chen and xia wan walked out of the room at the same time. xia hai and yan han looked at their children and sighed helplessly. xia wan walked to yan han¡¯s side and gently hugged him. ¡°mom, it¡¯s okay. i¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°wanwan, if they come again tomorrow, will they¡­¡± xia hai looked at xia wan worriedly. ¡°dad, don¡¯t worry!¡± xia wan¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°i have a way to deal with the sanatorium.¡± ¡°you can bring them over tomorrow.¡± xia hai and yan han looked at each other, both obviously having questions and concerns. ¡°don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be any problems!¡± xia wan promised again. ¡°that¡¯s the only way.¡± xia hai sighed. ¡°i hope everything goes well tomorrow!¡± xia wan returned to her room and called xu ye. xu ye was surprised to receive a call from xia wan. ¡°i thought you didn¡¯t need my help! chen mo scolded me.¡± hearing xu ye¡¯s complaints, xia wan did not feel guilty at all. ¡°i didn¡¯t plan to trouble you, but i¡¯m worried that my parents won¡¯t be able to handle it tomorrow. it¡¯s not convenient for me to show up¡­¡± ¡°i know! whatever you want me to do, just say it!¡± xu ye said no more. xia wan told xu ye about her plan. xu ye sighed in his heart, ¡®don¡¯t mess with this girl and chen mo!¡¯ the next day, xia he dragged chen lian to xia hails house early in the morning. xia wan had specifically asked zhou en to come over and help look after the shop, relieving xia hai and yan han of their worries. when the four of them reached the entrance of the sanatorium, xia he was the first to stop. ¡°xia hai, why did you bring us to the hospital?¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you looking for mom? she should be here now.¡± hearing xia hai¡¯s words, xia he frowned. chen lian also secretly pulled xia he¡¯s sleeve. ¡°li jin is in the hospital now?¡± ¡°i heard that hospitalization costs a lot of money every day. if li jin really lives here¡­ could it be that xia hai wants them to pay for the hospitalization fees?¡± xia he subconsciously took half a step back. chen lian thought about it and said to xia hai, ¡°are you guys planning to lie to ¡°didn¡¯t you say yesterday that you didn¡¯t know where mom is? xia hai was about to answer when doctor li walked out of the hospital. the moment he saw xia hai and yan han, he said impatiently, ¡°didn¡¯t i tell you? i can¡¯t let you see her!¡± ¡°don¡¯t even think about taking this person away!¡± ¡°we have a rule here that only those who send people can pick them up!¡± ¡°where do you think we are? do you think we can leave as we please?¡± hearing doctor li¡¯s words, chen lian and xia he looked at each other. ¡°this place¡­where is it?¡± chen lian asked carefully. according to the doctor, this was not the first time xia hai and his wife had come here, but it seemed that they did not manage to see li jin. then why didn¡¯t they allow people to enter and leave the hospital as they pleased? doctor li still looked arrogant as he sized up xia he and chen lian. ¡°are you also li jin¡¯s relatives?¡± xia he and chen lian nodded in agreement. ¡°yes, yes! i am her daughter-in-law and this is my son.¡± doctor li pursed his lips impatiently. ¡°alright then! since all of you are here, i have something to tell you!¡± ¡°come in with me!¡± xia he and chen lian looked at xia hai and yan han. seeing that the two of them were also at a loss, they did not seem to be faking it, so they followed them in.. Chapter 469 - Chapter 469: Who’s Going to Foot the Bills? chapter 469: who¡¯s going to foot the bills? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the four of them followed doctor li into the office, where doctor li promptly placed a stack of papers on the table. ¡°hey! this is the cost for the next few days. ¡± chen lian spoke up, ¡°the person who sent li jin here promised to pay the bill once every three days. it¡¯s been six days, and no one has come.¡± doctor li knocked on the paper with his finger and said, ¡°since you want to see li jin and claim to be her son and daughter-in-law, let¡¯s see who will cover this xia he and chen lian were stunned as they stared at the thick document. after a moment, chen lian reacted, ¡°how are we supposed to know that this is the cost of my mother¡¯s hospital stay?¡± xia he added, ¡°yes! where is your evidence? why should we give you money when you ask us for it?¡± doctor li appeared prepared and replied, ¡°i¡¯ll take you to see the patient now. ¡°after confirming that she¡¯s your mother, i¡¯ll show you the treatment and medication records for the past few days. ¡°will that clear things up?¡± xia he and chen lian became even more anxious. xia he exclaimed, ¡°what kind of hospital is this? you¡¯ve generated so many bills in just a few days! ¡°this has to be a scam!¡± doctor t.i _ crossing his arms. asserted ¡°this is the largest mental hospital in town! ¡°if you have any doubts, feel free to investigate.¡± ¡°what? mental hospital?!¡± xia he screamed in shock. he had never expected his mother to end up in such a place. chen lian was equally alarmed, fearing they might be locked up if they entered. in an attempt to escape the situation, xia he, tugging on chen lian¡¯s clothes, said, ¡°well, xia hai, i¡¯ll leave mom¡¯s matters to you. we still have things to handle at home, including setting up xia ye¡¯s blind date for the next few days, so we won¡¯t be coming back.¡± with that, xia he hurriedly pulled chen lian, and the two fled as though they feared being committed to the hospital. xia hai and yan han exchanged puzzled glances, then turned to doctor li, who had secured the stack of papers in a cabinet. xia hai stammered, ¡°doctor li, what¡¯s happening here? i¡¯m finding it hard to grasp.¡± doctor li reassured them, ¡°don¡¯t worry; this is miss xia¡¯s directive.¡± ¡°wanwan?¡± xia hai was even more bewildered. ¡°what has she done?¡± yan han joined in, ¡°why did you follow her instructions?¡± doctor li displayed a look of admiration. ¡°i¡¯ve been a doctor for many years, and miss xia is the most resourceful and skilled person i¡¯ve ever met. ¡°this sanatorium was previously shut down and later transformed into a temporary hospital in town. ¡°this morning, a mr. xu sent over a document¡ªa transfer agreement for the hospital. now, this sanatorium officially belongs to miss xia wan.¡± xia hai and yan han were in disbelief. ¡°what!¡± doctor li remained composed, seemingly anticipating their reaction. ¡®we¡¯ll ensure li jin receives excellent care. please don¡¯t worry.¡± although doctor li explained the situation further, xia hai and yan han were too overwhelmed to absorb the details. after xia wan returned home, she discovered xia hai and yan han sitting in a daze. she knew they would struggle to understand and accept the idea of a private hospital, especially in this unconventional location. nevertheless, she needed to accumulate strength, and this sanatorium provided the perfect starting point. xia wan had initially intended to discuss the matter with chen mo upon his return. however, after the commotion caused by xia he and her husband, xia wan realized that she had to resolve this matter promptly. if she allowed someone else to take over, it would likely lead to further complications. regarding the swift approval of the document, xia wan hadn¡¯t expected xu ye to act so swiftly. she had only intended for him to create a temporary document to delay xia he and her spouse, but he had already finalized the deal. ¡°wanwan, how do you plan to manage such a substantial hospital?¡± xia hai looked at xia wan with concern. yan han added, ¡°although you have some medical knowledge, running a hospital is a significant responsibility. you¡­¡± xia wan interrupted, ¡°dad, mom, do you trust me? xia hai and yan han exchanged glances and sighed. ¡°well, if you encounter any difficulties in the future, make sure to let us know. we¡¯ll do our best to support you!¡± however, deep down inside, they knew that there was little they could do if xia wan really did encounter any trouble.. Chapter 470 - Chapter 470: Xia Ru t s Direction chapter 470: xia ru t s direction translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan threw herself into their arms and hugged them coquettishly. ¡°if i really get into trouble, you¡¯ll help me out, right, dad, mom?¡± yan han burst into laughter. ¡°what are you plotting now?¡± xia wan stepped back from the embrace and said, ¡°i¡¯ve temporarily confined xia ru in the sanatorium.¡± ¡°what?¡± as expected, xia hai and yan han exclaimed in unison. xia wan had wrestled with her decision for two days before feeling it necessary to inform her parents. after all, should xia ru truly go missing, xia jiang and his wife would inevitably come inquiring sooner or later. the reason for their inaction over the past few days was probably due to li jin¡¯s visit to xia ru, after which she likely had a major fallout with xia jiang and his wife, culminating in li jin¡¯s committal to the mental hospital. the two parties were probably still in a standoff. ¡°that day, xia ru came looking for me. seeing that she wasn¡¯t in her right mind, i had someone take her away to rest for a while,¡± xia wan remarked nonchalantly, downplaying xia ruts disturbed state. ¡°i think we should discuss this with your uncle¡¯s family,¡± xia hai suggested with a frown. ¡°if xia ru is indeed ill, it¡¯s best they take her for treatment.¡± ¡°yes, absolutely!¡± yan han agreed. ¡°if xia ru is really sick, we can¡¯t just keep her hidden away!¡± xia wan lowered her gaze, pondering for a moment, then said, ¡°dad, mom, are you aware that the mental hospital is suspected of trafficking in human organs?¡± xia hai and yan han exchanged a look of horror. xia wan couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the evident consequences of internet information scarcity. the rumors had been circulating in town for some time, yet xia hai and yan han seemed utterly disconnected, showing no sign of awareness. xia wan explained with a sense of helplessness, ¡°with a puppet master pulling strings behind the scenes at that mental hospital, it¡¯s not so simple to just check someone in.¡± ¡°xia ru could only commit grandma to the hospital because someone had orchestrated it behind the scenes.¡± ¡°and xia ru definitely lacks that kind of influence.¡± ¡°i suspect the only one capable of such manipulation close to her is that secretary!¡± ¡°however, according to the police, the secretary hasn¡¯t been detained as a suspect. ¡± ¡°though he¡¯s implicated, there are no restrictions on his movements.¡± pausing, xia wan continued, ¡°from what xia ru said during our confrontation, ever since those arrests, the documents have disappeared!¡± ¡°i fear he¡¯s gone into hiding.¡± ¡°his motives for hiding are unclear to me¡­¡± ¡°it would be for the best if he never returns. if he does, i worry he might use xia ru to harm us!¡± xia wan¡¯s logical assessment left xia hai and yan han feeling anxious. the couple had never been through any real ordeal after a brief silence, xia hai sighed and conceded to xia wan, ¡°you¡¯re right. we¡¯ll follow your lead.¡± ¡°still, regarding xia ru, i think you should alert your uncle¡¯s family first. it¡¯ll prevent them from blaming you once they¡¯re informed.¡± xia wan nodded and elaborated, ¡°though the sanatorium is under my name now, dr. li is the one truly in charge.¡± ¡°he will help me reach out to uncle and the rest to manage the situation concerning xia ru¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°i won¡¯t let uncle and the others grow suspicious of me.¡± ¡°but, xia ru, she¡­¡± yan han began, sensing something amiss. ¡°mom, don¡¯t worry. xia ru was unconscious when she was taken away!¡± xia wan assured, her face betraying a hint of triumph at her plan¡¯s success. ¡°she won¡¯t know it was me who sent her there.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve also instructed dr. li to keep her and grandma apart to avoid any issues should they meet.¡± listening to xia wan¡¯s meticulous plan, yan han couldn¡¯t help but exhale deeply. ¡°i wonder whom this child takes after to be so thorough?¡± xia hai wrapped an arm around yan han¡¯s shoulders, comfortingly asserting, ¡°she¡¯s far more capable than either of us!¡± just as xia wan had anticipated, when xia jiang learned of his daughter¡¯s admission to the mental hospital due to her illness, he did not approach xia hail s household for information nor did he utter a word about it. it was as if xia ru had simply evaporated. with xia ru and the secretary gone, the boutique suddenly found itself without its owners. she was perturbed that the two had vanished simultaneously. her initial schemes were thwarted. fortunately, xia wan had carved a new path for herself.. otherwise, she would have been left to starve, relying on the secretary and xia ru! Chapter 471 - Chapter 471: As a Daughter chapter 471: as a daughter translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia ye contemplated hiding away for a few days, but with her meager resources and lack of foresight, she found herself at a dead end. kexin, the only friend she could turn to, was just as unreliable and financially strapped as she was. with no alternatives, xia ye had to return home. the moment she stepped through the door, she noticed the odd expressions on xia he and chen lian¡¯s faces. she refrained from probing, suspecting that their unsuccessful venture to find li jin must have left them disgruntled. knowing they hadn¡¯t profited from li jin, xia ye guessed they were likely looking for an outlet for their frustration. she decided it was best to keep a low profile. xia ye was about to slip inside the house when xia he¡¯s sharp gaze caught her. ¡°xia ye! stop right there!¡± frozen, she could feel the anger emanating from xia he¡¯s voice. ever since the family had split, xia he had shed his timidity for irritability. he frequently lashed out at chen lian and xia ye. once, his outburst had even left a scar on chen lian¡¯s head. ¡°xia ye! don¡¯t even think about school tomorrow! i¡¯ve arranged a blind date for you with the son of the man with presbyopia!¡± xia he decreed, allowing no room for dissent. xia ye¡¯s instinct was to object, but chen lian¡¯s cautionary glance quelled her defiance, and she bowed her head in silence. ¡°what¡¯s the matter? didn¡¯t you hear what i said?¡± xia he barked, his temper flaring at her silence. ¡°i heard you,¡± xia ye murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, her reluctance clear. xia he scoffed, ¡°don¡¯t think i¡¯m oblivious to your thoughts!¡± ¡°let me make myself clear: the presbyopic family expects this marriage to happen!¡± ¡°the hua family¡¯s boy is more than suitable for you. don¡¯t you dare be dissatisfied!¡± ¡°with your academic performance, you won¡¯t catch up to xia wan even if you study for another ten years. better to save the time and my money!¡± his tirade continued, xia ye¡¯s tear-streaked face failing to dampen his vehemence. ¡°i¡¯ve warned the presbyopic man not to mess up tomorrow! otherwise, i¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± the ferocity in xia he¡¯s eyes left no doubt that he meant every word. with a whimper, xia ye retreated to her room. chen lian, realizing her attempts to moderate xia he would be futile, followed her in, hoping to convince xia ye to resign herself to her fate. xia ye lay on her bed, tears soaking her pillow. chen lian sat beside her, patting her shoulder gently. ¡°you must understand our predicament. we¡¯ve done all we can to support your education over the years.¡± ¡°our family is in dire straits. as a daughter, shouldn¡¯t you help alleviate our burdens?¡± her words, however, did little to console xia ye. xia ye sat up, facing chen lian, her face awash with tears. ¡°why must i shoulder this family¡¯s burdens when xia yu can do as he pleases?¡± chen lian¡¯s face darkened. ¡°what are you implying?! ¡°xia yu is your brother; how can you speak of him in such a manner!¡± with that, chen lian rose, her displeasure evident, and left the room, pausing only to remind xia ye, ¡°mind you, take care tomorrow. dress appropriately and don¡¯t bring shame upon our family.¡± left alone, xia ye¡¯s sobs grew louder. that night, to prevent any escape, xia he slept by the door. the following morning, as xia ye opened the door, xia he stumbled in with a thud. her eyes red and swollen with resentment, xia ye faced the day with dread. undeterred, xia he summoned chen lian to prepare xia ye for the blind date. despite her desire to resist, xia ye had no choice but to acquiesce under her parents¡¯ pressure. she accompanied them to aunt xu¡¯s house in the village. aunt xu, a seasoned matchmaker known for her glib tongue, had settled in the village after marrying away years ago. with her husband earning scantily from his work outside, she had taken up matchmaking to earn a living. over the years, despite the modest means of the villagers, many had sought her services ¡ª she was said to have arranged unions for not just the living, but also for spirits long departed, whenever a suitable match arose.. Chapter 472 - Chapter 472: Just You Wait chapter 472: just you wait translator: endlessyantasy i ranstation editor: endlessyantasy i ranstation to avoid complications, xia he arranged the blind date at matchmaker xu¡¯s abode. he believed that having a matchmaker on hand would ensure that the marriage proposal could not be easily dismissed. xia he¡¯s logic seemed flawless, but as half an hour ticked by without any sign of the expected family, his confidence began to waver. impatience took hold, and he couldn¡¯t stay seated any longer. seizing matchmaker xu by the arm, they strode towards the door. ¡°sister-in-law xu, what is the meaning of the hua family¡¯s absence? they should have been here by now.¡± matchmaker xu was just as baffled. the arrangement had been clear: both families were to meet and likely settle the matter then and there. why, then, had this snag arisen? ¡°brother xia, don¡¯t worry. i will go to the village chief¡¯s house to call them,¡± matchmaker xu reassured as she headed out. though xia he was known for his sternness at home, he approached the outside world with a careful demeanor. the current slight, however, did not sit well with him. ¡°sister-in-law xu, the hua family¡¯s disrespect is unacceptable. our household might not be wealthy, but we deserve common courtesy!¡± with an appeasing smile, matchmaker xu tried to assuage his worries. ¡°the hua family wouldn¡¯t deliberately disrespect us. trust that everything will turn out fine,¡± she said, before hastening out the door, leaving the xia family in a state of suspended anticipation. xia he paced the floor, muttering threats under his breath. ¡°if this marriage doesn¡¯t get settled today, you can forget about coming back to my house!¡± his voice was a mix of disappointment and frustration. ¡°after all the years of raising you, it¡¯s come to this¡ªa struggle to see you married!¡± chen lian, observing her daughter xia ye¡¯s tight grip on the hem of her clothes, attempted to soothe her by patting her hands. when matchmaker xu returned, she was immediately accosted by xia he, anxious for an update. ¡°sister-in-law xu, what¡¯s the word? when is the hua family expected?¡± matchmaker xu glanced at xia ye and relayed, ¡°they¡¯ve been delayed by some household issue but assure us they will be here soon.¡± she beckoned to chen lian, who was quietly consoling xia ye, reassuring her that there might be a valid reason for the delay, and instructing her on maintaining composure in front of the hua family. with her head bowed, xia ye absorbed her mother¡¯s advice. upon noticing matchmaker xu¡¯s gesture, chen lian promptly stood up to join her. once out of earshot, matchmaker xu revealed her concerns in hushed tones. ¡°there¡¯s talk of xia ye having caused a stir in town involving a young man, and word has gotten to the hua family, causing them to hesitate.¡± ¡°trouble?¡± xia he¡¯s voice was edged with a mix of alarm and anger, aware that any scandal could jeopardize the day¡¯s sensitive negotiations. chen lian, puzzled yet defensive, asserted her daughter¡¯s good conduct. ¡°ye ye is always well-mannered. what sort of trouble could she have possibly caused?¡± matchmaker xu pressed her lips together, her voice dropping even lower. ¡°from what i hear, it was a man¡­ ¡°it influenced the hua¡¯s decision. it took much persuasion on my part for them to agree to this meeting.¡± hearing this, xia he shot a piercing look towards xia ye. ¡°speak up! what have you done?¡± chen lian restrained him. ¡°let¡¯s not jump to conclusions. we can discuss this at home.¡± if the hua family brings this up, we¡¯d appreciate you speaking on our behalf.¡± matchmaker xu gave a nod, her commitment to help evident, though she made no promises. ¡°these matters hinge on the two youngsters¡¯ consent. the times of arranged marriages by force are long past, and i can¡¯t guarantee the outcome.¡± the gravity of her words left xia he with a sinking feeling that the matrimonial plans might not come to fruition. in the midst of the adults¡¯ discourse, xia ye¡¯s reaction went unnoticed. the murmured words didn¡¯t escape her ears; she absorbed every syllable, her mind racing. she gritted her teeth in deep resentment. yesterday¡¯s incident, which she had hoped would fade into obscurity, was now casting a long shadow over her future. and the source of all the commotion? xia wan. xia ye¡¯s fingers tightened on her clothes, tearing the fabric in silent fury. ¡°xia wan, just wait. i¡¯ll deal with you at school,¡± she vowed silently. the tension was broken an hour later by the arrival of the hua family. xia he¡¯s earlier anxiety had transformed into assertive hostility. ¡°old hua, your tardiness is inexcusable. we¡¯ve been anxiously waiting!¡± hua cheng, unfazed, offered a simple explanation, ¡°unforeseen matters needed my attention.¡± his eyes then settled on xia ye.. ¡°and this must be little ye! you have grown into quite the beauty!¡± Chapter 473 - Chapter 473: If You Are Willing chapter 473: if you are willing translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation as the hua family made their entrance, xia ye scrutinized them with keen interest. she had encountered hua cheng on a few occasions. while her impressions were not profound, his silver hair and gentle countenance exuded an air of sincerity and trustworthiness. following close behind hua cheng was his spouse, li jiao¡ªa figure who seldom appeared in public. flanking them were hua cheng¡¯s offspring, his eldest son hua jun, and hua jun¡¯s twin, hua ting. hua jun was not particularly tall, his slender frame somewhat lost in an oversized gray suit, giving him a somber appearance. contrastingly, hua ting was a study in opposites. roughly the same height as her brother, her lithe form was clad in a floral dress, which lent her a bright and refreshing visage. xia ye felt a prick of d¨¦j? vu upon seeing her attire. xia ye couldn¡¯t help but steal extra glances at hua ting, who returned the curiosity with her own inquisitive gaze. no sooner had their small talk ceased and they taken their seats, hua ting broached the subject, ¡°you¡¯re xia ye, the one who went on a blind date with my brother?¡± her furrowed brows betrayed a clear skepticism towards xia ye. sensing hua ting¡¯s antagonism, xia ye lifted her chin defiantly and declared, ¡°yes, i am xia ye!¡± at this, hua ting let out a laugh and murmured something to hua jun, her dismissive dosture inflaming xia ye¡¯s ire. even hua cheng noticed his children¡¯s less-than-gracious behavior and attempted to smooth things over with xia he and chen lian, chuckling, ¡°these two have always been secretive since their youth, always whispering about one thing or another.¡± he offered no apologies for the disrespect, and while xia he and chen lian were none too pleased, they restrained their objections, prioritizing the prospective marriage. ¡°look at xiaojun and xiaoting, so close. not at all like my own two who¡¯ve been ¡± xia he was cut off mid-sentence by a tug on his clothing from chen lian. he immediately fell silent, recognizing the wisdom in not airing family grievances publicly. matchmaker xu seized the opportunity to intercede, ¡°since both families are acquainted, perhaps we should allow the young adults a moment alone to converse? we can enjoy some tea in the next room.¡± with that, xia he, his wife, and the others were ushered out, leaving hua jun and xia ye alone together. from the moment she had walked in, xia ye had been sizing up hua jun, involuntarily comparing him to jiang lu. hua jun paled in comparison not just to jiang lu but also to other boys at school. unaware of xia ye¡¯s internal monologue, hua jun was a traditionalist at heart. he had caught wind of xia ye¡¯s antics at the dance hall the previous evening. both felt an absence of enthusiasm for this arranged marriage, and an awkward silence enveloped them. after a tense pause, hua jun began, ¡°although i was reluctant to come today, my father insisted. i have businesses to manage back in the provincial capital, and i don¡¯t wish to squander time.¡± ¡°now that i¡¯m here, i shall speak plainly. i¡¯ve heard about your escapades with men, even at dance halls. should we become engaged, you¡¯ll need to renounce such behavior. maintaining a woman¡¯s virtue is fundamental.¡± ¡°i can provide you with a stable life, and i expect you won¡¯t meddle in my affairs. managing my businesses in the provincial capital is challenging enough; i don¡¯t need additional complications.¡± ¡°if we marry, i hope you¡¯ll stay home, caring for my parents and sister.¡± as hua jun droned on, xia ye¡¯s expression grew increasingly thunderous. she bore it until hua jun proposed, ¡°if you¡¯re agreeable, we could formalize our engagement today¡­¡± that was the last straw. xia ye stood abruptly, interrupting him with a firm, ¡°i refuse!¡± ¡°i will not marry you! let whoever wishes take my place!¡± with that, she swung open the door and bolted. the commotion drew the attention of matchmaker xu and the rest, who emerged just in time to witness the scene. ¡°xia ye, what are you doing!¡± xia he thundered upon seeing his daughter¡¯s retreat. xia ye turned defiantly to face him. ¡°i reject this marriage! let those who want it, have it! i will not marry!¡± her outburst left not only xia he and chen lian in a state of mortification but also cast a shadow over hua cheng¡¯s features.. Chapter 474 - Chapter 474: Rejection of Marriage chapter 474: rejection of marriage translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation hua jun promptly exited the room, only to be met with the sight of hua cheng¡¯s visage darkened with ire, his temper teetering on the edge. exchanging a knowing glance with hua ting at hua cheng¡¯s side, he decided to press on, ¡°dad, it seems xia ye isn¡¯t quite pleased with me. perhaps she has better prospects. maybe we should just let this go.¡± at hua jun¡¯s words, hua cheng¡¯s complexion turned a shade so dark it was almost murderous. he addressed xia he, saying, ¡°look, old xia, we hadn¡¯t intended to come today. ¡°we came out of respect for our longstanding friendship, and i have a decent rapport with xia hai, so i set aside our differences to make the journey. ¡°to think, i am quite taken aback, does your family really hold such disdain for ¡°in that case, let¡¯s consider the marriage proposal null and void! ¡°the hua family cannot aspire to such heights!¡± having said his piece, hua cheng barked at li jiao and his children, ¡°what are you waiting for? let¡¯s go home!¡± at hua cheng¡¯s behest, without a moment¡¯s hesitation, the three followed him out. matchmaker xu¡¯s calls fell on deaf ears as the four of them did not so much as turn back, leaving her no choice but to relent. turning around, matchmaker xu¡¯s eyes widened in horror as she caught xia he with a brick in hand, about to strike xia ye¡¯s head. she considered intervening but feared that xia he, in his fury, might accidentally injure her. she could do nothing but stand aside, yelling, ¡°stop! don¡¯t resort to violence! let¡¯s talk about it at home! calm down!¡± in her heart, matchmaker xu desperately wished, ¡°take any acts of violence back home, please, don¡¯t let blood be shed in my house!¡± despite matchmaker xu¡¯s loud protests, xia he¡¯s anger had blinded and deafened him to everything around him. xia ye, in terror, screamed and ducked for cover. chen lian attemdted to intercede but was shoved aside bv xia he. her head striking the edge of a table, blood gushing from the wound. ¡®wanwan, have you noticed xia ye wasn¡¯t at school today?¡± liu hua whispered conspiratorially to xia wan. focused on her drawing, xia wan responded without looking up, ¡°she never reports her whereabouts to me. she¡¯s likely had another quarrel at home.¡± liu hua, relishing the unfolding drama, said with a shake of her head, ¡°that¡¯s not it, that¡¯s not it¡­ after a furtive glance around, she leaned closer, her voice a hushed murmur, ¡°i heard she went for a matchmaking session today¡ªwith the hua family from the next village, the ones known for their procreative services!¡± xia wan paused, her gaze shifting to liu hua, ¡°that hua family?¡± liu hua¡¯s expression turned peculiar, ¡°yes, precisely them!¡± xia wan¡¯s brow creased, she set down her pen and turned her full attention to liu hua, ¡°so, what was the outcome? did they agree to the marriage?¡± liu hua quickly gestured dismissively, ¡°of course not! it fell through! ¡°besides, i heard from er gou that the hua family came fully prepared this time. ¡°hua ting pulled out all the stops, xia ye likely couldn¡¯t cope with that!¡± recalling hua ting¡¯s calculating ways, xia wan couldn¡¯t suppress a smirk. her interactions with the hua family had been minimal. in her past life, she knew of them only as the proprietors of a funeral business in the provincial city¡ªa trade that, despite being looked down upon by the villagers, afforded the hua family a considerably better standard of living. eventually, she had heard about the hua family¡¯s daughter marrying into a bureaucratic family in the city, leading the entire hua family to relocate there. in this life, xia wan had had a few encounters with hua ting, mostly casual exchanges when hua ting visited her store to shop for clothes. yet from those brief interactions, it was evident that hua ting was a progressive thinker, standing out from the average village girl, possibly due to her brother¡¯s influence from living in the city. if xia ye could truly marry into the hua family, she would likely secure a life free from financial worries. however, it was evident that xia ye had no intentions towards hua jun, and the hua family was not keen on formalizing any matrimonial ties with the xia family. ¡°i also heard that the hua family was initially going to use xia ye¡¯s mishap at the dance hall last night as a pretext to call off the marriage.¡± ¡°who knows what aunt xu said, but it led to the hua family deciding to go through with the matchmaking session.¡± liu hua¡¯s reflective demeanor gave xia wan a bit of amusement.. Chapter 475 - Chapter 475: Who Schemed Against Xia Ye? chapter 475: who schemed against xia ye? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°last night? what happened?¡± xia wan¡¯s puzzled look prompted liu hua to shake his head in disbelief. ¡°you really have no clue about the outside world,¡± liu hua said as he tapped xia wan¡¯s forehead lightly with his finger. ¡°you¡¯re talking as if xia ye and i are sisters. ¡± ¡°do you think we¡¯re sisters?¡± xia wan pouted, slightly annoyed. liu hua pressed his lips together, and after a brief pause, he offered a dry laugh. ¡°i¡¯m referring to an objective fact.¡± xia wan decided not to delve deeper. seizing liu hua¡¯s lively mood, she probed further, ¡°did something happen to xia ye yesterday?¡± xia wan didn¡¯t regard xia ye as a sister, but if something had indeed happened to her, xia he and his wife would certainly turn to xia hai and others for help. it was wise for her to be mentally prepared. liu hua¡¯s enthusiasm rekindled at the question. ¡°i heard that last night, xia ye decided to hit the dance hall. she got mixed up with a local tough guy known as brother zhao.¡± ¡°rumor has it brother zhao has a thing for pretty girls. any girl he meets is in for trouble.¡± ¡°and guess what happened next¡­¡± liu hua trailed off, leaving a sense of mystery hanging in the air. xia wan, without skipping a beat, guessed, ¡°xia ye got away? ¡°incredible!¡± liu hua couldn¡¯t resist giving a thumbs-up, admiration evident in his gesture. ¡°but how did you guess she escaped?¡± liu hua asked, his confusion palpable. xia wan offered only a knowing chuckle in response. had the situation with xia ye escalated, xia he would likely have stormed into her house last night in a frenzy. ¡°didn¡¯t you mention xia ye had a blind date this morning?¡± xia wan pointed out matter-of-factly. liu hua slapped his forehead in a moment of realization. ¡°ah, that¡¯s right! my memory fails me!¡± ¡°so, i suspect that the hua family may have called off the engagement over this incident, ¡± liu hua conjectured, shaking his head in disapproval. ¡°overnight, everyone seems to know about xia ye¡¯s misadventure at the dance hall¡­ do you think it was the hua family¡¯s doing?¡± xia wan shook her head dismissively. ¡°it couldn¡¯t have been the hua family.¡± ¡°why not?¡± liu hua was genuinely puzzled. xia wan harbored her own suspicions. ¡°if the hua family had truly wanted to tarnish xia ye¡¯s reputation before breaking off the engagement, why would they allow hua jun to rush back? ¡°i believe they were initially serious about the marriage. ¡°it¡¯s just that the incident at the dance hall with xia ye has been blown out of proportion, giving the hua family a pretext to call off the engagement. ¡°besides, the hua family doesn¡¯t associate with people like brother zhao. the dance hall debacle was likely an unfortunate mishap. ¡°yet, it¡¯s certain that someone purposefully spread the news!¡± this incident perplexed xia wan as well. xia ye¡¯s dance hall fiasco was trivial; logically, it shouldn¡¯t have been mentioned at all. brother zhao, being a local ruffian, would never publicly admit to being bested on his own turf. for the sake of her own reputation, xia ye would keep quiet about the affair. who, then, harbored a grudge against xia ye and instigated this rumor? ¡°hey, xia wan, someone¡¯s looking for you!¡± a voice called from the doorway. xia wan looked up to see jiang lu waving at her, a ripple of excitement in his gesture. before she could react, song zhi announced, ¡°xia wan, that new transfer student is waiting for you!¡± ¡°i must say, i never expected you to not only excel academically but also to become so popular! ¡°he¡¯s only been here a few days, and he¡¯s already seeking you out repeatedly! ¡°could there be something more between you two¡­¡± song zhi intentionally left the insinuation hanging, prompting speculation. ¡®yeah, could it be that xia wan has some secret with the new guy?¡± ¡°what kind of secret could it be? probably something they can¡¯t openly share!¡± ¡°xia wan sure moves fast! she doesn¡¯t even give others a chance!¡± the chatter grew, with the group nearly affirming xia wan¡¯s supposed ¡°transgression.¡± the newcomer, jiang, was a ball of energy, attracting attention since his arrival. while he was polite to other girls, his particular enthusiasm for xia wan stirred envy among her peers. xia wan wouldn¡¯t let these rumors slide. she rose from her seat, facing her chattering classmates with composure. ¡°if you have time to speculate on others¡¯ affairs, perhaps you should check whether you¡¯ve mastered your own studies.¡± ¡°jealous of someone else¡¯s academic progress and popularity? maybe it¡¯s time to reflect on your own actions..¡± Chapter 476 - Chapter 476: The Secretary Wants Revenge chapter 476: the secretary wants revenge translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan¡¯s retort had the immediate effect of silencing the onlookers, though it also simmered a deeper resentment within them towards her. despite quelling the immediate chatter, her words did little more than stoke the silent flames of disdain. it was an uneasy victory. jiang lu, with a light whistle and a certain smugness adorning his features, prompted an almost visceral reaction from xia wan, who had to fight the impulse to hurl her book at his grinning face. if not for his meddling, xia wan mused, her breath would have been spared. under the weight of all eyes upon her, she approached jiang lu, her mood far from light. ¡®what do you want?¡± she inquired, her voice a mixture of irritation and curiosity. jiang lu, with an arched eyebrow, cast a knowing look toward the lingering onlookers and playfully prodded, ¡°you sure you want this conversation aired publicly?¡± though impatient, xia wan sensed the need for discretion and, nudging jiang lu, hastened their departure from the classroom. their tandem exit left the others with little opportunity for pursuit or eavesdropping, a fact that wasn¡¯t lost on either of them. ¡°you¡¯re doing this deliberately,¡± xia wan accused, not bothering to mask her accusation with a glance his way. jiang lu¡¯s response was a chuckle, more a statement than a denial. ¡°and yet, here you are, having followed me out.¡± ¡°back to the matter at hand, i know you¡¯ve been searching for someone, and i can tell you where they are.¡± xia wan¡¯s face remained unreadable. ¡°i¡¯m not sure what you mean. i¡¯m not searching for anyone,¡± she stated, turning to leave. but jiang lu was quick to intercept, ¡°aren¡¯t you the least bit curious about the whereabouts of the one who consigned your grandmother to the mental institution?¡± this caught xia wan¡¯s attention, halting her in her tracks. ¡°what are you implying?¡± a smug smile played on jiang lu¡¯s lips. ¡°your concern is safe with me. i won¡¯t breathe a word to anyone.¡± xia wan stood silent, waiting for him to continue. ¡°i can reveal where the documents went, but in return, i ask a small favor of you.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not interested,¡± xia wan countered, attempting to walk away, but jiang lu¡¯s grasp was firm. ¡°hold on!¡± he insisted. ¡°the secretary, the one you¡¯re avoiding, he¡¯s bad news. aren¡¯t you afraid he might seek revenge on you and your family?¡± this was the very fear gnawing at xia wan¡¯s thoughts. yet, she was determined not to reveal any weakness to jiang lu, who seemed all the more dubious now. ¡°why would he target us?¡± she asked, her voice steady. ¡°we¡¯ve done nothing to him.¡¯ jiang lu cut her off, ¡°you¡¯ve yet to act against him, is that it?¡± ¡°don¡¯t pretend ignorance about the hospital¡¯s dealings,¡± he continued, a taunt in his laugh. ¡°you¡¯ve disrupted his affairs! ¡± ¡°he¡¯s avoided the worst for now, but he¡¯s made enemies in the process.¡± ¡°rumor has it his wife has caught wind of his indiscretions and has demanded he settle matters before returning home.¡± jiang lu¡¯s nonchalant attitude only raised xia wan¡¯s guard. she decided not to probe further. ¡°if you¡¯re unwilling to share, so be it,¡± xia wan said, pulling away from his grip. ¡°i¡¯ll take care of the matter myself. thanks for the heads-up.¡± jiang lu watched her depart with a deeper grin, murmuring, ¡°one day, you¡¯ll come to me for help.¡± confident in his prediction, jiang lu was oblivious to the irony that his own words would one day come back to haunt him. upon her return, liu hua, already by the classroom door, intercepted xia wan. ¡°what did jiang lu want?¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing,¡± xia wan deflected, not wishing to delve into details. liu hua, unsatisfied, pressed on with an urgency. ¡°they¡¯ve been talking about you since you left,¡± liu hua reported, lips pursed in displeasure. ¡°i avoided them. i can¡¯t stand to look at them now!¡± amused, xia wan struggled to contain her laughter, choosing instead to bite her lip and stay with the rising mirth. liu hua, spotting her barely contained amusement, huffed, ¡°i should take a leaf out of your book. then we¡¯ll see who dares to malign you in my presence!¡± with a gentle poke at liu hua¡¯s indignant face, xia wan felt an unexpected warmth in her heart. once they had pacified liu hua¡¯s feelings, the two returned to class to find their form teacher, jiang rong, already commanding the podium.. Chapter 477 - Chapter 477: Receiving Foreign Guests chapter 477: receiving foreign guests translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°classmates, i have a piece of good news to announce,¡± jiang rong said with a radiant smile, clearly excited. ¡°a group of students from denmark will be coming to our town for an exchange.¡± ¡°our school is in charge of hosting these foreign guests this time, and we need to select 10 volunteers to work together to complete the hosting tasks.¡± ¡°i hope everyone will sign up enthusiastically!¡± ¡°the teacher will also try her best to secure these opportunities for everyone!¡± no sooner had jiang rong finished speaking than several students in the class raised their hands, including zhou chen and song zhi, who followed zhou chen¡¯s lead. seeing this, jiang rong¡¯s smile grew even more satisfied. ¡°you all are indeed very enthusiastic!¡± ¡°since we will be hosting foreign guests, everyone will need to brush up on their foreign language speaking skills.¡± at jiang rong¡¯s words, a few who had eagerly raised their hands now seemed to shrink back, stealthily retracting their hands. jiang rong saw this, but since the activity was voluntary, she naturally did not insist. her gaze swept over to xia chen, and she asked with a hint of curiosity, ¡°xia chen, don¡¯t you plan to sign up? xia chen being called out didn¡¯t surprise the others. after all, he was now firmly the top student in terms of academic performance in the class; even if someone were to be appointed, it would have to be him. moreover, xia chen¡¯s performance in foreign language classes had also proved that he definitely had the capability. under everyone¡¯s gaze, xia chen stood up: ¡°teacher jiang, my family has a lot of things going on recently, and i¡¯m afraid i don¡¯t have the energy to participate in any extra activities.¡± although jiang rong felt it was a pity, since xia chen was unwilling, she could not persuade him further. ¡°although the teacher thinks this is a great opportunity to showcase yourself, if you¡¯re not willing to participate, i won¡¯t force you.¡± upon hearing xia chen¡¯s refusal, zhou chen¡¯s face immediately revealed a triumphant expression. after jiang rong finished announcing the news, she started packing up her things to prepare for the class. at that moment, there was a noise at the door, and principal xue shan pushed it open, saying to jiang rong, ¡°teacher jiang, could you step out for a moment, please?¡± jiang rong quickly put down her things, not daring to delay. ¡°principal, what do you need to see me for?¡± jiang rong gently closed the classroom door from the outside before asking. ¡°arrange for that xia chen from your class to attend the hosting event this time,¡± xue shan said in an uncompromising tone. ¡°but¡­¡± jiang rong hesitated. after all, xia chen had just made his position clear, and it seemed somewhat inappropriate to force someone to participate. seeing this, xue shan asked, ¡°what¡¯s the problem?¡± jiang rong pursed her lips: ¡°xia chen has already expressed that he doesn¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°then you¡¯ll have to find a way to make him go!¡± xue shan¡¯s face showed dissatisfaction. ¡°can¡¯t you handle even this small matter?¡± jiang rong opened her mouth but knew it was futile to say more. after all, she wasn¡¯t asking xia chen to do anything bad. if this hosting task was well completed, it might well benefit xia chen¡¯s future development. with this in mind, jiang rong nodded. ¡°i¡¯ll talk to him again.¡± ¡°good, let¡¯s settle it at that!¡± xue shan declared and then turned and left. jiang rong stood at the classroom door, sighed softly, turned around, and went back inside to start the class. as soon as the bell rang, jiang rong stopped xia chen. ¡°xia chen, come with me to the office.¡± although puzzled, xia chen rose and followed. liu hua nudged xia wan¡¯s arm. ¡®what do you think teacher jiang wants with your brother?¡± xia wan, continuing to work on her original drawing, didn¡¯t look up as she responded, ¡°she¡¯s probably trying to persuade my brother to join the hosting event.¡± ¡°didn¡¯t your brother already state his position? teacher jiang also said she wouldn¡¯t insist!¡± liu hua was puzzled. ¡°why do you think the principal made a special trip here?¡± xia wan asked. ¡°is the principal here for this?¡± ¡°most likely¡­ teacher jiang had a troubled look when she came in and looked at my brother. i guess it¡¯s about this,¡± xia wan said as she picked up the draft, looked at it, then shook her head and continued to make edits. liu hua watched xia wan¡¯s actions, her brow furrowed. ¡°what are you doing? i¡¯ve seen you changing it over and over.¡± ¡°i¡¯m planning to design a signboard for the shop, but i¡¯m not satisfied with this picture.¡± xia wan examined the draft again and again, then took a pen and made a few changes. liu hua leaned over to take a look. xia wan ignored her and continued to draw. song zhi came over to xia wan¡¯s desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°xia wan, why didn¡¯t you sign up for this reception?¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t be bothered to lift her head. ¡°if i had signed up, would you still have a chance?¡± xia wan¡¯s remark left song zhi at a loss for words, momentarily unsure how to respond.. Chapter 478 - Chapter 478: Invitation by Name chapter 478: invitation by name translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zhou chen had suffered a setback at the hands of xia wan before and had been looking for an opportunity to regain face ever since. he had been worried that xia chen might snatch away his opportunity, but now that xia chen had stated he wouldn¡¯t sign up, his chance had come again. he had it all planned out; after hosting the foreign guests, he would show off to those who were less experienced. but after hearing the conversation between xia wan and liu hua, he panicked. could it be that xia chen was really going to be specially approved to participate in the hosting event? ¡°there¡¯s no way i can let xia chen go!¡± zhou chen clenched his fists, plotting how to completely eliminate xia chen¡¯s chances of participating. in jiang rong¡¯s office, xia chen stood beside her desk, his posture ramrod straight, always appearing resolute. ¡°teacher jiang, did you want to see me about something?¡± xia chen had an idea of what it might be, but he still waited for jiang rong to confirm. the classroom door wasn¡¯t very soundproof, and although the conversation between the principal and jiang rong wasn¡¯t clear, he had faintly heard his own name. connecting this with jiang rong¡¯s expression when she returned to the classroom, he guessed the principal¡¯s visit was related to him. jiang rong looked at xia chen: ¡°xia chen, i am here on behalf of the school to invite you to be a key participant in this foreign guest reception event.¡± ¡°of course, you can still refuse, but i hope you will consider it carefully.¡± ¡°this is a rare opportunity.¡± ¡°and it is also the expectation of the school leadership. i hope you won¡¯t disappoint the leaders of the school.¡± jiang rong didn¡¯t give xia chen a chance to interject, placing these heavy expectations on him, simply waiting for his agreement. however, xia chen seemed unmoved: ¡°thank you for the trust from teacher jiang and the school leaders, but i really don¡¯t plan to participate in this reception event.¡± xia chen¡¯s refusal caused jiang rong¡¯s expression to darken slightly: ¡°xia chen, i think you should consider it more carefully.¡± having said that, jiang rong didn¡¯t wait for xia chen to speak again: ¡°think it over tonight and give me your answer tomorrow.¡± xia chen opened his mouth to respond but saw that jiang rong had already turned to start marking assignments. with no choice, he had to leave for now. ¡°xia chen, what did teacher jiang want with you?¡± as soon as xia chen entered the classroom, curious classmates rushed to ask, ¡°is it true that you were specially chosen to participate in the reception?¡± xia chen gave a noncommittal ¡°hmm¡± as a response. his answer set the classroom abuzz. ¡°it¡¯s really the principal who personally invited xia chen to the reception!¡± ¡°wow, xia chen¡¯s really gained face this time!¡± ¡°to have such a person in our class really brings us honor!¡± while everyone was talking excitedly, zhou chen felt an uncontrollable rage simmering inside him. xia chen, faced with zhou chen¡¯s aggressive stance, remained expressionless, ¡°did i make a promise?¡± ¡°or did i agree to something?¡± ¡°if not, shouldn¡¯t your accusations be considered defamation?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not like you; i don¡¯t have such a strong sense of self-interest, and i don¡¯t place such importance on whether or not i can participate in this reception event.¡± ¡°however, if you really don¡¯t want me to participate¡­¡± xia chen paused, ¡°perhaps i might consider signing up.¡± xia chen¡¯s words nearly drove zhou chen to curse out loud on the spot. the words rolled around in zhou chen¡¯s mouth for a while, but he eventually managed to swallow them down. he turned stiffly and walked away, while the others couldn¡¯t help but let out snickers. that evening, xia wan was in her room, continuing to revise the design for the signboard. xia chen knocked and entered, his face full of things he seemed to want to say but was holding back. ¡°brother, it¡¯s your life; make the choice you think is right,¡± xia wan knew xia chen had come to seek her advice. xia wan didn¡¯t plan to give xia chen too much guidance, only hoping he would follow his heart. xia chen¡¯s face still looked dejected, ¡°actually, i¡¯m not sure¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m just worried, worried that i might not perform well, if¡­¡± xia wan looked at xia chen¡¯s somewhat lost expression and walked over with a light laugh, ¡°you have to believe in yourself.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± xia chen was still hesitant, as if something was still troubling him. xia wan tentatively asked, ¡°you don¡¯t have a lack of confidence, do you? so, what else is worrying you?¡± xia chen thought for a moment and then honestly replied, ¡°although my foreign language grades are decent, i¡¯ve never had face-to-face interactions with foreigners.¡± ¡°moreover, there¡¯s a reception involved this time.. if i don¡¯t do well, could it affect my future?¡± Chapter 479 - Chapter 479: Wonderful Thoughts chapter 479: wonderful thoughts translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia chen¡¯s worry was not unfounded, but it was unnecessary for xia wan. ¡°denmark is not a foreign language country. they need to use a foreign language when communicating with you, ¡± xia wan said, half-jokingly trying to persuade her. ¡°moreover, although your oral english may not be the best, it¡¯s still among the top in our grade. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you think it¡¯s better to let those far inferior to you take the lead?¡± hearing xia wan¡¯s words, the tension that had been weighing on xia chen¡¯s heart eased considerably. xia wan continued, ¡°if you¡¯re really worried, i can find someone to help you practice your spoken english. that way, you¡¯ll be able to shine during the reception. what do you think?¡± as she spoke, xia wan raised her eyebrows slightly, looking as if she were anticipating a good show. xia chen waved his hand repeatedly, ¡°as long as it¡¯s not embarrassing!¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry!¡± xia wan replied with a bright smile. ¡°i¡¯ll arrange everything!¡± after xia chen left, xia wan immediately took out her phone and called zhou en. ¡°sister zhou en, i need your help!¡± zhou en arrived at the clothing store, greeted xia hai and yan han, and then headed to the storage room at the back. xia wan was squatting in the storeroom, sorting through a new batch of accessories. ¡°have you created a studio for yourself?¡± zhou en asked in surprise as he looked at the wall of accessories and the shelves in front of him. ¡°i haven¡¯t been here for a few days, and this place has changed so much!¡± he exclaimed, reaching out to touch the various items. his curiosity grew when he saw the unusual accessories. ¡°find a place to sit first. we¡¯ll talk after i¡¯m done with this,¡± xia wan said, sticking shiny plastic shards onto a piece of flannel without turning her head. ¡°what are you making?¡± zhou en leaned over curiously. ¡°a mosaic,¡± xia wan replied, still focused on her task, her hands moving deftly. ¡°this pattern is really beautiful!¡± zhou en couldn¡¯t help but praise. ¡°but why are you doing this?¡± ¡°just experimenting,¡± xia wan said as she placed the last piece of plastic on the flannel and finally looked up. ¡°how is it? have you found a suitable candidate?¡± she asked, turning to zhou en. ¡°of course!¡± zhou en leaned against the table, a playful expression on her face. ¡°i¡¯m still quite popular!¡± she said, sticking out her tongue playfully. xia wan pursed her lips and chuckled, choosing not to burst her bubble. ¡°my brother just needs more opportunities to practice. he¡¯s actually very capable!¡± xia wan didn¡¯t hide her admiration for her family member. ¡°yes, i can see that. he¡¯s not bad at all!¡± zhou en agreed, affirming xia wan¡¯s opinion. ¡°when will this person arrive?¡± xia wan asked, a hint of eagerness in her voice. ¡°within two days,¡± zhou en replied, pursing her lips in thought. ¡°she just arrived in the capital not long ago. it took me over an hour on the phone to convince her to come over and help!¡± xia wan blinked and handed a small bag wrapped in velvet to zhou en. ¡°here, this is for you!¡± zhou en opened the flannelette bag curiously and saw that the plastic fragments inside were very similar to the ones xia wan had used just now. she took out a plastic shard and examined it closely. ¡°how do i use this?¡± xia wan took the flannelette from zhou en¡¯s hand and pointed to the lines drawn on it with a pen. ¡°these lines divide it into sections. you just need to place the plastic fragments in your hand into these sections according to the pattern you like. ¡°it¡¯s important to match the pieces with plastic fragments of the same or similar color,¡± she instructed. ¡°as for the rest, just follow your instincts.¡± zhou en looked at the fragments and the flannel in his hand with a hint of skepticism. the lines on the flannel outlined a peony pattern, with different sections indicating the petals¡¯ layers and the leaves¡¯ structure. the plastic shard in her hand was softer and thinner than she had expected, more like a thick piece of paper, but with a unique luster. zhou en¡¯s interest was piqued, and she cleared a spot on the table to start assembling the pieces. to her surprise, she quickly put together more than half of the peony pattern. not only was the flower¡¯s structure clear, but the colors were also beautifully matched. ¡°this is so much fun! how did you come up with it?¡± zhou en asked, looking at xia wan with amazement. ¡°my mom brought back a lot of scrap fabric from the market a few days ago. it seemed too wasteful to just make rags out of it, so i decided to create some small toys,¡± xia wan explained. zhou en looked at her with newfound admiration.. Chapter 480 - Chapter 480: Xia Chen I s Shaken Confidence chapter 480: xia chen i s shaken confidence translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°song zhi, i heard that your family hired a university professor to tutor you in foreign languages. is that true?¡± a group gathered around song zhi¡¯s table, buzzing with curiosity. ¡°i heard he¡¯s a professor who has studied abroad! your parents really treat you well!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! with the professor¡¯s guidance, you¡¯re sure to be one of the volunteers this time!¡± ¡°oh, i¡¯m so envious! if only i had such an opportunity!¡± a mix of envy and jealousy rippled through the group. song zhi, basking in the attention, raised his chin proudly, and his smile never waned. when xia wan and xia chen entered the classroom, they found song zhi in the center of adoration, wearing a smug expression. upon seeing xia chen and xia wan, song zhi immediately stood up and approached them. ¡°xia chen, even though the school specifically asked you to participate in the reception event, you should be aware of your own level.¡± ¡°your foreign language grades aren¡¯t bad, but as for your spoken english¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s not your fault,¡± song zhi snorted. ¡°after all, you haven¡¯t had many chances to interact with foreigners.¡± ¡°however, if you ask me nicely, maybe i can persuade professor zhang to teach you.¡± xia chen and xia wan ignored song zhi, walking past him to their seats. the person next to song zhi chimed in, ¡°xia chen, you should really thank song zhi properly!¡± ¡°with your family¡¯s modest clothing store, hiring a university professor for tutoring is out of the question!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! song zhi is offering to help because he doesn¡¯t want you to embarrass our class and the school. it wouldn¡¯t reflect well on any of us!¡± the room was filled with murmurs, everyone seemingly convinced that xia chen¡¯s participation in the reception would be a disaster. xia chen remained silent. his confidence wavered, unable to muster a defense against their words. ¡°so what if you¡¯ve invited a university professor to teach you? do you even understand the level of ability i possess?¡± liu hua couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and interjected. ¡°that ugly duckling can become a swan because it has the potential!¡± ¡°has anyone ever seen a toad turn into a prince?¡± stung by liu hua¡¯s mockery, song zhi¡¯s face darkened. ¡°liu hua, what are you implying? ¡°i¡¯m simply stating that some people might squander good resources,¡± liu hua replied, his tone dripping with disdain. song zhi¡¯s face twisted with anger, but then he sneered, ¡°jealous of you? for what?¡± liu hua rolled his eyes. ¡°jealous that you¡¯re trying to show off without the skills to back it up? ¡°or that you think you¡¯re better than xia chen just because you¡¯ve hired a professor?¡± song zhi scrutinized liu hua. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to be so blindly devoted to xia chen. ¡± liu hua, at a loss for words, pursed his lips and remained silent. seeing liu hua¡¯s reaction, song zhi was about to gloat when xia wan stepped beside liu hua and placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°this isn¡¯t blind devotion; it¡¯s trust. ¡°my brother deserves our trust! ¡°if you believe hiring a professor will transform you, then let¡¯s wait and see the outcome! ¡°the reception is only two weeks away. ¡°good luck securing a volunteer position!¡± with that, xia wan turned liu hua around and guided him to sit down, pressing firmly on his shoulder. they sat down together. liu hua, settling into his seat, didn¡¯t forget to give a soft clap for xia wan. ¡°impressive! admirable! my idol!¡± song zhi was left standing, momentarily silenced, as the sound of breathing filled the room. those who had been fawning over song zhi quietly retreated to their seats, no longer speaking. xia wan¡¯s pointed words had hit home. regardless of song zhi¡¯s potential improvement under the professor¡¯s tutelage, securing a volunteer spot at the foreign guest reception was the immediate hurdle. without it, all his efforts would be for naught. xia wan glanced back at xia chen, who was still staring down at the table. song zhi¡¯s remarks had clearly shaken his confidence once again. for two days, xia chen seemed lost in thought. xia hai and yan han also sensed that something was amiss but were hesitant to inquire directly. they could only covertly seek insights from xia wan.. Chapter 481 - Chapter 481: Voting chapter 481: voting translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°what happened to your brother?¡± ¡°did something happen at school?¡± ¡°or¡­ did he fall out of love?¡± yan han slapped xia hai on the shoulder as soon as he asked the question. xia hai rubbed his shoulders, but his eyes were still fixed on xia wan. yan han didn¡¯t say much and looked at xia wan with anticipation. xia wan shook her head. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. it¡¯s just that the school specifically asked him to attend the foreign guest reception event the week after next.¡± xia hai and yan han looked at each other, and then their eyes were filled with excitement. ¡°isn¡¯t that a good thing? why did he still look like he was about to ¡°he probably doesn¡¯t have confidence in himself¡­¡± xia wan glanced at xia chen¡¯s closed door. ¡°confidence?¡± xia hai frowned. ¡°chenchen wasn¡¯t like this in the past! he was very confident in everything he did!¡± ¡°it¡¯s normal for him to be worried, especially since we have to receive foreigners this time.¡± ¡°then what should we do? it would be difficult to decline the school¡¯s invitation, right?¡± xia hai was already thinking about how to retreat. xia wan said firmly to her parents, ¡°i will definitely make my brother regain his confidence!¡± ¡°if he misses this opportunity, he will definitely regret it! ¡°moreover, he is likely to be unable to recover due to a lack of confidence! ¡°so, no matter what, we must stand firmly on his side! give him enough strength to face whatever challenges he will face!¡± xia hai and yan han stared at xia wan for a long time without any reaction. ¡°don¡¯t you want to help him?¡± xia wan¡¯s expression revealed a trace of disappointment. xia hai immediately reacted. ¡°how is that possible?! i just think that it¡¯s great that you can grow up like this!¡± xia hai could not help but chuckle. yan han also had a gratified smile on his face. ¡°yes, sir! we are his strength! we are also your strength!¡± xia wan blinked and smiled. ¡°i will help you! don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°good!¡± xia hai and yan han said in unison. two days later, xia chen seemed to be in a bad mood. he never responded to song zhi¡¯s occasional provocations. on the other hand, the girls who surrounded xia chen all day long saw that xia chen was depressed and wanted to throw themselves into his arms to be his spiritual food. ¡°brother, come with me to a place after school today.¡± xia wan greeted xia chen early in the morning, lest he ran home gloomily again. xia chen nodded and went out with his bag. jiang rong also noticed the change in xia chen, but she thought that he was under pressure and couldn¡¯t adjust himself. anyway, after talking to xia chen that day, the answer he told her the next day was that he was going to participate in the reception event. since that was the case, with volunteers in the class, the task assigned by the principal was considered completed. naturally, she did not have to worry too much. ¡°tomorrow, the school will hold a small-scale exhibition and evaluation activity, so that the students who have signed up to participate in the volunteers will have a chance to show off.¡± jiang rong glanced at the people sitting under the podium and deliberately paused on zhou chen and song zhi. ¡°after the exhibition, in addition to the experts¡¯ comments, there will also be a voting session.¡± ¡°at that time, everyone can vote for the suitable candidate in their hearts.¡± the class immediately started discussing. ¡°a public vote? doesn¡¯t that mean that the more people get votes, the more likely they are to become volunteers?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! then i¡¯ll vote for xia chen!¡± ¡°you idiot! xia chen is already a volunteer!¡± ¡°ah, right¡­ then who should i vote for?¡± liu hua nudged xia wan¡¯s elbow. ¡°who do you want to vote for?¡± xia wan shrugged. ¡°it¡¯s useless to vote. you can vote for anyone.¡± liu hua frowned. ¡°didn¡¯t teacher jiang just say that we can vote¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! but teacher jiang didn¡¯t say that the voting result was the result of the selection!¡± xia wan directly pointed out the crux of the problem. liu hua recalled for a moment. it seemed like that was really the case. he instantly lost interest in voting. as soon as school was over, xia wan pulled xia chen out. ¡°where are you taking me?¡± xia chen was pulled away by xia wan without any resistance. she walked straight to the restaurant that chen mo had brought her to last time. standing at the entrance of the restaurant, xia chen finally reacted. ¡°what are we doing here? i still have to go back to study and practice my oral english. let¡¯s come back for dinner another day!¡± after xia chen finished speaking, he turned around and was about to walk back.. Chapter 482 - Chapter 482: Tutor chapter 482: tutor translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan didn¡¯t give him a chance to escape and pulled him straight into the restaurant. xia wan looked around and saw zhou en waving to her from a corner window seat. xia wan led xia chen to zhou en¡¯s table. ¡°you guys arrived early!¡± xia chen greeted zhou en, his gaze then falling on the fashionably dressed girl sitting next to zhou en. the girl wore sunglasses and her brown hair was simply tied up with a silk headband. ¡°let me introduce you, this is my good friend, lina.¡± after zhou en finished introducing, he then introduced them to lina. ¡°this is my good friend and business partner, xia wan, and the other is her brother, xia chen.¡± lina extended her hand generously to shake hands with xia wan, then reached out to xia chen. xia chen was stunned for a moment before he gently shook lina¡¯s hand. after both parties introduced themselves, they sat down. after asking for lina¡¯s preference, xia wan and zhou en unreservedly ordered a table full of dishes. although xia chen was unclear about the meaning of this meal, he did not directly ask. since xia wan had called him over, he must have had his use. ¡°xia chen, i heard you were chosen by the school to participate in the reception of foreign guests!¡± zhou en picked up the drink cup in front of him. ¡°impressive!¡± xia chen smiled somewhat reluctantly, just raising his glass as a gesture, without saying a word. xia wan gave zhou en a ¡°you see, that¡¯s how it is¡± expression, then said to xia chen, ¡°brother, this is lina, the oral language tutor i hired for you.¡± ¡°an oral language tutor?¡± xia chen subconsciously looked at lina again. xia wan gestured to zhou en, and he formally reintroduced them. ¡°lina, a pure native born and raised abroad,¡± zhou en grinned and said, ¡°she¡¯s also my university classmate.¡± ¡°i think she¡¯s definitely qualified to be your oral language tutor!¡± xia chen seemed unable to react for a moment, blinking and looking at zhou en and lina. then, he turned to xia wan, ¡°wh-what do you mean?¡± xia wan patted xia chen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°don¡¯t you feel you lack the opportunity for oral conversation, and therefore worry you won¡¯t be able to successfully complete the task?¡± ¡°now that i¡¯ve found you a tutor, you¡¯ll have real-life experience. that way, you¡¯ll have the confidence to complete the reception task!¡± xia chen still seemed a bit dazed, asking lina, ¡°is she a foreigner?¡± ¡°i¡¯m a local!¡± lina immediately shook her head in protest. ¡°i just live abroad!¡± xia chen, seeing that lina was unhappy, immediately lowered his head and apologized. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i misspoke.¡± lina wasn¡¯t really angry. seeing xia chen apologize so earnestly, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. zhou en couldn¡¯t resist teasing, ¡°you¡¯re really easy to be bullied like this!¡± ¡°with me around, who dares to bully my brother?¡± xia wan raised her chin slightly. hearing xia wan say this, xia chen couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°since both of you have no objections, it¡¯s decided. from today onwards, my brother will practice oral language with lina.¡± xia wan said while the iron was hot. ¡°you two can discuss the time and place yourselves. we won¡¯t be too involved.¡¯ ¡°there are less than two weeks left. i hope we can cooperate happily.¡± lina extended her hand to xia chen. xia chen shook her hand gently. ¡°please!¡± the four of them finished their meal happily. zhou en said he wanted to accompany lina to buy some daily necessities and left first. xia wan and xia chen were on their way home. ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡± xia chen was surprised that his sister was so considerate of him and had arranged everything so well. if it were him, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have the ability to find such a tutor. however, xia wan¡¯s secrecy was a bit too thorough. ¡°i was afraid you would refuse.¡± xia wan didn¡¯t hide her thoughts. ¡°you¡¯re worried you won¡¯t be able to complete the task and also worried about causing trouble for others.¡± xia wan turned to xia chen, her eyes filled with a slight reproach. ¡°brother, you can¡¯t always think about others.¡± ¡°there are some things that i can help you with.¡± xia chen¡¯s eyes moved, and his expression became gentler. he reached out and gently stroked xia wan¡¯s hair. ¡°my sister has really grown up! you¡¯re completely different from before!¡± xia wan lowered her head. ¡°brother, don¡¯t worry. i won¡¯t let the past happen again!¡± ¡°good!¡± xia chen smiled happily, but he did not know that xia wan¡¯s memories were completely different from his.. Chapter 483 - Chapter 483: Xia Chen’s Secret chapter 483: xia chen¡¯s secret translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia chen walked into the classroom and saw everyone looking at him strangely. at first, he didn¡¯t care, but when he returned to his seat, someone suddenly pulled his chair away from behind. fortunately, xia chen was prepared, so he avoided the embarrassment of falling to the ground. however, the people around him did not show the slightest intention of restraining their mockery. xia chen didn¡¯t understand why the people in the class were looking at him so differently within just two days. especially the girls, who even looked at him with some disdain. finally, someone came over to clear up his doubts. ¡°he was so arrogant in school that no one dared to approach him. i didn¡¯t expect his private life to be so chaotic!¡± confused, xia chen asked, ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong? dare to do it but not admit it?¡± zhuang peng, who had a face riddled with acne, scratched his back with one hand and propped himself up on xia chen¡¯s desk with the other. he thought he was cool and asked, ¡°do you really think you¡¯re a popular lover? ¡°you hook up with these ignorant little girls at school, and when you go out, you flirt with those coquettishly dressed women. ¡°you really didn¡¯t miss a single one!¡± xia chen looked at the person with a serious expression. ¡°what nonsense are you talking about?! whether you believe me or not¡­¡± before xia chen could finish his sentence, zhuang peng had already sneered at the people around him. ¡°you still want to put on airs at a time like this!¡± ¡°don¡¯t you know what it means to be lenient if you confess and severe if you resist?! ¡± as zhuang peng spoke, his hand was already slapping xia chen¡¯s face. xia chen reacted quickly. he grabbed zhuang peng¡¯s hand and pressed it down, twisting zhuang peng¡¯s finger in the opposite direction. ¡°ahh! let me go! it hurts! it hurts!¡± zhuang peng cried out in pain, his body shrinking. xia chen did not let go. he glanced at the crowd. ¡°is this how you guys make up stories?¡± ¡°what imagination!¡± zhou chen stood up at this moment. ¡°you know who you are! ¡± because of xia chen¡¯s appearance, zhou chen had already lost a large number of fangirls. he was already very emotional. this time, with xia chen¡¯s private life discovered to be chaotic, he would definitely take this opportunity to hit him when he was down! ¡°zhuang peng and the others saw you being intimate with a fashionably dressed woman. they even walked into a two-story building together.¡± ¡°i heard that you guys stayed inside for a full two hours. they said that you guys didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± although song zhi had some animosity with zhou chen because of the previous incident, when he saw zhou chen righteously criticizing xia chen for playing with women, he began to admire zhou chen again. he walked to zhou chen¡¯s side with some admiration and then said to xia chen, ¡°that¡¯s right, your behavior is disgusting! we definitely won¡¯t allow such a person to appear in our class!¡± song zhi¡¯s words immediately drew a few replies. ¡°xia chen, get out of our class!¡± ¡°get out! disgusting guy!¡± for a moment, the voices in the class denouncing xia chen actually became louder and louder. xia chen wanted to defend himself, but he didn¡¯t know how to say it. at this moment, xia wan walked back into the class from the teacher¡¯s office with a thick stack of papers. as soon as she entered, she saw zhuang peng, who had already escaped from xia chen¡¯s control, rush to the podium. he picked up the whiteboard and threw it at xia chen¡¯s face. xia chen, distracted by a group of people, did not notice zhuang peng¡¯s sudden attack. just as the whiteboard was about to hit xia chen¡¯s eyes, a figure suddenly blocked in front of xia chen, allowing him to avoid the risk. ¡°argh! who the f*ck kicked my back!¡± an angry shout was heard, followed by another shout, ¡°hey! who hit my head with a whiteboard!¡± the person who shouted was none other than zhuang peng¡¯s good friend, li guang. seeing this, zhuang peng shouted at xia wan, ¡°xia wan! why the f*ck did you kick my brother!¡± xia wan walked to the lecture table and placed the paper on the table. she did not even look at zhuang peng. ¡°you wanted to sneak attack my brother first!¡± after xia wan finished speaking, she pushed aside the people in front of her and walked to xia chen¡¯s side. ¡°brother, what happened?¡± xia chen finally recovered from the confusion of being surrounded by the crowd. he shook his head at xia wan. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. they¡¯re just trying to make up stories about me!¡± xia wan turned to look at zhou chen and song zhi, who were closest to her. ¡°did the two of you do this?¡± zhou chen subconsciously took half a step back and shook his head gently.. Chapter 484 - Chapter 484: Song Zhi’s Purpose chapter 484: song zhi¡¯s purpose translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation when song zhi saw this, he glared at zhou chen with disdain and cursed him in his heart. ¡°xia wan, you don¡¯t need to cover for your brother. he knows the dirty things he¡¯s done! ¡°don¡¯t think xia chen can do whatever he wants just because he¡¯s good at studying and handsome. ¡°i want justice for those girls who were deceived by xia chen!¡± filled with righteous indignation, song zhi continued. xia wan, however, wore an expression of ridicule. ¡°you¡¯re saying this as if my brother cheated someone¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it true that those girls chase my brother like flies all day long, causing him trouble? now they¡¯re the victims?¡± ¡°also, how many of your so-called conclusive evidence have seen it with their own eyes to really know what¡¯s going on? ¡°you¡¯ve been listening to the wind and rain every day, treating these boring rumors as reality. no wonder your grades can¡¯t improve. your brain is filled with these illusory things!¡± xia wan¡¯s words completely angered the others in the class. however, they only dared to be angry and didn¡¯t dare to say anything. although xia wan¡¯s words weren¡¯t pleasant, she wasn¡¯t wrong. they hadn¡¯t really seen what xia chen and the so-called fashionable girl did. it was indeed inappropriate for them to try to ¡°catch them in the act¡± based solely on zhuang peng¡¯s description. zhuang peng rushed over at that moment. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? you dare to do it but don¡¯t dare to admit it?¡± ¡°xia chen, are you still a man?!¡± zhuang peng, not as timid as the others, had seen xia chen and the fashionable girl enter the small building together. they had been squatting outside for two hours before the pair came out again. it couldn¡¯t be fake! xia chen frowned slightly and looked at zhuang peng with impatience. ¡°before you blame others, shouldn¡¯t you first confirm the whole story? the person you¡¯re talking about is my¡­¡± before xia chen could finish, xia wan interrupted. ¡°zhuang peng, do you manage everything? can you control my brother¡¯s private life? ¡°your behavior can be considered as voyeurism! it¡¯s an invasion of privacy! this is illegal! do you understand?¡± when zhuang peng heard this, he was stunned. then, he defended himself. ¡°what invasion of privacy? what¡¯s illegal!¡± ¡°i¡¯m just telling everyone the truth! exposing xia chen, the hypocrite!¡± ¡°and you¡¯re the habitual offender!¡± xia wan sneered. ¡°let me give you some legal knowledge. invasion of privacy, including voyeurism, secretly taking photos, eavesdropping, and invading privacy, can lead to fines, detention, or even incarceration!¡± ¡°don¡¯t scare me, man!¡± zhuang peng stuttered, not expecting the situation to be so serious. ¡°you, too, are complicit in the crime of invading someone¡¯s privacy.¡± xia wan looked at the others. everyone unconsciously leaned back. xia wan then turned to zhou chen and song zhi. ¡°the two of you didn¡¯t see anything, but still fabricated facts. that¡¯s pure slander, and you¡¯ll also be held accountable!¡± zhou chen hadn¡¯t expected xia wan to ¡°convict¡± them all with just a few words. he opened his mouth but didn¡¯t speak. song zhi was less intimidated than the others. he raised his chin and looked defiantly at xia wan. ¡°don¡¯t think you can scare us with legal provisions we don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°i, song zhi, am not scared!¡± ¡°xia chen knows what he did!¡± ¡°if we report this to the school, his volunteer spot will definitely be rejected!¡± ¡°just wait and cry then!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go tell the teacher now!¡± song zhi turned and left after saying that. xia wan didn¡¯t chase after him. instead, she said lightly to song zhi¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°so this is your motive.¡± the others had a sudden realization. no wonder song zhi seemed to care so much. it was only for that spot! ¡°xia wan!¡± song zhi¡¯s face lost all color at xia wan¡¯s words. ¡°don¡¯t judge me with your petty mind!¡± i just don¡¯t want anyone else to be deceived by xia chen!¡± ¡°really?¡± xia wan raised her eyebrows. song zhi was speechless at xia wan¡¯s question. of course, he knew his own purpose.. if xia chen was eliminated because of his actions, not only would he gain an extra spot, but his biggest competitor would also be gone! Chapter 485 - Chapter 485: Hello, Teacher Lin chapter 485: hello, teacher lin translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation jiang rong walked into the class at this time. when she saw everyone gathered together, she suddenly felt a little strange. song zhi stepped forward, wanting to ¡°report¡± xia chen. ¡°if you¡¯re suspected of defamation, we have the right to pursue your criminal responsibility,¡± xia wan said calmly from behind. song zhi instantly deflated. he stood rooted to the spot and did not move. jiang rong¡¯s expression darkened when she saw that no one was paying attention to her. ¡°teacher has something to announce! ¡± everyone returned to their seats. ¡°regarding the last reception event, in order to let the students gain more experience in receiving guests, the school specially invited a teacher to do surprise training for the students who signed up as volunteers.¡± ¡°the training time is two hours after school every day. i hope that the students who sign up as volunteers can actively participate in the training.¡± the class instantly became lively. ¡°the teachers invited by the school must be very powerful!¡± ¡°it seems that the school really values this reception event and has even specially invited a teacher over!¡± ¡°sigh, if i had known, i would have signed up as a volunteer too. i could have gotten a professional teacher to train me! i regret it!¡± zhou chen could no longer hear anyone else¡¯s voice. his eyes were shining. this was because his parents did not support him signing up as a volunteer, nor did they give him money to hire a good teacher for tutoring. unlike song zhi¡¯s family, he could not hire a university teacher to tutor him at any time. he could only try his best to practice alone. however, speaking was not something that could be improved by working behind closed doors. after a few days, he had already begun to doubt himself. this time, the school really came at the right time to solve his problem. song zhi was not satisfied with this arrangement. he raised his hand high, afraid that jiang rong would not see it. ¡°teacher, i don¡¯t want to participate in the school¡¯s unified training. my parents have hired a university professor to guide me. i think i¡¯m more suitable for one-on-one training courses.¡± jiang rong did not mind. ¡°this training is also voluntary. everyone can make their own judgments.¡± song zhi shook his head and retracted his raised hand, looking satisfied. xia chen was still hesitating whether he should give up on this group training, but after looking at xia wan, he decided not to speak. after school, a few students who had signed up for the volunteer program were led to the school auditorium by the english teacher. as soon as xia chen entered, he saw a girl in a plain shirt and jeans standing on the podium with her head lowered. she was tall, and although her face was covered by her hair, she still gave off a pure and refreshing feeling. zhou chen stood behind xia chen and was immediately attracted by the girl in front of him. a few of the more daring boys had already spoken up. ¡°student, are you here to participate in the training too?¡± ¡°which class are you from? why haven¡¯t i seen you before?¡± ¡°what¡¯s your name? how about we be friends?¡± they spoke one after another, and finally, the girl slowly raised her head. just as everyone expected, the face covered by the brown hair was so clean that people couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances. zhou chen felt like his breathing was about to stop. this girl gave off a very bright feeling, completely different from the other girls in the class. zhou chen could not help but take a few steps forward, wanting to get close to the girl. when the female students who were also participating in the training saw this, they secretly cursed those lecherous boys. they also broke out in a cold sweat for the girl who looked like a sheep entering the tiger¡¯s mouth. the girl¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd and paused on xia chen. then, she lowered her head again, as if she was confirming something. the english teacher pushed the students who were blocking the entrance into the auditorium. ¡°find a seat and sit down. we¡¯ll start training immediately!¡± with the english teacher¡¯s control, the boys who were about to drool finally obediently walked to the seats in the auditorium. however, their eyes never left the girl. the english teacher walked to the girl¡¯s side and introduced her to everyone. ¡°this is the training teacher we invited. you can call her teacher lin! ¡± the boys widened their eyes. they never thought that the girl who looked about the same age as them was actually the training teacher. ¡°hello, teacher lin!¡± the sound was deafening.. Chapter 486 - Chapter 486: Classmate Relationship chapter 486: classmate relationship translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after the entire training session, the boys seemed as if they had been injected with chicken blood. as for the boys who deliberately attracted attention and even made things difficult for her, teacher lin handled them perfectly. this also made her popular with the girls. as the class was about to end, teacher lin gave the students time to speak freely. ¡°teacher lin, do you have a boyfriend?¡± a boy stood up and asked. ¡°no.¡± her short answer caused the scene to explode again. ¡°teacher lin, what kind of boy do you like?¡± another person asked. ¡°yes, yes! teacher lin is so beautiful, she must have a suitor!¡± ¡°teacher lin, what do you think of the boys in our class? the series of questions made all the girls present roll their eyes. ¡°i¡¯m not sure,¡± ms. lin only smiled in response to the boys¡¯ questions. ¡°if you use your enthusiasm to practice your foreign language, you might improve even faster!¡± ¡°good! that was all for today¡¯s training! see you next time!¡± after teacher lin finished speaking, she picked up the things that she had already put away and walked towards the door. one by one, the boys jumped up and prepared to chase after teacher lin. zhou chen ran the fastest. he rushed behind ms. lin and turned around to block all the boys behind her. ¡°ms. lin is tired. stop harassing her!¡± zhou chen turned around and saw teacher lin¡¯s grateful smile. zhou chen was instantly overjoyed. xia chen stood still and didn¡¯t rush out like the others. however, he had a serious and confused expression on his face, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. under zhou chen¡¯s obstruction, teacher lin¡¯s figure quickly disappeared. the boys complained that zhou chen had actually ¡®saved the damsel in distress¡¯ at this time, wasting their opportunity to interact with teacher lin. however, zhou chen did not care at all. he was still recalling teacher lin¡¯s smile when she turned around just now. when xia chen got home, xia wan immediately chased after him curiously. ¡°brother, how was your training today?¡± ¡°how does that teacher compare to lina?¡± xia chen looked at xia wan strangely. after a while, he frowned and asked, ¡®who is lin na?¡± the next morning, the class was bustling with discussion about the amazing foreign language teacher. ¡°i heard that the teacher looks like a local and a foreigner at the same time!¡± ¡°i heard that the teacher knocked out a boy with a smile!¡± ¡°i also heard that the teacher fell in love with a student who was participating in the training class!¡± ¡°really? it¡¯s only the first day and you already like each other?¡± everyone discussed animatedly. zhou chen sat in the middle of the crowd with a smile on his face. song zhi looked at zhou chen coldly and snorted. ¡°she¡¯s just an ordinary-looking big sister who¡¯s a few years older than us. i don¡¯t know what there is to be curious about!¡± song zhi¡¯s obviously jealous tone immediately drew ridicule from the boys. ¡°song zhi, you¡¯re afraid that zhou chen will be snatched away by that pretty teacher, right?!¡± ¡°humph!¡± song zhi raised his chin. ¡°what¡¯s there to be afraid of? zhou chen wasn¡¯t mine to begin with!¡± zhou chen chuckled when he heard that. ¡°song zhi and i are classmates. don¡¯t talk nonsense! ¡± ¡°besides, i don¡¯t like song zhi!¡± zhou chen¡¯s explanation made the mocking of song zhi sound even more sarcastic. song zhi¡¯s face darkened. he stood up and rushed to the classroom door. xia wan walked in at this moment. song zhi bumped into xia wan, and the two of them cried out in pain at the same time. song zhi was imocked back two steps and fell to the ground. xia wan had xia chen protecting her from behind. although her shoulders and chest hurt from the impact, she managed to stabilize herself. she rubbed her sore spot and watched song zhi angrily jump up from the ground. he had thought that song zhiwei would make a scene with him, but he did not expect her to not say a word. he pushed them away and rushed out. xia wan looked at song zhi¡¯s figure in confusion, but xia chen was worried about xia wan¡¯s health. ¡°are you hurt? are you feeling unwell anywhere?¡± xia chen looked at xia wan with concern. before xia wan could respond, she heard laughter coming from the class. xia wan and xia chen didn¡¯t know what was going on. they looked at the onlookers and realized that they were laughing at song zhi, who was running away.. Chapter 487 - Chapter 487: Respect chapter 487: respect translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan turned her head and saw zhou chen smiling smugly. she knew that this matter must have had something to do with zhou chen. zhou chen looked at xia chen with disdain. yesterday, he could already tell that xia chen looked cold on the surface, but he secretly wanted to greet teacher lin a few times. it seemed that this kid did not have any good intentions! zhou chen¡¯s attitude towards xia chen was not very good, so xia wan and xia chen did not take it seriously. xia chen had just sat down when someone came over. ¡°xia chen, i heard that teacher lin who trained you yesterday is very beautiful!¡± ¡°yes, yes! i heard from zhou chen that teacher lin seems to like asking you questions!¡± ¡°do you know each other?¡± ¡°give us an introduction! let¡¯s share her together!¡± xia chen listened to the boys and his expression became more and more serious. ¡°what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°teacher lin is our tutor. we should respect her!¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you a little rude, speaking like this!¡± xia chen¡¯s words did not cause the other boys to reflect on themselves. instead, they burst into laughter. ¡°come on, xia chen, your sanctimonious look is really¡­ it¡¯s fine if you pretend in front of girls, but why are you addicted to charades?!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! don¡¯t make it sound like you don¡¯t have any feelings for that teacher lin. you didn¡¯t tell us because you¡¯re afraid that we¡¯ll compete with you!¡± when zhou chen heard this, he let out a disdainful chuckle. everyone thought that he was looking down on xia chen¡¯s attitude, but they didn¡¯t know that he was looking down on those boys who overestimated themselves! those who could stand beside teacher lin naturally had to be as handsome and outstanding as him. those people¡­ they were just a bunch of potatoes. how could they be worthy? xia chen looked displeased. ¡°i don¡¯t have any improper thoughts about teacher lin, and i advise you not to have any strange thoughts. teacher lin is different from us. he¡¯s¡­¡± xia chen suddenly paused. ¡°what are they?¡± someone immediately followed up with another question. ¡°it seems like you really know a lot about teacher lin!¡± ¡°come, come, come. don¡¯t hide it from us! tell us what you have to say!¡± a few boys immediately surrounded xia chen. one of them even put his hand on xia chen¡¯s shoulder. xia chen frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°take your hand away!¡± that person obviously didn¡¯t notice xia chen¡¯s anger. he was still laughing and even patted xia chen¡¯s shoulder a few times. xia chen reached out and grabbed the person¡¯s hand. he pulled hard and pulled the person¡¯s arm off his shoulder. then, he pressed the person directly onto the desk. this set of actions only took a few seconds. not to mention the surrounding onlookers, even the person who was pressed firmly on the table did not understand how he was thrown over. the others in the class didn¡¯t expect xia chen to do such a thing. xia wan nodded her head in satisfaction. it seemed that the training this time had some effect. ¡°sigh! let go! let go! it hurts!¡± the boy who was pressed against the table cried out as his other hand grabbed the air. ¡°are you still going to talk nonsense in the future?¡± xia chen asked sternly. ¡°no, no, no! i¡¯ll stop talking nonsense!¡± the boy¡¯s voice sounded like he was about to cry. ¡°i won¡¯t do it again!¡± ¡°if i hear you talking nonsense and disrespecting girls again, i¡¯ll break your hand. do you believe me?¡± xia chen warned. ¡°yes! i believe! i believe it! i don¡¯t dare! i really won¡¯t dare to do it again!¡± the boy cried out in pain. he did not forget to ask the people around him for help. ¡°what are you guys standing there for? help me out will you?¡± the surrounding boys had never seen xia chen¡¯s aura before. even though he usually looked cold, they did not expect him to have such skills. the others didn¡¯t dare to get close to him, so he was pressed against the table and couldn¡¯t move. at this moment, an urgent shout came from the door, ¡°teacher jiang is here! teacher jiang is here!¡± this sentence was like a bird¡¯s whistle, and the people around xia chen suddenly dispersed. when jiang rong walked into the classroom, she saw a boy lying on xia chen¡¯s desk, crying so hard that tears and snot were flowing down his face.. Chapter 488 - Chapter 488: Twisting chapter 488: twisting translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± jiang rong looked seriously at xia chen and the sobbing boy. before xia chen could speak, the boy stood up first and rushed to jiang rong¡¯s side. he cried loudly, ¡°teacher jiang, help! xia chen hit me!¡± jiang rong was a bit surprised but still looked reproachfully at xia chen, ¡°xia chen, tell me, what happened?¡± just as xia chen was about to speak, there was a light knock at the classroom door. turning her head, jiang rong saw song zhi standing at the door, his eyes red. she asked in a stern tone, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you again? why are you crying like this?¡± song zhi, already feeling aggrieved, cried out even louder when jiang rong asked him this. jiang rong was a bit flustered, ¡°don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. i¡¯m just concerned about what happened to you.¡± suddenly, there were two crybabies in the class, and jiang rong felt her teaching career had never been so chaotic. heavily sighing, jiang rong comforted song zhi, ¡°don¡¯t cry for now. tell me what happened. ¡± how could song zhi bring up such an embarrassing situation again? he could only cry while wiping his tears with his head down. jiang rong looked worried but knew she probably wouldn¡¯t get anything out of him for now, so she let song zhi return to his seat. turning her head and seeing the boy still standing by the desk, jiang rong¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°xu tao, what¡¯s the matter with you now?¡± xu tao was startled by jiang rong¡¯s stern tone, opening and closing his mouth, unsure what to say. at this moment, zhuang peng spoke up, ¡°teacher jiang, xia chen hit someone! we all saw it!¡± ¡°yes! xia chen hit someone and even threatened us!¡± with zhou chen speaking up first, the others followed suit. although jiang rong didn¡¯t believe zhuang peng, with so many people accusing xia chen, she had to take notice. ¡°xia chen, tell us what happened.¡± xia chen stood up, ¡°teacher jiang, they disrespect girls, spreading rumors behind their backs. shouldn¡¯t we stop such behavior?¡± ¡°you, don¡¯t talk nonsense! who are you accusing of disrespecting girls and spreading rumors?!¡± xu tao, covering his shoulder with one hand, stuttered in rebuttal. ¡°xia chen, do you have any evidence for what you¡¯re saying?¡± although teacher jiang trusted xia chen, there was no proof. but xia chen hitting someone had happened in front of everyone, and xu tao¡¯s arm couldn¡¯t even return to its normal position. if she let xia chen off easily, wouldn¡¯t others think she was showing favoritism? xia chen was also stunned for a moment. with a group of people talking nonsense together, how could there be any evidence? seeing xia chen¡¯s serious expression, xu tao knew he definitely had no evidence and became even more proud, ¡°see? no evidence, right?¡± ¡°it¡¯s you who¡¯s talking nonsense and framing me. you even pushed me against the table and hit me!¡± ¡°teacher jiang, if you don¡¯t deal with xia chen today, i¡­ i¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯ll report it to the principal!¡± xu tao became more and more agitated as he spoke. jiang rong glanced at xu tao, her expression becoming even more solemn. xia chen was the school¡¯s chosen candidate for receiving foreign guests. if he were punished for fighting, not only would he lose his position, but the school¡¯s image would also be affected! just as jiang rong was in a dilemma, xia wan suddenly stood up, ¡°i have evidence!¡± xu tao¡¯s excited expression froze. xia wan took out an mp4 and handed it to jiang rong. ¡°how could i forget she had such a thing!¡± xu tao spat silently, cursing to himself. with xia wan¡¯s mp/+ recording, it was clear who was right and who was wrong. jiang rong glared at xu tao, ¡°you, come to my office after class! and those who were involved just now, come to my office as well!¡± the boys in the class were immediately dejected, while the girls secretly applauded and celebrated. these boys never took girls seriously, often making offensive comments. the girls had long suffered silently, never expecting the xia siblings to seize such a heaven-sent opportunity! after class, the boys, either voluntarily or reported, went to jiang rong¡¯s office one by one. xia chen¡¯s desk was then surrounded by girls, ¡°xia chen! that move you just did was so cool! how did you do it?¡± ¡°right! i didn¡¯t know you could do that! teach me next time!¡± Chapter 489 - Chapter 489: Transfer Student chapter 489: transfer student translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zhou chen looked at xia chen with a dark and inscrutable expression, as if trying to discern something from him. xia chen didn¡¯t care, but liu hua felt something eerie. she nudged xia wan¡¯s arm, ¡°what¡¯s with zhou chen staring at your brother like that? is he plotting something bad again?¡± xia wan glanced at zhou chen and said nonchalantly, ¡°with his brains, he can¡¯t come up with anything new.¡± liu hua was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. her laughter drew the attention of others in the class, snapping zhou chen back to reality. he withdrew his gaze and his hand under the table, fiddling with something unknown. the second training class arrived soon, amid great anticipation from the boys. as teacher lin entered the school auditorium, she saw pairs of eyes fixedly staring at her. she smiled, ¡°everyone¡¯s here early today!¡± at this point, zhou chen spoke, ¡°teacher lin, since it¡¯s not time yet, could you chat with us?¡± teacher lin smiled broadly at zhou chen, ¡°sure!¡± zhou chen was overjoyed, ¡°teacher lin, how come your foreign language skills are so good? is it because you lived abroad for a long time?¡± ¡°oh? how do you know i lived abroad for a long time?¡± teacher lin asked zhou chen, full of self-satisfaction, said, ¡°because your manners and the way you speak are completely different from the girls here. you look generous and well-dressed, giving a pleasing and enjoyable impression.¡± zhou chen¡¯s words immediately provoked protests from the other girls. ¡°zhou chen, what do you mean! compliment teacher lin, but why compare her to us?¡± ¡°exactly! even if teacher lin has her strengths, what¡¯s wrong with us?¡± ¡°you¡¯re just blind! how dare you comment on us!¡± the girls¡¯ protests were met with mockery from the boys. ¡°why are you so upset? it¡¯s not a big deal! don¡¯t you girls also like to compare yourselves?¡± ¡°right! i think zhou chen is right! you¡¯re overestimating yourselves, comparing to teacher lin! ¡± as the class was stirring up a fuss, teacher lin immediately intervened, ¡°alright! we can discuss this in a separate class or maybe even have a debate. what do you think?¡± her suggestion immediately silenced everyone in the class. after all, debating in a foreign language was challenging, and few in the room could handle it. the class quieted down, and teacher lin started the training class as originally planned. halfway through the training, several people suddenly burst into the auditorium. everyone was startled and looked up to see the principal walking in with a few people. teacher lin, surprised, quickly inquired about the situation. the principal scanned the attendees and said to teacher lin, ¡°teacher lin, i have another candidate here. please take good care of him.¡± the principal gestured with his hand, and the person behind him stepped forward, smiling at teacher lin. ¡°teacher lin, i¡¯ve heard so much about you!¡± teacher lin nodded, although a bit puzzled as to why suddenly there was an additional person. but as it was a training session, one more person wouldn¡¯t matter much. however, the fact that this person was brought in by the principal and the director made her somewhat surprised. ¡°alright, find a seat for yourself,¡± teacher lin said, gesturing to the new student to take a seat. the principal coughed softly towards teacher lin, then said, ¡°teacher lin, i have something to discuss with you, please come outside with me.¡± the two walked out of the auditorium, and the principal began, ¡°teacher lin, this new student will need your special attention. he¡¯s one of our key trainees.¡± teacher lin raised her eyebrows slightly. according to what she had heard, wasn¡¯t xia chen supposed to be the key trainee? why suddenly a change? however, she didn¡¯t voice her questions, just nodded, ¡°alright, i understand, principal. don¡¯t worry.¡± the principal then smiled contentedly, ¡°truly a returnee from abroad, different from our local teachers, so insightful!¡± the principal¡¯s words sounded somewhat ironic to teacher lin, and she chuckled lightly, ¡°principal, i¡¯ll go back to the class now.¡± ¡°alright, alright! go ahead with your work!¡± the principal repeated.. Chapter 490 - Chapter 490: Aquisition chapter 490: aquisition translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation although there was the episode of the new transfer student, training soon got back on track. xia chen, although often targeted by a few boys in the class, had a good foundation and could fluently answer even the most tricky and confrontational questions. at the end of the training class, before the boys could surround him, the foreign language teacher had already escorted teacher lin away first. zhou chen was disappointed, but he did not give up hope in his heart. at least when he had no chance to approach teacher lin, neither did anyone else, right? ¡°brother, how was it today? did zhou chen and the others bother you?¡± xia wan asked with concern at the dinner table. after today¡¯s events in class, xia wan was somewhat worried that xia chen would be targeted in the training class. xia chen shook his head: ¡°they did provoke me, but it was all minor issues, easy to deal with.¡± hearing xia chen¡¯s increasingly confident tone, a smile appeared on xia wan¡¯s face. ¡°however, a new transfer student arrived today, which was a bit strange,¡± xia chen continued. ¡°who?¡± xia wan asked casually, shoveling food into her mouth. ¡°that transfer student jiang lu,¡± xia chen said, adding a shrimp to xia wan¡¯s bowl. xia wan was momentarily stunned before asking, ¡°didn¡¯t he not sign up for the reception? what¡¯s he doing there?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure, but the principal and the director personally took him there,¡± xia chen said casually, but xia wan sensed something amiss. xia hai and yan han had been busy in and out of the shop these past few days. apparently, because wen shu¡¯s shop suddenly closed, many customers turned to xia¡¯s shop, keeping the couple extremely busy. finally, the family gathered for a meal, but the parents couldn¡¯t understand what their son and daughter were talking about, so they just exchanged glances. xia wan, sensing xia hai and yan han¡¯s mood, changed the topic: ¡°mom and dad, what¡¯s been happening in the shop these days? is it very busy? do you need our help?¡± yan han couldn¡¯t hide her joy. ¡°the shop has been really busy these days. zhou en has been helping out almost all day, which has been a lot of work for her. ¡°the shop across the street has had only a few customers these past few days, and they¡¯ve recently put up ¡®for sale¡¯ and ¡®transfer of ownership¡¯ signs.¡± xia wan could see yan han¡¯s excitement and xia hai¡¯s hesitation, ¡°do you have any thoughts about the shop across the street?¡± upon hearing xia wan¡¯s question, xia hai and yan han exchanged glances before speaking with a hint of expectation: ¡°we¡¯ve discussed it and are thinking of taking over the shop across the street. ¡°the shop has a spacious location and has a customer base. it would be a shame to let it go to waste.¡± listening to xia hails thoughts, xia wan nodded after a while, ¡°dad, i think we should wait for chen mo to come back and hear his opinion on the shop. ¡°that place originally belonged to wen shu, but he seems to have not returned to resolve the issue. i¡¯m afraid there might be more problems if we take over without resolving these issues.¡± xia wan clearly expressed her thoughts to xia hai. she vividly remembered jiang lu¡¯s previous warning about wen shu. with wen shu¡¯s whereabouts still uncertain, she couldn¡¯t take it lightly! xia hai and yan han trusted xia wan¡¯s words completely and immediately nodded in agreement: ¡°we¡¯ll listen to you, you make the arrangements.¡± ¡°since the shop has been so busy lately, how about we hire two more people to help out?¡± xia wan was concerned about her parents¡¯ ability to handle such intense work. ¡°this, this might cost quite a bit¡­¡± yan han hesitated. although their family¡¯s situation had changed, hiring staff still cost a significant amount of money. they had discussed taking over the shop across the street for a long time before consulting with xia wan. but taking over the shop was for expanding and attracting more customers, to earn more money. hiring people now would just be wasting money. seeing yan han¡¯s hesitation, xia wan took her hand, ¡°mom, i don¡¯t want you and dad to work too hard. ¡°the shop is now running smoothly and will only get busier. ¡°zhou en can¡¯t be in the shop all the time, so i think it¡¯s necessary to hire two people to help.¡± xia hai and yan han looked at each other and finally nodded, ¡°we¡¯ll take your advice..¡± Chapter 491 - Chapter 491: Are You More Outstanding Than Me? chapter 491: are you more outstanding than me? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°hi, xia wan!¡± beside a large tree outside the school, jiang lu casually had one hand in his trouser pocket, waving the other towards xia wan. xia wan looked at him with disdain. she really couldn¡¯t stand such old-fashioned and clumsy flirting tactics. noticing xia wan¡¯s mood, jiang lu resumed a normal posture and walked towards her. walking side by side, jiang lu spoke again, ¡°how about it? have you thought about what i told you the other day?¡± xia wan stopped and looked at him curiously, ¡°why do you want to join the training course?¡± xia wan¡¯s question seemed irrelevant, but jiang lu wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°just out of curiosity.¡± ¡°curious enough for the principal and director to personally send you to join the class?¡± xia wan turned to jiang lu, asking seriously, ¡°who exactly are you?¡± jiang lu blinked and then grinned, ¡°are you finally interested in me?¡± xia wan rolled her eyes unceremoniously. ¡°speak or don¡¯t!¡± she turned to leave without hesitation. ¡°hey! don¡¯t go!¡± jiang lu hurriedly followed her. just a few steps out, they ran into xia ye. xia ye hadn¡¯t been to school for a few days, and xia wan thought she might have disappeared forever. however, given xia ye¡¯s character, she wouldn¡¯t easily give up a chance to escape her family¡¯s control. ¡°xia wan!¡± xia ye¡¯s voice carried a hint of accusation, ¡°all you do every day is flirt with men. what else are you good at? ¡°how shameless!¡± xia wan didn¡¯t bother with xia ye, intending to walk past her. jiang lu made a face and followed xia wan. seeing this, xia ye grew even angrier, grabbing xia wan¡¯s arm from behind and pulling her back. xia wan, somewhat on guard, stumbled backward a few steps, almost falling to the ground. jiang lu reacted quickly, grabbing xia wan to steady her, while forcefully grabbing xia ye¡¯s wrist, ¡®what are you doing!¡± after steadying herself, xia wan glared at xia ye, demanding coldly, ¡°xia ye, what on earth is wrong with you!¡± xia ye¡¯s emotions collapsed, and she yelled angrily, ¡°why can you go to school! ¡± ¡°why don¡¯t you have to go on blind dates!¡± ¡°why are there always so many outstanding men around you!¡± ¡°we¡¯re sisters, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve been better than you since childhood!¡± ¡°why! shouldn¡¯t all this be mine?¡± xia ye¡¯s rant left jiang lu dumbfounded and unsure how to react. but xia wan was used to it. ¡°xia ye, you are sick!¡± xia wan retorted harshly. ¡°what does your family arranging blind dates have to do with me? ¡°and when have you ever treated me as your sister? ¡°when you and xia ru teamed up to bully me since we were kids, did you ever consider me your sister? ¡°better than me?¡± xia wan sneered, ¡°where do you think you¡¯re better than me? i¡¯d love to know!¡± for the first time, xia wan directly challenged xia ye, leaving her speechless. after waiting a while, xia wan spoke again. ¡°nothing to say? since you have no words, i¡¯ll be leaving! ¡°today¡¯s incident, where you nearly caused me to fall, i¡¯ll remember it. if there¡¯s a next time, i¡¯ll show you where i¡¯m better than you!¡± with that, xia wan walked away in another direction. seeing xia wan leaving, xia ye snapped back to reality. ¡°xia wan, don¡¯t go! i haven¡¯t finished speaking!¡± xia ye tried to reach out again, but jiang lu blocked her. xia ye¡¯s expression darkened even more seeing jiang lu protect xia wan. ¡°what¡¯s your relationship with her? why do you keep protecting her?¡± xia ye demanded loudly. jiang lu¡¯s face showed a teasing smile, ¡®what do you think our relationship is?¡± xia ye¡¯s anger surged further at jiang lu¡¯s non-committal response. with jiang lu blocking xia ye, xia wan managed to slip away towards the other side of the road. just as she reached the corner, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her path. xia wan was startled, ready to see who was so inconsiderate to block her way, but the next second, she was pulled aside against a wall.. Chapter 492 - Chapter 492: Chen MO is Back chapter 492: chen mo is back translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°i¡¯m back.¡± a deep voice rang out. xia wan immediately put away the silver needles in her hand. looking up at the newcomer, her eyes lit up, ¡°you¡¯re back!¡± xia wan leaned against the wall, one hand still tightly grasped by the other person, but her excitement couldn¡¯t be concealed. chen mo, however, stared at xia wan seriously, ¡°what was that situation just ¡°you¡­¡± chen mo said, raising his chin towards the direction of jiang lu and xia ye, ¡°what¡¯s your relationship with him?¡± seeing chen mo speak through gritted teeth, xia wan asked with a hint of teasing, ¡°what do you think our relationship could be?¡± chen mo¡¯s face darkened even more, ¡°did he bully you? tell me, and i¡¯ll get revenge for you ! ¡± xia wan blinked and then smiled again, ¡°why would you think i¡¯m someone who can be easily bullied?¡± ¡°i thought he and that xia ye were together, and i assumed¡­¡± chen mo muttered, seemingly under the impression that xia ye had brought someone to bully xia wan. xia wan grabbed chen mo¡¯s hand and started walking toward a car parked nearby. ¡°don¡¯t worry! with xia ye¡¯s brains, she¡¯s far from being able to bully me!¡± chen mo lightly flicked xia wan¡¯s nose, as a light punishment for making him worried earlier. from a distance, xia ye saw xia wan and chen mo getting into the car together. she instantly brushed off jiang lu¡¯s hand that was holding her back. she sneered, ¡®why are you playing the hero? your beauty has already thrown herself into someone else¡¯s arms!¡± xia ye thought her words would enrage jiang lu, but the smile on his face seemed to chill her even more. ¡®you. what are you laughing at?¡± xia ye stepped back instinctively. jiang lu¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, his smile unchanged, ¡°a woman shouldn¡¯t be too clever for her own good, not least of all a woman like you¡­¡± leaving xia ye without a response, jiang lu turned and walked towards another alley. xia ye was left wondering, ¡°what does he mean by ¡®a woman like me¡¯ and ¡®too clever for her own good¡¯?¡± her anger met with no response. several passersby looked at xia ye strangely, and she realized she had become a laughingstock. embarrassed, she covered her face with her hand and ran in the opposite direction. ¡°how¡¯s it going? did the person come back?¡± a young man with a buzz cut appeared in the corner, casually tossing a cigarette. jiang lu caught the cigarette and put it in his mouth, taking a lighter from the young man¡¯s pocket. ¡°yeah.¡± he lit the cigarette and responded vaguely. ¡°are you sure it¡¯s him?¡± the buzz-cut young man also lit a cigarette, taking a deep puff before asking again. jiang lu raised an eyebrow, ¡°what do you mean? do you think i got the wrong person at this stage?¡± the young man laughed awkwardly, ¡°no, it¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t seem that vicious¡­¡± ¡°people aren¡¯t always what they seem,¡± jiang lu immediately retorted. ¡°alright! there¡¯s nothing left to do here, you go back first¡­ ¡°and remember, keep a close watch on that document, don¡¯t let him slip away and cause trouble tor me!¡± after giving a few instructions, jiang lu waved the young man off. he turned back to look in the direction where xia wan and chen mo had disappeared, ¡°sorry, xia wan, it seems you¡¯re just unlucky with the people you meet!¡± jiang lu then fiercely stamped out the half-smoked cigarette under his foot. ¡°achoo!¡± xia wan sneezed, startling chen mo. he immediately took off his coat and covered her, ¡°are you cold? you¡¯re dressed so lightly in this weather¡­¡± xia wan pushed his coat away, ¡°i¡¯m a doctor, i know whether i¡¯m sick or not. ¡°it¡¯s just a sneeze, don¡¯t be so worried!¡± chen mo paused for a moment, then took his coat back, ¡°i guess i¡¯m just too worried. ¡± xia wan, noticing chen mo¡¯s concern, thought for a moment before asking, ¡°did something happen while you were away? her question seemed to spark something in chen mo¡¯s eyes. he firmly held xia wan¡¯s hand and after a while said, ¡°i have something i need to discuss with you.¡± xia wan nodded, her intuition telling her that something was off about chen mo¡¯s return.. Chapter 493 - Chapter 493: Xia Feng’s Care chapter 493: xia feng¡¯s care translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°what happened to wanwan today? you seem to have a lot on your mind.¡± xia hai had just returned from the shop when he noticed xia wan¡¯s distant expression. yan han also glanced in xia wan¡¯s direction, observing her sitting on the sofa by the window, her chin resting on her hand as she gazed off into space. ¡°i don¡¯t know! she was already like this when i came back.¡± ¡°i called her a few times, but she didn¡¯t respond. ¡°she didn¡¯t even hear me breaking a cup just now. ¡°it was only when xia feng came back and tapped her that she snapped out of it. ¡°wasn¡¯t she always like this? she has returned to how she was¡­¡± although curious, xia hai refrained from disturbing them. he felt that xia wan was preoccupied with something significant. at that moment, xia wan was indeed contemplating something very important¡­ in the car, chen mo gripped xia wan¡¯s hand and spoke gravely, ¡°you took too much of a risk with the mental hospital. if something had happened, i would¡¯ve¡­¡± chen mo paused, then shifted the topic. ¡°xu ye mentioned that when he was handling the procedures for you last time, he also investigated all the industries related to the mental hospital. ¡°besides the ones the police have already seized, there are some you might find interesting.¡± chen mo said, presenting a list. xia wan examined the list attentively. the dilapidated mental hospital, despite its unassuming appearance, was involved in a lucrative human organ trade. the masterminds wouldn¡¯t dare pocket the money directly, making it more likely they converted it into assets. ¡°these are all shady dealings, things that can¡¯t be openly attributed to those people.¡± chen mo tapped the list and added, ¡°after extensive investigations, this is what we found. the police couldn¡¯t trace the money, so they missed these assets.¡± despite his words, acquiring these assets wouldn¡¯t be straightforward. xia wan suddenly had a realization and turned to chen mo. ¡°the police couldn¡¯t uncover it, so how did you manage to¡­¡± ¡°what?¡± chen mo interjected, playfully pinching xia wan¡¯s cheek. ¡°is there anything you think i can¡¯t do?¡± xia wan slightly raised her eyebrows, holding back her impending words. chen mo sensed xia wan¡¯s hesitance but didn¡¯t give her a chance to voice her thoughts. ¡°take this back and go through it at your leisure. rest assured, these won¡¯t be snatched away by others.¡± he spoke with conviction, as if the assets were already in his possession. ¡°wanwan, come over and drink some soup.¡± yan han¡¯s voice called out again, accompanied by a gentle pat on her shoulder, pulling xia wan from her daze. xia wan turned and saw xia hai, xia chen, and xia feng waiting at the dining table. she immediately rose and headed towards the table, but suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and nearly collapsed. fortunately, yan han was nearby and steadied her with one hand. ¡°did you fall?¡± xia hai and xia chen stood up rapidly, their faces etched with concern. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? do you feel unwell?¡± xia hai inquired anxiously. xia chen had already hurried to xia wan¡¯s side. ¡°why do you seem out of sorts today? did something happen?¡± though xia feng remained seated, he couldn¡¯t resist commenting, ¡°you¡¯re already an adult, yet you still fall so easily. how useless!¡± as soon as xia feng finished, xia hai smacked the back of his head. ¡°what nonsense are you spouting!¡± xia feng¡¯s habit of speaking rudely persisted. ¡°her frail appearance just makes her seem so weak!¡± xia hai was about to hit him again, but yan han intervened. ¡°enough! wanwan is alright. little feng, you¡¯ll end up getting beaten senseless by your father!¡± seated at the dining table, xia wan reassured xia hai, ¡°dad, i¡¯m fine. i¡¯m just a little dizzy from hunger.¡± xia hai nodded, visibly relieved. xia chen eyed xia wan skeptically, sensing she might be concealing something. xia feng impatiently slid a bowl of soup towards xia wan. ¡°eat if you¡¯re hungry! don¡¯t get me into trouble with dad again!¡± xia wan accepted the bowl with a smile. seeing this, xia feng¡¯s cheeks flushed a peculiar shade of red. yan han couldn¡¯t resist teasing him, ¡°our little feng is showing concern for others now!¡± xia hai snorted, choosing not to remark on his son¡¯s behavior.. Chapter 494 - Chapter 494: Rude chapter 494: rude translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°i¡¯m back.¡± after sending xia wan home, chen mo called xu ye. ¡°you little rascal, didn¡¯t you come back early this morning? why are you only contacting me now?¡± xu ye teased somewhat discontentedly, ¡°did you go to xia wan¡¯s side to scout the enemy?¡± ¡°where are you? i¡¯ll come to you.¡± chen mo ignored xu ye¡¯s teasing, his voice rigid enough to convey his current displeasure. ¡°good timing, i¡¯ll take you to meet someone. maybe it will improve your mood.¡± xu ye gave chen mo an address and then hung up the phone. in the largest private room of dongxing pavilion, a middle-aged man dressed in a dark grey suit and with slicked-back hair, was lighting a cigar. ¡°i say, xiao xu, when exactly is this mr. chen going to arrive?¡± ¡°we¡¯ve been waiting here for an hour now. why haven¡¯t we seen anyone?¡± ¡°if mr. chen doesn¡¯t have the sincerity, then we might as well not¡­¡± the middle-aged man¡¯s words were cut off as the door of the private room opened from the outside. chen mo, dressed in a pitch-black suit, walked in straight. xu ye immediately greeted him, pressing down on chen mo¡¯s arm before turning to introduce him to the middle-aged man sitting at the head: ¡°chen mo, this is mr. lang i told you about.¡± ¡°mr. lang, this is chen mo.¡± after introducing the two, xu ye led chen mo to sit next to mr. lang. mr. lang did not stand up to greet him, but instead took the cigar out of his mouth and gestured towards the seat next to him, ¡°mr. chen, please take a seat.¡± chen mo didn¡¯t say much and sat down next to the middle-aged man. seeing chen mo silent, mr. lang hummed towards xu ye¡¯s direction: ¡°mr. xu, i came today because i respected you. it seems mr. chen is not interested in cooperating with us!¡¯ ¡°let¡¯s call it a day! there¡¯s no point in sitting down any longer!¡± after mr. lang spoke, he stood up, intending to leave. xu ye, seeing this, immediately stepped forward to stop mr. lang, ¡°mr. lang, you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± ¡°chen mo is just tired from traveling all day today.¡± ¡°look, why don¡¯t we serve the dishes first, let him rest a bit, and then we can talk about the cooperation, how about that?¡± after xu ye finished speaking, he kicked towards chen mo¡¯s direction. chen mo, having anticipated xu ye¡¯s action, dodged, making xu ye kick into the air. xu ye¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, still wearing a smile towards mr. lang. mr. lang was taken in by this approach, and immediately sat back down, ¡°if it weren¡¯t for mr. xu¡¯s sake, i wouldn¡¯t have come for this meal today.¡± ¡°alright, let¡¯s serve the dishes first!¡± ¡°let mr. chen rest a bit, so it won¡¯t affect our cooperation.¡± although mr. langs words were polite, the sarcastic tone was evident to anyone. chen mo didn¡¯t say anything, just picked up the water xu ye poured for him and took a sip. soon, the waiters entered in succession, setting a full table of dishes. ¡°the dishes are served, mr. chen should have rested enough by now, right?¡± mr. lang leaned back in his chair, speaking in a not-so-friendly tone. xu ye glanced at chen mo, his eyes carrying a warning. chen mo curled his lips and then raised his glass to mr. lang, ¡°mr. lang, i apologize for today, i hope you¡­¡± before chen mo could finish, xu ye interrupted him: ¡°mr. lang is so magnanimous, he wouldn¡¯t take it to heart!¡± ¡°right, mr. lang?¡± xu ye¡¯s eager demeanor almost made chen mo physically ill. mr. lang, however, was placated by xu ye¡¯s coaxing. he glanced sideways at chen mo, still holding his glass, then spoke in a patronizing tone: ¡°since mr. chen admits his fault, then this glass¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯ll drink!¡± before mr. lang could finish, chen mo had already gulped down the white liquor in his glass. the burning sensation made chen mo grit his teeth before he said to mr. lang, ¡°mr. lang, can we continue our discussion now?¡± mr. lang shook his head and also picked up his glass, ¡°young people should not be too arrogant, otherwise¡­ they always end up suffering losses.¡± after mr. lang spoke, he brought the glass to his lips. xu ye noticed chen mo¡¯s discomfort, but mr. lang was a major client he had worked hard to bring in. it would be a pity to let him go just like that! xu ye gestured to chen mo not to say more and then spoke to mr. lang, ¡°mr. lang, we are still young and can¡¯t compare to your years of experience and gains abroad! ¡± ¡°you¡¯ve come back this time, you must teach us some lessons!¡± Chapter 495 - Chapter 495: Old Fox chapter 495: old fox translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation mr. lang was quite pleased and began to tell chen mo and xu ye about his entrepreneurial journey abroad. chen mo found the conversation dull and tried to leave several times, but xu ye kept pressing him down. ¡°i¡¯ve enjoyed the conversation with mr. xu and mr. chen today, and this meal was worth the long wait,¡± mr. lang said contentedly, his face greasy as he held up his wine glass and slightly swayed while standing up. ¡°as for the matter of cooperation¡­¡± he said, burping from the alcohol, ¡°i¡¯ve had a bit too much to drink today. let¡¯s talk about cooperation another day!¡± mr. lang finished his drink and wobbled towards the exit, leaning on the table. xu ye hurriedly stood up to help him, but mr. lang waved him off, shouting loudly, ¡°secretary chen! where are you? where have you gone?¡± mr. lang¡¯s voice was loud, and the door of the private room was pushed open from the outside. secretary chen helped mr. lang, nodded to xu ye and chen mo, and then turned to leave with mr. lang. xu ye stood at the door of the private room, watching mr. lang¡¯s retreating figure, and spat lightly: ¡°pah! this old fox, playing tricks with his drinking!¡± chen mo sat in his chair, sipping his wine, ¡°did you call me here just for this?¡± xu ye sat back down next to chen mo, took a swig of his drink, and said, ¡°don¡¯t be fooled by this old fox¡¯s appearance; he¡¯s quite skilled in business.¡± ¡°if you want to expand your business, you¡¯ll probably have to deal with him in the future. ¡± ¡°i heard he recently returned to the country, so i specially invited him over.¡± ¡°it seems, though, that things won¡¯t go smoothly.¡± ¡°hmm,¡± chen mo replied indifferently to xu ye¡¯s long speech. ¡°alright, tell me about your situation!¡± xu ye stood up and poured another glass of wine for chen mo. ¡°did you see xia wan today? have you figured out your little rival¡¯s intentions?¡± xu ye asked teasingly. chen mo downed his drink in one gulp, ¡°haven¡¯t you already investigated everything clearly? why ask me about that kid¡¯s motives?¡± ¡°besides, i trust xia wan.¡± xu ye¡¯s eyes twitched, and he said, ¡°fine, i know your love is unbreakable and sacred.¡± ¡°but i think that jiang guy really has ill intentions. i worry he might have some hidden secrets. you¡¯d better be careful.¡± chen mo responded with a ¡°hmm,¡± ¡°keep investigating. as for xia wan, she¡¯s also cautious. there shouldn¡¯t be any problems for now.¡± ¡°i heard xia wan¡¯s family took over the shop opposite theirs,¡± xu ye said, ¡°i hear that shop is not just owned by that clerk but has broader implications.¡± ¡°then let that shop stay clean,¡± chen mo said casually. xu ye was momentarily stunned, then laughed, ¡®you really do think of her in everything.¡± ¡°she¡¯s worth it,¡± chen mo said, a smile appearing on his face. xu ye, unable to bear it, rolled his eyes and shook his head, ¡°look at you, all smitten.¡± ¡°what about that list i asked you to prepare? what did she say?¡± xu ye pressed on. those businesses were all in a grey area and had now become ownerless. if it weren¡¯t for his preemptive action, breaking both the police¡¯s trail and the overt capital grabs, those assets would probably have been divided up long ago. but news about these assets couldn¡¯t be hidden forever and would soon attract attention. then they might face even more trouble. ¡°no rush,¡± chen mo said lightly, seemingly unconcerned about potential troubles. ¡°i advise you to plan ahead, to avoid being targeted. otherwise¡­¡± ¡°i know,¡± chen mo interrupted xu ye¡¯s advice and stood up to leave, ¡°my dad is coming tomorrow. if there¡¯s nothing else, don¡¯t contact me for now.¡± xu ye frowned and stared at chen mo¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°am i that intolerable? do i need to avoid your dad?¡± ¡°chen mo, all these years, my sincerity towards you, how can you treat me like this!¡± xu ye, looking forlorn, only got a response from chen mo without turning his head, ¡°a family dinner, you sure you want to come?¡± chen mo¡¯s words immediately shut xu ye up.. Chapter 496 - Chapter 496: Setting Up Xia Wan chapter 496: setting up xia wan translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°classmates, there is less than a week left until our reception event.¡± jiang rong stood at the lectern, her gaze sweeping over the students below. ¡°to ensure the best possible outcome for the reception, the school has decided to renovate some of the school buildings and the auditorium starting today. ¡°to minimize the impact on your studies and daily life, the school has adjusted the class schedule. ¡°starting today, we will only have classes in the morning. in the afternoon, everyone can choose to stay for self-study or engage in free activities.¡± as soon as jiang rong finished speaking, a burst of cheers erupted in the class. jiang rong had anticipated this reaction from the students and quickly doused their excitement with a reality check. ¡°after the reception event, we will have our mid-term exams for this semester. ¡°students whose grades drop by more than three percent will have to attend after-school tutoring every day for the remainder of the semester. ¡°so, i hope everyone will take advantage of these days to be self-disciplined and not fall behind in their studies.¡± with jiang rong¡¯s words, a groan of despair once again filled the classroom. ¡°additionally, during the renovation period, students participating in the english training will meet at the temporary site set up on the sports field. ¡°that¡¯s all for the upcoming school course and teaching activity arrangements. i hope everyone will actively support this.¡± ignoring the students¡¯ complaints, jiang rong opened her textbook and began the lesson. liu hua nudged xia wan¡¯s elbow, ¡°the school is not having classes, how about we find a place to study this afternoon?¡± ¡°i have something to do tonight. how about you accompany me to buy some things this afternoon?¡± xia wan, recalling chen mo¡¯s invitation, decided to buy gifts for chen shan and chen shui. ¡°sure! i also want to buy some books. i heard there¡¯s a new, large state-owned bookstore. let¡¯s go shopping!¡± liu hua said excitedly. xia wan glanced back at xia chen, who was staring at the study materials on the desk, looking preoccupied. ever since joining the english training, the number of classes with lina had noticeably decreased. although xia chen¡¯s english speaking skills had improved rapidly, he always seemed to be hiding something. xia wan withdrew her gaze, focusing on her textbook. suddenly, she noticed a note appearing in front of her. she looked around, but no one seemed to be looking at her. the note was unsigned, simply stating, ¡°meet beside the big tree at the school gate at noon.¡± with such a vague meeting place and no signature, xia wan couldn¡¯t be bothered and crumpled the note, tossing it aside. by noon, xia wan had completely forgotten about the note. she walked out of the school gate arm in arm with liu hua, then turned right towards the bus station. not far out, they heard someone urgently calling xia wan¡¯s name from behind. xia wan and liu hua turned to see a usually quiet girl from their class running towards them. xia wan barely interacted with her but remembered her name was probably li ting. ¡°li ting, what¡¯s the matter?¡± xia wan asked as li ting reached them. ¡°xia wan, i left you a note. why didn¡¯t you come to the meeting?¡± li ting asked with a hint of accusation. ¡°so you wrote the note. i thought it was some prank since it was unsigned and without a reason,¡± xia wan replied nonchalantly. ¡°a prank?¡± li ting sounded angry, ¡°i was trying to warn you. do you know the risk i took?¡± ¡°don¡¯t be so dramatic! if you have something to say, just say it. why the attitude? did we offend you somehow?¡± liu hua retorted, not pleased with li ting¡¯s manner. li ting, faced with liu hua¡¯s directness and xia wan¡¯s indifference, became even more frustrated. ¡°don¡¯t you understand when someone is trying to help you!¡± ¡°if it weren¡¯t for overhearing someone plotting against you, i wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± ¡°what did you say? who is plotting against xia wan?¡± liu hua became genuinely concerned upon hearing this. li ting looked around nervously, then said, ¡°i don¡¯t know who is plotting against xia wan, but i know what their plan is.¡± ¡°they?¡± xia wan and liu hua exchanged glances. ¡°yes, i overheard it by chance in the abandoned warehouse behind the school,¡± li ting asserted, ¡°they¡¯re planning to cause trouble in your family¡¯s shop.¡± ¡°and to ruin your reputation at school.¡± ¡°not only that, but your brother too¡­.¡± Chapter 497 - Chapter 497: Conflict chapter 497: conflict translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation liu hua listened with increasing bewilderment, her gaze towards li ting also somewhat odd. ¡°are these things news?¡± ¡®you¡¯re not talking about people the likes of song zhi and zhuang peng, are you?¡± seeing liu hua¡¯s skepticism, li ting¡¯s expression turned a bit strange: ¡°anyway, i¡¯ve warned you. believe it or not!¡± after saying this in a huff, li ting turned and ran away. ¡°xia wan, don¡¯t take her words to heart. those people don¡¯t have the capability to come up with any new tricks!¡± liu hua, seeing xia wan¡¯s tense expression, quickly reassured her. xia wan, not wanting to overly worry liu hua, forced a smile. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°and look, there are so many books here! many of which i couldn¡¯t find before!¡± liu hua excitedly flipped through the books on the shelves, her steps lightening. xia wan looked at the bookstore before her, feeling a sense of nostalgia. she used to love spending entire days in bookstores, relishing the relaxed and free atmosphere, a feeling she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. xia wan took a deep breath, as if trying to use the scent of books to wash away all her worries and stress. ¡°hey! move! don¡¯t block the way!¡± an impolite voice came from behind xia wan and liu hua. caught off guard, liu hua was rudely pushed aside. xia wan reacted quickly, pulling liu hua to her side to prevent her from hitting the corner of a bookshelf. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± liu hua, having steadied herself, turned to the person who had pushed her. xia wan also looked towards the group. one of them, not paying them any attention, was focused on the bookshelf as if searching for something. liu hua¡¯s voice seemed to have no effect on her. she wore a blue and white checkered dress and carried a small, chic black leather bag, her style quite trendy and unlike the girls from the county town. two others were with her. one wore a plain shirt with dark blue trousers. the other was dressed in an army green uniform, looking like a typical military child from the army compound. the woman in the plain shirt stood in front of liu hua, as if worried liu hua would attack them, ¡°what do you want?¡± liu hua, startled by the woman¡¯s aggressive tone, lost her voice for a moment. the other woman in the army green uniform looked darkly at liu hua and xia wan. ¡°you¡¯re blocking the way and affecting others, yet you¡¯re being so unreasonable.¡± ¡°typical of poor and backwvard areas to produce such rude people. i knew this place lacked quality!¡± liu hua, seeing the other¡¯s arrogance, couldn¡¯t contain her anger, ¡°how can you speak like that!¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong with what i said?¡± the woman in the green uniform slightly raised her chin, ¡°looking at you, it seems you¡¯ve probably never even left the county town!¡± the woman¡¯s mocking tone made liu hua¡¯s face turn red. xia wan narrowed her eyes, sizing up the woman from head to toe, then said, ¡°you must have stolen someone else¡¯s clothes to wear out, right?¡± the woman was taken aback by xia wan¡¯s words, stammering, ¡°you, what nonsense are you talking about!¡± xia wan slightly raised an eyebrow, ¡°you know these clothes aren¡¯t just for anyone to wear, right? ¡°but do you also not know that wearing these clothes out to deceive people could cause trouble for the owner of the clothes?¡± xia wan¡¯s words made the woman¡¯s face even more embarrassed, ¡°i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! these clothes are mine, there¡¯s no reason i can¡¯t wear them out! i haven¡¯t¡­ haven¡¯t deceived anyone!¡± the woman¡¯s words clearly lacked her previous confidence, and her tone was not as aggressive as before. xia wan sneered, ¡°guess what would happen if i call the military unit now? would you and the real owner of these clothes be taken away for questioning? the woman became even more panicked, unsure of how to respond. the woman in the plain shirt then interrupted the conversation, ¡°we have no grudges or acquaintances with you, why are you being so aggressive¡±¡® ¡°am i being aggressive?¡± xia wan laughed lightly, ¡°if she hadn¡¯t provoked us, i wouldn¡¯t bother arguing with you rude people.¡± ¡°you bumped into my friend. as long as you sincerely apologize to us, i will let bygones be bygones..¡± Chapter 498 - Chapter 498: Apology chapter 498: apology translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the woman in the green army uniform clearly found xia wan¡¯s proposal hard to accept, but she dared not retort rashly. she could only huff and puff, showing her dissatisfaction. the woman in the plain shirt seemed calmer. she sized up xia wan seriously and then said, ¡°both sides are at fault. let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡± liu hua tugged at xia wan¡¯s sleeve. xia wan turned to listen and heard liu hua whisper: ¡°let it be! they probably didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± liu hua always advocated for peace in dealing with issues. she had endured bullying silently for years, both in the village and at school. xia wan was not one to swallow her anger like liu hua, especially when the other party was at fault. ¡°not on purpose?¡± xia wan scoffed, ¡°if i hadn¡¯t caught you, you might have been knocked to the ground bleeding by now. ¡°and it was you who pushed us. even if you apologize now, we won¡¯t accept it.¡± xia wan¡¯s words were clearly directed at the woman in the dress who had remained silent. the woman in the plain shirt glanced back at her friend who was still browsing the books, her eyebrows furrowed. after a moment of thought, she said, ¡°since no one is injured, i¡¯ll apologize on behalf of my friend. or, if there¡¯s any book you want to buy, i¡¯ll give it to you as a gesture. how about that?¡± xia wan raised an eyebrow, ¡°we don¡¯t need your charity. we can afford to buy our own.¡± hearing xia wan¡¯s words, the woman in the green army uniform suddenly burst out laughing. liu hua was angered by the mocking attitude: ¡°what are you laughing at!¡± the woman in the plain shirt also hit her companion¡¯s arm hard, signaling her to stop provoking further. the companion rolled her eyes in dissatisfaction but reluctantly kept quiet. xia wan, uninterested in their internal matters, focused on the woman who seemed oblivious, ¡°over there, your friend is ready to apologize for you, and you still act as if nothing happened. is that appropriate?¡± the woman in the dress, as if just realizing xia wan was speaking to her, turned to xia wan in surprise, ¡°were you talking to me just now?¡± ¡°i thought my friend accidentally offended you.¡± liu hua couldn¡¯t help but show a mix of laughter and disbelief at the woman¡¯s attitude. xia wan, accustomed to such behavior, just looked at her calmly, ¡°with your attitude, are you saying you weren¡¯t the one who shoved my friend?¡± ¡°ah, did i do something just now?¡± the woman widened her eyes in surprise, ¡°maybe i was too excited to find the book i wanted and didn¡¯t notice someone was blocking the way. i just subconsciously pushed away what was blocking me.¡± ¡°if you insist i hurt your friend, then fine, i apologize!¡± liu hua was initially stunned, then realized the woman¡¯s words implied she wasn¡¯t considered a person in her eyes! liu hua¡¯s face turned red with anger, her previous restraint vanished: ¡°how can you talk like that? ¡°it was you who were unreasonable first, how come it¡¯s now us forcing you to apologize?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t say that,¡± the woman still looked innocent, blinking her eyes as if wronged, ¡°i¡¯m just saying, if you think i should apologize, then i¡¯ll apologize.¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to keep harping on about it with my friend here, disturbing others in the bookstore. ¡°this is supposed to be a quiet place. by arguing like this, how can others choose books peacefully? in the end, you¡¯re even affecting the bookstore¡¯s business. ¡± with these words, the woman not only shifted all responsibility away from herself but also blamed xia wan and liu hua for causing a commotion in public, even affecting the business. xia wan¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly, finding the situation somewhat amusing. she had never personally witnessed such tactics before in her previous life and didn¡¯t expect to encounter it today. the commotion also attracted the attention of others around them. the woman in the green army uniform, seeing this, also started complaining loudly, ¡°see! this is bullying us because we¡¯re nice!¡± ¡°forcing us to apologize!¡± ¡°where¡¯s the justice in this!¡± Chapter 499 - Chapter 499: Pressure of Public Remarks chapter 499: pressure of public remarks translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the woman in the green army uniform caused such a commotion that the surrounding people, who only had a vague understanding of the situation and hadn¡¯t seen liu hua being pushed earlier, naturally tended to believe the three people. amidst the pointing and murmuring of the crowd, xia wan and liu hua were seen as two hot-tempered and unreasonable individuals. feeling wronged, liu hua wanted to argue but was at a loss for words. she looked helplessly at xia wan, ¡°what should we do now? shall we leave first?¡± xia wan, ignoring liu hua, fixed her gaze on the woman, who seemed on the verge of tears, and said, ¡°your ability to twist the truth is truly remarkable.¡± the woman looked innocently at xia wan, ¡°where have i twisted the truth? the public¡¯s eyes are clear. are you saying these people are falsely accusing you?¡± this seemed to shift the blame onto the innocent bystanders. xia wan, with a scornful smile, retorted, ¡°letting someone like her get away with it only encourages worse behavior in the future!¡± xia wan took out an mp4 player from her pocket and played a recording for everyone to hear. after the recording, the onlookers exchanged glances. many regretted their hasty judgments. while more chose to remain silent. ¡°wisely.¡± ¡°what does a recording prove?¡± the girl¡¯s voice carried a hint of resentment. ¡°if you hadn¡¯t pushed my friend earlier, why would your friend apologize on your behalf?¡± xia wan highlighted the key point from the recording. ¡°moreover, your two friends¡¯ statements confirm what conflict occurred between us. ¡°and you just stood there, pretending to be clueless? ¡°are you selectively deaf? ¡°it¡¯s surprising that someone who looks decent could stoop so low as to blame their own wrongdoing on others, even their friends! ¡°do you love playing the victim to gain sympathy, or lack a sense of responsibility, believing the world should revolve around you?¡± the woman¡¯s face turned from green to purple under xia wan¡¯s words, seemingly never having been spoken to like this before. her companions stepped in to defend her, warning xia wan, ¡°don¡¯t go too far! we¡¯re not people you can offend easily!¡± ¡°be careful¡­ ¡± before she could finish, xia wan interrupted, ¡°i don¡¯t care about your background, if you¡¯re wrong, you should admit it. ¡°if you really want to settle this matter, i don¡¯t mind going to the police station, or to those you claim i can¡¯t afford to offend!¡± xia wan¡¯s words made the woman in the dress clench her fists in anger. from childhood, everyone had fallen for her act, except for xia wan. ¡°who are you to talk to me like this?¡± the woman in the dress said through gritted teeth, dropping her pretense. ¡°oh, not pretending anymore?¡± xia wan prodded further. ¡°do you know who you¡¯re talking to?¡± the woman¡¯s voice became shrill, losing her previous composure. xia wan smirked, ¡°how about introducing yourself? let us know your grand identity?¡± she almost revealed herself but was stopped by a woman in a plain shirt beside her. the woman then swallowed her words. the woman in the plain shirt addressed xia wan, ¡°we were just out for a stroll, not intending to cause trouble. ¡°since your friend wasn¡¯t hurt, we apologize for our impolite behavior just now. ¡°can we let this slide?¡± the woman seemed sincere, subtly signaling to her companion in the dress. reluctantly, but forced by the situation, the woman in the dress muttered an apology to xia wan and liu hua. liu hua was ready to let bygones be bygones, but xia wan wasn¡¯t willing to let it go. it wasn¡¯t that she was aggressive, but given the woman¡¯s character, if she didn¡¯t take precautions, the woman might come back to trouble them later! ¡°we accept your apology,¡± xia wan said coldly. ¡°everyone here can witness this.¡± ¡°however, i won¡¯t delete this recording, lest someone might want to settle the score after the fall..¡± Chapter 500 - Chapter 500: All Friends chapter 500: all friends translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation the woman¡¯s face grew even darker. if it weren¡¯t for the need to maintain her ladylike image, she would have already taught this ignorant girl a lesson! she must hold back! she had more important things to do today! ¡°wu shu, just sincerely apologize to them, let them delete the recording, we still have to¡­¡± the woman in the plain shirt reminded. wu shu squeezed the hand of the woman in the plain shirt, then turned to xia wan and liu hua with a sincere smile: ¡°i¡¯m sorry for making you unhappy today.¡± ¡°how about this, take any books you want to buy today, and i¡¯ll pay for them.¡± ¡°we can consider it a case of ¡®no fighting, no acquaintance,¡¯ so i hope you can delete that recording.¡± ¡°it would also prevent future awkward encounters if we meet again.¡± wu shu said generously, earning admiration from the onlookers for her attitude in apologizing. ¡°this girl knows how to handle things!¡± ¡°exactly! she¡¯s being so sincere! you two should let it go now!¡± ¡°it wasn¡¯t a big deal to begin with! she¡¯s lowered her stance, clinging on to it would be too petty!¡± the crowd urged xia wan and her companion to accept. xia wan chuckled and asked, ¡°why should i feel embarrassed? even if we won¡¯t meet in the future, even if we do, i won¡¯t feel awkward, right?¡± xia wan¡¯s questions nearly made wu shu lose her composure. she was trying to suppress her emotions when she caught sight of a figure entering through the door. her eyelids drooped as if calculating something, then she lifted them again, looking pitifully at xia wan. ¡°i¡¯ve already apologized sincerely, why are you still like this?¡± wu shu said, almost bursting into tears: ¡°fine, if you really can¡¯t forgive our unintended mistake, then¡­ then i¡¯ll kneel and apologize!¡± wu shu, indeed, bent her knees to imeel. this startled her two companions. the woman in the plain shirt caught sight of a figure approaching them and coughed softly, giving a covert signal to the other companion. understanding, they relaxed their grip slightly, and wu shu knelt down. just when people felt sorry for wu shu¡¯s compromise, xia wan flicked a small white object towards wu shuts leg. wu shu yelped with a loud ¡°0ww¡± and sat on the ground. shocked, she couldn¡¯t understand how she fell. her companions quickly covered her legs, exposed from her dress, with their bags. wu shu then realized what happened and glared fiercely at xia wan. xia wan appeared innocent: ¡°why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°you fell by yourself, are you going to blame me?¡± wu shu felt something hit her leg, causing her to fall. who else apart from that woman in front of her would dare to do such a thing? but she had no evidence! ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± a male voice asked. wu shu immediately turned, tears in her eyes instantly flowing. xia wan frowned unconsciously. she followed the voice and saw a face that annoyed her. liu hua tugged at xia wan¡¯s sleeve, ¡°why is jiang lu here?¡± xia wan gestured towards the weeping wu shu. wu shu had thrown herself into the arms of jiang lu, who had just knelt before her, ¡°brother jiang lu, someone is bullying me!¡± jiang lu looked perplexed but didn¡¯t push her away. instead, he lifted her by the arms. as wu shu stood up, she cried out in pain and leaned back into jiang lu¡¯s embrace. jiang lu acted quicker, pushing her into the arms of a woman in army green. ¡°xiao jia, take care of wu shu.¡± jiang lu then turned to xia wan: ¡°xia wan, what a coincidence?¡± xia wan rolled her eyes at jiang lu and walked away with liu hua. jiang lu didn¡¯t chase after them but addressed the still-stunned crowd: ¡°sorry everyone, we¡¯re all friends. just a small misunderstanding. thanks for your time!¡± as the main characters left, the crowd dispersed uninterestedly.. Chapter 501 - Chapter 501: Next Time chapter 501: next time translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation wu shu approached jiang lu with a limp, speaking in a grievance-filled voice, ¡°brother jiang lu, why did you come so late? you didn¡¯t see how i was almost bullied just now.¡± jiang lu slightly sidestepped, avoiding wu shu¡¯s approaching figure. ¡°since there¡¯s nothing more to do here, you guys go ahead to dongxing pavilion. haozi has reserved a private room, go there and rest first,¡± jiang lu said. then, he gestured towards a woman in a plain shirt, ¡°jiang tong, take good care of wu shu, don¡¯t let her get hurt again.¡± jiang tong immediately understood jiang lu¡¯s intention, ¡°brother, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll go to dongxing pavilion and wait for you.¡± wu shu called out twice but couldn¡¯t get jiang lu to return. she stomped her foot in anger, ¡°why is brother jiang lu chasing after that woman?¡± ¡°it took me so much effort to find him, and he just leaves me for such a woman!¡± jiang tong was also unclear about why jiang lu valued that woman so much. however, since jiang lu was always firm with his words, jiang tong naturally didn¡¯t dare to neglect his instructions. ¡°let¡¯s go! we¡¯ll wait for him at dongxing pavilion.¡± jiang tong said, reaching out to help wu shu, ¡°you can ask him later.¡± although wu shu was unwilling, they were strangers in this town and had no idea how to follow jiang lu. ¡°xia wan! wait!¡± jiang lu ran a few steps and caught up with xia wan, who had just left the bookstore. xia wan stopped and turned around with a cold expression, ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°i want to apologize on behalf of my sister and her friends for their behavior just now,¡± jiang lu said earnestly, ¡°i¡¯ve reserved a private room at dongxing pavilion, i wonder if you two would do me the honor¡­¡± jiang lu was interrupted mid-sentence by xia wan, ¡°we aren¡¯t familiar, and your sister and her friends have already apologized.¡± jiang lu, of course, was not willing to be rejected so easily. when xia wan turned to leave, he stepped in front of her again, ¡°we seem to have a destiny. since you probably haven¡¯t had lunch after school, why not¡­¡± ¡°no need! we have someone else to meet! ¡± xia wan refused bluntly. liu hua was taken aback. jiang lu noticed liu hua¡¯s reaction. ¡°since you have a friend to meet, let¡¯s make it another time!¡± jiang lu smiled lightly. he took a few steps, then turned back to xia wan, ¡°it¡¯s a promise! next time!¡± xia wan opened her mouth to reply, but jiang lu had already run off. xia wan could only bite her lip in frustration and muttered, ¡°crazy!¡± liu hua looked at xia wan, ¡°did you arrange to meet someone else?¡± xia wan shook her head, ¡°no, i lied to him!¡± xia wan, holding liu hua¡¯s arm, walked back towards the bookstore, ¡°let¡¯s go! our mood was spoiled by that mad dog, let¡¯s continue picking books!¡± liu hua, who always enjoyed reading, had limited opportunities due to her family¡¯s previous financial situation, only occasionally managing to borrow books from the school and town library. but the library¡¯s collection was not comprehensive, and many books couldn¡¯t be found there. entering the bookstore again, liu hua quickly forgot the unpleasant incident and excitedly started selecting books from the shelves. xia wan also headed towards the shelves displaying various art albums and design books. even with zhou en¡¯s help, if she wanted to create more and better designs, xia wan knew she had to work hard to improve herself. she had thought about finding a teacher to learn the craft, but resources in the county town she lived in were limited. moreover, good teachers were hard to come by. so, she decided to start by studying some books and materials herself, hoping to find a suitable opportunity to learn from a master later. xia wan looked at a row of excellent domestic and international design albums and professional books on the shelf, casually flipping through a few. while they were quite good, in her experience with a more colorful world, these designs seemed somewhat limited. just as she was about to put down an album with a bit of regret, a voice suddenly rang out beside her, ¡°what? doesn¡¯t this book meet your standards either?¡± xia wan instinctively leaned away, not realizing the person was speaking to her. when she glanced towards the other bookshelf, the voice spoke up again, ¡°the designs on that row should be more in line with current trends.¡± the person stretched out a hand in front of xia wan, pointing her in the right direction.. Chapter 502 - Chapter 502: A Strange Elder chapter 502: a strange elder translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan was startled and turned her head to see that the person had been talking to her all along. she was stunned for a moment, then nodded at the person and subconsciously said ¡°thank you.¡± although xia wan was not a shy person, she didn¡¯t know how to respond to such an approach at the moment. she quickly moved to another row of bookshelves and indeed found several design albums that were more in line with current aesthetics, as directed by the person. however, these albums mainly featured works by foreign designers and were mostly original texts, making them difficult to read for the average person. xia wan flipped through the books, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper. ¡°what¡¯s the matter? don¡¯t understand?¡± the voice sounded again, having followed xia wan to this section of bookshelves. only then did xia wan finally look at the person properly. he was an older man with graying hair, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and had the appearance of a scholar. he was dressed in a black tunic and black round glasses, a standard attire that almost made xia wan blurt out in surprise. ¡°young lady, i see you seem very interested in design books,¡± the elder said with a kind smile. ¡°what about it? do you plan to study this field in the future?¡± since xia wan was dressed in a school uniform, it was not hard to tell she was a high school student. xia wan shook her head, ¡°just a bit interested.¡± ¡°how do you find these books?¡± the elder glanced at the books in xia wan¡¯s hands and continued to ask. ¡°these books contain many elements that are currently popular, but the design style is mainly western,¡± xia wan spoke frankly. ¡°for local designers, these works can only serve as basic references. to design clothes that truly reflect our national characteristics, we need to integrate more local elements!¡± the elder, who had asked casually, was taken aback by xia wan¡¯s response. he asked with interest, ¡°then what kind of books or designs do you think would be more appealing to domestic designers?¡± xia wan thought seriously, replying, ¡°the trend of internationalization is undoubtedly the future of the design industry. ¡°but in this process, we shouldn¡¯t lose the elements that give us a mysterious eastern charm. ¡°we should develop our own things into something international, to let more people understand us and truly step onto the world stage.¡± the elder¡¯s eves lit up, staring at xia wan for a long time without speaking xia wan, thinking he was waiting for her answer, apologized. ¡°i¡¯m not very familiar with books in this area and haven¡¯t found any i think are suitable for domestic designers.¡± the elder became impatient. he reached out to grab xia wan¡¯s hand but then realized it was inappropriate and drew back. ¡®young lady, i have some books over there, how about you come with me to see them?¡± the elder invited. this sounded alarmingly like an attempt to abduct a minor, especially odd coming from a scholarly elder. xia wan instinctively wanted to refuse. the elder seemed to realize his words were inappropriate and smiled awkwardly: ¡°young lady, don¡¯t misunderstand, my friend owns a small gallery in the county.¡± ¡°there are some books there, and i hope you can come to see them.¡± the elder¡¯s gaze was sincere, even hopeful. xia wan looked around as if searching for something. ¡°young lady, if you have any reservations, set a place and i¡¯ll bring those books to you, how about that?¡± the elder said anxiously, seemingly eager for xia wan to see the books. xia wan smiled lightly, ¡°you misunderstand, i came with a friend.¡± ¡°if we go to the gallery, i have to bring her along, is that okay?¡± ¡°after all, i can¡¯t leave her here alone.¡± the elder then said ¡°oh¡± and immediately smiled. ¡°it was my oversight.¡¯ ¡°how about we go find your friend together?¡± the elder suggested again. seeing the elder¡¯s anxious demeanor, xia wan felt somewhat amused.. Chapter 503 - Chapter 503: Art Gallery chapter 503: art gallery translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan quickly found liu hua in the classic reading area. liu hua was engrossed in a translated version of ¡°gone with the wind.¡± xia wan walked over and explained her intention to liu hua. reluctantly, liu hua placed the book on the shelf, turned around, and couldn¡¯t help but look back again. xia wan looked at liu hua, then walked towards an elder not far away. ¡°please lead the way,¡± xia wan respectfully said to the elder. the elder¡¯s face was full of excitement as he said to the two girls, ¡°this way, please.¡± the three left the bookstore and walked straight down the street to the right for a few hundred meters before turning into a narrow alley. while walking, the elder introduced them, ¡°this gallery is owned by a friend of mine in the county town. although it¡¯s a bit remote and small, it indeed contains many treasures!¡± the elder became more and more excited as he spoke. xia wan and liu hua followed behind, remaining silent. it wasn¡¯t until they turned into the third alley that liu hua couldn¡¯t help but tug at xia wan¡¯s sleeve: ¡°xia wan, could there be any danger? ¡°we¡¯ve already come quite far, and this old man¡­¡± xia wan gently patted liu hua¡¯s hand and shook her head, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m although xia wan trusted that the elder was a good person, she didn¡¯t let her guard down. she had already prepared the silver needles in her sleeve, ready to use them if anything seemed wrong. after about half an hour¡¯s walk, the elder finally slowed down. since the county town was not very large, they had already reached its outskirts after all the twists and turns. this area was less bustling than the town center, with very few shops, appearing somewhat desolate. liu hua instinctively tightened her grip on xia wan¡¯s arm, looking around warily. xia wan¡¯s gaze was fixed on the elder until he turned into a deep alley and stopped at the entrance. ¡°how much longer until we arrive?¡± xia wan asked the elder in front. the elder immediately stopped, turned back, and apologized, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, due to limited funding, the gallery is a bit out of the way.¡± ¡°it¡¯s just two more alleys ahead.¡± xia wan observed the elder¡¯s attire, which looked proper but somewhat outdated. she nodded and signaled for the elder to continue leading the way. indeed, after crossing two more alleys, they saw a road made of dirt and stones, leading to a small wooden and stone structure at the end. there was nothing around the small house; it stood there abruptly, as if it could collapse at any moment. xia wan could feel liu hua¡¯s anxiety and squeezed her hand, smiling reassuringly at her. ¡°don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s okay.¡± however, xia wan¡¯s comforting words didn¡¯t really soothe liu hua, whose palms were still sweaty. xia wan regretted bringing liu hua to such a place, causing her to worry. but since they were already there, even if they wanted to go back, it would take a long time without the elder¡¯s guidance. when they arrived at the front of the small house, they saw a wooden sign hanging outside. the sign had a traditional chinese character (meaning ¡°none¡± or ¡°nothing¡±) written in wild cursive style. xia wan raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself that this was probably the stubbornness of the artist. but with such a location and a sign that provided no clear indication, who knew what this place really was! the elder pushed open the double wooden doors and led xia wan and liu hua inside. as soon as they entered, the elder called out, ¡°old zhao, come out, i¡¯ve brought two young friends to see you! you¡¯ll definitely like them!¡± hearing this, liu hua¡¯s heart started to race for some reason. she gripped xia wan¡¯s hand tighter. xia wan patted liu hua¡¯s hand reassuringly again, while looking around the room. the entire house was made of wood and stone, with walls, floors, and furniture all combining these materials. to call this place a gallery seemed less fitting than calling it a small art exhibition hall. aside from dozens of paintings hanging on the walls, there were also various clay sculptures, ceramics, and wood carvings on several display shelves. in a corner, xia wan even noticed some embroidery pieces.. Chapter 504 - Chapter 504: Testing chapter 504: testing translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation just as xia wan was about to walk in and take a look at the embroidery works, a short and fat old man walked out from behind a screen on the other side. ¡°old tao, why are you here?¡± the short and fat old man asked the elder who had come earlier. ¡°i went to the newly opened bookstore today,¡± old tao said with a smile. ¡°i was hoping to find some good works, but i didn¡¯t expect to find a treasure.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± old tao said as he gestured in xia wan¡¯s direction. ¡°here, it¡¯s this little girl!¡± ¡°young lady, i still don¡¯t know your name,¡± old tao realized something after he finished speaking and quickly said to xia wan. xia wan bowed to the two elders and said, ¡°my name is xia wan. i¡¯m a third-year student from the county high school.¡± ¡°this is my classmate, liu hua,¡± xia wan did not forget to introduce liu hua. although liu hua was still a little nervous, she still bowed respectfully to the two elders. old zhao sized xia wan up before saying to old tao, ¡°you brought two middle school students here¡­¡± old zhao did not continue, but xia wan could clearly hear the meaning behind his words. he was obviously doubting whether xia wan and the others, as mere high school students, could appreciate these ¡°works of art.¡± xia wan could understand old zhao¡¯s meaning, and old tao could understand it too. he quickly walked toward old tao and whispered something to him. xia wan didn¡¯t mind and just waited quietly. these ¡°artists¡± had always thought highly of themselves. the reason why there weren¡¯t many guests in this gallery was partly because of the poor location, but more because the artists were picky about their ¡°guests.¡± this was also one of the important reasons why the early development of the domestic art industry was difficult. after old zhao heard old tao¡¯s words, he first looked at xia wan with slight surprise. then, his expression changed slightly, like a child who had thought of a bad idea. old zhao said to xia wan and liu hua, ¡°young ladies, please take a seat over there. i¡¯ll be right back.¡± xia wan and liu hua nodded at old zhao. they saw the short and fat old man excitedly crawl behind the screen. old tao smiled awkwardly at xia wan and liu hua. ¡°old zhao rarely comes into contact with others. his personality is a little strange. please don¡¯t mind him.¡± ¡°you¡¯re worrying too much. we won¡¯t take it to heart,¡± xia wan shook her head at old tao. ¡°that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good,¡± old tao said as he glanced behind the screen. not long after, old zhao had already run out excitedly with a small box in his hands. old tao didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. xia wan saw the difference in old tao¡¯s expression and guessed that old zhao was probably testing them. she didn¡¯t care. she was here for the books that old tao had mentioned, so she didn¡¯t really care if she could pass these small tests. old zhao brought the box in front of xia wan. ¡°little girl, take a look at what¡¯s inside first.¡± old zhao opened the box and showed the contents to xia wan. xia wan and liu hua looked at the box at the same time. inside was a small piece of fabric that looked like a ribbon. the fabric was only the size of half a palm and looked like it was cut from some clothing. liu hua looked at the fabric and frowned. she did not speak for a long time. xia wan was also staring at the fabric, as if she was thinking about something. old zhao looked at old tao proudly as if he had defeated him. old tao was helpless. he could only shake his head and sigh. after a while, xia wan and liu hua did not say a word. old tao quickly stepped forward to help. ¡°old zhao, this thing of yours is rare to begin with. let the two girls see it. they might not have seen it before.¡± old zhao took the box back and closed the lid with a bang. ¡°i told you two little girls wouldn¡¯t know anything. you¡¯re exaggerating!¡± old zhao said and was about to put away the box. ¡°sir, can you let me see the fabric inside again?¡± xia wan asked. old zhao subconsciously hid the box by his side. ¡°what do you want? didn¡¯t you just see it?¡± ¡°could it be that you really recognize this thing?¡± old zhao said suspiciously, obviously not believing that xia wan could really recognize this treasure. xia wan did not answer him directly. she just turned to old zhao and said, ¡°i want to take another look to confirm it.. is that okay?¡± Chapter 505 - Chapter 505: Examination Questions chapter 505: examination questions translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation old zhao hesitated, but old tao interjected, ¡°since you¡¯ve taken it out, you must show it to others. otherwise, you¡­¡± ¡°alright! got it!¡± old zhao interrupted old tao impatiently. ¡°i¡¯ll show you, i¡¯ll show you!¡± old zhao said as he opened the box in front of xia wan again. xia wan lowered her head to look at the fabric once more. although it was small, the patterns on its surface were clear and the colors distinct. there were also obvious weaving marks on the fabric. she frowned and thought for a while, then asked old tao and old zhao, ¡°is this silk?¡± xia wan¡¯s question made the two old men¡¯s eyes widen. old tao looked at old zhao excitedly. ¡°what did i tell you?¡± old zhao, suppressing his excitement, stared at xia wan. ¡°what else do you imow?¡± xia wan carefully recalled the information she had read before and slowly said, ¡°an inch of silk is an inch of gold. since the song dynasty, silk has been exclusive to the royal family. ¡°but i¡¯m not very familiar with silk. i¡¯ve only seen it in some documents. this is the first time i¡¯ve seen it in real life!¡± ¡°you¡¯re telling me this is the first time you¡¯ve seen real silk?¡± old zhao couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°this kind of silk is woven in a unique way. it¡¯s not hard to recognize,¡± xia wan answered honestly. ¡°good! that¡¯s great!¡± this time, old zhao genuinely laughed with joy. after a moment, he put away the box and said to xia wan, ¡®wait here for a while. i have something else good to show you!¡± after speaking, old zhao didn¡¯t wait for xia wan¡¯s response and ran excitedly behind the screen with the box. old tao chuckled at old zhao¡¯s excitement. ¡°old zhao gets very excited when he meets someone who appreciates his treasures. don¡¯t be scared!¡± xia wan pursed her lips and smiled. she was familiar with such scenes. ¡°come, let¡¯s sit here first,¡± old tao said as he led xia wan and liu hua to a set of wooden tables and chairs behind a shelf. ¡°please sit,¡± old tao politely gestured to xia wan and liu hua. after they sat down, old tao picked up the teapot and tea set on the table and poured two cups of tea for xia wan and liu hua. ¡°little girl, what do you think of this set of tables and chairs?¡± old tao couldn¡¯t help but ask as soon as xia wan took a sip. liu hua was momentarily stunned, then looked seriously at the table in front of her. although the carving was exquisite, the wear and tear were obvious. she didn¡¯t understand what was special about it. ¡°i don¡¯t know much about woodwork,¡± xia wan said as she gently touched the carvings on the table. ¡°however, these carvings seem to be hand-carved by an old master. moreover, these wear marks aren¡¯t caused by sudden external forces but show clear signs of use. ¡°thinking about it, this table should be considered an old object. ¡°though it can¡¯t be called an antique, it¡¯s at least a masterpiece from decades ago. ¡°at that time, it must have been a valuable treasure. ¡°however¡­¡± xia wan paused deliberately. old tao, initially smiling with satisfaction, couldn¡¯t help but nod repeatedly at xia wan¡¯s words. when he heard xia wan say ¡°but,¡± he immediately frowned. ¡°but what?¡± liu hua was surprised. ¡°aren¡¯t these chairs and tables a set?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but look again at the color and carvings of the table and chairs. xia wan shook her head. ¡°this chair was made later based on the style of the table, at least ten years later.¡± ¡°you can even tell?¡± liu hua was even more surprised. xia wan smiled and remained silent. old tao also looked at xia wan in surprise and was silent for a long time. xia wan silently picked up the teacup and drank without further explanation. the reason she knew this was not because of a deep understanding of wooden furniture but because she had seen this set of tables and chairs appraised at an antique show many years later. she remembered the expert regretfully stating that although the craftsmanship of this set of tables and chairs was exquisite, it was a pity they were not made from the same set, affecting their value.. Chapter 506 - Chapter 506: Gifted Painting chapter 506: gifted painting translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation when old zhao came out from behind the screen, he saw xia wan drinking tea alone, while old tao and liu hua stared at her in astonishment. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± old zhao asked, looking puzzled. he then placed several hardcover books on the wooden table. he pushed the books towards xia wan. ¡°here! take a look, these are the books i was talking about.¡± xia wan thanked him and began to flip through the books one by one. old tao pulled liu hua aside and murmured a few words. old zhao occasionally glanced at xia wan, as if deep in thought. after xia wan finished looking through the books and the two old men stopped their whispering, she asked, ¡°may i borrow these books?¡± looking expectantly at old zhao and old tao. ¡°of course!¡± old tao exclaimed excitedly, ¡°i brought you here to read these books!¡± ¡°there are many other books here, but they are all treasures of old zhao!¡± old tao said, glancing at old zhao and then sighing. ¡°however, some of these precious books are in their original languages, and we don¡¯t quite understand some of them.¡± xia wan¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°can i also take a look at those books?¡± ¡°what? do you speak other languages?¡± old tao and old zhao asked in unison. xia wan immediately waved her hand and said, ¡°no, that¡¯s not it!¡± the two old men looked visibly deflated. however, xia wan quickly explained, ¡°i have a friend who¡¯s a language genius. perhaps she can really understand those books!¡± the two old men looked at each other, still seeming a bit hesitant. xia wan didn¡¯t press further, only adding, ¡°may i take a look around here?¡± ¡°of course!¡± old zhao immediately nodded in agreement. xia wan, without any hesitation, took liu hua¡¯s hand and began to slowly admire the paintings along one side of the gallery. although liu hua didn¡¯t quite understand the paintings on the walls, she couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration at the works with their brilliant colors and lively lines. ¡°these paintings are really beautiful! just like those in pictures!¡± she said. xia wan just smiled and said nothing. fortunately, old zhao and old tao didn¡¯t hear these words. otherwise, they would probably have been furious! to compare the works of these contemporary art masters to mere pictures. xia wan didn¡¯t know much about painting, but she had seen the names of a few of these works in a celebrity journal. it seemed these artists were still relatively obscure figures. xia wan stopped in front of a watercolor painting, examining it carefully for a long time. old zhao approached and asked, ¡°do you like this one?¡± xia wan pondered for a moment before saying, ¡®yes, i like it. it feels familiar.¡± old zhao looked at xia wan in surprise. ¡°the girl who painted this said that if someone liked her painting, she would give it to them.¡± xia wan watched in amazement as old zhao took down the painting from the wall. old tao also came over. ¡°it seems you and the owner of this painting are fated.¡± xia wan thought for a moment. ¡°is it possible for me to meet this artist?¡± ¡°i really like this painting of hers and would like to thank her in person.¡± ¡°that would be great!¡± old tao said with a smile. ¡°however, she didn¡¯t leave any contact information,¡± old tao hesitated, ¡°how about this? you leave your contact information, and if she comes, i¡¯ll let you know.¡± xia wan didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately left her phone number. she checked the time and said to old tao and old zhao, ¡°it¡¯s getting late, we¡¯ll head back now.¡± ¡°we¡¯ll come back in a few days to enjoy the other works!¡± although the two old men felt it was a pity, they didn¡¯t insist on keeping them any longer. old zhao carefully packed the painting and a few books. when handing them to xia wan, he repeatedly reminded her, ¡°you must come and take a look more often when you have time!¡± xia wan smiled. ¡°don¡¯t worry! i¡¯ll definitely come back when i have time!¡± ¡°besides, i still have to bring my friend to see your original books!¡± only then did old zhao reluctantly wave goodbye to xia wan and watch them leave. after taking a few steps, xia wan stopped again. ¡°the tea set we used just now was very unique. perhaps it¡¯s a treasure from this collection? old tao was genuinely shocked this time. ¡°you noticed that?¡± old zhao laughed heartily.. ¡°you must come again!¡± Chapter 507 - Chapter 507: Threats chapter 507: threats translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan and liu hua, following the guidance of old tao, walked northward along the alley for two intersections before they saw the bus stop heading towards the school. a lone iron sign stood on a pile of dirt, looking as if it had been temporarily placed there. ¡°this place is really remote, and i admire your courage for daring to go to the gallery with that old man,¡± liu hua couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. xia wan smiled and didn¡¯t directly mention that she had seen the old man¡¯s face on some promotional posters before. the two waited for a while, but the bus did not come. liu hua tugged at xia wan¡¯s sleeve, ¡°what is that silk? is it really as valuable as gold?¡± xia wan nodded seriously, ¡°the wisdom and skill of our ancestors are indeed very valuable!¡± hearing that this craft was valuable, liu hua immediately became interested. ¡°can i learn it?¡± xia wan was taken aback at first, then thought for a moment before saying, ¡°this craft is quite complicated, not something one can just learn on a whim.¡± liu hua¡¯s face fell in disappointment. xia wan patted her shoulder, ¡°if i find a craftsman who inherits this skill, i¡¯ll definitely introduce you.¡± liu hua¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°really? great!¡± after english training ended, xia chen carried his backpack and walked towards the school gate. ¡°xia chen, i have something to tell you,¡± a voice called out from behind him. xia chen twitched his eyelid but didn¡¯t stop walking. footsteps sounded from behind, and the person hurriedly caught up to xia chen. ¡°what do you want to do again?¡± xia chen asked impatiently. zhou chen moved in front of xia chen. ¡°are you, familiar with teacher lin?¡± ¡°i saw you exchanging glances with her in class. have you been in contact with teacher lin privately?¡± zhou chen¡¯s tone of questioning was as if teacher lin was his personal property. xia chen showed an impatient expression, ¡°whether i¡¯m familiar with teacher lin or not has nothing to do with you. ¡°i¡¯m not familiar with you either, and you have no right to block my way or question me here! ¡°i don¡¯t have to answer your questions! please get out of the way!¡± xia chen was polite, but zhou chen clearly didn¡¯t take his politeness as a courtesy. ¡°why are you so stubborn!¡± zhou chen¡¯s tone became more impatient. ¡°i¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t think that just because your english is good and you look okay, teacher lin will regard you highly!¡± zhou chen said through gritted teeth. ¡°i warn you, you better stay away from teacher lin, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡± zhou chen¡¯s threats, which weren¡¯t very menacing, only elicited a ¡°you¡¯re crazy¡± from xia chen. xia chen stepped forward to leave but was blocked again by zhou chen, ¡°xia chen, don¡¯t take my words lightly, or i can¡¯t guarantee you won¡¯t really get hurt someday! ¡± ¡°fine! i got it!¡± xia chen nodded, not wanting to waste more words with zhou chen, bypassed him, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and quickly left the school gate. just a few meters away from the school, xia chen saw a familiar figure in front of him. ¡°hey, xia chen, i¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡± linda waved happily and took a few steps towards xia chen. xia chen jogged up to linda, frowning slightly, ¡°what are you doing here?¡± linda looked puzzled, ¡°i¡¯m waiting to walk with you! what¡¯s wrong? do you have another appointment today?¡± xia chen shook his head. immediately, linda happily turned to xia chen¡¯s side, grabbing his arm, ¡°then let¡¯s go! last time zhou en said that the snacks at the tea stall near your shop are good, i want to try them too.¡± xia chen tried to shrink his arm, but linda held on tight and dragged him forward, leaving him no way to break free. shortly after the two left, several people walked out of the school¡¯s main gate. from a distance, they saw xia chen and a long-haired woman wearing a denim jacket pulling and tugging at each other. ¡°hey! look! isn¡¯t that xia chen and the woman from last time?¡± a boy with a straw in his mouth said. ¡°yes, yes! i recognize those long legs!¡± another boy with a backpack strap on his head echoed. zhuang peng also noticed the two people who had walked far away, his face full of malice, ¡°still pretending to be so innocent and harmless!¡± ¡°it¡¯s only been a few days, and this woman has already shown up!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll let everyone know what kind of person xia chen really is!¡± ¡°brothers! follow them!¡± Chapter 508 - Chapter 508: Bet chapter 508: bet translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation linda walked with xia chen to the front of xia¡¯s family shop before stopping. ¡°hey? it seems zhou en is not helping in the shop today.¡± linda peered into the shop curiously. inside, there were only three new employees, and xia hai and his wife were not present. ¡°i heard zhou en had to rush back to school today to help a professor with a project proposal,¡± xia chen shared what he knew. ¡°why didn¡¯t she tell me?¡± linda pouted, dissatisfied. ¡°probably she didn¡¯t have time,¡± xia chen said helplessly. ¡°i only heard about it last night when xia wan and zhou en were on the phone.¡± ¡°you were planning to go to the teahouse, right? let¡¯s go there ourselves,¡± xia chen continued towards the teahouse. after a few days of interaction, he had gotten used to linda¡¯s boisterous nature. she always acted on whims and liked to be in lively gatherings. initially, xia chen thought this girl, who had returned from abroad, would be cool and aloof. now, he even wondered if linda had several different personalities living inside her! although he thought this, linda was still his teacher, and he maintained the necessary respect. arriving at the teahouse with linda, xia chen chose a seat inside and invited linda to sit. after ordering linda¡¯s eagerly anticipated snacks, xia chen also ordered a pot of the teahouse¡¯s classic white tea. just as their tea and snacks were served, a commotion arose outside. ¡°yo, look who it is! our class¡¯s top student, xia chen!¡± zhuang peng¡¯s voice was loud, ensuring everyone around could hear. ¡°top student? what top student?¡± the boy with a straw in his mouth questioned. ¡°of course, top in everything!¡± zhuang peng hummed. ¡°first in studies, and obviously, first in charming girls too!¡± xia chen¡¯s expression changed, ¡°zhuang peng, what do you want?¡± zhuang peng smiled sinisterly, ¡°what? you¡¯re here flirting in public and afraid of us seeing it? ¡°i see you¡¯re quite bold and open about it! ¡°why not bring your little girlfriend to school tomorrow and introduce her to everyone?¡± saying this, zhuang peng pushed through the crowd to xia chen¡¯s table. ¡°yo, this beautiful lady looks familiar!¡± ¡°where have i seen her before?¡± zhuang peng pretended to think hard. the boy with the backpack strap around his head exclaimed, ¡°isn¡¯t this the woman who was seen in private places with xia chen¡­¡± he left his sentence unfinished, expressing his malice with a sinister smile. linda, shocked by these kids¡¯ foul language, was about to slam the table and scold them. xia chen immediately grabbed linda¡¯s wrist, ¡°don¡¯t be impulsive!¡± linda, unaccustomed to such treatment, angrily asked zhuang peng and the others, ¡°how can you slander others like this!¡± ¡°accusing others without knowing the truth, i can sue you for defamation!¡± ¡°look, they speak the same!¡± zhuang peng placed his backpack on the chair next to xia chen and pointed at xia chen and linda, ¡°what¡¯s this called? this is called ¡®like husband, like wife¡¯¡­ birds of a feather!¡± linda, with her eyes wide in anger, asked, ¡°is this how your school teaches you?¡± ¡°young and not learning good things! bringing shame to your school in public!¡± ¡°what business is our school to you!¡± zhuang peng hummed indifferently, ¡°our lousy school doesn¡¯t care what we do outside!¡± hearing this, linda¡¯s face showed even more anger, ¡°if you dare to talk nonsense again, i¡¯ll make sure you experience the grandeur of your school tomorrow!¡± zhuang peng and the others were stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. ¡°beautiful lady, don¡¯t scare us here!¡± zhuang peng said, reaching out to put his hand on linda¡¯s shoulder. ¡°we may be young, but we¡¯re not foolish!¡± ¡°if you can really do what you say, i¡¯ll imeel and call you grandma! how about that?¡± zhuang peng¡¯s words immediately brought cheers and applause from the surrounding boys.. Chapter 509 - Chapter 509: Meeting Up chapter 509: meeting up translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation linda turned her head to look at the hand zhuang peng had placed on her shoulder, sneered, pinched one of zhuang peng¡¯s fingers, and moved his hand away from her shoulder. ¡°whether it¡¯s possible or not, we¡¯ll see!¡± linda was not intimidated by zhuang peng at all. ¡°if i can¡¯t do what i said, i¡¯ll call each of you ¡®brother¡¯ and serve you tea and water, how about that?¡± the bet linda offered immediately brought cheers and whistles from zhuang peng and others xia chen listened to their bet, helplessly shaking his head with a sigh. zhuang peng noticed xia chen¡¯s reaction and immediately said with a laugh, ¡°xia chen, you better persuade your beautiful sister here, so she doesn¡¯t end up losing miserably and embarrass herself!¡± before xia chen could speak, linda interjected, ¡°this has nothing to do with xia chen!¡± after saying this, linda took xia chen¡¯s hand and prepared to leave. ¡°let¡¯s go! the air here stinks! let¡¯s go somewhere else!¡± xia chen silently allowed linda to lead him out. zhuang peng and others stood still, laughing, without chasing after them. after walking down a street, linda stopped, fuming, ¡°how can the students of your school have such poor quality?¡± xia chen looked at linda and remained silent. seeing this, linda became even more frustrated, ¡°when will you change your reticent nature!¡± xia chen didn¡¯t know how to respond and could only silently take out a small plastic box. inside the box were snacks that linda hadn¡¯t had the chance to eat earlier. linda¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight, her previous irritation swept away, ¡°you actually brought this out!¡± ¡°i was regretting not getting to eat these snacks today!¡± after saying this, linda snatched the box from xia chen¡¯s hand and bit into a snack forcefully. ¡°those guys just need a lesson! i will make them remember not to offend others without knowing who they are!¡± hearing this, xia chen could only force a silent, wry smile. probably tomorrow, zhuang peng and his group will regret their foolishness today! near the dongxing pavilion, in an alley, a small courtyard with green bricks and red tiles had two red lanterns hanging at the entrance. the wooden doorplate read ¡°happy courtyard.¡± xia wan stood at the door, checking her clothing. although it wasn¡¯t their first meeting, it was the first formal dinner with chen mo¡¯s family after confirming their relationship, so she paid extra attention to her appearance. xia wan wore a newly designed huafu, a traditional chinese dress. the pattern on the dress was designed by zhou en, and the tailoring and production were custom-made by a skilled craftsman specifically requested by xia wan. entering the ¡°happy courtyard¡± and guided by a waiter, xia wan arrived at the private room reserved by chen mo. upon entering, she saw chen shan and chen mo had arrived. the pair were seated around the table, engrossed in conversation. as soon as xia wan entered the room, chen shan cheerfully waved at her. chen mo quickly walked over to xia wan and led her to a seat next to him. xia wan sat down and politely greeted chen shan, ¡°uncle chen, long time no see!¡± chen shan¡¯s smile deepened, ¡°i never thought xia wan the miracle doctor could be pursued successfully by my silly son!¡± chen shan was very proud, clearly satisfied with his son¡¯s achievement. ¡°dad, just call her wanwan!¡± chen mo interrupted chen shan¡¯s laughter. chen shan immediately nodded, ¡°right! calling her a miracle doctor is too formal! but i am just so happy!¡± xia wan was seeing chen shan¡¯s exuberant mood for the first time and smiled at him, ¡°uncle chen, as i told you before, i really can¡¯t live up to the title of miracle doctor!¡± ¡°just calling me wanwan is fine! it feels more intimate!¡± after xia wan¡¯s suggestion, chen shan gladly accepted it. the three chatted warmly for a while, and then xia wan curiously asked, ¡°isn¡¯t chen shui coming?¡± in such a situation, it was unlikely that the chen father and son would leave chen shui behind. chen shan sighed helplessly, ¡°that girl now prefers to roam outside every day.¡± ¡°but she said she was going to buy you a special gift today, so she left before us.¡± ¡°it¡¯s just that she hasn¡¯t arrived yet, and i don¡¯t know where she has gone off as they were talking, chen mo¡¯s phone suddenly rang. chen mo answered the call, laughing, ¡°i say, miss chen shui, where have you run off to? the three of us are waiting for you!¡± Chapter 510 - Chapter 510: Quarrel chapter 510: quarrel translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°what is it? where are you? what¡¯s happened?¡± chen mo¡¯s voice instantly became tense. xia wan and chen shan also turned their attention to chen mo, their eyes fixed on his face. ¡°okay! wait for me, i¡¯ll be right there!¡± chen mo said before hanging up. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with shuishui?¡± chen shan immediately inquired. chen mo stood up, preparing to leave. ¡°shuishui said she¡¯s at the door. she seems to be tangled up with some troublesome people!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go check it out. i¡¯ll be back soon!¡± chen shan nodded. ¡®go ahead! don¡¯t let shuishui be troubled!¡± ¡°dad, don¡¯t worry! no one can bully my sister!¡± after speaking, chen mo pushed open the door of the private room and hurried out. xia wan respectfully said to chen shan, ¡°uncle chen, i¡¯ll go and take a look too.¡± chen shan gestured with his hand. ¡°go ahead.¡± xia wan exited the private room and heard the sound of people arguing. the noise was somewhat distant, likely due to the cross-courtyard layout of the venue. following the direction of the voices, xia wan passed through two doors and saw a crowd gathered. chen mo reached the scene before her and saw chen shui in a dispute with a woman. ¡°where did you come from, you uneducated woman!¡± a high-pitched voice rang out. ¡°as expected, poor villages produce bad people!¡± ¡°today is really unlucky! how did i end up encountering such a disorderly person!¡± chen shui glared angrily at the speaker. ¡°who are you calling rude and ill-mannered?!¡± ¡°you were the ones who bumped into someone. why aren¡¯t you apologizing? why are you acting so arrogantly? ¡°you expect others to apologize first? dream on!¡± when chen mo heard this, he immediately pushed through the crowd to reach chen shui¡¯s side. ¡°are you hurt?¡± even though chen shui had recovered under xia wan¡¯s care, chen mo couldn¡¯t hide his concern. after all, given chen shui¡¯s past health struggles, her well-being was always a priority. seeing chen mo arrive, chen shui gained more confidence. she first addressed chen mo¡¯s worry. ¡°brother, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯m fine! i wasn¡¯t the one who got hit!¡± then, she recounted the incident to chen mo. ¡°when i came in just now, i saw this woman bump into a waiter. she complained about him and demanded an apology and compensation for a change of clothes!¡± ¡°i couldn¡¯t stand it, so¡­¡± after listening to chen shui and confirming she was unharmed, chen mo turned to confront the belligerent woman. since it was his sister standing up for justice, he was ready to back her up. ¡°don¡¯t think i¡¯m afraid of you just because you¡¯ve found a man to support you!¡± the woman sneered upon seeing chen mo. ¡°let me tell you, in this small county, no one dares to cross me!¡± the woman spoke with arrogance, her expression smug. ¡°you¡¯re quite audacious! let¡¯s see what you¡¯re capable of!¡± chen mo had no intention of showing mercy to such a condescending woman. ¡°what¡¯s the matter? you dare to touch me?¡± the woman scoffed. ¡°it seems this really is an uncivilized place. such barbaric behavior!¡± ¡°let me tell you, my brother is with the military command center! if you provoke me, i¡¯ll have all of you arrested!¡± as soon as she finished speaking, chen shui laughed. ¡°who was it that said she wouldn¡¯t seek a man¡¯s help? what now? isn¡¯t your brother a man?¡± ¡®you!¡± the woman was momentarily speechless. her gaze then fell on her companion approaching from a distance. ¡°tongtong, hurry over here! they¡¯re bullying me!¡± jiang tong had been waiting for xu jia in the private room. seeing that xu jia hadn¡¯t returned, she went out to look for her. she hadn¡¯t expected to find a commotion outside. originally intending to avoid any conflict, jiang tong was surprised to find xu jia at the center of the quarrel. ¡°what happened?¡± jiang tong approached xu jia and assessed chen mo and chen shui before asking. ¡°this woman insulted me first! then she even called her brother over to intimidate me!¡± xu jia played the victim first. chen shui wasn¡¯t about to be falsely accused. ¡°if you hadn¡¯t bumped into someone and refused to apologize, i wouldn¡¯t have been involved with you for so long!¡± ¡°who are you calling a shrew!¡± xu jia, perhaps emboldened by her companion¡¯s presence or provoked by the term ¡°shrew,¡± shifted from verbal to physical aggression. xu jia, who had been merely talking, raised her hand as if to strike chen shui¡¯s Chapter 511 - Chapter 511: Xu Jia Was Injured chapter 511: xu jia was injured translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation chen mo immediately intervened, grabbing xu jia¡¯s wrist and forcefully twisting her arm, effectively restraining her. xu jia cried out in pain, still hurling insults: ¡°i can¡¯t believe the men in this small town are so violent! i¡¯ll have my brother arrest all of you!¡± ¡°you¡¯re the one who started the physical assault, and now you¡¯re playing the victim!¡± chen shui said, her face filled with anger. jiang tong, seeing xu jia restrained, couldn¡¯t just stand by and said to chen mo, ¡°you¡¯re going too far bullying a girl like this! let her go first! we can discuss everything else later!¡± chen mo, however, did not loosen his grip. ¡°she was about to hit my sister. do i care whether she¡¯s male or female? should i wait until she actually slaps my sister before i take action?¡± jiang tong was taken aback by chen mo¡¯s defiance, her expression turning sour. ¡°you heard her; her brother is in the military. do you really want to invite trouble?¡± jiang tong¡¯s words were clearly a threat. chen mo showed no fear. ¡°so, being in the military means you can act lawlessly and hit people in public?¡± ¡°or does it mean you think you can disregard the law because you have connections in the military?¡± chen mo¡¯s words stirred the bystanders, who began to murmur and point at xu jia and jiang tong. realizing she misspoke, jiang tong asked, ¡°what do you want to do?¡± ¡°what do i want?¡± chen mo replied, raising an eyebrow and slightly tightening his grip. a crisp sound of bones colliding came from xu jia¡¯s wrist. this was followed by her loud cry of pain. chen mo let go, leaving xu jia to fall to the ground, clutching her wrist and sobbing loudly. jiang tong immediately went to check on xu jia, then angrily pointed at chen mo, ¡°how can you hurt someone like this!¡± ¡°this hand serves as her apology to the person she bumped into and to my sister!¡± chen mo said coldly. ¡°if it happens again, i will make sure her hand is completely useless.¡± ¡°i¡¯m going to have you arrested!¡± xu jia warned chen mo through her tears. chen mo smiled faintly, ¡°i¡¯ll be waiting!¡± with that, he helped chen shui to her feet and began to lead her away. the crowd parted, making way for the siblings. xu jia sat on the ground, crying, while jiang tong appeared unsure of what to do next. as the spectacle ended, the onlookers, fearing being implicated, quickly dispersed. jiang tong tried to help xu jia up, but the slightest touch on her arm caused xu jia to scream piercingly. jiang tong frowned, enduring it for a while before finally shouting at xu jia to stop, ¡°enough! let¡¯s go back and have my brother take you to the hospital!¡± xu jia, with tears streaking her face and grimacing in pain, obediently followed jiang tong back towards the private room. inside the private room, jiang lu was impatiently fending off wu shu, who was trying to get close to him. ¡°jiang lu, brother, you have no idea how bad that woman was today!¡± wu shu pouted, looking aggrieved. ¡°if you hadn¡¯t arrived in time, we would have been bullied by her!¡± ¡°thank goodness you were there!¡± wu shu said, her face filled with bashful admiration. jiang lu glanced towards the door and quickly stood up, ¡°i¡¯ll go see why tongtong and the others haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡± wu shu reached out to stop him but missed. she stomped her foot in frustration. she had tricked jiang tong into going to find xu jia, who hadn¡¯t arrived yet, leaving her alone with jiang lu. yet before they could even talk, jiang lu was rushing out! although wu shu was angry, she didn¡¯t show it. she quickly stood up, limping slightly as she followed jiang lu, ¡°jiang lu, brother, let me come with you! i¡¯m worried about them too!¡± as jiang lu reached the door, he saw xu jia cursing and crying as she followed jiang tong. seeing jiang lu, jiang tong hurried over, ¡°brother, xu jia is injured. we need to take her to the hospital immediately!¡± ¡°injured?¡± jiang lu quickened his pace to xu jia¡¯s side. xu jia immediately extended her hand towards jiang lu, ¡°a man broke my hand!¡± after saying this, xu jia burst into tears again.. Chapter 512 - Chapter 512: Gift chapter 512: gift translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation jiang lu didn¡¯t delay. he first examined xu jia¡¯s injury, confirming it was just a dislocated elbow joint, and then quickly realigned it with a snap. xu jia was momentarily stunned, not yet comprehending what had happened when jiang lu released her hand. ¡°since you¡¯re fine now, let¡¯s get back to the table. your uncles should be arriving soon.¡± hearing this, xu jia immediately dried her tears. she had never feared anyone since childhood, except her uncle, who was a military officer. it was because of her uncle¡¯s influence that her brother had been able to join the military so easily. just as they sat down, the door of the private room opened again. upon seeing the newcomers, xu jia rushed over, playing the victim. ¡°uncle, you finally came! someone bullied me just now!¡± ¡°oh? who dared to bully you?¡± liang tao asked with a gentle smile. jiang lu and his sister, along with wu shu, went to greet liang tao and led him to the head seat. liang tao was accompanied by zhang cheng, a soldier he had once commanded, who had started his own security company after leaving the military and had gained some fame domestically. jiang lu greeted zhang cheng, and everyone took their seats. xu jia, sitting beside liang tao, recounted her experience with a tone of grievance. ¡°uncle, you have to stand up for me! you can¡¯t let your niece be bullied like this!¡± xu jia said, clinging to liang tao¡¯s arm. liang tao looked at jiang lu with a smile. ¡°with your brother jiang lu here, how could you possibly be bullied?¡± ¡°jiang lu, it seems your sister has some complaints about you!¡± upon hearing this, jiang lu immediately stood up with a serious expression, though he remained silent. liang tao waved his hand nonchalantly at him. ¡°sit down, sit down! no need to be so tense!¡± seeing jiang lu being reprimanded, wu shu said to liang tao, ¡°uncle liang, my dad knew i was meeting you today and specifically asked me to bring you some fine wine!¡± wu shu presented the gift to liang tao. liang tao didn¡¯t reach out to accept it. instead, zhang cheng came forward, took the gift, and placed it in a corner. ¡°thank you for your father¡¯s kindness, but i¡¯m getting older, and it¡¯s better to drink less,¡± liang tao replied, declining the offer. wu shu was left speechless, not knowing what to say next. ¡°alright, you young ones must be hungry. let¡¯s have the food served!¡± liang tao concluded, and zhang cheng immediately left the room to instruct the staff to bring the dishes. chen shui, still fuming, was walking towards the private room when she encountered xia wan. ¡°sister-in-law¡­¡± chen shui started to speak but stopped abruptly upon hearing chen mo¡¯s grunt behind her. she smiled obediently at xia wan. ¡°xia sister, what brings you here?¡± ¡°i was worried about you all, so i followed to check on things.¡± xia wan reached out and took chen shui¡¯s hand. ¡°are you hurt?¡± xia wan had seen everything that had happened. with chen mo present, chen shui was unlikely to come to harm. ¡°no! but i¡¯m still angry about the whole situation!¡± chen shui¡¯s gritted teeth made xia wan laugh. ¡°alright! don¡¯t be angry anymore! i ordered your favorite sweet and sour sweet potatoes! let¡¯s go try them!¡± chen mo ruffled chen shui¡¯s hair affectionately, unable to hide his fondness. due to health issues, chen shui had always had a bland diet, which she found frustrating. ever since xia wan had cured her, chen shui, now determined to enjoy all sorts of delicacies, especially favored sweet and rich foods. sure enough, chen shui¡¯s eyes lit up. she pulled xia wan towards the private room. ¡°let¡¯s go, xia sister! we have to hurry, or it won¡¯t taste good!¡± upon entering the room, they saw chen shan looking slightly displeased. ¡°what trouble have you gotten into now?¡± chen shui immediately took a seat near chen shan. ¡°dad, how can you say that about me! i was the one being bullied!¡± ¡°oh? what happened?¡± chen shan looked at chen mo. ¡°nothing much, it¡¯s all resolved,¡± chen mo replied, not wanting to worry chen shan. ¡°just a little quarrel between girls, nothing serious.¡± chen mo made light of the situation, but xia wan knew it wasn¡¯t that simple. she had already encountered xu jia and her group earlier, experiencing their unpleasant behavior, and now realized they were acquainted with jiang lu. moreover, she overheard xu jia mentioning her brother in the military command. this indicated that jiang lu might also have connections to the military. and this time, he had obviously come for chen mo and her¡­ xia wan thought more and more that she needed to talk to chen mo about jiang lu as soon as possible.. Chapter 513 - Chapter 513: A Woman Who Couldn ‘t Get Things Done chapter 513: a woman who couldn ¡®t get things done translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°sister xia, what are you thinking about?¡± chen shui patted xia wan¡¯s hand. ¡°my dad is talking to you.¡± only then did xia wan realize that she had been so lost in thought that she hadn¡¯t heard chen shan calling her name. ¡°uncle chen, what did you just say?¡± ¡°wanwan, today¡¯s meal is partly because it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve seen you and that rascal, so i arranged this family banquet,¡± chen shan said with a loving expression, not minding xia wan¡¯s earlier distraction. ¡°also, i have a friend coming to the county town in the next few days, and i thought it would be good for you to meet him.¡± ¡°do you have time?¡± ¡°dad, why didn¡¯t i hear you mention this? who is it?¡± chen mo asked first. ¡°you, always disappearing, how can i tell you?¡± chen shan huffed in dissatisfaction. ¡°this friend of mine has some influence here, and i think he might be able to help you,¡± chen shan said, looking at xia wan. ¡°especially since wanwan is so skilled in medicine. with his introduction, she might find better opportunities.¡± ¡°alright! thank you, uncle chen!¡± xia wan replied with a sweet smile. chen mo had thought xia wan would refuse, but she agreed without hesitation. since xia wan had agreed, he naturally had no reason to refuse. throughout the meal, chen shan and chen shui were very warm to xia wan, leaving chen mo with no chance to talk to her. fortunately, after they had eaten and drunk their fill, chen shan and his daughter asked the driver to take them back to the residence arranged by chen mo. chen mo, holding xia wan¡¯s hand, complained unwillingly, ¡°that old man, he kept me from talking to you all night!¡± ¡°chen mo, do you know who the person who argued with shuishui today was?¡± xia wan asked, ignoring chen mo¡¯s grumbling. ¡°i don¡¯t care who she is! anyone who bullies my sister needs to be taught a lesson!¡± chen mo growled coldly, unconcerned about the other party¡¯s identity. ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant!¡± xia wan felt that things were more complicated. ¡°i¡¯ve seen that woman before.¡± ¡°all three of them know jiang lu!¡± ¡°jiang lu?¡± chen mo¡¯s anger flared again. ¡°is that the brat who keeps chasing after you?¡± xia wan, unable to stand it anymore, slapped chen mo. ¡°did you forget? i told you jiang lu is after you!¡± ¡°so what? do you think i¡¯m afraid of him?¡± chen mo still didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°that woman said her brother is in the military. if they really team up against you¡­¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°don¡¯t worry!¡± chen mo pulled xia wan into his arms. ¡°people in the military can¡¯t just do whatever they want! ¡± ¡°you better be careful. i always feel that jiang lu is up to something strange,¡± xia wan still felt uneasy. chen mo patted xia wan¡¯s hand. ¡°don¡¯t worry! i¡¯m here! even if he¡¯s sun wukong, i¡¯ll press him under the five fingers mountain!¡± xia wan chuckled lightly, her nervous mood somewhat alleviated. elsewhere, jiang lu stood under the streetlights, smoking a cigarette. buzzcut stood in front of him. ¡°what? didn¡¯t things go well with old liang today?¡± jiang lu took a deep puff of his cigarette, then threw the remaining half on the ground and stamped on it forcefully. ¡°that old man liang just doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him!¡± jiang lu said fiercely. ¡°i¡¯ve tried several times to get him to agree to the military supplies purchase, but he always declines!¡± ¡°those women are also useless!¡± ¡°i thought i could use xu jia and wu shut s connections, but that only gave the old man more chances to beat around the bush!¡± ¡°you don¡¯t need to be so anxious. your family¡¯s business isn¡¯t dependent on this¡­¡± buzzcut stopped mid-sentence when he saw jiang lu¡¯s expression and shut his mouth again. ¡°alright, no use talking about this now,¡± buzzcut quickly changed the subject. ¡°old liang will be here for a few more days. we¡¯ll find another way!¡± jiang lu mumbled something, seemingly unwilling, but still got into the car parked nearby and disappeared into the night. the next morning, xia chen and xia wan had just arrived at the school gate when they ran into zhuang peng and others waiting at the door. ¡°xia chen, don¡¯t forget our bet!¡± zhuang peng said with a determined look. ¡°when the time comes, don¡¯t be reluctant to hand over your little woman!¡± xia chen didn¡¯t respond, watching zhuang peng and his friends leave with a laugh, feeling somewhat helpless.. Chapter 514 - Chapter 514: Special Course chapter 514: special course translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan was confused. ¡°brother, what happened?¡± she had come home very late last night and hadn¡¯t met xia chen. she knew nothing about what had happened to xia chen yesterday. ¡°just wait and see!¡± xia chen¡¯s face bore a hint of mischief. xia wan¡¯s interest was instantly piqued. the two of them arrived at the classroom together and saw zhuang peng sitting in his seat arrogantly, looking at xia chen with a provocative stare. ¡°xia chen, if you beg me for mercy now, i might consider letting you and your little woman off.¡± ¡°otherwise¡­¡± zhuang peng snorted. ¡°it¡¯ll be too late to beg me for mercy!¡± liu hua approached xia wan and asked in a low voice, ¡°when did your brother get a woman? what¡¯s happening?¡± xia wan shrugged. ¡°i don¡¯t know either, but seeing how confident my brother looks, it seems zhuang peng and his group will be the ones in trouble!¡± ¡°why am i suddenly looking forward to this?¡± liu hua¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at xia wan. xia wan gently tapped liu hua¡¯s nose. ¡°just wait and watch!¡± when jiang rong entered the class, she saw zhuang peng still with his chin raised and looking up arrogantly. ¡°zhuang peng, did you twist your neck or sleep with a stiff neck? do you need to check at the infirmary?¡± jiang rong¡¯s question instantly provoked laughter in the classroom. feeling embarrassed, zhuang peng quickly retracted his chin. ¡°alright, stop laughing!¡± jiang rong gestured for the students to quiet down before continuing. ¡°the school is about to host a welcome event. to increase student participation, the school has decided to add two additional oral training courses! ¡°the courses will be conducted by our specially hired oral training teacher! they are scheduled for the last two periods this morning! the classroom erupted in cheers. some students were relieved to have two more easy classes. others were excited about the chance to meet the legendary special teacher. ¡°i heard the teacher is not only beautiful but also very straightforward!¡± ¡°i also heard that the teacher had lived abroad and is completely different from our teachers here!¡± ¡°sigh, i heard her classes are really interesting. it would be amazing if she could become our english teacher!¡± the students in the class buzzed with animated discussions. xia chen casually glanced at zhuang peng and then returned to flipping through his books, acting as if nothing had happened. zhuang peng, oblivious to xia chen¡¯s glance, had no interest in the training sessions. he was eagerly waiting for the opportunity to embrace xia chen¡¯s little woman and kiss her after school! finally, it was time for the second-to-last class. the classroom atmosphere instantly livened up. especially around zhou chen, who was encircled by a group eager for information. ¡°zhou chen, i heard you¡¯re quite close to that teacher?¡± zhou chen pursed his lips, smiling silently. ¡°zhou chen, don¡¯t be so secretive! how should we approach that teacher later?¡± ¡°do you like that teacher? i¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve been really active in training recently and even writing english poems! ¡± everyone chimed in, making zhou chen beam with joy. song zhi sat in his seat, coldly observing this group, his hand crumpling a piece of paper into a ball. ¡°students, teacher lin has instructed everyone to gather at the field,¡± announced the english class representative from the podium. although puzzled, the students obediently headed towards the field. ¡°this teacher is really unusual. why conduct a training session on the field?¡± ¡°is it going to turn into a pe class? ¡°those teachers who returned from abroad probably have different teaching methods!¡± ¡°it¡¯s still a training class. it¡¯s nice that it¡¯s not in the classroom!¡± the students made their way to the field, talking among themselves. zhuang peng, with his hands in his pockets, walked forward, chatting and laughing with his companions. ¡°students, let me introduce our oral training teacher, teacher lin!¡± announced the english teacher, addressing the crowd. ¡°let¡¯s give her a round of applause!¡± amidst the applause, a person dressed in jeans and martin boots, topped with a wide-brimmed leather hat, walked over from the back of the crowd. the large brim of the hat obscured her face, but her jeans couldn¡¯t hide her attractive figure.. Chapter 515 - Chapter 515: Model chapter 515: model translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zhuang peng and the others immediately whistled, their sloppy demeanor drawing disdainful looks from the girls in the class. ¡°teacher lin, isn¡¯t it a bit rude to wear a hat in class?¡± zhuang peng showed no respect for the oral training teacher. he regarded her as just a temporary teacher. could she really control them? judging by teacher lin¡¯s attire, she didn¡¯t seem much older than them. zhuang peng thought it was his chance to take advantage! zhou chen, displeased with zhuang peng¡¯s attitude, was the first to defend teacher lin. ¡°zhuang peng, teacher lin is our teacher. aren¡¯t you being disrespectful by saying that? apologize to teacher lin now!¡± ¡°alright, alright, alright! we all know you like teacher lin! if you want to talk to her, go ahead!¡± zhuang peng waved his hand dismissively. ¡°you were so stingy when i asked you to introduce us to teacher lin. you really thought you had an advantage!¡± ¡°and now? won¡¯t we still have the chance to get close to teacher lin?¡± zhou chen opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t find the words to retort. instead, he turned his frustration towards xia chen. ¡°shouldn¡¯t you say something about them disrespecting the teacher?¡± xia chen ignored zhou chen. he didn¡¯t think teacher lin needed his help. xia wan watched the drama unfold, curious about the bet between zhuang peng and xia chen. judging by xia chen¡¯s expression, she suspected zhuang peng was about to face defeat! while zhuang peng, zhou chen, and others argued, the rest of the class curiously observed teacher lin. just as zhuang peng was about to utter something more offensive, teacher lin raised her hands. instantly, everyone fell silent, zhuang peng included. ¡°i believe the students who just participated in the discussion are very passionate and love learning,¡± teacher lin began. her words made zhuang peng and zhou chen puff up with pride. but teacher lin didn¡¯t look at them. instead, she continued, ¡°in that case, let me see your enthusiasm!¡± zhuang peng and zhou chen cheered, eager to be noticed by teacher lin. ¡°good! those students over there, please set an example for everyone!¡± teacher lin called out zhuang peng, zhou chen, and others by name. they were even more excited, their faces eager to try. ¡°teacher lin, just give us the instructions. we¡¯ll set a great example for everyone!¡± zhuang peng said, his tone now serious. teacher lin nodded slightly, and xia wan noticed a slight curl of her lips under the brim of her hat. ¡°excellent! then please run 10 laps around the school field in a competition! the first to finish will become my class representative!¡± before zhou chen could react, zhuang peng let out a groan. he could handle a fight, but running ten laps around the field? that would be torturous! ¡°what¡¯s wrong? don¡¯t you want everyone to see your enthusiasm?¡± teacher lin ¡®encouraged.¡¯ the rest of the class didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to tease zhuang peng and the others. zhou chen, a regular in sports, found the task challenging but feasible. plus, becoming teacher lin¡¯s class representative and getting closer to her¡­ ¡°teacher! i¡¯ll participate!¡± zhou chen declared first. his decision put zhuang peng and the others in a tough spot. if they joined the competition, they risked exhaustion. if they didn¡¯t, they¡¯d lose the chance to be class representatives and face humiliation. after a moment of deliberation, zhuang peng clenched his teeth. ¡°we¡¯ll participate too!¡± his companions grumbled, but zhuang peng silenced them. ¡°no more complaints! run!¡± zhou chen quickly took the lead, heading for the track. once they had run off, teacher lin finally lifted her head, looking at xia chen and xia wan in the crowd with a proud smile.. Chapter 516 - Chapter 516: The Gift chapter 516: the gift translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°good! they still need some time to run. let¡¯s play a mini-game first and wait for their final results,¡± teacher lin said, her smile fading, as she addressed the rest of the class. although it was just a mini-game, the students could feel that every part of the game had been meticulously designed. it not only made them have fun but also made them realize that speaking wasn¡¯t that difficult. even if they didn¡¯t know how to describe those complicated words, as long as they expressed them in a way that both they and the other party could understand, they could achieve effective communication. this was completely different from the rigid teaching method in english class! all the students were having fun, and no one cared about the few people who were still running on the field. about half an hour later, someone finally noticed the condition of those people. ¡°teacher, zhuang peng and the others seem to be dying!¡± someone pointed at zhuang peng, who was stumbling on the track. everyone looked in the direction of the pointing hand and saw zhuang peng¡¯s hunched body running forward expressionlessly. the few people behind him were supporting each other. clearly, they had no strength left. looking at zhou chen, he was far ahead of them. ¡°good luck!¡± ms. lin waved at the people in the distance. she put her hands to her mouth and shouted, ¡°good luck!¡± the few fellows who were already running in disorder instantly roared and ran forward as if they were injected with chicken blood. teacher lin spread her hands at the students in front of her. ¡°they can still persevere! let¡¯s continue!¡± ¡°don¡¯t you think that teacher lin deliberately made them run laps?¡± liu hua whispered to xia wan. xia wan pursed her lips. ¡°with their foul language just now, it¡¯s already a light punishment for them to run laps!¡± liu hua nodded in agreement. ¡°that¡¯s true!¡± ¡°however, i still feel that this teacher lin is strange,¡± liu hua raised another question. ¡°don¡¯t you think that she seems to have something against zhou chen?¡± ¡°zhou chen was clearly protecting her just now! why does zhou chen have to run laps? xia wan pursed her lips and remained silent. she couldn¡¯t tell liu hua that teacher lin was very likely tired of this self-righteous and self-conceited fellow. soon, the class time passed. however, other than zhou chen, who only had one lap left to complete the mission, the others were already so tired that their faces were pale and they were out of breath. ¡°students, we must cheer for these persistent and hardworking students!¡± teacher lin said to all the students. ¡°let¡¯s cheer for them!¡± with teacher lin¡¯s words, all the students once again cheered for zhou chen, zhuang peng, and the others on. in order not to lose face, zhuang peng, who had already wanted to give up, took heavy steps again. the few people behind him had long lost their fighting spirit. they fell to the ground one by one, unwilling to run anymore. zhou chen finally completed ten laps. when he walked back, his legs were already weak and he could not even say a complete sentence. teacher lin arranged for two people to help zhou chen sit down by a tree to rest. after waiting for about 20 minutes, zhuang peng finally lay down on the side of the track, exhausted, and waved at them. zhuang peng¡¯s companion, who had already given up on the competition, carried him to teacher lin. ¡°congratulations on completing the competition! ¡± ms. lin said sweetly to zhuang peng. ¡°unfortunately, you lost the competition!¡± ¡°however, i still have a small gift for you! ¡± when zhuang peng heard this, he immediately raised his head. ¡°what gift?¡± his eyes were shining. ¡°you¡¯ll know after class!¡± teacher lin said. although zhuang peng was a little disappointed, he was still imagining the scene of teacher lin giving him a ¡°personal gift¡± after class. he was so happy that he didn¡¯t notice the smile on teacher lin¡¯s face. the two oral training classes ended in a happy atmosphere. the other students in the class were envious of those who could participate in the training course. after all, teacher lin¡¯s oral class was indeed interesting and beneficial. however, zhou chen, zhuang peng, and the others who had participated in two ¡°physical education classes¡± did not have the chance to enjoy the fun of this interesting class. when the bell rang, zhuang peng, who had recovered a little, immediately rushed to teacher lin.. ¡°teacher lin, it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your promise! where¡¯s my present?¡± Chapter 517 - Chapter 517: Kowtow and Call Grandma chapter 517: kowtow and call grandma translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°teacher, can i be the class representative now?¡± zhou chen also came over. the other students were not in a hurry to leave either. they all wanted to see what the ¡°gift¡± teacher lin was talking about was. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, student. i forgot that i only have two classes today,¡± ms. lin apologized to zhou chen. ¡°although you¡¯re my class representative, you might not have the chance to perform your duties as a class representative in the future.¡± teacher lin had made it clear that this ¡°class representative¡± title was just nominal. zhou chen¡¯s face immediately showed disappointment. zhuang peng, on the other hand, had a smug look on his face, thinking to himself, ¡®i¡¯ve spent halt my lite aiming to become a class representative, but it¡¯s all just a mirage!¡¯ only zhou chen, that fool, could be so easily deceived! ¡°teacher, what is my present?¡± zhuang peng asked proudly. he was expecting something tangible. ¡°i heard you made a bet with someone? a classmate?¡± teacher lin asked curiously. zhuang peng, not hiding anything, pointed towards xia chen. ¡°yes, it¡¯s him!¡± ms. lin waved at xia chen and asked him to come over. xia chen¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed, seemingly reluctant. xia wan nudged him, not wanting to miss this potentially interesting moment. pushed by xia wan, xia chen approached teacher lin reluctantly. ¡°xia chen, this student claims he made a bet with you,¡± teacher lin raised her voice slightly. ¡°tell me, what was the bet?¡± xia chen hesitated, not speaking immediately. zhuang peng, growing impatient, interjected. ¡°xia chen might seem quiet and like a good student in school, but he¡¯s actually quite the opposite outside!¡± ¡°he was seen at a hotel with a very beautiful woman!¡± ¡°his behavior is morally corrupt, undermining the school spirit!¡± ¡°wow! is it that serious?¡± teacher lin asked, seemingly surprised. ¡°do you have any evidence? ¡°i, of course i¡­ we all saw it!¡± zhuang peng said, glancing at his companion for support. ¡°that¡¯s right! we all saw it! that woman was there when we made the bet with xia chen yesterday!¡± ¡°yes! that woman even boasted about showing us the grandeur of the school! ha! what a joke!¡± zhuang peng scoffed, recalling the woman¡¯s shameless claims. ¡°oh,¡± teacher lin said thoughtfully, tilting her head. ¡°do you feel your school is magnificent from your personal experience?¡± zhuang peng was taken aback by her question. ¡°what do you mean?¡± he asked, blinking in confusion. ¡°you just ran 10 laps around the field. didn¡¯t you feel the magnificence of your school? or do you think running around the entire school would give a better sense of it?¡± teacher lin asked, feigning confusion. ¡°what do you mean?¡± zhuang peng immediately became alert. teacher lin removed her hat, revealing a charming and smiling face. ¡°you¡¯ve lost the bet!¡± zhuang peng blinked hard and didn¡¯t respond for a good while. several of his companions also stared at teacher lin in shock. ¡°you¡¯re the one from yesterday!¡± linda tilted her head, looking at the stunned boys. ¡°you were wrong about one thing! you deserve to be punished!¡± ¡°what is it?¡± zhuang peng asked, still processing the situation. ¡°the person you bet with yesterday wasn¡¯t xia chen, but me!¡± linda declared, looking at zhuang peng. ¡°since you¡¯ve lost the bet, you must admit defeat. kneel and kowtow to me!¡± zhuang peng was speechless, standing there and staring at linda in disbelief. ¡°teacher lin, you¡¯re a teacher. you can¡¯t be so harsh with us, right?¡± ¡°besides, isn¡¯t kneeling and kowtowing in school inappropriate?¡± ¡°yeah, teacher lin, please forgive us! we¡¯re still young and didn¡¯t know better!¡± ¡®young? didn¡¯t know better?¡± linda snorted. ¡°when you concocted that scandal about xia chen and me, you didn¡¯t seem so young and naive! ¡®your arrogance towards me yesterday didn¡¯t suggest immaturity either! ¡°also, i¡¯ve informed your principal about today¡¯s events. ¡°disrespecting teachers and slandering classmates are serious matters. your school will handle this appropriately. ¡°class is over now. please honor your bet. ¡°be true to your word!¡± Chapter 518 - Chapter 518: Kneel Down and Call Grandma chapter 518: kneel down and call grandma translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°teacher lin, please spare us this time!¡± for the sake of their own face, zhuang peng¡¯s companions pleaded with linda. linda looked at their pleading faces seriously, then became a bit troubled and thought while holding her chin, then shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m not the kind of teacher you respect.¡± ¡°so, i am a person who is particularly petty and vengeful!¡± ¡°i hope you can do as you say! have the appearance of a real man!¡± with linda¡¯s words, if zhuang peng and the others didn¡¯t fulfill their bet, it would seem cowardly. zhuang peng gritted his teeth and imelt on the ground with a thud. his companions looked at each other, and although reluctant, they also knelt obediently, calling out ¡°grandma¡± with zhuang peng. after zhuang peng shouted, he immediately got up and, not caring about his fatigue, ran towards the school gate. he had never been so embarrassed in his life! the other classmates who watched the excitement were naturally overjoyed. only zhou chen sat in the corner gloomily, looking at xia chen. according to what zhuang peng and the others just said, the person caught with xia chen was teacher lin! he dared to seduce teacher lin first! xia wan walked up to linda and took her arm, ¡°linda, aren¡¯t you afraid that zhuang peng and the others will hold a grudge against you and cause you trouble?¡± ¡°am i afraid of them?¡± linda snorted, ¡°not to mention that i am a specially invited teacher at your school, even if i meet them outside the school, i would beat them every time!¡± ¡°how dare they spread bad rumors about me behind my back! they¡¯re looking for trouble! ¡± linda said this through gritted teeth, but xia wan couldn¡¯t help but laugh. liu hua looked at xia wan in surprise, rarely seeing her laugh so freely. ¡°xia wan, you know teacher lin too?¡± liu hua came over and asked softly. ¡°that¡¯s a long story,¡± said xia wan. knowing xia wan¡¯s temperament, liu hua said, ¡°how about i treat you to some good food at the herbal tea shop this afternoon, and we can talk slowly?¡± ¡°sure!¡± xia wan and linda said in unison. xia chen, watching xia wan and linda leave laughing and talking with liu hua, finally couldn¡¯t help but speak: ¡°teacher lin, there¡¯s a training class this afternoon!¡± linda stopped and turned back reluctantly, ¡°xia chen, you really know how to be a killjoy!¡± linda¡¯s behavior seemed to xia chen to be dissatisfaction with him, but zhou chen saw it as teacher lin being coquettish with xia chen! this scene made zhou chen even more furious. he stood up and rushed to linda: ¡°teacher lin, i have some questions i don¡¯t understand and would like to ask you, can we talk in the office?¡± linda looked at zhou chen with a wronged face: ¡°but it¡¯s already noon, and i wanted to have lunch with xia wan and the others¡­¡± ¡°with xia chen too?¡± zhou chen asked bluntly, almost through gritted teeth. linda glanced at xia chen, then back at xia wan. ¡°it¡¯s not impossible.¡± seeing linda and xia chen¡¯s interactions, zhou chen felt even more uncomfortable. ¡°teacher lin, see you this afternoon then.¡± zhou chen said and ran off with his head down. song zhi and the others had already walked a distance, but seeing zhou chen run off with his head down, they sneered: ¡°i thought he was close with that teacher lin, but he didn¡¯t even know that she and xia chen knew each other!¡± ¡°hey, do you think teacher lin and xia chen might really be¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s not impossible, after all, they were seen meeting outside by zhuang peng and the others!¡± ¡°exactly! you see, teacher lin wasn¡¯t in a hurry to explain, but instead wanted to stand up for xia chen, i think there¡¯s definitely something between those two!¡± song zhi looked at zhou chen¡¯s retreating figure, then turned back to look in xia chen¡¯s direction, and muttered, ¡°teacher lin has good taste!¡± because linda had classes in the afternoon, xia wan and liu hua accompanied her to have lunch at the school. ¡°linda, i couldn¡¯t believe it when my brother told me you were coming to teach at the school,¡± said xia wan with curiosity. ¡°i heard the principal personally invited you?¡± ¡°do you have any special identity we don¡¯t know about?¡± linda, while nibbling on corn, waved her hand, ¡°it¡¯s nothing special!¡± ¡°it¡¯s just because of my background of returning from abroad.¡± linda said this lightly, but xia wan didn¡¯t think so.. Chapter 519 - Chapter 519: Be Honest chapter 519: be honest translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation linda hadn¡¯t been back in the country for long, and she wasn¡¯t a student who had gone abroad from this small county town, but a bona fide overseas chinese. she came back to this county at zhou en¡¯s invitation, and happened to meet them because xia chen needed an english speaking tutor. in linda¡¯s own words, she had no relatives or friends in this place and only knew zhou en and xia¡¯s family. but if she didn¡¯t know anyone, how would the principal know about her? xia wan felt puzzled but didn¡¯t continue to ask. after lunch, linda complained about having to teach in the afternoon and waved goodbye to xia wan and liu hua. when linda and xia chen were far away, liu hua said, ¡°linda is from abroad, she¡¯s really different from us.¡± ¡°how is she different?¡± xia wan asked curiously. ¡°i can¡¯t quite say, but i feel she¡¯s smarter and more energetic than us!¡± liu hua said admiringly, ¡°i wish i could be as confident and generous as her!¡± xia wan patted liu hua¡¯s shoulder, ¡°don¡¯t feel inferior! one day, when we venture out, we¡¯ll be just like her!¡± liu hua hung her head, ¡°can we really venture out?¡± xia wan was familiar with liu hua¡¯s expression because she had felt the same way before. even after meeting her master and learning exquisite medical skills, she hadn¡¯t truly freed herself from her inner demons. but in this life, she wouldn¡¯t compromise with these difficulties! ¡°don¡¯t worry! we will definitely venture out! we still have a broader sky to face!¡± xia wan said with determination and fighting spirit, giving liu hua confidence. ¡°okay! then i¡¯ll venture out with you!¡± liu hua finally smiled. ¡°where are you planning to go?¡± a teasing voice sounded from behind, making xia wan¡¯s back feel cold. she turned around, looking at jiang lu with some disgust, ¡°why do you always like appearing behind others? sneaky, you must be up to no good!¡± jiang lu wasn¡¯t deterred by xia wan¡¯s unfriendly attitude, his smile deepening, ¡°i try so hard to please you, and you still despise me every time, it really hurts my feelings! ¡± jiang lu said this, making a sad face. xia wan¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°don¡¯t do that, it makes me feel even more disgusted!¡± jiang lu finally restrained his expression, ¡°if you¡¯re angry about what happened yesterday with my sister, i can apologize on their behalf.¡± ¡°or, if you need them to apologize in person, i can¡­¡± xia wan interrupted with a raised hand, ¡°no need! just stay away from me!¡± ¡®why?¡± jiang lu looked unwilling and aggrieved, ¡°did i do something wrong that offended you?¡± xia wan: ¡°i don¡¯t like people with ulterior motives! especially those who approach me with a purpose!¡± jiang lu¡¯s expression changed slightly, but he quickly recovered, ¡°xia wan, i have no ulterior motives towards you, and i¡¯ve always been looking out for you. i even told you about the document, didn¡¯t i?¡± xia wan looked at jiang lu, seemingly sincere, ¡°if you really have my best interests at heart, you should tell me who you really are and what your purpose is here.¡¯ ¡°why do you know about the document, and¡­¡± ¡°and what?¡± jiang lu smiled, his expression playful. ¡°and if you have no purpose with me, whose news are you trying to get through me?¡± xia wan didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush anymore and asked directly. ¡°xia wan, you¡¯re smart,¡± jiang lu said sincerely, ¡°but not smart enough.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t need your judgment,¡± xia wan said impatiently, waving her hand, ¡°if you¡¯re not willing to be truly honest, we can never be friends!¡± xia wan said this and walked away with liu hua. far away, jiang lu didn¡¯t follow. liu hua gave xia wan a thumbs up, ¡°xia wan, you¡¯re amazing! so eloquent!¡± xia wan brushed off liu hua¡¯s thumb, ¡°i just dislike those who act in secret and use the guise of goodwill to try to strip away your rights!¡± liu hua looked somewhat confused but still couldn¡¯t help but admire, ¡°it feels like what you¡¯re saying makes a lot of sense!¡± Chapter 520 - Chapter 520: Military Requirement Order chapter 520: military requirement order translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan, accompanied by liu hua, returned to the bookstore. ¡°because of yesterday, you didn¡¯t get the books you wanted. let¡¯s shop properly today, i¡¯ll pay!¡± xia wan said generously, patting her chest. liu hua browsed for a long time and was interested in a few hardcover books. after hesitating for a while, she put them back. xia wan, noticing liu hua¡¯s hesitation, picked up those books and put them in liu hua¡¯s arms: ¡°that¡¯s it! let¡¯s go!¡± leaving the bookstore, both were holding several books. ¡°today is a great haul!¡± liu hua exclaimed, ¡°but these books cost so much. when i save enough money, i¡¯ll definitely pay you back!¡± xia wan waved it off, ¡°this is an investment in your future. just make good use of them, and that¡¯s enough.¡± liu hua looked at xia wan with gratitude, ¡°i really don¡¯t know what to say.¡± xia wan laughed, ¡°no need to be so formal with me!¡± ¡°let¡¯s go eat something good, then help out at the shop.¡± ¡°by the way, we¡¯ll also pick out some clothes for you.¡± liu hua, though walking alongside xia wan, asked puzzledly, ¡°why pick clothes for me?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t need new clothes!¡± xia wan didn¡¯t stop, ¡°our shop has so many new clothes; of course, we need someone to wear them to get more people to know about them!¡± ¡°you as a free model, i couldn¡¯t ask for more!¡± hearing xia wan¡¯s words, liu hua felt both grateful and sad, ¡°you¡¯ve helped me so much, i really have nothing to repay you with!¡± xia wan frowned impatiently, ¡°stop talking nonsense!¡± ¡®you wearing our clothes can¡¯t just stick to home and school. ¡°you need to get out more, let more people see these clothes, understand?¡± xia wan sounded commanding, but liu hua clearly understood her true intention. liu hua took a deep breath and smiled sincerely at xia wan, ¡°okay! i got it!¡± ¡°xia wan, you¡¯re finally here!¡± zhou en emerged from behind racks of clothes, grabbing xia wan¡¯s hand. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± xia wan looked at zhou en. ¡°some people just came, wanting to custom-order some designs from us,¡± zhou en said excitedly. ¡°custom designs?¡± xia wan frowned slightly, ¡°we¡¯ve taken such orders before, why are you so excited?¡± zhou en gestured wildly, ¡°this time it¡¯s different¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°what is it?¡± xia wan found zhou en¡¯s behavior amusing, ¡°how big is the order that you¡¯re this excited?¡± ¡°military! military orders, can you believe it!¡± zhou en almost screamed. xia wan was stunned, not quite understanding zhou en¡¯s words. ¡°the military just sent someone. they want to order a batch of military garments from us, and if possible, they¡¯ll order more later!¡± zhou en continued excitedly. xia wan was momentarily dazed. ¡°military supplies are usually designed and made by factories, why come to a small workshop like ours?¡± zhou en led xia wan to a chair, with liu hua following, listening to their conversation. once seated, zhou en spoke again, ¡°i was puzzled too, so i asked. ¡°it turns out the clothes are for a military parade and performance. ¡°somehow the military saw our award-winning designs and decided to order from us. ¡°and they said the order includes both men¡¯s and women¡¯s clothing, with complex requirements. ¡°though our shop isn¡¯t big, our designs are exquisite, and we have a cooperating factory. they must have seen these points.¡± listening to zhou en, xia wan felt something was off. ¡°who came today?¡± xia wan asked. ¡°they said a colonel responsible for procurement from some military department!¡± zhou en said, somewhat in awe. ¡°it¡¯s my first time seeing such a high-ranking official!¡± xia wan couldn¡¯t help but laugh.. ¡°alright, don¡¯t get too starstruck!¡± Chapter 521 - Chapter 521: Something Happened to Xia Wan’s Parents chapter 521: something happened to xia wan¡¯s parents translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°do my parents know about this?¡± xia wan glanced towards the shop across the street. xia hai and yan han had been busy recently with the acquisition and renovation of the opposite shop, so they temporarily left their own shop in the hands of zhou en for management. ¡°when those people came earlier, i planned to inform your parents,¡± zhou en said, also looking towards the opposite shop. ¡°but they weren¡¯t in the shop, so i had to step in.¡± ¡°i wonder if they have returned now.¡± xia wan immediately got up, ¡°i¡¯ll go check.¡± for some reason, she felt uneasy. as xia wan entered the shop, she saw two new employees huddled together, seemingly talking about something. approaching them, she asked, ¡°where are my parents?¡± the employees, startled at first, exchanged glances, hesitant to speak. xia wan¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°what happened?¡± ¡°today, a man claiming to be your uncle came looking for his daughter and son-in-law,¡± one employee finally spoke up. ¡°did my parents leave with him?¡± xia wan sensed something was wrong. ¡°at first, your parents didn¡¯t want to help,¡± another employee added. ¡°but then your aunt rushed in, demanding that they return her daughter and son-in-law.¡± ¡°they left with them to avoid causing a scene in the shop.¡± ¡°before leaving, they told us not to tell you, afraid you¡¯d worry.¡± ¡°they said they would return soon,¡± the first employee said regretfully. ¡°but it¡¯s been several hours now, and they haven¡¯t come back.¡± xia wan¡¯s expression grew grimmer, ¡°were there others with my uncle and aunt?¡± the employees exchanged looks and shook their heads. one of them said, ¡°we didn¡¯t see anyone else, but they came in a car, so we don¡¯t know if there were others inside¡­¡± before she could finish, xia wan had already turned and run outside. zhou en and liu hua followed her, concerned. zhou en tried to reassure her, ¡°don¡¯t worry too much, maybe they just¡­¡± liu hua quickly silenced zhou en with a gesture. xia wan interjected, ¡°my uncle and aunt couldn¡¯t possibly have driven here. there must have been someone else in the car!¡± ¡°my parents must have been taken away!¡± ¡®what?¡± zhou en grew anxious, ¡°why would they take your parents?¡± ¡°is it to threaten you? but we haven¡¯t received any messages!¡± zhou en was puzzled. ¡°my uncle¡¯s family is naive; they¡¯ve been used!¡± xia wan said, dialing chen mo¡¯s number. with her current abilities, she couldn¡¯t find them quickly and had to rely on chen mot s help. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± chen mots voice sounded tired. ¡°my parents have been taken away! ¡± xia wan said urgently. she had a feeling something would happen but hadn¡¯t expected her parents to be involved. ¡°don¡¯t panic. are you at the shop? i¡¯ll be right there, ¡± chen mo responded promptly and with more energy. ¡°okay!¡± despite her urgency, xia wan knew this wasn¡¯t the time for rash actions. she tried to calm her nerves and returned to the shop with zhou en and liu hua to wait. within twenty minutes, chen mo and xu ye arrived. ¡°what happened?¡± chen mo asked immediately upon seeing xia wan. ¡°my uncle and aunt were used to take my parents away!¡± xia wan relayed what she had learned from the employees. feeling helpless without any clues, especially in a place without surveillance, she grew more anxious. chen mo gently embraced her, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ve already contacted officer song. he¡¯ll be here soon with his team.¡± as soon as chen mo finished speaking, police sirens were heard outside. officer song entered the shop with two young policemen, ¡°what¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°xia wan¡¯s parents were taken from this shop. the employees from the shop across said it was her uncle and aunt who took them,¡± chen mo explained, comforting xia wan while talking to officer song. ¡°did the kidnappers leave any message?¡± officer song had his team record the situation, weighing the severity of the matter.. Chapter 522 - Chapter 522: Kidnapped? chapter 522: kidnapped? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°the other party only said that they want my parents to bring them to find their daughter and son-in-law, xia ru and the secretary,¡± xia wan explained, recounting what she had heard from the shop assistant. ¡°what danger could there be in letting them help us find someone?¡± a young policeman muttered, recording the conversation. officer song immediately turned and silenced him with a stern look. the young policeman promptly closed his mouth and remained silent. ¡°any other clues?¡± officer song inquired, turning his attention back to xia wan. xia wan shook her head before adding, ¡°someone mentioned earlier that the document has returned. ¡°i¡¯m not certain if this is related to the document.¡± though it was just a hunch, xia wan was almost convinced that the secretary was behind this! ever since xia jiang and song yan discovered that xia ru had been admitted to the mental hospital, they had been too ashamed to show their faces in the village. it must have been the secretary who found them and caused this situation! ¡°but they claimed they wanted to find their daughter and son -in-law. this doesn¡¯t seem straightforward,¡± xia wan continued. ¡°they¡¯ve already visited xia ru in the mental hospital. i checked with the hospital, but xia ru hasn¡¯t been discharged.¡± ¡°in other words, they came here to take my parents!¡± upon hearing this, officer song grasped the gravity of the situation. ¡°are you suggesting they abducted your parents for some ulterior motive?¡± officer song speculated, based on xia wan¡¯s account. ¡°they haven¡¯t contacted me yet. i¡¯m unsure of their intentions,¡± xia wan said, visibly tense. ¡°i fear they might not just be after blackmail, but seeking revenge!¡± ¡°revenge?¡± officer song furrowed his brows. ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°but only the police knew about the previous incident!¡± he exclaimed, pausing abruptly. xia wan felt a surge of frustration. she had previously requested the police station to keep her commendation discreet. yet, a significant ceremony was held, albeit internally at the school. it was impossible to ensure such a ceremony would remain secret. though the commendation was in the name of a good samaritan, the true story might have leaked. it was as if¡­ jiang lu knew! xia wan glared at chen mo. ¡°jiang lu! could he be involved?¡± ¡°who is jiang lu?¡± officer song looked puzzled, glancing between xia wan and chen mo. ¡°he¡¯s a new transfer student at our school, arriving on the day of the commendation ceremony,¡± xia wan explained. ¡°he informed me that the document had returned.¡± ¡°what else does he know?¡± officer song¡¯s concern grew. after all, despite several arrests, the case remained open, with key masterminds at large. this was known only within the upper echelons of the police force; the public was led to believe the case was closed, a strategy to lower the masterminds¡¯ guard. ¡°i don¡¯t know what he knows, but he must know the document¡¯s whereabouts!¡± xia wan, seizing chen mo¡¯s arm, exclaimed, ¡°yes! let¡¯s find jiang lu. he can lead us to the document!¡± xia wan made to leave, but chen mo held her back. ¡°wait!¡± ¡°we can¡¯t assume your parents were taken due to the document. besides, we don¡¯t know jiang lu¡¯s connection to it.¡± ¡°i suggest we wait¡­¡± ¡°wait for what?¡± xia wan implored, her patience waning. seeing her distress, chen mo reassured her gently, ¡°we still don¡¯t understand why your parents were taken.¡± ¡°i doubt it was solely for revenge. furthermore, if it were for revenge, targeting your parents doesn¡¯t add up¡­¡± xia wan understood chen mo¡¯s implication but couldn¡¯t mask her anxiety. ¡°i¡¯m worried that if it involves the document, we¡¯re running out of time¡­¡± ¡°we could start by investigating your uncle¡¯s family,¡± chen mo suggested, turning to xu ye, who stood nearby. ¡°take a few people to xia wan¡¯s uncle¡¯s house. we might find clues there. ¡°also, have someone revisit the mental hospital to check if we missed anything.¡± to officer song, chen mo added, ¡°regarding today¡¯s events, i hope¡­¡± officer song nodded in understanding. ¡°i¡¯ll keep it under wraps.. let me know as soon as you have any information, and we¡¯ll act immediately!¡± Chapter 523 - Chapter 523: Cheng Mu, the Moneylender. chapter 523: cheng mu, the moneylender. translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°because of the sudden disappearance of the document and the incident with xia ru, the house in the county town where xia jiang¡¯s family used to live was taken away by several people claiming to be the owners. having been driven out, xia jiang and his wife had no place to go, so they returned to their old house in the countryside. since the xia family¡¯s three brothers had divided their family, there was little interaction between the three households. even xia he¡¯s family was unaware that xia jiang and his wife had secretly moved back to the village. when xia wan and chen mo arrived, they found xia yu lying under a big tree at the entrance of the village, chewing on a piece of straw. xia yu had been punished by xia he for a recent mishap at home and hadn¡¯t been home for several days. she spent her days traveling back and forth between the county town and the village, hanging out with a group of thugs. that day, having no money left, xia yu was lying under the tree, contemplating how to ask chen lian for more money. hearing a car approaching, xia yu immediately looked up and saw a familiar black sedan driving from a distance. she sat up quickly, rubbing her eyes, and upon confirming that it was chen mo¡¯s car, she immediately rushed towards it. the car screeched to a halt just in front of xia yu. ¡°xia yu, are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± xia wan, already on edge, burst out in anger when startled by xia yu. xia yu, still appearing indifferent, even smiled at xia wan, ¡°what, had a change of heart and decided to come back home to check on things?¡± ¡°get out of the way!¡± xia wan yelled impatiently at xia yu. xia yu, however, did not take xia wan¡¯s warning seriously and continued to block the car, ¡°still got that big temper, huh?¡± ¡°do you really think nobody here can deal with you?¡± xia yu said in an unfriendly tone, obviously angered by xia wan¡¯s attitude. chen mo didn¡¯t give xia yu another chance to speak, stepping on the brakes and then flooring the accelerator. as expected, xia yu jumped aside in fright, cursing as she watched chen mo and xia wan¡¯s car drive away. they drove all the way to xia jiang¡¯s house. xia jiang¡¯s house was tightly shut, with weeds outside the walls that had withered and piled up, seemingly untended for a long time. ¡°could it be that they never came back here?¡± xia wan voiced her anxiety. if xia jiang and the others hadn¡¯t returned, where should they look for them? ¡°don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s go in and take a look first,¡± chen mo said, gently grabbing xia wan¡¯s hand to calm her down. they got out of the car and pushed open the door. the house¡¯s door was wide open, and it didn¡¯t look like anyone was living there. xia wan¡¯s heart sank even further. chen mo, still holding her hand, walked into the house. there were a few cups on the wooden table at the entrance, with some water still left in them. ¡°it seems they haven¡¯t come back since they left. moreover, they must have left in a hurry, ¡± chen mo deduced. xia wan tried to calm herself, looking for clues among these items. however, they didn¡¯t find any clues after searching through xia jiangs family¡¯s things. ¡°boss xia, come out! when will you pay me the money you promised?¡± a voice called out impatiently at the door, ¡°stop saying your family has no money. the car that was parked outside your house last night wasn¡¯t cheap; everyone saw xia wan and chen mo exchanged a glance and rushed out of the house. the man standing at the door was cheng mu, an old widower who lived at the end of the village. cheng mu had been married three times, with both of his children having passed away. as a result, villagers gossiped that cheng mu was cursed with a lonely star, bringing misfortune to his parents and siblings, and destined to die alone. however, cheng mu, though not having close relationships with his family, was particularly fortunate with money. although not exceedingly wealthy, he always had some unexpected income, making his life quite comfortable. cheng mu knew his money would eventually run out. so, he thought of a new way to get rich. there were many poor people in the village who needed help to get through hard times. cheng mu seized this opportunity and lent out money to earn interest, ensuring a continuous flow of income. the xia family, although not considered rich in the village, had xia hai, the third son, to earn money and support the family, so they had no dealings with cheng mu. however, since the xia family split up, the eldest and second sons of the xia family occasionally borrowed money from cheng mu to help out. it was said that xia jiang¡¯s daughter, who had married into the county town, hadn¡¯t sent any money home for the past two months, so xia jiang swallowed his pride and borrowed a few hundred yuan from cheng mu to get by. but when the day came to repay the money, xia jiang was unable to pay it back. cheng mu had no choice but to visit xia jiang¡¯s house every day to check on the situation.. Chapter 524 - Chapter 524: A Strange Car chapter 524: a strange car translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°mr. cheng, why are you here?¡± xia wan naturally recognized cheng mu. as soon as cheng mu saw xia wan, he was surprised as well. ¡°oh, isn¡¯t this wanwan! what brings you back here? ¡°i thought your family had made a fortune and would never return to settle in our poor village again!¡± cheng mu¡¯s words were said with a hint of disdain, obviously envious of xia wan¡¯s family¡¯s sudden wealth. xia wan, ignoring cheng mu¡¯s attitude, asked anxiously. ¡°mr. cheng, do you know where my uncle and his family have gone?¡± ¡°hmph! you¡¯re looking for him! i¡¯m looking for him too!¡± cheng mu was visibly annoyed when mentioning xia jiang. ¡°he promised to pay back the money in three days, and now three more days have passed. the money hasn¡¯t been returned, and they¡¯ve disappeared too! ¡°i think they¡¯ve run away!¡± xia wan was momentarily dazed by cheng mu¡¯s words. if xia jiang and his family really had run away, where would she find any leads? chen mo, calmer than xia wan, asked, ¡°mr. cheng, you just said you saw cars at the door yesterday. what was that about?¡± wanwan! i¡¯ve heard the villagers say, you¡¯re no good either!¡± despite his low opinion of chen mo, cheng mu didn¡¯t hesitate to answer his question. ¡°last night, several people saw two cars parked outside xia jiang¡¯s house. ¡°they said several people were coming and going from the xia house. ¡°if i hadn¡¯t won a few rounds at the card table yesterday and didn¡¯t want to ruin my luck at the xia house, i would never have let that couple escape!¡± cheng mu spoke angrily, regretting his momentary carelessness. ¡°mr. cheng, do you know who came to my uncle¡¯s house yesterday?¡± xia wan asked urgently, ¡°what did they say? where did they go?¡± cheng mu didn¡¯t know how to answer xia wan¡¯s rapid-fire questions: ¡°i didn¡¯t see it myself, how would i know¡­¡± chen mo, gently holding xia wan¡¯s hand, said to cheng mu, ¡°who told you about people coming and going from the xia house yesterday? could you take us to ask them?¡± cheng mu seemed to realize something, stepping back and looking at chen mo and xia wan. ¡°what are you two doing here? why are you asking such strange questions?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t mean¡­¡± cheng mu paused, then continued, ¡°they don¡¯t owe you money too, do they?¡± ¡°mr. cheng, it¡¯s not like that!¡± xia wan carefully explained, ¡°my parents said they haven¡¯t seen my uncle and aunt for some days, so they asked us to come over and check, maybe bring them back to catch up.¡± cheng mu still looked skeptical but finally said, ¡°1 also heard it from old zhao at the village entrance. you¡¯re relatives; you should know more about their situation!¡± xia wan, without hesitation, thanked cheng mu and pulled chen mo towards old zhao¡¯s house. the roads in the village were originally muddy, but xia hai had recently had them renovated, making it less of a torture to drive on. when the car stopped at old zhao¡¯s house, zhao¡¯s daughter-in-law was fiddling with a wooden box in the yard. ¡°sister-in-law, is mr. zhao home?¡± xia wan asked from outside the yard. zhao¡¯s daughter-in-law, a woman from outside the village with a reserved personality, didn¡¯t have many friends in the village. xia wan didn¡¯t have much contact with her, only knowing that her family was poor and she was almost sold into the zhao family to serve a large household. zhang ru looked out in response to the voice: ¡°xia wan? what brings you here?¡± ¡°sister-in-law, i¡¯m looking for mr. zhao to ask about my uncle¡¯s family,¡± xia wan stated her purpose directly. ¡°my dad¡¯s not home right now, come in!¡± zhang ru opened the gate for them and led them inside. just then, chen mo¡¯s phone rang. he gestured to xia wan and stepped out to take the call. zhang ru curiously watched chen mo take out his phone and press it to his ear, watching for a while before turning her gaze back. ¡°sister-in-law, do you know what happened at my uncle¡¯s house yesterday?¡± xia wan glanced at the wooden box and asked. zhang ru thought for a moment, then said, ¡°last night, my parents-in-law mentioned it. it seemed there were two cars parked outside your uncle¡¯s house, and several people came. ¡°they stayed for about five or six hours before leaving. ¡°as for anything else, i¡¯m not sure..¡± Chapter 525 - Chapter 525: Wen Shu Appears chapter 525: wen shu appears translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°then do you know who¡¯s coming?¡± xia wan inquired, her voice tinged with excitement. ¡°and where have my uncle and the others gone?¡± zhang ru gave xia wan a puzzled look. ¡°i haven¡¯t heard my father mention anything about it. did your uncle leave on an errand?¡± xia wan¡¯s spirits dampened upon hearing zhang ru¡¯s response, a sense of frustration washing over her. ¡°sister-in-law, do you have any idea when uncle zhao will return?¡± xia wan¡¯s tone conveyed her growing anxiety. ¡°or perhaps you could tell me where he¡¯s gone. we might be able to track him down.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not entirely sure. all i know is he left with my husband and a few others for the county town this afternoon. their purpose? i¡¯m in the dark as much as you are,¡± zhang ru admitted candidly. ¡°but there¡¯s talk that they¡¯re onto some lucrative deal. they even had me prepare a large box here at home, claiming it would be essential upon their return.¡± xia wan glanced at the box in question¡ªan aged, weather-beaten wooden crate, its contents and purpose a mystery. ¡°thanks for the info, sister-in-law. we should get going,¡± xia wan said, a thought suddenly striking her. she hastily ripped out a page from her notebook, jotting down a number. ¡°this is my contact. please ring me the moment uncle zhao gets back.¡± with a hesitant gesture, zhang ru took the piece of paper, watching as xia wan quickly exited. upon reaching the courtyard, xia wan met chen mo, who had just ended a phone call. ¡°xu ye might have located the document,¡± he informed her. ¡°where is it?¡± xia wan¡¯s face lit up with anticipation as she clutched chen mo¡¯s hand. ¡°let¡¯s discuss it in the car,¡± chen mo suggested, leading her towards the vehicle. once inside, chen mo began explaining, ¡°wanwan, it appears wen shu might not be our prime suspect. ¡°his recent return has been anything but smooth. ¡°xu ye¡¯s found that at least three groups are after the document. wen shu can¡¯t possibly evade them all. it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯ll continue threatening your parents.¡± ¡°where is he currently?¡± xia wan pressed, eager to confront the matter head-on. ¡°we¡¯re going to see him right now. we¡¯ll get our answers directly,¡± chen mo replied, pressing the accelerator as they made their way back to the county town. arriving at a decrepit building on the town¡¯s western outskirts, they found xu ye waiting, seated on a rock among several others. he quickly got up to greet them as chen mots car pulled up. ¡°he¡¯s inside,¡± xu ye directed them. xia wan hastened into the ramshackle mud house and saw wen shu, slumped against a stone wall, his face covered in dust and stripped of its usual arrogance. upon noticing xia wan, he lunged towards her, yelling, ¡°xia wan! you¡¯re to blame for all of this! i¡¯ll make you pay!¡± weakened from lack of nourishment and rest, wen shu was effortlessly subdued by chen mot s swift intervention. when chen mo saw wen shu coming over, he raised his foot and kicked him aside. wen shu crashed to the ground, tumbling over before resting against a rock, breathless and defeated. xia wan approached him, her voice icy. ¡°where are my parents?¡± wen shu glared up defiantly. ¡°why ask me about your parents?¡± ¡°you really don¡¯t know where they are?¡± xia wan¡¯s tone grew even colder. ¡°then what¡¯s your reason for returning?¡± wen shu, infuriated, shot back, ¡°if it weren¡¯t for you, i wouldn¡¯t be in this mess! you and your naive sister, xia ru, are why i¡¯ve been ousted!¡± ¡°if it weren¡¯t for you, no, and your stupid sister, xia ru, how would i have ended up being kicked out of the house!¡± ¡°it¡¯s all your fault! it¡¯s you both!¡± as he attempted another assault, wen shu rushed toward them. before chen mo could intervene, wen shu, as if electrocuted, quickly withdrew his extended hand and started screaming and rolling on the ground. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± xu ye inquired, both curious and wary. xia wan replied coolly, ¡°a minor lesson. he needs to learn he can¡¯t bully just anyone.¡± xu ye immediately noticed the silver needle stuck in wen shu¡¯s palm. the silver needle pierced through the palm and out the back of the hand, looking far more terrifying than wen shu ts screams. xu ye slightly curled his lips in distaste, subtly increasing the distance between himself and xia wan. xia wan, ignoring xu ye¡¯s actions, walked straight up to wen shu and demanded, ¡°tell me! where are my parents?¡± wen shu, with trembling hands, looked at xia wan and exclaimed, ¡°you! you wicked woman! i told you, i don¡¯t know!¡± Chapter 526 - Chapter 526: A Lesson chapter 526: a lesson translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan clearly did not believe wen shu¡¯s words. ¡°don¡¯t think i¡¯m unaware of your sneaking around near my family¡¯s shop for the past several days!¡± wen shu¡¯s face paled instantly. xia wan had intended to scare him, but unexpectedly, it turned out that he indeed had a premeditated plan! ¡°what were you really up to, lurking around my shop?¡± xia wan¡¯s anger flared, ¡°is my parents¡¯ disappearance related to you in any way?¡± ¡°how can you be so dense, woman!¡± wen shu retorted in frustration, ¡°i have nothing to do with your parents being taken away!¡± ¡°how do you know they were taken away?¡± xia wan quickly spotted the flaw in wen shu¡¯s statement. ¡°i¡­ i¡­¡± wen shu¡¯s eyes shifted nervously, forgetting the pain in his hand. xia wan grabbed his hand, twisting the silver needle still embedded in it. ¡°ah! stop! it hurts! don¡¯t move!¡± wen shu cried out, his other hand suspended in the air, not daring to touch xia wan. ¡°tell me everything you know, and perhaps i¡¯ll consider sparing you!¡± xia wan¡¯s tone was firm and impatient, not loosening her grip. ¡°i¡¯ll talk! i¡¯ll talk!¡± realizing that xia wan was not as easily intimidated as others, wen shu began to confess everything. ¡°i¡¯ve been near the shop these days, trying to see if i could retrieve some things i left behind,¡± wen shu explained, visibly scared. ¡°as you know, i had to leave in a hurry last time and couldn¡¯t take many things.¡± ¡°my wife kicked me out because of this. now, i¡¯m struggling to make ends meet and had to find a way to retrieve those items¡­¡± ¡°what items?¡± chen mo interjected cautiously. wen shu hesitated, seemingly weighing his words. but xia wan didn¡¯t care about these details: ¡°what exactly did you see?¡± ¡°you know my parents were taken. who did you see?¡± wen shu, looking downcast, revealed, ¡°it was your naive uncle and aunt, and two or three others who seemed well-trained, like soldiers or members of some professional organization.¡± ¡°who else was there?¡± xia wan pressed further. after pondering, wen shu added, ¡°i just saw these people. the driver looked familiar, but i can¡¯t recall where i¡¯ve seen him before.¡± ¡°what did the driver look like?¡± xia wan asked urgently. ¡°ah, just a typical man with a buzz cut, wearing sunglasses. it¡¯s hard to make out his face,¡± wen shu said, clearly growing impatient. ¡°but you mentioned you¡¯d seen him before!¡± xia wan seized on his statement. ¡°i¡¯ve encountered so many people; naturally, some look familiar. you can¡¯t expect me to remember everyone!¡± wen shu responded, his frustration evident. xia wan twisted the needle more firmly in his hand, eliciting an even more agonizing wail from wen shu: ¡°ouch! lady, i get it! i was wrong! stop twisting!¡± ¡°what else did you observe? tell me!¡± xia wan demanded sternly. ¡°truly, that¡¯s everything!¡± wen shu looked imploringly at chen mo, pleading, ¡°i swear, that¡¯s all! i wouldn¡¯t dare lie!¡± chen mo, sensing xia wan¡¯s frustration and not wanting to lose this lead, considered the situation. but realizing wen shu probably had no more information to hide, he felt it was fruitless to continue this line of questioning. gently patting xia wan¡¯s shoulder, chen mo then queried wen shu, ¡°do you recognize the name jiang lu?¡± upon hearing chen mo mention jiang lu, xia wan realized she had been overly emotional, forgetting this crucial detail. wen shu blinked, his forehead creased in thought, as if trying to recall. just as xia wan was about to take further action, wen shu suddenly exclaimed, ¡°ah, yes! that name does sound familiar! i¡¯ve seen him! isn¡¯t he that jiang family youngster from taocheng?¡± ¡°insufferably arrogant, leveraging his family¡¯s wealth and military connections to act above the law in taocheng!¡± ¡°wait, how do you two know about him? why are you asking me?¡± chen mo observed wen shu¡¯s baffled expression and turned to xia wan, ¡°he really seems to have no direct link with jiang lu.¡± ¡°perhaps jiang lu was merely using wen shu to get closer to you.¡± xia wan shared this sentiment, but she remained skeptical about wen shuts revelations.. Chapter 527 - Chapter 527: Going to See Xia Ru chapter 527: going to see xia ru translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°brother xu, i¡¯ll leave this person to you. handle him as you see fit!¡± xia wan casually pulled out the silver needle from wen shu¡¯s hand, leaving no blood trace, just a tiny red dot. wen shu, in pain, clenched his hand, wanting to curse out loud but was intimidated by xia wan¡¯s methods. he pursed his lips, showing a wronged expression. xia wan got up to leave. since wen shu knew nothing, they had to find other clues. just as xia wan took two steps, wen shu spoke, ¡°xia wan, where is that stupid woman xia ru now?¡± xia wan paused, turned back to look at wen shu, ¡°why are you looking for wen shu gritted his teeth, ¡°if it weren¡¯t for that stupid woman, how would i have ended up like this! i need to find her and teach her a harsh lesson to quell my resentment!¡± even in his current plight, wen shu still showed no remorse. xia wan ignored him and continued walking out. seeing xia wan leaving, wen shu took a couple of steps forward, trying to stop her, ¡°hey! i haven¡¯t finished talking¡­¡± chen mo kicked wen shu in the shoulder, then turned to look at xu ye. xu ye immediately understood and ordered the few people he brought to surround wen shu. behind them, wen shu¡¯s cries and curses echoed as xia wan got into the car, her face full of worries. ¡°don¡¯t worry, if it wasn¡¯t wen shu, then those who took your parents might want to negotiate some conditions with you,¡± chen mo consoled xia wan. although they had no leads yet, it seemed unlikely that others would want to harm xia wan¡¯s parents. ¡°let¡¯s go! let¡¯s go to the hospital. dr. li messaged that someone visited xia ru today,¡± xia wan said weakly, overwhelmed by the day¡¯s events. when xia wan and her group arrived at the hospital, it was nearing evening. dr. li immediately greeted her upon seeing her, ¡°miss xia, you finally came!¡± ¡°who visited xia ru? what did they say?¡± xia wan asked directly. ¡°five or six people came today, including xia ru¡¯s parents who had visited before,¡± dr. li briefed xia wan on the situation. ¡°there were a few others who seemed well-trained, but they didn¡¯t look like good people.¡± ¡°i originally tried to stop them from seeing xia ru, but they pushed me into my office, claiming i had no right to prevent xia rut s biological parents from visiting her. they threatened to call the police and shut down the hospital!¡± ¡°i was scared and didn¡¯t know how to resist them, so i let them see xia ru!¡± ¡°but don¡¯t worry, xia ru was causing a scene since this morning, wanting to leave. i had someone give her a strong sedative, and she was still unconscious when they arrived!¡± hearing dr. li¡¯s words, xia wan felt that the actions of those people were too urgent, as if they were racing against time. ¡°okay! please take me to see xia ru, dr. li,¡± xia wan said and walked towards xia ru¡¯s ward. when they were still some distance from the ward, xia wan could already hear angry curses coming from inside. xia wan didn¡¯t slow down but quickened her pace towards the room. dr. li didn¡¯t dare delay but stopped xia wan at the door, ¡°after she woke up, i had her tied to the bed, but she hasn¡¯t stopped yelling!¡± xia wan nodded, knowing xia ru¡¯s temperament. being bound would only make her more furious and uncontrollable. xia wan pushed open the door and walked in, her gaze shifting to the bed, where xia ru was frantically struggling, trying to free herself from the restraints. ¡°let me go! if you dare, let me out! wen shu! wen shu, come save me! dad, mom, help! ¡± xia ru screamed illogically, venting her anger. every time she screamed and annoyed them, they would come and inject her. xia ru was frightened but couldn¡¯t help herself. as she stared in shock, she saw xia wan entering. xia rut s temper exploded instantly, ¡°xia wan, it¡¯s you!¡± Chapter 528 - Chapter 528: It’s You chapter 528: it¡¯s you translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°xia wan, it is indeed you!¡± xia ru seemed to go crazy upon seeing xia wan. ¡°it was you who had them lock me up here, wasn¡¯t it!¡± ¡°it¡¯s all your doing!¡± ¡°you¡¯re sick, where else could you go if not here?¡± xia wan said indifferently. ¡°nonsense! when was i ever sick? i¡¯m not sick!¡± ¡°let them release me!¡± xia ru shouted loudly but stopped struggling and commanded xia wan, ¡°tell them to let me go! i¡¯ve had enough of this damned place!¡± xia wan, of course, would not heed xia rut s demands. she walked over to xia ru¡¯s bed, sized her up, and then said, ¡°your uncle and his wife came to see you today, did you know that?¡± xia ru was startled, her face showing disbelief and disappointment, ¡°when did they come? why didn¡¯t they wake me up?¡± ¡°why did they come? why didn¡¯t they try to take me away!¡± ¡°you didn¡¯t see them?¡± xia wan asked tentatively. although dr. li was certain that xia ru was unconscious at the time, there was no guarantee that xia jiang and his wife hadn¡¯t left any messages secretly. ¡°no! why didn¡¯t they take me with them!¡± xia ru was still trapped in her emotions, unable to extricate herself. ¡°xia wan! it¡¯s you again! you stopped them from taking me away, didn¡¯t you!¡± xia ru yelled hysterically, bound and unable to attack xia wan. ¡°they only came to visit you; they had no intention of taking you away,¡± xia wan said calmly, as if stating a fact. what xia ru didn¡¯t know was that the police had already monitored the place. moreover, considering xia ru¡¯s relationship with wen shu, her surroundings had already been under surveillance. if someone really intended to take xia ru away, the police would have immediately tracked them down! xia ru immediately lost her spirit. she believed xia wan¡¯s words without any doubt. for xia jiang and his wife, wen shu¡¯s disappearance had plunged their lives into difficulty once more. without finding wen shu, xia ru held no value to them! but where could she find wen shu now? xia wan now felt somewhat regretful that those people hadn¡¯t directly taken xia ru away. otherwise, with the police¡¯s tracking abilities, they might have already located their hideout! she couldn¡¯t be hasty. since xia jiang and his wife hadn¡¯t seen the conscious xia ru, they would surely come again! perhaps those people would come looking for xia ru, one of the reasons being to find wen shu through her! xia wan¡¯s head was about to explode with these thoughts. who were those people, and what was their real purpose? ¡°your emotions are not stable now; you should rest here for a while,¡± xia wan spoke to xia ru in a surprisingly calm and gentle manner. ¡°as for your uncle and aunt, if they come to visit you, you better not leave with them,¡± xia wan said earnestly. ¡°why?¡± xia ru immediately retorted, ¡°xia wan, do you wish for me to be locked up here forever!¡± xia wan took a deep breath before maintaining her composure, ¡°why do you think wen shu ran away? ¡°with your relationship with wen shu, do you think those who haven¡¯t found him yet will let you go easily?¡± ¡°dr. li just said that it wasn¡¯t just your uncle and aunt who came to see you!¡± ¡°those people have already approached them, aiming to control you to find wen shu!¡± ¡°think about it, if you really fall into their hands, will you have any good days ahead?¡± xia wan¡¯s veiled threats immediately silenced xia ru again. although she was unclear about wen shu¡¯s activities, occasionally, some fierce-looking people would come looking for him. each time, wen shu would find a reason to send her away, not letting her hear any of their conversations. this time wen shu had fled in such haste, without leaving any message, as if he had vanished from the earth! the more xia ru thought, the more she felt xia wan¡¯s words made some sense. seeing xia ru quiet down again, xia wan continued, ¡°i will have chen mo try to find wen shu, and as for your uncle and aunt¡­¡± ¡°if they say anything to you, you better not believe it all; they might have been threatened. after speaking, xia wan didn¡¯t wait for xia ru¡¯s reaction and turned to leave. stepping out of the ward, xia wan said to dr. li, ¡°she still doesn¡¯t realize she¡¯s sick. please help her come to terms with reality.¡± dr.. li was initially stunned, then responded, ¡°okay! i know what to do!¡± Chapter 529 - Chapter 529: Who Is He? chapter 529: who is he? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°why did you mention wen shu?¡± chen mo, walking beside xia wan, expressed his confusion about her thoughts. ¡°wen shu are currently in jeopardy, but if those people aim to exploit xia ru, they¡¯ll likely do so under the guise of the documents,¡± xia wan explained her reasoning. ¡°xia ru, that naive one, lacks other talents but is surprisingly adept at causing trouble!¡± ¡°i have no idea where my parents are or who¡¯s behind this. i can¡¯t afford to gamble; i must eliminate all possibilities! ¡± ¡°are you suggesting they might target xia ru again?¡± chen mo seemed puzzled. ¡°what could xia ru possibly do?¡± he never believed xia ru, whom he considered clueless, could achieve anything substantial. ¡°wen shu mentioned earlier that he spent several days staking out near the store, trying to retrieve something,¡± said xia wan, pausing to face chen mo. ¡°right!¡± chen mo nodded and then furrowed his brow in thought. ¡°he didn¡¯t leave but was around when your parents were taken. does that mean he hasn¡¯t found what he was looking for?¡± ¡°exactly!¡± xia wan confirmed. ¡°so, i suspect that xia ru might have taken that item.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not certain what those items are or their purpose, but if wen shu values them so highly, i must find them first!¡± ¡°okay! let¡¯s head back to the store to investigate!¡± chen mo suggested, taking xia wan¡¯s hand and walking towards their car. upon returning to the store, they coincidentally saw xia chen and linda also arriving. ¡°wanwan, where are mom and dad?¡± xia chen asked, peering curiously into the store. ¡°brother, let¡¯s talk inside,¡± xia wan urged, pulling xia chen into the old store. xia chen, sensing xia wan¡¯s unusual demeanor, refrained from asking more questions and followed her inside. linda, observing their strange behavior and glancing at chen mo, also entered the store. zhou en and liu hua, who were waiting inside, approached them immediately upon their return. ¡°any news?¡± they asked eagerly. xia wan shook her head, appearing disheartened. that¡¯s when xia chen urgently grasped xia wan¡¯s hand. ¡°what exactly happened?¡± xia wan looked at xia chen. ¡°today, uncle and aunt took mom and dad away with several others.¡± ¡°took them away? where to?¡± xia chen¡¯s face showed a hint of alarm. ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± xia wan responded, shaking her head again. ¡°i¡¯ve looked everywhere, but there¡¯s no trace of them.¡± ¡°have you reported this to the police?¡± xia chen asked, alertly. ¡°officer song has been here,¡± chen mo spoke on xia wan¡¯s behalf. ¡°but since the motives of the kidnappers aren¡¯t clear, they can¡¯t proceed with a formal case.¡± xia chen¡¯s expression grew more somber. after a moment¡¯s thought, he asked, ¡°did you check uncle¡¯s house?¡± xia wan nodded. ¡°i¡¯ve been to uncle¡¯s house and the hospital, but there¡¯s no sign of them.¡± as xia wan spoke, someone peeked into the store entrance. xia wan recognized the visitor as old zhao from the village head¡¯s house. she quickly approached the entrance and invited old zhao in. ¡°mr. zhao, please, this way!¡± old zhao, entering xia wan¡¯s store for the first time, looked around admiringly. ¡°i always knew the xia family¡¯s youngest was wealthy, but this is beyond my expectations!¡± xia wan guided old zhao to a chair. xia chen, chen mo, and the others gathered around. ¡°mr. zhao, i heard you saw many people coming and going from my uncle¡¯s house last night. did you recognize any of them?¡± xia wan asked urgently, her hands tightly gripping old zhao¡¯s arm. old zhao glanced at xia wan¡¯s hand, then at xia chen, before speaking. ¡°i just got back home, and my wife told me wanwan was urgently looking for me, wanting to inquire about last night¡¯s events.¡± ¡°i thought it¡¯d be better to explain in person, so i hurried over.¡± ¡°mr. zhao, what exactly did you see? can you tell me about it?¡± xia wan pressed for details. old zhao sighed before responding. ¡°wanwan, as you know, in our village, when two such luxurious cars suddenly show up, it¡¯s a sign of something major! ¡°it seemed like your uncle and auntie were meeting those people for the first time. ¡°but they were quickly welcomed into the house. ¡°your aunt even borrowed some fine tea from the village head¡¯s house for them! ¡°i sensed something unusual about the situation and decided to stick around your uncle¡¯s house for quite a while, just to see those people leaving..¡± Chapter 530 - Chapter 530: Zhang Cheng’s Mission chapter 530: zhang cheng¡¯s mission translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation although xia chen couldn¡¯t grasp the nuances of the conversation between xia wan and mr. zhao, curiosity got the better of him, prompting him to inquire, ¡°did mr. zhao see who it was?¡± mr. zhao¡¯s brows were knitted in deep thought, his face, already lined with wrinkles, now resembled a tightly pinched bun. ¡°i didn¡¯t recognize those people, ¡± mr. zhao admitted, his head shaking in denial. just as xia wan and xia chen began to feel a wave of disappointment, mr. zhao added a crucial detail: ¡°however, there was this car i saw for the first time. its license plate number was quite peculiar, and it caught my attention.¡± xia wan¡¯s eyes sparkled with renewed hope upon hearing this. ¡°mr. zhao, could you share the license plate number with us?¡± with a knowing smile, mr. zhao nodded. ¡°i thought it might come in handy! my daughter-in-law suggested over the phone would be enough, but i preferred to be more precise.¡± xia wan clasped mr. zhao¡¯s hand in gratitude, ¡°thank you so much, mr. zhao!¡± ¡°oh, it¡¯s nothing!¡± mr. zhao dismissed, waving his hand. ¡°your dad¡¯s a good man; he¡¯s helped me out a lot before!¡± as he spoke, mr. zhao recited one of the car¡¯s license plate numbers to xia wan, who hastily jotted it down on a piece of paper zhou en had provided. ¡°let me drive you back home, mr. zhao,¡± xia wan offered earnestly. reflecting on the many challenging years her family had endured in the village, xia wan realized how her once distant nature had limited her interactions with the local elders. it was heartening to receive held in such a crucial moment. mr. zhao initially declined but eventually allowed xia wan to assist him into chen mo¡¯s car. on xia wan¡¯s cue, zhou en placed two gift boxes, leftovers from a recent event, in the car. after dropping mr. zhao off at the village, chen mo received a text regarding the license plate number. he stared at his phone, his expression turning grave. xia wan, sensing his unease, asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing,¡± chen mo reassured her with a smile. ¡°let me take you home. you should rest today; we can discuss this tomorrow.¡± xia wan gave chen mo a knowing look but chose not to press further, merely nodding in agreement. once xia wan was safely at home, chen mo drove off, only to abruptly halt the car a few kilometers away. he quickly dialed a number on his phone: ¡°cheng ge, it¡¯s chen mo.¡± zhang cheng arrived at the entrance of the county¡¯s largest nightclub, ¡°xinghui.¡± he looked up at the glowing neon sign, chuckling, ¡°who would¡¯ve thought such a place existed in this little county?¡± as he ascended the stairs, a waiter greeted him, ¡°mr. zhang, right this way, please.¡± a bit surprised but composed, zhang cheng followed the waiter inside to the innermost private room. ¡°mr. zhang, please,¡± the waiter said, opening the door to the private room. inside, zhang cheng found chen mo seated on the central sofa, a glass of wine in hand, seemingly deep in thought. upon seeing zhang cheng, chen mo immediately rose to greet him, ¡°cheng ge, it¡¯s been too long!¡± zhang cheng returned the greeting with a hearty hug. ¡°what brings you to a place like this?¡± chen mo stepped back, motioning for zhang cheng to sit. ¡°i¡¯ve been managing a few projects in the county and have been based here lately.¡± ¡°but weren¡¯t you always in kyoto? what¡¯s your reason for being here?¡± after a moment¡¯s silence, zhang cheng revealed, ¡°i¡¯m on a mission.¡± ¡°a mission?¡± chen mo¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°anything interesting?¡± instead of answering, zhang cheng took a swig of the wine chen mo had poured. chen mo, noting zhang cheng¡¯s demeanor, chuckled. ¡°right, confidentiality is key in your line of work!¡± ¡°how long will you be staying here?¡± chen mo smoothly shifted the conversation. ¡°i¡¯m not sure yet,¡± zhang cheng replied, his tone non-committal. ¡°things aren¡¯t going as planned.¡± chen mo¡¯s gaze fell contemplatively to his wine glass. breaking the silence, zhang cheng teased, ¡°i heard you¡¯ve got yourself a beautiful girlfriend?¡± chen mo¡¯s face lit up. ¡°yes! she¡¯s studying here in the county. i¡¯ll introduce you to her one of these days!¡± ¡°studying?¡± zhang cheng was taken aback, then eyed chen mo with mock suspicion. ¡°you, kid¡­¡± ¡°she¡¯s of legal age!¡± chen mo quickly clarified, ¡°we¡­¡± ¡°no need to explain!¡± zhang cheng laughed, waving his hand. ¡°the way you talk about her, she must be something special!¡± ¡°she is, indeed!¡± chen mo replied proudly. the two men exchanged a knowing smile, their glasses clinking in a toast before they each took a sip.. Chapter 531 - Chapter 531: Begging For Mercy chapter 531: begging for mercy translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after chatting with zhang cheng for a while, chen mo excused himself to use the restroom but stepped out to make a call to xu ye. ¡°check where zhang cheng is staying in the county and who he¡¯s met.¡± ¡°be careful, don¡¯t let his people notice.¡± after instructing xu ye, chen mo headed towards the restroom. passing a private room, the loud arguments inside caught chen mo¡¯s attention. ¡°that voice¡­ why does it sound so familiar?¡± chen mo tried to listen, but the noise was muffled. the nightclub¡¯s private rooms had opaque doors with good soundproofing. to hear such a commotion from outside suggested chaos within! hesitant, chen mo saw a waiter passing by with drinks. he pulled the waiter aside, ¡°there¡¯s a lot of noise in there. go check it out.¡± ¡°well¡­¡± the waiter hesitated, ¡°please, i can¡¯t do that. the people inside are said to be high-ranking military officials. i can¡¯t afford to offend them!¡± chen mo glanced at the waiter¡¯s tray and took it, ¡°tell your boss i¡¯ll take responsibility for any issues.¡± with that, chen mo, holding the tray, pushed open the private room door. as soon as he opened the door, a shadow lunged at him. chen mo dodged, narrowly avoiding being hit by a flying bottle. surveying the room, he was taken aback. he saw a man kneeling in front of a coffee table littered with bottles, surrounded by several men in black casual clothes. sitting across on a sofa was a young man with a crew cut. on seeing chen mo, the man¡¯s expression shifted slightly but quickly returned to normal. he pointed at chen mo, ¡°you! what are you waiting for? put the drinks down! today, i want to treat mr. zhao here to a good time!¡± hearing his name, the kneeling man collapsed onto the coffee table, ¡°i know i was wrong! please, i beg you, spare me!¡± chen mo, tray in hand, approached the table and looked down at the man who dared not raise his head. the crew-cut man fixed his gaze on chen mo, ¡°who are you?¡± he had just realized that this newcomer was not dressed like a waiter. chen mo set the tray down and grabbed the man on the table, ¡°zhao chang?¡± zhao chang, suddenly addressed, turned to chen mo in shock, ¡°chen¡­ chen ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± chen mo asked, looking at zhao chang¡¯s bruised face. zhao chang leaned towards chen mo and whispered, ¡°i had a¡­ disagreement with mr. lin here.¡± ¡°he had me brought here to ¡®talk.¡±¡® ¡°talked into this state?¡± chen mo gestured at zhao chang¡¯s face. zhao chang touched his swollen lip, wincing, ¡°it¡¯s just minor, minor injuries¡­¡± seeing zhao chang¡¯s reluctance to tell the truth, chen mo scoffed, ¡°fine! since you¡¯re not being honest, continue your ¡®chat.¡¯ i¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± as he turned to leave, zhao chang frantically grasped chen mo¡¯s arm, his eyes pleading like he was clinging to a lifeline, ¡°wait! don¡¯t go yet¡­ chen mo glanced at mr. lin and said, ¡°how can i help if you won¡¯t tell me what happened?¡± zhao chang bit his lip and finally spoke, ¡°i had a dispute with one of mr. lin¡¯s friends a few days ago, and then¡­¡± ¡°you hit someone?¡± chen mo¡¯s patience was waning, evident in his tone. ¡°yes,¡± zhao chang, noting chen mo¡¯s irritation, revealed, ¡°i went too far, and the person ended up in the hospital.¡± ¡°so they beat you like this?¡± chen mo examined zhao chang¡¯s colorful face, suspecting there was more to the story. zhao chang leaned in, whispering, ¡°this guy has military connections¡­ untouchable¡­¡± ¡°does he know who you are?¡± chen mo sought confirmation. ¡°yes, he knows¡­¡± zhao chang¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°but they don¡¯t take the zhao family seriously..¡± Chapter 532 - Chapter 532: Saving a Life chapter 532: saving a life translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°do you want to be beaten to death here?¡± chen mo, unable to bear it any longer, pushed away zhao changs hand. ¡°i¡­¡± zhao chang didn¡¯t know what he really wanted at the moment. staying here would definitely result in a severe beating from these people, and there was a chance he might even lose an arm or a leg before he could leave. he had made up his mind, at most he would be beaten half to death. after all, he had hit someone from the military area, and it was someone the zhao family couldn¡¯t afford to provoke. but chen mo suddenly appeared, and he didn¡¯t want to give up just like that¡­ while zhao chang was in a dilemma, mr. lin, sitting on the sofa, spoke up. ¡°have you two decided?¡± ¡°if you can¡¯t decide, i don¡¯t mind seeing a display of brotherly love!¡± ¡°what are you planning to do?¡± chen mo wasn¡¯t frightened by mr. lin¡¯s words and asked calmly. ¡°you don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll have to endure for standing up for others?¡± mr. lin sneered: ¡°not surprising, you people from small places only talk about false righteousness, without considering what you can withstand! ridiculous!¡± chen mo pulled zhao chang to his side, straightened his body, and both faced mr. lin directly. ¡°just say what you plan to do. since zhao chang was the first to injure someone, it¡¯s only right to endure some punishment.¡± mr. lin then burst into laughter, as if he had heard a joke. ¡°do you think just beating him up will settle it?¡± ¡°what else do you want?¡± chen mo, imowing the other party wouldn¡¯t let things go easily, wanted to see what they really planned to do. if the demands were too excessive, he wouldn¡¯t just stand by. ¡°touching my people means facing the consequences!¡± lin chao stood up and said to the black-clothed men behind chen mo and zhao chang, ¡°my brother can¡¯t wake up now, so you¡¯ll pay with your lives!¡± ¡°fine, since they can¡¯t decide for themselves, beat them to death!¡± at lin chao¡¯s command, the black-clothed men immediately moved towards chen mo and zhao chang, ready to fight. zhao chang instantly crouched down. ¡°stop, please don¡¯t beat me!¡± he had already been beaten once when he was brought here, his face and body already bruised. if he was beaten again by these people, he might really lose his life here! chen mo lifted him up again and asked zhao chang. ¡°you did this? beat someone into unconsciousness?¡± chen mo hadn¡¯t expected the young man to have such ability! ¡°um¡­ i just hit a few times lightly¡­¡± zhao chang hesitated to speak. chen mo knew zhao chang¡¯s true strength; this severe injury must have another cause. after a moment, chen mo said, ¡°if i can wake your brother up, can you spare zhao chang?¡± lin chao laughed uncontrollably as if he had heard a huge joke. ¡°why should i believe you?¡± ¡°are you better than the experts at the military hospital?¡± ¡°since the military hospital¡¯s experts can¡¯t wake him, why not let me try?¡± chen mo refused to give up. although he and zhao chang didn¡¯t have a deep friendship, the zhao family of xincheng and his chen family were long- time acquaintances. if chen shan knew he didn¡¯t help zhao chang, he would be furious when he returned! after a while, lin chao looked steadily at chen mo and said, ¡°fine! if you can wake my brother up, i¡¯ll consider sparing him!¡± after saying this, lin chao sat back down on the sofa and signaled to the black-clothed men. one of the men pulled zhao chang aside. ¡°i¡¯ll take this person away for now. you have three days. if my brother doesn¡¯t wake up by then, i¡¯ll have him buried with him! and you won¡¯t escape either!¡± lin chao¡¯s voice was cold and murderous. chen mo glanced at zhao chang and then turned to lin chao. ¡°fine! but for these three days, you absolutely cannot harm him anymore!¡± ¡°otherwise, even if i wake your brother up, i have ways to make him never wake up again!¡± chen mo¡¯s threatening words actually made lin chao laugh again. ¡°brave, i like then, he changed his tone. ¡°however, if you can¡¯t do what you say, i won¡¯t spare you just for this little bravery!¡± ¡°deal!¡± chen mo said, looking at zhao chang, ¡°stay here and behave.¡± zhao chang looked at chen mo with a tragic expression.. ¡°you must save me!¡± Chapter 533 - Chapter 533: Special Identity chapter 533: special identity translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°you said you would rescue my daughter, why did you suddenly change your mind!¡± song yan burst into the dim room, angrily pointing at the man sitting by the window. ¡°yeah! you clearly agreed that today we could take xia ru out of that damned place. can¡¯t your people deal with those wastes at the hospital?¡± xia jiang also accused the other party. ¡°it was you who said the documents would come back to harm xia ru, and that we could take her away!¡± song yan accused fiercely, ¡°and, you also said you had a way of making xia hai¡¯s family hand over their shop to us for management, promising us a worry-free life! ¡°now we have brought the person you asked for, where is our xia ru? where is she? ¡°are you deceiving us? ¡°deceiving us to bring xia hai and his wife over, and then you plan to ignore ¡°do you have some kind of plot!¡± xia jiang also reacted, ¡°i¡¯m telling you, you might have harmed xia hai¡¯s family, but don¡¯t think about harming ours!¡± ¡°our family is not as foolish as xia hai¡¯s, and when the time comes¡­ we, we will make you regret it!¡± ¡°shut them up!¡± the man sitting on the sofa by the window growled with suppressed anger. a man in a hooded shirt, one hand holding each, dragged song yan and xia jiang out of the room. song yan and xia jiang struggled, cursing angrily as they were dragged out of the room. the man lit a cigarette, and in the dim room, a red light flickered. the man in the hooded shirt re-entered the room: ¡°what should we do with those two?¡± ¡°lock them up for now, dont let them bother me!¡± the man took a deep drag on his cigarette and said. ¡°and what about xia hai and his wife?¡± the hooded man continued to ask. for a while, there was no response from the man. the hooded man did not press further, just quietly waiting. ¡°how are the preparations in the village going?¡± the man stood up and walked to the window, looking out. ¡°that cheng mu is a money-grubber, he will surely cooperate,¡± said the hooded man. ¡°but those other villagers¡­¡± ¡°no matter what, it must be settled there! ¡± the man ordered coldly. ¡°find a house nearby for xia hai and his wife to live in and take good care of them.¡± ¡°alright! i¡¯ll go and do it now,¡± replied the hooded man, turning to leave. ¡°wait a minute.¡± the man turned to face the hooded man, ¡°liang tao will be leaving in a couple of days, make sure they are ready, we must take him down this time.¡± ¡°but zhang cheng is always with him, preventing our people from getting close. even when zhang cheng is not there, there are always two people guarding him,¡± said the hooded man in frustration. ¡°i know, i¡¯ll think of another way,¡± said the man, extinguishing his cigarette, ¡°i¡¯m tired, you go back first!¡± ¡°where have you been for so long?¡± as zhang cheng was about to open the door of the private room, he saw chen mo hurriedly coming back. ¡°i just met a friend¡­¡± chen mo said as he walked into the room. zhang cheng followed him back, but noticed something was off about chen mo¡¯s demeanor, ¡°what happened?¡± chen mo hesitated before speaking, ¡°cheng ge, you¡¯ve been in the military district for so long, are you familiar with the name lin chao?¡± although he didn¡¯t know lin chao¡¯s identity, the fact that lin chao dared to openly seek revenge on his own people without fear of offending the zhao family, suggested that lin chao¡¯s identity in the military district was also special. zhao chang had also mentioned that lin chao had a military background. zhang cheng had been fighting in the military district for many years and was now involved in many operations at higher levels. if lin chao¡¯s identity was indeed special, zhang cheng should know! hearing chen mo¡¯s question, zhang cheng was initially stunned, then asked, ¡°how do you know lin chao?¡± before chen mo could answer, zhang cheng added, ¡°i advise you as a brother, don¡¯t provoke lin chao!¡± ¡°what exactly is his identity? am i really unable to provoke him?¡± chen mo, already having a premonition, still wanted confirmation after hearing zhang cheng¡¯s words. if there really was no way to awaken lin chao¡¯s brother, he needed to think of a strategy first! ¡°it¡¯s not about whether you can provoke him or not, it¡¯s just that lin chao is a person of special status, and he¡¯s notoriously ruthless and unreasonable. if you really provoke him, it will be hard to get away!¡± zhang cheng sighed helplessly. chen mo, seeing zhang cheng¡¯s reaction, guessed that he must¡¯ve also had dealings with lin chao, which is why he felt so strongly.. Chapter 534 - Chapter 534: A Hug chapter 534: a hug translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°brother cheng, i understand!¡± chen mo began, but was interrupted by zhang cheng before he could finish. ¡°i advise you not to get involved. otherwise, lin chao might hold a grudge against you!¡± zhang cheng said earnestly. ¡°don¡¯t end up in a situation where you can¡¯t save your friend and get yourself into trouble instead!¡± ¡°do you really think so little of me, brother cheng?¡± chen mo¡¯s temper flared up. zhang cheng sighed, noticing chen mo¡¯s impulsiveness, ¡°i just don¡¯t want you to get into unnecessary trouble for someone else.¡± ¡°lin chao himself isn¡¯t very capable, but his family¡­¡± zhang cheng suddenly stopped, thought for a moment, then continued, ¡°in any case, it¡¯s best to stay away from him!¡± although chen mo didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted, he sincerely thanked zhang cheng. after a few more words, chen mo left first. watching chen mo¡¯s departing figure, zhang cheng sighed and then took out his phone to make a call. ¡°can you check what trouble lin chao has caused in the county this time?¡± chen mo called xia wan, informing her of the situation. even though there were still no clues about xia wan¡¯s parents, the life of zhao chang was still in his hands, and chen mo felt he couldn¡¯t just ignore it. among the people he knew, only xia wan had extraordinary medical skills, so now he could only ask her to see if she could wake up lin chao¡¯s brother. xia wan hung up the phone and sat on the sofa in a daze. she had thought this time would bring good days for her parents and brother, free from any troubles. but she hadn¡¯t expected that, just as they were starting to enjoy these happy days, her parents would face such danger again. she had no idea what the other party planned to do, as she had received no messages so far. even in a kidnapping, the kidnapper would at least state their intentions! taking people away silently like this, xia wan felt so suffocated that she could hardly breathe. xia chen poured xia wan a glass of water and sat beside her, ¡°wanwan, what should we do if there¡¯s still no news?¡± xia wan picked up the glass, and the warmth through the glass eased her tense mood a bit. ¡°uncle zhao mentioned a license plate number today, and chen mo has already had someone look into it. we should have news soon,¡± xia wan said softly, as if to comfort xia chen and herself. ¡°i plan to go to the hospital again tomorrow. since my aunt and her husband are involved in this matter, xia ru might be a breakthrough.¡± ¡°dr. li might have left out some details today, i plan to ask more about it tomorrow.¡± ¡°in the next few days, we need someone to stay at home in case we get a message and need to communicate promptly.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll stay!¡± xia chen said firmly. ¡°no, let me stay!¡± xia feng emerged from somewhere and sat down on another sofa. ¡°let me stay. brother, you have been preparing for the reception these days, you can¡¯t give up now!¡± ¡°what time is it now?¡± xia chen glared at xia feng. ¡°but this could affect your future development! you can¡¯t give up,¡± xia feng said earnestly. ¡°we all saw how hard you worked these days.¡± ¡°besides, mom and dad would want you to complete this task, right?¡± xia chen was about to argue, but xia wan held his arm, ¡°brother, xia feng is right, this could be important for your future. you should give it your all.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no news about mom and dad yet, and giving up the reception won¡¯t really help.¡± hearing xia wan¡¯s words, xia chen was frustrated. xia wan gently patted xia chen¡¯s arm and continued, ¡°brother, don¡¯t worry! xia feng has grown up, he can handle it!¡± ¡°with zhou en¡¯s help at the store, and officer song¡¯s prompt notification if there¡¯s news, we mustn¡¯t make mom and dad worry.¡± xia chen thought for a long time, frowning, then finally said in a low voice, ¡°let me know immediately if there¡¯s any news!¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, it will be okay!¡± xia wan forced a smile and said to xia chen. xia chen stretched out his hand and gently embraced xia wan, ¡°right, it will be okay!¡± seeing this, xia feng on the other side showed an uncomfortable expression. xia chen noticed his mood and waved him over.. Chapter 535 - Chapter 535: This Is The Miracle Doctor? chapter 535: this is the miracle doctor? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation although xia feng felt somewhat awkward, he still walked up to xia chen and xia wan, extending his hand to embrace the two in front of him. the next day, after school, xia wan immediately got into the car that chen mo had been waiting in at the school gate. ¡°where shall we go first?¡± chen mo asked. ¡°let¡¯s go to the military district hospital first!¡± xia wan, slightly tired, leaned on chen mots shoulder and gently closed her eyes. there was no news about xia wan¡¯s parents; everything was an unknown. the more pressing issue was the patient whose chances of waking up were uncertain. chen mo gently touched the faint dark circles under xia wan¡¯s eyes, ¡°don¡¯t worry too much, your parents will be fine.¡± ¡°mhm,¡± xia wan responded softly but did not intend to say more. about twenty minutes after the car drove off, chen mo spoke again: ¡°i have found the car¡¯s license plate number. however, the relationships involved are complicated, and i need to send someone to investigate further.¡± xia wan listened to chen mots words, seemingly unsurprised. ¡°you already knew? when?¡± this time, it was chen mo who was surprised. ¡°yesterday,¡± xia wan remained motionless, her eyes gently closed as if talking about the weather, ¡°you looked off when you saw that license plate number yesterday. i thought you must know whose car it is.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you,¡± chen mo immediately wanted to explain. xia wan gently shook her head, ¡°no need to explain, i don¡¯t need to know these things.¡± ¡°i just hope my parents can come back safely. whose car it is isn¡¯t important, right?¡± ¡°you will help me investigate, won¡¯t you?¡± hearing xia wan¡¯s question, chen mo took a deep breath before responding, ¡°yes! i will definitely save your parents!¡± xia wan¡¯s lips curved into a faint smile: ¡°thank you.¡± silence fell in the car again. the military hospital was three kilometers away from the garrison, but its security was far less stringent than that of the military district. chen mo¡¯s car smoothly arrived at the hospital¡¯s main entrance. as soon as the two got out of the car, someone came to greet them. ¡°i didn¡¯t think you¡¯d dare to come!¡± lin chao, now dressed in a military uniform and devoid of his previous ruffian air, looked much more respectable. ¡°i never go back on my word!¡± chen mo coldly looked at lin chao, ¡°lead the way!¡± lin chao glanced at chen mo and then at xia wan beside him, his gaze then shifted behind them: ¡°where¡¯s the miracle doctor you said could wake up my brother?¡± chen mo looked down towards xia wan: ¡°it¡¯s her!¡± ¡°her? you mean she¡¯s a miracle doctor?¡± lin chao¡¯s voice grew louder in disbelief. xia wan remained silent, just looking faintly at lin chao. ¡°you look at her, how could she possibly heal and save people!¡± lin chao sneered at xia wan, ¡°you probably couldn¡¯t find the right person and brought a woman as a scapegoat!¡± ¡°do you look down on women because you were hurt by one before?¡± xia wan coldly stared at lin chao, clearly unimpressed by his contemptuous attitude. lin chao immediately became more agitated: ¡°you! what do you mean! i¡¯ll tell you, we are from the military district, don¡¯t think you can fool me!¡± ¡°so, do all military district people look down on others?¡± xia wan, unbothered by lin chao¡¯s status or background, was venting her frustration. ¡°or is it that people from the military district are short-sighted and can¡¯t recognize that others might be more capable than you?¡± lin chao, provoked by xia wan¡¯s insults, became even more irate: ¡°you! i tell you, i lin chao may have vowed never to hit a woman in my life, but do you believe, if you dare to say one more word, i will beat this man beside you to death right here?¡± xia wan turned to look at chen mo: ¡°scared?¡± chen mot s lips revealed a slight smile: ¡°not scared!¡± xia wan then looked at lin chao: ¡°i came here today to heal and save lives. if your brother¡¯s condition worsens because of your delay, i won¡¯t be responsible!¡± lin chao didn¡¯t believe xia wan and was unwilling to let her in. the group remained in a standoff. at this moment, another car stopped next to them. ¡°chen mo!¡± zhang cheng got out of the car and waved to chen mo.. Chapter 536 - Chapter 536: Blocked chapter 536: blocked translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°brother cheng!¡± chen mo looked at zhang cheng in surprise. ¡®why are you here?¡± zhang cheng had a smile on his face, ¡°i just happened to have a friend here, so i came to have a look.¡± zhang cheng spoke casually, but chen mo knew he had come for him. before chen mo could speak again, zhang cheng turned to face lin chao, his smile unchanged, and nodded slightly, ¡°long time no see.¡± lin chao looked somewhat uncomfortable. he hesitated for a long time before saying to zhang cheng, ¡°brother cheng, long time no see.¡± ¡°hmm!¡± zhang cheng responded, then turned to chen mo and glanced in the direction of xia wan, asking, ¡°who is this?¡± ¡°this is the doctor i mentioned to brother cheng yesterday, the one i invited to save someone, xia wan,¡± chen mo introduced her to zhang cheng. ¡°oh?¡± zhang cheng looked at xia wan, his eyes betraying mistrust. lin chao stepped forward again, ¡°brother cheng, this person is just here to cause trouble!¡± ¡°i was about to kick them out!¡± grinding his teeth, lin chao said to chen mo, ¡°if it weren¡¯t for the fact that you know brother cheng, i would have let someone beat you up first! ¡°this time i¡¯ll let you off! take your woman and get out!¡± chen mo was about to retort, but zhang cheng pulled him aside. ¡°chen mo, i¡¯ve warned you, don¡¯t provoke lin chao, ¡± zhang cheng cautioned in a low voice, ¡°and about this¡­ ¡°your doctor friend probably won¡¯t be able to wake him up. ¡°i already had someone investigate yesterday. wang lin has been diagnosed as a vegetative state, barely hanging on by a thread. ¡°even if hua tuo were alive, it would be hard to wake him up!¡± zhang cheng¡¯s words were heartfelt, and chen mo appreciated his sincerity but didn¡¯t plan to give up. chen mo glanced in xia wan¡¯s direction, then said to zhang cheng, ¡°brother cheng, i still hope to let xia wan try. after all, this involves zhao chang¡¯s life!¡± ¡°you¡­¡± zhang cheng sighed helplessly, ¡°you¡¯re always so stubborn!¡± ¡°forget it!¡± zhang cheng shook his head, ¡°let your little doctor try then. otherwise, you won¡¯t be at peace. ¡°i¡¯ll ensure you both leave safely afterwards! ¡°as for the rest¡­¡± zhang cheng was interrupted by chen mo, ¡°thank you, brother cheng! if xia wan also can¡¯t wake him up, i¡¯ll handle the rest!¡± ¡°alright!¡± zhang cheng sighed again, ¡°have it your way! ¡± chen mo nodded and then turned to xia wan, ¡°let¡¯s go! let¡¯s go in!¡± they had barely taken a few steps when lin chao¡¯s men stopped them. ¡°stop!¡± lin chao glanced at zhang cheng, then approached chen mo and xia wan, ¡°i¡¯ve decided to let you off for brother cheng¡¯s sake. if you¡¯re stubborn, don¡¯t blame me for throwing you out right now!¡± chen mo was about to speak, but xia wan pressed her hand against his. she tilted her chin up slightly and asked lin chao, ¡°are you sincerely seeking medical help, or do you not care if he wakes up? ¡°nonsense! of course, i¡¯m sincerely seeking help!¡± lin chao replied matter-of-factly. ¡°if there¡¯s a chance to wake him up, why refuse?¡± xia wan asked calmly, unaffected by lin chao¡¯s rejection. she was well aware that their purpose was not just to wake the patient but also to save zhao chang¡¯s life. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t believe me, but if you¡¯re not in a hurry to save someone, then let chen mo¡¯s friend go,¡± xia wan continued in an even tone. lin chao frowned, seemingly pondering seriously. zhang cheng spoke again, ¡°alright! let her try! if you had a better option, you wouldn¡¯t have called them here, right?¡± ¡°but she¡¯s a woman¡­¡± lin chao was still reluctant. ¡°so what if she¡¯s a woman? can¡¯t women be skilled in medicine?¡± chen mo retorted, dissatisfied. xia wan didn¡¯t say anything. she was already accustomed to such doubts about women. not just now, but even when she had become known as a ¡°miracle doctor,¡± she was not immune to skepticism. ¡°if you want to save him, stop wasting time!¡± xia wan no longer gave lin chao time to hesitate, ¡°if you want to save him, let us in, or else release chen mo¡¯s friend, and we¡¯ll leave immediately!¡± Chapter 537 - Chapter 537: Illness chapter 537: illness translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation while lin chao was still hesitating, chen mo had already pushed aside the people around him. lin chao¡¯s men were about to intervene again, but lin chao stopped them. he looked at the retreating figures of chen mo and xia wan. ¡°let them try, and if they fail¡­ i will make them sleep with xiao yu!¡± zhang cheng glanced at lin chao, ¡°lin chao, chen mo is my friend, i hope you don¡¯t go too far! ¡°brother cheng, i won¡¯t let anyone who hurts my brother get away! no matter who it is!¡± after saying this, lin chao no longer looked at zhang cheng and followed chen mo and xia wan into the hospital. compared to the county¡¯s medical facilities, the military hospital was much better, but for xia wan, who had experienced a high-tech medical era, it still seemed quite rudimentary. xia wan and chen mo were brought to the outside of the icu. through the glass window, they saw shi yu, his body covered with various tubes and monitoring equipment. the door to the icu was opened, and the person who brought them in stepped aside. there were four medical staff in the icu. when one of the nurses saw chen mo and xia wan enter, she hurried over to stop them. ¡°who are you? this is the icu, you can¡¯t just come in here!¡± chen mo blocked the nurse¡¯s hand that was reaching to push them away, ¡°lin chao asked us to come.¡± the nurse immediately withdrew her hand and looked at the doctor behind her: ¡°dr. fang, this¡­¡± hearing that they were brought by lin chao, dr. fang also came forward. he looked inquiringly at the person who brought chen mo and xia wan, but saw him avoiding eye contact, apparently not intending to give an answer. dr. fang said sternly to chen mo and xia wan, ¡°whatever it is, let¡¯s discuss it in the office. you can¡¯t just enter the icu.¡± chen mo stated their purpose directly: ¡°lin chao asked us to come to save someone.¡± ¡°save someone?¡± dr. fang¡¯s voice raised slightly, and even with a mask on, his surprise was evident. ¡°this is a military hospital, do we really need outsiders to come and save someone?¡± ¡®moreover¡­ you two?¡± dr. fang looked chen mo and xia wan up and down, not hiding his skepticism. xia wan, accustomed to such doubts, said, ¡°please make way.¡± she then attempted to walk inside. dr. fang immediately blocked xia wan, ¡°no! this is a military hospital and an icu for critically ill patients, we can¡¯t just let you come and go as you please!¡± xia wan glanced at the monitoring equipment, then at the several iv bags hanging in the room. ¡°the patient is in a deep coma due to a cranial injury and probably also had a splenic rupture leading to intra-abdominal bleeding.¡± dr. fang looked at xia wan in surprise: ¡°how do you know that? did lin chao tell you?¡± ¡°this is patient confidentiality, how can you¡­¡± before dr. fang could finish, xia wan interrupted him: ¡°it¡¯s not hard to guess from the equipment and basic medications you¡¯re using.¡± ¡°however, without a detailed examination, i wouldn¡¯t dare to speculate on other symptoms or potential risks,¡± xia wan said truthfully. dr. fang¡¯s arrogance subsided, but he still refused: ¡°even if you can tell all that, i can¡¯t just let you in. it¡¯s hospital policy.¡± as soon as dr. fang finished speaking, lin chao followed, accompanied by two middle-aged men in white coats with graying hair. ¡°dr. fang, prepare a sterile suit for this lady and let her in,¡± one of the middle-aged men with graying hair said. ¡°director tang, this doesn¡¯t seem right, ¡± dr. fang still refused. ¡°what? does what i say not matter?¡± director tang¡¯s tone was dissatisfied, ¡°do you think you¡¯re the one in charge of this hospital?¡± dr. fang¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed, clearly questioning the arrangement, but he couldn¡¯t outright refuse. ¡°enough! don¡¯t hesitate! saving lives is important!¡± the other graying-haired middle-aged man also spoke. ¡°professor zhang, why are you¡­¡± hearing this, dr. fang was even more distressed and started breathing heavily. with two highly respected authority figures in the hospital speaking up, dr. fang, however reluctant, had to instruct someone to prepare a sterile suit for xia wan. ¡°patient information and treatment records.¡± xia wan walked to shi yu¡¯s bedside, checking the data on the monitoring equipment, ignoring the people around her.. Chapter 538 - Chapter 538: Criminal Matters chapter 538: criminal matters translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation dr. fang, despite his dissatisfaction, still had someone bring over shi yu¡¯s medical records. he glanced at the few people outside the intensive care unit before saying, ¡°young lady, i advise you not to overestimate yourself. this young man is under lin chao¡¯s care, and he¡¯s not someone to be trifled with!¡± xia wan, still engrossed in the documents, responded softly to dr. fang¡¯s well-intentioned advice, ¡°thank you, i know.¡± seeing that xia wan was stubborn, dr. fang could only shake his head, sigh, and give up on persuading her. after all, everyone has their fate, and if this young girl wants to court death, it¡¯s not his duty to save her! xia wan carefully reviewed shi yu¡¯s records before attempting to examine him. just as she reached out, dr. fang stopped her, ¡°hold on!¡± xia wan turned to dr. fang, ¡°is there something else?¡± ¡°i want to make it clear to you, shi yu¡¯s condition is very critical and his life is at risk at any moment. if you¡­¡± dr. fang spoke quickly, and although some of his words were unclear, xia wan quickly understood his meaning. ¡°i understand! from now on, as long as i¡¯m here, his life is in my hands!¡± xia wan didn¡¯t hesitate and began examining shi yu, breaking free from dr. fang¡¯s grasp. she lifted shi yu¡¯s eyelids for inspection and felt his pulse at the wrist where the iv was inserted. then, she straightened up and faced dr. fang, ¡°this medication is wrong.¡± ¡°wrong?¡± dr. fang, surprised by xia wan¡¯s challenge to his medical skills, became anxious, ¡°what¡¯s wrong about it? explain!¡± ¡°i¡¯m telling you, young lady, you need to be responsible for what you say!¡± ¡°although i¡¯m not a famous doctor, i¡¯ve been practicing medicine for decades, and no one has ever said my prescriptions were wrong¡­¡± ¡°two medicines are missing, and the dosage of this one is incorrect!¡± xia wan didn¡¯t give dr. fanz time to rant and directlv d0inted out the droblems. dr. fang was stunned for a moment, seeing xia wan¡¯s serious demeanor, he became somewhat hesitant. he paused for a moment, then said, ¡°alright! tell me, what medicines are missing? and which one¡¯s dosage is incorrect?¡± ¡°tiger bone and mylabris,¡± xia wan stated without hesitation. dr. fang¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at xia wan. ¡°you, you know, these are¡­¡± ¡°i know,¡± xia wan responded softly. ¡°tiger bones are hard to find, and mylabris is poisonous, but you can¡¯t deny that these two medicines are actually essential, right?¡± xia wan said matter-of-factly. dr. fang took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before exhaling, ¡°tiger bone can be substituted with dog bone, which i have already included in the medication¡­¡± ¡°no!¡± xia wan firmly disagreed, ¡°you should know that!¡± dr. fang again held his breath before saying, ¡°selling tiger bone is illegal!¡± dr. fang was almost screaming, as a law-abiding doctor, he couldn¡¯t break the law just to save someone! ¡°moreover, although mylabris is not difficult to find, with the extraction technology here, it¡¯s hard to ensure purity, it can easily¡­¡± dr. fang decided to drop the illegal matter and switched topics. xia wan interrupted him again, ¡°i have a way to purify it, but we need a large quantity of mylabris. ¡± ¡°a large quantity?¡± dr. fang¡¯s voice soared again, ¡°that toxic herb is only available in limited quantities!¡± this girl isn¡¯t here to save lives, she¡¯s planning to get him in trouble! ¡°the dosage of ephedra is incorrect,¡± xia wan spoke calmly, without any fluctuations in her tone. ¡°are you joking?¡± dr. fang was losing control of his voice, ¡°the dosage i used is already at the medical limit, do you know that this thing¡­¡± ¡°i know!¡± xia wan interrupted him again, ¡°but you can also see that this dosage is incorrect!¡± xia wan spoke decisively, rendering dr. fang speechless. in fact, dr. fang also knew that the dosage of ephedra he used was indeed insufficient, but he spoke the truth; the current dosage had already reached the medical limit for ephedra. ephedra is like a drug, once overdosed, it can cause a lifetime of addiction. additionally, ephedra has certain side effects, so it¡¯s strictly controlled within the medical community. however, for shi yu¡¯s current condition, increasing the dosage of ephedra would indeed have a better effect. but that would be illegal, and as a doctor in a regular hospital, especially a military hospital doctor, how could he¡­. Chapter 539 - Chapter 539: It’s Not a Problem of Money chapter 539: it¡¯s not a problem of money translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°get these things, and i guarantee the person will wake up within three days,¡± xia wan confidently stated, completely unaware of dr. fang¡¯s increasingly pale face. dr. fang was screaming in his heart: ¡®this is not a divine doctor here to save lives, but clearly a living grim reaper trying to snatch away lives! ¡®even if shi yu is saved, his reputation will be ruined in an instant, and he might even end up in jail!¡¯ as dr. fang was sighing inwardly, he heard inquiries coming from outside. before he could react, xia wan had already turned and walked out of the icu. ¡°how is it?¡± chen mo was the first to come up and ask. ¡°i have a way to wake the person up, but it requires the hospital¡¯s cooperation,¡± xia wan said casually. dr. fang was about to refuse, but then he heard lin chao urgently respond, ¡°as long as you can save xiao yu, i agree to all your demands!¡± lin chao¡¯s words nearly scared dr. fang to death. fortunately, professor zhang was sensible and asked dr. fang, ¡°what are the lady¡¯s demands? our hospital can discuss it first and provide help as much as possible.¡± dr. fang opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know how to clearly explain xia wan¡¯s unreasonable demands. xia wan didn¡¯t give dr. fang time to hesitate and directly stated her demands. after hearing xia wan¡¯s demands, director tang and professor zhang also fell silent. lin chao, not understanding, grabbed dr. fang¡¯s collar, ¡°are you deaf? prepare as she said!¡± ¡°if it¡¯s about money, i¡¯ll solve it! are you afraid i, lin chao, can¡¯t afford it?¡± lin chao¡¯s emotions were agitated, as if he would punch dr. fang the next second if he dared to refuse. even though dr. fang was nervous, he could only answer lin chao¡¯s question reluctantly, ¡°no, it¡¯s not about money¡­¡± ¡°if it¡¯s not about money, then what¡¯s the problem?¡± lin chao was even angrier, ¡°are you doctors just going to watch people die?¡± ¡°or are the things she asked for too hard to find?¡± lin chao suddenly thought of another possibility, ¡°if that¡¯s the case, make a list of what you need, and i¡¯ll have someone find it immediately!¡± director tang finally came to his senses. he stepped forward, gently removed lin chao¡¯s hand from dr. fang¡¯s collar, and said to lin chao, ¡°this matter is a bit complicated, how about we go to the director¡¯s office and talk about it?¡± as he said this, director tang also glanced in xia wan¡¯s direction. lin chao, being impulsive, wasn¡¯t interested in further discussions, ¡°saving lives is the most important thing, no need for talks!¡± as soon as lin chao finished speaking, xia wan had already spoken, ¡°good! let¡¯s go to the director¡¯s office and talk in detail.¡± when director tang arrived at the director¡¯s office with a few people, zhang cheng was sitting inside drinking tea with the director. ¡°director feng¡­¡± director tang first greeted director feng, then turned to zhang cheng and politely said, ¡°mr. zhang is here.¡± zhang cheng did not stand up but nodded politely, ¡°director tang, professor zhang¡­ long time no see.¡± ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± director feng looked at director tang, followed by a group of people, including the solemn-looking professor zhang and dr. fang, lin chao, and two young people he didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°this¡­¡± director tang was at a loss for words. lin chao couldn¡¯t wait, ¡°director feng, this woman said she could wake my brother up, but it requires your hospital¡¯s cooperation to prepare some medicinal materials.¡± ¡°it¡¯s just some medicinal materials, and director tang insisted on bringing us to see you.¡± director feng looked at director tang and knew that if it were just a trivial matter, director tang wouldn¡¯t have bothered him. he looked at xia wan again and asked, ¡°you said you can wake shi yu up? ¡°are you sure?¡± director feng asked again. ¡°sure!¡± xia wan answered without hesitation. director feng stood up and walked towards xia wan, ¡°young lady, perhaps you imow some medicine, but saving lives is not something you can achieve just by being assertive.¡± ¡°i believe you have some ability, but if you boast and can¡¯t deliver¡­¡± ¡°as long as you prepare what i asked for, i guarantee this person will definitely wake up within three days!¡± xia wan didn¡¯t give director feng another chance to doubt her.. Chapter 540 - Chapter 540: Compromise chapter 540: compromise translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation lin chao was growing impatient. ¡°since she says she can save him, let her do ¡°xiao yu has been in your hospital for so many days, but you haven¡¯t been able to wake him up either! ¡°now that someone is willing to take the initiative, why is your hospital still so hesitant!¡± lin chao¡¯s doubt made director feng¡¯s expression turn sour. ¡°since this lady says she has a way, why don¡¯t we let her try?¡± zhang cheng stood up and suggested. ¡°our military hospital has always prioritized treating patients and saving lives. other matters can be discussed later, right?¡± what zhang cheng meant was that many things could be resolved in an emergency. director feng clearly understood what he meant, but lin chao was still not giving him any face, and he couldn¡¯t let it go. zhang cheng turned to lin chao. ¡°the hospital has its own protocols. we¡¯re all outsiders. it¡¯s not appropriate for us to interfere too much. ¡°since this is a matter for the doctors, we shouldn¡¯t interfere excessively. let them discuss it among themselves.¡± lin chao, not daring to go against zhang cheng¡¯s words, could only angrily swing his hand and lean against the wall in silence. director feng glanced at dr. fang, who was hesitant to speak, and then at director tang. he pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°what request did this young lady make? do as she says!¡± zhang cheng¡¯s words made sense. after all, it was about treating patients and saving lives. no matter how troublesome it was, they had to find a way to do it. furthermore, lin chao was not someone to be taken lightly. during the few days shi yu had stayed here, lin chao¡¯s men had nearly turned the hospital upside down! if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that this was a military hospital, they might have torn down the director¡¯s office! ¡°principal, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to do it, but it¡¯s really¡­¡± as director tang spoke, he walked toward director feng and whispered a few words to him. ¡°what?!¡± director feng was shocked. ¡°this¡­ how can this be?!¡± director tang had a helpless look on his face, thinking to himself, ¡®if it were possible, we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation!¡¯ director feng paced around the desk and then sat down in his chair, remaining silent for a long time. even though lin chao was anxious, he did not dare to act rashly with zhang cneng overseeing tne situation. after a while, director feng took a deep breath and said, ¡°since it¡¯s to save someone, i¡¯ll find a way to apply for the purchase of the medicinal herbs from the higher-ups. ¡± ¡°we don¡¯t have that much time,¡± xia wan rejected director feng¡¯s suggestion without hesitation. ¡°what?¡± director feng couldn¡¯t react in time. ¡°if this person doesn¡¯t receive effective treatment within two days, his organs will slowly fail. at that time, even if there¡¯s medicine, it won¡¯t be possible to wake him up!¡± xia wan stated firmly. ¡°what did you say?¡± lin chao straightened up abruptly, raising his voice. dr. fang and professor zhang looked at each other, then averted their eyes and remained silent. lin chao, seeing through dr. fang¡¯s attitude, stepped forward and grabbed dr. fang¡¯s collar. ¡°is it true?¡± ¡°your hospital can¡¯t save him, so you¡¯re just going to let him die?¡± lin chao¡¯s tone was harsh. dr. fang didn¡¯t know how to respond. though it was a doctor¡¯s duty to treat patients and save lives, there were times when it was simply not possible! furthermore, lin chao had been causing such a commotion that they hadn¡¯t dared to inform him directly about any potential risks. this person was beyond saving. in a few days, when he couldn¡¯t hold on, lin chao wouldn¡¯t be able to blame the hospital. at most, it would cause a disturbance for a few days. who knew that such a bold woman would appear suddenly? she had them do illegal things right away and even exposed the possible hidden risks to lin chao. this was a disaster! if he really died, wouldn¡¯t lin chao demolish the hospital? dr. fang lowered his head, not daring to answer lin chao¡¯s question. ¡°it¡¯s not like that!¡± director tang tried to calm him down, seeing the situation escalate. ¡°we¡¯re looking for the most suitable treatment method. what if¡­ what if¡­¡± director tang couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. there was no ¡®what if¡¯. according to the current treatment method, this person was destined to die. hearing director tang¡¯s words, lin chao knew that xia wan was telling the truth. he pushed dr. fang away and turned to director feng. ¡°i don¡¯t care what your concerns are. bring me the medicine. i want this woman to save shi yu!¡± ¡°if anyone dares to stop me, i¡¯ll tear this hospital down!¡± lin chao was known to be unreasonable, and director feng had no choice but to comply. ¡°fine! we¡¯ll do as you say!¡± after speaking, director feng looked at zhang cheng with a pleading gaze.. Chapter 541 - Chapter 541: Trust Xia Wan chapter 541: trust xia wan translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation zhang cheng approached xia wan and asked softly, ¡°are you truly capable of saving someone?¡± ¡°i am!¡± xia wan replied with sincerity in her eyes and a firm tone that made her hard to doubt. ¡°good! then, i¡¯ll place my trust in you!¡± zhang cheng declared solemnly. ¡°the patient is in your hands, and i¡¯ll find a way to secure the medicinal materials.¡± ¡°thank you,¡± xia wan expressed her gratitude genuinely. zhang cheng¡¯s face wore a soft smile, not deep but sincere. ¡®my trust is not only in you. i also have faith in chen mo.¡± xia wan glanced at chen mo but remained silent. immediately, chen mo stood beside xia wan, stating confidently, ¡°i believe in xia wan!¡± ¡°let¡¯s not waste time with words now! hurry and save the person!¡± lin chao interjected impatiently, ¡°if the person isn¡¯t saved, i won¡¯t forgive anyone!¡± xia wan gazed deeply at lin chao, then assured him, ¡°rest assured, i will definitely bring him back to consciousness.¡± whether it was the conviction in xia wan¡¯s voice or something else, her words magically soothed lin chao¡¯s agitation. he cleared his throat uncomfortably, ¡°alright, then i entrust this to you.¡± lin chao¡¯s change of heart brought relief to everyone at the hospital. director feng escorted zhang cheng and the others to the hospital entrance. ¡°don¡¯t worry, director feng, i¡¯ll handle this matter well, ¡± zhang cheng reassured, seeing the worry on director feng¡¯s face. ¡°however, we might need to use your facilities for a few days.¡± director feng sighed internally but responded politely, ¡°thank you, mr. zhang. our hospital will fully cooperate with you.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not the one who will be troubled. it¡¯s the hospital that might need to assist that young lady effectively,¡± zhang cheng said, glancing towards xia wan. director feng nodded in agreement, ¡°yes, of course. if the young lady can save the patient, we will definitely cooperate.¡± despite his words, director feng harbored no fondness for the troublesome xia wan. uninterested in the superficial niceties, xia wan gently tugged at chen mo¡¯s sleeve. understanding xia wan¡¯s sentiment, chen mo told zhang cheng, ¡°brother cheng, inform us once the medicinal materials are ready, and we¡¯ll come immediately.¡± ¡°we have other matters to handle now, so we must leave.¡± after bidding farewell to director feng, zhang cheng stopped chen mo, ¡°i¡¯ll come with you. i have something important to discuss.¡± zhang cheng instructed his driver to leave ahead and joined chen mo in his car. during the return journey, zhang cheng started several times to speak but hesitated. seeing zhang cheng¡¯s reluctance in the rearview mirror, chen mo encouraged, ¡°brother cheng, feel free to speak your mind.¡± ¡°what was the real reason for seeking me out yesterday?¡± zhang cheng finally blurted out. chen mo glanced at xia wan before answering, ¡°it wasn¡¯t anything significant. i just heard you were in town and thought¡­¡¯ ¡°stop there! don¡¯t bother with those excuses,¡± zhang cheng cut him off. ¡°you¡¯ve never sought me out without a reason!¡± zhang cheng scoffed. ¡°besides, my visit to the county was confidential. how did you even know i was here?¡± chen mo hesitated, then chose to be honest, ¡°i saw a car license plate the other day, which i believe was yours.¡± ¡°my car?¡± zhang cheng was taken aback, ¡°so you came just to reminisce?¡± chen mo glanced at xia wan again, ¡°brother cheng, your car was seen at the location where xia wan¡¯s parents disappeared. someone witnessed her parents getting into that car.¡± ¡°my car?¡± zhang cheng¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. while chen mo¡¯s revelation surprised zhang cheng, xia wan showed no shock. sensing something off with chen mo¡¯s demeanor earlier, xia wan had guessed he knew something. zhang cheng was more astonished than both, ¡°chen mo, what are you implying? someone saw my car taking xia wan¡¯s parents? why would they do that?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure,¡± chen mo replied honestly. ¡°we haven¡¯t received any information yet, but xia wan¡¯s parents have been missing since yesterday afternoon.¡± this revelation silenced zhang cheng. sensing zhang cheng¡¯s distress, chen mo probed, ¡°brother cheng, do you know something about this?¡± ¡°yesterday afternoon?¡± zhang cheng asked for confirmation. ¡°yes!¡± chen mo affirmed. ¡°okay, leave this matter to me. i will investigate and find out what¡¯s going on, ¡± zhang cheng resolved, without further elaboration. xia wan looked at chen mo, who simply nodded gently in acknowledgment.. Chapter 542 - Chapter 542: Will You Blame Me? chapter 542: will you blame me? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after escorting zhang cheng to the hotel where they were temporarily staying, chen mo prepared to leave with xia wan. zhang cheng hesitated for a moment but, before they departed, cautioned them, ¡°i¡¯ll look into xia wan¡¯s parents¡¯ situation. please, don¡¯t take any rash actions.¡± turning to xia wan, he continued, ¡°and regarding shi yu¡­ since you¡¯ve made a commitment to the hospital and lin chao, i hope you can do your utmost.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, brother cheng. as long as i have the necessary herbs, i will definitely be able to save shi yu,¡± xia wan confidently assured. ¡°good! since chen mo trusts you, i trust you as well,¡± zhang cheng responded, leaving it at that. after chen mo and xia wan left, zhang cheng¡¯s expression grew somber. he returned to his room and promptly called zhang feng, ¡°come here in ten minutes. i have something to discuss with you!¡± zhang feng didn¡¯t hesitate, dropping everything to rush to chen mo¡¯s room. arriving breathlessly, zhang feng asked, ¡°big brother cheng, you wanted to see me?¡± as he wiped sweat from his forehead. ¡°where have you been?¡± zhang cheng inquired, leaning back on the sofa with an emotionless expression. ¡°i just accompanied stubborn donkey and others to visit the old leader,¡± zhang feng replied honestly. ¡°and where were you yesterday?¡± zhang cheng¡¯s tone grew unfriendly. zhang feng paused, then remembered, ¡°yesterday, i didn¡¯t go anywhere¡­¡± he looked deep in thought, then suddenly added, ¡°oh, wait! the jiang family¡¯s kid asked me to drive him to pick up his friend¡¯s parents. ¡°he said his friend was away and needed help with his family, so i went¡­¡± ¡°jiang lu asked you to go?¡± zhang cheng¡¯s voice turned colder. ¡°yes, jiang lu. he¡¯s quite a loyal guy,¡± zhang feng still oblivious to zhang cheng¡¯s mood. ¡°he not only asked me to fetch them but also arranged a temporary place for the elderlv coudle.¡± ¡°do you know where this temporary place is?¡± zhang cheng immediately grew alert. ¡°i¡¯m not sure,¡± zhang feng shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m unfamiliar with this county. i couldn¡¯t have found my way back without his brother guiding me.¡± ¡°was it a remote location?¡± zhang cheng probed further. ¡°yes, very remote,¡± zhang feng answered, ¡°the route was winding, through mountains, forests, and ponds. i was quite lost.¡± ¡°if you had to drive there again, could you find it?¡± zhang cheng checked again. ¡°i might be able to get a general idea¡­¡± zhang feng started to sense something was amiss. ¡°why are you asking all this, brother cheng? is there an issue with the couple?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no problem with the couple,¡± zhang cheng¡¯s words eased zhang feng¡¯s concern. ¡°if jiang lu needs your help in the next few days, go and assist him. ¡°just remember to inform me when you do,¡± he added. ¡°okay,¡± zhang feng agreed, though still a bit confused, and left without further questions. alone in his room, zhang cheng sat deep in thought before deciding to visit liang tao. ¡°leader, i need to discuss something with you.¡± while driving, chen mo broke the silence, ¡°will you blame me for not telling you about zhang cheng?¡± ¡°why would i blame you?¡± xia wan appeared unbothered. ¡°you had your reasons for keeping it to yourself.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± chen mo still seemed uneasy. ¡°i knew he might be involved in your parents¡¯ disappearance, but¡­¡± xia wan shook her head gently. ¡°you¡¯ve already investigated this matter, right? ¡°you didn¡¯t keep anything from me, you just waited until you had more information before telling me,¡± she said calmly. chen mo didn¡¯t respond but sighed softly. ¡°shall i take you home first?¡± ¡°alright,¡± xia wan¡¯s voice was soft but tense. she closed her eyes, signaling she didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation. chen mo respected her silence, quietly driving her home and then leaving. ¡°why are you back so early?¡± xia feng was surprised to see xia wan return alone. he looked past her, expecting to see their parents. ¡°are dad and mom back?¡± xia feng¡¯s expression fell when he realized they weren¡¯t with her. ¡°any news?¡± xia wan asked wearily. ¡°nothing,¡± xia feng replied, lips tight. ¡°what are these people doing with mom and dad?¡± just as he finished speaking, the phone rang, startling both xia wan and xia feng. xia feng looked at xia wan, unsure whether to answer it.. Chapter 543 - Chapter 543: Xia Ru Has Gone Mad Again chapter 543: xia ru has gone mad again translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation xia wan calmly walked to the telephone and picked up the receiver. before xia wan could speak, the person on the other end shouted eagerly, ¡°xia wan! you wretched woman! get over here and see me now!¡± the voice of xia ru, deafeningly loud, startled even xia feng who was standing nearby. ¡°what are you raving about?¡± xia wan¡¯s tone was icy cold. ¡°i¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t think i don¡¯t know about the tricks you¡¯re playing!¡± xia ruts voice sounded full of energy. ¡°hello! don¡¯t pull me! let go of me! help!¡± xia ru¡¯s hysterical voice came through the receiver. after a burst of noisy sounds, the voice on the phone returned. ¡°miss xia, i¡¯m sorry, we just lost sight of xia ru and she ran out,¡± dr. li¡¯s voice was full of apologies and anxiety. ¡°i¡¯ve already had someone take her back. we will make sure to keep an eye on her and not let her escape again!¡± dr. li assured. ¡°did she see anyone today?¡± xia wan wondered, thinking xia ru must have met someone to have such an outburst. ¡°no one came to see her today,¡± dr. li sounded puzzled, ¡°we had a staff training today and declined all visits.¡± xia wan hummed in thought. after a pause, dr. li continued, ¡°today, only two nurses were left to take care of the patients, everyone else was at the training.¡± ¡°probably xia ru took advantage of the situation when there were fewer people and ran out.¡± ¡°as you know, our sanatorium is fully enclosed. she couldn¡¯t get out, so she must have run to the office to make a call.¡± ¡°check if she contacted anyone else before calling me,¡± xia wan instructed. ¡°okay! i will immediately have someone check with the telecommunications office,¡± dr. li responded promptly, ¡°i¡¯ll also ask the staff on duty today to see what exactly happened.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no rush,¡± xia wan declined dr. li¡¯s offer, ¡°i will come over later myself. please ask dr. li to ensure no one leaves for now.¡± ¡°sure! no problem!¡± dr. li agreed readily, without any hesitation. xia wan hung up the phone, and xia feng approached her, ¡°what happened? is it related to our parents?¡± xia wan shook her head and patted xia feng¡¯s shoulder, ¡°i need to go out for a while. stay at home and keep an eye on the phone.¡± xia feng frowned, wanting to refuse, but after thinking, he suppressed his anxiety. ¡°okay! i¡¯ll keep watch here!¡± xia wan smiled wearily, said nothing more, and made a phone call to chen mo. soon, chen mo¡¯s car appeared again at xia wan¡¯s doorstep. ¡°what happened with xia ru?¡± chen mo asked, seeing xia wan¡¯s weary face. ¡°there must be someone in the sanatorium who informed xia ru,¡± xia wan shared her speculation. ¡°you mean, xia ru might know something?¡± chen mo pressed the gas pedal harder. ¡°i¡¯m not sure how much she knows, but someone inside the sanatorium definitely has contact with the people who took my parents! ¡± xia wan said confidently. hearing this, chen mo didn¡¯t dare delay any longer, pressing the gas pedal to the floor, and the car roared off. when the two arrived at the sanatorium, dr. li was already waiting at the entrance. ¡°miss xia, mr. chen, you¡¯ve arrived!¡± dr. li looked anxious, his body slightly stooped. ¡°dr. li, has something else happened?¡± xia wan, noticing dr. li¡¯s expression, asked tentatively. ¡°this¡­¡± dr. li hesitated, then said through gritted teeth, ¡°xia ru fainted after returning to her room and hasn¡¯t woken up since.¡± dr. li knew that he couldn¡¯t conceal the situation any longer. ¡°fainted?¡± xia wan¡¯s expression changed slightly, and she quickly walked into the sanatorium, bypassing dr. li. dr. li followed behind xia wan. ¡°we didn¡¯t even have time to medicate her before she fainted.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already contacted the director of the central hospital in the county to come and examine her, but they haven¡¯t arrived yet¡­¡± xia wan didn¡¯t slow down and rushed straight to xia ru¡¯s ward. in the ward, xia ru lay motionless on the hospital bed, her complexion deathly pale.. Chapter 544 - Chapter 544: Saving Xia Ru chapter 544: saving xia ru translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation ¡°miss xia,¡± a nurse in the ward called out, pausing her actions and stepping back as xia wan hurried in. xia wan arrived at xia ruts bedside and gently examined her condition. ¡°what medications have been administered?¡± she inquired, eyeing the tray beside xia ru¡¯s bed. ¡°we haven¡¯t administered any medications today,¡± the nurse replied softly. xia wan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly. she gave the nurse a brief look and said, ¡°okay, thank you. you may leave for now.¡± after a moment¡¯s hesitation, the nurse made her way out of the ward. chen mo, who had been standing at the door, watched the nurse leave before stepping further inside. ¡°did you find anything?¡± he asked. xia wan, focused, placed her hand on xia ruts wrist, checking her pulse. she remained silent for a while before finally releasing her hand. ¡°please, everyone, step outside,¡± she said to doctor li and chen mo, who were closely following her actions. without hesitation, doctor li turned and left the ward. ¡°let¡¯s keep the ward clear for now,¡± xia wan advised as she pulled back the blanket from xia ru. understanding, chen mo nodded, said a quick ¡°okay,¡± and followed doctor li out, gently closing the ward door behind him. xia wan retrieved silver needles from her bag and carefully placed them at several acupuncture points on xia ruts arms, wrists, and chest. she then waited in silence. a few minutes passed before a voice echoed from the doorway. ¡°the head of the county central hospital has arrived.¡± ¡°they cannot enter at the moment,¡± chen mo stated, arms crossed, leaning against the door. ¡°blocking the door like this could delay the rescue! every minute counts in saving the patient¡¯s life,¡± an anxious, unfamiliar voice protested. ¡°that doesn¡¯t change things,¡± chen mo replied firmly. another voice, softer this time, attempted to persuade, ¡°perhaps you could step aside to let us assess the patient?¡± ¡°standing here like this, if the patient¡¯s condition worsens, it would be akin to costing a life!¡± the first voice argued again. ¡°we¡¯re handling it. no need for concern,¡± chen mo insisted, unwavering. ¡°doctor li, what should we do now?¡± the gentler voice seemed to seek advice from doctor li. ¡°you specifically asked us to come, but now that we¡¯re here, we¡¯re not even allowed to see the patient¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, director wang, i¡¯ll discuss it with him,¡± doctor li attempted to soothe the other party, though he himself was unsure of how to convince chen mo. chen mo remained steadfast, refusing entry to anyone without xia wan¡¯s permission. outside the ward, a tense atmosphere prevailed, while inside, xia wan¡¯s expression grew increasingly grave. xia rut s condition seemed more serious than a mere fainting spell¡ªit appeared as if she¡¯d been drugged or even poisoned. after examining xia ru, xia wan couldn¡¯t immediately identify the cause of her fainting and rapidly weakening breath. if it was a potent poison, there should have been some indicators, yet it seemed as if she had simply passed out. if the situation persisted, xia ru might tragically lose her life in her sleep. without a clear solution, xia wan focused on slowing the progression of the poison. ten minutes later, a faint color returned to xia ru¡¯s cheeks, and xia wan exhaled deeply in relief. she rose and opened the door from inside. chen mo instantly reacted, turning to face xia wan and inquiring, ¡°how is she xia wan nodded towards chen mo, then addressed doctor li, ¡°could you please gather everyone in the conference room? i have questions to ask.¡± ¡°certainly,¡± doctor li nodded, then turned to address the other doctors present, ¡°gentlemen¡­¡± xia wan glanced at them and asked, ¡°are you from the central hospital?¡± ¡°yes,¡± one of the doctors, his face serious and stubbled, grunted in response. another doctor, younger in appearance, adjusted his glasses and said, ¡°miss, leave the patient to us. you can trust us; we are professionals¡­¡± ¡°there¡¯s no point in talking to her. she¡¯s already delayed our rescue efforts. if the patient doesn¡¯t survive, she¡¯ll be held responsible,¡± the stubbled doctor interjected. ¡°director zhu, that¡¯s not fair. they¡¯re not familiar with emergency procedures; that¡¯s why there was a delay,¡± the younger doctor intervened, trying to calm the situation.. Chapter 545 - Chapter 545: What Are You Saying, Little Girl? chapter 545: what are you saying, little girl? translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation seeing the two people talking back and forth, xia wan was really annoyed. she growled at them, ¡°i¡¯m very busy right now. if you can¡¯t help, then don¡¯t waste your breath here!¡± xia wan¡¯s words immediately shut the two of them up. but soon, the slightly irritable director zhu with a stubbly beard exploded in anger, ¡°how can you talk like this, young lady! it¡¯s as if we have nothing better to do than to argue with you here! ¡°i¡¯m telling you, i won¡¯t bother with you today!¡± after saying this, director zhu was about to walk back. however, the gentler director wang immediately stopped him, ¡°director zhu, don¡¯t be impulsive! we are here on a mission, don¡¯t forget!¡± director wang¡¯s words immediately made director zhu stop in his tracks. director zhu sighed deeply and then turned to xia wan, ¡°alright! we¡¯ll take care of it. you go ahead and do whatever you need to do.¡± ¡°you¡¯re here on a mission?¡± xia wan caught the main point. ¡°yes, the director received a call from director li, instructing us to come here quickly to assist director li in rescuing someone!¡± director wang said without any concealment. ¡°is that so?¡± xia wan turned to look at the embarrassed doctor li. ¡°director li?¡± ¡°our sanatorium has been specially approved by the county. as the acting honorary director, i have received quite a bit of care from the directors.¡± director li tried his best to explain, ¡°so, i have some connections with director hu of the county central hospital.¡± xia wan didn¡¯t bother to verify the truthfulness of this explanation. but she hadn¡¯t yet figured out who wanted to harm xia ru and couldn¡¯t let anyone get close to her. if they wanted to harm xia ru, it was either because xia ru knew something or they wanted to frame xia ru for some purpose! ¡°she¡¯s fine now, please go back!¡± xia wan didn¡¯t give them an opportunity to stay. upon hearing this, director zhu¡¯s eyes widened, and after a long moment, he swallowed his breath and turned to leave. feeling helpless, director wang grabbed director zhu¡¯s arm and said to xia wan, ¡°we¡¯re here on a mission. we have to see for ourselves whether this person is okay or not.¡± ¡°young lady, why don¡¯t you let us in to see the patient¡¯s condition? maybe we can provide some help?¡± director wang was remarkably patient, tolerating an unknown young girl like xia wan. xia wan¡¯s gaze lingered on the two doctors before she said, ¡°alright! you can go in.¡± after xia wan finished speaking, she stepped aside to make room for them. chen mo also stepped aside to allow directors wang and zhu to enter the ward smoothly. inside the ward, xia ru¡¯s breathing was weak, and her face was almost colorless. the two of them, one on each side, took out their equipment and began to perform basic examinations on xia ru. they had brought emergency tools, and since the patient¡¯s life was not in immediate danger, these devices could only perform simple checks on her vital signs. xia wan stood by xia rut s bedside, arms crossed in front of her chest, closely watching their every move. after examining and confirming that xia ru ts life was not in danger for the time being, they packed up their equipment and prepared to leave. before leaving, director zhu looked at xia wan with a hesitant expression but ultimately said nothing. after the two left, director li said to xia wan, ¡°miss xia, everyone is ready. let¡¯s go to the meeting room.¡± although director li¡¯s medical skills were not exceptional, he had his own set of strategies for business management. in just one or two months, he had transformed the originally dilapidated mental hospital into a fully compliant sanatorium. not only had the equipment and facilities of the sanatorium been improved, but even the staff structure had been optimized. however, xia wan did not know how many of these people harbored other intentions. ¡°due to our hospital¡¯s negligence, patient xia ru fainted from a sudden illness, even endangering her life, and she hasn¡¯t woken up yet,¡± director li said in a leadership tone, standing at the forefront. ¡°regarding this matter, the hospital takes it very seriously and has decided to thoroughly investigate the cause of the incident, to tell the patient and her family the truth!¡± ¡°this is miss xia wan,¡± director li said, extending his arm towards xia wan, ¡°miss xia is a family member of xia ru and is very concerned about this matter. ¡°therefore, the hospital has decided to set up an investigation team to thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure miss xia¡¯s satisfaction!¡± Chapter 546 - Chapter 546: Investigation chapter 546: investigation translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation after the psychiatric hospital was closed down, most of the original staff were dismissed, with only a few remaining. as a result, most of the current sanatorium staff were unaware of xia wan¡¯s relationship with the sanatorium. only a few of those who remained had a vague idea about xia wan¡¯s connection with the sanatorium, but even they were not clear about the specifics. xia wan intentionally did not clarify this relationship to director li, fearing that he might become desperate and act recklessly. after director li finished speaking, he looked towards xia wan for her response. xia wan stood up, facing everyone, and said, ¡°xia ru is my sister. she fainted today for unknown reasons and hasn¡¯t woken up yet. i hope the hospital can provide me with a reasonable explanation. ¡°additionally, i want to imow about all the consultations, medications, nursing, and visitations related to xia ru during this period.¡± ¡°i hope director li and everyone else will cooperate.¡± xia wan¡¯s request immediately caused murmurs among the crowd. although they did not openly express it, it was evident that they were displeased with having to investigate their work records just because of xia ru. xia wan was well aware that in a county-level sanatorium like this, detailed nursing records were hardly maintained. even medication and consultation records were likely just basic notes about medication names and symptoms, with very little detail. visitation records were almost never managed properly. even if the gatekeeper registered visitors, no one checked if the visitor¡¯s ids and information were accurate. the person who came for xia ru must have exploited this loophole! ¡°you all heard miss xia, didn¡¯t you? hurry up and prepare as she instructed!¡± director li ordered without giving others time to react. people got up and, while agreeing, walked out, all the while muttering under their breath. ¡°what¡¯s with these xia sisters? why should we do whatever she says?¡± ¡°yeah! look at how eager director li is. anyone would think this hospital is owned by the xia family!¡± ¡°you said it! it¡¯s like xia ru thinks she¡¯s the boss, always screaming and shouting in her ward!¡± ¡°who knows who knocked xia ru out! i¡¯m grateful to them. the world¡¯s finally quiet!¡± ¡°hey, let¡¯s stop talking. we¡¯ve never kept such records! we better go back and make something up!¡± ¡°what¡¯s there to make up? just write something random to appease her! i don¡¯t believe she can really find anything out!¡± although the discussion was not loud, xia wan heard everything clearly from a short distance away. director li stood next to xia wan, looking embarrassed, ¡°miss xia, this¡­ i apologize for the lax management under my watch!¡± xia wan waved her hand, not particularly concerned. whatever these people wanted to say, she didn¡¯t expect to discover anything from the documents they would submit. chen mo, unsure of xia wan¡¯s intentions, moved closer to her and asked, ¡°shall we wait here?¡± xia wan nodded and then pulled chen mo closer to whisper in his ear. chen mo understood and leaned in, listening attentively. xia wan whispered a few words to chen mo and then turned to director li, ¡°please keep the documents they prepared. ¡°no one from the hospital should leave or enter without authorization during this time.¡± ¡°this¡­¡± director li appeared somewhat troubled. ¡°is that difficult to arrange?¡± xia wan inquired. ¡°it¡¯s not that,¡± director li quickly denied, ¡°but since we¡¯re a sanatorium, most of our staff live in the county town, and the hospital hasn¡¯t arranged extra accommodations for them. it¡¯s not easy to solve their lodging and food issues immediately.¡± ¡°is a problem with one or two days of lodging and food too difficult for director li to handle?¡± xia wan asked skeptically. director li¡¯s face grew more embarrassed, ¡°no trouble at all!¡± ¡°it¡¯s just that we need a reason to keep everyone here,¡± director li sighed helplessly. ¡°it¡¯s not right to suddenly detain everyone without a cause.¡± ¡°director li says he needs a reason,¡± xia wan relayed to chen mo, who had just ended a phone call and was walking back towards her. ¡°no problem, officer song will be here soon with his team,¡± chen mo said casually. it turned out that while director li and xia wan were discussing, chen mo had already called officer song.. Chapter 547 - Chapter 547: Blood sample chapter 547: blood sample translator: endlessfantasy translation editor: endlessfantasy translation with the police involved, director li now had a reason to keep everyone at the psychiatric hospital. when officer song arrived with his team, xia wan explained the situation to him and then left with chen mo. ¡°aren¡¯t we staying to wait for the results?¡± chen mo asked, puzzled. ¡°staying might mean we end up knowing nothing, ¡± xia wan replied, pulling chen mo towards the exit of the sanatorium. chen mo, still confused, got into the car with a frown, lost in thought. xia wan took a deep breath in the car and explained the situation to chen mo. ¡°the sudden fainting of xia ru was probably done by someone inside the sanatorium, ¡± xia wan said, pulling out a small bottle from her bag. the bottle contained some reddish-brown liquid that looked like blood. ¡°but, when i tested the poison on xia ru, it wasn¡¯t injected all at once. it was administered slowly over time.¡± ¡°administered orally?¡± chen mo asked in surprise, ¡°what is this?¡± ¡°yes, the poison was ingested,¡± xia wan nodded, handing the small bottle to chen mo, ¡°this is a blood sample.¡± chen mo was startled, ¡°this is xia ru¡¯s blood?¡± ¡°yes!¡± xia wan confirmed, then looked at chen mo, ¡°can you see anything wrong with this blood?¡± ¡°how could i¡­¡± chen mo, though hesitant, examined the small bottle closely. after a while, he suddenly exclaimed, ¡°what are these grey-white specks?¡± ¡°that¡¯s exactly what i want to find out,¡± xia wan nodded, ¡°this substance has entered the bloodstream, so it wasn¡¯t administered in one go. we need to figure out what it is, when, and how xia ru ingested it.¡± ¡°shouldn¡¯t this be sent to a hospital for analysis?¡± chen mo asked. he might not understand medicine, but he knew this much. ¡°they might not be able to see much just by looking at it, even if xia wan is a skilled doctor.¡± ¡°it¡¯s already been sent to the hospital,¡± xia wan said calmly. ¡°sent? when?¡± chen mo was surprised. he had been there all along, and xia wan had not left his sight. how could she have sent the blood sample for testing without him noticing? chen mo pondered deeply, while xia wan didn¡¯t rush to explain. ¡°let¡¯s go,¡± xia wan suggested, ¡°we¡¯ll leave this matter to director li and officer song. let¡¯s go back and see if there¡¯s any news about my parents.¡± ¡°okay,¡± chen mo replied, starting the car. soon after they left the sanatorium, a black sedan slowly drove up from another road. ¡°now that the police are inside, what do we do?¡± the man with the crew cut, gripping the steering wheel, glanced towards the sanatorium and asked. ¡°did that woman say anything?¡± jiang lu, looking tense with dark circles under his eyes, seemed exhausted. ¡°i asked her several times, but she said she knew nothing,¡± the crew-cut man spat, frustrated, ¡°i don¡¯t know if this stupid woman is tight-lipped or if the clerk really didn¡¯t tell her anything!¡± ¡°now that the clerk has been caught, it¡¯s even harder to find those things,¡± jiang lu said through clenched teeth. ¡°do you think the xia couple knows anything? or maybe we could¡­¡± the crew-cut man began to suggest. ¡°don¡¯t bother with such useless thoughts!¡± jiang lu immediately rejected the idea, ¡°if they really knew something, xia jiang would have found out when he asked. xia hai would have spilled everything by now!¡± ¡°that makes sense,¡± the crew-cut man sighed, ¡°i¡¯ve never seen such honest people. even when they¡¯re being taken advantage of, they still plead for their betrayer!¡± ¡°enough! stop talking nonsense!¡± jiang lu grew more impatient, ¡°go and make sure that place is closely watched. the xia couple can¡¯t show up for now.¡± ¡°i know! don¡¯t worry,¡± the crew-cut man nodded, then looked at the sanatorium again, ¡°what about this place? what do we do?¡± ¡°find a chance to get the person out without ruining our plans,¡± jiang lu said coldly, ¡°and for the rest, destroy whatever you can.. don¡¯t let anyone know this has anything to do with us!¡± Chapter 548 - Chapter 548: Clues Chapter 548: Clues Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Crew-cut nodded in agreement, but then something seemed to occur to him. ¡°Do you think that Director Li bringing people from the county central hospital over might have discovered something?¡± ¡°I originally planned to let that foolish woman Xia Ru die here. It would serve as a deterrent to the clerk and make him cooperate willingly, revealing the truth,¡± Jiang Lu pondered, stroking his chin. ¡°But the hospital staff didn¡¯t take Xia Ru away, and then the police showed up¡­ ¡± Jiang Lu then turned to Crew-cut and asked, ¡°Are you sure the information that came out is that Xia Ru is not dead?¡± Crew-cut hesitated, ¡°The sanatorium is under strict scrutiny now. I only received a message that Xia Ru wasn¡¯t dead, and then the sender turned off their phone.¡± ¡°Could it be that Xia Ru died after that?¡± Crew-cut speculated. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible,¡± Jiang Lu¡¯s eyes flickered with a hint of brightness. ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Jiang Lu said, his tone revealing a bit of excitement. Crew-cut didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately turned the car around. ¡°Brother Song, there was a suspicious car parked outside the sanatorium just now,¡± a young police officer reported to Officer Song. ¡°Did you get the license plate number?¡± Officer Song was flipping through the various reports provided by Director Li, his brows tightly furrowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it clearly,¡± the young officer hesitated. Officer Song glanced at him sideways and huffed, ¡°Then why are you reporting this to me?¡± The young officer looked a bit aggrieved, ¡°But I recognize that car. There are only two of those in our county!¡± Officer Song gave him another look, ¡°Couldn¡¯t it have come from another city?¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± the young officer mumbled, but then he remembered something, ¡°Brother Song, no! Although I didn¡¯t remember the license plate, it¡¯s definitely a vehicle registered in our county! I remember the first three digits!¡± Officer Song slapped the thick pile of reports on the table with a ¡°bang.¡± ¡°You have a lead and you don¡¯t investigate?! Are you waiting for me to do it for you?¡± ¡°Or do you want to read these reports?¡± Already frustrated with the reports, Officer Song was looking for an outlet for his irritation. Seeing Officer Song¡¯s reaction, the young officer shrank back and hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m going to check it out right now!¡± The young officer turned and ran, leaving Officer Song to watch his retreating figure with a sigh, ¡°When will these kids ever give me a break?¡± With the series of cases triggered by the psychiatric hospital, several special task forces had been established. Police departments at the provincial and municipal levels were taking it very seriously, almost demanding that all suspects be apprehended within two days. But with the county¡¯s limited police force and these youngsters lacking sense and observation skills, it was frustrating. When will they finally solve the case and get a break? Officer Song was screaming inside. After a while, he sighed and went back to reviewing the reports. When Xia Wan and Chen MO returned to the Xia family¡¯s home, Xia Chen had already arrived. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re back. Did everything go smoothly?¡± Xia Wan asked, seeing Xia Chen¡¯s gloomy face. ¡°Tomorrow, I want to help out at home, ¡± Xia Chen requested again. Xia Wan smiled and walked over to him, linking her arm with his, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry, Xia Feng and I can handle it!¡± But Xia Chen turned to face her, his expression serious, ¡°Did something happen to Xia Ru?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Xia Wan was curious about how Xia Chen knew these things but didn¡¯t intend to hide it. ¡°I met Xia Ye today,¡± Xia Chen¡¯s face looked troubled, ¡°She said¡­¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± Xia Wan immediately became alert. Since Xia Ye was set up for an arranged marriage, she had rarely attended school. Xia Wan thought Xia Ye had been forced into marriage, but Liu Hua mentioned that the Hua family wasn¡¯t interested in her, so the marriage didn¡¯t happen. With so many other issues lately, Xia Wan had almost forgotten about Xia Ye. If she remembered correctly, the last time she saw Xia Ye, Jiang Lu was nearby! ¡°She said that Xia Ru was sent to the sanatorium and is now completely insane,¡± Xia Chen reported truthfully, ¡°She also mentioned that when our uncle visited Xia Ru, she was unconscious and couldn¡¯t be woken up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that she doesn¡¯t have long to live.¡± ¡°If our uncle¡¯s and our Darents¡¯ disaDDearance is related. could it also be connected to Xia Ru¡¯s situation?¡± Chapter 549 - Chapter 549: Xia Ru Is Fine Chapter 549: Xia Ru Is Fine Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Hearing Xia Chen¡¯s conjecture, a sigh escaped Xia Wan¡¯s lips. ¡°Brother, Xia Ru is doing fine now.¡± ¡°She was visited by Eldest Uncle and others just a couple of days ago.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s voice carried a reassuring tone. ¡°I¡¯ll keep a vigilant eye on Xia Ru, ensuring her safety until our parents are found.¡± Xia Chen¡¯s lips pressed tightly, betraying a struggle to contain his emotions. Xia Wan, observing him, exhaled softly. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t fret. I assure you, Dad and Mom are out of harm¡¯s way for now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it ¨C I¡¯ll locate them as soon as I can!¡± Her promise was fervent, determined. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want them worrying over you, right?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there something I can do?¡± Xia Chen¡¯s expression was a mix of frustration and determination. ¡°Even Little Feng is contributing. What about me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re aware how much our parents are pinning their hopes on your success,¡± Xia Wan said, smiling encouragingly. ¡°Imagine their pride if you represent our school excellently with the foreign guests! ¡°And I have faith that Mom and Dad are safe!¡± Xia Chen opened his mouth to respond, but then, conceding to his limited ability to assist, he remained silent. After a moment¡¯s thought, he offered, ¡°If you need help, just call me. I¡¯m here for you, always.¡± Xia Wan nodded, then suddenly remembered something. ¡°Actually, Brother, there is a favor I need from you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Xia Chen¡¯s eyes sparkled with eagerness. ¡°I need you to keep an eye on Jiang Lu at school,¡± Xia Wan said seriously. ¡°Jiang Lu?¡± Xia Chen furrowed his brow, puzzled. ¡°Why? He¡¯s been absent for the last two days.¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t been to school?¡± Xia Wan inquired, surprised. ¡®Yes, I heard there was a family issue, and he¡¯s on leave,¡± Xia Chen confirmed, recalling overhearing Song Zhi and others discussing it. ¡°But why Jiang Lu?¡± Xia Chen¡¯s expression shifted to one of concern. ¡°Is it possible he¡¯s linked to what happened to Mom and Dad?¡± Xia Wan quickly reassured him with a pat. ¡°It¡¯s just a suspicion for now. Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions or tip off the wrong people.¡± Xia Chen nodded solemnly. ¡°If I see him, I¡¯ll be watchful.¡± ¡°Maybe I should visit his house?¡± he suggested impulsively. But Xia Wan immediately dismissed the idea. ¡°You hardly know him; it¡¯d be too suspicious. ¡°Just observe his interactions and any odd behavior. And remember, don¡¯t do anything that might blow our cover, otherwise¡­¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Xia Chen promised, his eyes alight with resolve. Xia Wan sighed in relief, her gaze drifting to Xia Feng, curled up and asleep on the sofa. ¡°He¡¯s been through so much lately.¡± ¡®Yeah! He¡¯s really maturing fast,¡± Xia Chen added with a smile. Meanwhile, Chen MO, sitting in his car parked outside Xia Wan¡¯s house, dialed Xu Ye¡¯s number. ¡°I need a thorough check on Jiang Lu.¡± ¡°I need every detail on his recent whereabouts and activities. And update me on the Jiang family¡¯s current situation,¡± Chen MO insisted before hanging up. Xu Ye, staring at the disconnected phone, grumbled and cursed under his breath. Despite his frustration, he got out of bed and headed to his study. Chen MO, undeterred, called Zhang Cheng next. ¡°I have something urgent to discuss. Let¡¯s meet,¡± Zhang Cheng said, pre-empting Chen Mo¡¯s request with an invitation of his own.. Chapter 550 - Chapter 550: The Mistakes that Were Made Chapter 550: The Mistakes that Were Made Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Outside the ¡°Starlight¡± private room, Chen MO hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure about something. But soon, he gathered his thoughts and pushed open the door of the room. ¡°Brother Cheng, you called for me?¡± Chen MO looked at Zhang Cheng, who was sitting on the sofa, and quickly walked over to him. ¡°First of all, I need to apologize to you,¡± Zhang Cheng stood up and earnestly said to Chen MO, ¡°I haven¡¯t managed my subordinates strictly, causing trouble for you. This is my fault.¡± ¡°Brother Cheng, don¡¯t say that,¡± Chen MO knew what Zhang Cheng was referring to, but that wasn¡¯t his main concern right now. ¡°I want to know¡­¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to ask,¡± Zhang Cheng interrupted Chen MO again. ¡°I had someone check. Indeed, they previously took a couple to a place using my car.¡± ¡°But later, they moved the people somewhere else.¡± ¡°I sent someone to check, but they¡¯re not there anymore. As for where they were moved to, they¡¯re not sure.¡± Hearing Zhang Cheng¡¯s words, Chen Mo¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Can¡¯t find them anymore?¡± Chen MO asked for confirmation. ¡°As it involves my people, I will naturally continue to have it investigated,¡± Zhang Cheng noticed Chen MO¡¯s grim expression. ¡°But¡­ it might be difficult.¡± ¡°Is it the Jiang family?¡± Chen MO voiced his suspicion. Without any hesitation, Zhang Cheng nodded in affirmation. He knew Chen MO must have already found out some information. ¡°The current situation of the Jiang family seems to be rather dire, but why they targeted that couple, I haven¡¯t found out,¡± said Zhang Cheng helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a bit about the Jiang family. Moreover, Jiang Lu from that family is deliberately getting close to me and Xia Wan,¡± Chen MO shared the information he had found. He trusted Zhang Cheng and didn¡¯t intend to hide anything. ¡°Brother Cheng, do you know about the case that the county is currently investigating?¡± Chen MO asked, slightly restraining his expression. Zhang Cheng was also taken aback, pausing before responding, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a little about it. ¡°This case involves a wide range, and a lot of information needs to be checked, so some other forces have been utilized. ¡°I happen to have some connections involved, so I understand a bit about it.¡± ¡°Are you saying that this case is also related to the Jiang family?¡± Zhang Cheng suddenly realized what Chen MO was implying. ¡°Although the police can¡¯t catch some of the people involved now, and there are still a few leaders at large, there are some inconsistencies that need to be further investigated,¡± Chen MO continued, ¡°And the timing of Jiang Lu¡¯s appearance is very strange. ¡°Especially his knowledge about the case, which is more than both me and Xia Wan know. ¡°Even, he knows the whereabouts of some people involved in the case. ¡°I believe that even if the Jiang family is not involved in this case, Jiang Lu is somewhat implicated.¡± Hearing Chen Mo¡¯s analysis, Zhang Cheng didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. Jiang Lu had hosted a banquet in the county town to entertain the old leaders, although it was through Xu Jia¡¯s siblings¡¯ connection. If this event also implicated the old leaders in such an incident, it could be problematic¡­ Thinking this, Zhang Cheng¡¯s face gradually darkened. ¡°I can¡¯t do too much publicly. If you need to investigate anything, just tell me!¡± ¡°Thank you, Brother Cheng!¡± Chen MO sincerely thanked him, ¡°Regarding the whereabouts of Xia Wan¡¯s parents, please pay more attention.¡± ¡°As for Jiang Lu, if Brother Cheng finds it inconvenient, I will handle it myself.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Zhang Cheng agreed, already starting to think about how to inform the old leaders about this matter. After Chen MO left, Zhang Cheng called Zhang Feng. ¡°If Jiang Lu contacts you again, do as he says.¡± Zhang Feng, though puzzled, obediently agreed. Zhang Cheng went to Liang Tao¡¯s room and knocked lightly on the door. Liang Tao¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Is that Zhang Cheng? Come in! ¡± Zhang Cheng turned the doorknob and entered, closing the door behind him. Liang Tao was sitting under the light, looking at a few pages of documents. Without lifting his head, he said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Speak!¡± Zhang Cheng hesitated for a moment before speaking up. ¡°Leader, that young Jiang Lu has caused some trouble and got my people involved too.¡± ¡°How could you be so careless?¡± Liang Tao looked up at Zhang Cheng with a displeased expression. Zhang Cheng lowered his head, full of apologies: ¡°It¡¯s my lack of supervision. I¡¯ve already sent someone to follow up on this matter. It won¡¯t affect you, leader¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re foolish!¡± Liang Tao¡¯s expression turned even uglier. ¡°You¡¯re someone I personally brought up. In many people¡¯s eyes, what you do represents me! ¡°Do you think your mistake won¡¯t affect me?¡± Chapter 551 - Chapter 551: Someone Has Died! Chapter 551: Someone Has Died! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Hearing Liang Tao¡¯s words, Zhang Cheng¡¯s head drooped even lower, his voice barely a whisper. ¡°Alright! Resolve any issues swiftly! We have more pressing tasks at hand!¡± ¡°Yes, sir! Understood!¡± Zhang Cheng responded promptly. Turning swiftly, he opened the door and exited the room. Stepping out of Liang Tao¡¯s office, Zhang Cheng wasted no time in reaching out to Cai Jia, the deputy director of the county police station. ¡°Deputy Director Cai, I have a matter that requires your assistance,¡± Zhang Cheng began, his tone polite yet firm. Cai Jia, on the other end, responded eagerly, aware of the influence Zhang Cheng wielded. ¡°Mr. Zhang, there¡¯s no need for formalities. What do you need?¡± Cai Jia replied with a hint of enthusiasm in his voice. Cai Jia was acutely aware that, despite Zhang Cheng¡¯s non-political and non-military status, he held sway in both realms, especially with the backing of a high-ranking official. Any request from Zhang Cheng was seen as an extension of that official¡¯s wishes, not to be lightly dismissed. Without hesitation, Zhang Cheng got straight to the point. ¡°Your officers are investigating a case related to a sanatorium. I would appreciate it if Deputy Chief Cai could keep me informed about any developments.¡± Cai Jia hesitated momentarily. Revealing details about an ongoing case was not standard practice unless it involved the parties in the case. It was a matter of discipline. Furthermore, this particular case was linked to Xia Wan. Her involvement had been crucial in cracking a significant human organ trafficking case, earning commendation for the county police station. Given its sensitivity, the case was handled with utmost care. After receiving Chen MO¡¯s call, Song Lei had promptly led his team to the nursing home. However, Zhang Cheng¡¯s unique position left Cai Jia unsure of how to proceed. Zhang Cheng, sensing her hesitation, clarified, ¡°I have a familial connection to someone involved in the case. I¡¯m concerned about their family¡¯s well-being, and I¡¯m hoping Deputy Director Cai can make an exception for me.¡± ¡°No problem at all!¡± Cai Jia agreed instantly. ¡°If it involves family, we¡¯ll certainly accommodate your request!¡± Zhang Cheng¡¯s explanation provided Cai Jia with a convenient rationale. She would be foolish not to seize this opportunity for compliance. After all, who would delve into whether they were actually related? Zhang Cheng¡¯s word was enough for Cai Jia to act on. With Cai Jia¡¯s commitment, Zhang Cheng felt assured. Leveraging the resources and influence of the county would now be easier. Utilizing external forces rashly could raise alarms and lead to unnecessary complications. To maintain discretion, it was best to utilize the resources of the county police station. After concluding his call with Cai Jia, Zhang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. He had anticipated a straightforward visit to this small county town, only to find it riddled with unexpected complexities. Zhang Cheng felt his head throb with the weight of these complications. He longed to resolve these issues quickly and return home for a relaxing shower. Meanwhile, at the nursing home, another crisis was unfolding. ¡°Help! Someone¡¯s overdosed on pills!¡± A nurse¡¯s panicked cry disrupted the drowsiness of the few officers present. Officer Song, dropping the documents he was perusing, dashed out of the room. Director Li, just about to unwind, cursed under his breath, hastily throwing on a shirt before hurrying to the scene. Arriving at the source of the commotion, they found an individual lying motionless on the floor, mouth foaming, while two nurses stood nearby, their faces drained of color, hands clasped in anxiety. ¡°What happened here?¡± Officer Song inquired first. One nurse, her voice quivering, recounted, ¡°Xiao Zhao came towards us, muttering incoherently. Before we could react, he swallowed a handful of pills. Then he collapsed, eyes rolling back, foaming at the mouth.¡± ¡°Why are you just standing there? Didn¡¯t you learn any first aid?¡± Director Li exclaimed, his frustration evident. The nurses looked at Director Li, fear mingling with a hint of defiance in their eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve never faced something like this before¡­ How could we¡­¡± Their shaky voices belied a strange certainty, leaving Director Li momentarily at a loss for words. Rushing to the collapsed individual, Director Li quickly assessed the situation and called out, ¡°Summon Director Zhu and the others, now!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s so late¡­¡± someone protested weakly. ¡°Enough talk! We can¡¯t have a death in the sanatorium!¡± Director Li barked, his urgency palpable.. Chapter 552 - Chapter 552: What Sort of Conspiracy is This? Chapter 552: What Sort of Conspiracy is This? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Director Ll oraerea someone co Keep an eye on mm. Although Director Li had some medical knowledge and had learned first aid, it would not be so easy for him to perform first aid if this person swallowed a large amount of medicine. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Officer Song leaned over to check the situation and asked Director Li. ¡°This person is called Zhao Chong. He¡¯s an employee of our hospital,¡± Director Li glanced at the person lying on the ground. ¡°I just checked him. He should be fine for now, but he might need to be sent to the hospital to have his stomach pumped.¡± ¡°Why would he do that?¡± Officer Song asked again. Director Li looked at Officer Song helplessly and said with a sense of grievance, ¡°I also want to know!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day, and one of them fainted for no reason. Now, another one is swallowing medicine! I also want to know why they are doing this!¡± Seeing that Director Li was about to cry, Officer Song sighed helplessly and ordered his subordinates to take a statement from the two witnesses. Although he wasn¡¯t sure if it would eventually become a case, the act of swallowing medicine was too strange. He could only record it first. ¡°Did this person do anything strange before?¡± Officer Song asked again. The timing of this person taking the medicine was too coincidental. They were investigating Xia Ruts fainting incident, and someone took the medicine at this time. Moreover, it was a staff member of the sanatorium. It was difficult not to be suspicious. ¡°This Little Zhao is usually quite an honest person,¡± Director Li said as he recalled. ¡°It¡¯s because his family is not well-off, and he doesn¡¯t like to interact with others.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any skills. When he came, he was wearing tattered clothes.¡± ¡°I kept him as a handyman because he was willing to work hard and had great strength. He didn¡¯t have any requirements for salary.¡± ¡°Who would have thought that it would only be a week¡­¡± The more Director Li spoke, the more aggrieved he felt. ¡°We¡¯ll ask him in detail when he wakes up,¡± Officer Song patted Director Li¡¯s shoulder. Director Li sighed and walked in the direction of his office dejectedly. His sleepiness had completely disappeared. It seemed that tonight was destined to be a sleepless night! The next morning, Chen Mo¡¯s car arrived at Xia Wan¡¯s house on time. ¡°Did Director Li tell you about what happened at the sanatorium last night?¡± Chen MO asked softly. ¡°Yes, she was sent to the hospital,¡± Xia Wan nodded and said. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange?¡± Chen MO probed. ¡°Your men didn¡¯t follow?¡± Xia Wan asked instead of answering. ¡°You¡¯re so smart! ¡± Chen MO was stunned for a moment before smiling. Xia Wan stretched lazily before sinking into her seat. ¡°However, this person is in such a hurry to deliver the letter. It¡¯s probably because there was an error in the information when they contacted each other earlier,¡± Xia Wan continued. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this error will cause the people outside to make a wrong judgment.¡± ¡°So he had to come out.¡± ¡°You guessed right. Someone went into the hospital last night,¡± Chen Mo¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°However, this person hasn¡¯t woken up. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to get any information.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Xia Wan had a faint smile on her face. She had some understanding of Chen Mo¡¯s methods. ¡°There are many ways to keep people from waking up, aren¡¯t there?¡± Chen MO pursed his lips and had a wicked smile on his face. ¡°Since they¡¯ve set their sights on us, there¡¯s no reason not to let us fight back!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! We still have a problem to solve!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s expression became serious. Chen MO did not say anything. He stepped on the accelerator and drove towards the military hospital. This time, no one stopped Xia Wan and Chen MO from entering the ICU. ¡°How¡¯s the preparation of the medicine going?¡± Xia Wan asked Dr. Fang, who had a serious expression on his face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of causing trouble for yourself by using medicine like this?¡± Dr. Fang confirmed again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Since I dare to use it, I naturally have my reasons,¡± Xia Wan ignored Dr. Fang¡¯s advice. ¡°Isn¡¯t the medicine ready yet?¡± Xia Wan confirmed again. Seeing that Xia Wan did not listen to his advice, Dr. Fang took a deep breath and said to the assistant beside him, ¡°Go and bring the medicine over!¡± The assistant handed Xia Wan three wooden boxes filled with medicinal herbs. Xia Wan bent down to check the quality of the herbs carefully and attentively. Dr. Fang held his breath for a long time before he snorted. He flung his sleeves, turned around, and walked out of the ICU. The assistant stood where he was and stared blankly in the direction Dr. Fang had left. He then looked at Xia Wan, who was still focused on picking the herbs. ¡°You can go and do your work! If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll call you!¡± Xia Wan said to her assistant.. Chapter 553 - Chapter 553: Let’s Be Clear Chapter 553: Let¡¯s Be Clear Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen MO stood in the observation room of the intensive care unit, watching Xia Wan intently checking on Shi Yu¡¯s condition. ¡°Is this girl really that amazing?¡± Zhang Cheng asked in a low voice, having appeared next to Chen MO without notice. ¡°I believe in her!¡± Chen MO said with conviction, his eyes never leaving Xia Wan. Zhang Cheng remained silent, simply watching Xia Wan¡¯s movements. After a while, Zhang Cheng finally spoke, ¡°The one lying in the hospital, can I take care of him?¡± Chen MO frowned and turned to Zhang Cheng, ¡°What do you mean, Brother Cheng?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not planning to let him off easily, but I have some use for this person,¡± Zhang Cheng said candidly. Chen MO glanced at Zhang Cheng and then back at Xia Wan, ¡°I don¡¯t have a say in this, wait for Xia Wan to come out and ask her yourself!¡± Zhang Cheng was somewhat surprised but nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± The two fell back into silence. An hour later, Xia Wan finished her work and walked out of the intensive care unit. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Chen MO asked Xia Wan with concern, noticing her fatigue. Xia Wan shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m okay, but Shi Yu¡¯s condition was more complicated and time-consuming.¡± ¡°Is he definitely going to wake up?¡± Zhang Cheng asked for confirmation. After all, he had made a promise to Lin Chao, and the medicinal materials were ready. If the patient couldn¡¯t be saved¡­ Xia Wan looked at Zhang Cheng and firmly stated, ¡°He will wake up within three days!¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t mind Zhang Cheng¡¯s doubts. Chen Mo¡¯s expression grew even grimmer, ¡°Brother Cheng, don¡¯t worry. If Wanwan says he¡¯ll wake up, he definitely will!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Zhang Cheng showed a remorseful smile, ¡°Miss Xia, don¡¯t mind me, I just wanted a definitive answer, as it involves a lot of things.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Xia Wan said with a smile, showing her magnanimity. ¡°Also, there¡¯s another matter I¡¯d like to ask for Miss Xia¡¯s help with,¡± Zhang Cheng seized the opportunity to make his request, ¡°The person who was sent from the sanatorium to the hospital yesterday, I wonder if Miss Xia would let me handle him?¡± Chen MO turned to Xia Wan and said, ¡°Brother Cheng asked me for the person, I said it¡¯s not my business, and how to deal with him is up to you.¡± Xia Wan nodded in understanding and then said, ¡°Since Brother Cheng wants that person, how about we make a trade?¡± Zhang Cheng looked at Xia Wan somewhat surprised, ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡± ¡°Jiang Lu,¡± Xia Wan said with a smile, looking steadily at Zhang Cheng. Zhang Cheng¡¯s brow furrowed slightly and he asked, ¡°What do you need me to ¡°I know the Jiang family has some status, and Jiang Lu has friends in the military district,¡± Xia Wan said, seemingly having a plan. ¡°This time, my parents¡¯ issue might also be related to Jiang Lu. ¡°No matter who is covering for Jiang Lu or whatever, I don¡¯t care. ¡°Right now, my first wish is for my parents to return safely as soon as possible. ¡°Second, I hope to secure that military supply order smoothly. ¡°I think, Brother Cheng, you should be able to help with this, right?¡± Zhang Cheng¡¯s expression changed slightly, but his eyes shone as he stared at Xia Wan. Although the young girl hadn¡¯t said much, it seemed like everything was under her control. ¡°How can you be sure I can help you? And why do you think I will?¡± Zhang Cheng asked, finding it interesting. ¡°Surely, the reason you want that person is to cover for someone,¡± Xia Wan spoke frankly. ¡°Since it¡¯s a cover-up, you must have already caught some clues, but it¡¯s inconvenient to involve others.¡± ¡°We can stay out of this matter, but I don¡¯t want my parents to be harmed.¡± ¡°But regarding the kidnapping of my parents, I can¡¯t just forgive and forget easily.¡± ¡°Moreover, that military supply order was originally directed at my family, and I can¡¯t just give it up!¡± Xia Wan spoke firmly, and Zhang Cheng¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Alright! I promise you! I¡¯ll keep an eye on Jiang Lu, he won¡¯t cause you any more trouble!¡± Zhang Cheng assured. Xia Wan lowered her eyelids slightly, as if pondering something. ¡°If you have any other requests, feel free to make them,¡± Zhang Cheng spoke again. ¡°Since we¡¯re all clear-headed here, let¡¯s be frank and avoid playing games..¡± Chapter 554 - Chapter 554: Relieved Chapter 554: Relieved Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Alright then! Since Brother Cheng has given his word, I shall be forthright in my requests,¡± Xia Wan confidently stated, her intuition telling her that Zhang Cheng would accede to her needs. ¡°The sanatorium is currently facing some operational challenges, and I would greatly appreciate it, Brother Cheng, if you could lend a hand in resolving these issues. ¡°Moreover, there have been some suspicious individuals monitoring our family¡¯s new shop lately, and I suspect Jiang Lu might be involved. I¡¯m hoping you could address this matter as well.¡± ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re quite¡­¡± Zhang Cheng began, adopting a serious demeanor, ¡°You¡¯re certainly not holding back!¡± Yet, Xia Wan maintained her smile. ¡°I presume, Brother Cheng, that you wouldn¡¯t prefer the information we¡¯ve gathered to be made public. That could get quite complicated¡­¡± Upon hearing Xia Wan¡¯s subtle implication, Zhang Cheng¡¯s expression grew even more solemn. He had initially intended to lightly jest with Xia Wan, but he recognized that her request was genuine and irrevocable. ¡°Alright! The issues you¡¯ve raised are somewhat intricate, but they¡¯re manageable,¡± Zhang Cheng reassured, gesturing with his hand. ¡°Once Shi Yu recovers, rest assured, I¡¯ll ensure the safe return of your parents.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Brother Cheng!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s face brightened with gratitude, and she gave Chen MO¡¯s hand a reassuring squeeze. Chen MO immediately grasped Xia Wan¡¯s intent. ¡°Brother Cheng, Xia Wan is feeling quite weary. If there are no further matters, we¡¯ll take your leave now,¡± Chen MO said, guiding Xia Wan towards the exit. Zhang Cheng watched their retreating figures with narrowed eyes, contemplating, ¡°This young lady is far from ordinary. It would be wise to stay on her good side in the future.¡± Once in the car, Chen MO queried Xia Wan, ¡°How can you be so certain that Brother Cheng will ensure your parents¡¯ return? ¡°And what makes you so sure that he would agree to all your requests? What if he had refused?¡± ¡°My brother reported seeing Jiang Lu being taken away from school,¡± Xia Wan revealed, showing her phone to Chen Mo. That was the message Xia Chen had sent soon after they reached the hospital. ¡°Are you convinced it was Brother Cheng¡¯s men?¡± Chen MO asked again, his curiosity piqued. ¡°Considering the Jiang family¡¯s sway in Tao City, would Jiang Lu, their young master, be so easily apprehended in this small town?¡± Xia Wan replied with a casual shrug. ¡°In this place, only a handful of people could dare to meddle with Jiang Lu.¡± ¡°Furthermore, you mentioned Jiang Lu had involved Zhang Cheng¡¯s people in his schemes. Do you really think Brother Cheng would allow him to continue unchecked?¡± ¡°That does make sense,¡± Chen MO acknowledged, then added with a hint of helplessness, ¡°You¡¯re incredibly audacious. What if your boldness had upset Brother Cheng and he chose to ignore these issues?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen,¡± Xia Wan stated with confidence. ¡°Why so sure?¡± Chen MO was somewhat baffled. ¡°Do you actually believe Brother Cheng came to this town merely for leisure?¡± Xia Wan quipped, her nose wrinkling playfully. ¡°You must have also deduced that he¡¯s here on a specific mission.¡± ¡°As to the nature of that mission, I¡¯m still in the dark, yet I can¡¯t shake the feeling¡­¡± Xia Wan¡¯s lips tightened momentarily, ¡°I suspect it¡¯s somehow tied to the recent military procurement.¡± ¡°You mean the new contract your family just secured?¡± Chen Mot s expression grew serious as well. ¡°Indeed, military procurements are significant affairs. The sudden approach to our family does seem rather peculiar,¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t hide her concern. ¡°However, I¡¯ve checked the credentials of the colonel that Zhou En met, and nothing seemed amiss.¡± Chen MO, too, sensed an anomaly but couldn¡¯t pinpoint its exact nature. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the shop first. I need to verify a few things with Zhou En,¡± Xia Wan suggested, making calls to Xia Feng and Xia Chen. With Zhang Cheng¡¯s commitment, Xia Hai and Yan Han¡¯s return seemed imminent. Despite Xia Chen and Xia Feng¡¯s apparent calm over the past few days, the stress was evident in their lack of appetite. For youths in their teens and early twenties, maintaining composure under such strain was no small feat. Listening to Xia Wan comforting her brothers over the phone, Chen MO felt as if she bore the wisdom and experience far beyond her years. Yet, she was merely a teenager! After ending the call, Xia Wan noticed Chen MO sneaking glances at her as he drove. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°How beautiful you are?¡± Chen MO exclaimed spontaneously. Xia Wan, taken aback at first, soon burst into laughter. Chen MO, seeing Xia Wan¡¯s smile after several tense days, finally relaxed with a sigh of relief.. Chapter 555 - Chapter 555: Invitation Letter Chapter 555: Invitation Letter Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Wanwan, how¡¯s it going?¡± When Zhou En saw Xia Wan appear at the store entrance, he hurriedly went up to ask. ¡°There¡¯s news, my parents should be able to come back soon.¡± Xia Wan held Zhou En¡¯s hand with one hand, and the two walked into the store together. Zhou En also seemed to let out a sigh of relief, and the tense expression on his face relaxed in an instant. ¡°How has the store been these past few days?¡± Xia Wan looked around the store, which seemed to have no customers. ¡°The store hasn¡¯t had many customers these past few days. The shop across the street can¡¯t even get one or two customers in a day,¡± Zhou En said somewhat disheartenedly. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what the situation is!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, things should improve once the new products arrive in a few days.¡± Xia Wan gently patted Zhou Ents shoulder, telling her not to be too nervous. Zhou En blinked at Xia Wan. ¡°New products coming to the store? That¡¯s really great!¡± ¡°Some customers have said that although most of our store¡¯s styles are similar to those in the city, they always lack something to their liking,¡± Zhou En couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°It would be better if there were more matching options!¡± ¡°The purchasing power of the county town hasn¡¯t reached the standard of the city, but obviously, people¡¯s aesthetic tastes in clothing are becoming more uniform,¡± Xia Wan pondered. According to Xia Wan¡¯s memory, the county town¡¯s fashion aesthetics and purchasing power were always a few years behind the city. But unexpectedly, now the people in this county town are demanding more and more innovation in clothing, and there¡¯s a trend of catching up with the city¡¯s fashion! ¡°Oh, right, a registered letter came for you,¡± Zhou En suddenly remembered something else and, while speaking, walked to the back of the display shelf to take out a small envelope, ¡°1 was going to bring it to you later!¡± Xia Wan took the letter, opened it, and looked at it, her expression a bit strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou En looked at Xia Wan¡¯s expression, which seemed to be both smiling and stiff, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± She had never seen such a conflicted expression on Xia Wan¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s an invitation from Professor Yang Ning,¡± Xia Wan handed the invitation to Zhou En. ¡°An invitation to the Beijing Designers Conference?¡± Zhou En exclaimed in surprise. Xia Wan nodded, her smile deepening. ¡°Xia Wan!¡± Zhou En suddenly shouted, holding the invitation in one hand and shaking Xia Wan¡¯s hand vigorously with the other, ¡°Look! My name is on it too!¡± Xia Wan was a bit amused and bemused: ¡°This invitation is probably because of our award-winning work last time!¡± Zhou En¡¯s expression froze for a moment, but quickly returned to an excited state: ¡°That¡¯s great! You have no idea how much I wanted to attend the Designers Conference!¡± ¡°Xia Wan, thank you so much!¡± Zhou En said sincerely. ¡®Why thank me, it¡¯s your own effort that earned this!¡± Xia Wan refused to take credit. Zhou En shook her head: ¡°Without you, I don¡¯t know how many years it would have taken to earn this honor!¡± ¡°Alright! Think about what you need to prepare for the conference!¡± Xia Wan said, pulling away from Zhou En¡¯s tight grip, ¡°I have other things to handle, and I¡¯ll leave the travel preparations to you!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words dampened Zhou En¡¯s enthusiasm a bit, ¡°Your parents haven¡¯t come back yet, we¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, my parents should be back in half a day,¡± Xia Wan said confidently. ¡°Then¡­¡± Zhou En still hesitated. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We won¡¯t leave until a week later, my parents will definitely be back safely!¡± Xia Wan patted Zhou En¡¯s hand again to reassure her. Zhou En no longer hesitated, excitedly holding the invitation and spinning around in place, her previously gloomy mood completely gone. Xia Wan watched Zhou Ents excited state, but her mind was muddled with thoughts of the shop across the street. Jiang Lu was staring at the shop across the street. Wen Shu had also gone to the shop to look for something. But since they took over the shop, they had done a thorough cleanup, yet found nothing special. What exactly are they looking for? Also, Zhou En mentioned that the shop had few visitors these days. Since the shop opened, such a situation had hardly ever occurred. Was someone sabotaging it, or was there another reason? Xia Wan¡¯s mind raced, but she couldn¡¯t figure it out for the moment. Although Zhang Cheng was watching Jiang Lu¡¯s side, it wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble for the time being. But was his real goal just this batch of military orders? Chapter 556 - Chapter 556: shi Yu Woke Up Chapter 556: shi Yu Woke Up Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Although Dr. Fang always thought that Xia Wan¡¯s medication was too aggressive, he had to admit that Shi Yu¡¯s condition had improved within just two days. Xia Wan and Chen MO had just gotten out of the car when they were stopped at the door by Lin Chao. ¡°What did you do?¡± Lin Chao rushed up to Xia Wan and asked anxiously. Seeing this, Chen MO immediately stepped forward to shield Xia Wan. His expression slightly darkened, and he stared at Lin Chao with wary eyes. ¡°What are you going to do!¡± Lin Chao, impatiently pushing away Chen Mo¡¯s obstructing hand, excitedly said to Xia Wan, ¡°Dr. Fang said Shi Yu could wake up at any moment! What exactly did you do!¡± Hearing Lin Chao¡¯s words, Chen MO finally relaxed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good news? Why are you blocking the way here? I thought that Shi Yu was in a bad condition!¡± Chen Mot s words immediately earned him a glare from Lin Chao. Chen MO immediately shut his mouth and said no more. Xia Wan was not surprised by the progress of Shi Yu¡¯s condition and said to Lin Chao, ¡°Don¡¯t block the way!¡± Lin Chao instinctively took a step back, truly making way for Xia Wan. Xia Wan walked towards the hospital, followed by Chen MO, and Lin Chao also tagged along behind them. Upon reaching the ICU, Dr. Fang and several medical staff were already waiting outside. ¡°Are you all waiting for me?¡± Xia Wan asked, seeing everyone ready and waiting. ¡°Miss Xia, just now, Shi Yu woke up!¡± Dr. Fang spoke very slowly, as if trying to control some emotion. ¡°Really? Then why don¡¯t we go in quickly!¡± Lin Chao moved past Xia Wan and wanted to go inside. Dr. Fang immediately blocked the door. ¡®You can¡¯t go in yet.¡± ¡°The patient has woken up, but he is not completely out of danger.¡± ¡°Professor Zhang and others are conducting a systematic examination, and you can visit after the examination is complete.¡± ¡°Now that he is awake, shouldn¡¯t you fulfill your promise?¡± Xia Wan was not surprised by Shi Yu¡¯s awakening and did not forget their original intention of saving someone. ¡°Yes, when will you release Zhao Chang?¡± Chen MO also asked. ¡°The situation with Shi Yu is still unstable, I can¡¯t let anyone go!¡± Lin Chao did not plan to fulfill his promise immediately. Xia Wan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly. ¡°You said that once he wakes up, you would release him. Are you planning to go back on your word?¡± ¡°Do you believe that I can wake him up, and also make him never wake up again!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s voice was cold and threatening. Not to mention Lin Chao, even Dr. Fang was so frightened that he almost collapsed on the spot. Before Lin Chao could speak, Dr. Fang already voiced out. ¡°Miss Xia, please don¡¯t be rash! You¡¯ve already broken several prohibitions with your treatment. If you act impulsively now and something happens¡­¡± ¡°Our hospital can¡¯t protect you!¡± Dr. Fang¡¯s voice trembled slightly. He never expected that in performing his duty as a doctor, he would end up dealing with such challenging situations. If this continued, it wasn¡¯t just a matter of whether he could keep his medical license, he might even end up in jail for a few years! Chen Mo¡¯s expression also darkened slightly. ¡°We agreed to just wake the person up, and since we have done that, you should release him!¡± Lin Chao thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I can release Zhao Chang, but, Miss Xia, you have to continue treating Shi Yu until he is completely out of danger!¡± ¡°What gives you the right to set conditions?¡± Xia Wan was not in the mood to show any compassion as a doctor at that moment. ¡°I¡­¡± Lin Chao frowned and thought for a long time before saying, ¡°1 don¡¯t know what I can promise you right now.¡± ¡°But rest assured, I¡¯ll remember this favor!¡± ¡°So, please, you must save Shi Yu, can you?¡± Lin Chao¡¯s sincere attitude was somewhat surprising to both Xia Wan and Chen Mo. Just as Lin Chao finished speaking, a sudden call came from the ICU. ¡°Dr. Fang! Dr. Fang, please come in! The patient is having convulsions and has fainted again! We need to deal with this urgently!¡± Dr. Fang¡¯s expression changed, and after exchanging glances with Xia Wan, they hurried into the ICU without paying attention to anyone else, after performing sterile procedures. Professor Zhang, seeing Xia Wan, immediately made room for her to check on Shi Yu¡¯s condition. ¡°What¡¯s the situation now?¡± Xia Wan grabbed Shi Yu¡¯s wrist and looked towards the monitor beside her. ¡°Just now, the patient had regained some consciousness and was able to communicate verbally, but he reported numbness in his right upper limb and was unable to move..¡± Chapter 557 - Chapter 557: Increasing Dosage Chapter 557: Increasing Dosage Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°In the process of treating the patient¡¯s right upper limb, he suddenly experienced convulsions. We¡¯ve administered 50mg of phenobarbital, which has alleviated the symptoms,¡± the assistant physician continued. ¡°However, the patient has fainted again, showing pupil dilation and a continuous rise in blood pressure.¡± ¡°Set up an imaging test immediately!¡± Professor Zhang directed the assistant physician to urgently contact the imaging department for further examinations of Shi Yu. ¡°But¡­¡± The assistant physician hesitated, his face showing concern. ¡°What are you waiting for! Every second counts in saving lives! Do I need to remind you of that?¡± Professor Zhang said sternly, his tone unusually harsh. ¡°The imaging department is undergoing equipment maintenance today, and currently, it might not be operational¡­¡± the assistant physician said timidly, bracing for Professor Zhang¡¯s response. Panic momentarily seized everyone in the ICU. The medical facilities were limited, especially in this small county town. Even the county hospital lacked an imaging department, let alone the military hospital. For imaging tests, they relied on equipment from other hospitals. Xia Wan released Shi Yu¡¯s wrist where she had been checking his pulse. Turning to Professor Zhang, she suggested, ¡°The patient¡¯s body temperature is excessively high. Have someone prepare cooling items, and start with physical cooling methods.¡± Before Xia Wan could finish, Shi Yu¡¯s body began convulsing again, his chest heaving intensely. A gurgling sound came from his mouth, as if something was struggling to come out. ¡°Turn him over, now!¡± Xia Wan acted quickly, signaling Doctor Fang on the other side. Together, they managed to turn Shi Yu towards Xia Wan. As they did, a stream of yellow, bitter-tasting substance spewed from Shi Yu¡¯s mouth, splattering onto Xia Wan. Undeterred, Xia Wan instructed the nurse to prepare cleaning supplies and remove the remaining substance from Shi Yu¡¯s mouth. ¡°What should we do now?¡± Doctor Fang asked, somewhat lost. Professor Zhang shot Doctor Fang a sharp look, ¡°The patient hasn¡¯t eaten for days. If there¡¯s effluent, he needs further examination. Is that not obvious to a doctor like you?¡± Doctor Fang, realizing his mistake, quickly fell silent. Xia Wan ignored the exchange and continued examining Shi Yu¡¯s head. ¡°Has he been following my prescribed medication and dosage these past days?¡± Xia Wan inquired, meticulously checking Shi Yu from head to toe. This question left everyone speechless. Sensing something amiss, Xia Wan¡¯s gaze moved from Professor Zhang to Doctor Fang, then to the assistant physician, ¡°Did he receive his medication this morning?¡± Caught off-guard, the assistant physician stuttered, ¡°This morning the patient showed signs of consciousness, so we began organizing various tests, but until now, we haven¡¯t¡­ haven¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t administered the medication?¡± Xia Wan finished his sentence. The assistant physician remained silent. Without pressing further, Xia Wan once again grasped Shi Yu¡¯s hand, feeling for his pulse. After a moment, she released his hand and decisively stated, ¡°Increase the medication.¡± ¡°Increase it?¡± Doctor Fang¡¯s voice rose in alarm, echoing beyond the observation room. ¡°Yes!¡± Xia Wan confirmed without hesitation, ¡°Initially, the medication was to be continued until his awakening, then gradually reduced over three days.¡± ¡°However, due to your negligence¡­¡± Xia Wan¡¯s gaze shifted from Doctor Fang to Professor Zhang, ¡°the dosage now needs to be increased, and he must continuously take it for 15 days.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Professor Zhang immediately objected. He had been unable to refuse Xia Wan¡¯s previous unconventional approach due to various constraints. But now, with the patient showing signs of consciousness, continuing this prescription could jeopardize his health! Medication is inherently toxic, and they were using potent drugs! ¡°The dosage is already triple the normal amount. Given the patient¡¯s inability to eat independently, how can his body withstand this?¡± Professor Zhang argued, hoping to dissuade Xia Wan. Xia Wan, however, remained unwavering. ¡°If you want me to treat this patient, follow my instructions and increase the dosage.. Otherwise, I will not take responsibility for his condition!¡± Chapter 558 - Chapter 558: Save or Not Save Chapter 558: Save or Not Save Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: Endless Fantasy Translation The people in the intensive care unit looked at each other, unable to make a decision for a moment. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Professor Zhang, as he was the only one who could give orders now. Professor Zhang was also in a dilemma. Adding more medicine to Shi Yu¡¯s treatment posed a risk to his health, and the dosage was already well beyond the regulated limit. Increasing it further could put the entire hospital staff at risk of severe consequences. However, if they didn¡¯t follow Xia Wan¡¯s instructions, Professor Zhang wasn¡¯t completely confident that they could revive the patient. Offending Lin Chao would also bring trouble. Professor Zhang pondered deeply, while Xia Wan calmly inserted silver needles into several acupoints on Shi Yu¡¯s arms and chest, quietly waiting. ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten minutes. After that, I won¡¯t be responsible for him anymore!¡± Xia Wan said, stepping back to show her stance. Lin Chao, who was standing outside, couldn¡¯t hear the conversation but noticed Xia Wan¡¯s detached demeanor and became anxious. As Lin Chao was about to rush in, Chen MO grabbed him. ¡°What are yc Don¡¯t cause a disturbance inside!¡± Lin Chao turned and glared at Chen Mo: ¡°Why isn¡¯t that woman treati Didn¡¯t Shi Yu just wake up? Why did he faint again? What are they goi now? We have to do something, we can¡¯t just stand by!¡± Chen MO didn¡¯t know how to respond, but he was certain of one thinf worry, Xia Wan won¡¯t let him die.¡± Lin Chao looked at Chen MO, wanting to believe him but couldn¡¯t hidf worry. Inside the ICU, Professor Zhang was still hesitating when he heard ty assistant doctor¡¯s urgent call: ¡°The blood pressure is still rising!¡± ¡°Professor Zhang, if this continues¡­¡± Dr. Fang started to say, but Pro Zhang raised his hand to stop him. ¡°I¡¯ll consult with the dean. The patient needs more medication.¡± Proff Zhang said with a heavy heart, showing his inner struggle. ¡°But¡­¡± Dr. Fang was also conflicted. He didn¡¯t want to ruin his career patient. ¡°Enough talking!¡± Professor Zhang turned sharply and glared at Dr. F you think we can escape responsibility by not administering the med Dr. Fang fell silent. Professor Zhang was right. Even if they gave up on the treatment anc patient died, their fault would be even greater. Having already made the mistake of overdosing, failing to save the patient would be disastrous. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Dr. Fang clenched his teeth and followed Professor Zhang to the dean¡¯s office. Seeing them rushing out, Lin Chao grew even more anxious. After they left, Xia Wan slightly twisted the silver needles in Shi Yu¡¯s body. As Xia Wan stopped her actions, the skyrocketing blood pressure temporarily stabilized. The assistant doctor looked at Xia Wan in amazement. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. This can only temporarily stabilize his condition. Without the medication, he won¡¯t wake up,¡± Xia Wan understood the assistant doctor¡¯s thoughts. The assistant doctor hung his head in despair, continuing to diligently record Shi Yu¡¯s condition. When Professor Zhang and Dr. Fang returned, both were red-faced and breathless from running. ¡°We can increase the medication, but if he doesn¡¯t wake up¡­¡± Professor Zhang was still struggling. ¡°He will wake up!¡± Xia Wan handed a written prescription to Professor Zhang, ¡°Prepare this medication. Once he takes it, I guarantee he will wake up.¡± Professor Zhang took the prescription, nearly crumpling the paper in his ha and instructed Dr. Fang, ¡°Arrange it. He must wake up today!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Dr. Fang didn¡¯t hesitate and rushed to the hospital¡¯s pharmacy. About half an hour later, Xia Wan removed the silver needles from Shi Yu an walked out without a word. As Xia Wan left the ICU, Lin Chao stopped her: ¡°Where are you going? You ce leave now!¡± Xia Wan looked at Lin Chao¡¯s anxious face and said calmly, ¡°His condition is now stable. He will wake up once he takes the medicine.¡± Lin Chao¡¯s expression was serious, not fully trusting Xia Wan¡¯s words. Xia Wan reassured him, ¡°I will wait until he wakes up before leaving. Don¡¯t worry, he will be fine.¡± Lin Chao¡¯s tense expression didn¡¯t relax as he instructed his people, ¡°Take tk to rest..¡± Chapter 559 - Chapter 559: She’s Awake Chapter 559: She¡¯s Awake Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as Shi Yu wakes up, I will definitely let you leave!¡± Lin Chao, seeing Chen Mots pale face blocking Xia Wan, promised. Xia Wan gently patted Chen Mo¡¯s back and replied, ¡°Okay!¡± Chen MO and Xia Wan were taken to a meeting room in the hospital. The meeting room was just a spare room with a long table and three or four chairs. There wasn¡¯t even a water cup. Xia Wan didn¡¯t mind such an environment, as she wouldn¡¯t feel at ease leaving without seeing Shi Yu truly awake. ¡°Is Shi Yu¡¯s condition very bad?¡± Chen MO asked about Shi Yu¡¯s condition for the first time. Originally, Chen MO didn¡¯t care much about Shi Yu¡¯s situation, as he was neither a friend nor someone he volunteered to save. But after seeing Xia Wan¡¯s efforts to save the patient and the tense mood of Professor Zhang and others, he became worried too. Xia Wan looked deeply at Chen MO and then said, ¡°I was hesitating whether to tell you this, but what Zhao Chang told you might not be the truth.¡± After saying this, Xia Wan waited, but didn¡¯t see a surprised expression on Chen Mo¡¯s face. ¡°Did you already guess?¡± Xia Wan asked, surprised. ¡°I had suspicions, but seeing your insistence on adding medicine confirmed my thoughts,¡± Chen MO honestly replied. ¡°How did you guess?¡± Xia Wan was curious. ¡°Zhao Chang isn¡¯t very capable, and it¡¯s unlikely that he could have injured someone to this extent with just a few punches,¡± Chen MO answered simply, yet thoughtfully. ¡°But I have some business dealings with him and his family, so it¡¯s inappropriate for me not to help.¡± ¡°Now that we¡¯ve done our best to save the patient, I don¡¯t plan to get more involved in their grudges.¡± Saying this, Chen MO stepped forward and held Xia Wan¡¯s hand, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t expect to involve you in this¡­¡± ¡°If, if the patient really can¡¯t be saved, how about I take you away now?¡± Xia Wan looked at Chen MO with a tilted head: ¡°Don¡¯t you trust my medical skills?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Chen MO immediately denied, ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about your disagreements with the hospital. If they¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they will cooperate with me!¡± Xia Wan said confidently, ¡°Right now, only my method can save him. They have no other choice.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Chen MO held Xia Wan¡¯s hand, showing both trust and admiration. ¡°I do need your help with something,¡± Xia Wan said, holding Chen Mo¡¯s hand. Chen Mo¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing Xia Wan needed help: ¡°What is it? Just tell me!¡± ¡°Last time, Zhou En mentioned a batch of orders that need design and customization,¡± Xia Wan pondered a bit, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the factory we worked with before might not meet the requirements for this customization.¡± ¡°Could you help me find a few more factories? I want to compare and see which one is more suitable for cooperation.¡± ¡°Of course, no problem!¡± Chen MO immediately agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone gather information on factories in nearby counties and cities when I return, and also get some sample materials for you to compare.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s face was full of smiles: ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Why mention this to me!¡± Chen Mo¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°Otherwise, I might be unhappy!¡± ¡°Okay! No more talk!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s smile deepened. With Chen Mo¡¯s help, she believed they could contact more suitable factories. After all, this order was for military supplies and performance costumes, demanding high standards in design and craftsmanship. Although the factory they previously cooperated with could complete the order, Xia Wan always felt that their craftsmanship was not enough. Large factories in Jing City were also a good choice, but it was not easy to find one that met her requirements among the numerous factories there. For now, they could only look for suitable ones nearby, hoping for a pleasant surprise. The two talked in the meeting room for about two to three hours, when suddenly a nurse burst in: ¡°Shi Yu, Shi Yu really woke up!¡± Xia Wan and Chen MO immediately got up and followed the nurse to the ICU. Outside the ICU, besides Lin Chao and others, even Director Feng and Director Tang were anxiously waiting. When Professor Zhang and Dr. Fang appeared in the director¡¯s office, Director Feng¡¯s freshly brewed cup of Zhuyeqing tea ended up spilled on the floor.. Chapter 560 - Chapter 560: There’s Something Hidden Chapter 560: There¡¯s Something Hidden Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Upon seeing Xia Wan arrive, Director Feng immediately approached her. ¡°Miss Xia, the patient has woken up, there shouldn¡¯t be any more problems now, right?¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but find this somewhat amusing. Director Feng, after all, was the longstanding director of the military hospital. How could he ask such an unprofessional question? Director Feng, however, was not feeling as relaxed inside. This time, to save the patient, they had used medication in a manner not strictly according to regulations. If the patient didn¡¯t wake up, he would have a hard time explaining himself! Not only was his position at stake, but his pension might also be in jeopardy! Director Feng felt a deep sense of desolation but also knew that no doctor could guarantee that saving a life would be without any unforeseen complications. Xia Wan gave Director Feng a reassuring smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Director Feng, I will do my best.¡± Director Feng opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but after thinking it over, he decided to let it go. Director Tang gave a few instructions to Dr. Fang, who was about to follow into the room, then watched with a worried expression as Xia Wan and Dr. Fang entered the intensive care unit one after the other. When Xia Wan entered the ICU, Professor Zhang had already begun further examinations on Shi Yu. Compared to the last time he had woken up, Shi Yu¡¯s eyes seemed more confused this time, staring blankly at the ceiling. No matter what Professor Zhang asked, Shi Yu seemed not to hear and showed no reaction. This situation made Professor Zhang, who was already anxious, even more worried. Upon seeing Xia Wan, Professor Zhang immediately asked, ¡°Shi Yu¡¯s condition is a bit strange. No matter how we call him, he doesn¡¯t respond.¡± ¡°Should we¡­¡± Professor Zhang hesitated, then finally asked, ¡°Should we use some other medication?¡± Xia Wan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Professor Zhang, you don¡¯t think this is a result of overmedication, do you?¡± Professor Zhang was momentarily stunned, internally cursing himself. Jolted by Xia Wan¡¯s remark, he realized he had made an incorrect assumption! He had actually thought that the condition was due to insufficient medication! Professor Zhang¡¯s emotions were clearly written on his face, causing even Dr. Fang to shake his head in silent lament. He felt deeply that they might all be led astray by Xia Wan eventually! ¡°Please rest assured, Professor Zhang, I have considered the dosage carefully, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem,¡± Xia Wan said calmly. ¡°The patient¡¯s current reaction should be due to some other cause.¡± After saying this, Xia Wan once again reached toward Shi Yu¡¯s head. Her hands moved over Shi Yu¡¯s head, finally pausing behind his ear. When Xia Wan withdrew her hand, there were several spots of dark red blood on it. The color of the bloodstains was much deeper than typical bloodstains, and they felt somewhat sticky to the touch. ¡®What¡­ what is this?¡± Dr. Fang asked, looking at the bloodstains on Xia Wan¡¯s hand, ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be! Since the patient has been admitted, we have carefully examined all his injuries and regularly cleaned his body. There shouldn¡¯t be any such bloodstains¡­¡± As Dr. Fang spoke, his gaze turned to a nearby nurse, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Dr. Fang¡¯s stern tone made the nurse visibly flinch, unsure of how to respond. Xia Wan approached the nurse, ¡°You had already noticed this bloodstain, hadn¡¯t you?¡± The nurse bowed her head slightly, ¡°I thought¡­ I thought it was a residue from the IV and treatment, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.¡± ¡°You thought?¡± Dr. Fang¡¯s tone became even more severe, ¡°Look at this bloodstain. Does it look like a mark left after treatment?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± the nurse said, feeling wronged, ¡°Every time I cleaned his body, there was this bloodstain, but we also checked and found no wounds.¡± ¡°If the hospital and the patient¡¯s family find out there¡¯s an injury on the patient¡¯s body, it will again be our responsibility as nurses,¡± the nurse said, becoming more indignant, her voice unconsciously rising. ¡°Are you saying that you feared being held responsible, so you deliberately concealed the patient¡¯s injuries?¡± Dr. Fang was so angry he was nearly beside himself. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize, your actions could delay treatment and even endanger the patient¡¯s life!¡± Dr. Fang hadn¡¯t expected such a situation to exist. Their medical examinations mostly focused on what the patient reported and visible symptoms, but nurses, who cared for the patient¡¯s body daily, knew more about subtle changes in the patient¡¯s condition. He hadn¡¯t imagined that such a situation could exist even in the ICU! Chapter 561 - Chapter 561: Who Will Treat It? Chapter 561: Who Will Treat It? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing the nurse looking like she was about to cry, Xia Wan said, ¡°The situation is already like this, there¡¯s no need to be too caught up in whose fault it is. ¡°I want you to look at this bloodstain because I want to tell you that Shi Yu¡¯s current condition is not solely due to external injuries,¡± Xia Wan said earnestly. ¡°But we did a very thorough examination when he was admitted and didn¡¯t find any other symptoms of illness.¡± Xia Wan nodded, believing that Dr. Fang was not lying. With Lin Chao here, they wouldn¡¯t dare to be negligent in treating Shi Yu. However, with the current medical technology, while the treatment of simple diseases may have reached a certain standard, blood testing was not perfect. ¡°Sometimes some diseases cannot be fully determined just by their symptoms,¡± Xia Wan patiently explained. ¡°For example, an excessive amount of toxic heavy metals in the blood can cause chronic poisoning in patients, which can easily be overlooked in initial symptom-based diagnoses and even blood tests. ¡°Moreover, regular blood tests are essential during an in-depth examination of the patient. ¡°I think the experts here should be very clear about this.¡± Professor Zhang¡¯s face showed an unmistakable look of embarrassment after Xia Wan¡¯s subtle mix of praise and criticism, and even the people in the observation room could clearly sense it. Dr. Fang, however, didn¡¯t mind Xia Wan¡¯s attitude, as they had indeed been negligent this time. ¡°With such a high dosage of medication you used this time, how can you be sure it¡¯s not a reaction to overmedication?¡± Professor Zhang questioned with a resigned attitude. Dr. Fang looked at Professor Zhang in surprise but didn¡¯t say much. Xia Wan sneered, ¡°Professor Zhang, you cant even distinguish between heavy metal D0isoninz and non-metal drug D0isoninz?¡± Caught off guard by Xia Wan¡¯s counter-question, Professor Zhang was at a loss for words. He had just reflexively tried to resist, not expecting his last shred of professional expertise to be questioned. ¡°Anyway, the patient has woken up now. I¡¯ll come back when his blood test results are out,¡± Xia Wan said, and without waiting for a response from Professor Zhang and the others, she headed towards the observation room. This time, Dr. Fang quickly walked ahead of Xia Wan and opened the door for her. Xia Wan was somewhat surprised but nodded in acknowledgment. After leaving the ICU, Lin Chao came over to her. ¡°How is it? How is Shi Yu? Is he still in danger? What else needs to be done?¡± Lin Chao¡¯s barrage of questions gave Xia Wan a headache, ¡°Shi Yu¡¯s condition is basically stable now, but further treatment will depend on the blood test report. ¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you continue his treatment?¡± Lin Chao¡¯s brow was so furrowed it looked like it could trap a fly. ¡°I only promised to wake him up, and now that he¡¯s awake, my task is completed,¡± Xia Wan replied nonchalantly, causing Lin Chao¡¯s expression to darken. He was about to speak again but was stopped by Director Feng, ¡°The subsequent treatment will be fully managed by our hospital. Everyone can rest assured! We will do our best to treat Shi Yu properly!¡± Director Feng¡¯s words were timely, preventing the hospital¡¯s function of treating and saving lives from being forgotten. Lin Chao glanced at Director Feng, his distrustful demeanor quite evident. Director Feng, though displeased inside, still wore a smile, ¡°Rest assured! We will put extra effort into Shi Yu¡¯s subsequent treatment.¡± ¡°We also hope that Miss Xia can come to the hospital to guide us at any time.¡± Xia Wan was noncommittal about Director Feng¡¯s attitude, but for Lin Chao, even though Director Feng was amiable, he felt more reassured by Xia Wan¡¯s presence. ¡°Miss Xia, I hope you can continue to be responsible for Shi Yu¡¯s follow-up treatment,¡± Lin Chao said earnestly. ¡°Just name your price!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, a faint smile on her face, ¡°Money?¡± Xia Wan pretended to think deeply, then said after a while, ¡°If I really asked for money, I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be too greedy! You really think¡­¡± someone beside Lin Chao immediately protested. Lin Chao silenced him with a glare. Lin Chao¡¯s expression became awkward but quickly returned to normal, ¡°Okay! Since Miss Xia thinks I can¡¯t afford to pay¡­¡± ¡°How about this, I promise you, as long as you cure Shi Yu, I can do a favor for you..¡± Chapter 562 - Chapter 562: A Lesson Chapter 562: A Lesson Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°I believe Miss Xia is well aware of my identity. As long as your request is legal and doesn¡¯t conflict with my professional ethics, I will do my best to fulfill it!¡± Lin Chao promised. Xia Wan thought for a moment, glancing in the direction of Chen Mo. Then Xia Wan finally replied, ¡°Okay! In that case, notify me when the blood test results are out. ¡°Also, I hope the hospital will fully cooperate with this treatment and follow my instructions completely. ¡°If you change my treatment plan again without permission, I won¡¯t intervene in the treatment anymore!¡± ¡°No problem! I guarantee this,¡± Lin Chao promised without considering the hospital¡¯s stance, committing directly to Xia Wan. Xia Wan nodded in satisfaction and then left with Chen Mo. Upon returning to the Xia family home, Chen MO received a call from Zhang Cheng. ¡°Brother Cheng says he will safely return your parents within an hour,¡± Chen MO relayed the message to Xia Wan after hanging up the phone. Only then did Xia Wan feel the anxiety of the past few days finally easing. Although she knew her parents were unharmed two days ago, she couldn¡¯t be completely at ease until she saw them. Xia Chen and Xia Feng, upon receiving Xia Wan¡¯s notice, also hurried home. The family stood quietly at the door, waiting. Finally, a black executive car approached from a distance. The car stopped outside the Xia home, and as the door opened, Yan Han rushed out first, heading straight for Xia Wan and the others. The three siblings also hurriedly greeted Yan Han with warm hugs. Xia Hai followed closely behind, looking at his wife and children embracing, his face showing a relieved smile. What should have been a beautiful family reunion moment was interrupted by an unexpected voice. ¡°Xia Wan! Release my daughter immediately!¡± Song Yan¡¯s voice intruded inappropriately. Xia Wan and the others turned in astonishment, only to find that Song Yan and Xia Jiang had also alighted from the same car. ¡°How are you also here?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s brows furrowed, instinctively shielding Yan Han behind her. Song Yan angrily pointed a finger at Xia Wan, ¡°You wretched girl! Not only did you make us go without food and drink for several days, but you also harmed our daughter!¡± ¡°Return my daughter to me!¡± Song Yan¡¯s accusations were incoherent, and before Xia Wan could respond, Xia Jiang spoke, ¡°That¡¯s right! The man said if we took away the third child and his wife, he would save Xia Ru!¡± ¡°But Xia Ru has not been saved yet, why did you bring them back?¡± ¡°Do you intend to harm Xia Ru?¡± Hearing Xia Jiang and Song Yan¡¯s words, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes, as if looking at two irrational people. Before Xia Wan could speak, Xia Chen had already stepped forward to defend her. He stood tall, eyes filled with anger, confronting Xia Jiang and his wife, ¡°Uncle, Auntie, your daughter tried to harm Wan first, and then you deceived my parents, leading to their abduction. Do you have any conscience at all?¡± ¡°Wow! You little ungrateful brat! How dare you speak to us like that!¡± Xia Jiang felt his authority as an uncle being challenged, his face flushing with indignation. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, even your parents wouldn¡¯t dare speak to us like that!¡± ¡°You little rascal, if I don¡¯t beat you today, I won¡¯t be a Xia!¡± Saying this, Xia Jiang raised his fist to hit Xia Chen. Xia Chen braced himself for the blow. He knew if he retaliated, his father would be criticized. He was young and could endure. But Xia Feng didn¡¯t have the same patience and quickly stepped forward to stop Xia Jiang¡¯s attack. Unexpectedly, before Xia Feng could act, Xia Hai had already grabbed Xia Jiang¡¯s hand. Xia Jiang stared at Xia Hai in shock, incredulously asking, ¡°Are you rebelling, boy? You want to fight me for these little brats?¡± ¡°I knew these kids were unruly, and now I see it¡¯s because of you parents!¡± Hearing Xia Jiang¡¯s insults, Yan Han couldn¡¯t hold back, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Xia Hai like that! He¡¯s your brother, not your servant to be beaten and scolded at will! ¡°You¡¯ve caused trouble in our house several times, and we¡¯ve never complained. ¡°And now you want to block our doorstep and start a fight?¡± Yan Han¡¯s retort left Xia Jiang and Song Yan shocked. The situation was at a stalemate, and the younger generation found it difficult to intervene. Chen MO stood by, unsure of how to react.. Chapter 563 - Chapter 563: Other Plans Chapter 563: Other Plans Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Just as this was happening, a black sedan drove up from a distance and slowly stopped behind the MPV. Zhang Cheng got out of the car with a smile on his face, but he was taken aback when he saw the tense scene unfolding before him. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Zhang Cheng asked earnestly. He had expected to see a happy family reunion, but the situation before him seemed¡­ quite different from what he had imagined. Chen MO quickly pulled Zhang Cheng aside. ¡°Brother Cheng, why did you bring Xia Wan¡¯s uncle and aunt here as well?¡± ¡°They insisted on coming!¡± Zhang Cheng said, somewhat surprised. ¡°Originally, as Jiang Lu instructed, we only found Xia Wan¡¯s parents. Later, her parents mentioned that their brother and sister-in-law were also captured by Jiang Lu, so I had someone pry information from him and found the whereabouts of this couple. ¡± ¡°That kid really did a number, arranging Xia Wan¡¯s parents to stay in a small house near the forest, well-fed and cared for.¡± ¡°But that couple was locked in an abandoned factory, with rats and cockroaches running everywhere, it was really¡­¡± Although Chen MO somewhat understood the source of Xia Jiang and his wife¡¯s irate behavior from Zhang Cheng¡¯s words, it seemed like now was not the time for sympathy. ¡°At that time, the couple said they had nowhere to go because of their daughter and son-in-law, and Xia Wan¡¯s parents, out of kindness, let them get in the car,¡± Zhang Cheng continued, observing the situation in front of him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to be calm in the car, but once they got home, they started fighting!¡± While Zhang Cheng and Chen MO were talking, Song Yan had already screamed and charged forward, determined to fight Xia Wan¡¯s family to the death. Yan Han didn¡¯t want his children to get hurt and stepped forward to stop Song Yan. Xia Jiang, caught by Xia Hai, felt his dignity threatened and slapped Xia Hai in retaliation. This slap completely angered Xia Hails three children. Xia Chen pushed Xia Jiang to the ground. Xia Feng also stepped forward and grabbed Song Yan¡¯s clawing hands. Even though Xia Jiang and his wife were at a disadvantage, they never stopped their verbal abuse. They cursed loudly, accusing Xia Hai¡¯s family of being ungrateful. Xia Wan approached them with a cold look in her eyes, and with a swift motion, they both collapsed to the ground, silent. Xia Hai was initially startled, but after seeing Xia Wan¡¯s unchanged expression and checking the couple¡¯s breathing, he breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Cheng was taken aback and was about to check on them but was stopped by Chen MO, ¡°Brother Cheng, don¡¯t worry, these two are fine.¡± Seeing Chen Mo¡¯s nonchalant demeanor, Zhang Cheng felt uneasy. Xia Wan then approached Zhang Cheng, ¡°Brother Cheng, thank you for rescuing my parents. ¡± Zhang Cheng awkwardly retracted his surprised expression, forced a smile, and said, ¡°No need to thank me! We had an agreement, naturally, I had to fulfill it. ¡± ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s thanks to your help that they returned safely.¡± ¡°However, we have guests at home today, so it¡¯s inconvenient to entertain you. In a couple of days, Chen MO and I will invite you to a meal, please do us the honor!¡± Zhang Cheng, understanding the hint, replied, ¡°Your parents just came back, they should rest well!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you further! I¡¯ll take my leave!¡± Saying so, Zhang Cheng signaled his people and left. Chen MO looked at Xia Jiang and his wife, then asked Xia Wan in a low voice, ¡°Do they need me to take care of them?¡± Xia Wan shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it.¡± With Xia Wan¡¯s assurance, Chen MO left without further comment. After moving Xia Jiang and his wife inside, the family¡¯s initial excitement dissipated. ¡°Wanwan, they are still your uncle and aunt, you shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Xia Hai tried to advise Xia Wan, but he knew Xia Jiang and his wife had gone too far this time and struggled to find the right words. Xia Wan smiled reassuringly at Xia Hai, ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t worry, although they don¡¯t cherish family ties, I¡¯m not a heartless person.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take good care of them.¡± ¡°As for Xia Ru, I have other plans.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Xia Hai and Yan Han exchanged glances, choosing not to say more. After a difficult reunion, although Xia Hai and Yan Han hadn¡¯t suffered much these days, being away from home had inevitably tired them.. Chapter 564 - Chapter 564: Design Chapter 564: Design Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After Xia Haifu and his wife retired to their room, Xia Chen called out to Xia Wan. ¡°Wanwan, are you really planning to let our uncle and his family stay with us?¡± Xia Chen asked with a hint of worry, glancing towards the guest room temporarily housing Xia Jiang and his wife. ¡°I disagree!¡± Xia Feng quickly voiced his opposition. ¡°I don¡¯t want them staying in our house either,¡± Xia Chen said, frowning. ¡°With them around, mom and dad will never be able to assert themselves. ¡°We¡¯ve been oppressed by them for too many years; I don¡¯t want to continue living like this! ¡°Besides, if it wasn¡¯t for uncle and aunt, mom and dad wouldn¡¯t have been kidnapped!¡± ¡°Big brother is right! Without them, we wouldn¡¯t have had to live in constant fear!¡± Xia Feng added. ¡°In any case, I don¡¯t want to see them in our house!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll contact Uncle Cheng shortly to take them back,¡± Xia Wan reassured, waving her phone. ¡°Uncle Cheng? With his miserly nature, would he actually come to pick them up?¡± Xia Feng looked doubtful. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t make the effort without a good reason,¡± Xia Wan replied, slightly smug. ¡°You¡¯re not planning to bribe him off with some benefits, are you?¡± Xia Chen leaned in, probing. ¡°Mom and dad always said that Uncle Cheng isn¡¯t someone we can easily deal with. He¡¯s only active for his own benefit, and once involved, it¡¯s hard to disentangle from him!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not borrowing money from him, so why worry!¡± Xia Wan smiled soothingly. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m essentially giving him money!¡± ¡°Wanwan, I think¡­¡± Xia Chen began, only to be interrupted by Xia Wan. ¡°Brother, rest assured! I have a plan!¡± Xia Wan said, already dialing the village chief¡¯s phone. Though Cheng Mu¡¯s family was wealthy in the village, he was known for his extreme frugality. Despite several villagers having phones, he stubbornly refused to spend money on one. Xia Wan could only reach him by asking the village chief to relay a message. ¡°Wanwan, your Uncle Cheng was just talking about you yesterday!¡± the village chief said warmly. ¡°He mentioned how well your family is doing and that you still remember us poor villagers. He¡¯s very happy that you plan to visit!¡± Xia Wan responded noncommittally, then inquired about Cheng Mu¡¯s location. ¡°Your Uncle Cheng went to the neighboring village to collect rent today. He probably won¡¯t return until tonight,¡± the village chief said after some thought. ¡°Let me do this, I¡¯ll have him call you back when he returns.¡± ¡°That would be great, thank you,¡± Xia Wan expressed her gratitude to the village chief, then turned to Xia Chen and Xia Feng, ¡°Let¡¯s get ready to send them off tonight!¡± ¡°Is this really feasible?¡± Xia Feng and Xia Chen exchanged doubtful glances, skeptical of Xia Wan¡¯s plan. In the evening, Cheng Mu finally called. ¡°Wanwan, did you need something from your Uncle Cheng?¡± Cheng Mu¡¯s voice sounded slightly inebriated. Xia Wan responded affirmatively, then spoke up, ¡°Uncle Cheng, I heard that my uncle¡¯s family owes you money?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Cheng Mu responded angrily. ¡°I thought his son-in-law was wealthy and influential enough to take them back to the county town for a better life!¡± ¡°Uncle Cheng, how about this: tell us how much my uncle owes you, and we¡¯ll repay it. After that, we¡¯ll be square. How does that sound?¡± Xia Wan proposed anxiously. ¡°You want to pay off their debt?¡± Cheng Mu sounded surprised. ¡°Wanwan, although I know your family is well-off now, your uncle owes me a considerable sum!¡± ¡°Moreover, considering their past behavior towards your family, are you sure you want to repay evil with kindness?¡± Cheng Mu seemed skeptical of Xia Wan¡¯s intentions. Everyone in the village had seen how the Xia family had treated Xia Hai¡¯s family. Furthermore, now that the Xia family had divided their assets, and given their past conflicts, could Xia Hail s family really overlook the past and bail out Xia Jiang¡¯s family? Xia Wan promptly replied, ¡°Uncle Cheng, rest assured! We have no interest in my uncle¡¯s wealth!¡± Realizing her mistake, she quickly corrected herself, ¡°No, what I mean is, our family can afford to pay off the debt my uncle owes!¡± ¡°Wait! What did you just say? What about your uncle¡¯s wealth?¡± Cheng Mu seized on her slip-up.. Chapter 565 - Chapter 565: Are You Crazy? Chapter 565: Are You Crazy? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan paused deliberately before speaking, ¡°Uncle Cheng, as you know, I¡¯ve never been one to lie.¡± ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t hide it from you,¡± Xia Wan admitted frankly, ¡°My cousin got quite a bit of property from her fianc¨¦. ¡°But now she¡¯s in a sanatorium, and her fianc¨¦¡¯s whereabouts are unknown.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Cheng Mu was silent for a while. ¡°I heard that my uncle and aunt came this time at my cousin¡¯s behest to bring back that property. ¡°Who knew they would have an accident and only just woke up today!¡± ¡°Are you saying your uncle¡¯s family got Xia Ru¡¯s fianc¨¦¡¯s property? How much?¡± Cheng Mu¡¯s voice betrayed his greed. ¡°At least tens of thousands, maybe even more,¡± Xia Wan said uncertainly. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the money yet; my uncle¡¯s family must have kept it.¡± ¡°Girl, are you sure your uncle¡¯s family really got this money?¡± Cheng Mu asked for confirmation. ¡°Is there any doubt?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s tone was confident, ¡°I heard it myself from the people at the sanatorium! ¡°They saw it with their own eyes!¡± ¡°So what your uncle said wasn¡¯t false?¡± Cheng Mu sounded surprised, ¡°I thought he was avoiding me because he didn¡¯t plan to repay the money he borrowed and had run away!¡± ¡°You misunderstand my uncle,¡± Xia Wan quickly explained, ¡°They¡¯ve been in the hospital all this time, unconscious. How could they possibly not repay your money? ¡°However, because of the accident, my uncle and aunt suffered some head injuries, and their minds aren¡¯t very clear. ¡°They don¡¯t remember the accident and even think that my cousin and I are to blame. ¡°Now, whenever they see our family, they act like we¡¯re their enemies. ¡°But still, they¡¯re our relatives. If we don¡¯t take care of them, who will?¡± Cheng Mu went silent for a long time. Xia Wan continued, ¡°But our family is busy with the store and school; we really don¡¯t have the capacity to take care of my uncle and aunt properly. ¡®We thought about sending them back to the countryside, but they still need care, and there¡¯s no one in the village to look after them¡­ ¡°It¡¯s even harder to find a trustworthy person to hire for care.¡± Xia Wan sighed. Cheng Mu interjected timely, ¡°Girl, don¡¯t sigh!¡± ¡°Do you trust your Uncle Cheng?¡± ¡°You have been good to us since we were children; of course, I trust you!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s voice was sincere. ¡°Then how about this: it¡¯s inconvenient for your family to care for your uncle and aunt, so send them back here,¡± Cheng Mu suggested slowly. ¡°I¡¯m alone and usually not busy. We¡¯re all from the same village, so let me take care of them.¡± ¡°Is that appropriate?¡± Xia Wan asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it!¡± Cheng Mu responded decisively, ¡°Wanwan, rest assured, I¡¯m a reliable person. You can trust me with your uncle and aunt.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s face showed a cold smile, but her voice remained sweet, ¡°Thank you so much, Uncle Cheng!¡± ¡°You taking care of my uncle and aunt¡­ we¡¯ll certainly pay for it. How about 500 yuan a month for their meals and care?¡± Upon hearing this, Cheng Mu¡¯s voice trembled with excitement, but he feigned reluctance, ¡°What are you talking about, money? We¡¯ve been neighbors for decades; it¡¯s no trouble at all!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Uncle Cheng. We can¡¯t short you a cent!¡± Xia Wan firmly insisted. With Xia Wan¡¯s assurance, Cheng Mu became even more eager, ¡°You¡¯ll be busy tomorrow. How about I come over later and take them back with me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea; they¡¯re already asleep,¡± Xia Wan planned to refuse. Cheng Mu persisted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll borrow a car from the village chief and pick them up in a bit! ¡°You can trust me with them.¡± After hanging up, Xia Wan turned to see Xia Chen and Xia Feng frowning at her. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Xia Wan also frowned. ¡°Are you really going to pay him 500 yuan a month to take care of our uncle and aunt?¡± Xia Chen voiced his doubt. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Xia Feng bluntly expressed his opinion.. Chapter 566 - Chapter 566: Pick Her Up Chapter 566: Pick Her Up Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Xia Wan happily crossed her arms and leaned back on the sofa. ¡°The money spent will naturally come back to us! ¡± Xia Chen and Xia Feng exchanged glances, but their brows did not relax because of this. ¡°Why choose Uncle Cheng to take care of things, even if it costs money?¡± Xia Feng still didn¡¯t understand. ¡°He is greedy and stingy. Aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll take your money and not do the job?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not interested in that, ¡± Xia Wan shrugged. ¡°Are you talking about the tens of thousands of yuan that Uncle mentioned just now?¡± Xia Chen seemed to understand the meaning of Xia Wan¡¯s words, but soon rejected this idea. ¡°But they don¡¯t have that money!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to verify whether they have it or not,¡± Xia Wan got up and walked towards the room where Xia Jiang and Song Yan were staying. ¡°1 need to make some preparations before Uncle Cheng arrives.¡± ¡°What preparations?¡± Xia Chen and Xia Feng followed her. Xia Wan took out silver needles and pricked the Shen Ting and Bai Hui acupoints on Xia Jiang and Song Yan before withdrawing her hands. ¡°What is this for?¡± Xia Feng asked, puzzled. ¡°To keep them from talking nonsense,¡± Xia Wan hung small sachets around the necks of Xia Jiang and Song Yan. Xia Wan stood up, clapped her hands, and looked relaxed. ¡°All done.¡± ¡°Wait, you were only halfway through speaking,¡± Xia Feng stopped Xia Wan again. Xia Wan brushed off Xia Feng¡¯s hand blocking her and strode outside. After a few steps, Xia Wan turned back to Xia Chen and Xia Feng: ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone who tries to harm my parents get away.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s tone was icy cold, making Xia Chen and Xia Feng involuntarily hold their breath. ¡°They are also my relatives. I won¡¯t personally do anything to them,¡± Xia Wan continued. ¡°However, if they plant evil seeds, they must bear the consequences for their actions.¡± ¡°Cheng Mu is greedy, so let them be valuable enough for him to covet.¡± ¡°When his greed becomes uncontrollable, their retribution will come!¡± Xia Chen watched Xia Wan, opened his mouth to say something, but held back. Cheng Mu arrived quickly, bringing the village chief and his eldest son with him. ¡°Girl, we¡¯ve come to take your uncle and his wife home,¡± Cheng Mu cheerfully knocked on the Xia family¡¯s door. Xia Wan put on an obedient face: ¡°Uncle Cheng, thank you for making this trip with the village chief.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all!¡± Cheng Mu¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°How are they? Are your uncle and his wife ready?¡± Cheng Mu looked into the house. Xia Wan sighed, ¡°They just came up here making a fuss, wanting to fight us. I had no choice but to feed them some pills from the hospital, and now they¡¯ve fallen asleep again, probably won¡¯t wake up for a while!¡± ¡°They can¡¯t wake up?¡± Cheng Mu¡¯s voice elongated. ¡°Then it¡¯s good, easier to take them back.¡± Cheng Mu finished speaking and beckoned the village chief and his son to come in and carry Xia Jiang and Song Yan out. After settling them in the car, the village chief and his son got into the car first. Cheng Mu stood outside the car, looking at Xia Wan, who seemed to have something to say. Xia Wan quickly realized something and clapped her hands. ¡°Look at me, Uncle Cheng, here¡¯s 500 yuan, take it for now.¡± Cheng Mu immediately refused the money in Xia Wan¡¯s hand. ¡°Ah! Why be so formal! This is what we as fellow villagers should do!¡± Cheng Mu profusely refused, but his fingers had already pinched the blue bills. Xia Wan¡¯s face showed gratitude. ¡°Uncle Cheng, sending my uncle and aunt away is something we younger generation discussed. My parents don¡¯t know yet¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t say a word more than necessary!¡± Cheng Mu immediately assured her and smoothly took the money from Xia Wan¡¯s hand. Xia Wan seemed not to notice Cheng Mu had already taken the money, still maintaining her previous posture. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave my uncle and aunt in your care, Uncle Cheng!¡± ¡°Contact me anytime if you need anything!¡± Xia Wan emphasized again. Cheng Mu nodded vigorously. He turned to get into the car, but just as he stepped up, he turned back around. ¡°Girl, do you know where your uncle¡¯s money is?¡± Cheng Mu hesitated before asking. Xia Wan helplessly shook her head: ¡°They¡¯re guarding against us now, how could they easily tell us where the money is!¡± ¡°Besides, it¡¯s several¡­¡± Xia Wan was cut off as Cheng Mu pressed down her hand. ¡°Okay! I got it!¡± Cheng Mu immediately responded and then turned to get into the car. Xia Wan knew Cheng Mu was afraid the village chief and others would hear about Xia Jiang¡¯s tens of thousands in property! Chapter 567 - Chapter 567: Zhuang Peng Got Beaten Up Chapter 567: Zhuang Peng Got Beaten Up Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Just as the car started, Xia Wan seemed to have thought of something. She took out a small paper bag from her pocket.¡± Uncle Cheng, this is the medicine the hospital prescribed for Uncle and the others. If they get agitated again, you must let them drink it!¡± ¡°Good! I know!¡± Cheng Mu immediately put the medicine bag into his pocket. Xia Wan watched the car leave and turned around. These two troublemakers were finally sent away. Next, he would have a good rest and go see what was going on with Xia Ru! Because of this incident, Xia Wan did not sleep well for a few days. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep. The next day, Xia Wan was woken up by the sound of clanging. She opened the door and saw Xia Chen and Xia Feng moving the bed out of the guest room where Xia Jiang and his wife had slept yesterday. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Xia Wan asked in confusion. Xia Feng didn¡¯t say anything. He lowered his head and moved the bed out. ¡°Dad and Mom asked Uncle about their whereabouts early in the morning,¡± Xia Chen explained to Xia Wan. ¡°I said that Uncle Cheng and the others brought them back to the village yesterday. Mom asked us to move this bed out and get rid of it.¡± Xia Wan was a little stunned. This did not seem like her mother¡¯s usual style. Yan Han, who had always been thrifty, could not bear to throw away his clothes that had holes in them after wearing them for a few years, let alone this undamaged bed! Xia Wan was still confused. Xia Chen and Xia Feng had temporarily placed the bed at the door and walked in. ¡°Why would Mom suddenly ask us to get rid of the bed?¡± Xia Wan asked curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Xia Feng shrugged, picked up an apple from the table and stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°Where are Dad and Mom?¡± Xia Wan was even more confused. There was such a huge commotion early in the morning, but Xia Hai and Yan Han were nowhere to be seen. Looking at Xia Feng, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t even eaten breakfast yet. ¡°They went out! He said he wanted to go to the shop to take a look!¡± Xia Chen said as he picked up the backpack on the sofa and put it on his shoulder.¡± Hurry up and pack up! Otherwise, we¡¯ll be late!¡± Xia Wan looked at Xia Chen¡¯s clean uniform and remembered that today was the day the school welcomed foreign guests! She had been so busy with Xia Hai and Yan Han¡¯s matters that she had completely forgotten about the school! Xia Wan quickly changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and rushed out of the house. ¡°Xia Wan, how¡¯s your family¡¯s matter going?¡± Liu Hua saw that Xia Wan had finally come to school and quickly asked with concern. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s fine now!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s face was full of joy, and she felt much more relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Liu Hua pursed his lips and said helplessly,¡± I¡¯ve been worried about you these past few days, and I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll cause you trouble if I go to your house!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know how upset I am!¡± As Liu Hua spoke, he poked his chest. Xia Wan smiled and patted Liu Hua¡¯s arm. It¡¯s all in the past!¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange!¡± Liu Hua held onto Xia Wan¡¯s arm.¡± You didn¡¯t come to school these few days. That Jiang Lu didn¡¯t come to school either.¡± ¡°Not only that, I also heard that Jiang Lu seems to have dropped out of school!¡± ¡°At least he ran fast!¡± Xia Wan gritted her teeth and said fiercely. ¡°What did you say?¡± Liu Hua did not hear Xia Wan¡¯s words clearly and asked subconsciously. ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Xia Wan shook her head gently.¡± Is there anything fun going on these days?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fun¡­¡± Liu Hua pursed his lips and pondered seriously.¡± Oh, right, I heard that Zhuang Peng was beaten up!¡± ¡°Who beat him up?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s curiosity was instantly piqued. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Liu Hua shook his head.¡± I heard that when he went home alone that day, he was blocked in the alley and beaten up!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if he really didn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s face or was embarrassed. No matter how I asked him, he refused to say who did it!¡± ¡°This is really good news!¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Exactly! Who asked Zhuang Peng to offend people all day long? He deserves to be beaten up!¡± Liu Hua also waved his fists, wishing he could go up and beat them up. ¡°However, I heard that Zhuang Peng seems to have contacted a gangster organization in the county.¡± Liu Hua lowered his voice and looked around. ¡°He might be thinking of a way to take revenge!¡± ¡°Hooligan organization?¡± Xia Wan found it a little funny when she heard this. ¡°Yes, I am!¡± However, Liu Hua was extremely serious.¡± It¡¯s said that there are dozens of people in this gang! Even Zhuang Peng wants to join them. I think they must not be easy to deal with!¡±avXia Wan pursed her lips and did not comment.. Chapter 568 - Chapter 568: Common Topic Chapter 568: Common Topic Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jiang Rong stepped onto the podium, glanced over everyone¡¯s faces, and then announced, ¡°Due to the school organizing an event to welcome foreign guests, students and teachers who are not participating are asked not to loiter outside the classrooms. ¡°I hope everyone can give their utmost cooperation! ¡°Today¡¯s schedule will be the same as the past few days. Students can have free time in the afternoon, but also, do not wander around the school. ¡°Additionally, all of today¡¯s breaks are canceled and replaced with self-study. ¡°A few of us teachers will take turns coming to the class to supervise everyone!¡± After Jiang Rong finished her announcement, a chorus of groans filled the room. Zhuang Peng¡¯s voice was especially loud: ¡°Teacher, you can¡¯t restrict our personal freedom like this!¡± Since being beaten up, Zhuang Peng had been lying on his desk ever since he entered the classroom. Hearing Zhuang Peng¡¯s voice, Xia Wan instinctively turned back to look and nearly laughed out loud. She had thought Liu Hua¡¯s description was exaggerated, but Zhuang Peng¡¯s face was even more remarkable than described. One of his eyes was only half-open, and his mouth was also swollen on one side, revealing the gap of a missing front tooth. His face was a patchwork of blue and purple bruises, with hardly any unblemished skin visible. Even Zhuang Peng¡¯s neck had several scratch marks and bruises, clearly showing that his assailant had been ruthless. Zhuang Peng, with his swollen mouth and a missing tooth, spoke unclearly, but this didn¡¯t stop him from voicing his protest. Jiang Rong glanced at Zhuang Peng and quickly looked away. ¡°Besides Zhuang Peng, does anyone else have any objections?¡± Hearing Jiang Rong¡¯s question, naturally, no one else dared to make a sound. ¡°Good! Since no one else has objections, we¡¯ll handle Zhuang Peng¡¯s concerns separately.¡± Jiang Rong¡¯s gaze returned to Zhuang Peng. Before she finished speaking, Zhuang Peng stood up. ¡°Teacher Jiang! I think the school¡¯s arrangements are reasonable and appropriate, no issues at all!¡± A wave of disdainful murmurs rose in the classroom. Zhuang Peng, unfazed by others¡¯ attitudes, scratched the back of his head and sat down again. ¡°If you have the guts, protest too. Don¡¯t always make me the scapegoat! ¡± Zhuang Peng¡¯s tone sounded somewhat resentful, as if he had suffered a great injustice. Without a leader, the rest of the class naturally remained silent. Xia Wan had little interest in the event to welcome foreign guests, but she found it amusing to see Song Zhi dressed up so meticulously earlier that day. Finally, after enduring the morning¡¯s classes, Xia Wan stretched and prepared to go for lunch. Suddenly, Zhuang Peng blocked her way. He lowered his voice, leaning in close to Xia Wan, ¡°Xia Wan, come with me for a moment, I have something to tell you!¡± Liu Hua, observing Zhuang Peng¡¯s attitude, tugged at Xia Wan¡¯s sleeve worriedly, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Xia Wan patted Liu Hua¡¯s hand reassuringly, not immediately agreeing to Zhuang Peng: ¡°Do we even have anything in common to talk about?¡± Zhuang Peng instinctively bit his lip, causing pain due to his forgotten injury. He gasped, finally remembering an excuse: ¡°I heard that although Jiang Lu has dropped out, he left a message to target your brother, Xia Chen.¡± Zhuang Peng knew well that if the target was Xia Wan, she might not care much. But if it was about targeting Xia Chen, Xia Wan would definitely follow him! Sure enough, Xia Wan¡¯s expression changed: ¡°What is he planning to do?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now! Follow me, and I¡¯ll explain slowly,¡± Zhuang Peng said with a hint of scheming in his eyes. Liu Hua was even more nervous, gripping Xia Wan¡¯s sleeve, not letting her leave. Xia Wan pulled away from Liu Hua¡¯s grasp and followed Zhuang Peng towards the school¡¯s back door. It was said that the foreign guests had arranged to have a collective meal in the cafeteria, and to avoid the peak lunch hour for students, they had gone there half an hour early. At this time, apart from students coming and going for lunch, no one would notice Zhuang Peng and Xia Wan¡¯s movements. Arriving at the school¡¯s back door, Xia Wan stood against the wall with her arms crossed. ¡°Speak up! What do you really know?¡± ¡°Xia Wan, I¡¯m just trying to warn you out of goodwill. Jiang Lu is really not someone to mess with!¡± Zhuang Peng looked around and then leaned closer to Xia Wan to speak. Xia Wan pushed away Zhuang Peng as he drew near.. ¡°Just tell me what you know! What is he planning to do?¡± Chapter 569 - Chapter 569: The Brain is a Good Thing Chapter 569: The Brain is a Good Thing Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhuang Peng spoke mysteriously, ¡°I¡¯ve recently been following a ¡®big brother¡¯ who has made connections with many powerful and influential people in the county town. ¡°But the last time this ¡®big brother¡¯ met with Jiang Lu, he was nodding and bowing to him! ¡°It was Jiang Lu who ordered my ¡®big brother¡¯ to take action against your brother, Xia Chen!¡± ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡± Xia Wan raised an eyebrow, ¡°If your ¡®big brother¡¯ finds out, it won¡¯t be good for you!¡± Zhuang Peng humphed before saying, ¡°I just can¡¯t stand the way he grovels in front of that kid Jiang Lu. ¡°I want to ruin Jiang Lu¡¯s plans and get revenge for my ¡®big brother¡¯!¡± Hearing Zhuang Peng¡¯s words, Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but think: The brain really is a good thing! However, since Zhuang Peng had said so, the news was probably not wrong. So, someone really was planning to target Xia Chen! ¡°How is your ¡®big brother¡¯ planning to target my brother?¡± Xia Wan asked tentatively. Zhuang Peng shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that!¡± ¡°My ¡®big brother¡¯ probably knows I go to the same school as Xia Chen, and didn¡¯t want to put me in a difficult position, so he didn¡¯t involve me in this operation!¡± Zhuang Peng sounded sincere, but it only made Xia Wan more worried about his intellect. ¡°Alright then! Thank you for telling me this,¡± Xia Wan said sincerely. ¡°I won¡¯t let Jiang Lu succeed! If possible, I will help your ¡®big brother¡¯ get his revenge!¡± Xia Wan sounded genuinely concerned, but Zhuang Peng didn¡¯t seem to appreciate it, ¡°No need! The disrespect he showed my ¡®big brother¡¯, I¡¯ll settle it myself! ¡± Xia Wan raised an eyebrow slightly, ¡°Okay then! As you say!¡± After parting with Zhuang Peng and returning to the classroom, Xia Wan found only Liu Hua there. ¡°Where is everyone else?¡± Xia Wan wondered. ¡°They all ran to the cafeteria to see the foreign guests as soon as class ended!¡± Liu Hua said with a pout. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± asked Xia Wan. Just as she reached Liu Hua¡¯s side, Liu Hua grabbed her arm. Before Xia Wan could react, Liu Hua was already dragging her out of the classroom, ¡°Of course I¡¯m going! I¡¯ve never seen a foreigner in person before!¡± Xia Wan was pulled along by Liu Hua to the cafeteria, only to find it already surrounded by students. A few teachers were trying to direct students away, but they couldn¡¯t keep up with the rate at which the students were gathering. ¡°Has everyone from the school gathered here?¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. ¡°Looks like it!¡± Liu Hua responded, trying her best to peer inside. However, with her short stature, Liu Hua couldn¡¯t see past the layers of taller students in front of her, unable to even get a glimpse of the foreigners or even see who was in front of her! ¡°We came too late,¡± Liu Hua said with some regret. Just then, Xia Wan heard someone calling her name. Both Xia Wan and Liu Hua turned to see Linda waving at them from the entrance of the cafeteria. Xia Wan and Liu Hua immediately ran over, ¡°Linda, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Yeah, Teacher Lin, why are you here? Aren¡¯t you part of the team welcoming the foreign guests?¡± Liu Hua also asked. ¡°I¡¯m a training teacher, not a member of the reception team,¡± Linda waved her hand. I just came because a friend of mine is here today. ¡°I wanted to see and maybe grab some of that delicious braised fish from your school¡¯s cafeteria, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so crowded I can¡¯t even get in!¡± Linda said with a grimace. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll treat you two to a nice meal!¡± Xia Wan said, sighing at the two sulking figures beside her. Liu Hua and Linda, though still not in high spirits, were tempted by the offer of good food and set aside their unhappiness for the moment. Since the afternoon was free time, the trio headed to the commercial street near Dongxing Pavilion. Several new shops had opened on the street, not very large but quite popular. As it was lunchtime, when the three of them arrived at one of the shops, there were already a few people lining up waiting for seats. ¡°Who would have thought our small county town would have such shops!¡± Liu Hua couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. ¡°This place looks like it must be delicious! Let¡¯s go in and try it!¡± Linda was eager to go in. Xia Wan glanced at the wooden sign standing by the door and then at the mere six tables inside.. Chapter 570 - Chapter 570: Visiting the Shop Chapter 570: Visiting the Shop Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°This might take a while, how about we try another place?¡± Xia Wan looked around at the several shops nearby. Although it seemed busy with people coming and going, the business was obviously not as booming as this one. ¡°Yes! There are so many people here, we¡¯ll definitely have to wait a long time,¡± Liu Hua agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s try another place. The small wonton shop next door looks good too!¡± However, Linda held onto both of their hands, refusing to leave. ¡°Look, among all these shops, this one has the most people, it must be the tastiest! ¡°Anyway, we have nothing else to do, why not just stay and try it? ¡°Delicious food is worth waiting for, waiting a bit won¡¯t hurt! ¡°Right? Right?¡± Linda tried her best to persuade them, holding onto Xia Wan and Liu Hua¡¯s hands tightly. Xia Wan and Liu Hua exchanged glances, seeing a helpless smile on each other¡¯s faces. ¡°Alright then! We¡¯ll wait a while!¡± Xia Wan said, pulling over a bench nearby, ¡°Let¡¯s sit for a while, looks like we¡¯re in for a wait. Linda immediately let go of their hands and obediently sat down on the bench, looking around curiously. Liu Hua also sat down, but his eyes were fixed on his toes, as if observing something intently. Just as Xia Wan was about to sit down, a child of no more than four or five years old approached, carrying a small wooden tray. ¡°Sister, here¡¯s some water.¡± The child looked well-behaved, walking up to the three of them and extending the tray forward. On the tray were three enamel cups filled with boiled water. The child, not very strong, trembled slightly while holding the tray, and the water in the enamel cups also swayed gently. Xia Wan was momentarily stunned, then quickly took two cups of water from the tray and handed them to Liu Hua and Linda, taking the last cup for herself. ¡°Thank you!¡± Xia Wan smiled at the child. The child shyly lowered his head. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°Why are you bringing us water?¡± Linda asked curiously. ¡°Dad said there are many guests and was afraid you¡¯d get thirsty from waiting, so he asked me to bring water for you to drink,¡± the child replied obediently. After speaking, he hugged the small tray and scurried back into the shop. ¡°This kid is really cute!¡± Linda couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. ¡°The owner of this shop really knows how to do business,¡± Xia Wan observed, looking at the bustling scene inside the shop. ¡°I just saw these benches outside the shop and thought the owner must have some tricks to keep customers.¡± ¡°Yes! They even prepared hot water in case we got thirsty, quite thoughtful!¡± Liu Hua commented, taking a sip of water, ¡°Warm and nice, really good!¡± Xia Wan looked at the people sitting outside the shop, chatting and laughing with cups in their hands, showing no sign of impatience. This place seemed to have the means of retaining customers typical of the catering industry eighteen years later, though not yet mature or widely imitated by other shops. As Xia Wan was thinking, she saw two girls who arrived earlier being invited into the shop. The two girls had just stepped inside the door when they were pushed aside by a man walking by. One of the girls, unable to dodge in time, hit the door frame, curling up in pain. The other girl was luckier, bumping into a customer at the door and not getting hurt. Flustered, the uninjured girl turned around angrily and asked, ¡°Why did you push us?¡± The man who pushed them showed no remorse, tilting his head and looking at the girl. ¡°You were in my way!¡± ¡°We were queuing to enter the restaurant, we weren¡¯t blocking your way!¡± the girl retorted. ¡°Even if we were, you could have just said something, why resort to pushing?¡± The girl was angry but knew she had to reason with him. However, the man was not one for reasoning. He looked the girl up and down, patted his stomach, and said brazenly, ¡°Standing in front of me means blocking my way! What, not happy about it? ¡°Or maybe, you want to go in with me? I might just forgive you for blocking my way then!¡± The girl frowned deeply, about to retort, but then saw several garishly dressed men following the man and immediately lost her temper. Her companion, who had just recovered, tugged at her sleeve, whispered a few words, and prepared to bypass the man and leave.. Chapter 571 - Chapter 571: You Actually Dare to Hit Yours Truly? Chapter 571: You Actually Dare to Hit Yours Truly? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The man had no intention of just letting the girls go. As soon as one of the girls got close to him, the man grabbed her arm. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go! This meeting has been fated! Why not sit down and have a meal together? Get to know each other!¡± His words immediately provoked laughter from his companions. The girl¡¯s face showed even more embarrassment, and she struggled several times but couldn¡¯t break free from the man¡¯s grip. Hearing the commotion, the busy owner rushed out from the kitchen. He first assessed the situation, then addressed the man. ¡°Brother Fang, you¡¯re here! Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± ¡°Today I brought my brothers to patronize your business. What, are you not welcoming us?¡± Brother Fang replied to the owner, still not letting go of the girl. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re welcome! Very welcome!¡± the owner hurriedly said, stepping forward and slightly bowing, ¡°Brother Fang, please come inside, I¡¯ll arrange a seat for you!¡± Seeing this, the girl tried to struggle away again, but Brother Fang wouldn¡¯t relax his grip, speaking with dissatisfaction: ¡°I¡¯ve taken a liking to you and want you to accompany me for a meal. You¡¯d better not struggle, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Brother Fang¡¯s threatening words made the girl shiver in fear. The owner¡¯s brow also furrowed deeply, but he still led them inside. Since the restaurant was already full, accommodating these new arrivals meant asking other customers to leave. The owner knew that driving away customers was bad for business, so he signaled to a waiter. The waiter, quick-witted, brought out a folding table from the storage and headed outside. The owner immediately went forward, helping the waiter set up the table near the kitchen. Their movements were quick, and in just a minute or two, the table was ready. ¡°Brother Fang, this way, please¡­¡± Before the owner could finish, Brother Fang kicked over the chair. ¡°What is this? Trying to fob me off with this kind of seat?¡± Brother Fang¡¯s tone was even more offensive. ¡°Me coming to your restaurant to eat is a blessing for you!¡± ¡°You should be grateful I¡¯m giving you face. How can you brush me off like this? How can I keep up my reputation on this street if you do?¡± Brother Fang¡¯s impatience grew, and he bellowed at the people at another table: ¡°Are you done eating? If so, give up your seats to me!¡± ¡°Otherwise, move to that table! Did you hear me?¡± Brother Fang¡¯s fierce tone made the customers at that table put down their utensils and leave. The owner wanted to retain them but could only sigh helplessly. Brother Fang looked at the remaining food on the table and yelled at the owner: ¡°They¡¯re gone and you¡¯re still not cleaning up? How do you run a business?¡± The owner immediately started cleaning up. The waiter, not daring to delay, quickly cleaned the table and the area beneath it. Just as Brother Fang was about to sit down, the girl he was holding tried to struggle away. Brother Fang, seeing this, raised his other hand to strike the girl¡¯s face. Her companion screamed at the sight. Then there was a sharp ¡°slap¡± sound. Everyone in the shop, including Brother Fang with his hand still raised, was stunned. Brother Fang, momentarily unable to react, stared blankly at Linda, who had just slapped him. Linda pulled the girl Brother Fang was holding towards her. Apparently shocked by the slap, Brother Fang let go of the girl obediently. As soon as she was released, the girl was embraced by her companion and quickly moved aside, clearly terrified. Brother Fang then reacted. ¡°You, you, you dare to hit me!¡± Brother Fang stuttered, not sure if he was more angry or shocked by Linda. ¡°Don¡¯t you deserve it?¡± Linda crossed her arms over her chest, chin lifted defiantly. ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Brother Fang was furious, his fists cracking, teeth gritted as he prepared to rush at Linda. The men standing with Brother Fang seemed hesitant to intervene. Xia Wan and Liu Hua also rushed over. Though timid, Liu Hua steeled himself to stand with Linda. Xia Wan had intended to use her silver needles to deal with these thugs but realized she had forgotten her bag in her rush to leave that day. Brother Fang, with his slick appearance, seemed less of a threat, but his companions looked more formidable. As Xia Wan was figuring out how to handle them, another cry of pain rang out. As expected, when Brother Fang lunged at Linda, he didn¡¯t gain the upper hand. Instead, Linda grabbed his hair and slammed his face onto the table.. Chapter 572 - Chapter 572: Let Me Go If You Can Chapter 572: Let Me Go If You Can Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Linda once again seized Brother Fang¡¯s hair and hoisted him up, she noticed that his nose and mouth were bleeding, making him look exceedingly pitiful. The restaurant erupted in cheers, with several patrons even breaking into applause. Brother Fang¡¯s associates soon realized something was amiss. They attempted to approach and seize Linda, only to be obstructed by Xia Wan and Liu Hua. A tall and muscular man towered over Xia Wan, who barely reached his shoulder, and he uttered a cold snort. ¡°Out of my way!¡± Although he appeared fierce, his demeanor lacked Brother Fang¡¯s ostentatious air. Xia Wan instinctively sensed something awry but resolved not to yield to the man. ¡°I won¡¯t step aside!¡± she declared without a moment¡¯s hesitation, countering instinctively. The man extended his hand towards Xia Wan. Just as Xia Wan prepared to seize his wrist and dislocate it, he unexpectedly yanked her aside. Before she could react, he had already apprehended Linda¡¯s wrist from behind. Linda, fiercely gripping Brother Fang¡¯s hair, felt a pang of pain as her hand was seized, and her grip involuntarily loosened. Brother Fang, now relieved, pointed at Linda with a trembling, bloodied finger. ¡°You, woman! If I don¡¯t kill you today, I renounce my surname Fang!¡± Enraged, Brother Fang capitalized on the tall man¡¯s grip on Linda, snatching up a nearby wooden stool to smash onto Linda¡¯s head. Liu Hua, driven by urgency, lunged forward, using both hands to intercept the descending stool. Brother Fang, in a frenzy, wielded considerable force, eliciting a scream from Liu Hua. Yet, seeing that the chair had missed Linda¡¯s head, his fury intensified. He brutally kicked Liu Hua, who had dared to intervene, in the stomach. Caught unawares, Liu Hua was sent sprawling to the ground. Meanwhile, Linda, restrained by the tall man, whimpered in pain, immobilized. As Brother Fang aimed another kick at Liu Hua, Xia Wan swiftly pulled her up, narrowly evading his assault. Pain whitened Liu Hua¡¯s complexion, and beads of cold sweat dotted his forehead. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Xia Wan inquired, concern lacing her voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Liu Hua responded, teeth clenched. At that moment, Linda¡¯s scream pierced the air: ¡°Let go of me! If you dare, let me go!¡± Her wrist clutched by the towering man, she lashed out with her leg, kicking his shin, and bit down on his wrist. However, he merely used his free hand to push her head away, leaving her unable to bite, unresponsive to the kicks. Brother Fang, noticing Liu Hua being led away, redirected his ire towards Linda. Just then, the restaurant¡¯s owner stepped in. ¡°Brother Fang, please, calm down. Don¡¯t stoop to quarrel with these young women.¡± ¡°Look at your condition. How about I arrange for someone to take you to the hospital?¡± the owner suggested, signaling to a waiter. The waiter approached hesitantly and addressed Brother Fang, ¡°Brother Fang, let me escort you to the hospital for a check-up.¡± Brother Fang dismissively waved his hand, striking the waiter across the face. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy? Get out of my way!¡± The waiter, slapped without cause, retreated with a look of grievance. The owner, wanting to interject again, held back, fearing Brother Fang¡¯s volatile temper. Brother Fang¡¯s gaze once again settled on Linda. He wiped the blood from his face and grasped Linda¡¯s cheeks, leaving a bloody imprint on her face. Linda, screaming, kicked out futilely, unable to reach Brother Fang. Xia Wan advanced and seized Brother Fang¡¯s hand. With a deft flick of her fingertips, she numbed his hand, freeing Linda¡¯s face from his grasp. Brother Fang, astonished at being bested by two women consecutively, glowered at Xia Wan furiously. ¡°You wretched woman!¡± He bellowed, lifting another chair to crash down onto Xia Wan¡¯s head. Without Liu Hua¡¯s intervention, Xia Wan watched helplessly as the chair plummeted towards her. Then, from the entrance of the shop, a stern command resounded: ¡°Stop!¡± Brother Fang, blinded by rage, was not inclined to heed this call. But the quick-thinking owner, hearing the command, immediately barged into Brother Fang. It caused the chair to slip from his grasp and brush against Xia Wan¡¯s shoulder, narrowly avoiding a direct hit. Though the impact was significant, it was considerably less severe than a direct blow to the head.. Chapter 573 - Chapter 573: Call the Police Chapter 573: Call the Police Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Brother Fang, seething with anger, turned to glare at the owner who had inadvertently bumped into him. ¡°Are you trying to meddle in this? Do you really think I won¡¯t trash your shop today?¡± he threatened menacingly. The owner, visibly intimidated, pointed towards the door and timidly remarked, ¡°Brother Fang, the police are here!¡± This reminder caused Brother Fang to realize that someone had indeed instructed him to stop earlier. However, consumed by rage, he disregarded who might have dared to intervene. Upon closer inspection, he noticed several police officers standing at the entrance of the shop. The officers briskly made their way inside. ¡°Who called the police?¡± one of them inquired, his voice exuding authority and a chilling tone. The two young girls previously harassed by Brother Fang stood up and announced, ¡°We did. We were the ones who called the police.¡± Everyone had assumed the girls had left, unaware they had called the police immediately after exiting the restaurant. After identifying the callers, the officers began a preliminary assessment of the scene. One officer caught sight of Xia Wan but stayed quiet at her subtle cue. In this small county, Xia Wan was acquainted with most of the police force. Nonetheless, it seemed prudent under the circumstances not to publicize her connection with the law enforcement. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± another officer asked the crowd, ¡°Who is the owner here?¡± The owner promptly stepped forward, addressing the officer, ¡°Comrade Officer! I¡¯m the proprietor of this establishment.¡± ¡°What transpired here?¡± the officer queried, casting a glance at Brother Fang and the others, especially pausing upon seeing Brother Fang¡¯s blood-stained face. The owner, momentarily unsure, hesitated, struggling to find the right words to explain. Meanwhile, Linda loudly appealed to the police, ¡°Officers! I¡¯ve been taken hostage!¡± The police officers¡¯ demeanor shifted upon hearing this, and they quickly approached Linda. Behind her, a tall and muscular man still clutched her wrist. Linda, raising her wrist to the officers, exclaimed, ¡°See! He¡¯s still holding onto me!¡± Prompted by her plea, one of the officers firmly instructed the man, ¡°Sir, please release her now.¡± The man, however, appeared reluctant to comply. The officer¡¯s expression hardened, ¡°If you refuse to release her, we will be forced to take action.¡± His voice, loud and clear, resonated with all present. It was then that the man finally spoke, ¡°I cannot let her go.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± the officer pressed, his expression growing stern, ¡°We ask for your cooperation. Failure to comply will lead us to take legal measures.¡± Reiterating their readiness to use force, the officer awaited a response. ¡°If I release her, she¡¯ll become violent,¡± the man said bluntly. The officers, taken aback by this revelation, paused momentarily. One of them, thinking quickly, asked, ¡°Are you implying that this lady was the aggressor?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the tall, muscular man succinctly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not true!¡± Linda immediately countered, complicating the officers¡¯ task. One officer motioned for the owner to approach, ¡°Boss, please come here. Let¡¯s clarify the situation.¡± To the tall man, another officer said, ¡°Release her. We¡¯ll ensure she doesn¡¯t¡­ well, doesn¡¯t hit anyone again.¡± Surprisingly, the man complied, letting go of Linda and gently pushing her towards the officers. Brother Fang watched this unfold, his frustration evident. Linda, massaging her slightly reddened wrist, glanced at Xia Wan and Liu Hua. ¡°Look, both of my friends have been hurt! ¡± she pointed out to the police. The officer, noticing Xia Wan and Liu Hua, stepped closer to inquire about their condition. Liu Hua was still grimacing in pain, holding his stomach. Upon seeing this, the police swiftly dialed for an ambulance. While awaiting its arrival, the officers questioned those at the scene, identifying the involved parties and instructing them to assist with the investigation at the police station. Given the limited resources in the county, the police car couldn¡¯t accommodate everyone. Except for the directly involved individuals, the rest were expected to cooperate voluntarily. The ambulance, a modified old van, arrived promptly. Though rudimentary, it was certainly a better option than walking to the hospital. With the police¡¯s approval, Xia Wan accompanied Liu Hua into the ambulance. Linda, Brother Fang, and the tall, muscular man were courteously escorted to the police car and taken to the station for further proceedings.. Chapter 574 - Chapter 574: Cooperate With the Investigation Chapter 574: Cooperate With the Investigation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The ambulance arrived at the county hospital. Xia Wan got out of the car and accompanied Liu Hua into the emergency room. While waiting for Liu Hua¡¯s check-up, Xia Wan called Officer Song. ¡°Officer Song, I need your assistance with something.¡± ¡°Miss Xia, why are you here?¡± Fang Ming, the director of the emergency department, greeted Xia Wan warmly upon seeing her. The director had specifically instructed not to expose Xia Wan¡¯s identity, so even though the hospital staff recognized her, they referred to her as Miss Xia. Xia Wan and Fang Ming, having met twice before, were not very familiar with each other. However, since she was appointed by the hospital and was Fang Ming¡¯s colleague, she couldn¡¯t afford to be too distant. ¡°Director Fang, my friend was brought here for emergency treatment. I¡¯m waiting for her,¡± Xia Wan replied succinctly. ¡°Your friend? In emergency treatment?¡± Fang Ming found it hard to believe. With Xia Wan¡¯s medical expertise, complex diseases were easily handled. If someone needed emergency room care, the situation must be serious. Director Fang immediately perked up. ¡°Miss Xia, rest assured, we will do our utmost to save your friend!¡± Realizing that Director Fang had misunderstood, Xia Wan was about to explain. That was when the emergency room door opened from the inside. Liu Hua, tidying up her clothes and still pale but looking much better than before, greeted Xia Wan with a smile, ¡°Wanwan, let¡¯s go!¡± Director Fang, momentarily stunned, looked at Liu Hua and then back at Xia Wan. ¡°Is this your friend?¡± The expected scene of bloodied and severely injured patients was completely absent. Liu Hua greeted Director Fang politely. ¡°Thank you, everyone. I¡¯m feeling much better now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need a more thorough examination?¡± Director Fang eventually regained his senses. Xia Wan nodded at Director Fang. ¡°Thank you, Director Fang. We came to the emergency room for a specific reason.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be leaving now,¡± Xia Wan said, taking Liu Hua¡¯s hand and heading out. Had the police not insisted on an ambulance for Liu Hua, this trip wouldn¡¯t have been necessary. However, it did provide Xia Wan the opportunity to contact Officer Song, avoiding some unnecessary hassle. Linda was still at the police station. They had to hurry there as soon as possible. As Xia Wan and Liu Hua were leaving, they heard Director Fang¡¯s voice again. Xia Wan turned to see Director Fang gesturing for her to wait while he picked up a landline phone and dialed a number. After hanging up, Director Fang approached Xia Wan. ¡°Miss Xia, the hospital will arrange a car to take you home.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Xia Wan immediately declined. Director Fang persisted, ¡°Your friend just came out of the emergency room and needs rest. Besides, this is the hospital¡¯s arrangement. It¡¯s a courtesy you deserve!¡± Although Xia Wan was hesitant, she eventually agreed, considering Liu Hua¡¯s condition. ¡°Thank you, Director Fang.¡± Liu Hua, puzzled about why Director Fang said it was arranged by the hospital, did not inquire further. She assumed it was due to her recent emergency treatment and the director¡¯s acquaintance with Xia Wan. The car arrived at the police station entrance just as Xia Wan saw Officer Song waiting. ¡°Officer Song, we¡¯re here,¡± Xia Wan greeted. Officer Song promptly approached. ¡°Miss Xia, we¡¯ve cleared up today¡¯s incident. Regarding your friend¡­¡± ¡°Officer Song, I didn¡¯t call to disrupt the police station¡¯s normal operations,¡± Xia Wan interrupted. ¡°Also, what did you find about that person?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t found anything unusual about that person,¡± Officer Song shook his head. ¡°Then perhaps I was overthinking it,¡± Xia Wan said, slightly lowering her head. She then addressed Officer Song. ¡°We¡¯re here to cooperate with the investigation. Please lead the way.¡± Xia Wan and Liu Hua entered the interrogation room of the police station. After giving their statements, they proceeded to the hall to wait. Shortly after, Linda was brought in. Fang Ge and his companions were brought out soon after. Upon seeing Linda, Fang Gels anger flared up again, but he was quickly restrained by a tall, muscular man. Linda made a face at Fang Ge and snorted before turning to Xia Wan. ¡°The police said I can go first.¡± ¡°Are you and Liu Hua alright?¡± She clasped Xia Wan and Liu Hua¡¯s hands, examining them. Liu Hua¡¯s complexion was still poor, but noticeably better than before.. Chapter 575 - Chapter 575: Setting Up A Fight Chapter 575: Setting Up A Fight Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°We¡¯re here just to give a statement and to pick you up,¡± Xia Wan said, briefly glancing in the direction of Brother Fang and his group. Brother Fang, glaring angrily at Linda, pointed a finger at her and shouted, ¡°You coward! If you¡¯re brave enough, don¡¯t leave! Let¡¯s settle this outside!¡± A nearby police officer swiftly slapped away Brother Fang¡¯s hand, scolding him harshly, ¡°Challenging a woman to a fight, you are really something¡­¡± The officer didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but it was clear that it wasn¡¯t meant to be a compliment. Brother Fang, not daring to press further, stayed silent. ¡°Bring it on! I¡¯m not scared of you!¡± Linda retorted defiantly, unphased by Brother Fang¡¯s threatening demeanor. Brother Fang, further provoked by Linda¡¯s challenge, became increasingly furious: ¡°You¡¯ll regret this!¡± ¡°Officer, when can I leave?¡± Brother Fang, now visibly agitated, asked with a raised voice. After uttering these words, Brother Fang quickly realized his mistake and turned to see the police officer giving him a stern look. Brother Fang immediately softened his tone, ¡°I apologize, Officer! My remarks were not directed at you, but at that despicable woman!¡± As Brother Fang pointed at Linda again, the officer knocked his hand down once more: ¡°She might be free to leave, but you and your group aren¡¯t going anywhere for a while! Thinking of arranging a fight, huh?¡± ¡°Want to bet I can keep you here for the next two weeks?¡± The officer¡¯s words, though sounding like a threat, were taken seriously by Brother Fang. ¡°Please, Officer! I have urgent matters to attend to outside!¡± pleaded Brother Fang, then suddenly questioned, ¡°Hold on, why can she leave and I can¡¯t?¡± The officer shot Brother Fang a stern glance, ¡°Eyewitnesses confirmed that their actions were in self-defense. You, who instigated the trouble, think you can leave just like that?¡± Realizing the gravity of the situation, Brother Fang calmed down, casting a quick glance at the tall, muscular man behind him. Xia Wan noticed Brother Fang¡¯s reaction, her suspicion about the tall man¡¯s identity growing. The officer, however, didn¡¯t catch Brother Fang¡¯s look and addressed the group, including the tall man, ¡°You can leave for now. But be prepared to return if we need further cooperation from you.¡± The tall man nodded, ignoring Brother Fang, and headed for the exit. Passing by Xia Wan, he briefly paused before continuing out. The others, also ignoring Brother Fang, followed the tall man out. Linda, seeing Brother Fang¡¯s companions desert him, stuck out her tongue mockingly, ¡°You really have no friends at all! ¡°Look, even your own buddies have abandoned you! ¡°Just stay in the police station and reflect for a few days!¡± After her remarks, Linda happily exited the police station with Xia Wan and Liu Hua. Reaching the entrance, they saw the tall man and his group hadn¡¯t left yet. Linda immediately positioned Xia Wan and Liu Hua behind her, whispering, ¡°If they come this way, don¡¯t worry about me and head straight back into the station, understand?¡± Before Xia Wan could reply, the tall man began to approach them, causing both Linda and Liu Hua to tense up. Just as the man was a mere meter away, someone called from a distance, ¡°Miss Xia, haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± Everyone turned to see a man dressed in the uniform of a deputy police chief cheerfully jogging towards Xia Wan. Xia Wan greeted him, ¡°Deputy Chief Cai, is there something you need?¡± Deputy Chief Cai, smiling warmly, said, ¡°I heard from Xiao Song that you were here. Is there something you need help with?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a minor matter, no need to bother you, Deputy Chief Cai,¡± Xia Wan replied courteously. After speaking, Xia Wan glanced back at the tall man, who, noticing, turned and left with his companions. Xia Wan¡¯s attention returned to Deputy Chief Cai, who looked somewhat troubled and hesitant. ¡°Do you need something from me, Deputy Chief Cai?¡± Xia Wan kindly inquired. Encouraged by Xia Wan¡¯s prompt, Deputy Chief Cai said, ¡°Since Miss Xia has asked, I¡¯ll speak openly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your exceptional medical skills, Miss Xia.. My family has a patient at home; would it be possible to trouble you to take a look?¡± Chapter 576 - Chapter 576: Speaking About Cooperation Chapter 576: Speaking About Cooperation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan was inclined to decline, but after a moment¡¯s thought, she responded, ¡°I¡¯m tied up with something today. If it isn¡¯t too pressing, I can visit you over the weekend. How does that sound to Deputy Director Cai?¡± ¡°Of course, of course!¡± Cai Jia, visibly thrilled that Xia Wan hadn¡¯t outright refused, exclaimed, ¡°Miss Xia, please attend to your matters first. I¡¯ll be happy to pick you up this weekend!¡± ¡°Thank you then, Deputy Director Cai,¡± Xia Wan said, nodding courteously to Cai Jia before leaving the police station with Linda and Liu Hua. The tall, imposing man and his companions had vanished, and Linda¡¯s cautious demeanor began to ease. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault we missed our meal today, and Liu Hua got hurt¡­¡± Linda said apologetically to Liu Hua and Xia Wan. ¡°How about this ¨C I invite you both to my place. I¡¯ll cook for you. What do you think?¡± ¡°You cook?¡± Liu Hua asked, surprised. Liu Hua, who had been somewhat reserved around Linda, now seemed more relaxed after the day¡¯s events. Linda replied with a resigned look, ¡°Though I was raised abroad, my parents always preferred cooking Chinese meals at home.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been living independently since adulthood. If I hadn¡¯t learned to cook, I wouldn¡¯t have survived on the foreign cuisine!¡± Linda added with a slight grimace. Just as they were about to leave together, a car suddenly pulled up in front of them. Lin Chao leaned out from the passenger window, ¡®Miss Xia, you were hard to find!¡± Xia Wan frowned at Lin Chao, ¡°Is there something you need from me?¡± ¡°Have you so quickly forgotten what you promised me?¡± Lin Chao asked, though his tone was more amused than accusatory. ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital,¡± he said, beckoning to Xia Wan. Linda quickly tugged at Xia Wan¡¯s arm, ¡°Do you know him? He seems untrustworthy. Don¡¯t go!¡± Xia Wan patted Linda¡¯s hand reassuringly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You go ahead. I¡¯ll try your cooking some other time.¡± After speaking, Xia Wan turned to Liu Hua, ¡°Liu Hua, Linda isn¡¯t familiar with the town. Could you please take her back?¡± ¡°If anything feels off, call me, okay?¡± Liu Hua nodded earnestly at Xia Wan¡¯s instructions, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Xia Wan then got into the car¡¯s back seat. As the car drove away, Xia Wan finally spoke up, ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± Lin Chao, smiling, glanced at her through the rearview mirror, ¡°Finding someone isn¡¯t too hard for me.¡± ¡°But why were you at the police station? If you need help, just ask.¡± Lin Chao¡¯s tone was friendly, like he was speaking to an old acquaintance, which made Xia Wan somewhat uneasy. ¡°No help needed. It¡¯s a minor issue that I can handle,¡± Xia Wan replied succinctly, then inquired, ¡°The hospital should manage fine. Why did you come looking for me?¡± Lin Chao, as if expecting the question, turned to face her, ¡®You promised to look after Shi Yu until he recovers.¡± ¡°I did not!¡± Xia Wan immediately countered. Lin Chao, pursing his lips thoughtfully, said, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t trust those hospital folks.¡± ¡°Their medical expertise is reliable, but they¡¯re overly cautious. Many of their treatment methods are too conservative for my liking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping you can assist me.¡± The playful expression on Lin Chao¡¯s face had given way to earnest anticipation. Xia Wan, observing his demeanor, took a moment before asking, ¡°This isn¡¯t just about Shi Yu, is it?¡± ¡°You catch on quick,¡± Lin Chao replied, his smile returning. Sitting up straight, he added, ¡°I¡¯m actually here to discuss a partnership with you. But, I can¡¯t divulge much at the moment.¡± ¡°Right now, my main concern is getting Shi Yu back on his feet as soon as possible. ¡± Xia Wan considered for a moment before agreeing, ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°You trust me that much?¡± Lin Chao sounded genuinely surprised. ¡°You¡¯re not a bad person,¡± Xia Wan stated confidently. This response left Lin Chao both amused and relieved. ¡°Alright then. Your trust saves me a lot of trouble,¡± he said, visibly relaxed. ¡°I need to make a phone call,¡± Xia Wan mentioned, holding up her phone to Lin Chao. He gestured magnanimously, ¡°Please, go ahead. I¡¯m not here to kidnap you. You¡¯re free to do as you please.¡± Xia Wan then proceeded to call Chen Mo.. Chapter 577 - Chapter 577: Obstinate Chapter 577: Obstinate Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After ensuring that Chen MO was informed of his whereabouts to alleviate his concerns, the car soon arrived at the military hospital¡¯s entrance. Lin Chao, a true gentleman, opened the car door for Xia Wan. At the entrance, Dr. Fang was already waiting, his expression grave. ¡°Miss Xia, there are some matters I would like to discuss with you first,¡± Dr. Fang said with utmost seriousness. Xia Wan gestured to Lin Chao and then followed Dr. Fang to a secluded area nearby. Making sure there were no eavesdroppers, Dr. Fang finally spoke up: ¡°Miss Xia, your actions this time are excessively risky! ¡°Despite receiving a directive from higher-ups to fully cooperate with your treatment, the current treatment procedures and medication standards are in clear violation of established protocols. ¡°If, by any chance¡­¡± ¡°If someone seeks retribution afterward, neither you nor I can bear the responsibility! ¡± Xia Wan knew that Dr. Fang¡¯s advice came from a place of genuine concern. However, as Lin Chao had pointed out, these doctors were overly cautious. In a true emergency, their unwavering adherence to rules and the need to report every detail could significantly impede critical treatment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dr. Fang. If something were to happen, you won¡¯t be held accountable,¡± Xia Wan reassured him. Dr. Fang was momentarily taken aback, then sighed, ¡°I offer this advice out of genuine concern. If you choose not to heed it, there¡¯s little more I can do.¡± Xia Wan wasn¡¯t ignoring his advice; she simply believed that Lin Chao had the capability to handle this matter correctly. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be audaciously discussing further cooperation with her. Nevertheless, Xia Wan didn¡¯t feel the need to explain this to Dr. Fang. After all, he was bound by his professional responsibilities, and flouting the rules would put him at a disadvantage. Smiling at Dr. Fang, Xia Wan said, ¡°Thank you for your concern! I believe Shi Yu will be discharged soon. ¡°If someone truly seeks retribution later, they will find the person they¡¯re looking for.¡± After conveying this, Xia Wan nodded at Dr. Fang and turned to enter the hospital building. Dr. Fang watched her departing figure and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°This girl¡¯s medical skills are commendable, but she is incredibly stubborn. It will undoubtedly lead to trouble in the future.¡± Upon returning to the ICU, Xia Wan found that order had been restored, and the previous chaos had subsided. With Shi Yu awake, the follow-up treatment could proceed as planned. Director Tang emphasized the need for everything to go smoothly in the ICU, so the medical staff had increased in number. Xia Wan glanced at the bustling medical team and then peered through the observation room window. ¡°Is Professor Zhang not here today?¡± One of the physician¡¯s assistants looked at Xia Wan and replied, ¡°Professor Zhang has been tirelessly working for several days, even staying here overnight. ¡°Now that the patient has awakened and all the morning tests are normal, he has gone to the duty room to rest.¡± Xia Wan nodded without further inquiry. After completing the sterile procedures, Xia Wan entered the ICU. Shi Yu could already remove the oxygen mask, but the nasal oxygen tube indicated that his condition was still fragile. As Xia Wan examined Shi Yu¡¯s various test reports and monitor readings, she turned to a busy nurse and inquired, ¡®When is the CT scan scheduled for him?¡± The nurse paused and appeared puzzled. ¡°Neither Professor Zhang nor Dr. Fang has ordered a CT scan. There hasn¡¯t been any arrangement for further examination.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s expression turned grave. ¡°You didn¡¯t conduct imaging earlier due to the lack of facilities, but surely you understand the importance of a thorough examination for the patient¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°What?¡± Xia Wan asked incredulously. ¡°Your professor and doctor dare to rest without even completing the most basic check-up?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words left the nurses present in a state of uncertainty. The people in the observation room outside were equally taken aback. Just then, Dr. Fang entered the room. Seeing everyone¡¯s stunned expressions, Dr. Fang grew somewhat anxious and quickly inquired, ¡°What¡¯s happening? Has something gone wrong with the patient?¡± One of the physician¡¯s assistants, regaining his composure, hastily explained, ¡°The patient is fine, Dr. Fang. It¡¯s Miss Xia. She¡­¡± Upon hearing that it was a concern regarding Xia Wan, Dr. Fang¡¯s expression also turned grave.. Chapter 578 - Chapter 578: Rejecting Xia Wan’s Treatment Chapter 578: Rejecting Xia Wan¡¯s Treatment Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Miss Xia, is there an issue?¡± Dr. Fang inquired after entering the ICU, addressing Xia Wan. ¡°Dr. Fang, surely I needn¡¯t remind you. We¡¯ve just performed an emergency procedure on the patient yesterday,¡± Xia Wan said with a firm tone. ¡°Absolutely!¡± Dr. Fang¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡®We haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± ¡°But it seems you¡¯ve overlooked something crucial!¡± Xia Wan¡¯s tone was more assertive. Dr. Fang paused, taking a moment to compose himself. ¡°And what might that be?¡± he asked. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the patient been scheduled for a CT scan yet?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s gaze was piercing, her tone sharp. Her look suggested she saw Dr. Fang as a negligent physician. Dr. Fang momentarily lost for words, turned to the nurse. ¡°Didn¡¯t Professor Zhang send the examination report?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t received it,¡± the nurse responded promptly, not hesitating. Dr. Fang¡¯s face showed a mix of emotions. He turned to Xia Wan, admitting, apologize. This oversight is on us.¡± Dr. Fang then hurriedly left the ICU. He quickly filled out the examination application form in the observation room, and handed it to the bewildered doctor¡¯s assistant before returning to the ICU. Meanwhile, Xia Wan was checking Shi Yu¡¯s wrist. Despite his weakened state, Shi Yu had strength in his push, batting Xia Wan¡¯s hand away. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked in a not-so-friendly tone. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to treat you,¡± Xia Wan replied, halting her gesture. ¡°You? A woman?¡± Shi Yu looked at her incredulously, raising his voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have an issue with women?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s response was equally unfriendly. Shi Yu just glared at her, not uttering a word. Tired of the nonsense, Xia Wan turned to Dr. Fang. ¡°Proceed with the examination. I¡¯ll return once we have the results.¡± ¡°It¡¯s late in the day. Even if the examination is completed today, the results won¡¯t be available for another two days,¡± Dr. Fang expressed with a hint of helplessness. Xia Wan¡¯s brow furrowed. She realized that the technology wasn¡¯t advanced enough for immediate video results, presenting a complication. As Xia Wan pondered her next move, Shi Yu spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t need treatment from a woman! Let her leave!¡± he demanded, weakly gesturing towards the door. ¡°Are you certain?¡± Xia Wan asked, before Dr. Fang could intervene. ¡°Absolutely!¡± Shi Yu asserted. ¡°Very well!¡± Xia Wan agreed without hesitation, signaling to Lin Chao, who had just arrived. ¡°He refuses my treatment.¡± ¡°I have no further business here, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± As Xia Wan made for the door, Lin Chao was visibly distressed. Rushing to the ICU door without regard for sterility, Lin Chao pleaded, ¡°You can¡¯t leave!¡± Xia Wan, hand on the door, turned to see Lin Chao¡¯s anxious face at the window. ¡°The patient declined my assistance,¡± she explained calmly. ¡°Moreover, the medical staff here can adapt their approach to his condition,¡± she added, glancing at Dr. Fang, who appeared deeply embarrassed, nearly ready to apologize publicly once more. Meanwhile, Lin Chao seemed to wish he could scold Shi Yu through the window. ¡°Shi Yu!¡± Lin Chao bellowed. ¡°Behave! Miss Xia is here to save your life!¡± ¡°If you wish to collaborate with me post-recovery, then heed Miss Xia¡¯s advice!¡± Lin Chao¡¯s stern words seemed to have an effect; Shi Yu withdrew his hand submissively. Lin Chao then turned to Xia Wan with a pleading look. ¡°Miss Xia, please overlook his ignorance. He¡¯s young; don¡¯t be upset with him!¡± Shi Yu, observing Lin Chao¡¯s rare humility, dared not even breathe loudly. Xia Wan released the door handle, stepping back. ¡°Alright, I accept your request. ¡± ¡°However, I indeed have nothing else to attend to today.¡± ¡°Correct?¡± she asked, directing her question to Dr. Fang.. Chapter 579 - Chapter 579: Still in High School Chapter 579: Still in High School Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Dr. Fang said with a restrained expression, ¡°As soon as the examination report is out, I will notify Miss Xia immediately.¡± However, Xia Wan waved her hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I have classes during the day. I will come back in two days. ¡°If there¡¯s anything in the meantime, you can contact me.¡± As Xia Wan spoke, she wrote down her phone number in a notebook nearby. Dr. Fang was startled, ¡°Miss Xia, you¡¯re still in university?¡± After saying this, he felt something was amiss. There were no universities in their county town. Did Miss Xia travel back and forth every time? No wonder her temper was always a bit off. Xia Wan blinked at Dr. Fang and then pointed to her clothes, ¡°Dr. Fang, I¡¯m still in high school! The only high school in the county town!¡± Although covered by a protective suit, Dr. Fang recalled that Xia Wan seemed to be wearing a uniform today. Dr. Fang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re still a high school student?¡± Dr. Fang¡¯s surprise was evident even through the mask covering his face. Xia Wan nodded, then gestured to Dr. Fang, ¡°So I have homework to finish, I won¡¯t stay here long.¡± As she spoke, Xia Wan gestured to Lin Chao, who was still clinging to the window, to back off. Lin Chao obediently made way for Xia Wan. As soon as Xia Wan stepped out of the military hospital¡¯s gate, she saw Chen Mo¡¯s car emit a sharp sound and stop in front of her. Chen MO got out of the car and rushed towards Xia Wan. He grabbed Xia Wan¡¯s arms and checked her over, ¡°Are you okay? They didn¡¯t do anything to you, did they?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Xia Wan said with a smile, shaking her head. At this time, Lin Chao also came out from inside. He intended to thank Xia Wan, but he saw Chen Mo¡¯s warning look staring at him. Chen MO shielded Xia Wan behind him and said to Lin Chao, ¡°Stay away from Xia Wan in the future. If there¡¯s anything, you can contact me!¡± Looking at Chen Mo¡¯s defensive expression, Lin Chao found it somewhat amusing, ¡°Xia Wan is not yours, why should I go through you to find her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend!¡± Chen MO stressed emphatically, through gritted teeth. Lin Chao was not to be outdone, ¡°Just a girlfriend! Not your wife!¡± Xia Wan almost laughed out loud at the sight of the two men, looking like two fighting cocks. No matter which way you looked at them, they looked like two birds locked in a fight. Chen MO tightly grasped Xia Wan¡¯s hand and raised it in front of Lin Chao, ¡°She will be in the future! ¡°In any case, don¡¯t even think about it! ¡°If anything happens, remember to contact me. If I find out you¡¯ve taken Xia Wan away secretly again¡­¡± Chen Mo¡¯s threatening words were cut off as Xia Wan pulled his hand down. Chen MO turned to look at Xia Wan, but saw her shaking her head. Both Xia Wan and Chen MO knew that Lin Chao¡¯s background was complicated. Even in verbal conflicts, they tried to limit them to avoid giving the other party any leverage. Chen MO did not continue, but snorted at Li Chao, took Xia Wan¡¯s hand, and walked away. Lin Chao watched Chen MO¡¯s back, sneering, ¡°You¡¯d better be able to watch Xia Wan all the time, don¡¯t let me find an opportunity!¡± On the way back, Chen MO was silent. Xia Wan hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to not tell you, it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Forgot?¡± Chen MO finished for her. Xia Wan immediately closed her mouth, knowing she was in the wrong and dared not make a sound. ¡°Xia Wan, I¡¯m not trying to monitor your whereabouts,¡± Chen MO sighed, continuing, ¡°But you and I both know, Lin Chao is not simple.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get too involved with him¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get into unnecessary trouble! Do you understand?¡± Chen Mo¡¯s words left Xia Wan even more unsure of how to respond. She had just promised Lin Chao that day to continue caring for Shi Yu¡¯s situation, ana altnougn sne nacln¡¯t agreea to rurtner cooperation, sne Knew sne actually wanted to do it. After all, she needed a more stable foundation now. She wanted to break away from her previous life, avoid the things that happened in her last life, not be at the mercy of others, and she needed a stronger backing. Chen MO was certainly a good choice, but she needed more! She needed to establish her own stronger foundation, not just rely entirely on Chen Mo¡¯s help. Seeing that Xia Wan remained silent, Chen MO knew she hadn¡¯t completely taken his advice to heart. The two fell into silence again.. Chapter 580 - Chapter 580: Unexpected Chapter 580: Unexpected Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan opened the car door and got out, while Chen MO seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent. Upon opening the door to her home, Xia Wan saw her entire family already seated at the dining table, waiting just for her. ¡°Is it a festival today? Why are there so many delicious dishes?¡± Xia Wan exclaimed in surprise, seeing a table full of food. Xia Hai and Yan Han, accustomed to frugality, never indulged in extravagance even though their life had improved. A meal for the five family members usually consisted of just a few simple dishes. ¡°Today we have something to celebrate!¡± Xia Hai said cheerfully, his smile almost overflowing. Xia Wan glanced around and noticed Xia Chen smiling shyly with his head lowered. She figured it must be about today¡¯s hosting of the foreign delegation. She had planned to return to school in the afternoon to check on Xia Chen¡¯s situation, but a series of events occurred, and by the time she returned, it was already dinner time, so she decided not to go back to school. ¡°You and your brother are at the same school, and you don¡¯t even know that your brother made a big impression at school today!¡± Xia Feng said somewhat discontentedly. ¡°What happened?¡± Xia Wan asked curiously, hanging up her coat and hurrying to the dining table. Yan Han tapped Xia Wan¡¯s hand, ¡°Go wash your hands!¡± Xia Wan stuck out her tongue and obediently ran to wash her hands before returning to the table. ¡°Tell me, tell me!¡± Xia Wan urged Xia Chen while sitting down, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Xia Feng immediately took on a proud demeanor, as if he was the one who had made the impression, ¡°Today, your brother was sent home by the visiting delegation¡¯s car!¡± ¡°Even your school¡¯s principal came along! ¡± Xia Wan waved her hand impatiently, ¡°Hey, stop messing around, I don¡¯t want to hear from you!¡± ¡°Brother, what exactly happened?¡± Xia Wan stared intently at Xia Chen. ¡°Yes, tell us! What exactly happened?¡± Xia Feng also blinked curiously. Xia Hai and Yan Han smiled silently, eagerly looking at Xia Chen. Xia Chen¡¯s face couldn¡¯t hide his shyness, ¡°It¡¯s actually not a big deal. Just today, some members of the visiting delegation ran into a bit of trouble, and I helped solve it. ¡°They sent a car especially to thank me and take me home. ¡°The principal and others came along because they heard about the incident.¡± Xia Wan blinked rapidly. ¡°What trouble did they encounter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really a big deal,¡± Xia Chen said with a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that the visitors didn¡¯t understand our local customs. During an afternoon outing, someone mistakenly put a clay statue used for ancestor worship into their backpack to take away. ¡°They were discovered before they even reached the door. ¡°At that moment, a sincere apology would probably have sufficed. ¡°But the members of the delegation thought it was just a souvenir on the table and tried to pay for it. ¡°Naturally, the owners were unwilling, and a commotion ensued.¡± Xia Wan frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t the person leading the delegation explain what they should be aware of?¡± Xia Chen shook his head, ¡°The teachers leading the team, Chen and Zhang, were busy resolving the conflict and didn¡¯t notice these things.¡± ¡°Resolving a conflict?¡± Xia Wan was even more puzzled, ¡°Between whom?¡± Xia Chen sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Zhou Chen and Song Zhi were arguing about, but they ended up involving a member of the visiting delegation who got hurt. ¡°At that time, Teacher Chen had to take the injured person to the waiting car to treat the wound. Fortunately, it was just a scrape on the arm, nothing serious. ¡°Teacher Zhang was calming the other students and making sure Zhou Chen and Song Zhi didn¡¯t start arguing again. ¡°The leader of the foreign delegation was nowhere to be seen at that time, probably off touring on their own. ¡°Overall, the situation was a bit chaotic,¡± Xia Chen said, sighing lightly. ¡°These idiots!¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but mutter under her breath. ¡°How was the person who took the statue dealt with?¡± Xia Wan continued to inquire. Xia Feng looked at Xia Chen curiously, ¡°Was there any punishment? I heard that disturbing ancestor worship statues can bring disaster to the whole family! ¡°And this one was directly stolen! Isn¡¯t it like stealing the ancestors themselves? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t their family go crazy? Xia Feng¡¯s tone could hardly conceal his excitement.. Chapter 581 - Chapter 581: Worried Chapter 581: Worried Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Chen nodded with a wry smile. ¡°Back then, that family really resorted to using knives and sticks. ¡°I heard the county and school specifically requested this tour. It¡¯s unexpected that such an incident occurred. ¡°At first, the family seemed timid when hosting the foreign guests, displaying a mix of curiosity and caution,¡± Xia Chen recounted, a hint of helplessness in his voice. ¡°I never imagined someone would dare to touch the clay statue representing their ancestors.¡± ¡°My heart raced! The family member chased the offender, intent on striking him.¡± ¡°And then what happened?¡± Xia Feng asked, his excitement palpable. ¡°Seeing the foreigner about to be attacked, I intervened to calm the family,¡± Xia Chen continued. ¡°At that moment, fear was the last thing on my mind. I just thought that if the foreigner was harmed, it could escalate quickly. ¡°Thankfully, the family, though angry, was still approachable. ¡°And the clay statue remained unscathed. ¡°The foreigner was terrified, cowering behind me, too scared to utter a word. ¡°The rest of the delegation was equally stunned, keeping their distance rather than intervening! ¡°Eventually, the foreigner complied with the family¡¯s demand to bow thrice before the clay statue, which seemed to appease them.¡± Xia Chen¡¯s smile was tinged with bitterness. ¡°The delegation¡¯s leader stepped forward, expressing gratitude and inviting me to consult for them in the coming days.¡± Xia Wan and Xia Feng¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡± Xia Hai and Yan Han remained silent, their smiles reflecting their happiness. ¡°Is that why the visiting group and the school value you so much?¡± Xia Feng asked eagerly. ¡°The principal has asked me to accompany the delegation for a week. I must represent our school well,¡± Xia Chen said, excitement mingled with apprehension. ¡°You¡¯ll do great, brother!¡± Xia Wan encouraged. Xia Chen¡¯s smile seemed strained. ¡°Are you the sole guide?¡± Xia Wan inquired, puzzled. Xia Chen shook his head. ¡°A few other teachers will join us.¡± ¡°This assignment initially didn¡¯t involve students¡­¡± Xia Wan quickly grasped his implication. ¡°Don¡¯t fret! The teachers will support you. Besides, the delegation requested your presence!¡± Xia Wan reassured him. ¡°Exactly! Brother, make our ancestors proud!¡± Xia Feng¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Enough!¡± Xia Hai scolded, playfully hitting Xia Feng¡¯s head. Xia Feng just grinned, rubbing his head. ¡°Will missing school affect your studies?¡± Yan Han asked, concerned. Xia Chen reassured his mother earnestly, ¡°My studies won¡¯t suffer.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry! Brother always excels academically. This won¡¯t hinder him,¡± Xia Wan added, smiling at Yan Han. ¡°Plus, this experience will enhance my resume. ¡°It might even boost his university prospects!¡± Yan Han, unfamiliar with college admissions, felt relieved at Xia Wan¡¯s words. She nodded gently. ¡°Just take care of yourself and don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°About today¡¯s incident¡­¡± Yan Han hesitated. ¡°Your safety is paramount.¡± Xia Wan felt a surge of warmth towards her mother. While they were all excitedly celebrating the great opportunity Xia Chen gained from this incident, Yan Han was genuinely worried about Xia Chen¡¯s safety. Indeed, amidst a group of people who were shouting and fighting over their ancestral clay statue, wielding sticks and knives, Xia Chen could easily get hurt in an unforeseen moment. Yet, no one seemed to notice this point! Xia Chen, perceiving Yan Han¡¯s worry, reassured her. ¡°Mom, I won¡¯t be reckless again.¡± ¡°I trust you,¡± Yan Han said softly, patting his arm. ¡°But I know you¡¯d still risk yourself to help others..¡± Chapter 582 - Chapter 582: Unwarranted Accusation Chapter 582: Unwarranted Accusation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yan Han¡¯s words caused Xia Chen to stiffen, followed by a dry chuckle to dispel the tension. ¡°It¡¯s not about discouraging you from helping others. I just want you to prioritize your safety,¡± Yan Han spoke softly, her voice filled with a mother¡¯s deep concern. Xia Wan gently patted Yan Han¡¯s hand, reassuring her. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not one to act rashly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I trust you,¡± Yan Han replied, her face breaking into a warm smile. Xia Hai, observing his wife and children, sighed contentedly. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to have the family together like this.¡± ¡°All thanks to Wanwan.¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not all my doing. Brother earned this opportunity himself!¡± Xia Wan modestly declined the praise. ¡°Without Wanwan¡¯s encouragement, I wouldn¡¯t have even thought of attending the reception. You deserve thanks,¡± Xia Chen said as he returned to his seat, raising his cup to Xia Wan. ¡®Wanwan, this toast is for you.¡± Caught off guard by Xia Chen¡¯s gesture, Xia Wan hurriedly picked up her glass and sipped her juice. Meanwhile, Xia Feng¡¯s playful complaints about being left out drew laughter from the family. Xia Wan thought the turmoil had settled with her parents¡¯ return and Xia Chen¡¯s successful task completion. But then Xia He and Chen Lian arrived, disrupting the family meal. ¡°Xia Wan, come out!¡± Xia He¡¯s loud voice echoed from afar. As Xia Hai rose to greet them, Yan Han gripped his arm, her frown betraying her concern. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Xia Hai, wordless, sat back down, a look of resignation on his face. The family, barely recovering from recent upheavals, braced themselves for more trouble. Xia Wan stood up, followed closely by Xia Chen and Xia Feng, ready to face whatever was coming. They confronted Xia He at the door, with Xia Chen and Xia Feng blocking her way. ¡°Second Uncle, Second Aunt, what brings you here today?¡± Xia Chen inquired. Chen Lian, hands on hips, pointed accusingly at Xia Wan. ¡°I need to speak to that Xia Wan!¡± Xia Chen¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Second Aunt, speaking so disrespectfully doesn¡¯t suit your elder status.¡± ¡°Xia Chen, as your elder, step aside!¡± Chen Lian snapped back, her anger rising. ¡°Move, or I¡¯ll have to deal with you too!¡± ¡°Second Aunt, our families have had little contact since the split. What¡¯s the reason for your visit?¡± Xia Chen stood firm, his tone growing chillier. ¡°Xia Wan! It¡¯s bad enough you harmed Xia Ru, and now you¡¯re targeting our Xia Ye? Have you no conscience?¡± Chen Lian¡¯s voice was shrill, carrying down the street. ¡°Second Aunt, I don¡¯t understand. When did I harm Xia Ye?¡± Xia Wan stepped forward, meeting the accusation with a cool demeanor. ¡°I wish Xia Ye would stop seeing me as a rival. It doesn¡¯t do her any good.¡± At that moment, Xia Hai and Yan Han joined them. ¡°Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, let¡¯s discuss this calmly. Baseless accusations only harm our family¡¯s harmony,¡± Xia Hai said, sounding weary. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, I can¡¯t believe Wanwan would harm Xia Ye. Please verify the facts before accusing her,¡± Yan Han spoke firmly, determined to defend her daughter against Chen Lian¡¯s groundless claims.. Chapter 583 - Chapter 583: Xia Ye Ruined Chapter 583: Xia Ye Ruined Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Alright! Your family has grown quite formidable, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Chen Lian, pointing accusingly at Xia Wan and the others, raised her voice. ¡°Just because you¡¯re wealthy, you think you can oppress our less fortunate kin!¡± ¡°Let me make this clear! That¡¯s not going to happen!¡± Chen Lian¡¯s voice grew even more intense. ¡°I want everyone here to witness the ingratitude of your family! ¡± As Chen Lian continued, her frustration seemed to multiply, as if she had borne a great injustice. Xia He fanned the flames further. ¡°Look here, Third Brother, I¡¯ve always treated you well. How can you stand by and watch Xia Wan mistreat our Ye Ye?¡± Surveying the gathering neighbors, Xia Hai sighed. ¡°Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, perhaps we should discuss this indoors. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate to air such matters publicly.¡± Xia Hai, ever mindful of his reputation, feared that continuing this spectacle would only cause further problems. Yan Han, glaring at Xia Hai, clearly disagreed with his approach. ¡°Now you choose to act disgracefully?¡± Chen Lian, noticing Xia Hails reluctance, became even more relentless. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure the neighbors learn of your family¡¯s true nature!¡± The more she spoke, the more theatrical Chen Lian became. Finally, Yan Han couldn¡¯t contain himself. ¡°If you claim Wanwan has wronged your Xia Ye, then present your evidence!¡± ¡°Arriving here baselessly, I¡­¡± Yan Han hesitated before adding, ¡°If you fail to justify your claims, I¡¯ll have no choice but to involve the police!¡± The mention of police sent shivers down Xia Jiang¡¯s spine, recalling his own narrow escapes. Chen Lian, however, driven by a sense of justice for Xia Ye, seemed undeterred, hands on her hips, ready to escalate the confrontation. Xia Jiang, covering Chen Lian¡¯s mouth, turned to Xia Hai. ¡°This is a family matter, best kept from outsiders. Let¡¯s discuss this inside.¡± Xia Jiang, gently guiding Chen Lian, attempted to enter. Chen Lian resisted, but Xia Jiang, his expression stern, whispered, ¡°Haven¡¯t you embarrassed yourself enough? Do you wish to worsen the situation?¡± Momentarily stunned, Chen Lian eventually acquiesced, bowing her head as Xia Jiang nudged her forward. Xia Chen and Xia Feng blocked their path. ¡°No!¡± Xia Feng spoke first. ¡°You can¡¯t enter until you clarify matters!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve slandered Wanwan publicly, causing misunderstandings. Clarify this before entering!¡± added Xia Chen, barring Xia Jiang and Chen Lian¡¯s way. Xia Hai, about to interject, was silenced by Yan Han¡¯s stern gaze. Rarely subjected to such treatment, Xia Hai instantly fell silent. Xia Wan stepped forward, confronting Xia Jiang and Chen Lian. ¡°Second Uncle, Second Aunt, you¡¯ve caused quite a scene, accusing me of harming Xia Ye. ¡°I must ask, how did I supposedly harm her? What exactly did I do?¡± Chen Lian, incensed at Xia Wan¡¯s questioning, pulled away Xia Jiang¡¯s hand and exclaimed, ¡°Our Xia Ye was a fine young woman, with a marriage arrangement in place, set to be engaged by year¡¯s end.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your influence that led her to bad company! Now, she¡¯s¡­¡± Chen Lian¡¯s voice cracked, overcome with emotion. ¡°And what happened next?¡± Xia Wan pressed on. ¡°If you¡¯re accusing me, be specific!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! Because of you, she encountered that despicable man! Had you not introduced her to such questionable characters, she wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Chen Lian burst into tears, completing her accusation. Xia Jiang quickly silenced her again. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree not to speak of this?!¡± he scolded. ¡°Regardless of your lack of shame, consider Xia Ye¡¯s reputation!¡± ¡°Now, what will people think of her?¡± Xia Jiang¡¯s rebuke seemed to awaken Chen Lian. She sobbed louder, fretting, ¡°What will become of our Xia Ye? How can I face the future?¡± As Chen Lian spiraled into despair, Xia Wan stepped closer, taking hold of her elbow with a firm grip. ¡°Second Aunt, please, don¡¯t distress yourself. Should anything truly befall Xia Ye, as relatives, we will certainly not ignore it.¡± ¡°However, if you¡¯re alleging that I led her into a situation where she was violated, I categorically deny such an accusation.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s clear, audible words left no doubt for the onlooking neighbors. Chen Lian, about to retort, suddenly found herself immobilized, her arm numb and unresponsive.. Chapter 584 - Chapter 584: A Small Warning Chapter 584: A Small Warning Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Ouch! Ouch! What¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Lian cried out as she collapsed to the ground. Xia Wan reached out to help, while discreetly doing something to Chen Lian¡¯s back. Xia Jiang hurried over, concerned. ¡°What happened? Why did she suddenly¡­¡± Chen Lian gasped and then fainted. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Xia Jiang panicked, unsure of what to do. ¡°It might be a fit of rage. Quick, let¡¯s get her inside!¡± Yan Han, remaining calm, gestured to Xia Jiang and Xia Chen to carry Chen Lian inside. At this point, Xia Jiang, too preoccupied to think about Xia Ye, joined Xia Chen in carrying the unconscious Chen Lian into the house. Once inside, they laid her on the sofa, and Xia Hai hurriedly called the county hospital. Yan Han wanted to check on Chen Lian, but Xia Wan held her back. Yan Han turned to Xia Wan, who shook her head nonchalantly. Yan Han was slightly shocked but tried to stay composed. Seeing Xia Jiang too flustered to notice them, she pulled Xia Wan aside. ¡°What did you do?¡± Xia Wan patted Yan Han¡¯s arm, reassuringly saying, ¡°I just wanted her to quiet down for a bit, just applied a little pressure to her sleep acupoint.¡± ¡°They were making such a scene at the door, damaging my reputation. I¡¯m more worried about the trouble it might cause for our family,¡± Xia Wan explained softly. Yan Han was concerned about something else. ¡°Their words earlier¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom!¡± Xia Wan consoled, ¡°They have no proof that I harmed Xia Ye. These rumors will fade away over time.¡± ¡°Besides, they themselves said Xia Ye was ruined by a man. Isn¡¯t that more gossip-worthy than me harming Xia Ye?¡± Yan Han, although not entirely agreeing with Xia Wan, had to let things take their course. ¡°What should we do with her now?¡± Yan Han looked at the unconscious Chen Lian on the sofa. ¡°I just applied a bit more pressure on her sleep acupoint,¡± Xia Wan said with a hint of mischief. ¡°Auntie never stops once she starts. Isn¡¯t it better for her to be quiet?¡± Yan Han sighed helplessly, looking at Xia Hai, who had hurried back after making the call. Xia Hai, sensing Yan Han¡¯s gaze, approached them. ¡°What happened?¡± Yan Han, reluctant to blame Xia Wan, asked Xia Hai, ¡°When will the doctor arrive?¡± Xia Hai sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not too far, but it¡¯ll take at least half an hour for the ambulance to arrive.¡± ¡°The doctor asked us to monitor her condition and take her to the hospital immediately if anything seems wrong.¡± ¡°Where do we find a car at this time?¡± Yan Han worried. ¡°Why not borrow a tricycle from Brother Chen next door?¡± Xia Hai suggested, glancing at Xia Wan. He glanced at Xia Jiang, then quietly asked Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, can¡¯t you do something about your aunt¡¯s condition?¡± Before Xia Wan could reply, Yan Han interjected firmly, ¡°No!¡± ¡°They came uninvited today to insult Wanwan, and now they expect her to treat her?¡± Yan Han¡¯s tone was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. ¡°I don¡¯t think Auntie¡¯s life is in danger. Let¡¯s just wait for the hospital staff to take her for treatment.¡± Xia Hai knew today¡¯s incident was caused by his brother and sister-in-law¡¯s unreasonable behavior and trusted Wanwan¡¯s character. But with the person lying on their sofa, they needed to think of a solution. Xia Hai looked again at Xia Wan, who watched calmly. Xia Hai fell silent. He owed his family too much already. Now that they had come to insult his daughter, he couldn¡¯t side with them without disappointing his wife and child. Xia Hai sighed and withdrew. Xia Chen and Xia Feng stood by, silently watching Xia Jiang¡¯s panic, without any intention to intervene. After about an hour, the hospital¡¯s ambulance finally arrived at the Xia residence. The paramedics checked Chen Lian, skillfully placed her on a stretcher, and loaded her into the ambulance. Xia Jiang, too preoccupied to think of anything else, followed the ambulance as it left.. Chapter 585 - Chapter 585: Dead Man Chapter 585: Dead Man Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Xia family had once again regained their peace, but the mood for celebration was gone. After a simple meal and tidying up the table, Xia Hai and Yan Han retired to their room to rest. Just as Xia Wan was about to return to her room, Xia Chen called her, ¡°Wanwan, I have something to ask you.¡± Xia Wan stopped, looking at Xia Chen with a puzzled expression. He had a serious look on his face. ¡°I heard you went to the police station today?¡± Xia Chen said, his expression not very pleasant. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry mom and dad, so I didn¡¯t ask earlier.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Xia Chen continued, ¡°I heard it had something to do with a bunch of thugs?¡± Hearing Xia Chen¡¯s questions, Xia Wan was not upset about being questioned. Instead, she felt comforted by his concern. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s nothing serious. We just encountered some thugs causing trouble and bullying people. ¡°We couldn¡¯t stand it, so we got into a dispute,¡± Xia Wan reassured him, raising her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not injured! ¡± ¡°Really? Is there I can do?¡± Xia Chen asked, his eves filled with deep concern. ¡°No need, brother. Don¡¯t worry, Linda is quite formidable in a fight!¡± Xia Wan said sincerely. ¡®What?¡± Xia Chen didn¡¯t quite understand and blinked at Xia Wan. ¡°But, brother, how did you know we went to the police station?¡± Xia Wan was puzzled. This had happened in the afternoon when Xia Chen should have been busy with hosting duties, so how could he have known about their situation? Xia Chen sighed, ¡°What doesn¡¯t Zhuang Peng know! ¡°He had already spread the news around the school before we left. ¡°If I didn¡¯t have to complete the hosting duty, I would have gone to the police station to find you immediately!¡± Xia Wan stepped forward and gently hugged Xia Chen, expressing her gratitude, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s great to have you. Thank you!¡± Xia Chen was a bit dazed. It was rare for Xia Wan to show her emotions like this, leaving him somewhat puzzled. ¡°Wanwan, if you have anything on your mind, you must tell us. We will do our best to help you!¡± Xia Chen emphasized again. He always felt that Xia Wan seemed to have many things hidden in her heart, and being with her always gave him a mix of familiar and unfamiliar feelings. The military hospital was more efficient. The next night, Xia Wan received news that the examination report was ready. As it was a day off, Xia Wan informed Chen MO in the morning and took the bus to the military hospital on her own. When Shi Yu saw Xia Wan again, he no longer had the previous skepticism and disdain. Instead, he closely observed her. Xia Wan let him look and, after confirming the report¡¯s content, grinned at Shi Yu, ¡°Have you seen enough? What are you trying to see from my face?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s question made Shi Yu feel embarrassed. ¡°Did you really wake me up?¡± Despite everyone, including Lin Chao, saying so, Shi Yu couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe it. ¡°Yes! Not only did I wake you up, but the poison on you was also from me!¡± Xia Wan said indifferently, not even looking at Shi Yu, and continued to flip through his medication records. ¡°Poison?!¡± Shi Yu roared, not sounding like someone who had been bedridden for days and just returned from the brink of death. Xia Wan turned to look at him, ¡°What? Didn¡¯t Dr. Fang tell you that you woke up after being given a lot of poison?¡± Shi Yu stared at Xia Wan in disbelief, ¡°Then I¡­ Have I become a poisonous person? Am I going to die?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Xia Wan nodded slowly in response, ¡°You are going to die sooner or later! ¡± Shi Yu was instantly stunned, not knowing what to say, his expression one of despair. Xia Wan found teasing Shi Yu quite entertaining. He was a tall, robust man with a straightforward demeanor, wearing his emotions openly on his face. Dr. Fang entered at that moment, confused by Shi Yu¡¯s sad expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If everything goes well, he can be moved to a regular ward tomorrow. Why does he look like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Xia Wan shrugged. ¡°He probably thinks he doesn¡¯t have long to live!¡± Dr. Fang was even more confused, ¡°But the report shows nothing serious. How could it be¡­¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t answer Dr. Fang¡¯s question but instead continued ¡°Even though this examination is normal, it doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be a relapse.¡± This time, Dr. Fang didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately replied, ¡°I understand! I¡¯ll make the arrangements..¡± Chapter 586 - Chapter 586: Invitation Chapter 586: Invitation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan was somewhat surprised by the change in attitude of Dr. Fang. She glanced at Dr. Fang, only to see him with an understanding look. ¡°I truly admire your medical skills and your attention to detail.¡± ¡°And also¡­¡± Dr. Fang said with a somewhat helpless smile, ¡°I and the director of the emergency department at the county hospital are biological brothers!¡± ¡°I even got scolded by him because of your matter!¡± Dr. Fang¡¯s tone sounded reluctant but somewhat helpless. Xia Wan was even more puzzled. ¡°How did you end up talking about me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long story,¡± Dr. Fang said, keeping her in suspense, ¡°If you don¡¯t have other things to do later, how about we chat in my office?¡± Xia Wan did not refuse. She glanced at Shi Yu, then said, ¡°His examination this time didn¡¯t reveal any problems, but it would be best to arrange another check-up for him in two weeks!¡± Although Xia Wan did not explain the reason, Dr. Fang readily agreed. ¡°Okay! I will arrange it.¡± Xia Wan raised an eyebrow, then strode towards the door. ¡°Then I will go to Dr. Fang¡¯s office to taste your fine tea!¡± Compared to the director¡¯s office, Dr. Fang¡¯s office could only be described as narrow and compact. The office desk was filled with medical records, prescription books, stethoscopes, and other such items. In the corner of the office was a not-so-large cabinet, locked from the outside. Apart from this table and cabinet, there were only two wooden stools in Dr. Fang¡¯s office. Xia Wan sat on the patient¡¯s stool, looking around at the simple surroundings. Dr. Fang cheerfully brought in two enamel tea mugs, inside of which floated a few tea leaves. ¡°Try this, it¡¯s the tea I ¡®stole¡¯ from Director Tang¡¯s office!¡± Dr. Fang didn¡¯t hide the origin of the tea leaves, even carrying a bit of pride. Xia Wan stood up to take the tea mug, looking at the floating tea leaves inside with some emotion. Even the tea leaves that Dr. Fang went to ¡°steal¡± seemed to be just some worthless tea stems. Xia Wan took a sip of the tea, then set the mug aside. ¡°Did Dr. Fang ask me here for something?¡± Dr. Fang¡¯s expression became slightly stiff, he seemed to have difficulty speaking. Xia Wan was not in a hurry, just quietly waiting. Finally, as if Dr. Fang had made up his mind, he asked, ¡°May I ask who is your teacher, Miss Xia? Is it possible for you to introduce me?¡± Dr. Fang looked earnest, his eyes fixed on Xia Wan. Xia Wan frowned, unsure how to respond. Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s troubled look, Dr. Fang immediately said, ¡°If Miss Xia finds it inconvenient, I¡­ I don¡¯t necessarily have to meet your benefactor.¡± Although Dr. Fang said so, his disappointment and sadness were not hidden at all. Xia Wan hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°My master is an outsider and does not like meeting strangers.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Although Dr. Fang had expected to be refused, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Then, he asked somewhat persistently, ¡°Your medical skills are different from what we commonly use, Miss. Xia. Could you possibly come by occasionally to teach us, to help improve our skills?¡± Xia Wan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Would the director and others agree?¡± Xia Wan asked this not without reason. After all, her previous treatment methods had caused a lot of headaches for the hospital leadership. Dr. Fang understood Xia Wan¡¯s meaning, but he did not hesitate. ¡°As long as Miss Xia agrees, I will handle the leadership!¡± Xia Wan still hesitated. Seeing this, Dr. Fang thought for a moment, then said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Xia, since you are a special professor at the county hospital, I believe the leaders will not refuse talented individuals!¡± Xia Wan reluctantly nodded. ¡°Since Dr. Fang says so, I will respectfully comply! ¡± Xia Wan was not stingy in teaching medical skills, but many of her treatment plans were considered adventurous and unorthodox, not only in this era but even in times when hospital technology was quite advanced. After chatting with Dr. Fang for a while, Lin Chao suddenly pushed the door and entered. Dr. Fang shook his head as usual and asked Lin Chao, ¡°Are you looking for me or Miss Xia?¡± Lin Chao nodded towards Xia Wan. ¡°I¡¯m looking for her!¡± Dr. Fang stood up, nodded to Xia Wan, and said, ¡°You talk, I still have things to do, I¡¯ll be busy first..¡± Chapter 587 - Chapter 587: The Obedient Little Girl Chapter 587: The Obedient Little Girl Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Let¡¯s go too!¡± Lin Chao had no intention of sitting down and gestured towards the door. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Xia Wan asked without moving. ¡°You said last time you would help, I¡¯m taking you to meet someone,¡± Lin Chao said, suddenly remembering something. ¡°You¡¯re not planning to back out, are you?¡± Seeing Lin Chao¡¯s expression suddenly become anxious, Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± Lin Chao then relaxed. ¡°Let¡¯s go! The car is already waiting outside!¡± Xia Wan did not refuse and followed Lin Chao out of the hospital. Three black sedans were parked at the entrance of the hospital. Lin Chao led Xia Wan to one of them, and then the three cars set off for the military district guesthouse outside the county town. Arriving at the guesthouse, the three cars stopped one after the other. Lin Chao opened the car door for Xia Wan and led her out. The people in the other two cars did not move. Xia Wan was puzzled but did not ask any questions. Lin Chao didn¡¯t say much, leading Xia Wan directly to a three-story detached building behind the guesthouse. At the entrance of the building, there stood a soldier on each side, fully equipped. Lin Chao handed over his ID to one of the soldiers, and they were allowed to pass. Once inside the building, Lin Chao slowed down and curiously looked at Xia Wan. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me anything?¡± ¡°Would you tell me if I asked?¡± Xia Wan replied without hesitation. Lin Chao was taken aback, then laughed. ¡°Not before we enter here, definitely not!¡± Xia Wan immediately showed an ¡°I knew it¡± expression. Lin Chao continued. ¡°However, I still need to explain a bit to you.¡± ¡°The person I¡¯m taking you to meet today has a special status, and I can¡¯t tell you his exact identity,¡± Lin Chao paused, then continued, ¡°But, the cooperation matter I mentioned to you needs his approval.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s your direct superior?¡± Xia Wan said, not at all surprised. ¡°Yes, you could say that!¡± Lin Chao nodded, ¡°So, if you have any requests, you can mention them to him.¡± Lin Chao thought for a moment, then added. ¡°My authority is limited, but I sincerely hope you can help us, that¡¯s why I brought you to meet him.¡± Xia Wan shrugged. ¡°Alright! I will talk to him personally if there¡¯s anything.¡± Lin Chao didn¡¯t say anything further and quickly led Xia Wan to the innermost room on the second floor. A soldier in military uniform stood at the door of the room. Seeing Lin Chao, he nodded, then knocked on the door. Upon hearing a response from inside, the soldier opened the door, saluted, and said. ¡°Leader! Lin Chao is here!¡± After the soldier spoke, he made way for Lin Chao and Xia Wan, then closed the door behind them as they entered. As Xia Wan entered the room, she noticed a middle-aged man in casual clothes sitting upright. He was writing something and didn¡¯t look up, just waved his hand and said, ¡°Sit down, I¡¯ll be done here in a moment.¡¯ Lin Chao immediately responded and seated Xia Wan on a single sofa, then sat down on another sofa opposite her. The middle-aged man continued to write, fully engrossed, seemingly forgetting the two people waiting in the room. It was nearly an hour later that the middle-aged man finally put down his pen and looked relieved. He glanced at Lin Chao and Xia Wan, then stood up and walked over to them. ¡°Young lady, sorry to keep you waiting,¡± the middle-aged man said, extending his hand to Xia Wan. Xia Wan immediately stood up and shook hands with the middle-aged man, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Without saying much more, the middle-aged man, with a smile on his face, walked over to a low table, picked up a small can of tea leaves, and brought over a military thermos. ¡°I don¡¯t have any good tea here, but try this,¡± he said while making tea for them. Seeing this, Lin Chao immediately stood up, intending to take the thermos from the middle-aged man. ¡°Sit down!¡± the middle-aged man avoided Lin Chao¡¯s hand with disdain, ¡°I¡¯ve told you so many times, there are no such formalities here!¡± Lin Chao sat down somewhat awkwardly, glancing in Xia Wan¡¯s direction. Xia Wan calmly accented the cup of tea from the middle-aged man and thanked him politely. The middle-aged man nodded in satisfaction. ¡°What a clever and sensible young lady.. ¡° Chapter 588 - Chapter 588: Confidence Chapter 588: Confidence Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Right, how should I address you?¡± the middle-aged man asked. Lin Chao immediately stood up to introduce them. ¡°Leader, this is Xia Wan.¡± ¡°Xia Wan, this is¡­¡± Lin Chao started to say but paused, unsure how to introduce the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man chuckled, ¡°Just call me Leader like they do.¡± ¡°My identity is not convenient for you to Imow, I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± the middle-aged man said with a smile on his face, but his tone was unmistakable. Xia Wan showed an understanding expression and replied, ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°Lin Chao has been praising you to me, saying your medical skills are extraordinary,¡± the middle-aged man said, his eyes fixed on Xia Wan¡¯s face. Xia Wan didn¡¯t respond, just looked back at the middle-aged man with a calm expression on her face. The middle-aged man found it amusing. ¡°You¡¯re quite confident, girl. I just wonder if you really have the skills!¡± ¡°Although Lin Chao said that you saved Shi Yu¡¯s life, it¡¯s hard for me to believe that such a young girl like you could have such ability!¡± Xia Wan raised her eyebrows and said to the middle-aged man, ¡°When you were working just now, did your right shoulder often feel like it was being pricked with needles?¡± The middle-aged man looked at Xia Wan in surprise, then turned to Lin Chao. Lin Chao immediately gestured that he hadn¡¯t revealed any information. Before the middle-aged man could ask, Xia Wan spoke again. ¡°You¡¯ve had an injury on the left side of your lower back. I¡¯m not sure what kind of injury, but it has affected your muscles and bones.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s not obvious, when the wind blows or it rains, you must suffer unbearable soreness.¡± The middle-aged man looked at Xia Wan in even greater surprise. ¡°How did you figure that out?¡± Xia Wan remained unfazed. ¡°When you were working earlier, you subconsciously twisted your head towards your right shoulder, probably to relax the painful shoulder.¡± ¡°Though it¡¯s not obvious, when you walk, your body slightly leans to the left.¡± ¡°From your walking posture, it seems that injury must have caused some damage to the left side of your spine, and it wasn¡¯t properly treated at the time.¡± The middle-aged man listened silently to Xia Wan¡¯s words, then suddenly burst into laughter. Lin Chao was both shocked and excited watching Xia Wan. After a while, the middle-aged man stopped laughing. ¡°You¡¯re really a treasure, girl!¡± ¡°The injury on my body is rarely recognized by military doctors!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to notice it in such a short time!¡± Lin Chao then asked. ¡°Leader, can this injury be treated?¡± Xia Wan looked at the middle-aged man and then extended her right hand towards him in a gesture to take his Dulse. ¡°Mav I?¡± The middle-aged man, even more interested, immediately extended his hand to her. Xia Wan held the middle-aged man¡¯s wrist and after a while said. ¡°It can be treated, but since the injury is old, it will take a long time to heal. The method is a bit complicated, and the medication required is somewhat complex.¡± ¡°As long as it can be cured, say what you need!¡± Lin Chao said without hesitation. The leader¡¯s injury had not been cured for so many years. If there was hope, he naturally wanted to try it. The middle-aged man, however, withdrew his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury, no need to go to that effort. We have more important matters to attend to.¡± Xia Wan thought for a moment and then said, ¡°I can¡¯t be at your side for long-term treatment.¡± ¡°However, I can share my treatment plan with Dr. Fang at the military hospital, and you can regularly have him treat you.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± The middle-aged man was about to refuse when Lin Chao spoke up. ¡°Leader, why not try her method? It¡¯s also a good way to see if she is the person we need.¡± Hearing Lin Chao¡¯s words, the middle-aged man hesitated. After a while, he said. ¡°Are you willing to share your treatment plan with other doctors?¡± Many doctors, despite their desire to save lives, often hesitate to share their medical knowledge to maintain their uniqueness. Unexpectedly, this young girl was willing to share her medical skills with others. Xia Wan shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°The medical skills I have learned are for saving people, what¡¯s there not to share with others! ¡± ¡°Besides, even if I tell him this time, the next time a slightly different ailment occurs, he might not have a better remedy.¡± Xia Wan confidently stated. The middle-aged man laughed again.. ¡°Good! I like your confidence!¡± Chapter 589 - Chapter 589: Cheng Mu Is Here Chapter 589: Cheng Mu Is Here Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Little girl, although your performance just now was stunning, I am still not sure if you truly have the capability to be a member of our team,¡± the middle-aged man said seriously as he looked at Xia Wan. This remark from the middle-aged man was somewhat unexpected to Lin Chao. He opened his mouth to say something but saw the middle-aged man¡¯s sharp gaze and immediately swallowed his words. Xia Wan also understood the implication in the middle-aged man¡¯s words. ¡°If you have any concerns about me, I can pretend that I never came to this place today and never met you.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s expression remained unchanged, maintaining a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, it¡¯s just¡­¡± As he spoke, he glanced at Lin Chao. ¡°You must have heard from Lin Chao that all operations of this organization must be kept secret.¡± ¡°And you, are the one who can decide their life and death,¡± the middle-aged man¡¯s tone and expression became serious. ¡°Do you understand the responsibility you are shouldering?¡± Xia Wan paused for a moment before speaking again. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°I hope you can give up your current life and fully join our organization!¡± the middle-aged man stated his demand. Xia Wan looked at the middle-aged man and rejected without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do that.¡± The middle-aged man seemed to have anticipated this response, and said with a light laugh. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Then, I hope we have the chance to meet again in the future,¡± he said, effectively dismissing her. Xia Wan didn¡¯t plan to stay longer. She nodded to the man and quickly walked towards the door. Seeing this, Lin Chao wanted to say something to the middle-aged man but stopped himself, eventually sighing helplessly. He bowed to the middle-aged man and then quickly followed Xia Wan out of the building. Outside the building, of the three cars that were originally parked, only one remained. Xia Wan stood beside the car door, waiting for Lin Chao. ¡°Xia Wan, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t expect it to end this way,¡± Lin Chao said with a troubled expression. Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, since it¡¯s a secret job, of course, there are special requirements.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t give up my family and current life, so I might not be able to fulfill our cooperation agreement.¡± Hearing this, Lin Chao looked even more ashamed and after a while said, ¡°Let me take you home.¡± Xia Wan got into the car, looking towards the open space outside the guesthouse. The two cars that had come with them were parked there. She could vaguely see several people sitting in the cars, but couldn¡¯t make out who they were. Lin Chao drove Xia Wan home directly. Xia Wan wasn¡¯t surprised that Lin Chao knew her address, but she didn¡¯t expect him not to ask her to go back and take care of Shi Yu. ¡°Xia Wan, about Shi Yu¡­¡± Lin Chao looked at Xia Wan somewhat awkwardly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will continue to communicate with Dr. Fang about Shi Yu, ensuring that he leaves the hospital lively and well,¡± Xia Wan said to Lin Chao with a faint smile. ¡°Also, about the person today, I will keep my promise and have Dr. Fang cure his old ailment.¡± With Xia Wan¡¯s words, Lin Chao instantly felt relieved. He said gratefully, ¡°Xia Wan, thank you so much!¡± Just as Xia Wan was about to speak, she saw Cheng Mu rushing over on a tricycle. ¡°Uncle Cheng,¡± Xia Wan greeted Cheng Mu politely. Lin Chao also said goodbye to Xia Wan at this time and left first. Cheng Mu glanced at Lin Chao, then turned to Xia Wan anxiously. ¡°Wan Wan, Uncle Cheng has always been good to you, right?¡± Hearing this, Xia Wan knew he must have gotten into some trouble. ¡°Uncle Cheng, let¡¯s go inside and talk,¡± Xia Wan politely invited Cheng Mu into the house. Xia Hai and Yan Han went to take care of the store, and Xia Chen and Xia Feng went to help. At this time, the Xia family¡¯s house was empty. Cheng Mu sat on the sofa, his gaze searching around the house. ¡°Uncle Cheng, is there something you need from me?¡± Xia Wan asked straightforwardly as she poured a glass of water for Cheng Mu. Cheng Mu took a sip of water, smacked his lips, thought for a moment, and then said, ¡°Uncle Cheng knows that you entrusted your uncle and aunt to me because you trust me.¡± ¡°Have they woken up? How is their health?¡± Xia Wan asked with apparent concern. ¡°They are awake, but their minds are not very clear, probably because of the shock,¡± Cheng Mu said, sighing heavily. ¡°Every day they either scold you or me. ¡°I take good care of them, but I can¡¯t stand this kind of treatment anymore!¡± Chapter 590 - Chapter 590: Xia Wan ‘s Recipe Chapter 590: Xia Wan ¡®s Recipe Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Do they have some misunderstanding with Uncle Cheng? It¡¯s one thing to scold me, but why are they scolding you too?¡± Xia Wan, seeing Cheng Mu¡¯s annoyed expression, guessed that he might have done something to provoke Xia Jiang and Song Yan into cursing. ¡°You see, I take care of them with all my heart, and they don¡¯t even appreciate it,¡± Cheng Mu became more and more angry. ¡°They keep cursing all day long. The villagers hear it and think I am taking advantage of them or even abusing them!¡± ¡°I am so wronged!¡± Cheng Mu said, his eyes darting around. Xia Wan clearly understood Cheng Mu¡¯s purpose in coming here. She said slowly, ¡°Uncle Cheng, as you know, our family has already separated from my uncle¡¯s. ¡°Although our family has opened our own store, you¡¯ve seen that we are only having sales and discounts, hardly making any money. ¡°The money promised to you for taking care of my uncle and aunt was saved from our meager earnings. ¡°We really are willing but unable.¡± Seeing Xia Wan not buying into his act, Cheng Mu was about to make some harsh statements when he heard Xia Wan continue. ¡°My uncle and aunt must have just woken up, their minds are not yet clear. ¡°Give them some time, and they will naturally appreciate what Uncle Cheng has done for them.¡± ¡°Even so, with them waking up to curse every day, I can¡¯t take care of them alone!¡± Cheng Mu was still discontented. ¡°Why don¡¯t Uncle Cheng ask my uncle and aunt about the property left by Xia Ruts fianc¨¦?¡± Xia Wan suggested kindly. ¡°That way, Uncle Cheng wouldn¡¯t have to be so troubled.¡± Cheng Mu¡¯s expression changed slightly, apparently he had already asked but didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted. Xia Wan slightly lowered her eyelids. ¡°My uncle and aunt have been frugal all these years, they probably don¡¯t want to use that money. ¡°However, for their health, Uncle Cheng might as well ask them again. It¡¯s better than leaving some money behind and suffering physically.¡± Listening to Xia Wan¡¯s words, Cheng Mu fell into thought. Xia Wan asked again. ¡°The medicine from the hospital that I gave you last time, did you give it to them?¡± Cheng Mu frowned slightly. ¡°The efficacy of that medicine is not very good.¡± ¡°It can only keep them quiet for a few hours, but once it wears off, they start making noise again. It¡¯s unbearable!¡± Xia Wan appeared concerned for Cheng Mu. ¡°I have some recipes that can calm people down. Uncle Cheng might want to try giving it to my uncle and aunt.¡± ¡°Is it more effective than the hospital¡¯s medicine?¡± Cheng Mu asked again. ¡°The effect might last longer, but you have to be careful with the dosage. Too much is bad for the health,¡± Xia Wan emphasized. ¡°Alright! I get it! Give me the recipe, and I¡¯ll go back and prepare the medicine for them!¡± Cheng Mu was a bit impatient. Xia Wan immediately took out paper and pen from her bag, wrote down a recipe, and handed it to Cheng Mu, saying politely. ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time coming here, Uncle Cheng.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been neighbors with your uncle and aunt for decades, no need for formalities,¡± Cheng Mu put the recipe in his pocket, his eyes still flickering, showing no intention of leaving. ¡°Uncle Cheng has come a long way. Why don¡¯t you come with me to the store and take some clothes back?¡± Xia Wan, sensing Cheng Mu¡¯s intention, said, ¡°My uncle and aunt also need some clothes to change into. Please take them back for them!¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Cheng Mu¡¯s face lit up. ¡°I knew Wan Wan is the most sensible!¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Then come with me, Uncle Cheng!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll take my tricycle!¡± Cheng Mu, beaming with joy, led Xia Wan to his rickety tricycle. Xia Wan did not refuse and sat in the tricycle, letting Cheng Mu pedal hard in front. Surprisingly, Cheng Mu knew the way to Xia Wan¡¯s store quite well. Xia Wan hopped off the tricycle and asked Cheng Mu with a smile. ¡°Has Uncle Cheng been here before?¡± Cheng Mu¡¯s face showed a slightly embarrassed smile. ¡°I heard the village chief talking about your store a while ago, and I just happened to pass by¡­ pass by¡­¡± Xia Wan did not pursue further and opened the store door, inviting Cheng Mu inside. At this time, only Xia Hai was busy in the store.. Chapter 591 - Chapter 591: Returning with a Full Harvest Chapter 591: Returning with a Full Harvest Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Hai looked up and saw Xia Wan and Cheng Mu coming together. He was momentarily startled before quickly stepping forward to greet them, ¡°Brother Cheng, what brings you here?¡± Cheng Mu was about to speak when Xia Wan interrupted, ¡°Uncle Cheng came to town for some business and just happened to pass by our house. Since mom and dad weren¡¯t home, I invited Uncle Cheng over.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Xia Hai responded with a smile, ¡°Brother Cheng, feel free to take anything you like from the shop.¡± ¡°It would be too embarrassing,¡± Cheng Mu politely demurred, but his hands were already browsing through the clothes. The men¡¯s clothing in the Xia family¡¯s shop was relatively limited, but for Cheng Mu, who lived in the countryside, the styles were quite fashionable. Watching Cheng Mu carefully selecting clothes, Xia Wan pulled Xia Hai aside. ¡°Dad, I need to tell you something.¡± Xia Wan recounted the matter of entrusting Xia Jiang and Song Yan to Cheng Mu¡¯s care, omitting some details that Xia Hai shouldn¡¯t know. Xia Hai, though somewhat disapproving, nodded and said, ¡°I heard about this from your brother. I thought it was your uncle and aunt¡¯s own wish, but it seems they indeed need someone to take care of them.¡± ¡°Your arrangement might be for their own good. ¡± Saying this, Xia Hai couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He and Yan Han weren¡¯t aware when Cheng Mu came to pick up the people. Later, when they asked Xia Chen, he simply said that the uncle and aunt didn¡¯t want to stay at their house for long and insisted on returning to their rural home. Xia Wan, worried about their health, had given Cheng Mu some money to take them away for care. Seeing that Xia Hai did not ask further, Xia Wan felt a sense of relief. Xia Hai approached Cheng Mu, who was holding several pieces of clothing in each hand and suggested, ¡°Brother Cheng, why don¡¯t you try on the ones you¡¯ve picked?¡± Cheng Mu excitedly held the clothes up to himself, ¡°No need, they all fit!¡± Xia Hai didn¡¯t say more, waiting as Cheng Mu picked out more than ten pieces of clothing. Finally satisfied, Cheng Mu looked a bit embarrassed, ¡°You see, I rarely get the chance to buy clothes throughout the year, and I ended up picking a few too many. ¡± ¡°How about you help me decide which ones are more suitable?¡± Cheng Mu pushed the clothes towards Xia Hai, as if waiting for his opinion. Xia Hai began stuffing the clothes into several large bags he had taken from a shelf nearby, saying to Cheng Mu, ¡°Thank you, Brother Cheng, for taking care of my brother and sister-in-law recently. ¡± ¡°Feel free to take these clothes, and come back if you need more! ¡± Seeing this, Xia Wan quickly added, ¡°Our family¡¯s circumstances may not be great, but we can still afford these clothes. Uncle Cheng, feel free to come over anytime you need!¡± Cheng Mu grinned at Xia Hai filling three or four bags, eagerly taking the bags from Xia Hai¡¯s hands, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of your brother and sister-in-law!¡± Xia Wan also handed two bags to Cheng Mu, ¡°These are for my uncle and aunt, please also take them back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better this way so they don¡¯t get upset seeing us, which isn¡¯t good for their health.¡¯ ¡°Wanwan knows how to be considerate!¡± Cheng Mu¡¯s face creased with a smile as he took the two bags of clothes and bid farewell to Xia Hai before walking out of the shop. Xia Hai and Xia Wan watched as Cheng Mu quickly rode away on his tricycle. Yan Han and Xia Chen, the two brothers from the shop across the street, came out and saw Xia Hai and Xia Wan still standing at the doorway. They asked, ¡°I think I just saw Brother Cheng, what did he come for?¡± ¡°Greedy, that¡¯s what he is!¡± Xia Feng couldn¡¯t help but mock. Xia Chen glared at Xia Feng, then said to Yan Han, ¡°Probably came to complain about how difficult it is to take care of our uncle and aunt.¡± Yan Han frowned at this, knowing full well what kind of people Xia Jiang and Song Yan were. It was already good that Cheng Mu hadn¡¯t come to ¡®return¡¯ them. ¡°I packed some clothes for Brother Cheng to take back, to thank him for looking after my brother and sister-in-law,¡± Xia Hai explained to Yan Han, ¡°After all, we haven¡¯t given him anything, so we should be grateful for what he¡¯s done!¡± Xia Chen wanted to say something but stopped upon seeing Xia Wan shaking her head at him. Xia Chen sulkily swallowed his words.. Chapter 592 - Chapter 592: Song Zhi’s Treat Chapter 592: Song Zhi¡¯s Treat Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Before Xia Wan had even stepped into the school gate, she was hooked by the arm from behind by Liu Hua, who had run up from behind. Xia Wan was startled, turning her head to see Liu Hua¡¯s face full of smiles, unusually spirited. ¡°What¡¯s with you today? What¡¯s making you so happy?¡± Liu Hua¡¯s steps were light, her smile even broader. ¡°This morning I heard that Zhuang Peng got beaten up again!¡± ¡°When did this happen?¡± Xia Wan looked at Liu Hua¡¯s schadenfreude expression, puzzled, ¡°You¡¯re this happy about him getting beaten up? Did he offend you again?¡± Liu Hua stuck out her tongue. ¡°It¡¯s his own fault for always speaking without thinking, he deserves to be beaten!¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t take this matter to heart, chatting with Liu Hua about Zhuang Peng¡¯s bad deeds while walking towards their class. They didn¡¯t see Zhuang Peng all morning until people in the class started discussing it at noon. ¡°I heard Zhuang Peng was beaten so badly he ended up in the hospital, he¡¯s really in a bad way now!¡± ¡°I heard he offended someone and got beaten up by several people!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it said that he stole something and was beaten up after being discovered?¡± ¡°I heard he was retaliated against by some thugs!¡± Sitting in her seat, Xia Wan listened to the others¡¯ discussions but didn¡¯t take it to heart. ¡°Wanwan, did you know about Xia Ye dropping out of school?¡± Liu Hua hurried in from outside, bypassed the people gossiping about Zhuang Peng, rushed to Xia Wan, and asked in a low voice. Xia Wan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡®When did this happen?¡± Liu Hua pouted. ¡°I heard it was last week.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard.¡¯ ¡°Ever since our families split up, we¡¯ve rarely interacted, and with Xia Ye¡¯s attitude towards me, she wouldn¡¯t come to tell me these things.¡± Liu Hua nodded in understanding, then looked around and, finding no one paying attention to them, lowered her voice even more. ¡°1 heard that Xia Ye dropped out because she¡¯s pregnant and going home to get married and have a baby!¡± Xia Wan was even more shocked. ¡°What did you say?¡± Liu Hua made a silencing gesture immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true, I just overheard people from the next class discussing it.¡± Xia Wan frowned, thinking. It seemed like when Xia He and Chen Lian came to cause trouble, they mentioned something about Xia Ye being mistreated. Could it be true? Then whose child is it? Xia Wan was puzzled but couldn¡¯t figure it out. After thinking it over, Xia Wan decided to give up. ¡°Forget it! Why should I worry so much about her affairs!¡± Because of the reception group, Xia Chen¡¯s popularity at school skyrocketed. The number of girls surrounding Xia Chen also increased. Xia Chen appeared overwhelmed, while Zhou Chen beside him clenched his teeth in anger. ¡°Xia Chen, you¡¯re really amazing! I heard you even exchanged contact information with that foreigner?¡± ¡°Xia Chen, teach me English! My grades just won¡¯t improve, it¡¯s so frustrating!¡± ¡°Xia Chen, how do you study? Can you take me with you?¡± Zhou Chen slammed his textbook on the desk with a ¡°snap,¡± immediately drawing the attention of many. Zhou Chen muttered ¡°accidental, slipped,¡± and then lowered his head, pretending to organize his desk. Everyone¡¯s attention returned to Xia Chen, no longer paying attention to Zhou Chen. Song Zhi scoffed, mocking to the person beside him. ¡°Some people are just petty, jealous of others for no reason!¡± Zhou Chen glared fiercely at Song Zhi. ¡°I haven¡¯t provoked you!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say you!¡± Song Zhi immediately retorted, ¡°Why are you being so sensitive!¡± Zhou Chen was again deflated and said no more. Song Zhi continued happily, ¡°Xia Chen really made our class proud this time. I¡¯m treating everyone today, let¡¯s all go to the new tea house for tea!¡± Xia Chen wanted to decline, but before he could speak, Jiang Rong came in. ¡°Teacher Jiang, we¡¯re going to the tea house after school to celebrate for Xia Chen, we¡¯d like to invite you too!¡± Song Zhi stood up and invited Jiang Rong. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you all so united! Have fun, but I won¡¯t join you!¡± Jiang Rong said cheerfully, ¡°I¡¯ll cover the expenses for today!¡± Jiang Rong¡¯s words immediately brought cheers from the class. Although Song Zhi¡¯s chance to treat was taken, he was delighted to have the opportunity to invite Xia Chen out.. Chapter 593 - Chapter 593: Enemies on a Narrow Road Chapter 593: Enemies on a Narrow Road Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing Jiang Rong had spoken up, Xia Chen felt obligated to join, so after school, he found himself reluctantly being dragged toward the iced tea shop by Song Zhi and others. Almost the entire class mobilized, moving in groups towards the destination. Xia Wan initially didn¡¯t want to participate, but Liu Hua, driven by curiosity, insisted on going, and she also worried about Xia Chen handling it alone, so she reluctantly joined the class activity. Since it was ostensibly a celebration for Xia Chen, he inevitably became the center of attention. The small iced tea shop couldn¡¯t accommodate so many people, but the owner, seeing a business opportunity, quickly cleaned up the space outside and borrowed stools from neighboring shops to accommodate the crowd. Xia Wan and Liu Hua sat in an inconspicuous corner outside the shop, sipping an unknown drink prepared by the owner. Recently, more and more unique and quirky shops had been popping up on this street, forming what seemed to be the beginnings of a common commercial model ¨C a snack street. The last time Xia Wan and Liu Hua went to a small restaurant, it wasn¡¯t far from this shop. Liu Hua noticed Xia Wan¡¯s gaze and followed it, saying, ¡°After you left that day, Linda didn¡¯t feel comfortable letting me go home alone, so she even gave me a ride.¡± ¡°Linda is really reliable!¡± Xia Wan sincerely said. ¡°Not just reliable!¡± Liu Hua¡¯s face lit up with joy. ¡°She¡¯s like a heroic woman of justice!¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Linda stepping in that day, who knows how those two girls would have been bullied by the thug!¡± ¡°I blame myself for not being helpful and even ending up in the hospital,¡± Liu Hua said somewhat dejectedly. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault! The ones at fault are those troublemakers!¡± Xia Wan sniffed disdainfully, her face full of contempt. ¡°They have no ability to serve the country and just bully the weak. Shameful! ¡± Just as Xia Wan finished speaking, Liu Hua¡¯s expression suddenly stiffened. Noticing Liu Hua¡¯s reaction, Xia Wan asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liu Hua¡¯s gaze was fixed in one direction, ¡°That shameful person seems to have arrived¡­¡± Following Liu Hua¡¯s gaze, Xia Wan indeed saw Fang Ge swaggering near a shop on the street. He hadn¡¯t noticed Xia Wan and the others, gesturing arrogantly to the shopkeeper to stuff bags of goods into the hands of his followers. ¡°It should have been like this from the start!¡± Fang Ge, with a cigarette in his mouth and shrugging his shoulders under a gaudy green shirt, said, ¡®Making me come all the way here!¡± ¡®You know, your Brother Fang is very busy!¡± ¡°Remember, get everything ready on time next month! ¡± After saying this, Fang Ge waved his hand and led his group to the next shop. ¡°This is just collecting protection money, isn¡¯t it?¡± Liu Hua whispered. Xia Wan noticed that the tall and burly man from last time was not with Fang Ge. ¡°He¡¯s just a small-time troublemaker!¡± Xia Wan took a sip of her drink, then suddenly frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liu Hua asked, seeing Xia Wan¡¯s grimacing face. ¡°This thing¡­ why is it so sour?¡± Xia Wan couldn¡¯t help but shudder. Liu Hua also instinctively took a sip and had the same reaction. ¡°Did the boss forget to add sugar?¡± Liu Hua guessed, glancing toward the shop to look for the owner. ¡°Look, Zhou Chen¡¯s cup is almost empty!¡± Liu Hua exclaimed as if discovering a new world. Xia Wan¡¯s gaze followed Zhou Chen, who was intently focusing on Xia Chen and Song Zhi, who was laughing flirtatiously beside him. Indeed, his cup was nearly empty. ¡°He¡¯s probably feeling even sourer!¡± Xia Wan said, exchanging a knowing look with Liu Hua and bursting into laughter. Xia Chen noticed the commotion here and seized the opportunity to escape Song Zhi: ¡°I¡¯m going to check out what¡¯s happening with Wan Wan.¡± Song Zhi tried to stop Xia Chen but was skillfully evaded by him. Angrily, Song Zhi stomped her foot. Zhou Chen, after glancing at Xia Chen, stood up and headed inside the shop. ¡°Wan Wan, what are you guys talking about that¡¯s so fun?¡± Xia Chen sat down in the cramped space next to Xia Wan. Just as Xia Wan was about to answer, a harsh voice rang out from afar: ¡°Yo, isn¡¯t that the little beauty who loves to stand up for others?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s eyes darkened as she turned to look, seeing Fang Ge approaching them in a nonchalant manner.. Chapter 594 - Chapter 594: Trying To Be A Hero? Chapter 594: Trying To Be A Hero? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan pretended not to hear, but Liu Hua was so nervous that she clutched Xia Wan¡¯s sleeves tightly, her whole body trembling slightly. Xia Chen noticed something was off with Liu Hua and became wary of Brother Fang¡¯s gaze. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± Xia Chen stepped in front of Xia Wan and Liu Hua, blocking Brother Fang¡¯s way. Brother Fang slightly turned his body and looked at Xia Wan from the side of Xia Chen. ¡°What? Haven¡¯t seen me, your brother Fang, for a few days, and now you don¡¯t recognize me? ¡°Also brought a man to protect yourself? Afraid that your Brother Fang is coming for revenge? ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I, your Brother Fang, am generous and won¡¯t stoop to the level of you young ladies!¡± Brother Fang said this, pretending to be heroic, and laughed loudly. Xia Chen didn¡¯t speak, just stared tightly at Brother Fang, in case he suddenly made a move. Some classmates near Xia Wan saw this and quickly moved away from Xia Wan and the others, so as not to be implicated. Several boys in the class exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. These days, Zhuang Peng wasn¡¯t there, and at times like this, there was no one willing to step forward. Song Zhi and Zhou Chen were originally sitting inside the shop, but hearing the commotion outside, they both looked out. Seeing those few people with an unsavory air, and their target being Xia Wan, Song Zhi couldn¡¯t help but sneer: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did Xia Wan provoke trouble somewhere again? ¡°I always say she acts all innocent, looking like she¡¯s uninvolved in worldly affairs and focused on studying, but behind the scenes, she¡¯s quite the player!¡± ¡°Yes! That guy doesn¡¯t look like a good person!¡± Lin Shuang, sitting next to Song Zhi, quickly agreed, ¡°He looks like a hoodlum; I wonder how Xia Wan got mixed up with someone like that!¡± Zhou Chen, seeing this, snorted coldly. ¡°I thought she had suddenly changed, but it seems it¡¯s just her true nature. ¡°Always attracting attention outside school, she even tried to use these tricks to catch my eye. ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m firm enough not to be bewitched by her.¡± Song Zhi barely perceptibly sneered in disdain, then quickly returned to normal. ¡°Let¡¯s not go over there, to avoid trouble.¡± Song Zhi said, sipping her drink leisurely, as if waiting to watch a good show. Lin Shuang, who always followed Song Zhi¡¯s lead, quickly agreed. ¡°Right, right! Let Xia Wan deal with the trouble she caused!¡± ¡°Anyone who gets involved with her will end up in trouble!¡± Hearing Lin Shuang¡¯s words, several classmates who originally wanted to go over and see what was happening also began to hesitate. Brother Fang disdainfully glanced at the students avoiding his gaze and then turned leisurely to Xia Wan. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re not very popular, huh! ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I, Brother Fang, am a man of my word. Just come with me today and keep me company for a day, and I won¡¯t bother you anymore! ¡°How about that? Am I generous enough?¡± After saying this, Brother Fang slightly tilted his chin to his followers behind him, eliciting a chorus of cheers. Hearing Brother Fang¡¯s words, Xia Chen¡¯s expression grew even tenser. He whispered to Xia Wan and Liu Hua, ¡°Find a chance to leave later, I¡¯ll figure out a way to deal with this guy!¡± Xia Wan, looking at Xia Chen¡¯s stiff back, knew he must be extremely nervous at this point. Xia Chen had never encountered such a situation. Not just someone like Brother Fang, a well-known ruffian, but even ordinary street thugs were not something Xia Chen had ever provoked! He could only deal with someone like Zhuang Peng! Just as Xia Wan was about to pull Xia Chen back, Brother Fang heard Xia Chen¡¯s words and swung a punch. ¡°Playing the hero here, huh?¡± Brother Fang, though seemingly rough and lacking genuine skills, had made a name for himself in the county town, and his punch was not light. The punch came too quickly for Xia Chen to react and hit him directly in the left face, knocking him to the ground. Xia Wan¡¯s hand hadn¡¯t even reached Xia Chen¡¯s clothes when she saw Xia Chen fall to the ground, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. Xia Wan frowned, her eyes filled with anger. Brother Fang, seeing this, became even more excited: ¡°Hey, look! She¡¯s getting angry!¡± Xia Chen fiercely wiped the blood from his mouth and stood again in front of Xia Wan and Liu Hua: ¡°As long as I¡¯m here today, don¡¯t think about touching them!¡± ¡°Still trying to play the hero?¡± Brother Fang crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking at Xia Chen with disdain, ¡°You should weigh your own capabilities! ¡°I advise you to step aside now! I¡¯m in a good mood today and don¡¯t want to cause a death!¡± Chapter 595 - Chapter 595: Big Brother Will Pamper You First Chapter 595: Big Brother Will Pamper You First Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Brother Fang¡¯s words immediately caused the surrounding students to move further away, and even Song Zhi and Lin Shuang, who were sitting inside the shop, instinctively hid further inside. The owner of the iced tea shop noticed the commotion outside and poked his head out, but quickly retreated upon seeing Brother Fang. Xia Chen, unfazed by Brother Fang¡¯s intimidation, coldly replied, ¡°If you continue to make trouble, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± Mentioning the police changed Brother Fang¡¯s expression, which after a while, turned into a mocking smile: ¡°What? You think your brother Fang is afraid of the police?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been to the police station with this little beauty behind you!¡± ¡°Do you think so?¡± Brother Fang said, glancing towards Xia Wan with a suggestive look. ¡°How did you get out so quickly? Must have cost a lot of money,¡± Xia Wan replied coldly, looking at Brother Fang with disdain. Brother Fang, with a proud look, said, ¡°Are you so concerned about me? Don¡¯t worry, I have strong connections. Even in custody, I¡¯m treated well and respectfully escorted out! ¡± Hearing their conversation, Song Zhi confirmed her suspicions, ¡°I knew Xia Wan knew this hooligan!¡± ¡°Who would have thought! Xia Wan is actually such a person!¡± ¡°She used to act so pure, but now she¡¯s involved with this thug!¡± ¡°It sounds like there¡¯s something more between them!¡± The people around Song Zhi began to whisper among themselves. Their whispers were loud enough for Xia Wan, Brother Fang, and others to hear clearly. Brother Fang, hearing this, laughed unrestrainedly. ¡°Remember, this girl is with me, Brother Fang, from today on!¡± ¡°You all better be polite when you see your sister-in-law!¡± Brother Fang¡¯s followers echoed his words. Others, seeing this, kept their distance, not wanting any relationship with Xia Wan. Xia Wan secretly reached for her backpack, hoping to find her silver needles to subdue Brother Fang if he attacked again. But she realized the cloth bag with the needles wasn¡¯t there. She recalled the soldiers at the military guesthouse removing the bag when inspecting her backpack and cursed Lin Chao in her mind. Because of him, she had left her silver needles behind. While Xia Wan was cursing Lin Chao in her thoughts, Brother Fang impatiently pushed Xia Chen aside. Even though Xia Chen rushed back, he was overpowered by several of Brother Fang¡¯s followers and pulled further away. Liu Hua clutched Xia Wan¡¯s sleeve, her eyes fearfully fixed on Brother Fang. Brother Fang, amused by Liu Hua¡¯s reaction, reached for her face, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, little girl, brother will treat you well!¡± Just as his hand was about to touch Liu Hua¡¯s face, Xia Wan slapped it away. Brother Fang, instead of getting angry, chuckled, ¡°Jealous?¡± ¡°Come here, brother will take care of you first!¡± Brother Fang¡¯s hand was already reaching for Xia Wan¡¯s shoulder. Xia Chen, struggling and yelling in anger, couldn¡¯t break free from the hooligans¡¯ grasp. Liu Hua was too nervous to even breathe properly, let alone help Xia Wan. The others, including Song Zhi, watched intently, speculating about what would happen to Xia Wan next. Just as Brother Fang¡¯s arm was about to reach Xia Wan¡¯s shoulder, a sharp screeching sound of brakes suddenly rang out. The piercing sound caused Xia Wan to flinch. Brother Fang also winced, turning his head towards the source of the noise, his hand still extended. He glared angrily at the black sedan that had stopped in front of them. ¡°Damn it! Who the hell is this? Daring to show off in front of me! Do they want to die?¡± Brother Fang cursed fiercely, eyeing the silhouette inside the dark-tinted car windows. Brother Fang, looking at the man, spoke with dissatisfaction: ¡°Who are you, kid? Don¡¯t think driving a luxury car gives you the right to show off in front of me! ¡°Do you know who I am? ¡°I can have my boys take care of you in minutes, believe it or not?¡± Chapter 596 - Chapter 596: Xia Wan Was Captured Chapter 596: Xia Wan Was Captured Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The man in the hoodie, Lin Chao, didn¡¯t say a word but walked step by step towards Xia Wan. Xia Wan, seeing Lin Chao approaching with a solemn expression, thought to herself with a cold snort: Just after cursing him, he shows up! Brother Fang¡¯s followers immediately blocked Lin Chao¡¯s way. ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t you hear what our brother Fang said?¡± ¡°Looking for trouble, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Today, we¡¯ll show you what we¡¯re made of!¡± One of the followers swung a punch at Lin Chao¡¯s head. Lin Chao raised his hand to block it and kicked the follower in the abdomen, flipping him over. Seeing their companion beaten, another rushed at Lin Chao, throwing punches. Lin Chao grabbed the wildly swinging arm and threw the man down with a twist of his foot. The fallen follower, with a bloodied mouth, sat on the ground groaning in pain. Seeing Lin Chao¡¯s swift and efficient actions, the other followers hesitated, not daring to approach. Brother Fang, seeing this, cursed his men. ¡°Useless bunch!¡± Then he turned to Lin Chao with a threatening tone: ¡°You know I have a reputation on the streets! If you mess with me, don¡¯t blame my brothers for seeking revenge!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t last long in this town!¡± Lin Chao, unconcerned with Brother Fang¡¯s words, stepped in front of Xia Wan, raised an eyebrow, and glanced at Brother Fang: ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Xia Wan rolled her eyes at Lin Chao, silently cursing him again in her mind. If it wasn¡¯t for Lin Chao taking her to meet some leader, she wouldn¡¯t have left her silver needles behind, allowing Brother Fang to show off for so long. Lin Chao sensed Xia Wan¡¯s displeasure and frowned slightly. ¡®Why do I feel like you¡¯re cursing me?¡± Xia Wan, somewhat surprised, smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯m just thanking you for saving my life!¡± Seeing that Xia Wan and Lin Chao were ignoring him, Brother Fang decided to regain some face. He grabbed Xia Wan by the neck and pulled her up from the chair. Caught off guard, Xia Wan was outmaneuvered by Brother Fang. Seeing Xia Wan held hostage, Lin Chao¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Let her go!¡± Brother Fang¡¯s face showed a triumphant look: ¡°What now? This girl is in my hands. No matter how good your kung fu is, what can you do to me?¡± Struggling against Brother Fang¡¯s grip, Xia Wan¡¯s face turned red from the lack of air. Brother Fang, without loosening his grip, taunted Lin Chao, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m taking this girl with me today, or else my name isn¡¯t Brother Fang!¡± Lin Chao saw Xia Wan¡¯s increasingly red face and her difficulty breathing. ¡°You better let her go now, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Lin Chao¡¯s voice was low but sent chills down Brother Fang¡¯s spine. Brother Fang bit his teeth. ¡°You think threatening me will scare me? Anyone can talk tough. Don¡¯t you move, or else¡­¡± Saying this, Brother Fang tightened his grip. Xia Wan tried to break free by reaching for Brother Fang¡¯s fingers, planning to escape by breaking them. But Brother Fang¡¯s grip was too tight, and Xia Wan felt her vision darken and her legs weaken. Xia Chen was still held back by Brother Fang¡¯s men, unable to move. Liu Hua wanted to help but hesitated, too scared to rush forward recklessly. The students sitting nearby shrank back in the corner, none willing to lend a hand. Some even whispered cold remarks, saying it was all Xia Wan¡¯s own doing. Lin Chao took a deep breath and casually waved his hand. Brother Fang, thinking Lin Chao was about to attack, pulled Xia Wan and retreated a few steps back. In this panic, Xia Wan, already feeling weak, lost her balance. Xia Wan¡¯s body involuntarily fell backward. Brother Fang, caught off guard, was pulled down to the ground with Xia Wan. Brother Fang, agile himself, quickly pushed Xia Wan off him and got up, attempting to escape. However, he had barely run a few steps before he was blocked by two men in military uniforms. ¡°Who are you?¡± Brother Fang instinctively backed away, looking for a way to escape.. ¡°Get out of the way, this has nothing to do with you!¡± Chapter 597 - Chapter 597: Getting Into Trouble With Both Black and White Chapter 597: Getting Into Trouble With Both Black and White Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Two men in military uniforms didn¡¯t make a sound, but silently watched Lin Chao behind Brother Fang. Lin Chao approached Xia Wan step by step. Watching Liu Hua rush forward to help Xia Wan up, he confirmed that Xia Wan was only red around the neck from being strangled and was not seriously harmed. Then he turned his attention back to Brother Fang. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just saying that you have some reputation in this county?¡± Lin Chao seemed not inclined to deal with Brother Fang immediately but found it interesting to watch him. ¡°Announce your name; maybe I¡¯ve actually heard of it!¡± Brother Fang nervously swallowed, his gaze shifting back and forth between Lin Chao and the two men in military uniforms: ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you know these soldiers, you can do anything to me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I have connections too! If I tell you, you¡¯ll be scared to death!¡± Brother Fang¡¯s voice trembled, but he still refused to submit. ¡°Oh? Then say it. I want to hear who is so powerful that they allow a thug to bully the public on the streets without consequence!¡± Lin Chao¡¯s tone was stern. Brother Fang immediately regretted his words, thinking to himself: I mustn¡¯t cause trouble for the boss, or I¡¯ll really be in for it! Arguing with these people would at most result in a beating, and I¡¯d recover in a few days. But if I anger the boss, how will I live in the future! As Brother Fang was calculating, one of his unaware minions blurted out, ¡°Our Brother Fang follows Boss Jiang!¡± ¡°Do you know Boss Jiang? His brother-in-law¡¯s cousin is the captain of the county¡¯s public security criminal police team!¡± Lin Chao raised an eyebrow and glanced at Brother Fang. ¡°Boss Jiang? The captain of the criminal police team?¡± Brother Fang gritted his teeth and glared at his minion. If it weren¡¯t for Lin Chao and the others being here, he would¡¯ve slapped the kid hard. Doesn¡¯t this kid understand the situation? Can¡¯t he see that these are military people? This is clearly causing trouble for Boss Jiang! Even though Brother Fang cursed his minion in his mind, the words had already been spoken and couldn¡¯t be taken back. Hearing the minion¡¯s words, the other students fell silent, not wanting to get involved in this mess. After all, if Brother Fang could be so unbridled on this street, then they definitely couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Boss Jiang. Not to mention the background of the captain of the criminal police team; they didn¡¯t want to bring unnecessary trouble upon themselves because of Xia Wan. Brother Fang was extremely annoyed, but his minion was oblivious. Another minion echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right! Boss Jiang is the top dog in our county!¡± ¡°This street is under Boss Jiang¡¯s control. You dare to make trouble here, you¡¯re disrespecting Boss Jiang! ¡°Disrespecting Boss Jiang is disrespecting the captain of the criminal police team! ¡°You¡¯re done for now; you¡¯ve offended both the underworld and the authorities!¡± The minion became more and more excited as he spoke, his face showing exhilaration. Before he could finish, Brother Fang, unable to hold back, stepped forward and slapped the minion to the ground. ¡°Shut up with your nonsense!¡± Brother Fang, still unsatisfied, kicked him hard. The minion lay on the ground, his face full of grievance. Seeing this, the other minions shrank back, not daring to make a sound. Turning around, Brother Fang said to Lin Chao. ¡°My brother is ignorant. Let¡¯s just forget about today¡¯s incident! ¡°It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. ¡°What do you think?¡± Brother Fang, rubbing his hands, showed a pleasing smile to Lin Chao. Watching Brother Fang nodding and bowing, the minions stood there dumbfounded. ¡°Whether it¡¯s a misunderstanding or not isn¡¯t up to me to decide. Let the person involved decide.¡± Lin Chao beckoned to Xia Wan. Xia Wan had recovered quite a bit, her face no longer as red as before. Xia Wan glared at Brother Fang. ¡°Brother Fang, right? You seem to forget why you were sent to the police station last time? ¡°Your so-called old ties are because you were causing harm on this street, hurting two young girls, and we couldn¡¯t stand by and sent you to the police station. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, and you¡¯ve forgotten already?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s words made the other students look at each other in surprise; they hadn¡¯t expected Xia Wan to get into trouble for helping others. ¡°Girl, I advise you to be careful with your words!¡± Brother Fang glanced at Lin Chao and threatened Xia Wan in a low voice.. Chapter 598 - Chapter 598: I Hate People Touching Me the Most Chapter 598: I Hate People Touching Me the Most Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised, ¡°What? Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡± ¡°You!¡± Brother Fang paused for a moment, then said with feigned bravado, ¡°Of course not, your friend is so, so¡­¡± Brother Fang struggled to find the right words from his limited vocabulary, but after a long pause, he could not find an appropriate term and could only sigh in annoyance. Xia Wan could see that Brother Fang was reluctantly trying to make peace with her because of Lin Chao. If she couldn¡¯t truly resolve the problem with Brother Fang this time, even if he conceded defeat now, it would still leave future troubles. It was one thing for Brother Fang to target her, but if it were Liu Hua or Linda alone encountering him, that would be a real problem! Xia Wan was determined to ensure that Brother Fang would not dare to trouble them in the future. Xia Wan glanced at Lin Chao, who tactfully stepped back, deciding to let her handle the trouble herself. Seeing Lin Chao step back, Brother Fang lost his earlier advantage. He moved closer to Xia Wan, his voice low again: ¡°Brat, I¡¯ll let you off today for this man¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°You better not talk too much, or else if I run into you again, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Brother Fang was clearly intimidated by Lin Chao¡¯s identity and skills, which is why he chose to temporarily surrender. Xia Wan looked at Brother Fang disdainfully: ¡°I don¡¯t care about your background or who you hang out with. If you want to threaten me, you better measure yourself first!¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Brother Fang almost laughed. ¡°You little girl, trying to act tough here! ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, you just know a police officer from the county police station! ¡°I tell you, that little cop, I can handle him in minutes, believe it or not?¡± Listening to Brother Fang¡¯s brash words, Xia Wan subtly pressed the recording button on the MP4 in her pocket. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Xia Wan asked, pretending to be casual. Brother Fang, suppressing his voice, said: ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me!¡± ¡°That little cop, I can easily ruin him with a flick of my finger! You better not try anything funny here!¡± ¡°Resolve this quickly and leave!¡± Xia Wan calmly continued, ¡°Do you realize that assaulting a police officer is a serious crime? And you even plan to retaliate against a cop?¡± ¡°So what! With Boss Jiang behind me, do you think I¡¯m afraid of your little police officers?¡± ¡°Enough! Stop wasting my time here! Take your friends and leave quickly!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still waiting to collect protection money!¡± Brother Fang¡¯s voice was not loud, and even Lin Chao, standing not too far away, could not hear him clearly. However, Xia Wan was certain that every word had been fully recorded on the MP4. Her lips curled slightly: ¡°So, you¡¯re collecting protection money on this street, causing trouble, and you were released from the police station after just two days. All thanks to that Boss Jiang and the captain of the criminal police team who bailed you out, right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Brother Fang said proudly, then frowned, ¡°Enough! I don¡¯t have time to waste talking with you anymore! Are you leaving or not?¡± After speaking, Brother Fang impatiently reached out to push Xia Wan. This time Xia Wan was prepared and caught his hand the moment he reached out. Brother Fang was about to make a snide remark and take advantage of the situation. But the next moment, Xia Wan twisted his wrist, causing him to scream out loud. Xia Wan, holding Brother Fang¡¯s wrist, applied a clever force at the joint. With a crack, Brother Fang¡¯s right hand was bent back. Brother Fang¡¯s screams were continuous and chilling. Xia Wan acted again, grabbing Brother Fang¡¯s chin and pushing it down, instantly silencing his screams. Brother Fang looked at Xia Wan with his mouth agape in shock, his dislocated jaw preventing him from making any sound except a tormented ¡°ah-ah. ¡± ¡°I hate it when people touch me!¡± Xia Wan frowned deeply, ¡°You already annoyed me by strangling my neck! ¡°And you even dared to touch me! I¡¯ll chop off your hand, believe it or not!¡± Xia Wan threatened fiercely. At this point, Brother Fang didn¡¯t dare disbelieve and frantically nodded his head, using his good hand to support the other, continuously begging Xia Wan for mercy.. Chapter 599 - Chapter 599: Can ‘t Take It Anymore Chapter 599: Can ¡®t Take It Anymore Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Wan looked at Brother Fang¡¯s pleading manner and snorted coldly. ¡°Anything else you want to say?¡± Brother Fang, with his mouth agape, desperately nodded his head. Xia Wan eyed him and continued to ask: ¡°Still think I need someone else¡¯s help to deal with you?¡± Brother Fang shook his head frantically, unable to comprehend how this seemingly gentle girl had so easily dislocated his joint. Xia Wan glanced at the classmates nearby, some of whom had been less than friendly to her before, and they instinctively shrank back, seemingly afraid that Xia Wan would turn on them too. Always quiet and reserved, Xia Wan had surprised everyone with her hidden skills. Xia Wan calmly extended her hand towards Brother Fang. Brother Fang instinctively stepped back, seemingly afraid that Xia Wan would dislocate another of his joints. Xia Wan¡¯s expression showed slight dissatisfaction: ¡°Don¡¯t want to talk anymore?¡± Brother Fang paused, then quickly shook his head and leaned forward. Xia Wan reached out, grasped Brother Fang¡¯s chin and cheek, and with a click, realigned his jaw, allowing him to finally close his mouth. Xia Wan disdainfully pulled out a handkerchief, vigorously wiped her hand, then casually threw the handkerchief into a trash bin outside a store. At this point, Brother Fang was too concerned with escaping this place of trouble to care about Xia Wan¡¯s disdainful actions. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m scared of you, okay?¡± Brother Fang pleaded. ¡°Let¡¯s forget the past, okay?¡± Xia Wan raised an eyebrow: ¡°You think we can just forget the past, just like that? Aren¡¯t you getting off too easy?¡± Brother Fang¡¯s expression tensed: ¡°What else do you want?¡± He was still nursing his unrecovered hand, looking at Xia Wan as if she was being unreasonable. ¡°I want you to never cause trouble on this street again. If I see you, I¡¯ll hit you every time!¡± Xia Wan waved her fist at Brother Fang. Brother Fang instinctively shrank back but then straightened up. ¡°What right do you have to demand this from me?¡± ¡°This street isn¡¯t yours! I can do whatever I want!¡± Brother Fang was indignant but not without reason. They relied on collecting protection money for their petty cash. Even the police couldn¡¯t do much about them. If a young girl scared them off, how would they ever face their peers again? Brother Fang looked outraged as if Xia Wan was cutting off his livelihood. ¡°So, you think I don¡¯t have the right or ability to demand this from you?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s expression turned cold, and she flexed her wrist. Brother Fang¡¯s wrist hurt even more, and he gritted his teeth. ¡°You have the power! You have the right! Okay?¡± ¡°Remember your words!¡± Xia Wan said coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you bullying on this street again, and don¡¯t go after my friends! Understand?¡± Brother Fang glanced in Liu Hua¡¯s direction. Liu Hua immediately stepped back, her fear evident. ¡°Okay! I got it!¡± Brother Fang bit his teeth, deciding to swallow his pride for now. ¡°And one more thing¡­¡± Xia Wan continued. ¡°More?!¡± Brother Fang¡¯s impatience was evident in his raised voice. Xia Wan raised an eyebrow: ¡°What? Is that a problem?¡± ¡°Fine! Fine!¡± Brother Fang had lost his earlier aggressive demeanor. ¡°Return the money you¡¯ve extorted from these stores!¡± Xia Wan nodded towards the shops. ¡°I¡¯ll let go of what happened before, but you must return today¡¯s money to them!¡± Brother Fang¡¯s face turned even uglier. He stared at Xia Wan, unable to utter a word. He knew Xia Wan was warning him and demonstrating her power. Xia Wan watched Brother Fang with a firm gaze, not showing the slightest retreat. Brother Fang¡¯s words came through clenched teeth: ¡°I warn you not to go too far!¡± The saying goes, even a cornered rabbit will bite! Especially someone like Brother Fang, who had made a name for himself on the streets. Seeing his reputation on this street at risk, and thinking about the humiliation of returning the extorted money to the shopkeepers, he felt utterly cornered. If he did return the money, how could he continue to collect protection fees in the future? The more Brother Fang thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt.. In a fit of frustration, he raised his uninjured hand to strike at Xia Wan: ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore! You¡¯re being too bullying!¡± Chapter 600 - Chapter 600: Going to the Police Station Chapter 600: Going to the Police Station Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Brother Fang was really furious this time, his punches were fast and fierce, and it looked like he was about to hit Xia Wan¡¯s face. Xia Wan quickly dodged, although she managed to avoid her face being hit, she still got punched in the shoulder. Xia Wan grunted and held her shoulder, glaring at Brother Fang. ¡°Do you dare to lay a hand on her? Do you not want to live?¡± Lin Chao stepped forward and kicked Brother Fang to the ground. He had originally thought that Xia Wan could handle this trouble herself, but he didn¡¯t expect this guy to resist. ¡°Do you know who she is?¡± Lin Chao glared at Brother Fang angrily. Brother Fang, at this point, didn¡¯t care about anything else. He had already lost face and reputation, so what did he have to fear? ¡°I don¡¯t care who she is!¡± Brother Fang said fiercely, ¡°A high school student dares to act tough with me here! ¡°If you guys weren¡¯t in the military, would I be afraid of you?¡± Brother Fang had clearly lost his temper, and his other cronies were also getting pumped up. ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if you guys are in the military! The few of us brothers together can still take you down!¡± Brother Fang was helped up by his two cronies and faced Xia Wan and Lin Chao, raising his chin as if he was ready to fight them to the death. Just then, sirens started blaring. rlWvo police cars appeared on the not-so-wide street. Officer Song got out of the police car and walked quickly towards Xia Wan. ¡°Miss Xia, are you okay?¡± Officer Song asked with concern, looking at Xia Wan holding her shoulder. Xia Wan shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± As soon as Officer Song appeared, Brother Fang immediately shrank like a deflated balloon. Officer Song looked at Brother Fang sternly. ¡°What? You were released this morning, and now you want to stay with us for a few more days?¡± Brother Fang kept his head down and didn¡¯t say anything, his eyes darting around, looking for an opportunity to escape. Officer Song naturally wouldn¡¯t give him that chance. ¡°I heard you¡¯re quite bold, collecting protection money on the street and not being afraid of the police?¡± ¡°What? Is the police station run by your family?¡± Officer Song¡¯s words made Brother Fang shiver involuntarily. He quickly stepped forward, with a bright smile on his face. ¡°Officer Song, where are you getting that idea?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve always been law-abiding citizens!¡± ¡°Law-abiding citizens?¡± Officer Song sneered. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re fighting with Miss Xia here?¡± ¡°Officer Song, I have evidence that they were planning to retaliate against the police, saying that dealing with the police is as easy as lifting a finger.¡± Xia Wan said as she took out an MP/+ player from her pocket. When Brother Fang saw the MP4, his face turned pale. ¡°Uh, no! Officer Song, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Officer Song held the MP/+ in his hand. ¡°Then what did you mean? Is Miss Xia lying, or is the recording on this MP4 fake?¡± Brother Fang couldn¡¯t find words to refute and pondered for a while before sighing and admitting, ¡°Yes, Miss Xia is telling the truth. It¡¯s my fault!¡± Seeing Brother Fang reluctantly admit his mistake, Officer Song¡¯s expression turned slightly serious. ¡°What? Did I wrongly accuse you?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Brother Fang immediately waved his only movable hand. Then, as if he remembered something, he said, ¡°But, look at my wrist, that girl¡­ I mean, Miss Xia, injured it. Whom should I talk to about that?¡± Officer Song glanced at Xia Wan before coldly huffing, ¡°This is your own doing! Do you want to blame it on someone else?¡± ¡°Enough! Come with me to the police station to make a statement!¡± Officer Song waved his hand, and some police officers immediately pushed Brother Fang and the others towards the police car. Brother Fang, not satisfied, said, ¡°They also attacked people! Why aren¡¯t you arresting them too?¡± Officer Song looked somewhat embarrassed as he glanced at the two men in military uniforms and Lin Chao standing next to Xia Wan. Seeing their military uniforms, it was clear that they were at least lieutenant colonels, and thev weren¡¯t people he could casuallv deal with. Officer Song was hesitating about how to handle the situation when Lin Chao spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll take Miss Xia to the police station, and I happen to have something to discuss with the chief.¡± Officer Song¡¯s expression slightly changed, but he nodded. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll take these guys back for now.¡± Lin Chao nodded in agreement and turned to Xia Wan, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Xia Wan signaled Lin Chao to wait and walked over to Xia Chen. Although those thugs hadn¡¯t hurt Xia Chen physically, his face didn¡¯t look good at the moment.. Chapter 601 - Chapter 601: Let’s Go Chapter 601: Let¡¯s Go Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Wanwan, are you okay?¡± Xia Chen reached out to touch Xia Wan¡¯s neck, which was still slightly red, and then moved his hand towards her shoulder. Xia Wan comforted him by patting his hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine, that guy can¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°Brother, you¡¯ll take Liu Hua home later, make sure you watch her get home safely,¡± Xia Wan instructed. Although Brother Fang and his men were taken away by Officer Song, it¡¯s uncertain if there are others from their group hiding in the shadows. She didn¡¯t feel at ease letting Liu Hua go home alone, so having Xia Chen accompany her seemed like a good idea. Xia Chen nodded vigorously, about to agree, but Lin Chao intervened. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone send them home later, don¡¯t worry!¡± With Lin Chao¡¯s assurance, Xia Wan felt more at ease. ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble you with this.¡± Lin Chao made a phone call, then turned to Xia Chen. ¡°It¡¯s arranged, a car will come to pick you up later.¡± Xia Wan, holding Liu Hua¡¯s hand, comforted her for a while, then said to Lin Chao, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We shouldn¡¯t keep Officer Song waiting too long!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Lin Chao led Xia Wan to the car, driving towards the county police station. As soon as the car left, Song Zhi stood up, pushing aside a few people gathered at the shop entrance and watched the car drive away. ¡°I¡¯ve always said Xia Wan is not simple. Look how all these men are rushing to protect her,¡± Song Zhi said disdainfully. ¡°Song Zhi! You don¡¯t know the truth, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Xia Chen shouted angrily at Song Zhi. ¡°What truth?¡± Song Zhi snorted coldly, ¡°Aren¡¯t the eyes the best witness?¡± ¡°Look at that man with two soldiers, how amorous his eyes are when he looks at Xia Wan! ¡± ¡°When he saw Xia Wan being bullied by that thug, his eyes nearly popped out!¡± ¡°And look at Officer Song, he came here to deal with the gangsters collecting protection fees.¡± ¡°But who knows if he came here specifically because he knew Xia Wan was here!¡± ¡°His eyes never left Xia Wan from beginning to end!¡± Listening to Song Zhi¡¯s increasingly outrageous words, Xia Chen¡¯s face grew darker. Already worried about Xia Wan¡¯s safety, and feeling helpless about the situation, Xia Chen now wished he could punch Song Zhi. But after all, Song Zhi is a woman, and Xia Chen would feel guilty if he hit her. Just as Xia Chen was struggling with this dilemma, a slap sound rang out on Song Zhi¡¯s face. Song Zhi incredulously covered her cheek, staring at the person who had slapped her. The other classmates turned their surprised gazes to Liu Hua, standing in front of Song Zhi. ¡°Shut up!¡± Liu Hua, full of anger, confronted Song Zhi. ¡°You were just hiding in the corner like a coward, and now you come out to steal the limelight?¡± ¡°If you can, like Xia Wan, lend a hand when others are in trouble!¡± ¡°Otherwise, keep your mouth shut! Nobody wants to hear your nonsense!¡± After saying this, Liu Hua turned and pulled Xia Chen towards the other side of the shop. The other students looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Song Zhi, covering her face, reacted after a while and suddenly burst into tears. She had never been treated like this before! Being suppressed by Xia Wan was one thing, but now even Liu Hua dared to stand up to her! The more Song Zhi thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, wanting to confront Liu Hua to reclaim her dignity, but she shrank back under Xia Chen¡¯s glare. Zhou Chen came out to comfort Song Zhi, then said to the other students: ¡°Today¡¯s events have been distressing for everyone. It¡¯s probably best for everyone to disperse and go home to rest. ¡± With Zhou Chen¡¯s words, the students, who were already planning to leave, quickly departed in groups. ¡°Song Zhi, I¡¯ll take you home,¡± Zhou Chen offered kindly to Song Zhi, making her feel a bit strange, but since everyone else had left, she had no reason to stay. ¡°I¡¯ll call someone to pick me up,¡± Song Zhi said resentfully, her face still bearing marks. Zhou Chen thought to himself that this was a good thing, as it would save him the trouble of finding transportation. Although Song Zhi¡¯s family situation wasn¡¯t great, her father cared about appearances and had borrowed a car to keep up appearances. Song Zhi made a phone call and then waited for her father to pick her up.. Chapter 602 - Chapter 602: Whose Inspiration Chapter 602: Whose Inspiration Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Shuang also did not leave and said, ¡°Song Zhi, since you have a car, why not give me a ride?¡± Although Song Zhi was not pleased that Lin Shuang had failed to stop Liu Hua earlier, he wouldn¡¯t pass up an opportunity to show off in front of others. ¡°Sure! Let me offer you a ride in a private car!¡± Song Zhi said, shaking his head and already over his previous sadness. Xia Chen and Liu Hua were waiting in the same spot. After a while, a black sedan slowly drove up. Zhou Chen hurried a few steps forward and asked Song Zhi, ¡°Is this your family¡¯s car coming to pick you up? Song Zhi glanced at the black sedan¡¯s shiny new paint and quickly scanned the logo on the front, his expression darkening. He muttered quietly, ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± As soon as Song Zhi finished speaking, the black sedan stopped right in front of them. A driver in a black uniform stepped out of the sedan and asked them, ¡°Excuse me, which one of you is Xia Wan¡¯s brother?¡± Upon hearing this, Xia Chen immediately stepped forward and said, ¡°I am!¡± The driver nodded and said to Xia Chen and Liu Hua who were following, ¡°Please get in the car, I¡¯ll take you back.¡± Just as Xia Chen was about to get into the car, another car came from a distance. A silver-grey private car approached, its front slightly damaged, but not too slow. The car quickly came to a halt in front of Song Zhi and others, with a screech of brakes. Song Zhi¡¯s father slowly rolled down the car window and poked his head out, ¡°Hurry up and get in the car! I don¡¯t have time to wait here! I still have a lot to do later!¡± His father¡¯s impatience made Song Zhi feel even more embarrassed. The silver-grey body of the car was mottled with rust stains and flaking paint due to its age. The car emitted a rumbling sound, forming a stark contrast with the black sedan parked not far away. Song Zhi gritted his teeth in secret, opened the car door, and got in. The car door creaked in protest. Zhou Chen watched Xia Chen and Liu Hua get into the brand-new black sedan and drive away, sighed, and followed them into the old Song family car. Lin Shuang also followed, opening the car door and getting in. Song Zhi¡¯s father did not stop his complaints because Zhou Chen and Lin Shuang were present: ¡°Knowing I¡¯m busy every day, yet still troubling me with this kind of thing! ¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you take the bus home yourself?¡± ¡°And I have to give a ride to your friend too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t any of you know how hard it is for adults to work?¡± Amidst the complaints of Song Zhi¡¯s father, Song Zhi, Zhou Chen, and Lin Shuang all bowed their heads. Xia Wan arrived at the police station in Lin Chao¡¯s car and immediately saw Officer Song waiting at the entrance. ¡°Officer Song, were you waiting here for me?¡± Xia Wan asked, seeing Officer Song hurrying towards her. ¡°Miss Xia, indeed, I was waiting for you,¡± Officer Song said, glancing at Lin Chao. Xia Wan also glanced at Lin Chao, who then stepped a few paces away, distancing themselves. ¡°Miss Xia, the station just issued a notice to deal severely with that Mr. Fang,¡± Officer Song glanced at Lin Chao, ¡°Is this what Miss Xia meant?¡± Xia Wan slightly raised her eyebrows, ¡°Are you saying that if no one instructed, Mr. Fang would have been released unharmed after being detained for two days?¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s questioning, Officer Song immediately explained, ¡°Miss Xia, that¡¯s not what I mean!¡± ¡°My point is¡­ my point is¡­¡± Officer Song hesitated for a long time, not knowing how to start. Xia Wan didn¡¯t want to hear more, simply saying, ¡°I haven¡¯t given any instructions, and I also believe the police station is a fair and strict administrative agency. You have your own rules.¡± ¡°I believe you will handle this matter impartially, right?¡± Xia Wan¡¯s question slightly changed Officer Song¡¯s expression. ¡°We will handle it impartially,¡± Officer Song said solemnly, as if answering Xia Wan and also making a promise to himself. Xia Wan nodded, not saying anything more, and gestured for Lin Chao to walk into the police station with her. After entering the interrogation room and completing the record, Xia Wan sat in Lin Chao¡¯s car and after a while asked, ¡°Was it you who instructed someone to punish that Brother Fang severely?¡± Lin Chao looked at Xia Wan and then shook his head, ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me.¡± Lin Chao¡¯s response seemed to surprise Xia Wan, ¡°Not you? Then who could it Chapter 603 - Chapter 603: Meeting the Military Region Leader Again Chapter 603: Meeting the Military Region Leader Again Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Chao shifted his gaze back to the front. ¡°Whose instruction doesn¡¯t matter, does it? Isn¡¯t it right to justly deal with those who break the law?¡± Xia Wan, listening to Lin Chao¡¯s words, suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity. After a while, she smiled and asked, ¡°Did you come here specifically to find me? Is there something you need?¡± Lin Chao instructed the driver to start the car and after a while spoke again: ¡°The leader has visited Shi Yu.¡± ¡°So?¡± Xia Wan tilted her head, looking at Lin Chao. ¡°The leader thinks he was wrong about you and wants to talk to you again,¡± Lin Chao said emotionlessly. Xia Wan saw a hint of smugness on his almost expressionless face. ¡°Does he plan to recruit me into the group?¡± Xia Wan rummaged through her backpack and then reached out to Lin Chao, ¡°Give it back to me.¡± Lin Chao was puzzled by Xia Wan¡¯s request: ¡°Give you what? I haven¡¯t taken anything of yours!¡± Xia Wan said impatiently: ¡°Last time I went to meet your leader, they searched me and took away my silver needle pack!¡± ¡°Who else should I ask for it if not you?¡± Lin Chao was stunned for a moment, then naively responded, ¡°That must have been taken by the security guards. I¡¯ll go get it back for you later!¡± Xia Wan hummed in response and slowly withdrew her hand. ¡®You said the leader suddenly wants to recruit me because of Shi Yu¡¯s incident?¡± Xia Wan continued the previous topic. ¡°Yes! The leader personally went to see Shi Yu! He didn¡¯t expect Shi Yu to recover so quickly, now he can even walk a few steps! It¡¯s only been a few days!¡± Lin Chao said excitedly. Xia Wan shook her head: ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be because of that.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Lin Chao asked in disagreement, ¡°I had to persuade him a lot before he agreed to let you join.¡± Xia Wan rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed: ¡°What great benefits can your organization bring me that you insist on recruiting me?¡± Lin Chao turned to face her seriously: ¡°Xia Wan, you should know, all the tasks arranged by the organization are for the country, for the people!¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t respond; she never doubted this fact. But she could also serve the country in other ways without having to abandon her family! Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s silence, Lin Chao continued, ¡°Also, the leader has agreed not to make you leave your family and will provide the best possible treatment for them.¡± Xia Wan was somewhat surprised: ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you!¡± Lin Chao said, patting his chest, ¡°It I dare to say it, there¡¯s definitely a guarantee!¡± Xia Wan silently lowered her head, contemplating her own calculations. If she really became a member of this organization, her family¡¯s life, her brother¡¯s and her younger brother¡¯s futures would definitely be more secure. Xia Wan said to Lin Chao: ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and talk to that leader again!¡± The car soon arrived at an open space outside the guest house. After being checked by the guards, Xia Wan followed Lin Chao smoothly into the building. At the same door of the same room, the guard opened the large door. This time, the middle-aged leader was already sitting in front of the coffee table waiting for them. Seeing Xia Wan and Zhou Chen come in, the leader waved to Xia Wan: ¡°Xiao Xia, come here!¡± Xia Wan obediently responded and walked over to the sofa next to the coffee table. ¡°Xiao Xia, can you tell me who you learned your medical skills from?¡± the leader handed a cup of tea to Xia Wan. Xia Wan immediately stood up to receive it and then sat down again, replying: ¡°I learned some basic medical knowledge from my grandfather since I was a child, and then studied the medical techniques he left behind on my own.¡± ¡°You figured it out on your own?¡± the leader looked at Xia Wan incredulously, ¡°Then you are a medical genius!¡± ¡°I dare not accept that title,¡± Xia Wan replied modestly, but her face showed no modesty. The leader laughed heartily and said, ¡°Shi Yu is lucky to have met you!¡± ¡°Otherwise, even if that boy had his life saved, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to leave his bed for three to five years!¡± the leader said cheerfully, full of admiration for Xia Wan. Xia Wan just smiled and did not point out the mistake in the leader¡¯s words. If the treatment had continued according to the military hospital¡¯s plan, it wasn¡¯t just about Shi Yu being unable to leave his bed for three to five years, it was uncertain whether he could even survive the next few days! Chapter 604 - Chapter 604: Joining the Organization Chapter 604: Joining the Organization Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After chatting idly with Xia Wan for a while, the leader never steered the conversation towards recruiting Xia Wan into the group. Lin Chao became a bit restless and finally spoke up. ¡°Leader, did you call Xia Wan here today for something else more important?¡± Seeing Lin Chao so anxious and unable to stay calm, the leader scoffed, ¡°You young man are always impatient. Look at you, even Xia Wan has more patience than you!¡± Lin Chao bowed his head in silence, not asking further. At that moment, it seemed as if the leader remembered something and asked Xia Wan, ¡°Xiao Xia, do you know anyone from the Lu family in the capital?¡± Caught off guard by this question, Xia Wan first paused and then asked back, ¡°Why do you ask about this?¡± Xia Wan did not deny it, and the leader¡¯s face revealed a knowing smile. ¡°What is your relationship with the Lu family?¡± Xia Wan frowned slightly, then asked, ¡°What does this have to do with why you called me here today?¡± The leader wasn¡¯t swayed by Xia Wan¡¯s question and maintained a smile. ¡°Since we plan to bring you into our team, naturally, we need to conduct some investigation into your background.¡± ¡°The old master of the Lu family in the capital is a distinguished person, but it seems there is no connection with your family.¡± The leader looked puzzled, ¡°Perhaps, you would like to explain?¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t mind revealing her relationship with the Lu family, especially since there was Lu Lin, the disgraceful one; it wasn¡¯t their Xia family who would be embarrassed! Xia Wan shared with the leader how she was originally engaged to Lu Lin, but the engagement was broken because of Xia Ru. As for the old master Lu¡¯s fondness for her, Xia Wan did not mention it. At times like this, it was better to involve herself and those people as little as possible. If people knew that old master Lu liked her, she would have to deal with all kinds of troublesome matters in the future! Xia Wan spoke lightly, but the leader laughed heartily. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the absurd actions of that grandson of the Lu family, but I didn¡¯t expect him to do such things!¡± Xia Wan picked up her tea and took a sip. ¡°Leader, you know about Lu Lin?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve heard a bit,¡± the leader said with a smile, sipping his tea before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s good you didn¡¯t fulfill the marriage contract with Lu Lin; otherwise, it would have been a real injustice to you!¡± Lin Chao, sitting aside, muttered, ¡°Leader, why are you so nosy!¡± The leader glared at Lin Chao, who immediately fell silent. Then, the leader asked again, ¡®What is your relationship with Chen MO?¡± Hearing the leader mention Chen MO, Xia Wan immediately turned her gaze to Lin Chao. Lin Chao hastily waved his hands, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who said it!¡± Xia Wan then turned to look at the leader. The leader smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t suspect him, it indeed wasn¡¯t him who told me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said before, if I want to investigate someone, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t find out.¡± Hearing this, Xia Wan felt a chill down her spine. This man was truly frightening. At this moment, Xia Wan didn¡¯t know whether getting close to him and joining his organization was right or wrong! Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s furrowed brow, the leader said with a light laugh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just conducting a thorough investigation and won¡¯t harm him.¡± Xia Wan lowered her gaze, knowing that even if she didn¡¯t say anything, the leader would have other ways to find out everything clearly. Xia Wan sighed and said, ¡°Chen MO is my friend. We have many collaborations and will face many difficulties together in the future.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± The leader¡¯s voice carried a hint of doubt. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, Xia Wan nodded, ¡°Yes, a friend!¡± ¡°Good! Since you say so, I believe you!¡± the leader nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the main topic, otherwise Lin Chao here will wear a hole in my floor.¡± The leader glanced at Lin Chao¡¯s feet. Lin Chao embarrassingly retracted his foot that had been rubbing on the ground. ¡°I will arrange for you to undergo a month of special training to quickly familiarize yourself with our organization¡¯s structure and internal members,¡± the leader said solemnly to Xia Wan, ¡°But during this month, I hope you can temporarily leave your current life for a fully enclosed and confidential training.¡± Xia Wan¡¯s brow furrowed again. Disappear for a month? How was she supposed to explain her whereabouts for this month to her parents? Chapter 605 - Chapter 605: Xia Wan Reprimanded Chapter 605: Xia Wan Reprimanded Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Xia Wan left the guest house, she looked very somber and seemed to be full of worries. Lin Chao retrieved Xia Wan¡¯s cloth bag containing silver needles from the security office and handed it to her, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too burdened mentally. If you really don¡¯t know how to explain to your family, maybe I can help you come up with an excuse?¡± Xia Wan gestured for Lin Chao to be quiet for a while and fell back into deep thought. After sending Xia Wan home, Lin Chao¡¯s car quickly departed. Entering her house, Xia Wan ran into Xia Chen. ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re finally back! Are you okay?¡± Xia Chen held Xia Wan¡¯s arms, looking her up and down. Xia Wan shook her head, tiredly saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just very tired. I want to go back to sleep for a while.¡± Seeing that Xia Wan indeed seemed very tired, Xia Chen let go of her hands, allowing her to go rest. As soon as she lay down on the bed, Xia Wan¡¯s phone rang. Answering the phone, it was Chen Mo¡¯s voice. ¡°Xia Wan, I heard from Officer Song that you went to the police station today?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Chen Mo¡¯s voice was full of concern, which comforted Xia Wan¡¯s tense mood. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just ran into that troublemaker from last time and had some disputes.¡± Xia Wan spoke calmly, not going into detail about her experiences of the day. Listening to Xia Wan¡¯s voice, Chen MO took a while before asking, ¡°Are you very tired?¡± ¡°Yes, a little,¡± Xia Wan replied, her tone flat. The two of them remained silent, only the sound of their calm breathing heard over the phone. After a while, Xia Wan spoke again. ¡°Chen MO, what would you do if I suddenly disappeared for a month?¡± Chen MO was clearly taken aback, thought for a moment, and then said, ¡°If you have something important to do, I will wait for you.¡± ¡°But if someone tries to harm you, I will fight them to the end!¡± Chen Mo¡¯s voice was serious and firm. Xia Wan smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± They chatted casually for a few more moments before hanging up. Lying on the bed, Xia Wan looked at the ceiling. ¡°If I have this support, will everything in the future be different?¡± Having lived this life anew, she had done everything for her family. If she really could rely on the military district¡¯s support, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her family being bullied anymore, and Xia Chen and Xia Feng could have a better future! Thinking this, Xia Wan eventually fell asleep. Liu Hua, thinking it was because of the incident with Brother Fang the day before, showed concern, but seeing Xia Wan still unenthusiastic, didn¡¯t press further, just quietly staying by her side. The morning passed quietly, with Xia Wan still unable to think of a reasonable excuse to disappear for a month during this critical time before the college entrance exams. During the lunch break, the atmosphere in the class was strange. Xia Wan didn¡¯t pay much attention, assuming it was due to the events of the previous day causing discomfort among her classmates. It wasnt until the afternoon, when Jiang Rong walked into the class with a slightly stern face and called Xia Wan into the office, that Xia Wan found out she had been reported! Xia Wan couldn¡¯t believe that someone had reported her for associating with bad influences outside school, affecting the good atmosphere of the class and school. This accusation had Xia Wan reeling for a while. ¡°Xia Wan, I always thought you were a good student, both academically and morally,¡± Jiang Rong said with a pained expression, ¡°Come on, tell Teacher Jiang, is there some misunderstanding here?¡± ¡°Why would those bad influences outside school target you?¡± ¡°Do you have any difficulties that are hard to explain?¡± Being wrongfully accused by Brother Fang in front of everyone, with the whole class and everyone on the snack street witnessing it, no matter how Xia Wan explained, it would be hard to claim she didn¡¯t know Brother Fang! Xia Wan said to Jiang Rong, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with that Brother Fang. I just couldn¡¯t stand by and watch when I saw him bullying two girls on the snack street once, and that¡¯s why I got into this trouble.¡± ¡°The teacher believes you, but because of this incident, the atmosphere in the class is very bad now.¡± ¡°So, so¡­¡± Jiang Rong hesitated for a long time, unsure how to broach the subject. Hearing Jiang Rong¡¯s words, Xia Wan suddenly realized something.. ¡°Teacher Jiang, are you suggesting that I should temporarily stop attending school and stay at home?¡± Chapter 606 - Chapter 606: Suspended Chapter 606: Suspended Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Jiang Rong immediately felt that Xia Wan was an understanding and angelic student. Regardless of the truth of the matter, Xia Wan¡¯s acquaintance with Brother Fang and causing a negative impact on the snack street was an established fact. With someone reporting Xia Wan and the inability to ascertain the truth at the moment, it seemed that temporarily suspending her from school was the best solution. ¡°Xia Wan, you are about to take the college entrance exams, and I don¡¯t want you to be distracted by anything at this time, ¡± Jiang Rong said earnestly. ¡°Perhaps, temporarily leaving our class environment, I believe, with your abilities, you will still be able to review and achieve good results even if you study at home!¡± ¡°Most of our courses now are review classes. If you have any questions, you can always come to school to ask the teachers. What do you think?¡± Jiang Rong¡¯s words sounded somewhat like a joke to Xia Wan. The school could convict a student without investigating, just because they didn¡¯t want to affect other students¡¯ emotions preparing for the college entrance exams. Although such an arrangement was exactly what Xia Wan wanted, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit melancholic. What if it were someone else who needed the school environment for their studies? Would they, like her, silently accept injustice for the sake of others and give up their own rights? Seeing Xia Wan¡¯s silence, Jiang Rong worried she might change her mind and hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once the students¡¯ emotions stabilize after a while, I will arrange for you to come back to class!¡± ¡°Then a few teachers will take turns reviewing with you. What do you think?¡± Jiang Rong offered more to ensure Xia Wan wouldn¡¯t refuse. Xia Wan thought for a while before looking obediently at Jiang Rong. ¡°Although I feel wronged by the school¡¯s hasty judgment and the school can¡¯t prove my innocence, which saddens me, I also understand that the college entrance exams are one of the most important moments in life for all students.¡± ¡°As long as the school can provide me with a written document proving my innocence, I can sacrifice my time in school for the sake of my classmates.¡± Hearing Xia Wan¡¯s words, Jiang Rong finally breathed a sigh of relief. As for the proof document, she still needed to discuss it with the principal. ¡°Xia Wan, how about this, you go home this afternoon,¡± Jiang Rong looked at her watch and continued, ¡°I will discuss with the principal this afternoon and definitely provide you with a certificate.¡± ¡°We will not let any student suffer injustice for no reason!¡± Xia Wan didn¡¯t want to say more, agreed to Jiang Rong¡¯s request, and went back to the classroom to pack up, preparing to leave in the afternoon. Song Zhi saw Xia Wan packing up and sat in front of her desk, crossing his arms over his chest, and scoffed, ¡°Yo! What¡¯s this? Xia Wan! You¡¯re skipping school to hang out with those thugs?¡± Liu Hua had just returned from the restroom and hurried over to Xia Wan, ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why are you packing up? Aren¡¯t you attending class this afternoon?¡± Ignoring Song Zhi¡¯s words, Xia Wan said to Liu Hua, ¡°I have some things to take care of and won¡¯t attend class this afternoon.¡± ¡°Come to my house tonight, I have something to tell you.¡± After speaking, Xia Wan picked up her bag and walked out. Just reaching the classroom door, she saw Xia Chen appear at the entrance. Xia Chen looked surprised at Xia Wan, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What did Teacher Jiang call you for?¡± Xia Wan pulled Xia Chen¡¯s arm and walked outside, speaking in a low voice so ¡°Brother, keep an eye on Song Zhi and Zhou Chen this afternoon. I have a feeling they¡¯re behind this.¡± Xia Chen frowned and looked upset, ¡°What did they do? I¡¯ll go talk to Teacher Jiang! They must have schemed against you!¡± Xia Wan grabbed Xia Chen¡¯s arm, ¡°No need! I wanted to go home anyway.¡± ¡°Just watch out for them and make sure they don¡¯t harm you!¡± Xia Wan again reminded Xia Chen. Xia Chen, however, remained concerned: ¡°If there¡¯s anything, you must tell me. We are siblings, and I will always stand by your side! ¡± Xia Wan smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! With their little tricks, they can¡¯t hurt me!¡± Chapter 607 - Chapter 607: The Leader Wants to See You Chapter 607: The Leader Wants to See You Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After receiving a call from Xia Wan, Chen MO learned that she planned to take a break from school for a while, so he decided to visit her to find out what was going on. Just as Chen MO was about to open his car door, he heard someone calling him. ¡°Chen MO, the old leader wants to see you!¡± Zhang Cheng approached hurriedly from not far away, his face showing a bit of urgency. ¡°Brother Cheng, who¡¯s looking for me? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen MO stopped and looked towards Zhang Cheng. Chen MO was not sure who the old leader mentioned by Zhang Cheng was, but judging by the way Zhang referred to him, it must be a leader from the military district. But, what would someone from the military district want with him? ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions! The old leader is waiting for you!¡± said Zhang Cheng, pulling Chen MO towards his car. ¡°But, Brother Cheng, I have things to do!¡± Chen MO protested, but Zhang Cheng pushed him into the car anyway. ¡°Nothing is more important than this!¡± Zhang Cheng said as he got into the passenger seat and instructed the driver to start the car. The car sped along, passing by Dongxing Pavilion, which was crowded with people outside. Chen MO looked out curiously, but the car was moving too fast for him to see what was happening. The car stopped a couple of streets away from Dongxing Pavilion, in front of a guesthouse. Zhang Cheng got out and motioned for Chen MO to follow. Chen MO followed Zhang Cheng, running to the third floor of the guesthouse, where they stopped outside a room. ¡°The old leader is waiting for you, go in!¡± Zhang Cheng said, knocking three times on the door. Sounds came from inside the room, and soon the door opened from inside. Seeing the person in the room, Chen MO was startled for a moment: ¡°Uncle Liang?¡± It was Liang Tao. ¡°Chen MO, long time no see! Come in!¡± Liang Tao said, leading Chen MO and Zhang Cheng inside. ¡°Uncle Liang, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were coming? My dad would scold me if he knew I didn¡¯t host you well!¡± Chen MO said with a hint of dissatisfaction. Liang Tao chuckled, ¡°I thought I¡¯d take a good rest this time, so I didn¡¯t tell ¡°But why did you come here instead of staying in Beijing? Did you discover some new business opportunity?¡± Liang Tao looked at Chen MO with affection and spoke softly. ¡°My girlfriend lives here, and I also have some business to take care of, so I spend most of my time here,¡± Chen MO honestly replied. ¡°Oh? A girlfriend? When will you bring her to meet me?¡± Liang Tao asked teasingly, ¡°I heard from Zhang Cheng that she¡¯s a miracle doctor?¡± Chen MO glanced towards Zhang Cheng. Zhang Cheng nodded and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who mentioned Xia Wan¡¯s treatment of Shi Yu. I just revealed that she and you are acquainted.¡± Hearing this, Liang Tao laughed, ¡°You young people sure have many secrets!¡± ¡°Since the girl has such talent, why not bring her to meet me?¡± Liang Tao suggested, his gaze becoming more serious, ¡°Perhaps she¡­¡± Chen MO immediately refused, ¡°Xia Wan is still a student. Let¡¯s talk about these things after she completes her studies.¡± Seeing Chen Mo¡¯s firm refusal, Liang Tao did not press further, ¡°Then, when you¡¯re free, invite her for a meal. I¡¯d also like to meet this little miracle doctor Zhang Cheng talks about.¡± Chen MO wanted to refuse, but he saw Zhang Cheng shaking his head at him. Chen MO knew that if he refused Liang Tao again, it would upset him. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll arrange it!¡± Chen MO nodded, already thinking about how to delay the matter. Xia Wan was facing many issues lately, including the need to take a break from school, leaving her no time for such a meal. Seeing Chen Mo¡¯s distracted look, Liang Tao waved his hand, ¡°Alright, you seem to have plans with that girl. Go ahead!¡± ¡°And give my regards to your father. Let¡¯s have a meal together when you¡¯re free!¡± Chen MO agreed and stood up to say goodbye and leave. After leaving the guesthouse, Chen MO called Xia Wan, ¡°Wanwan, where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the military hospital. Shi Yu was moved to a regular ward today, so I came to see him,¡± Xia Wan replied briefly. Frowning slightly, Chen MO took the car Zhang Cheng left for him and asked the driver to take him home. Then he drove to find Xia Wan. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Xia Wan asked as she stood at the hospital entrance, noticing Chen Mo¡¯s tired expression.. Chapter 608 - 608 Sudden Incident Chapter 608: Sudden Incident Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Just as Chen MO was about to speak, he saw Lin Chao walking out of the hospital at a leisurely pace. ¡°You¡¯re watching her too closely! Can¡¯t you give Xia Wan some personal space?¡± Lin Chao teased, ¡°If she really had some special mission, wouldn¡¯t you have exposed it by now?¡± Chen MO glanced sideways at Lin Chao: ¡°What special mission could Xia Wan, a student, have?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense!¡± Xia Wan glanced at Lin Chao and opened the car door, signaling Chen MO to get in. ¡°What¡¯s so urgent that you came to find me?¡± Xia Wan leaned back in her seat and slowly closed her eyes. The recent events had been overwhelming, and she could only really rest when she was with Chen Mo. ¡°You¡¯re taking a break from school?¡± Chen MO asked, concerned, looking at Xia Wan. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Studying at home is better to avoid unnecessary distractions, right?¡± Xia Wan said indifferently. ¡°But¡­¡± Chen MO was still worried. ¡°No buts!¡± Xia Wan cut off Chen Mo ts hesitation and opened her eyes to face him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle things at school, and I chose to take a break voluntarily.¡± Chen MO looked at Xia Wan and said nothing more. Xia Wan rested with her eyes closed until they reached her home, where she slowly opened her eyes. She didn¡¯t hurry to leave the car, knowing Chen MO still had something to say. ¡°Xia Wan, I feel like you¡¯ve been hiding a lot from me recently.¡± Chen MO finally voiced his thoughts. In recent times, he always felt something was missing or extra in his relationship with Xia Wan. Xia Wan turned to look at Chen Mo: ¡°You¡¯re overthinking.¡± After saying this, Xia Wan suddenly felt her words were weak and unconvincing, like those of someone caught cheating. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking again: ¡°Chen MO, there are some things I can¡¯t tell you now, but you have to believe me, I haven¡¯t done anything illegal or disruptive!¡± Chen MO, seeing Xia Wan¡¯s serious demeanor, suddenly laughed. Seeing Chen MO relax, Xia Wan continued, ¡°You know, I want to give my family a better life. I need to work harder to pave the way for them, to plan for them¡­¡± ¡°What about yourself?¡± Chen MO interrupted her. Xia Wan paused, then smiled, ¡°Making them happy is my greatest happiness!¡± Chen MO gazed deeply at Xia Wan, then pulled her into his embrace: ¡°I know everything you do has a reason, but I hope you don¡¯t exhaust yourself.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t handle it anymore, promise to tell me, okay?¡± Xia Wan nestled in Chen MO¡¯s arms and murmured ¡°okay.¡± If only she could have had such an embrace in her past life, would all the hardships have been avoided? As Xia Wan was immersed in the security of Chen Mo¡¯s embrace, suddenly someone knocked on the car window. Both Xia Wan and Chen MO were startled. Looking through the window, Xia Wan saw Cheng Mu standing outside, looking panicked. Xia Wan frowned slightly, lowered the window, and looked at Cheng Mu: ¡°Uncle Cheng, what brings you here at this time?¡± Cheng Mu¡¯s forehead was sweaty, and his eyes darted around: ¡°Wanwan, Uncle Cheng¡­ Uncle Cheng¡­¡± Cheng Mu hesitated, glancing at Chen Mo. Seeing this, Chen MO turned his head away from Xia Wan and Cheng Mu. Xia Wan got out of the car, ¡°Uncle Cheng, just tell me what¡¯s the matter!¡± After looking around, Cheng Mu finally spoke in a distressed manner: ¡°Ah, Wanwan, something¡¯s happened!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Xia Wan guessed, ¡°Did something happen to my uncle and the others?¡± Hearing Xia Wan mention Xia Jiang, Cheng Mu finally spoke: ¡°Yes! I took them back and they were fine!¡± ¡°They woke up a few days ago, causing a fuss. I was worried something had happened, so I gave them some medicine, and they quieted down.¡± ¡°I thought the medicine was really effective!¡± ¡°To prevent them from causing trouble again, I¡¯d give them medicine whenever they woke up.. But today, both of them suddenly fainted with foam at their mouths!¡± Chapter 609 - Chapter 609: Sending Them All Away Chapter 609: Sending Them All Away Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Uncle Cheng, where are my eldest uncle and his wife now?¡± Xia Wan, listening to Cheng Mu¡¯s words and seeing his panicked and evasive eyes, knew that things could not be so simple. ¡°I¡¯m worried that they¡¯ve really had an accident. I hired a car to take them to the county hospital!¡± Cheng Mu said with a sigh, ¡°But it cost me quite a bit of money!¡± Xia Wan ignored Cheng Mu¡¯s words and continued to ask, ¡°What did the doctor Cheng Mu suddenly fell silent. Xia Wan did not urge him, electing to wait quietly instead. After a moment of hesitation, Cheng Mu spoke again, ¡°The doctor said they need emergency treatment, but we need to pay some hospitalization fees first to save them. But I have no money¡­¡± Xia Wan immediately understood Cheng Mu¡¯s intention. Xia Wan nodded and then said to Cheng Mu, ¡°I understand the situation! Uncle Cheng, you just go back, I will handle this matter at the hospital.¡± Upon hearing that Xia Wan would take over, Cheng Mu immediately nodded and turned to leave. ¡°Uncle Cheng!¡± Xia Wan called out to Cheng Mu again. Cheng Mu stopped in his tracks, clearly panicking inside. ¡°Please don¡¯t mention today¡¯s incident to my parents, Uncle Cheng. I¡¯m afraid they will worry!¡± Xia Wan instructed. Hearing this, Cheng Mu¡¯s hanging heart immediately settled down: ¡°Alright, alright! I know!¡± Before Xia Wan could speak again, Cheng Mu had already run off, afraid that Xia Wan would say something about him having to pay money! Seeing Cheng Mu leave, Chen MO got out of the car. ¡°What happened?¡± Xia Wan opened the car door and got in again: ¡°Take me to the county hospital.¡± Chen MO didn¡¯t ask further and started the car, taking Xia Wan to the county hospital. Xia Wan entered the emergency room and indeed saw Xia Jiang and Song Yan lying side by side on the ground outside the emergency room. Due to the shortage of beds in the emergency room, they had been brought to the hospital without anyone paying for their hospital treatment, so they had to be temporarily placed there. Xia Wan glanced at the two people on the ground, her eyes showing a complex expression. ¡°Miss Xia, why are you here?¡± Dr. Fang from the emergency room saw Xia Wan and immediately came running over. ¡°Director Fang, I¡¯ve come to handle the hospitalization procedures for these two.¡± Xia Wan pointed to the two lying on the ground. Director Fang glanced at them, somewhat surprised. ¡°These two are¡­?¡± ¡°Acquaintances,¡± Xia Wan said lightly. ¡°I heard they couldn¡¯t handle the hospitalization procedures, so I came over.¡± ¡°Miss Xia is not only beautiful and kind-hearted but also highly skilled in medicine!¡± Director Fang couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°However, both of them suffered brain damage due to drug overdose. Although they were emergency treated, the hope of them regaining consciousness is very slim.¡± ¡°They may need long-term hospitalization or home care in the future. Where are their family members?¡± Director Fang stated the actual situation. Xia Wan lowered her eyes slightly: ¡°Their family members are currently unable to take care of them.¡± ¡°Please proceed with their hospitalization procedures for now, I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± ¡°Miss Xia, are you going to treat them personally?¡± Director Fang blinked, ¡°If it¡¯s Miss Xia who takes action¡­¡± Director Fang¡¯s words were cut off by Xia Wan. ¡°No! I¡¯m just here to handle the procedures.¡± ¡°Please arrange it, Director Fang! ¡± Xia Wan said, quickly walking out of the emergency room. Director Fang was efficient, quickly making a call to the hospitalization department to confirm the beds, and then handing the hospitalization form to Xia Wan. Xia Wan thanked him, nodded to Director Fang, and headed towards the hospitalization department. After arranging Xia Jiang and Song Yan, Xia Wan sat between their beds. ¡°Uncle, Aunt, perhaps this is the best outcome for you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Xia Ru will stay in the sanatorium for the rest of her life, someone will take good care of her.¡± ¡°I will also arrange your place, and then you can reunite as a family.¡± After saying this, Xia Wan got up and left. Chen MO was waiting outside the ward. Seeing Xia Wan come out, he gently stroked her cheek. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Xia Wan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go back! ¡± For Xia Wan, she could forgive everything Xia Jiang and his wife did before they hurt Xia Hai and Yan Han. But since they hurt Xia Hai and Yan Han, Xia Wan would never forgive them! Being able to reunite their family in the sanatorium was already her greatest blessing! As for Xia Yu, who was reportedly beaten up by a group of thugs and hospitalized a few days ago, perhaps in a while, he could also end his days in the sanatorium! Chapter 610 - Chapter 610: The Finale Chapter 610: The Finale Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The day of the college entrance exam quickly approached, and Xia Chen successfully gained admission into a top university in the capital city. Xia Wan chose to stay and repeat a year at school. Although Xia Hai and Yan Han were somewhat worried, since it was Xia Wan¡¯s own choice, they didn¡¯t say much more. Chen MO continued to support Xia Wan¡¯s every decision, offering help when appropriate. By completing the military supply order, not only did Xia Wan¡¯s design gain fame, but it also served as free advertising for the Xia family¡¯s clothing store. Customers increased, and so did the number of custom orders. Every member of the Xia family was busily happy. Zhou En, who originally planned to return to Jing City to seek opportunities, also decided to stay and help with the Xia family¡¯s business. ¡°Wanwan, guess who I saw today?¡± Zhou En said unclearly while gnawing on a large bone. ¡°Who?¡± Xia Wan passed Zhou En a piece of paper to wipe her hands. ¡°Xia Ye!¡± Zhou En bit into the meat fiercely. ¡°I¡¯m sure I wasn¡¯t mistaken! Even though she¡¯s pregnant and her belly is huge, that face is really unforgettable!¡± ¡°She was standing next to a short, chubby man with hardly any hair and several layers of chin,¡± Zhou En said, suddenly losing her appetite and frowning at the bone in her hand. ¡°Did she get married?¡± Xia Wan became curious. ¡°Mhm, I heard her call that man her husband. Others seemed to call him Boss Hua,¡± Zhou En continued. ¡°A Hua surname?¡± Xia Wan looked at Zhou En curiously. There were rumors that Xia Ye¡¯s blind date was with a family with the surname Hua. Could it really be with that Hua family? But from Zhou En¡¯s description, it seemed different from the appearance of Hua Jun. Xia Wan just thought that Xia Ye had returned to live in the county town and didn¡¯t expect her to appear in front of her again. Until one day, a man shorter than Xia Ye and with a bigger belly than Xia Ye¡¯s pregnant belly, brought Xia Ye to their doorstep, Xia Wan realized that things were not over. ¡°Xia Wan, long time no see,¡± Xia Ye said to Xia Wan with a resentful look in her eyes. ¡®What are you here for?¡± Xia Wan asked coldly, without any courtesy. ¡°My husband says he wants to buy your clothing store. Name your price!¡± Xia Ye said, raising her hand adorned with four or five rings, shaking them as she looked. ¡°You want to buy my store? You can¡¯t afford it!¡± Xia Wan replied with a smile, not taking Xia Ye¡¯s challenge seriously. The man standing next to Xia Ye suddenly burst out, ¡°Don¡¯t be ignorant! It¡¯s your honor that I want to buy your store!¡± ¡°Our Hua family operates the largest clothing trade city in Jing City! It¡¯s backed by the Jing City Lin family! You can¡¯t afford to offend them!¡± Xia Wan raised her eyebrows: ¡°Jing City Lin family?¡± ¡°Yes, the Jing City Lin family! They¡¯ve had three generals over three generations, two business geniuses, and two politicians currently holding mayor-level positions or higher!¡± The man counted off, speaking as if he were talking about his own family. Xia Wan¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Xia Wan, do you think the Lu family is the highest you can climb? Have you heard of the Jing City Lin family?¡± Xia Ye scoffed, ¡°That Chen MO you treasure is just a businessman!¡± Xia Wan suddenly felt there was some truth in Xia Ye¡¯s words. ¡°So you mean, I should also find a family like the Lin family, so I won¡¯t be bullied by you?¡± Xia Wan said as if she had an epiphany. ¡°It¡¯s too late! Xia Wan! You¡¯re too late!¡± Xia Ye said with a cold laugh, ¡°I give you a week to pack up and get out of here!¡± Xia Wan glanced towards the street outside the shop and said, ¡°Chen MO, someone says you¡¯re not as good as the people from the Jing City Lin family!¡± Chen MO pushed open the door, glaring at Xia Ye and the fat man with a gloomy expression. The fat man shrank back slightly, intimidated by Chen Mo¡¯s aura, but quickly regained his composure, ¡°Be careful looking at me like that, if the Lin family finds out, you¡¯ll suffer!¡± ¡°Can the Lin family even speak for you?¡± Xia Wan asked curiously. ¡°Of course, I am the most loyal to the Lin family¡­¡± The fat man¡¯s words were cut off abruptly. Lin Chao walked towards Xia Wan, smiling as he spoke, ¡°I always said, I¡¯m more useful than this man!¡± ¡°How about it? Consider choosing me?¡± Xia Wan, looking at Chen Mot s furious expression, glanced at the smug Lin Chao, then turned back to Xia Ye and the stunned fat man.. ¡°Sorry! The Lin family might not be able to help you either!¡±