Chapter 160 A Reliable Businessman

As if grasping at a straw, Lu Huaiyuan knelt down with a thud: "Uncle, please tell me! I'll do anything as long as the debt can be forgiven!"

Li Xuemei and Lu Xiaohui had just rushed in when they heard this sentence.

Li Xuemei exploded: "Idiot! You agree to do whatever they ask you to do? What if they ask you to kill or set fires, would you do that?"

Lu Huaiyuan's face turned pale, and he looked at He Shijie in horror: "Uncle, this... I dare not do anything illegal!"

He Shijie laughed heartily, but there was no smile in his eyes: "Mother-in-law, you're joking. I'm a respectable businessman, why would I do such a thing?"

Li Xuemei stared at him warily: "So what do you want to do?"

She had absolutely no liking for He Shijie; if it weren't for him, the Lu family wouldn't have fallen to this state.

Knowing He Shijie's methods, Lu Xiaohui quickly tugged at her mother's sleeve and whispered, "Mom, we still owe them a huge sum of money. Don't provoke them."

Li Xuemei then calmed down a bit.

He Shijie wasn't annoyed. He pointed in the direction of the village entrance and said, "You've all seen the road into the village. The Liu family paid for the road repairs. You know where that money came from, right?"

Lu Huaiyuan nodded: "I know, the Liu family makes money selling pickled vegetables. What a waste of money..."

He Shijie's lips curled slightly as he threw out bait: "Don't you want to make this money?"

Li Xuemei's eyes lit up instantly: "What do you mean? You're going to help us make money?"

“That’s right.” He Shijie said slowly, “I didn’t expect this little pickled vegetable to be so profitable. As long as you can get the real recipe, I will fund the construction of the factory, and then everyone in the Lu family will be in charge. We’re all family, so let’s keep the profits in the family.”

Li Xuemei was tempted, but then her face fell: "To be honest, we tried it too. But that Liu Zhixia was too cunning; she gave us a fake prescription, and we lost a lot of money!"

A hint of disgust flashed in He Shijie's eyes. Of course he knew about this; it was his money that had to be paid in compensation!

He suppressed his anger and continued to paint a rosy picture: "That was before. As long as we get the real formula this time, your son's debts will be wiped clean! I'll also arrange decent jobs for you, and you'll get your full share of the factory profits. Think about it carefully. Before, you were at least the family members of the brigade leader. Now you can only work for others. Are you willing to accept that?"

After making his grand promises, He Shijie left with his men, leaving the Lu family members looking at each other in bewilderment.

Gu Mansheng, who was hiding behind the door, was also stunned.

Li Xuemei looked worried: "The formula is all in Liu Zhixia's head, how can it be so easy to get her hands on it?"

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Lu Xiaohui's eyes.

She has the real formula! If He Shijie wants to build a factory, wouldn't she be able to become a leader, or even the factory director?

Just thinking about that magnificent scene filled her with excitement!

Lu Huaiyuan slumped to the ground in despair: "Mother, Liu Zhixia doesn't even look at me anymore. How am I supposed to get the formula? I can't just go and buy it, can I?"

Li Xuemei glared at him with exasperation: "Boss He only cares about your past relationship with Liu Zhixia! If money could buy it, why would he be after you? You'd better get yourself together and get back to your old self. Liu Zhixia's man has been gone for so long, I don't believe she's not lonely! You, her ex-lover, should go hang around a bit more, say a few sweet words, and once she's smitten, the formula will be yours for the taking!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Huaiyuan immediately perked up, leaping to his feet with a greedy grin: "That's right! She's getting more and more beautiful, capable, and fertile! She's better than anyone else..."

He didn't finish his sentence, only glancing disdainfully at Gu Mansheng's room.

The mother and son huddled together and began plotting how to use their "handsome man charm" on Liu Zhixia.

...

On the other side, a black sedan slowly drove out of the village.

Thanks to the road repairs over the past few days, the bumpy ride has been greatly reduced.

As He Shijie passed by Liu Zhixia's house, he stared intently at the busy figure through the car window.

"I never expected that a village woman would have such a business mind. If Xiaoman were half as clever as her, I wouldn't have to go through all this trouble."

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror and said, "Boss, I just heard the villagers talking about how the Lu family beat up the young lady."

He Shijie crossed his legs and casually looked out the window at the scenery: "That girl told me. She said she was beaten and miscarried, and she can't get pregnant again."

The driver exclaimed in shock, "These peasants have some nerve! Should I go and teach them a lesson?"

He Shijie's lips curled into a cruel smile: "No need. She's just a little girl. It's good that she can't get pregnant; she'll be of great use in the future."

Although the driver was surprised, he didn't dare to ask any more questions and could only concentrate on driving.

He Shijie looked at the farmland outside the car window with a sinister gaze.

The fools in the Lu family, and that clever Liu Zhixia, will all eventually become pawns on his chessboard.

After working for half a month, the new road was finally completed.

This road not only made it easier for our village to get to the city, but also benefited several surrounding brigades.

Previously, because of Lu Jianping's arrogant attitude, the surrounding villages didn't treat their village well. Now, Aunt Zhou not only repaired the road, but also took the initiative to improve relations with her neighbors. Not only is the road open, but people's hearts are also connected.

The Liu family's pickled vegetable business was booming. With a new batch of goods ready, Liu Zhixia went to the city with her father and brothers to deliver them.

When they arrived at the lumber mill canteen, they were greeted by Zhang.

"Hey! Isn't this my brother-in-law? What a rare guest!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Zhang realized her mistake and quickly covered her mouth, saying, "Look at my loose tongue, it's already gotten us divorced..."

The big dog ran over happily and called out in a clear voice, "Hello, Uncle!"

Zhang was so frightened that she quickly covered her son's mouth: "This child is a bit slow-witted, please don't mind him."

Liu Xiangyang laughed heartily and waved his hand: "It's alright. After being relatives for so many years, it's normal that we can't change our ways. We're here to deliver goods, where's the person in charge? Let's hand over the duties."

Zhang thumped her chest loudly: "It's me! The boss assigned this job to me, just give me the goods!"

The three members of the Liu family were all stunned.

"This...you got promoted in just a few days?"

Zhang scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled, "Oh, no way! My boss took the day off and specifically asked me to help receive the goods. Don't worry, I can count!"

Everyone suddenly realized what was happening and couldn't help but laugh.

Although Zhang was not very literate, she was meticulous in her work. She carefully checked the quantity and weight, and after confirming that everything was correct, she solemnly pressed her fingerprint and stamped the document.

"All done! Just take this receipt to the manager to settle the bill. I'll see you off!"

"Okay, thank you." Liu Zhixia readily agreed.

On the way, Zhang affectionately linked arms with Liu Zhixia, her eyes slightly red, her voice full of gratitude: "Sister, thanks to you all, I can now stand tall and earn money without having to be beholden to anyone or get beaten up! Your Liu family is our greatest benefactor!"