In the capital, He Su leaned back on a soft leather sofa, a glint of light flashing in her almond-shaped eyes.

But her tone was very gentle: "Hongxing, don't cry. Your crying makes Aunt He Su feel sorry for you. What's wrong?"

Hearing such gentle comfort over the phone, Qin Hongxing couldn't help but feel even more overwhelmed.

She covered her delicate, pale face, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Sister He Su... Brother Nan has been bewitched by that shameless vixen from the countryside!"

Although He Su's biological son, Rong Xiangdong, is already twenty, she had children early, so she is actually only a little over ten years older than them.

The woman had a young and charming face, and looked to be under thirty. Everyone in the compound called her Sister He Su.

He Su's expression turned cold, and she asked with pity, "What exactly happened? Tell me, sister?"

Qin Hongxing naturally recounted her meeting with Rong Zhaonan that afternoon, inevitably embellishing the story and describing Ning Yuan as a rustic and sharp-tongued country woman.

"Brother Rong got a marriage certificate for that woman, betraying our engagement! Sister He Su, I can't swallow this!" Qin Hongxing couldn't help but grit her teeth.

In her heart, although Rong Zhaonan "betrayed" her, he must have become like this because he met a slut like Ning Yuan!

After listening to Qin Hongxing's words, He Su looked thoughtfully at the bone china teacup in her hand: "Zhao Nan really has taken a liking to a country woman?"

Even if Rong Zhaonan really has a woman by his side, she probably wouldn't be as ugly and petty as Qin Hongxing described.

She understood her stepson's taste very well.

The more outstanding a man is, the more arrogant he becomes. Rong Zhaonan has always had high standards and has seen many good things.

How could he possibly marry just any ugly, sleazy country woman?

Qin Hongxing gritted his teeth: "If it were a girl from our compound or a girl from a similar social class in Shanghai, I could barely tolerate it, but how could he fall for a country bumpkin? Isn't this just humiliating me?"

I can't lose to anyone but that country bumpkin named Ning Yuan!

He Su's charming and gentle eyes held a hint of mockery. Country bumpkin? Qin Hongxing's father was also a peasant from the countryside, yet he had completely forgotten his roots.

She took a sip of tea gracefully: "Hongxing, in the years since Zhaonan was demoted, even your Uncle Rong has to be mindful of his feelings. It's no wonder he harbors resentment towards you for breaking off the engagement."

Qin Hongxing bit her lip, unable to resist defending herself: "I saw through it, but I also had to think about my family back then..."

"Alright, Sister He Su knows you're upset." He Su had no interest in listening to Qin Hongxing's excuses and interrupted her.

Then she said gently, "Silly girl, there's nothing new under the sun. In this world, there are cases of love turning into hate, which are nothing more than him still having feelings for you."

Qin Hongxing was stunned, somewhat uncertain: "Really...?"

But today, Rong Zhaonan didn't hold back at all when he spoke to her; they were childhood sweethearts who grew up together.

He Sumei narrowed her eyes slightly and said slowly, "You know, Zhao Nan has been sent down to the countryside for many years, and his spirit has been greatly dampened. He was also forced to marry that village woman. How can he hold his head high in front of you, his childhood sweetheart? You are too impatient."

Qin Hongxing pursed her lips, her delicate face still showing some displeasure: "I don't look down on him. As long as he gets back to work and divorces that woman, no one in Beijing will know that he's remarried."

He Su smiled and said, "It's different. He's always been a principled person. Even if he has feelings for you, he wouldn't feel right about giving up his girlfriend in the countryside for you."

Qin Hongxing felt much better after being comforted like that.

Her pride also made her unwilling to believe that Rong Zhaonan really didn't like her, and that it was all because of Ning Yuan, that country vixen, who took advantage of her vulnerability.

Qin Hongxing thought He Su's words made a lot of sense. But still, she frantically tugged at the phone cord: "What should I do?"

This is why, even though she knew that Brother Nan didn't like He Su, she couldn't help but confide in He Su.

She always comes up with many thoughtful ideas and is very supportive of me.

He Su chuckled on the other end of the phone, her voice gentle: "Silly girl, men need to be given face and a way out. If that country woman leaves him on her own, it's not his fault, is it?"

Qin Hongxing's eyes lit up immediately. That's right! Wouldn't it be great if that country woman surnamed Ning just left on her own?

But……

Hesitation surfaced on Qin Hongxing's cold and pretty face: "But what should I do? I don't want to go to the countryside to find that woman."

Not to mention that Rong Zhaonan embarrassed her, his legitimate fiancée, because of that woman, she didn't even want to go to the countryside a second time because it was too dirty.

A cold glint flashed in He Su's eyes. She couldn't even handle this little bit of grievance, yet she wanted to tame a man?

But her voice became even gentler: "I heard that the girl is an educated youth sent down from Ningnan City, so she can't be considered a country person. Maybe her family can persuade her?"

Qin Hongxing was unhappy that He Su said Ning Yuan was a city person, and said disdainfully, "What's the difference between a remote provincial capital and the countryside?"

but……

“Sister He Su is right. She’s clinging to Brother Nan without any effort. Her family will eventually realize what’s good for them. I’ll have someone investigate!” Qin Hongxing said coldly, her eyes lighting up.

Seeing Qin Hongxing accept the instruction, He Su smiled and said, "Hongxing, I have high hopes for you. Your Uncle Rong and I only recognize you as a daughter-in-law of the Rong family."

Qin Hongxing couldn't help but smile for the first time that night, and softened her voice: "Sister He Su, thank you. I knew you had a way to get rid of that country vixen. I'll definitely thank you properly after Nan Ge and I get married!"

In some women's minds, even if a man cheats on them eighteen times, it's all because the other woman is too wicked; the man is absolutely innocent.

"Hmm." He Su smiled without saying a word on the other end of the phone.

Hearing the busy tone on the other end of the phone, He Su's smile turned mocking, and her almond-shaped eyes turned cold.

She hung up the phone and scoffed contemptuously in Shanghainese: "This kind of brain-dead scumbag wants to marry Zhaonan? She's as stupid as Ning Jiao!"

If Qin Hongxing weren't still useful, she really wouldn't bother with him.

She stood up, took her teacup, and walked to the window. Her unusual European-style silk nightgown made her figure sway gracefully.

Looking out the window, He Su toyed with the white bone china cup in her hand, an unfathomable light flashing in her almond-shaped eyes.

Zhao Nan doesn't want to go back to Kyoto? Interesting. These past few years, her handsome stepson hasn't been as impulsive as he used to be!

...

Ning Yuan was unaware that someone was eyeing her family. These past few days she had been busy studying and preparing to sell the Qianlong imperial kiln yellow-glazed bowl with an incised dragon design in the county.

In addition, it was agreed that I would take Sister Manhua from the village party secretary's family to the county to sell local products.

Rong Zhaonan took Hua Zi and the others to the mountains to hunt. After finishing her work, Ning Yuan and Man Hua went into the mountains to pick and dry mushrooms.

I'm so busy every day that I can fall asleep even while sitting.

She finally made it to Saturday night, and after feeding the wild boars she was raising in the cave, she dragged her tired body down the mountain.

Rong Zhaonan had already finished showering. Seeing her tired look, she even went to look through her math test papers.

While drying his hair, he casually placed a bowl of hot sweet potato porridge in front of her: "Go wash your hands. Since you're focused on dealing in antiques, there's no need to sell mountain products anymore."

Ning Yuan yawned: "That won't do. This business can be done for a long time and can solidify my network. I need to walk on two legs."

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Rong Zhaonan raised an eyebrow: "What kind of connections are you trying to solidify? The village party secretary's connections or the county guesthouse's?"

Ning Yuan raised her big eyes and glanced at Rong Zhaonan casually: "For someone like you who has regained the treatment of a person in the capital, this is hardly a connection. But it is a connection that allows a nobody like me to make a living."

Rong Zhaonan looked at her, his narrow eyes deep and dark: "I don't mean to look down on you, but if you want to take the college entrance exam, you need to distinguish between what's important and what's not. A person's energy is limited."

Ning Yuan yawned and muttered, "I know, I asked Sister Manhua for help because I need to take the college entrance exam, and I need to have someone to take care of my small business."

She paused, stretched, and got up to wash her hands: "You're also one of my connections in the capital. It's nothing to be ashamed of when we're doing business."

Upon hearing this, Rong Zhaonan chuckled lightly: "I forgot, you have the traits of a shrewd businessman."

Those short legs are really going all out.

He suddenly handed her what he was holding: "By the way, do you think this still works?"

Ning Yuan turned around and took it, then looked down and saw that it was actually a wet pair of underwear...

It was still her old underwear, smelling of soap.

Ning Yuan froze, looking at Rong Zhaonan: "You wouldn't be...?"

"I saw you've been hanging in the bathroom since last night, so I just gave you a bath," Rong Zhaonan said casually.

He paused, then added, "However, your underwear is of rather poor quality."