Chapter 274 Absence Makes the Heart Blossom

“I wasn’t far away, and I vaguely heard him muttering about not having enough money, and he seemed restless.”

"They're probably still up to no good. People are lazy at heart and always want something for nothing."

He paused, looked around to make sure no one was approaching, and then continued.

"As for Hu Lifang, Lingling told me about her."

“A relative of hers sells vegetables at the market. A few days ago, he ran into Hu Lifang’s cousin.”

"They said Hu Lifang returned to Liuchang Village half a month ago, looking disheveled and covered in dust. She didn't take a car; she walked there."

"However... she didn't live with Zhou Haiwei."

"I heard that the two started arguing that night, and it escalated until they came to blows and fought, which alerted the neighbors."

Zhou Shufen's hand gripping the cup tightened suddenly.

Zhou Haiwei is still the same as ever: lazy, greedy, and now he even dares to associate with street thugs.

Hu Lifang stopped pestering the Zhou family for a living.

Now that she knows the Zhou family has opened a shop and made money, how could she be willing to quietly withdraw?

They might have already planned this all along, intending to disrupt the peace of the village.

"Has she come to our store since she came back?"

Have you inquired about me?

This is unlike her usual style.

If she had known that Zhou Shufen was back and had more money, given her personality, she would have already gone to his door to complain about being poor and beg for money to become related to him.

Yang Qingshan quickly waved his hand.

"I heard she was seriously injured, either dislocated her arm or broke her leg, and is now resting at home, unable to walk."

“Someone saw her being carried in by her cousin, with bruises on her face and a cut on her lip.”

"You think you can still come out and wander around like this? Forget about finding you, it's not easy to even get a sip of hot water."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shufen raised an eyebrow slightly.

Zhou Haiwei actually dared to make a move?

He might bluff his way through other people, but to treat his ex-wife so brutally, he must have been pushed to the limit, or...

There's more to the story.

Yu Xin

"Shufen, you're finally back! I missed you so much!"

Guo Zhenyi saw her coming down from the bus stop and rushed forward, grabbing her hand.

Zhou Shufen was startled by his sudden action.

"How can you be so shameless, saying something like that on the street? Aren't you embarrassed?"

Guo Zhenyi, however, raised his eyebrows indifferently.

“It’s perfectly natural for me to tell my wife I miss her. What’s there to be ashamed of?”

"...Or is it that you don't miss me at all?"

Zhou Shufen was taken aback, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Of course I want to! Do you think I'm heartless? Come on, let's go home. I'll cook you some nice dishes to reward you for your hard work these past few days."

Guo Zhenyi's eyes immediately lit up.

"Really? Then I'm in for a treat! I've been raving about your cooking for ages."

He said he would take her wrist and lead her home.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at Guo Zhenyi's place.

On the way, Zhou Shufen poured out all the trivial matters that had happened over the past month.

"Hu Lifang? That sounds familiar."

Guo Zhenyi frowned.

"Is he the one who always wears a blue shirt and cuts in line at the cafeteria?"

“One day I went to the train station to pick up an investor and heard someone say that there was a woman who specifically scammed young girls out of their tickets. She pretended to be pitiful, saying that she had lost her wallet and needed to borrow money to buy a ticket home. She scammed seven or eight people and then slipped away to a corner of the waiting room after taking the money. However, one of the girls she had scammed recognized her and they started fighting on the spot.”

"Later, a few big men came and couldn't stand it anymore, so they rushed up and pinned her to the ground and beat her. The scene was chaotic. She was screaming on the ground, her hair was disheveled, and her face was swollen from the beating, but those men still wouldn't let go. Even when the police arrived, they almost couldn't stop them. The scene was out of control for a while, and everyone around was taking pictures, but no one dared to step forward."

"I heard people call her 'Hu Lifang'."

Zhou Shufen's lips curled up slightly.

"So she really did cause trouble here. She's Zhou Haiwei's ex-wife. Although they had a wedding banquet, they didn't get a marriage certificate, so they weren't legally husband and wife. What happened next? She ran off with all his money, even emptied his bank deposits, and disappeared the next day without a trace."

"In the past two years, he has probably used this body to deceive many people."

"This kind of person deserves to die."

Guo Zhenyi said coldly.

"During your month back in Yuxin, did Zhou Haiwei's brothers cause you any trouble?"

"without!"

She answered softly.

"They wouldn't dare. But... sigh."

"What's wrong?"

Zhou Shufen told Cheng Jiaqi about it.

Guo Zhenyi remained silent for a long time after listening.

“Jiaqi is a good girl. Kind-hearted and innocent, she shouldn’t have to suffer like this. You did the right thing by helping her. Otherwise, she would never be able to get over that hurdle in her life.”

"Your ability to stand up for her is already a light to her."

She didn't say that she had crippled Zhou Hairong.

At night, separation feels like reunion.

The next day, Guo Zhenyi got up before dawn.

He cooked porridge, stir-fried side dishes, and heated up her favorite Yu Xin rice noodles.

Zhou Shufen lay paralyzed on the bed, her bones too weak to move.

I checked my watch, it was 7:30!

She was startled and almost sat up.

Guo Zhenyi poked his head out.

"Awake? Lie down a bit more. I've saved your food, it's still warm. I'm going to the office, don't worry about washing the dishes, I'll do them when I get back."

Zhou Shufen was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open, but she knew she had to get up.

After finishing her meal, she turned into a department store that was neither too big nor too small.

The store's decor isn't luxurious, but it's clean and tidy, and the customer traffic is just right.

To her surprise, as soon as she parked her car, she found the other party's manager already standing at the door waiting for her.

Before I could even introduce myself, the man quickly came to greet me.

"Are you Boss Zhou? You're the person in charge of Sangmei Daily Necessities, Zhou Shufen?"

Zhou Shufen was taken aback, then nodded.

"It's me, Zhou Shufen. I've come here specifically to discuss a collaboration with your store regarding a new series of daily necessities that our factory has recently launched."

As she spoke, she extended her hand.

Without the slightest hesitation, the other person immediately reached out and shook her hand.

Wu Yan said with a smile.

"Mr. Zhou, to be honest, I admire you so much! Our customers ask us every few days, 'Why can't we buy Sangmei soap?' They all say that once they've tried it, they can't go back to any other brand. The scent is light, it cleans well, and it doesn't irritate the skin. We've been so worried about it because we've never had it in stock. I never expected you to come today! It's our honor, please come in!"

As he walked inside, he turned back to give instructions to the receptionist at the front desk.

"Xiao Zhang, brew Boss Zhou a cup of hot Longjing tea right away. Make sure it's freshly brewed, control the water temperature carefully, and don't over-brew the tea leaves. Don't be careless about the details."

The receptionist nodded immediately.

"Understood, Manager Wu."

Hearing this, Zhou Shufen felt a warmth in her heart.

Upon entering the office, Wu Yan didn't exchange pleasantries or formalities; without saying a word, he directly offered her the sofa in the main seat.

"Mr. Zhou, please sit here. The lighting is good and it's comfortable here."

He then sat down on the single sofa opposite him.