Chapter 279 Clash: Spring

As soon as the car left the provincial party committee compound, before it even reached the main road, the sound of horns honking came from across the street.

Ivanov leaned halfway out of the car window and waved cheerfully at her: "Hey! Your Majesty!"

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, even though the sun was shining brightly, the spring breeze still carried a chill, swirling with the red paper scraps from the exploding firecrackers, and rushed straight to his face, trying to get into his grinning mouth.

"Ugh, ptooey ptooey ptooey."

Wang Xiao was utterly speechless as he watched him frantically spit out firecracker scraps.

What are you doing here?

The provincial government isn't a tourist attraction, and he's been there before. Why would he make a special trip to check it out again?

"Me too!" Another head popped out of the car window. Chen Jingjing's face was flushed, and her eyes shone like diamonds. "Sis, how are you?"

Ivanov seized the opportunity to shift the blame: "I just couldn't handle the kids."

Look how troubled he is as a kindergarten teacher. He can't let the children come alone; he has to accompany them.

The bodyguards chuckled inwardly. What could they do during the New Year? Whatever they wanted to say.

Wang Xiao ignored his words and only replied to her cousin, "Nothing's wrong, let's go."

Chen Jingjing quickly got out of the car; she wanted to sit with her sister. Otherwise, what would she talk about sitting with a Russian?

No sooner had she gotten into the car than Ivanov followed, asking excitedly, "Your Majesty, where are we going?"

Now that we're out here, we can't just go home right away.

So the car drove to Wuzhou International Shopping Center.

Wow! After a day of fermentation, the number of customers hasn't decreased; in fact, it seems like there are quite a few more.

The robot continued to dutifully wave red ribbons at the door to welcome guests.

Some people even treat it as a tourist attraction, queuing up to take photos.

Chen Jingjing pretended to get out of the car, but was surprised to find that no one in the car had moved.

She asked hesitantly, "Sister, aren't we going in?"

Now that they've arrived at the shopping mall, if her sister wants to inspect the work, she'll definitely have to go inside and check on things.

Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, if I get off the bus, I'll become the center of attention."

Wouldn't all her hard work in public relations have been for nothing?

Chen Jingjing asked in confusion, "If we don't go inside, what can we see here?"

Want to see the robot waving a red ribbon? It can't dance, it just does the same thing over and over again, how boring!

Wang Xiao laughed: "Don't look at the robots, look at the people. Take a good look, you can see a lot."

Chen Jingjing stared blankly out the window. The car had a small gap, about two fingers' width, for ventilation, and the sounds of people talking outside drifted in with the fresh air.

"Oh dear, were you listening to the lecture? It was about Pan Jinlian."

"Oh dear, what Pan Jinlian! Haven't you heard? A cabinet, made of crystal, that crystal cabinet costs a million!"

"My goodness! A million dollars for a whole cabinet!"

"What else did you think? You know about crystal coffins, right? That's where the Chairman lies. You wouldn't dare to hope for anything without a million."

Chen Jingjing was initially filled with righteous indignation, "You're the one who's like Pan Jinlian! Your whole family is like Pan Jinlian!"

Later, I realized that her sister was indeed amazing; the million-dollar crystal cabinet successfully diverted everyone's attention.

She immediately looked utterly bewildered.

She felt that her mother was wrong, saying things like you can't talk about death or coffins during the Lunar New Year.

Look, everyone talks about crystal coffins with such enthusiasm and longing.

It is clear that anything expensive is not unlucky.

Ivanov listened to her muttered translation and burst into laughter.

This is what he finds amazing about the Chinese people: they are not afraid of death, but only of dying without glory. As long as they can die with honor for their ancestors, they are not afraid of death at all.

Wang Xiao was only responsible for teaching the child: "What else did you notice?"

Chen Jingjing was bewildered. What else was there?

A large crowd gathered to watch; some went inside, while others simply took photos from the outside.

Her colleagues tried to persuade her, but the woman in her work uniform shook her head and said, "What would I do if I went in? The things inside look expensive, and I can't afford them. I'd just be a laughing stock if I went in."

Wang Xiao posed the question: "How are you going to get her into the shopping mall?"

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao consciously put themselves in the role of students and thought about the problem along with the high school students.

Without hesitation, Chen Jingjing said, "Let her know that even if she doesn't buy anything at the shopping mall, no one will give her the cold shoulder. If a salesperson dares to do that, they'll get their pay docked."

Both bodyguards thought the high school student's answers were good, but they felt it was essential to let customers know that the international shopping center offered world-class service.

Unfortunately, Wang Xiao shook his head: "Keep thinking."

Huh? What else could happen?

Both adults and minors were completely baffled.

Wang Xiao didn't urge them, but instead nodded slightly to President Lu, who had rushed over.

She wasn't surprised how the shopping center manager knew she was there.

Her car and license plate number are right here. If Mr. Lu didn't have this much insight, he wouldn't have been recommended to be the manager of the shopping center.

Before President Lu could even exchange pleasantries with the boss, Wang Xiao glanced at his watch and immediately gave him the task: "Open an ice cream cone shop at the entrance. Ice cream cones are two yuan each, and ice cream is five yuan each. Make it look like a shopping mall."

Huh? Mr. Lu didn't keep up with the boss's pace. Why did he want to open an ice cream shop?

Wang Xiao said helplessly, "You have to give everyone a legitimate reason to walk into the shopping mall."

Mr. Lu immediately understood and quickly nodded in agreement: "I'll do it right away."

Wang Xiao nodded: "Okay, you go ahead with your work. We're just passing by, we won't go in."

With that, she waved and actually closed the car window and drove away.

Chen Jingjing hadn't grasped the key point yet, her mind a complete mess: "Why can't we just go in openly? The door's open, it's not like we're thieves, anyone can go in."

“Because they feel unworthy.” Wang Xiao has a lot of patience when educating children. “Ordinary people are very simple and honest. They feel that if they haven’t spent money, they are not qualified to go in. You can also understand it as a rule they set for themselves. I am a certain kind of person, and I should go to certain occasions and acknowledge certain levels of consumption.”

"However, it has only been a little over a decade since the reform and opening up, and there have been several setbacks and slowdowns along the way. Therefore, the newly rich class this year has not been stable, and the consumption habits of the newly rich have not yet been formed."

"Therefore, if shopping malls want to maintain stable revenue and continue to grow, in addition to relying on nouveau riche who spend money like water, an important point is that they have to rely on the luxury enjoyment of ordinary people."

"Let everyone come in first and see it. Only then will they be able to save up several months' salary to buy themselves something nice."

Chen Jingjing blinked hard and asked her question, "Won't the newly rich dislike these people? Will they feel ashamed to be with them?"

She had seen this situation in Bucharest; there seemed to be an invisible wall between different social classes, like the wall between Lu Xun and Runtu.

People from one world refuse to integrate into another world; well, in their view, that's an offense.

Wang Xiao smiled and said softly, "There might be some in the future, but it's too late now. For these newly rich who can easily open their wallets, the envious and following looks from others are also an added value to the things they buy."

"What's the key to luxury goods? Social attributes and emotional value."

"In Jinning City right now, the latter is of greater significance."

"Because people who can readily open their wallets now were generally not considered respectable in the past."

Chen Jingjing giggled.

When she was little, self-employed individuals were called "those who engage in speculation and profiteering," a euphemism for hooligans and street thugs.

Wang Xiao patted her head and said meaningfully, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Don't underestimate a young man's potential."

Society progresses because it breaks down class barriers time and time again.

The car changed direction and drove back to Jiangzhimen.

On the main road, a lion dance troupe was moving to the beat of drums. The golden lion heads gleamed in the sunlight, and the copper bells held in the lions' mouths jingled with each step.

Merchants scrambled to stuff red envelopes into the lion's mouth.

Children who hadn't started school chased after the lion dance troupe, begging for candy. Their cotton shoes crunched as they stepped through the icy puddles.

The adults nearby were so anxious that they yelled, "You little brat! These are warm shoes we just bought for the New Year!"

The children giggled and made funny faces before running off in a flash.

They're not afraid at all! You can't hit children during the first month of the lunar year.

Wang Xiao couldn't help but smile when she saw it.

Lyuba curiously gestured ahead: "What are they doing?"

At the intersection ahead, a sanitation worker wearing a blue apron was dumping trash under the bougainvillea by the wall. Dark green vines climbed all over the brick wall, and a few early-blooming purplish-red flowers shivered in the cold wind, probably regretting blooming too early and becoming decorations for the trash.

"Sending away poverty." Wang Xiao explained with a smile, her breath swirling around the car window. She reached out and wiped away the frost on the glass. "This is an old custom in Jinning. On the morning of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, we pour 'poverty soil' at a three-way intersection to send away bad luck."

Look, this is the tradition of the Chinese nation.

This nation has never shied away from expressing its love and pursuit of wealth.

With her nose red from the cold, she didn't forget to sniff the sweet aroma of malt wafting from the sugar figurine stall in the air.

Even with chapped and cracked fingers, I still have to hold onto the hard-earned red envelope tightly.

Even the act of sending away poverty must be done at a crossroads where vegetation is sprouting—which way should the god of poverty flee? Naturally, he should choose the most accessible place.

They didn't continue watching the commotion outside; instead, they went home and had brunch.

Why are they in such a hurry when it's not even 11 o'clock yet? Because they need to catch a flight.

My uncle's family has been back in China for half a month now, since the beginning of February.

Now that the New Year is over, the ancestral rites have been performed, and it's already the sixth day of the new year, it's time to go back to Romania.

Everything else can wait, but Chen Jingjing's high school studies cannot be neglected.

After a simple brunch, the girl, determined to go to university, dragged her suitcase out of her room and remembered the homework her sister had given her that morning: "So what should we do with Grandma Ruan?"

Wang Xiao reminded her aunt to wash the cherries and grapes and bring them with her so she could eat them on the plane.

When asked about her cousin's situation, she simply replied with two words: "Leave it."

"Huh?" Chen Jingjing thought she had misheard. "Leave it? Leave it at... the police station? It can't stay at the police station forever, there has to be an explanation."

Wang Xiao smiled and began to give his cousin a lesson in social sciences: "How can there be any claims without an investigation? An investigation definitely takes time. The police station can't keep someone locked up indefinitely; according to regulations, they'll be transferred to a detention center. She's accused of provoking trouble and spreading rumors and slander, so we definitely need to investigate thoroughly. When she'll be released depends on when the results come out."

Chen Jingjing's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets; she felt as if a door to a new world had opened before her.

The sudden light was so intense that she involuntarily closed her eyes, and spoke as if in a dream: "Wouldn't that be inappropriate? She's Sister Ruan's mother."

Wang Xiao smiled, raised his arm, patted her head, and said softly, "How could it be bad? This is sending her mother to enjoy a good life."

Chen Jingjing's eyes widened immediately; she really couldn't keep up the hype without thinking.

Sister, do you want to hear what you're saying? Being locked up in a detention center is what you call a good life? Then everyone should become thieves, get arrested by the police, and enjoy their "good life" in a detention center.

Wang Xiao found her startled expression particularly amusing, and replied with a laugh, "Whether you're enjoying happiness or not depends on the comparison."

The midday sun on the sixth day of the second lunar month was soft yet intense, enveloping her and making her appear as if she were shrouded in a non-existent halo. The winter plum blossoms on the villa's porch were in full bloom, forming a picturesque backdrop.

Her face was reflected among the flowers as she softly asked, "How was Ruan Rui doing on the cart yesterday?"

Chen Jingjing shook her head and answered honestly, "I don't know. He was hiding under the blanket, and all I could see was the top of his head."

Wang Xiao smiled. This was a common trait among all her sons; it was always their loving mothers who charged into battle. How could they, so noble as they were, be allowed to do something shameful?

"Did you see his hair? Was it dirty? Did anyone around him say he had a strange smell?"

Chen Jingjing tried hard to recall: "My hair was clean, and it was in pretty good condition."

She emphasized this because her father was worried about going bald every day and was extremely meticulous about his hair.

As for the strange taste, I haven't heard anyone mention it.

Wang Xiao tapped the armrest of the wheelchair lightly with her fingertips and sighed, "Taking care of paralyzed patients is very difficult. They are incontinent and need to be changed and washed frequently. They cannot turn over and must be turned over frequently to prevent bedsores."

“Look at me, I only have a broken leg, but I need a bunch of people to take care of me.”

"Ruan Rui is paralyzed. Who took such good care of him, keeping him clean and presentable? It was his mother, Old Lady Ruan."

"To be able to do that means that Grandma Ruan can barely close her eyes for a few minutes a day, almost 24 hours a day. Who could endure such a life?"

"Once she's in the detention center, at least she can catch her breath, have three normal meals a day, and sleep soundly at night."

"Tell me, for her, is life in the detention center better, or is it more comfortable to go out and take care of the paralyzed man?"

Chen Jingjing was dumbfounded, her mouth agape several times, completely unexpected that such a comparison could be made.

It turns out that being locked up in a detention center and losing one's freedom can be more comfortable than taking care of one's son outside.

That's what she thought, and that's what she said.

Wang Xiao chuckled and shook her head: "Where does she get freedom outside? She doesn't even have a minute of time for herself."

Qian Xuemei was packing the washed grapes into a food storage container when she casually remarked, "That's right, taking care of a paralyzed person, and you still want to rest? No nanny in the labor market wants to take this job."

Wang Xiao smiled without saying a word.

What she really meant was that people who have never lived for themselves can never be truly free, no matter where they are.

For example, can Grandma Ruan really catch her breath in the detention center? No.

She would be tormented by her inability to care for her son, feeling as if she were in purgatory. She would not feel any rest. Her heart was her prison.

This is the punishment she deserves.

Wang Xiao couldn't possibly have really intended to send her off to enjoy a life of luxury.

Chen Jingjing tilted her head, pondered for a long time, and hesitated before asking, "Then, who will take care of Little Sister's brother? If no one takes care of him, will Little Sister be alright?"

Oh, on one side is my mother, on the other is my brother, they are both my flesh and blood.

If she suffers on either side, her younger sister will definitely feel resentful.

She read in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" that if a lord fails to win over his generals, trouble will ensue.

Seeing her worried look, Wang Xiao laughed: "Jingjing, let me tell you something else. In dysfunctional families, it is often the mother who betrays her daughter."

Chen Jingjing nodded vigorously. She understood. Many families that favored sons over daughters were like this, with mothers looking at their daughters like enemies.

However, her sister's next words puzzled her.

"But in this family, the one who empathizes with the mother and helps take care of her is often the daughter who has been betrayed."

Chen Jingjing is an only child; she is the apple of her parents' eye.

So she almost jumped up: "Why?"

Are you kidding me? If anyone treats her badly, she'll hold a grudge for life!

Don't even think about taking care of me!

Wang Xiao smiled and immediately passed the buck: "Ask your mom, is that right?"

Qian Xuemei placed the last cherry into the food storage box. The purplish-red berry rolled over the washed grapes, shimmering with an agate-like luster in the spring sunshine.

She wiped her hands with a tissue and sighed, "Oh dear, this can't be explained in just a few words. Come on, come on, your little sister isn't so unreasonable."

Wang Xiao patted his cousin's hand: "Let's go. If you have nothing to do on the plane back, you can think about it slowly. Anyway, remember, you can't do everything perfectly. Just focus on the important things."

For example, for Ruan Xiaomei, perhaps both sides of her mother's body are indeed her flesh and blood. But her mother is on the palm of her hand, while her brother and father are on the back.

What kind of hero hides behind a woman?

Did you think that by hiding under the covers and not showing your face, you could enjoy the benefits without bearing the consequences?

That's impossible.

Wang Xiao has never been a tolerant or magnanimous person.

Just as Wang Xiao was about to push her wheelchair out, the phone rang suddenly at home.

Chen Yidong answered the phone casually and said to his niece with a smile, "I guess your mom was worried we'd forget the time, so she's urging us to leave early."

However, the person on the other end of the phone was Yang Tao, who had just arrived in Beijing yesterday. She urgently asked Wang Xiao, "Boss, our proposal has been rejected. They said the rigid barrier with a height limit of 30 meters cannot be broken."

This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, completely stunning everyone in the room.

The project in Beijing was progressing well before the Lunar New Year, but how did things change so suddenly?

Chen Jingjing was furious. As soon as her sister finished the phone call, she couldn't wait to ask, "Sis, was it the Zhao family who did it? Despicable! Shameless!"

Their family did something despicable, not only did they not apologize or take responsibility, but they even dared to turn around and accuse others!

"I don't know, it might be or it might not." Wang Xiao shook his head, flipping through the phone book in his hand. "Whether it is or not, they follow the rules in everything they do."

Chen Jingjing was so anxious she was practically in tears: "Sister, what are you going to do? Are you going to fight in Beijing again?"

Her sister broke her leg before the Lunar New Year but didn't stay in the hospital for more than a few days before flying back to China to take care of things.

Now that she finally gets to celebrate the New Year, she still has to fly around. They're really taking advantage of her.

The high school student was frantic, pacing around the room like a trapped animal for ages, before finally grasping at a straw: "Secretary Fang, yes, sister, Secretary Fang can't just ignore this, can he?"

"Why should she care?" Wang Xiao wasn't worried when the first call didn't go through. She dialed again. "Don't forget, the Beijing project has nothing to do with LCD screens."

Therefore, she felt that she could perhaps offer a compliment to the Zhao family.

They knew that the project in Jiangdong was for LCD screens, while the one in Jiangbei was for chip manufacturing. So they decided not to interfere with the LCD screen project, to avoid offending Secretary Fang again.

Chen Jingjing was truly on the verge of tears: "What can we do? How can she just ignore it? If it weren't for her son, none of this trouble would have happened! Ugh!"

She quickly turned and formed an alliance with Ivanov, "You're right, a male femme fatale, just a male vixen. What's the use of just coming over and pretending to be nice! He just makes others clean up his messes."

Tsk, this young girl's love really comes and goes so quickly.

At this moment, she forgot that she had thought he was the template for a romance novel male protagonist that morning.

Because she spoke in English unconsciously, Ivanov understood her without needing a translator.

He instantly beamed, winking at Chen Jingjing: "Oh, that's right, that's exactly it. God, you're such a wise lady."

Chen Yidong and Qian Xuemei both wanted to roll their eyes.

Those Russians are really unreliable!

Didn't you see this was an extremely urgent matter? He's Xiaoxiao's partner, after all. So, all he's supposed to do as a partner is collect profits, and he doesn't care about anything else?

Qian Xuemei couldn't help but doubt her niece's judgment.

Why is there not a single reliable man by her side in crucial moments?

Ivanov smiled, and Wang Xiao was equally unhurried.

It seems that her uncle's family has expressed all her anxiety for her.

Chen Jingjing stamped her feet anxiously: "If she doesn't care, sis, are you going to fight them yourself?"

"Who said I was going to do it myself?" Wang Xiao laughed, then started instructing her cousin, "The business world is like a battlefield. Don't go up against people who aren't on the same level."

The third call to Xiaozhou was finally answered.

Secretary Sun on the other end chuckled, "Hey, President Wang, when do you have time to come and take a look at the chip factory site yourself? The location I found for you, I'm not exaggerating, is absolutely fantastic. We just had a meeting to discuss it."

Wang Xiao sighed: "I was planning to go there in the next couple of days, but now I can't. I have to fly to Beijing. There's been a problem with the land use planning for my chip R&D center in Yuntai District. Now they're suddenly telling me they're going to impose a 30-meter height restriction. Tell me, where am I supposed to put my R&D center? They're deliberately trying to strangle me."

Secretary Sun asked with great concern, "Is that so? What about the chip factory?"

“If the R&D center can’t be built, there’s no point in spending money to build a factory,” Wang Xiao complained. “I apologize, but this project is probably going to fall through. Honestly, I’ve put in so much effort and finally reached an agreement with the Institute of Microelectronics and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I had it all planned out: to move Silicon Valley from the Soviet Union to Yuntai District. That way, the R&D center, the design institute, and the factory would form a ready-made iron triangle.”

Secretary Sun quickly stopped him, saying, "Don't rush, don't rush. Good things take time, and it's not necessarily a bad thing."

After the call ended, Chen Jingjing blinked and cautiously asked her sister, "Um, sister, aren't you going to ask Secretary Fang for help, but Secretary Sun?"

“Of course, the chip factory is located in Xiaozhou.” Wang Xiao reminded his uncle and aunt, “I might not be able to leave right now; I have to stay by the phone.”

The signal of mobile phones is very weak nowadays, especially for long-distance calls, which require manual transfer and are quite troublesome.

She'd be better off staying with the landline.

Chen Jingjing felt her head was getting more and more muddled, and she had more and more doubts: "Sister, but Secretary Sun is from Xiaozhou City, not the province. Can he deal with the Zhao family?"

Spring sunlight streamed through the latticed window, casting butterfly-shaped dapples of light on the girl's nose. Her anxiety, like a butterfly, fluttered its wings.

Wang Xiao reached out to press it down.

“Xiaozhou is the provincial capital of Jiangbei. The Xiaozhou Trade City benefits the entire Jiangbei region. Moreover, if the chip factory takes off, it will also drive the entire industrial chain of Jiangbei.” She urged her cousin, “The goods are not going away, right? Let’s hurry up and go. It’s getting late.”

Chen Jingjing said reluctantly, "But can the officials of Jiangbei Province stand up to the Zhao family? They're incredibly powerful. Won't Jiangbei Province feel it's unnecessary to offend the Zhao family? Um—"

Her voice trailed off, "For such a large province, is it really that much of a difference if they lose one project?"

In the end, she didn't even dare to look at her sister's face.

Wang Xiao was amazed.

If she had previously taught her younger cousin somewhat out of boredom and convenience, now she genuinely felt she should nurture the girl properly.

“Very good, it’s excellent that you thought of that.”

"People who start from scratch are prone to becoming arrogant after achieving success, thinking they are extremely important. They believe that the regional economy would be in such and such a state if they were not there."

"But in reality, he (or she) is often not that important. Many times, or most of the time, it is the times that create heroes, not heroes that create the era. If he (or she) is missing, there will be thousands of replacements who will quickly rise up."

She pointed to herself, "Me too."

Was Jiangbei Province finished before she transmigrated into the book? No, it was still a major economic province, incredibly powerful.

The older sister's clear self-awareness made the younger sister want to cry again: "Sister, what should we do if Jiangbei Province doesn't handle this matter?"

“There’s a high chance Jiangbei will still take care of it.” Wang Xiao called to Liu Ba, “Bring me my silk scarf. I was thinking of giving it to Jingjing yesterday, but I was too busy and forgot.”

She looked at her cousin and smiled, "Because nobody likes others interfering too much, especially now, it's really annoying."

Chen Jingjing blinked hard a few times, regretting that her brain hadn't become any smarter as a result.

She understands that the provincial authorities don't like being controlled too much. Who wants others meddling in their affairs?

But why especially now?

Wang Xiao didn't offer an explanation, but instead smiled and reminded her: "Think carefully about what has happened to the national economy from last year to this year, and then think about what our country's current priorities are."

Chen Jingjing blurted out: "Focus on economic development."

"Okay, just remember that." She tied the scarf around her neck and gently touched her cousin's chubby cheeks. "Let's go, it's getting late, let's get going."

There are no flights from Jiangzhimen to Bucharest, so my uncle's family has to fly to Xiaozhou first and then transfer to Romania.

Wang Xiao stood on the porch, watching the car drive away. In the chilly spring air, the branches of the loquat tree in the courtyard rustled in the wind.

Chen Jingjing leaned half her body out of the car window, the newly tied silk scarf around her neck fluttering like a butterfly in the wind.

She waved vigorously at her sister: "Sis!"

But after calling out to the people, she didn't know what to say next.

She always felt that something this big couldn't possibly be as easy as her sister made it out to be.

Wang Xiao waved at her as if he could read her mind: "It's okay, go back and study hard."

Chen Jingjing felt an inexplicable urge to cry. The car started, and she could only pull her upper body back, looking pitifully at her mother: "My sister?"

Qian Xuemei shook her head: "It's alright."

She was just trying to comfort herself with those words.

In the rearview mirror, she saw her niece's wheelchair getting smaller and smaller until it finally became a silver dot in the shadow of the camphor tree.

Everyone says that doing business is lucrative, and it certainly is. But how much do outsiders know about the risks and setbacks involved?

For no apparent reason, you've offended someone you shouldn't have.

Even if someone can't kill you by simply pointing their little finger, they can still make you miserable and leave you with a lot of money and favors.

What's most infuriating is that even if you win, it's a Pyrrhic victory. Because their schemes failed, you suffer no loss whatsoever.

The theme song from "Journey to the West" drifted from a roadside music store: "You carry the load, I ride the horse..."

Look, even after carrying a load all the way to the Western Paradise to obtain the true scriptures, he was nothing more than a messenger of the Clean Altar eating leftovers. Meanwhile, the Buddha's uncle, the Garuda, swallowed an entire kingdom and still enjoyed priority in receiving offerings.

It's unbearable to think about; the word "endure" is like a knife above one's head, and the more I think about it, the more suffocated I feel.

Therefore, Wang Xiao did not intend to tolerate it.

Enduring it for a while can lead to breast hyperplasia; giving up can lead to ovarian cysts.

So what if it's the Zhao family? She won't stand for being treated like a pushover.

She hadn't even made a move yet, and the other side attacked. Did they really think she was easy to bully? They've given them too much face!

They don't even look at their own backsides to see if they're clean or not.

This Ms. Zhao Xiuzhi—

The perfume she uses is not something she and her family can afford with their normal salaries.

The South Sea pearls on her ears were worth a year's salary for her.

Not to mention her classic Burberry trench coat and the Swiss-made Titoni watch on her wrist.

Wang Xiao's past life experiences taught him that justice almost never comes on its own.

However, she can fight for the justice she desires with her own hands.

The February sunlight slanted across the bare branches of the loquat tree, casting bronze-like patterns on the armrests of the wheelchair.

Even among the bare branches, where tender buds haven't yet broken free from winter's constraints, one can still feel the vibrant energy of life.

The forsythia in the courtyard also bloomed before the winter jasmine.

Wang Xiao stared at the trembling bright yellow flowers and suddenly recalled a scene he had seen in the Carpathian Mountains—saffron flowers blooming recklessly on the meadows after the snow melted, as if they would miss the whole spring if they bloomed even a moment later.

Yes, why isn't it open?

Good times shouldn't be missed.

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