Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Lin Anran and Zhou Heyuan talk on the phone...

"Anran, I know you're worried about me," Yu Jing said softly, pulling Lin Anran in her arms. "I definitely won't marry anyone rashly. I need to spend some time with him to see what kind of person Mr. Ma is and whether we can get along. I also want to find a partner, so we can work hard together and encourage each other."

Since Yu Jing said so, Lin Anran had no reason to stop Yu Jing from dating, as she was not Yu Jing's biological mother.

If Lin Anran hadn't known about Yu Jing's bleak future if she married Ma Yaozu, she would have chosen to respect her personal destiny. Yu Jing is an adult with her own thoughts. Even if they are friends, it is better not to interfere in her friend's life because she cannot bear the responsibility of Yu Jing's life.

As Yu Jing herself said, she wanted to date someone who could progress with her. If Yu Jing found someone and introduced her to Lin Anran, Lin Anran would definitely give her sincere congratulations. However, the person Yu Jing planned to investigate was Ma Yaozu, and she happened to know that Ma Yaozu was not a good candidate for a husband.

Lin Anran couldn't bear to watch her friend fall into such a trap without saying a word, so she thought about it carefully before asking Yu Jing, "Yu Jing, besides finding a job or a marriage partner, have you ever considered taking another path?"

"Another way?" Yu Jing was stunned.

After opening his mouth, Lin Anran continued his speech more smoothly: "You're taking the college entrance examination next year. One of the restrictions is that you must be unmarried and under 25 years old. You're still in the right position to take the exam next year. I remember you said before that you had good grades in high school."

Lin Anran remembered Yu Jing telling her that her grades in high school were not bad, even better than her ex-boyfriend who was admitted to a junior college. Yu Jing even explained the test questions to her ex-boyfriend. Yu Jing scored high in the two college entrance examinations, but she always failed. So Yu Jing started to have bad luck a long time ago?

Taking the college entrance examination next year?

Yu Jing was completely stunned. She was not prepared at all. Her head was buzzing and she couldn't come back to her senses for a long time.

Lin Anran pursed his lips and didn't say another word, quietly digesting the situation.

Lin Anran couldn't think of a better solution, so she wondered, if she ignored the original plot and let Yu Jing take a completely different path, would her life be different? Regardless, persuading Yu Jing to repeat her studies and take the Gaokao next year was better than watching her marry Ma Yaozu this year or next! If Yu Jing really wanted to take the Gaokao next year, she definitely wouldn't be thinking about marriage anytime soon!

In this way, her plan worked.

Lin Anran rubbed her temples helplessly. After she came through, it seemed that she embarked on a strange "road of persuading people to study". She had persuaded the twins Lin Anhua and Lin Anli before, and now she came to persuade Yu Jing. Oh, and Zhou Yunxue counted as half?

However, encouraging others to study is always a good thing. In this day and age, knowledge is money, and college students are quite valuable. She is totally helping others! She definitely deserves a few banners!

As for whether Yu Jing could get into university next year? Lin Anran looked far away. As she said before, she was not Yu Jing. If Yu Jing wanted to go to university, she would have to study hard on her own. She couldn't take the exam for Yu Jing.

As for one year later, can Yu Jing and Ma Yaozu succeed?

Leave it to time.

After all, if Yu Jing insisted on getting married, Lin Anran would not stop her. Even if she wanted to stop her, she could not stop an adult from marrying another adult. The law now stipulates that men can get married when they are 22 years old and women when they are 20 years old. If she tries to stop them, wouldn’t that be illegal?

Lin Anran will not cause trouble for herself. As a friend, she will do her best and have a clear conscience.

"An Ran, after failing the college entrance exam for the second time, I wanted to repeat it again."

Lin Anran suddenly turned his head and looked at Yu Jing who was talking quietly. The expression on Yu Jing's face was very calm, so calm that it seemed a little numb.

Lin Anran nodded gently and responded to her: "Yeah."

Yu Jing turned to Lin Anran and gave him a bitter smile. "After failing the college entrance exam for the second time, I wasn't willing to give up. I wanted to go to college, so I discussed with my parents and asked them to let me repeat my exam one last time. But they didn't have confidence in my college entrance exam. They didn't want me to repeat my exam again. They told me not to dream about going to college anymore. They wouldn't support me repeating my exam again. After graduating from college, I had to work anyway. My high school diploma was enough to get a good job. Later, I got a good job in a factory as I wished. After I started working, I never thought about the college entrance exam or going to college again."

Lin Anran looked directly at Yu Jing and gently seduced her, "Think about it now. When you get a job and start earning a salary, do you want to give yourself a year to realize your dream?"

Yu Jing was surprised, blinking rapidly. After a moment of silence, she asked, "An Ran, do you also have a dream of going to college?"

"I didn't have it before, but I have it now." Lin Anran smiled slightly. In fact, her dream of going to college had come true in her previous life, so it could be said that she had it in this life. She was not lying.

Yu Jing suddenly remembered Lin Anran's situation. As they got to know each other for a long time, Yu Jing got to know Lin Anran more and more, especially since Lin Anran was not shy about his past. Even though Yu Jing's understanding of Lin Anran was still superficial, it was enough for Yu Jing to confirm that Lin Anran's situation was worse than hers. But even after experiencing such a bad past, Lin Anran still did not give up on himself. He was optimistic, made plans for himself actively every day, and strictly followed the plans, making progress day by day.

Enron is really powerful.

Yu Jing felt ashamed. She suddenly felt that her experiences were not that bad. She was worried every day, afraid of the future, and wondered why she was always so unlucky. She often bothered An Ran to listen to her useless words and give her advice. Obviously, An Ran had a lot of things to do, and An Ran was younger than her.

"Anran, I'm sorry." Yu Jing was so ashamed when she thought of this that she didn't dare to look into Lin Anran's eyes.

Lin Anran was dumbfounded, not following Yu Jing's train of thought: "Huh? Why are you apologizing to me all of a sudden?"

Seeing Lin Anran's eyes full of concern for her, Yu Jing felt even more uncomfortable and uneasy. She spoke her heart out in a halting manner: "...I really have caused you a lot of trouble. I am such a poor friend..."

"Who said that! If a friend is in trouble, I will definitely lend a hand. What kind of friend am I if I don't lend a hand? Yu Jing, it's my honor that you are willing to be my friend. If you hadn't asked me out to play today, I wouldn't have known that I could make money by helping others grow orchids. You have brought me good luck, uh, it would be more accurate to say financial luck." Lin Anran shook his head seriously and stared at Yu Jing.

"Good luck?" Yu Jing's eyes lit up and her expression was extremely excited.

Lin Anran instantly understood why Yu Jing reacted so strongly. She felt both distressed and amused: "Is that all you noticed?"

Yu Jing was embarrassed, but she still had a happy smile on her face: "But An Ran, you said I brought you good luck. No one has ever said that I brought them good luck. You are the first."

"That's indeed correct," Lin Anran nodded in affirmation.

The next second, Yu Jing said dejectedly, "It's not me who brought you good luck. It's Anran, you know how to grow orchids. You earned it with your own ability."

Lin Anran noticed that Yu Jing truly lacked confidence, so she encouraged her, "I have the ability, but I also need the opportunity to show it. Sometimes all I need is a little bit of luck, and you brought me that little bit of luck. Without you, I wouldn't be able to earn this extra income."

Yu Jing was skeptical yet happy: "Really?"

"Really? More real than pearls." When the bus arrived at the stop, Lin Anran pushed Yu Jing off the bus. He took out the hundred yuan he had earned today and bought mung bean ice cream for himself and Yu Jing. The weather was too hot and the two of them were squeezed in the bus. They were sweating and their bodies smelled really bad. He took a bite of the ice cream. It was icy and the mung bean was sticky and chewy. It was so refreshing!

"You ate my ice cream, and good luck comes back to you." Lin Anran cast a spell on Yu Jing and his hand circled between himself and Yu Jing.

Yu Jing immediately took a bite of the ice cream: "Will I be lucky?"

Lin Anran cleared his throat and began to talk nonsense: "Student Yu Jing, do you know the law of conservation of luck?"

"I know the law of conservation of energy, but is there also the law of conservation of luck?" Yu Jing looked confused.

Lin Anran chuckled and waved his hand, "If I say there will be, there will be. Everything will turn around when it reaches its limit. When bad luck hits rock bottom, it will rebound. Then good luck will continue to flow towards you. Just wait and see. Trust me, I guarantee you will become rich."

"Puff!" Yu Jing laughed out loud, "An Ran, thank you."

Lin Anran raised his eyebrows slightly, unable to suppress his smile: "Anyway, I wasn't kidding you just now. What I said was the truth."

Yu Jing seemed to really believe it: "I believe you are telling the truth."

After eating the mung bean ice cream, Lin Anran planned to separate from Yu Jing. She had said everything she wanted to say, and for the time being she couldn't think of anything else to say to Yu Jing. Besides, it's not good to say too much about some things, so just say enough. People who understand will understand.

Yu Jing pulled Lin Anran towards the commercial street: "Anran, you treat me to ice cream, I'll treat you to snacks, and then we'll go for a walk."

Lin Anran raised her wrist. It was still early. If she went back at this time, she would have to wait two hours for dinner. It would be better to continue playing. She also became excited: "Then let's go."

"An Ran, which university's night school do you want to attend in the future?" Yu Jing suddenly asked.

Lin Anran was a little surprised. She thought Yu Jing would not bring it up on her own initiative. Perhaps Yu Jing’s dream of going to college had not been completely abandoned by her.

"I don't know. I'm still thinking about it." Because the golden finger is very useful for plants, Lin Anran has developed an interest in growing orchids and aloe vera, so she is now considering studying related majors in the future. Maybe she will choose an agricultural university.

Suddenly, halfway through the journey, Lin Anran saw a hair salon that had been smashed to pieces. Turning around, she immediately spotted Li Jia in the crowd watching the excitement. She pulled Yu Jing over and asked, "Li Jia, what happened here?"

Li Jia was startled, but when she saw it was Lin Anran, she breathed a sigh of relief. "So it's Miss Lin. The owner of that hair salon has been arrested. He owes a lot of debts, and when the creditors came, they had no money, so they just moved things out of the shop. They took a lot, but then they had nothing to move, so they just tore it apart. After they'd taken what they could, they started smashing things up. It was scary just now. If the police hadn't come, you'd still see the creditors fighting with the hair salon owner's family."

Lin Anran was only surprised for a moment, then regained her composure. It was only natural to pay back debts. She was actually very happy to see this scene. This hair salon was not a regular hair salon, and closing it down was good for everyone, and it would bring peace to the commercial street.

When Li Jia saw Lin Anran and Yu Jing, who was being held by Lin Anran, her professionalism immediately emerged. She asked, "Ms. Lin, are you bringing a friend to the salon for a haircut?"

Unfortunately, Lin Anran was destined to disappoint Li Jia today. She shook her head and said, "No, we were just passing by, joining in the fun and getting something to eat."

Li Jia could only watch helplessly as Lin Anran pulled Yu Jing away.

Yu Jing looked back at Li Jia and asked curiously, "An Ran, do you come to this hair salon often? I remember it's a bit expensive."

"The service at her place is good, and it's convenient for me to come here, and it's very safe." Lin Anran mainly valued these two points, so she spent a little more money and enjoyed better service, and she was very happy with her spending.

Yu Jing reached out and touched her long hair: "I always get my hair cut in our family housing estate. Someone in the family housing estate opened a barber shop at home, and it's very cheap to get a haircut there."

Lin Anran asked, "Can you open a barber shop in your family compound?"

"Yes, there are also people who make clothes for others at home, and help with shopping. Especially recently, there are more people doing small businesses, and some have started competing for business," Yu Jing said one by one. "There are even fights over customers."

"What about your home?"

"I don't have any at home."

"Why don't you persuade your parents to do some small business at home? They are busy with other things, and when people are busy, they can't take care of many things." Lin Anran had an idea and gave Yu Jing some advice.

Yu Jing was a little tempted: "Can it work? But my parents don't know how to do anything else. They have worked in the garment factory all their lives. There are many families making clothes in the family housing estate, so the competition is fierce."

Lin Anran saw a shop and suddenly had an idea. He said, "You don't have to make big items like clothes. You can make small things, like hair ties for girls. You can use scraps of cloth or something. Try to choose bright and beautiful colors, not those that are gray. These don't require any skills, right? The initial investment is small, so sell them cheaply to test the waters. If you can make a profit, you can continue."

The more Yu Jing listened, the brighter her eyes became. She held Lin Anran's hands tightly with both hands: "Anran, you are so smart! Why didn't I think of this idea?"

"It's not that I'm smart. Look at that jewelry store. The jewelry inside looks exquisite, and the prices must be very attractive." Lin Anran turned Yu Jing's head, letting her look, and explained to her, "There is definitely a market for cheap hair accessories, and there will definitely be a lot of competition. Whether you can make money depends on your own ability. I just talked."

There is never a shortage of smart people. In this golden age, it seems that any pig that stands in the right place can fly to the sky, but those who can fly to the sky either have excellent skills or strong connections. Of course, there is also the lucky kind. Lin Anran knows herself well, and she cannot match the first two, but she is lucky enough and has cheats, so she can develop in a low-key manner and survive slowly.

Yu Jing shook her head. "But I just didn't expect it. You're right. This doesn't cost anything. I have all the materials at home, so I can just go home and make it. If I can make a little money a day, it's better than making no money at all. Thank you, An Ran."

Yu Jing went home excitedly with Lin Anran's idea, and Lin Anran happily returned to the villa with a bunch of snacks stuffed by Yu Jing.

"Xiao Lin, you're finally back!"

"Ah? Aunt Li, is there anything wrong?" Lin Anran took out the snacks and distributed them to Aunt Li and the others.

Aunt Li wasn't shy about it. She took a skewer of grilled chicken gizzards and ate them with relish. She took the time to explain, "Miss Zhou called you at noon and asked you to call her when you get back. She said she hasn't seen you in a while and misses you."

The last time Lin Anran and Zhou Yunxue spoke on the phone was before the college entrance examination. Now it is the end of July, and Zhou Yunxue's results should be out.

"Okay, I understand, Aunt Li. I'll see when the time is right to call her."

Aunt Li said, "Wouldn't it be nice to fight now? Before dinner, I wonder if Mr. Zhou lives in the Zhou family's old house like Miss Zhou."

Lin Anran smiled and said, "Whether Mr. Zhou is here or not, I'll call Miss Zhou and ask her to say hello to Mr. Zhou on my behalf."

Aunt Li's eyes lit up and she nodded, "That's what I should do."

"Aunt Li, please help yourself to food. I'll make a phone call."

"Go ahead, go ahead, and say hello to Mr. Zhou for us."

"Sure, sure." Lin Anran agreed immediately.

But Lin Anran never expected that after answering the phone, the person on the other end was not Zhou Yunxue, but Mr. Zhou, whom Aunt Li and the others had been thinking about!

"Who is this?" Zhou Heyuan's voice was a little distorted on the phone, but it was still very nice. Lin Anran knew it was him as soon as he heard it.

"Hello Mr. Zhou, I'm Xiaolin, I'm looking for Yunxue." Lin Anran said immediately.

Zhou Heyuan: "Well, Yunxue is not here. She just went out."

Zhou Yunxue actually went out!

Lin Anran's free hand gently pulled the phone line: "Mr. Zhou, excuse me, when will Yunxue be back? Otherwise, I'll call her tonight."

"Xiao Lin, call me after dinner."

"Okay, thank you Mr. Zhou." Lin Anran smiled and conveyed the greetings from Aunt Li and the others.

Zhou Heyuan accepted it and said thank you.

Lin Anran had nothing much to say and was about to tell Zhou Heyuan to hang up the phone when she heard Zhou Heyuan ask her, "Xiao Lin, have you made great progress in learning English again?"

Lin Anran was stunned and blinked, feeling a little strange in his heart. He replied calmly, "Yes, Mr. Zhou."

The two of them suddenly fell silent. Lin Anran lightly raised his feet, turned his body to the side, and looked up at the ceiling meaninglessly.

This is so weird. Why not just hang up the phone? Lin Anran thought to himself...

But Zhou Heyuan didn't maintain this delicate silence. He was the first to speak: "Uncle Wang said you were looking for the original English version of Pride and Prejudice. I have it here and will send it to you tonight."

Lin Anran wrapped the phone cord around his fingers again and again and laughed dryly: "It's too troublesome, Mr. Zhou, you don't have to--"

"It's not a bother," Zhou Heyuan paused and continued, "If it can help you learn English, then it's not a bother."

Lin Anran's scalp was numb and she almost jumped up, but she held it back and began to rub her shoes gently on the spot. It was no secret that she was looking for original English books, because Uncle Wang had a lot of books, including many original English books. Uncle Wang was very willing to lend her books. Lin Anran would not miss any chance to get a bargain. She even learned some daily expressions in several foreign languages from Uncle Wang, but she was very surprised that Zhou Heyuan knew about this.

She asked with such confusion and hesitation.

Zhou Heyuan said: "When Uncle Wang reported to me on his work, he mentioned that he planned to buy you this book as a reward for your hard work over the past few months."

So that's how it is. This is the leader's reward to his subordinates, so she was completely overthinking it!

Lin Anran knew that Uncle Wang was very attentive to his subordinates. Aunt Li had previously said that she received a famous foreign brand of electrical appliances as a reward from Uncle Wang at the end of the year because she had said she wanted them a long time ago. As a result, Uncle Wang gave them to Aunt Li as a year-end reward, and Aunt Li was extremely happy. It was normal for Uncle Wang to prepare the original English book she wanted.

But when Lin Anran thought about what she had just imagined, she suddenly felt extremely embarrassed. Was she feeling too good about herself?

But Lin Anran thought again, how could she be blamed for this?

In her previous life, Lin Anran was beautiful since she was a child. She was the focus of the crowd wherever she went and received many confessions. She knew too well what it felt like to be liked by others. Although she became an "ordinary person" after traveling through time, she knew that she was super good and awesome, and it was normal for someone to like her, but Zhou Heyuan... Lin Anran touched her face. It was an illusion!

Lin Anran shook his head, clearing out the junk in his mind, and cheered up: "Mr. Zhou, thank you. I will cherish the book Uncle Wang gave me."

Zhou Heyuan said, "I bought the book and it's a gift from me. The reward Uncle Wang gave you will be exchanged for something else."

Lin Anran looked bewildered. She had heard Zhou Heyuan's words, but why couldn't she understand them? Had her IQ suddenly plummeted?

"You...Mr. Zhou..." Lin Anran pressed her palm to her forehead. She took a breath and asked in one breath, "Mr. Zhou, why did you give me the book? Is it a work reward like Uncle Wang gave me?"

"No, I just want to give it to you." Zhou Heyuan said.

Lin Anran slowly leaned against the wall and asked softly, "...Why? Wait! Mr. Zhou, you don't have to answer. Can I hang up?"

Zhou Heyuan asked her: "Xiao Lin, are you sure you don't want to listen to my answer?"

Lin Anran was very decisive: "I'm sure."

"Okay, sorry, I shouldn't have said this to you on the phone."

Lin Anran gritted his teeth and said, "Good fellow, you also know that you shouldn't say these things on the phone!"

Putting the phone back in its place, Lin Anran patted her head in frustration. Why had she been so cowardly just now? Why didn't she just ask for an answer?

But what after getting the answer? She still needed this job. Lin Anran decided to pretend she knew nothing, since Zhou He was far away in Beijing.

The Zhou family’s old residence in Beijing.

"Fifth brother, you're back!" Zhou Yunxue followed her grandparents home and saw Zhou Heyuan sitting on the sofa in the living room. She walked over briskly and smelled alcohol before she even got close. She was surprised, "Fifth brother, didn't you go out to play with Jiaming, Shuyan, and the others? You've been drinking?"

Seeing that Zhou Heyuan didn't answer, Zhou Yunxue asked again: "Fifth brother, are you drunk?"

Zhou Heyuan slowly raised his head, his eyes fell on Zhou Yunxue's face, and he said lightly: "Not drunk." After that, he closed his eyes quietly, as if he fell asleep.

Zhou Yunxue was startled and called for her grandparents to come quickly: "Fifth brother must be drunk. Only drunk people would say they are not drunk!"

Grandma Zhou put on her reading glasses and took a closer look, then nodded and smiled, "He's drunk. Your fifth brother's face is red when he drinks. He looks sober, but his mind is actually confused. I'll ask Auntie to make him some hangover soup to prevent a headache tomorrow."

Grandpa Zhou shook his head and sighed: "Xiaowu can't drink much. After so many years, he still hasn't mastered it."

Grandma Zhou patted him and pretended to be annoyed. Zhou Yunxue said smugly, "Grandpa, even if Fifth Brother can't hold his liquor, who can force him to drink if he doesn't want to?"

Grandpa Zhou choked. The truth always makes people choke. Yes, who can force his Xiaowu to drink?