He frowned, his voice low and helpless:

“Jin Hua… I was young and ignorant before… I regretted it after that incident… I really did make a mistake back then.”

"But that was all because of the instigation of my brothers. Actually, I'm sincere towards you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have put so much effort into you."

Jin Hua lowered her eyes and sneered, "Then your sincerity is really cheap. Sister Xiao Yan, let's go, we still need to buy osmanthus cake."

After saying that, he pulled Xiaoyan away.

Zhou Ziyang opened his arms and stopped her: "Jinhua...actually, there are many misunderstandings between us..."

Jin Hua's face turned slightly cold: "What, it's been more than half a year, and you still haven't won over the young lady from the Song family? Does she still not like you?"

Zhou Ziyang's expression changed.

After that incident, the Song family somehow found out that he had spread rumors that Miss Song was his fiancée, and they actually sent several servants to beat him up.

This incident caused him to lose face in the town.

Zhou Ziyang said, "Miss Song and I...have absolutely no relationship. Yes, yes...my mother once proposed marriage to her on my behalf...I misunderstood at the time and in my haste said she was my fiancée..."

"Using your mother as a shield again? Aunt Xie... how pitiful." Jin Hua shook her head, looking at him: "So you're stopping me now because you want to reconcile with me?"

Zhou Ziyang thought to himself, isn't this obvious?

He was about to speak when Jin Hua interrupted, "Since you want to rekindle your old relationship, why did you have to come now of all times?"

"Have you heard that my family owns a furniture workshop? Or that my second brother passed the imperial examination with top honors? Or that my aunt was granted the title of Yiren? Or perhaps my aunt is about to marry into a noble family? My second brother has a good teacher, and his future is limitless?"

Zhou Ziyang's expression changed.

Yes, all of them!

He used to look down on Jin Hua because she was just a village girl whose parents were deliverymen. Although they earned several dozen taels of silver a month, he still felt she was not good enough for him.

To his surprise, not long after, he heard that a furniture shop had opened in the prefectural city and was selling incredibly well! What shocked him most was that the Jin Hua family actually had a stake in this furniture shop!

With those sales figures alone, Jin Hua's family could easily earn over a hundred taels a month!

This was no longer an ordinary peasant girl, but one of the wealthiest women in the village.

Then he heard that this year's top scorer was from Qinghe Village, which he knew very well! Upon inquiring, he discovered that it was Jin Hua's own brother!

Then Ye Caiping was awarded a title, Ye Xuan's teacher was revealed to be a top scholar, and then Ye Caiping personally arranged the marriage...

All these events, one by one, destined Ye Xuan for a bright future, making it certain that he would become an official in the imperial court. That Jin Hua must be the daughter of an official!

This was the high-society wife he had always dreamed of.

He had always wanted to marry a daughter of a high-ranking official, as such a status would make him feel very proud.

Yet he couldn't even get a daughter from a family that had passed the imperial examinations, let alone a real official.

After learning everything about Jin Hua's family, Zhou Ziyang felt heartbroken and filled with remorse.

I regret that I was so blind back then and didn't see the potential in Jin Hua's family!

He had recently heard that Ye Yiren was engaged to Ye Xuan's husband and was about to go to the capital, bringing the entire eldest son's family with her.

He was just thinking of finding a time to visit, but unexpectedly, he ran into them on the street today.

"Jinhua... I was wrong..." Zhou Ziyang sighed softly, his eyes sincere; he truly knew he was wrong! "Can... can we go back?"

Jin Hua sneered: "No way! You looked down on me back then because I was a country girl and not good enough for you..."

Zhou Ziyang said urgently, "Yes, I admit that I looked down on people back then. But I was instigated and made a mistake."

"Who among us doesn't make mistakes? Like when you first started working at the fabric shop, didn't you make the mistake of not having the customer's fingerprints taken when taking their measurements? I forgave you then! Now... can't you forgive me just this once? You..."

Jin Hua waved her hand: "No, this isn't about forgiveness. What I mean is, you looked down on me back then. Now... I look down on you too! My brother is a top scholar, and my family earns just as much as yours. Besides, my family has a brighter future. I... look down on you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ziyang's head exploded with a loud bang, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

When he looked up again, Jin Hua and the other two had already walked away, chatting and laughing as they went, as if his existence was insignificant.

Zhou Ziyang stood there, stunned, but he no longer had the face to chase after him.

As someone who once looked down on Jin Hua, I understand best how contemptuous Jin Hua's "looked down on" was.

That's genuine disdain! No faking it!

Shame, remorse, anger...

A mix of emotions churned within him, but what did it matter? Who would care about the feelings of a small-time businessman like him?

In the end, he could only slink away in disgrace.

......

A donkey cart was parked at the entrance of the village.

Ye Xuan got off the car carrying his bundle and smiled gently as he looked at the village.

Although I only spent a few days studying with Master Qian, I still miss home terribly! Starting tomorrow, it's time to get back to studying hard!

He carried two bundles as he walked towards the village, and the villagers he encountered along the way greeted him.

A villager carrying a hoe exclaimed, "Hey, Xuan'er's back!"

"yes!"

A woman carrying a basin of clothes asked, "What nice things did you buy?"

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