Chapter 19, exclusively on Jinjiang, has such a strong Qiong Yao male lead vibe!
The next day, when Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting arrived at the main courtyard, only Grandpa Zhang, Zhang Qingfeng, and Zhang Qingyun were there; everyone else had already left.
Grandpa Zhang smiled and said, "How did you sleep last night? Did you like the courtyard?"
“They’re all excellent.” Su Ruyi gave him a thumbs up. “Grandpa Zhang, this is your taste.”
"If you like it, that courtyard is specially reserved for you. You can live there from now on."
Su Ruyi: "Thank you for your kindness, but I have to go to work, so it's inconvenient for you."
“If there’s anything inconvenient, you can work at our company. With me watching over you, your mother won’t worry about you being bullied outside.”
Zhang Qingfeng also spoke up at the opportune moment: "The company is currently in need of a large number of talents, and there are many positions available for you to choose from."
"No way!" Su Ruyi refused without hesitation. "I finally escaped my mother's influence and ran to a place where no one knows me, to make my own decisions. I, Su Ruyi, am going to make a name for myself."
Grandpa Zhang smiled and shook his head: "You're overthinking things, kid. Everyone needs help to be a hero."
"Anyway, I just want to do it myself, and I appreciate your kindness."
"Then you can stay here with me, just to keep me company. It's not safe for a girl like you to live alone out there."
Su Ruyi linked arms with Wang Huiting: "I'm not alone, I have my sisters."
"You want to stay in the county?" Old Master Zhang shook his head in disapproval. "There are more opportunities in the provincial capital, and its development speed is incomparable to that of a small county."
"We have to take things one step at a time. I'm still young, I'm not in a hurry, and I also want to see what the place where my father used to live was like."
Hearing this, Old Master Zhang didn't dare to persuade him any further, and only said:
"Come visit me more often when you have time, and let me know if you need any help."
Su Ruyi readily agreed; she liked the place very much, but she wouldn't agree to stay there.
I didn't want to associate with the Zhang family before, and I'm even less willing now; this family is too complicated.
While it might allow her to take a shortcut, it would also bring her a lot of trouble.
Su Ruyi likes to lie flat, but only when she is free from constraints and can truly control her own destiny.
Upon learning that Su Ruyi was leaving today, Grandpa Zhang was very reluctant to part with her.
"Couldn't you stay a few more days and spend time with this old man?"
Su Ruyi said cryptically, "It's actually not convenient for me to stay overnight right now. Staying for one day yesterday was already inappropriate."
Although it has been two or three months since Tong Aihua's accident, Su Ruyi has only just learned about it.
Grandpa Zhang sighed and didn't try to stop him.
As he was leaving, Zhang Qingfeng offered, "I'm just about to go out, so I'll see them off on my way."
Zhang Qingyun quickly raised her hand as well: "Take me with you, I'm going back too."
She wanted to leave with her parents yesterday, but her mother insisted that she stay.
Normally, her brother would do these things, hoping he could get closer to Grandpa, but yesterday for some reason, it was her who did it.
When they got on the bus, Zhang Qingyun and Wang Huiting were whispering to each other, looking reluctant to part, so Zhang Qingfeng let them sit in the back seat and arranged for Su Ruyi to sit in the front seat.
Zhang Qingfeng very gentlemanly opened the car door for Su Ruyi and even put his hand on the car to prevent her from hitting her head. His actions were natural and considerate.
Su Ruyi could feel Wang Huiting's burning gaze, and she barely managed to hold back from screaming, completely forgetting how Wang Huiting had described this man yesterday.
"Thank you," Su Ruyi said generously.
Once in the car, Zhang Qingfeng was about to reach out his hand when he saw that Su Ruyi had already fastened her seatbelt.
Zhang Qingfeng was slightly taken aback, never expecting that Su Ruyi would fasten the seatbelt herself.
These days, people don't have much safety awareness. Very few people wear seat belts voluntarily, and many have never ridden in a car and have no idea that such a thing exists.
Zhang Qingfeng turned his hand and coughed lightly, bringing it to his lips.
Su Ruyi pretended not to see the surprise in his eyes and his stiff attempt to save face.
"It's still early. Would you like to take a drive around the provincial capital? I'm free today and can be your personal driver."
"No need, thank you. Let's go back early so we don't miss the bus."
Zhang Qingfeng laughed and said, "If you can't make it, I'll drive you back. The newly built highway is open, so it's very convenient to go to Liulin County."
Previously, it took at least six or seven hours to travel from Liulin County to the provincial capital, but the highway has saved most of that time. Cars are generally much faster than buses that frequently stop and start, taking only two or three hours to reach the destination.
Zhang Qingyun looked at Wang Huiting with excitement, eager to go shopping with her.
She is usually strictly controlled by her mother, has few friends, and rarely has the opportunity to wander around.
When I chatted with Wang Huiting yesterday, I found that she knew less about the provincial capital than Wang Huiting did.
Wang Huiting remained silent. She was also eager to agree, as it would be much more convenient to have someone drive her around. She also wanted to hang out with Zhang Qingyun, as they got along well.
However, she didn't want to put Su Ruyi in a difficult position, and besides, they had their own plans.
Su Ruyi: "No need, thank you, this is too much trouble for you."
“I also have my own selfish reasons. I have business over there, and I can also go and see the situation there in person to put Grandpa’s mind at ease.”
Su Ruyi resolutely refused: "Thank you for your kindness, but let's forget about it."
Zhang Qingfeng did not insist any further, but simply took Su Ruyi to the location she indicated, without asking why she was staying there, showing great tact and a sense of boundaries.
As he left, he handed his business card to Su Ruyi.
"My office phone number and my mobile phone number are on it. You can call me no matter what happens. My grandfather is getting old, and there are some things I can handle for him."
He also reminded Wang Huiting, "You two girls need to be careful when you're out."
After the car drove away and disappeared from sight, Wang Huiting excitedly stomped her feet on the spot, her eyes practically sparkling.
"Sis, he's such a gentleman! Just like those foreigners on TV! Is this a business card? I've only ever seen that on TV!"
Su Ruyi was both amused and exasperated: "Didn't you say he looked like our homeroom teacher yesterday? Why are you acting like a lovesick fool today?"
"But he's really different! Sis, I think he's actually pretty good too."
Even though Wang Huiting is just a girl from a small town, it's rare to see such a meticulous and considerate man in the city.
The driver who came to pick them up before only helped open the car door, which Wang Huiting already considered top-notch service.
These days, the service industry is much better-mannered than during the planned economy era, but basically, they've stopped using harsh language; the service awareness is still lacking. This is especially true in small county towns, where the old ways still persist.
Zhang Qingfeng's movements were natural, as if he cared about you deeply, hence his meticulous thoughtfulness. He was tall and handsome, and possessed an elegant, gentlemanly air.
The suits these days are loose and baggy, looking very shapeless.
Zhang Qingfeng's outfit was clearly custom-made, with a sharp cut that made his shoulders appear even broader and his legs longer, giving him a mature masculine charm.
These were things Wang Huiting had never seen before, making her feel that they were particularly unique.
Yesterday at the old house, there were too many things that Wang Huiting had never seen before, which distracted her. Today, the environment is relatively familiar, which highlights Zhang Qingfeng's difference.
Su Ruyi had to admit that Zhang Qingfeng was indeed charming today.
Along the way, he used his deep, magnetic voice to introduce the scenery and recount the changes that had taken place over the years.
His words and phrases conveyed his erudition while also being witty and humorous.
It's quite normal for a teenager to be infatuated with someone like that.
He seemed to have opened the door to a mysterious world, easily tempting naive teenage girls, full of fantasies and dreams about love, to peek inside.
Wealthy, gentle, considerate, and erudite.
He has that Qiong Yao male lead vibe so much.
Su Ruyi flicked Wang Huiting on the forehead: "Wake up and get back to reality."
Wang Huiting clutched her throbbing head, seemingly regaining some clarity: "Sister..."
Everything about the Zhang family felt very disconnected and dreamlike to Su Ruyi, like a castle in the air that could disappear at any moment, making her feel that it was all unreal.
She only felt at ease when she stepped off the bus and onto this land.
The roads were mostly filled with bicycles, the houses weren't as tall, and the streets weren't as wide as they would be decades later, but everyone had thick hair, was full of energy, busy yet full of anticipation for the future.
"You should forget everything about the Zhang family; it's better for us that way."
Wang Huiting's initial excitement gradually subsided. "Sister, you're right."
She wasn't unaware of the strange looks she received at the Zhang family's house.
There was scrutiny, disdain, and indifference.
Even when talking to Zhang Qingyun, he would occasionally reveal a hint of superiority in his words.
She was just too excited at the time and overlooked many things.
"Alright, we've had our share of the rich life, that's a kind of gain. Now it's our turn to make money. We can't benefit from the Zhang family, but we can make sure we live a good life."
Wang Huiting nodded vigorously, "Sister, I want to go to the wholesale market."
While in the car, Su Ruyi told Wang Huiting that the two of them would stay in the provincial capital for a few more days, and might even stay overnight at the Zhang family's house.
However, if Wang Huiting feels uncomfortable, she doesn't have to go to the Zhang family with her and can wait in the library.
The people there are relatively less diverse, so it's safer.
Wang Huiting insisted on being with Su Ruyi and said that everything was up to Su Ruyi's arrangement, but asked for some time so that Su Ruyi could accompany her to a place.
"Wholesale market?"
"There's a wholesale market called Dakang Road in the provincial capital, which is the largest wholesale market in our province. They sell everything there: daily necessities, clothing, hardware, general merchandise, and so on. I heard that things are cheap there, and people from not only our province but also neighboring provinces come here to buy things wholesale."
How did you find out about this wholesale market?
“When I went to buy clothes before, a saleswoman told me that all her clothes were wholesaled from Dakang Road in the provincial capital. She said that there was a lot of goods there, and goods from all over the country were sent there.”
To prove the quality of her clothes, the seller claimed that she sourced them only from the Dakang Road wholesale market in the provincial capital, unlike others who got their goods from the city. While the travel time from the county to the city is now similar to that of the provincial capital, the difference in toll fees and fares due to the highway route significantly reduces the number of styles available.
“Okay, let’s go then. Do you want to go buy clothes?” Su Ruyi had frequented wholesale markets during her university years.
"I want to make money." Wang Huiting looked at Su Ruyi with a slightly embarrassed and nervous expression. "Sister, you don't think I'm being ridiculous, do you?"
"How can wanting to make money be considered nonsense? What do you want to sell?"
Wang Huiting was very happy to hear this, but she was worried that if she said it, people would think she was being unrealistic.
Is business something you can just do casually? What kind of business can a student like her do?
“I had saved some money before, and my mom gave me a lot more this time. I calculated that I could spare about 20 yuan. I definitely can't afford to buy anything big, so I was thinking of buying some hair clips, hair ties, and the like to sell. These kinds of things sell very well, and everyone is eager to buy the nice ones.”
Su Ruyi smiled; this was her first business deal.
During her university years, she wholesaled hair clips, earrings, and other accessories and sold them on the pedestrian street behind the university town. At her best, she could earn four or five hundred yuan a night, and usually one or two hundred yuan.
At the time, her classmates couldn't understand why she, who was already so rich, would still have to suffer like this.
Who doesn't want more money?
Making money not for the purpose of making a living, but out of passion and recognition of value.
Her small business is nothing compared to what her neighbor, Auntie, used to drive a Mercedes to work as a cleaner before the demolition.
Author's note: Slacked off for one day, will start working hard on Saturdays tomorrow~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
