This story is naturally about Zhou Yin himself and the two Tang sisters.
More than thirty years ago, when Grandpa Zhou was doing business in Quanzhou, he had an accident. Fortunately, Grandpa Tang came to his rescue and he was able to escape. The two had similar backgrounds, ages and experiences, and naturally became good brothers who could talk about anything.
Soon after, the wives of both families became pregnant at almost the same time. This coincidence made both families happy, and they also marveled at how destined they were to be together. So, in a cliché way, they arranged for their two unborn children to be betrothed.
Therefore, Zhou Yin's future wife was already chosen even before he was born.
The Tang family is considered a prominent and wealthy family in Quanzhou Prefecture. Although they mainly engage in business, the matriarch of the Tang family has some background in the martial arts world. Therefore, Tang Wushuang was exceptionally talented from a young age, excelling in both literature and martial arts. She was both heroic and beautiful, like a celestial maiden who was always the center of attention wherever she went.
Compared to the Tang family's social standing, the Zhou family could be considered to be slightly above their station. However, Tang Wushuang did not look down on her fiancé, Zhou Yin. She was warm, generous, and sincere, not only healing Zhou Yin's slight inferiority complex but also taking the initiative to teach him martial arts. The two were childhood sweethearts and innocent lovers, and anyone who saw them would not help but sigh that they were a perfect match.
Apart from Tang Wushuang's younger sister, Tang Wuyou.
Tang Wuyou grew up in her sister's shadow, and could never compare to her in anything. Over time, her feelings for her sister became more and more complicated, a mixture of envy and jealousy. This also caused her feelings for Zhou Yin to become very confused. She felt that he was not good enough for her sister, but she also did not want him to only like her sister.
However, just as she came of age, her older sister suddenly died in childbirth. Tang Wuyou felt lost and directionless in life, while Zhou Yin was also greatly affected and spent his days drowning his sorrows in alcohol, becoming quite decadent.
Unwilling to accept this cruel reality, he chose to numb himself with alcohol and gambling to escape reality. He ran away for more than half a year until his relatives couldn't bear to see him like this and came to persuade him. But at this time, he suddenly disappeared.
Tang Wuyou found him in a hidden underground casino in the suburbs. At that time, he was being beaten by a group of people because he had lost all his money. In fact, with Zhou Yin's martial arts skills, he was more than capable of dealing with these ordinary thugs. However, after several months of drinking and extravagance, his body had been severely damaged, and he could not even put up a fight or resist.
So he could only watch helplessly as Tang Wuyou almost lost her chastity while trying to save him. Fortunately, the Tang family guards arrived in time to rescue the two of them; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Zhou Yin finally came to his senses. To make up for his guilt and give the Tang family an explanation, he took the initiative to ask Tang Wuyou for her hand in marriage...
Cheng Ruyi was speechless for a very long time after hearing this.
Good heavens, this is the legendary white moonlight and cinnabar mole, one affectionate and the other righteous! And they're sisters too! If this were a male-oriented novel, it would be the standard for a satisfying read, right?
So there's a reason why this Mr. Zhou has always had so many romantic entanglements. His so-called gentle and affectionate personality is actually just a case of being a "central air conditioner" (meaning he's nice to everyone).
Ruyi couldn't help but shudder. She thought that Tang Wushuang must have been an extraordinary woman who was no less than Gu Pingting in life. Such a proud woman of heaven, with her outstanding background, appearance and talent, died so tragically... It's such a pity!
Her childhood sweetheart and devoted husband only slumped for a few months before marrying her sister, a story that was even hailed as a beautiful tale?
So heartbreaking!
Seeing Cheng Ruyi's tightly closed eyes and clenched fists, Zhou Yin assumed she was jealous and angry, so he gently coaxed her, "She didn't treat me well because she saved my life, and she has no ill intentions towards you. As long as you are more tolerant in the future, I believe you will definitely get along well."
I @#￥%……
Cheng Ruyi almost couldn't help but curse, silently repeating to herself a hundred times: This is a sugar daddy! This is a sugar daddy! I still need to rely on the Zhou family to make money! For the sake of money, I'll hold back!
After finally calming down, she tried to control her tone and said coldly, "Mr. Zhou, I don't know what I did to cause such a huge misunderstanding for you. I apologize in advance. Moreover, I think I will not have any contact with your lady in the future. Since we will not have any contact, there is no need for us to get along well."
"Misunderstanding?" Zhou Yin was a little confused, but he had never seen Ruyi act like this before. He asked with some concern, "Are you... angry?"
Cheng Ruyi looked at Zhou Yin and lowered her head to think for a moment.
In today's world, it's hard to believe that an ordinary woman like her would have no feelings for the outstanding Mr. Zhou, even though she never made any gestures or expressions of affection. Everyone assumes that she must be in love with Zhou Yantang, including Zhou Yantang himself, who probably thinks so too.
"To be honest, Mr. Zhou, I am indeed a little angry, but what makes me angry is that I originally thought that after spending these past few months together, we could barely be considered friends. But judging from Mr. Zhou's reaction, it seems that I have been too proud to be friends with you."
“Friend…?” Zhou Yin was shocked and incredulous.
“Even if they’re not friends, they’re at least trustworthy partners, right?” Ruyi wasn’t surprised by the other party’s reaction at all. She patiently explained, “I’ve come here today for only one purpose. A few days ago, the county magistrate’s wife mentioned that thieves had also infiltrated your Zhou family’s place that day. I’m very curious about the identities of those thieves, whether they are related to the bandits who attacked the village, and whether they will threaten my family. That’s why I’ve taken the liberty of coming here to find out.”
Hearing this, Zhou Yin couldn't help but frown. "You came here just to ask this?"
"What else could it be? These people were lying in ambush in the county town beforehand, and then sneaked into the Zhou family's house in the chaos that night. If they were connected with the bandits, that would be a major event that could threaten the lives of our family and even the entire county! Isn't that serious?"
Seeing the utterly shocked and incredulous look on Master Zhou's face, Ruyi pressed her advantage: "Speaking of which, I clearly dodged that hidden weapon attack that day, but I don't know why Master Zhou suddenly intervened. To save you, I even offered you a precious elixir!"
"The formula for that elixir was left behind by my late husband. Several of the ingredients are extremely rare and precious. Its efficacy is far superior to ordinary antidotes. Taking it will not only detoxify but also strengthen the body..."
"Alright! That's enough!" Zhou Yin became more and more irritated as he listened. He looked up at Cheng Ruyi and understood why she was acting this way. Everyone was smart enough that some things didn't need to be said too obviously.
He couldn't help but feel depressed. It was strange. He used to be most afraid of these inexplicable romantic entanglements. Now that he saw the other party so eager to sever ties with him, why did he feel angry and even a little wronged?
He didn't want to talk to Cheng Ruyi for the time being, so he coldly told her to leave, "Madam Cheng, I have other matters to attend to. Please excuse me!"
Ruyi raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected the other party to get so easily angered. Not telling her the news was one thing, but to actually kick her out? And with his current demeanor, he still dared to say she was impolite and lacked manners? Tsk tsk tsk... one shouldn't be so hypocritical!
However, although Zhou Yantang is indecisive, wishy-washy, and unclear about matters of the heart, and has a bad temper and attitude, his character and business acumen are still trustworthy. Therefore, she is not worried that what happened today will affect their cooperative relationship.
"I'm so sorry to have disturbed Mr. Zhou's rest. Farewell."
Just as Cheng Ruyi stepped out the door, she thought for a moment and couldn't help herself. So she stopped at the door, turned around and said, "Mr. Zhou, have you ever thought that you also bear some responsibility for having so many romantic entanglements in the past? With your intelligence, you could have handled things much better. If you can't give them what they truly need, you might as well not have given them any hope in the first place!"
After saying all that in one breath, she didn't care what Zhou Yin's reaction would be and quickly left this place of trouble.
When she stood in front of the Zhou family mansion again, she suddenly recalled her visit to the Wen family and felt a strange sense of déjà vu...
Perhaps it was because after visiting those two mansions, she had only one feeling in her mind: a wise person doesn't fall in love!
Dating is such a hassle. She doesn't want to be entangled in matters of love and romance all day long. She'd rather spend that time farming and making money!
If this were a peaceful and prosperous time, with no worries about food or clothing, and she had met a wonderful partner, she could have a passionate and intense romance. But what kind of world is this? Natural disasters and man-made calamities are happening one after another, and just surviving is so difficult. She simply doesn't have the extra energy to deal with anything else.
Thinking of this, Cheng Ruyi felt as if the Zhou family mansion behind her was a huge cage, so she left without looking back.
After entering the twelfth lunar month, the wind and snow have decreased significantly. Although the temperature is still very cold, the number of pedestrians on the road has gradually increased.
With more pedestrians, business naturally flourishes.
Nowadays, the aroma of various hot pots wafts throughout Huaishan County. Many people have been inspired by the Cheng family and have discovered that even without spicy seasoning, they can still make hot pot bases with other flavors, such as braised, clear broth, and mushroom. Prices vary, catering to all budgets.
It was probably because there were too many cold drink and ice cream shops in the county town during the summer that Huaishan County gradually became famous for its food. With the addition of various hot pot shops, it has attracted more and more diners from other places, which has also made the business of various restaurants, inns and other shops much better.
Of course, Cheng's Snack Shop is still the most popular, but to Ruyi's surprise, Lingyun Pavilion is also extremely popular, with reservations booked up for two months in advance.
It's not surprising, really. Soaking in a warm hot spring while enjoying delicious food on a cold day is one of life's greatest pleasures!
With Lingyun Pavilion's business booming, Cheng Ruyi naturally made a fortune.
As previously speculated, her cooperation with the Zhou family remained unchanged and continued to be very pleasant. However, Zhou Yin had not appeared in front of her during this period, and it was unclear whether he was avoiding suspicion or was still angry.
However, she was in no mood to care about the Zhou family's mess. After all, she had signed in for three months and resisted the urge to claim the gift pack, hoping to win a powerful artifact to boost her strength. Unexpectedly, her luck turned around and the system gave her a super amazing surprise!
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