Chapter 189 Promise
“Your hands are exposed to wind and sun every day while you write and approve documents. If you don’t take care of them, they’ll crack and hurt.”
She pulled everything out at once, piling things all over the table.
From apples to oranges, from red dates to dried longans, and even a bag of homemade pickled cucumbers.
The table was instantly filled, and there was hardly any room to put a cup of tea.
She kept muttering to herself as she took things out.
"This orange is sweet, I picked it specially; that apple has been sitting for a while, you have to eat it first; the pickles are best eaten with porridge..."
Guo Zhenyi didn't say anything, he just stared at her and smiled.
She remembered that he loved limes, that he often rubbed his hands together when he wrote, and that he didn't like wearing gloves in winter.
He suddenly felt that the office heating had become gentler.
"Shufen, I've already asked around about my ex-wife's whereabouts, and I'll have news soon. I'll make sure everything is settled before we hold the wedding."
He grabbed her hand tightly, his voice trembling.
“Trust me,” he paused, his voice lowering, “no matter where she is, I will find her and settle things completely.”
"Zhenyi, don't blame yourself. So what if you have a child?"
Zhou Shufen gently patted the back of his hand.
"We can't just make a mistake because we want peace of mind."
As she spoke, her brows furrowed slightly.
"This matter needs to be thoroughly investigated; we can't let it ruin the rest of our lives in confusion."
"Yes, I know. I've been working on the paperwork for a while now. When are you going back to Yuxin? I need to go and look through the old files too."
Guo Zhenyi nodded, his expression regaining its composure.
"These are the materials from back then, and I've kept them all this time."
He looked up at her.
“When you get back, I’ll go to the bureau to check the old files and verify the time, place, and procedures.”
"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, and I'll take some goods back with me. Guess what? Yu Xin's little general store has become a huge wholesale market! Bosses from Yang City are all buying from me!"
Zhou Shufen's eyes lit up.
“That old dilapidated house has now been expanded into three shops! Shelves are lined up all the way to the door, and people come to line up to pick up goods before dawn every morning.”
"I even secretly kept track of the profits. Last month I made a net profit of over 800, which is more than your salary!"
"My Shufen is really capable!"
Guo Zhenyi couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He walked to her side and gently ruffled the ends of her hair.
“I knew you were destined for greatness. You managed to save money selling needles and thread back in the village; now that you have connections, how could I let you go to waste?”
Zhou Shufen has ample space, which saves her a significant amount on shipping costs and has been her biggest asset in quickly turning over goods over the years.
“You’re not bad either. Do your job as captain well. When you retire, we can go into business together. That would be so much more comfortable.”
Zhou Shufen glanced at him with a smile.
"You handle the accounting up front, and I'll ship the goods from behind. If the customer dares to renege on the payment, just glare at him with your captain's eyes, and I guarantee he'll be scared into handing over the money on the spot!"
She laughed as she spoke.
Guo Zhenyi burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"Why bother with all this after retirement? I'll just go with you. We'll buy an apartment in Ningcheng, the kind with a big yard. We can grow some vegetables and raise a few chickens. Don't you always say that homegrown vegetables smell amazing?"
He stopped laughing and looked out the window.
"You water the vegetables in the morning, I feed the chickens, and we take a nap under the shade of a tree at noon. When we wake up, we can even eat a cucumber that we grew ourselves."
"You tell me, isn't that better than having meetings every day?"
He paused, looking at her.
"If you want to do something else, I'll go with you. I'll manage the accounts and collect the money. I guarantee I'll be more accurate than that old abacus at the supermarket counter."
If she still wants to try new things, he's willing to lend a hand.
“I’m not just good at sitting in an office. When I was young, I also managed the warehouse in a factory. I kept perfect accounts.”
He looked intently into her eyes.
"In this lifetime, I want to settle accounts with you, not just about money, but about the days we live together."
Zhou Shufen felt a warmth in her heart.
"Then you need to make the yard brighter. Plant chili peppers and eggplants on the east side, and build a grape trellis on the west side. In the summer, you can sit under it, drink some cool tea, and feel the breeze. It's so comfortable."
She snapped out of her daze, a smile playing on her lips.
"The east side faces the sun, which is perfect for growing vegetables; the west side is shady in the afternoon, which is ideal for building trellises for grapes."
She gestured.
"I'll grow a few more jasmine plants, and the whole yard will be filled with fragrance when they bloom. If you're too lazy to cook, I'll just pick some chili peppers, stir-fry some eggs, and eat them with cold noodles. We'll eat until we're sweating buckets—that's what I call truly enjoyable!"
After finishing their meal, the two slowly walked home.
It was completely dark by then.
The nights are cool. Winter in Ningcheng isn't cold, but when the wind blows, your trouser legs feel sticky and cold.
Zhou Shufen shrank her neck and subconsciously moved closer to Guo Zhenyi.
Guo Zhenyi noticed this and quietly turned to the side, using his coat to shield her from the wind.
He held her hand tightly, never missing a step.
"Shufen, Ningcheng's policies are getting more and more relaxed every day."
Guo Zhenyi walked in front.
He suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked directly at her.
"The wind has changed now, and many people are watching and waiting. If you want to build a house, people in several villages outside the city have already started construction secretly."
He paused, then added.
“It’s not just one or two companies, it’s being built in large areas. The key issue is that nobody is in charge.”
"If you want to make a move, now is the time."
"Then... what about the property rights?"
Shufen frowned.
She is not afraid of hardship or risk.
What she was most worried about was that she couldn't gamble everything she had worked so hard to earn on a foundation that could be toppled at any moment.
"If the government decides to demolish it someday, who will own the house? Who will receive compensation? There's no answer to any of these questions."
"Why don't you register a company and build it in the company's name?"
Guo Zhenyi pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.
“In this way, the land is the company’s asset, and the building is also under the company’s name. Even if there are changes in the future, it will be easy to handle. Moreover, by following the proper procedures, even if the land is really to be expropriated, there will be room for negotiation.”
"Let me think about it."
She wasn't hesitating about whether to do it or not, but rather considering the safest way to do it.
This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided on a whim.
Guo Zhenyi nodded and did not try to persuade him further.
He silently walked her to her doorstep, and when they parted, he only whispered one sentence.
"Tell me when you've made up your mind."
Then he turned and left.
As soon as Zhou Shufen stepped into her own space, the scene before her almost made her scream.
The vegetables and fruits were piled up higher than a person, layer upon layer, almost reaching the top of the space.
She looked left and right, and there was hardly any room left to stand.
"This...this is way too much!"
She murmured to herself.
Zhou Yujie's foreign trade company became famous throughout the port city in just a few months.
At first, it was just a few old merchants who did wholesale business talking about it, but later even the breakfast stall owners on the street knew about it.
Fortunately, he was prepared and voluntarily gave up 20% of the profits to Director Chen.
Director Chen, who had connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles in Hong Kong, immediately spoke up after receiving the benefits.
“Zhou Yujie is one of us. To mess with him is to disrespect me.”
Now, even those thugs who were used to causing trouble would avoid them, for fear of getting into trouble.
The next morning, the big truck that Zhou Yujie had rented arrived again.
"Let's go, let's head to the port city!"
Zhou Yujie patted the car door.
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