"You're bragging. You're just a young woman, the youngest entrepreneur? I've never heard of a young female entrepreneur like you!"
The women's director's face was full of mockery and disbelief.
You have to understand that it's already quite remarkable for a woman to become the women's director, let alone a young girl like her.
Zhao Jingxiang, who was standing to the side, suddenly lit up, as if he had remembered something.
When his family's Commander Zhao came home that year, he mentioned to him that there was a capitalist's daughter who was very conscious and took the lead in handing over the assets on behalf of her seriously ill grandfather.
He also glanced at the photo in the newspaper of his father presenting an award to the capitalist's daughter, and was utterly astonished.
No wonder I felt that Ling Huanwu looked familiar when I first met her.
It turned out that he had met her a long time ago.
"Shut up!"
Zhao Jingxiang glared at the women's director who had just spoken rudely, then turned to look at Ling Huanwu with a serious expression, his previous nonchalance gone. "Comrade Ling, my brother is probably no longer around. My father said that I must repay the debt of gratitude for the marriage contract with your Ling family!"
"You're seeking revenge, aren't you! Does repaying a debt of gratitude have to involve marriage? Comrade Ling already has someone she loves, and you're deliberately trying to break them up!"
Zhou Jiuzhen pulled Ling Huanwu behind him first and stretched out his hand to Zhao Jingxiang with his palm facing up.
"You say you're my childhood sweetheart and fiancé, but where's the marriage certificate? You need to provide proof!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Mr. and Mrs. Ling, who had been waiting in the guesthouse for a long time, came out and excitedly began to pull out evidence, saying, "The evidence is right here with us!"
Ling's father took out the marriage certificate that Zhao Jingxiang had just given him and spread it out for everyone to see. He was so excited that his hands were trembling. "This Comrade Zhao just picked us up from afar and arranged for us to stay in the guesthouse. He also gave the marriage certificate to your father and said that he would continue to fulfill the marriage contract."
Ling's mother grabbed Ling Huanwu's hand, her eyes glistening with tears, her face full of love. "Our daughter has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Now that she has the Zhao family to rely on, she is no longer afraid of the Qin family's revenge."
As they talked, the two turned to look at Zhao Jingxiang, calling him a good son-in-law, which made Zhou Jiuzhen's face darken even more.
Since leaving Stone Village, they had become separated from Song Yaoyao. With nowhere to go, the two did not return to Stone Village but instead went back to their hometown. Unexpectedly, they were picked up by the Zhao family, who had suddenly come looking for them.
Having secured this auspicious marriage, they naturally wanted to cling to it tightly.
Ling Huanwu caught a glimpse of Zhou Jiuzhen's extremely distressed expression, and her refusal immediately poured cold water on her parents.
"Two old comrades, I remember I've already severed ties with you, haven't I? Your daughter is currently in Stone Village recovering from childbirth. If you want a good son-in-law, you can marry your daughter who's recovering from childbirth to him!"
Her words were piercing and hurtful.
Ling's mother looked at Zhao Jingxiang and smiled awkwardly, "This silly girl is joking. How could we possibly marry our daughter, who is in postpartum confinement, into the Commander's family as his daughter-in-law? Don't you think so?"
Zhao Jingxiang frowned, his face full of displeasure.
He had already revealed his identity and wealth, but unexpectedly, this woman was not tempted and even pushed her sister out as a shield.
"Comrade Ling, even if you don't acknowledge your parents, you still have to acknowledge your grandfather, right? This marriage was arranged by your grandfather. You don't want to go against your grandfather's wishes, do you?"
"Besides..."
Zhao Jingxiang gave Zhou Jiuzhen a provocative look, "You wouldn't want some people to be called shameless opportunists, and then lose their secure jobs, would you?"
His meaning was clear: if Ling Huanwu broke the engagement and continued to entangle with Zhou Jiuzhen, Zhou Jiuzhen might not even be able to continue as the regimental commander.
Zhou Jiuzhen snorted coldly and stood in front of Ling Huanwu, "Don't try to threaten him with me. If you dare to force yourself on me, even if your father is a commander, I will still take care of you..."
Ling Huanwu quickly grabbed Zhou Jiuzhen, interrupting him to stop him from continuing.
“Comrade Zhao, you said you are the brother of Comrade Zhao Ergou, who was betrothed to me when we were children. The implication is that Comrade Zhao Ergou is dead. But the Zhao Ergou from the educated youth settlement also came to me with a marriage certificate. I have to go back to Stone Village to find out who is the real one before I make any plans. Don’t you think so?”
Zhao Jingxiang nodded in understanding, but his eyes gleamed with smugness as he glanced at Zhou Jiuzhen. "Of course I have to find out the truth. I'll wait until Comrade Ling is willing to marry me!"
Zhou Jiuzhen also felt the provocation. The moment their eyes met, it was like a ship hitting an iceberg, and the flames of confrontation flared up, ready to explode at any moment.
Ling Huanwu casually responded and hurriedly entered the guesthouse.
In the middle of the night, Lin Xiaoqin went into the house and lay down on the bed, too tired to get out.
Ling Huanwu held the phone book of enterprises and institutions, making circles and marks on it, worrying about where to find customers who could take such a large order.
Just as the moonlight spilled over the guesthouse windowsill, a muddy military boot sole suddenly slammed onto the edge with a "thud."
Next up was Zhou Jiuzhen's hard, stubby head...
Zhou Jiuzhen looked like a large dog soaked by the rain, with grass still stuck to the cuffs of his military uniform trousers, as he peered into the house through the window frame.
Ling Huanwu was sitting by the window, talking to Lin Xiaoqin who was lying on the bed, when she suddenly saw this head. She was so startled that she almost poked his eye with the pen in her hand.
Lin Xiaoqin let out a "whoosh" and shrank under the covers, only her eyes showing: "Comrade Xiaozi, what's that? A bear that's become a spirit?"
Zhou Jiuzhen ignored her, took a long stride and flipped in, staggering as he landed and almost bumped into the corner of the table.
He didn't say anything, just stood straight next to Ling Huanwu, his military cap brim pulled low, only his tightly pursed jawline and... slightly trembling shoulders could be seen.
"What are you doing?" Ling Huanwu asked, both angry and anxious, lowering her voice. "This is a guesthouse! What will it look like if people see this!"
Zhou Jiuzhen remained motionless. After a long while, he finally uttered a muffled sentence, his voice hoarse as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper: "So you just said you agreed to his marriage proposal?"
"I didn't agree to that; I was forced by circumstances!"
Ling Huanwu explained with some helplessness.
"The situation? Is it because... you're pregnant?" He suddenly looked up, as if he had guessed the truth, his eyes were frighteningly red.
The regimental commander, whose shouts on the training ground could make even the most naive recruits' legs go weak, now had a voice trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind, "So that's why you agreed? Ling Huanwu, tell me."
Ling Huanwu was confused again: "What's wrong?"
"Well, it's just..." Zhou Jiuzhen's face turned bright red, and he stammered for a long time without being able to get the words out. Finally, he stamped his foot in frustration, like a wronged big boy, "It's just that last time by the pond... didn't you throw up afterwards? I asked the city sanitation worker, and she said... she said you might..."
Ling Huanwu slumped her shoulders in despair, only then remembering that she had vomited on the boat earlier.
At that time, he assumed she was pregnant.
But the goods arrived the next day, and she forgot to tell him.
But he still couldn't stop thinking about it. He was such a precocious child, only "eighteen years old" and already eager to be a father.
So now he's figured out where he is, and climbed up through the window to question her.
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Ling Huanwu glanced at Lin Xiaoqin, who was still gossiping on the bed, grabbed a hot water bottle and threw it at him.
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