Shu Yan didn't come to the store all day yesterday, and Zhang Huaxiu and Shu Yan were both a little worried. When they saw that Shu Yan looked pale and weak, they were even more worried.
They'd known each other for a month or two, and the proprietress had always been energetic; it was rare to see her like this.
"Don't even mention it. The last time that client gave me a home remedy for removing freckles, I took one dose the night before last, and I had diarrhea that very night. I had diarrhea all day yesterday, and the medicine I took didn't work. I had to go for an IV drip today. It almost killed me." Shu Yan was still recovering and felt completely exhausted.
"It's that serious, are there any other problems?" Zhang Huaxiu looked at Shu Yan with lingering fear.
"It's nothing, the doctor said that folk remedy is for clearing heat and detoxifying." Shu Yan said, both amused and exasperated. "It's supposed to detoxify and beautify the skin, but my constitution is too cold, so I had a strong reaction after taking it."
A customer who was buying clothes overheard Shu Yan's words and interjected, "This definitely won't work. You shouldn't take medicine randomly. I suggest you go to the hospital for laser freckle removal. A good friend of mine did it, and now her skin is fair and tender, like a peeled egg."
"I've heard that laser freckle removal is bad for you, and that your skin will become very bad afterward." Shu Yan had considered it before, but she was worried about the potential side effects.
"As long as you take good care of yourself, there won't be any major problems. It's better than taking some folk remedies." The client looked at Shu Yan's face. "Your features are quite pretty. If your skin were fairer and your freckles were gone, you'd be a beauty."
"You're joking, aren't you?" Shu Yan decided to wait until she finished the traditional Chinese medicine at home before talking about it; the laser idea sounded a bit scary.
Speaking of skin tone, the original owner of this body worked in the fields from childhood to adulthood. After arriving in Nancheng, Shu Yan consciously started using sunscreen and whitening products, and has seen some results so far. She hasn't become much whiter, but she's not as dark as before. She believes that if she covers up her skin for a winter, her skin will become even lighter.
After much anticipation, the telephone installer finally arrived. Once the phone was installed, Shu Yan immediately called Hu Ruixue so she could contact her directly if needed. She also dialed the numbers of several other suppliers. Flipping through the phone book, she hesitated for a moment when she saw the name on the first page, but still dialed the number.
"Third Brother, it's me."
"You still know to call me? How long has it been since you last contacted me? I thought you had disappeared."
Aside from making a phone call to Shu Jianyang when I first arrived in Nancheng, I haven't contacted him since. Counting the time, it must have been more than a month. No wonder Shu Jianyang was angry.
Getting angry means someone cares about you. Shu Yan smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, Third Brother, I've been too busy here and haven't been able to call you. This is my new phone; you can contact me anytime from now on."
"You even installed a telephone? Looks like you're doing well over there. Last time I heard you say you were going to buy a house, was it installed after the house was renovated?" Shu Jianyang shifted to a more comfortable position and waved for the people around him to leave.
"No, the house was just renovated, and the smell inside is too strong right now. It needs to be ventilated for a few more months. We'll probably move in around the end of the year. I run a clothing store in Nancheng. Here's the store's phone number. I'm usually there during the day, but I'm not at the store until four or five in the afternoon when I go to pick up the kids." Shu Yan didn't hide anything from Shu Jianyang; he was the only family member she trusted in this world.
"That's great, you've even started your own business. How's business?" Shu Jianyang had known Shu Yan for a while and knew that his cousin was no ordinary person, so he wasn't surprised that she had opened a shop in Nancheng.
"It's alright, just enough to make a living. I can't compare to Third Brother. How's things going on your end?" Shu Yan thought for a moment, then asked, "How's Ye Zhiqiang? Has he been asking about me?"
"Ye Zhiqiang is quite capable. I snatched a project from him, but he managed to keep one of the projects. However, even after finishing that project, the money he earned was barely enough to pay off his high-interest loans. Knowing that he's broke, quite a few of his men are still willing to follow him. A few days ago, he took that woman and his men to the Northwest. They probably won't be back for a while. Do you still want to keep an eye on him? I can send someone over to investigate."
"No need, I was just asking." Shu Yan thought about it carefully. Ye Zhiqiang was very generous to outsiders, especially to his subordinates, so it was not hard to understand why they were still willing to follow him.
Shu Jianyang: "By the way. Your parents came looking for you last month, and then they went to Ye Zhiqiang's place. That's when they found out about your divorce. They probably went to Ye Zhiqiang to ask for money, and a conflict broke out. Your younger brother got beaten up by his men. Then they came to me, and I sent them away. Anyway, they are still your parents. Do you want to contact them and let them know you're safe?"
“I treated them like my parents, but they didn’t treat me like their daughter. Third brother, they don’t care if I live or die, they only think about making money off me, preferably all of it for their son, and maybe they can sell me again and make another fortune. In any case, don’t tell anyone about what happened in Nancheng, especially my parents. To be honest, I don’t even know if I ran all this way to avoid Ye Zhiqiang or to avoid them,” Shu Yan said with a bitter smile.
Shu Jianyang sighed. His second uncle and aunt were indeed very sexist. "I understand. I won't tell anyone where you are without your consent. Take care of yourself over there. Call me if anything happens."
"Thank you, Third Brother. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. Anyway, you already know my number, so let's keep in touch."
"Keep in touch." Shu Jianyang hung up the phone, slapped his forehead, and realized he'd forgotten to tell Shu Yan that Ye Zhiqiang's woman had miscarried. Oh well, it wasn't a big deal, and she probably wouldn't want to know anyway.
After hanging up the phone, Shu Yan couldn't help but recall the original owner's parents. They truly wished they could skin their daughter alive and give her tendons to their son. Anyway, Shu Yan would never tell them where she was, nor would she be as blindly filial as the original owner. She would just fulfill her responsibilities.
Yingying, who was sorting goods outside, didn't even notice when she heard Shuyan's phone call. She stared blankly ahead, her eyes vacant.
"Yingying, Yingying..."
"Ah!" Yingying woke up with a start. "Boss lady, what did you call me for?"
"I told you to rest if you're tired," Shu Yan said with a smile.
Zhang Huaxiu went out for lunch with Chen Fei today. Now it's just her and Yingying in the shop. They don't have a lunch break, but Shuyan usually lets them take turns resting.
“I’m not tired, I just…” Yingying thought for a while and said, “My mom always says that my brother is the root of the family and has to carry on the family line. Once I get married, I’ll belong to someone else’s family. They gave birth to me and raised me. Even if they don’t think about the future, they still have to help my brother before I get married. I think what they say is right, but I’m not willing to accept it. I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on you. My brother recently started dating a girlfriend, and the family wants to buy him a house. My mom wants me to contribute 10,000 yuan. Where am I going to get so much money? I… I really don’t know what to do.”
Ten thousand? In 1992, how could her parents have the audacity to ask a twenty-year-old girl to pay ten thousand yuan?
Shu Yan had only thought Yingying's family was poor when she saw the food Yingying brought, but she never expected it was because of the preference for sons over daughters.
“Your parents gave birth to you and raised you, not your brother. When your parents get old, you can be filial to yourself. Why support your brother now? Don’t be silly. If they don’t think about you, you have to think about yourself. Your life is your own.” Shu Yan patted Yingying’s shoulder. “Do your parents know your salary?”
Yingying shook her head, "I told them about the base salary and subsidies, but I didn't calculate the commission, so I didn't tell them."
"Then don't say anything. Go back and tell them that I'm not giving them a food allowance anymore. From now on, you'll eat here and buy your own food outside. All you eat are steamed buns and vegetables every day. Look how thin you are. If you get any thinner, I won't want you anymore." Shu Yan deliberately scared her. "Don't even mention the commission. Save it yourself. There will be plenty of time to be filial to your parents later. It's not about this."
Yingying had actually had this idea for a while, otherwise she wouldn't have kept the commission a secret, she just hadn't made up her mind yet.
"Boss lady, can I deposit my money here? My mom is afraid I'll run away, so she's keeping my ID card." Yingying smiled bitterly. "I can't even open a passbook, and it's not safe to keep the money at home. What if my mom finds it?"
"Okay, then you keep a good record of the expenses. I'll also keep a record for you. If you need it, just ask me for it. If you don't need it, just keep saving it up and use it as your dowry when you get married," Shu Yan teased.
Yingying smiled shyly, "It's still early. I was chatting with Sister Xiuxiu the other day, and she said that even after marriage, one should be financially independent and not ask a man for money unless absolutely necessary."
“That’s the right idea. It’s better to have your own than to have someone else’s. So save up some money on your own. That’s what gives you confidence.” Shu Yan heard the doorbell ring and looked up. It was Zhang Huaxiu who had returned, holding a bouquet of flowers.
"Wow, what beautiful flowers!" Yingying exclaimed enviously, her eyes sparkling as she saw Zhang Huaxiu's huge bouquet. "They said Chen Fei was shy, but isn't he quite the expert?"
Zhang Huaxiu glared at her, then said somewhat embarrassedly, "I plan to talk to my parents, and if they agree, we'll settle down before the new year."
"That's great." Shu Yan was genuinely happy for Zhang Huaxiu.
When Zhang Huaxiu returned home that evening, her parents were already asleep. She went over and knocked on the door.
"Do you need to see Mom and Dad?" Wu Xiuyue asked as she came out of the kitchen.
"There's something I need to announce," Zhang Huaxiu said with a smile.
Zhang's father, Zhang's mother, Zhang Huafeng, and Wu Xiuyue sat in front of Zhang Huaxiu, their eight eyes fixed on her.
"Say it again, what did you do?" Zhang Ma looked at her in surprise.
“I have a boyfriend named Chen Fei. He’s a designer. The clothing store where I work now was designed by him. He’s a really nice guy. I wanted to bring him back so you could see him.” Zhang Huaxiu said this again, waiting for her parents’ reaction.
“We just brought him home. We don’t know where he’s from, what his family does, how much he earns a month, or even how old he is.” Although we’ve been urging our daughter to find a partner, once she does, the parents are filled with all sorts of worries.
“He’s from Sichuan Province, 29 years old this year, a year older than me, which is a good age. He’s 175cm tall, and I’m 165cm, which is also a good height. He’s definitely good-looking, and like me, he graduated from a vocational school. His mother passed away when he was young, and his father remarried. Their relationship is so-so, and he hasn’t been back for many years. He said he’ll settle in Nancheng in the future and can buy a house nearby. He’s currently looking at Nancheng Shoufu. As long as you approve, he’ll buy it immediately. As for his monthly salary? He’s the chief designer of their company and also a minor shareholder, so it should be quite high.” Zhang Huaxiu told them everything she knew.
If someone is truly willing to settle in Nancheng and buy a house in Nancheng Capital, then it doesn't matter where they are from. The problem is that they might be lying and simply can't afford a house in Nancheng Capital.
"This news is too sudden. You need to give me and your mother some time to think about it." Compared to Zhang's mother, Zhang's father was more rational.
"Yes, yes, we need to think about it."
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