“That dream was so terrifying that I’ve been plagued by it for the past few months. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I had someone investigate the girl named Gu Ciyu. We found out that she’s from the same village as you.”
At this point, Cheng Yuerong suddenly leaned closer to Lin Qixia and asked, "You probably—you probably know her, right?"
Her demeanor at this moment didn't seem like she was simply asking Lin Qixia out of curiosity, but rather that she already knew something and was confirming it with Lin Qixia.
Lin Qixia nodded awkwardly, "Yes, I do know her."
She even suddenly remembered why the name Cheng Yuerong had always seemed so familiar.
The dream the other person mentioned was actually a scene from the original story.
Cheng Yuerong did indeed meet that fate.
But what is this now? Is this a two-dimensional character awakening?
Lin Qixia looked at Cheng Yuerong in front of her and thought it was amazing.
"That's great!" Cheng Yuerong exclaimed happily upon hearing Lin Qixia's response, grabbing her arms with both hands. "Let's join forces to deal with her!"
"ah?"
Lin Qixia was startled upon hearing this and quickly pulled her arm away. "There's no need for that. What you're talking about is just a dream. Did she really harm you?"
She actually believed the other party. Although Cheng Yuerong's way of obtaining information was bizarre, it was strange in itself that she could exist in this world.
However, she couldn't just follow Cheng Yuerong's logic and let her manipulate her.
Cheng Yuerong frowned, displeased at being rejected: "I know what I said is outlandish, but let's not worry about whether it's true or not. You and she are from the same village."
"You must know Gu Ciyu's character, right?"
"Aren't you afraid she'll threaten you in the future? Don't you plan to do anything in advance?"
After she finished speaking, she stood up and said to Lin Qixia seriously, "Anyway, I've told you everything I needed to say today. You don't need to rush to reject me. I hope you can think it over carefully before responding to me."
When Lin Qixia came to her senses, she was all alone in the courtyard.
Cheng Yuerong left Xiahe Manor with her servants.
Lin Qixia turned her head, picked up the half-eaten bun on the table, and took a bite.
Unfortunately, compared to before, she now finds breakfast increasingly unappetizing, as if it were chewing wax.
"What a disappointment." Not wanting to waste food, she swallowed the bun whole and stopped eating.
Afterwards, he went to the front of the store as if nothing had happened and got back to work.
However, Lin Qixia's condition was not very good during this period.
"Xia'er, why do you seem so preoccupied all morning?" He Zhilan asked Lin Qixia during the lunch break.
Lin Qixia touched her face. "Ah, is it that obvious?"
Then, faced with He Zhilan's affirmative gaze, she gave an awkward smile.
He then took a deep breath and solemnly said to He Zhilan, "Do we have enough funds now to open the next store?"
"That's enough, isn't it?" He Zhilan answered subconsciously.
However, she quickly realized what Lin Qixia was saying and was taken aback. "You're going to open other stores?"
He Zhilan thought that the business they were running was doing so well that it was enough to support them in a good way.
The environment isn't that great these days. What if I lose money if I open another store?
“Yes, not just one. As long as it’s feasible, I’d like to go through a franchise model—basically, I’ll keep opening as long as the conditions allow,” Lin Qixia said.
"I want to make 'Xiahezhuang' as big as possible in the future."
He Zhilan looked at her for a moment and replied, "Okay, if Xia'er wants to do it, then let her do it."
In the end, she still didn't voice her unease and doubts.
Her Xia'er is always reliable, so she shouldn't stop her if she wants to do it.
Perhaps she has her reasons for having to do it.
Lin Qixia was slightly surprised that He Zhilan would agree so calmly, but she also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
I was bound to make this decision sooner or later.
Now, the things Cheng Yuerong said to her made her take them to heart, so—
The plan naturally needs to be brought forward.
Time flies, and the first month of the new year has quickly passed.
At the end of this month, Lin Qixia was not in Lichong County, but appeared in the neighboring Qishan County.
In Shiling Street, the busiest and most prosperous area in Qishan County, a newly opened shop unveiled its signboard.
"Xiahe Village? Is that Xiahe Village in Lichong County next door?"
"I never expected that in less than a year, that store would have already opened in our Qishan County!"
"I heard that its owner is a young girl, which is quite amazing."
"That's quite amazing. I heard he even managed to bring down the county magistrate all by himself!"
"Oh? That's really impressive."
Amidst the bustling crowd at the shop entrance, murmurs of discussion filled the air.
Lin Qixia stood in front, dressed in a light blue outfit. Beside her was a girl in purple, wearing a veil over her head, keeping a low profile.
Soon his excited voice rang out: "As expected, you still chose to join forces with me. Trust me, I was absolutely right."
Listen carefully, and you'll hear that the voice belongs to Cheng Yuerong.
Facing the crowd, Lin Qixia smiled as usual, "Why are you starting to hide things now?"
She lowered her voice and asked Cheng Yuerong.
Cheng Yuerong's voice choked for a moment, then she said awkwardly, "I just don't want that horrible woman Gu Ciyu to notice me. What if she comes looking for me beforehand?"
Ever since she had that strange dream a few months ago, she has become increasingly fearful.
Even though the nightmare had ended after Lin Qixia agreed to join forces with her, she couldn't relax.
"Okay." Lin Qixia suppressed a laugh, still feeling somewhat sorry for her.
After all, she herself had suffered a similar fate to hers.
However, she thinks this trajectory could also be considered a change.
Especially if the two of them join forces, it won't be so easy for Gu Ciyu to deal with them.
Opening this shop allowed Lin Qixia to recruit more people.
She promoted Wen Xuan and Li Xing'er, putting them in charge of training, and the talent selection process went very smoothly.
And so, the second chain store of "Xiahezhuang" was opened.
Everything went smoothly for the next few months; the two stores stabilized, and funds accumulated again.
By the second half of the year, Lin Qixia was already preparing to open the remaining shops in Huailiang Prefecture.
That day, while she was at the main store in Lichong County, she suddenly received a letter from Beiling Mountain Village.
"Something's happened!"
Lin Qixia's expression turned serious after just one glance at the letter.
He Zhilan asked her, "What's wrong?"
Lin Qixia handed the letter to He Zhilan, "It's from my elder brother."
"What? What happened to him?" He Zhilan's hand trembled slightly as she took the letter.
While He Zhilan was reading the letter, Lin Qixia said directly, "Judging from the contents of the letter, they had an accident on the way to deliver the goods."
She just didn't expect that there would be other bandits in the Qishan area besides Beiling.
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