"Okay, okay, you're right to study abroad. Now all the students are out protesting, and I can only teach a few classes a month. I haven't received a salary for over a year. If this continues, I won't even be able to afford food," Professor Gao said, looking meaningfully at Huang Wanzhen. "When I really can't afford to eat, I'll write to you for help. You must help me."
Huang Wanzhen said nothing, but just looked at Professor Gao seriously and nodded.
Seeing Chen Mingzhu again, she was wearing a purple high-waisted fishtail skirt, with a white pearl necklace wrapped three times around her neck. She looked like a lady in every move, but even the most expensive dress could not erase the traces of time from the corners of her eyes.
Chen Mingzhu looked at Huang Wanzhen, who was wearing a simple wool sweater and trousers, with a complicated look in her eyes.
In her dreams many nights, Chen Mingzhu would return to her teenage years, when she was still studying in a church school and had not yet married, and woolen sweaters were still the most fashionable and stylish clothing.
No one calls her Ms. Chen, but Miss Chen.
Every time after school, students from the boys' school next door would gather at the gate of the girls' school and secretly watch her. She was content and happy in her heart, but she had to be reserved. She was a socialite in Shanghai, so how could she associate with a man whose background she didn't know?
Little did she know that so many young masters from Shanghai's top families had fallen at her feet. She was so glorious and happy at that time.
Her father chose a man with the best family background for her, and of course she thought that was great, otherwise she would not have married him.
But within two years of her marriage, she found out that the best man had bought a small mansion outside. The funny thing was that the woman was just a lowly actress. She couldn't understand why Chen Mingzhu, who had a good family background, education, and good looks, could not compare to an actress?
She was furious, resentful, and unwilling to accept her fate. She made a scene, causing her husband to refuse to return home, and causing the entire Liu family to resent her. Though she appeared aggressive on the outside, she was terrified inside, and she didn't understand why this had happened. In just two years, everything had changed.
Two years ago, she was a prominent Shanghai socialite, her doorstep practically trampled with marriage proposals. Didn't the Liu family even proactively approach her? Back then, both the man and his family were incredibly kind to her. How come, after just two years, impatience had settled in the man's eyes, and the Liu family's faces had lost their former friendliness?
Did she do anything wrong? She just felt wronged and expressed it.
Chen Mingzhu, with the pride of a Shanghainese socialite, refused to admit her mistakes. The Liu family was upset, thinking that this daughter-in-law was too unruly and unfit to be a daughter-in-law of the Liu family. So the marriage came to an end.
Chen Mingzhu was undoubtedly dazzling and charming in her teenage years. But after being married and divorced, Chen Mingzhu seemed to have turned from a bright pearl into a dead fish eye. The men who had previously been attentive to her now looked at her with terrifying eyes, some with disdain, some with lust, and only the respect was gone.
Yes, respect, she thought she would never get it in this life. Only those who looked at her with an equal eye could give her respect, but who could give her an equal eye now?
Chen Mingzhu was holding her breath, thinking that Fan Hengming was okay. She tried hard to maintain a friendly relationship between the two and did not dare to take a step forward easily because she was afraid that Fan Hengming would think she was reckless. So, she was reserved in front of Fan Hengming at the beginning, but after a long time, she found that Fan Hengming did not seem to have that kind of intention towards her. She had suffered and struggled, but for the last bit of beauty in her heart, she chose to pretend that nothing had happened and quietly retreated to the position of a friend.
Chen Mingzhu was brave once, and at that time there were so many people supporting her behind the scenes, so she just had to move forward boldly.
At her bravest age, she put on her wedding dress and walked into the hall with the man with firm steps. She was sure at that time that she had found her life partner, and they would go hand in hand until the end of time.
Perhaps, people like her will never be happy in their entire lives.
Fortunately, she still had her family, who accepted her again and gave her spiritual comfort when she was at her most unfortunate.
But life is too long, and who knows what will happen in the future? The family's patron has fallen, but the Chen family cannot fall. They must find a new patron and continue the family's glory. Therefore, the woman becomes a tool. She, the daughter of a divorced woman, is no longer valuable. She can only take a worthless path to pave the way for the Chen family.
Deep in her heart, she finally forgave herself. It was not that she did not work hard enough, but that men had the final say in this society. Her previous title of "socialite" was only lifted up by them, but now she was thrown to the ground by them and could only live on the ground.
But when she saw Huang Wanzhen, Chen Mingzhu couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. She was just wearing an ordinary woolen sweater and trousers. Maybe because she had been in school all the time, she still had the student spirit, which added a bit of intellectual beauty. But she seemed unaware of it, standing there straight and smiling at people.
"Hello, Ms. Chen, long time no see."
Chen Mingzhu ignored Huang Wanzhen's outstretched hand, turned around, and sat down in the booth. "Colombian coffee, French baked cake, hurry up!"
As she spoke, she gave the waiter some tips. The waiter immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Miss, please wait a moment. I'll get it for you."
Chen Mingzhu gave the waiter an appreciative look and waved her hand, signaling him to hurry up. She then turned to look at Huang Wanzhen and Fan Hengming who had just taken their seats, "Humph! Learn from them!"
Fan Hengming smiled good-naturedly, "Yes, Miss Chen, order whatever you like, I'll pay."
Huang Wanzhen readily agreed, "Ms. Chen's taste is definitely top-notch. I can definitely follow her!"
After being coaxed by the two, Chen Mingzhu felt bored and said to Huang Wanzhen with a sad face, "Is what Fan Hengming said true? Jixiangtang is doing so well, why don't you do it anymore?"
Before meeting Chen Mingzhu, Huang Wanzhen had a price in mind. But when she saw the purple waist-cinching fishtail skirt she was wearing, Huang Wanzhen quietly raised the price in her mind by 10%.
"I started a new company in the United States, and it's doing very well. I decided to take advantage of the momentum and make additional investments."
Chen Mingzhu suddenly felt that reading too many books was of no benefit. Huang Wanzhen had read too much and had become stupid. She even wanted to move all her businesses to the United States. If something unexpected happened and the business in the United States failed due to external forces, then all her fortune would be lost.
Huang Wanzhen was really dazzled by the scenery abroad, but Chen Mingzhu thought that it was impossible for her to remind Huang Wanzhen, so she would just let her lose everything.
The matter went smoothly. The Chen family was wealthy and powerful, so they not only bought all the properties in Shanghai, but also in Peking. Huang Wanzhen also agreed to sell it to the Chen family.
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