Since the project was confirmed, Meng Suihuan decided not to stay at the Lu family’s house any longer and planned to rent a place in the city.

“Mom, Dad, I’ll be staying in the city for a while. Please help keep an eye on the vegetable factory. If anything happens, have Uncle send word to me.”

The Lu family was shocked, caught completely off guard by the sudden news.

Lu’s mother was the first to react. Rolling up her sleeves, she asked, “Suihuan, is someone badmouthing you in the village again? Or trying to trip you up? Don’t worry, tell me everything—I’ll take care of it!”

Meng Suihuan shook her head.

Seeing this, Lu’s mother immediately turned her frustration on Lu’s father. “And you! Didn’t I tell you days ago to hurry up and fix the house? But no, you just had to take your time and drag your feet! Now look at what’s happened!”

Lu’s father looked stunned, while Meng Suihuan was both amused and exasperated. “Mom! This has nothing to do with the house or the village gossip. Don’t overthink it. I’m heading to the city for work.”

She briefly explained her plans, this time providing more details than before. The Lu parents, though still taken aback, quickly understood that their daughter-in-law was ambitious and capable, and it was impossible for her to stay confined to the small Lu Village forever. They just hadn’t expected things to progress so quickly.

“Suihuan, I’ll say it again—whatever you decide to do, I’m behind you all the way. Go out there and make it big. I’ll take care of the factory for you!”

Meng Suihuan was touched. She felt incredibly fortunate to have met such open-minded, kind-hearted in-laws in an era like this.

With the Lu family’s heartfelt support and a car packed to the brim with their love and concern, Meng Suihuan left Lu Village for the city and moved into her newly rented apartment.



Fully dedicating herself to the old town renovation project, Meng Suihuan and Jiang Chengxuan conducted an on-site survey and found that the area’s problems were worse than they’d anticipated. The outdated infrastructure was just the tip of the iceberg—the region’s slow economic development and lack of proper facilities and services made it vastly inferior to the newer parts of the city.

Looking back, Meng Suihuan finally understood why the officials had repeatedly asked if she was sure about taking on the project during the contract signing.

“Well,” she thought, “if it were easy, someone else would’ve taken it by now. It wouldn’t have fallen into my lap.”

Renewed with determination, Meng Suihuan and Jiang Chengxuan managed to draft a preliminary plan in just a few days, giving them a moment to catch their breath.

“Xiao Jiang, how’s the outreach to the teams I asked you to contact? Any luck?”

Jiang Chengxuan shook his head. “They all turned us down. They think the pay is too low.”

So far, they’d approached several companies with collaboration proposals, but none had been successful.

Meng Suihuan sighed. “I see.” She had anticipated this outcome, but there wasn’t much she could do. The project’s budget was limited, and spending too much upfront would jeopardize future work.

“What should we do next, Boss?” Jiang Chengxuan asked.

After a moment’s thought, Meng Suihuan said, “If no team is willing to collaborate with us, we’ll just have to… build our own.”

Jiang Chengxuan was stunned. He’d thought she might raise their offer to negotiate further, not propose starting from scratch. Still, given their situation, this seemed like the only viable option.

Without hesitation, Meng Suihuan wrote a recruitment ad by hand and had Jiang Chengxuan post it on a wall outside. The offered salary was average for the city, but much lower compared to other teams in the same field. Retaining talent would be a challenge.

However, her ad included one unique benefit: free room and board.

Jiang Chengxuan couldn’t believe it. “Boss, are you crazy? Our budget is already tight, and now you’re offering free meals and housing?”

“What are you standing around for? Post it. And get the word out—hire some people to spread the news. I want everyone in the city to know about this.”

Jiang Chengxuan sighed in resignation. “Got it.”



The news spread like wildfire. Jiang Chengxuan not only put up posters but also hired people to publicize the job openings. Soon, loudspeakers throughout the city were announcing their company’s offer of free room and board.

Yet after two days, there wasn’t a single applicant—not even one.

This left not only Jiang Chengxuan but also the companies that had rejected their collaboration amused and skeptical.

“With such low pay, they actually think they can recruit anyone? Dream on! Jiang Chengxuan used to be sharp—how did he end up making such a dumb decision?”

“Don’t blame him; it’s probably that woman’s doing. You know how it is—women can be short-sighted. She doesn’t understand the market, and she’s picky to boot. If not for Jiang Chengxuan, no one would even entertain her.”

“Just wait. In a day or two, they’ll come crawling back to us. When they do, we’ll make sure they understand we’re not that easy to deal with.”

And so the people watched, waiting to see what would happen next.

Ironically, this conversation took place in Cheng Xin’s restaurant, where Meng Suihuan and Jiang Chengxuan were also dining—seated right behind them.

“What’s wrong with being a woman? Without us women, how would you have even come into existence?” Meng Suihuan wiped her mouth with a napkin and retorted without hesitation. “People shouldn’t take themselves too seriously, or they might end up with a swollen face.”

One of the men immediately got angry, slammed the table, and stood up, shouting aggressively, “Who are you insulting with your snide remarks?”

Meng Suihuan smiled calmly. “If the shoe fits, wear it.”

The man’s temper flared as he strode over to their table. “Say that again to my face if you have the guts!”

“Don’t sneak around talking behind people’s backs.”

Hearing this, Meng Suihuan laughed, looking up at him with a hint of mockery. “I could say the same to you. Don’t badmouth others behind their backs. Not everyone has a temper as good as mine. If it were someone else, they might curse your entire family line.”

The man’s fury reached its peak, and his hand reflexively rose in anger. “You shameless woman—”

Jiang Chengxuan stood up just in time to stop him. “Brother Liu, talking is one thing, but raising a hand? Is that what makes a man?” His smile remained, but his displeasure was unmistakable.

When the man saw Jiang Chengxuan, his expression shifted several times. “Jiang… Jiang Chengxuan.”

Jiang Chengxuan nodded. “Yes, it’s me. I thought you, Brother Liu, had forgotten all about this ‘brainless idiot.’”

The man’s face turned grim. The others at his table, who had also contributed to the earlier conversation, looked equally awkward.

One of them, quicker to react, tried to smooth things over. “Xiao Jiang, we were just joking earlier. If the words went too far, I apologize on behalf of everyone. Don’t take it to heart.”

Meng Suihuan chuckled lightly. “When I casually say a few words, you’re angry enough to start a fight. But when it comes back on you, it’s just a joke among brothers?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen such… unique brotherly camaraderie.”

Her tone wasn’t loud, but it was sharp enough for everyone to hear. Their faces turned even darker.

The man who had tried to mediate turned to Meng Suihuan and said seriously, “Miss, this is a matter between us brothers. It has nothing to do with you, so I hope you won’t stir up trouble.”

Meng Suihuan raised an eyebrow. “I’m afraid it does have something to do with me. After all, I’m the so-called ‘woman with long hair and short sight’ you were talking about.”

Watching their expressions darken further, Meng Suihuan felt immensely satisfied. She turned to Jiang Chengxuan and said, “Let’s go. We have a big project waiting for us. Unlike some people, we’re not so free to waste time.”

The group, once again subtly insulted: “…”

—

Jiang Chengxuan had initially thought the recruitment idea was unreliable and only gave it 70% effort. But now, he was giving it 120%. He constantly moved the recruitment flyer to different spots outside, trying over a dozen locations.

Whenever someone walked past the entrance, he would enthusiastically engage them, explaining the job offer so fervently that people often fled, giving him looks that clearly said, Are you insane?

Meng Suihuan: “…”

She couldn’t help but question if this was the same Jiang Chengxuan she knew as the antagonist. Could this be someone else entirely?

While Jiang Chengxuan stepped inside to get a drink of water, a voice came from behind them.

“Excuse me, are you the ones hiring?”

Jiang Chengxuan was so startled that he choked on his water, coughing violently and unable to utter a single “yes.”

Meng Suihuan took over, responding, “That’s right. We’re hiring. If you’re interested, we can discuss it.”

The man sat down and got straight to the point. “I saw that you’re offering free room and board. If that’s true, I’m in.”

So direct?

While Meng Suihuan silently marveled, Jiang Chengxuan nodded furiously. “It’s true, it’s true!”

Meng Suihuan: “…”

“You’re welcome to join, but I’ll need to assess your skills to ensure you meet our company’s requirements.”

“Go ahead and ask.”

Meng Suihuan asked several questions to get a sense of the man’s background and capabilities. One thing puzzled her, though. “From what you’ve described, you’re highly skilled. Why would you suddenly come to us? You should be in high demand anywhere.”

The man smiled wryly. “Skills don’t mean much. When it’s time to make way for someone else, you have to step aside.”

Understanding dawned on Meng Suihuan, and she extended her hand. “Welcome to Xuyu.”