Chapter 189: Hu Wei’s Visit

Jing Xi and Long Yuefei left the village, and Long Yuefei eagerly tore off his fake mustache.

He took off his black robe.

“Heavens, I couldn’t even smile, it was so suffocating!”

Jing Xi comforted him while driving, “I’ll take you to my other shop for dinner. Eat to your heart’s content, I’ll pay!”

Long Yuefei responded with an “mm”, feeling truly hungry.

But recalling the Wang family’s reaction just now, he thought Jing Xi was very perceptive. “How did you know that the Wang family would give up a chance to make big money for a tiny benefit?”

Jing Xi smiled. “Look at the three of them, do they seem like people with a broad vision? People who think long-term?”

“If they thought long-term, would Old Wang and his wife still be out there scrounging for free food and drink every day? If they cared about their daughter, would they have let Kong Yi refuse to pay for Wang Xiaohai’s medical bills?”

“Would they have driven away their own maternal grandfather while supporting their maternal grandson? All of this shows that they’re people who live for small gains and petty advantages, nothing else matters to them—whether they make money or not isn’t as important as what they currently have in hand!”

“But at the same time, they’re also quite good at talking. Once their money runs out, they’ll come up with a way to find me again!”

Long Yuefei hadn’t expected that Jing Xi, though young, could accomplish something in business because she was indeed quite perceptive.

She knew how to read people.

No wonder his fourth brother had taken a liking to her.

It wasn’t just because she was the true second young lady of the Xu family.

“So what’s your plan for the future?”

Jing Xi gave an evil smile. “Let them suffer a little, and maybe even face some misfortune. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be living up to your master’s prophecy!”

Long Yuefei rolled his eyes. By the time they arrived at the dumpling shop, he had already changed into his usual appearance.

After getting out of the car, he noticed that there was a long line in front of the dumpling shop, many of which were parents bringing their children who had just finished school.

Liu Qin, Wang Juan, and two other older sisters were working hard.

They saw Jing Xi and Long Yuefei in line.

Liu Qin shouted loudly, “Xiao Jing is here!”

Jing Xi quickly entered the shop.

Seeing how busy they were, she went to wash her hands, put on an apron, and helped.

“Juan’er, leave some raw dumplings for me. I’ll make sour soup dumplings, and we can all eat together later!”

“Alright!”

About half an hour later, all the steamed dumplings were sold out.

Jing Xi made a big pot of sour soup dumplings, and the aroma filled the air!

She knew that in Shaanxi Province, this was a common way to eat dumplings. Long Yuefei had helped her with the act, and this was her way of treating him!

Long Yuefei was also very observant. Seeing everyone busy, he went to help with the work, moving things, sweeping the floor, and clearing the tables.

He didn’t have any of the bad habits of a young master.

Compared to Long Yuezhi, he was more easy-going and had a better temper.

“Dumplings are ready!”

Six bowls of steaming hot dumplings were served on the table. The two older sisters were also having them for the first time. Jing Xi urged them to try them quickly.

“They’re delicious!”

“Yes, they’re so hot! I’ve been feeling cold lately, and this warms me right up!”

“Zhang Jie, what’s wrong with you lately?” Jing Xi noticed that Zhang Jie’s face looked particularly bad after not seeing her for a few days.

Zhang Jie awkwardly smiled. “It’s embarrassing to talk about! It’s nothing! You all eat, I’m just not sleeping well!”

“Is it something at home?”

Zhang Jie nodded and then lowered her head, eating her food and not saying anything more.

After washing up, Liu Qin gave Jing Xi a wink, and Jing Xi knew she had something to say, so she followed her to the back.

“What’s going on with Zhang Jie?”

Liu Qin glanced at Zhang Jie, who was still busy, and whispered, “A few days ago, she had a fight with her husband and was kicked out. She has nowhere to live, so she’s been sleeping in the shop these past few days.”

After saying that, Liu Qin pointed to a stack of bedding on a nearby shelf.

Jing Xi frowned slightly. There wasn’t even a bed in the shop, and sleeping on the floor wouldn’t do!

Liu Qin continued, “Her husband is an alcoholic. If he can’t drink, he goes looking for alcoholic products. A while ago, he went to a beer factory to steal some alcohol, but he drank too much and fell asleep there. Someone found him, called the police, and not only was he fined, but he also had to spend several days in jail.”

It was difficult for him to get out, but once he was home, he wanted to drink again. He said he hadn’t had a drink in a long time while in jail. When Zhang Jie refused to buy alcohol for him, he beat her and even took away the wages we had just received. Fortunately, it was spring, and she was wearing thick clothes, but she still ended up with several injuries.

Wang Juan and I both advised Zhang Jie that if things really weren’t working out, she should just get a divorce. But she refused and said she would just make do by staying at the shop for a few days.

Jing Xi felt helpless. A man like Zhang Jie’s husband wasn’t just a simple alcoholic—this was likely alcohol dependency. Such people live by alcohol and die by it as well.

One day, if he drank too much, he could just drop dead.

That would be a relief for his family.

But what worried her was—what if Zhang Jie’s husband had no money and came to the shop again?

What if he got drunk and disrupted business?

“Have you ever seen her husband?”

Liu Qin shook her head. “Zhang Jie said her husband doesn’t know she works here. I get what she means—she’s probably trying to tell us that he won’t affect our business.”

Jing Xi was still worried. “You all need to be extra careful these days. If anything happens, contact me immediately. I’ll have Xiao Jie or Liang Chen come over.”

Liu Qin nodded. “Brother Liang said last time that if anything happened, we could reach out to him. He even left us a phone number. We can use the phone across the street to call.”

“Good, always stay alert!”

“Got it.”

Jing Xi knew that Zhang Jie didn’t want her to find out she was staying at the shop, so she didn’t press the matter.

But she still thought—sleeping on the floor wasn’t a long-term solution. What if she caught a cold and got sick?

So, she handed Liu Qin the key to the small room she had rented from Zhao Limei.

“Give this to Zhang Jie secretly and let her stay at my place for now. Just tell her I don’t live there, so she can go without any worries.”

Liu Qin nodded. “Alright!”

Seeing that it was getting late, Jing Xi pulled Long Yuefei along and quickly left.

As soon as they arrived back at their home in the city, Jing Xi saw an unexpected visitor at her doorstep.

It was Hu Wei, the director of the coal mine.

He clearly knew Long Yuefei, as he walked straight over and shook his hand, completely ignoring Jing Xi.

Jing Xi stood to the side for a long time before Hu Wei finally remembered to speak to her. “Miss Jing, long time no see! You look even more beautiful now!”

Jing Xi smiled politely. “Director Hu, how did you know I live here? Standing at my door so late at night—what brings you here?”

Hu Wei glanced at Jing Xi, then at the unopened door, and said a bit awkwardly, “I do have something to ask of you. Could we speak in private?”

Speak in private…

Did that mean he wanted to go inside her house?

Long Yuefei looked at Jing Xi and nodded. “Shall we let him in?”

Jing Xi nodded. “Come in.”

Once inside, they all sat on the couch in the living room.

Hu Wei rubbed his hands together and smiled ingratiatingly. “Miss Jing, to be honest, Mr. Quan sent me here!”