Chapter 22

Lin Yuanyuan now felt a mix of hatred and fear when she thought about the Zhang family—her life in their household in her previous life had been miserable. If Lin Qian could marry into that family in her place this time around, she’d be thrilled just imagining it.

Ma Guixin was walking happily with Lin Yuanyuan, and the two hadn’t even walked a hundred meters before Ma Guixin suddenly clutched her forehead.

“Aiyo, my head is starting to ache again.”

Lin Yuanyuan looked up at the bandage on her mother’s head and said, “Mom, you should go home and get some rest. I know Auntie Wu and her family well enough—I’ll go talk to them.”

If Zhang Jie ended up choosing another girl, wouldn’t that be letting Lin Qian off too easily?

Ma Guixin nodded and held her daughter’s hand, reminding her, “Make sure you lower yourself a bit when you talk to them. Be polite and explain things clearly. If your cousin ends up marrying into that family, well, at least we’re keeping things in the family.”

Meanwhile, Lin Qian had no idea that Ma Guixin and her daughter were now plotting to use her marriage as a way to cash in on another bride price. She had just found a storefront opposite the machinery factory and was planning to buy it outright. This area, including the factory, was going to be redeveloped eventually. If she managed to buy this place now, it would only go up in value.

With the economic reform just beginning, most people still didn’t dare believe that Ningcheng would keep developing. But Lin Qian used the 1,000 yuan hush money from Wang Xiulian to directly buy two shop lots on the street.

Even better, the person she was dealing with happened to know the owners of adjacent properties.

So Lin Qian decided to go big and buy two more shopfronts. Maybe in the future, she’d even open a supermarket there.

After a busy afternoon, Lin Qian spent over 3,000 yuan and secured ownership of nearly half the street across from the factory.

She still had more than 800 yuan left—enough to open a restaurant in one of the better storefronts soon.

By dinnertime, Lin Qian went back to Qingfeng Lou for another meal. Before leaving, she packed a portion to store in her spatial dimension as breakfast for the next day.

After stepping out of the restaurant, she rode her bicycle back toward the machinery factory housing complex.

It was then that she suddenly remembered: to the Lin family, the most valuable thing she owned was probably this bicycle. Lin Yuanyuan’s bike was already gone. Lin Qian was now worried that Ma Guixin might start eyeing hers next.

To be safe, she took a detour down a side alley with the bike, and bought two bags of peach crisps on the way to visit her good friend Hua Fang.

As soon as Hua Fang’s little brother, Xiao Hualin, saw Lin Qian, he cheered excitedly, “Sister Lin Qian is here!”

Lin Qian walked over and handed him one of the bags. “This is for you.”

“Thank you, sister!”

Hua Fang came out from inside after hearing the commotion. “What brings you here?”

Lin Qian handed her the other bag. “I know you and your brother both like these. This one’s for you.”

“Thank you, Qian Qian.”

Hua Fang took the peach crisps in one hand and held Lin Qian’s hand with the other, pulling her into the kitchen.

“Come on in—I’ve got some good news to share.”

Hua Fang was making dinner. There was braised beef she’d just sliced on the cutting board. She picked up a piece and popped it into Lin Qian’s mouth.

“Good, right? I heard it’s a specialty from the new chef at Qingfeng Lou. My dad queued for days to buy it.”

Lin Qian nodded. It really was delicious. But after swallowing it, she urged eagerly, “What’s the good news?”

Hua Fang knew what her friend was hoping to hear but teased her on purpose. “I got my dad to pull some strings and found you a job at the publishing house. A lot of people are dying to get in—it’s easy work and respectable, perfect for you.”

Lin Qian gave her a light punch on the shoulder. “You know that’s not the news I want!”

Hua Fang giggled behind her hand. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. Huo Xiujin has gone out on a mission. If everything goes well, he should be back after the National Day holiday. Don’t worry, as soon as he’s back, I’ll let you know right away.”

Standing in front of her friend, Lin Qian couldn’t help but blush a little.

“Also, thank your dad for me, but I don’t think I’ll take the publishing house job. I plan to register a private business license tomorrow and start a small business of my own.”

Hua Fang frowned and tried to persuade her. “Qian Qian, don’t you think that’s a bit risky? Sure, they say private businesses are allowed now, but the policy just came out. A lot of people still worry the rules might suddenly change again. What if you end up labeled a capitalist?”

Lin Qian didn’t know how to convince her friend. If she hadn’t been reborn and known the future economic trends, she wouldn’t have dared try either.

But she said firmly, “Fang Fang, I want to give it a try. Your dad works in the local government—if your family hears any rumors or changes in policy, let me know right away.”

Hua Fang nodded. “Of course, I’ll help however I can.”

“But there’s one more thing I want to remind you about.”

She took Lin Qian’s hand and said, “I think you really have feelings for Huo Xiujin. My dad said his father is about to get promoted again. Huo Xiujin is already an officer in the army, and his mom holds a mid-level post at the factory. If you took the publishing job and became a state worker, your chances of successfully dating him would go up.”

Lin Qian thought it over and shook her head. “If his family cares about my background, then it’s not meant to be.”

After all, she wasn’t the biological child of Lin Dawei and his wife. That secret would soon be exposed. And her real parents’ identity was going to cause even more of a stir.

From her past life, she knew that people’s prejudices were hard to change. She didn’t want to start a relationship based on lies. In this second chance at life, beyond reuniting with Huo Xiujin, she also wanted to live a life that was truly her own.

Seeing Lin Qian’s mood drop, Hua Fang quickly comforted her. “My mom says girls can also pursue their own dreams. Don’t be discouraged. From what I’ve heard, the Huo family is pretty open-minded. Huo Uncle’s quick promotion might actually have something to do with the economic reforms, so choosing to do business now may not be a bad thing after all.”

“You’re the best, Fang Fang.”

Lin Qian gave her friend a strong hug.

In her past life, the Hua family had lived a good, peaceful life. Nothing glamorous, but full of warmth—exactly the kind of life Lin Qian had longed for but never had.

Before she left, Hua Fang wrapped a few pieces of braised beef in oiled paper and tucked them into Lin Qian’s cloth bag.

“Take this home and eat it in your room tonight.”

“Okay.”