Chapter 64

After Lu Yun’s new store opened in the provincial capital, he became exceptionally busy. Since it was a new store, even though Zhang Yuan could manage it, Lu Yun still needed to frequently make time to visit and see if there were any areas that needed improvement.

Fortunately, the spicy skewers in Lu Yun’s shop were delicious and novel, which resulted in a particularly high customer flow. The average spending of customers from the provincial capital was also higher than that in the county, and with the large store, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an soon found themselves quite well-off.

At that time, housing prices in the suburbs were low, so Lu Yun directly instructed He Cheng’an to purchase a storefront in the suburbs, and he also bought the adjacent shop. Lu Yun thought that when he was ready to open a branch, he could do so right next to He Cheng’an’s offline store. Even if Lu Yun did not open a shop there, the storefront would appreciate in value and might even be subject to redevelopment in the future.

In March, Han Jiangang made a trip to the provincial capital and returned with more than twenty varieties of tremella mushrooms from different places. He appeared noticeably thinner and darker. When Lu Yun saw him, he was taken aback.

Lu Yun poured a glass of water for Han Jiangang and said, “If Li Ling saw you like this, she would probably feel sorry for you.”

Han Jiangang replied, “It’s nothing, cousin. If I work hard here, I can buy a house soon. In the future, I want to come to the provincial capital to work with Li Ling.” After saying that, he drank the glass of water in one go and, without any hesitation, poured himself another.

Because of the tremella mushrooms that Han Jiangang brought back, Lu Yun saw He Cheng’an cooking tremella soup every morning for the next two weeks. Even Zhang Hao came over every morning to drink it together. If it weren’t for a few tremella mushrooms being discarded by He Cheng’an due to color issues, they would have been able to enjoy the soup for over twenty days. As for Lu Yun, He Cheng’an prepared a special tremella soup for him, made with the high-quality tremella that He Cheng’an had decided upon.

In the end, He Cheng’an selected two types of tremella mushrooms. He continued to simmer them, and after about another half month, he chose one of them and contacted Han Jiangang to place an order.

He Cheng’an had originally planned to handle this task himself, but he felt that Han Jiangang could manage it well. He informed Han Jiangang of his ideal purchasing price, allowing a fluctuation of three cents up or down. Han Jiangang only needed to negotiate based on this price; if the deal did not go through, he could simply contact He Cheng’an again.

—o—o—o—

One day, Lu Yun found it hard to sleep. She thought about how, if He Cheng’an started making dried mushrooms and dried kelp in the future, and if his renovation company also expanded in the provincial capital, and if her spicy skewers shop began producing seasoning packets and opened more locations, they would have a lot of money. They could achieve financial freedom.

As she pondered these possibilities, Lu Yun shared her thoughts with He Cheng’an. He listened attentively, occasionally chuckling softly at her enthusiasm.

Once Lu Yun finished speaking, He Cheng’an asked, “If you achieve financial freedom, what do you want the most?”

Lu Yun had never been a greedy person, so while she felt excited about the idea of financial freedom, He Cheng’an’s question left her momentarily speechless. What would she want the most after achieving it? If it were before, she would have certainly said a house, but Lu Yun felt that if she reached financial freedom, she would undoubtedly buy many houses along the way.

After a long pause, Lu Yun finally said, “A diamond ring.”

Although she believed a diamond ring might not hold much market value, she liked the meaning behind it.

—o—o—o—

On May Day, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an celebrated their wedding anniversary. The day before, they discussed where to spend their anniversary.

In truth, He Cheng’an was simply asking for Lu Yun’s opinion on where she wanted to go. After thinking it over, Lu Yun ultimately decided that she just wanted to spend the day at home with He Cheng’an, resting together.

On the morning of May Day, Lu Yun fell asleep at ten the previous night and didn’t wake up until noon the next day, just in time for breakfast. Because Lu Yun was preparing for the upcoming college entrance examination, she had been studying harder than ever, even sacrificing weekends, and it had been a long time since she enjoyed such a leisurely sleep.

Previously, Lu Yun had thought that if she didn’t pass, she could always try again next time, but after a long period of review, she felt it would be better to pass this time.

As Lu Yun stepped out of the bedroom, she saw He Cheng’an in the kitchen, busy tying on an apron. When He Cheng’an noticed Lu Yun coming out, he said, “We’ll be able to eat soon.”

Lu Yun replied, “Okay.”

When He Cheng’an finished his tasks, Lu Yun wanted to help serve the dishes. However, He Cheng’an took her hand, and when Lu Yun looked down, she saw a diamond ring resting in her palm.

He Cheng’an leaned down and kissed her, saying, “Ah Yun, happy first wedding anniversary.”

Lu Yun did not expect He Cheng’an to prepare such a surprise for her. They were both busy, having agreed that they wouldn’t go anywhere today but would stay at home to rest, enjoy a sumptuous meal together, watch some TV, and gaze at the distant sea from their terrace. She was astonished that He Cheng’an had arranged this surprise.

Lu Yun said, “He Cheng’an, I didn’t buy you a diamond ring.”

After He Cheng’an carefully put the ring on her finger, he presented a men’s ring, which featured a small and simple diamond. Lu Yun smiled and slipped the men’s ring onto He Cheng’an’s finger.

Lu Yun declared, “Happy first wedding anniversary! We will have many more anniversaries in the future.”

—o—o—o—

When Lu Yun saw He Cheng’an return with the packaged tremella mushrooms, she noticed that the packaging looked very similar to that of the mushrooms. The brand name was the same, making it clear that they came from the same company.

He Cheng’an had opened the market for tremella mushrooms in the provincial capital, but he also kept an eye on the market in the county. For the county’s affairs, he would instruct Han Jiangang on what to do and let him handle it.

Lu Yun’s college entrance examination was in July, and June was the most intense and stressful month for her studies. Even Professor Zhou and his wife started visiting Lu Yun more frequently. Initially, they had met because He Cheng’an had done renovations for them, but now their relationship had grown quite amicable.

During the New Year, when Lu Yun and He Cheng’an returned from the county, they even visited Professor Zhou’s home and met his son and daughter-in-law.

Lu Xiang’an and Zhou Nuan had started discussing marriage. Although their wedding was scheduled for October during the National Day holiday, they were already busy meeting each other’s parents.

The Zhou family was very understanding towards Lu Yun; Zhou Nuan even called Lu Yun, telling her not to worry and to focus on her studies in the provincial capital. They could wait until after the college entrance examination for her to return. However, Lu Yun knew she couldn’t really wait until after the exam to go back.

Lu Yun and He Cheng’an bought quite a lot of things, and only then did they make time to return home. When they headed back, the car’s back seat and trunk were almost entirely filled with their purchases.

When Zhang Meili and Lu Dong saw them return after work, both had happy expressions on their faces. Because Lu Yun was preparing for her college entrance exams, she hadn’t come home much this past month.

That evening, after everyone enjoyed a lively dinner together, the men in the house took on the task of washing the dishes. Meanwhile, Lu Yun and Zhang Meili stayed inside, chatting in hushed voices. They spoke for over an hour before Lu Yun finally went back to her room to rest.

—o—o—o—

The next day, Lu Yun, He Cheng’an, and Zhang Meili went together to meet the Zhou family at a hotel. Lu Yun wasn’t worried about any potential awkwardness during the meeting, especially since He Cheng’an would be there with her. As she thought about this, Lu Yun realized she had grown quite reliant on He Cheng’an.

The Zhou family was incredibly warm and welcoming, showing no dissatisfaction whatsoever with the marriage between Lu Xiang’an and Zhou Nuan.

During the visit, Director Zhou spoke with He Cheng’an about many things, mostly business-related. He then brought up Lu Yun’s upcoming college entrance exam.

Before Lu Yun could respond, He Cheng’an smiled faintly and said, “She’s been busy lately with opening a shop, buying a storefront, helping me come up with ideas, and studying for her exams. It has been a bit exhausting for her. If she can get into college, that’s wonderful. If not, she can focus on preparing again next time. She doesn’t need to rush with business matters just yet.”

After a while, He Cheng’an excused himself, saying he needed to go to the restroom, but in reality, he was going to pay the bill. Lu Yun accompanied him as they left the room together.

Lu Yun smiled and said, “Just now, you mentioned I was distracted with business and not fully focused on studying. Are you worried I won’t pass the exam?”

He Cheng’an nodded and replied, “No matter if you get into college or not, you’ll always be my Ah Yun. It wouldn’t bother me if you chose not to take the exam at all. In fact, I’d feel relieved to see you less busy. But others are different; I don’t want people gossiping behind your back if you don’t pass.”

He Cheng’an reached out and gently touched Lu Yun’s hair. “Don’t study these next few days. How about I take you to the capital for a little vacation, hmm?”

Lu Yun thought about it. She had been reviewing so intensely; maybe a break would do her good. So she nodded at He Cheng’an. “Alright.”

As they continued walking forward, they noticed Chen Zhiqiang standing not far away. It was unclear how long he had been there or how much he had overheard. Lu Yun frowned at the sight of Chen Zhiqiang with someone who looked somewhat like herself.

Chen Zhiqiang noticed her expression; he lowered his gaze, remaining silent as he stood there.

Just then, the door to the private room opened, and a woman bearing a slight resemblance to Lu Yun stepped out, calling, “Zhiqiang.”

At that moment, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an happened to be passing by the door, and they both turned to look at the woman.

He Cheng’an’s expression darkened slightly as he glanced back at Chen Zhiqiang and let out a cold laugh.

Lu Yun held onto He Cheng’an’s arm and softly called his name, “Cheng’an.”

He Cheng’an smiled reassuringly at her. “Mm, it’s nothing. Let’s go settle the bill and head back. Let’s not keep everyone waiting, especially since the Zhou family is there.”

After the two of them went downstairs, the woman who resembled Lu Yun had an unpleasant expression on her face. She clearly understood why Chen Zhiqiang had chosen to be with her.