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Chapter 25: Zeng Sibai’s Plan (Part 1)

“You sold it? You didn’t want it before—there’s no way I could just hold onto the books for you,” the shopkeeper responded coldly.

“Who did you sell it to? Didn’t I say to hold them for me until I had the money to buy them? How could you do this? Is this how you do business?” Zeng Sibai said with clear displeasure.

The shopkeeper rolled his eyes at him and stepped out from behind the counter. He walked up to Zeng Sibai, intending to push him out of the store.

As he did, he muttered, “Get out. I’m not selling you anything anymore. I don’t want your business. You do this every time. Honestly, I wish you’d stop coming here.”

Zeng Sibai shook off the shopkeeper’s hand and said with disgust, “Don’t touch me. I’ll leave by myself.”

“Then hurry up and go,” the shopkeeper snapped.

But just as he reached the door, Zeng Sibai turned back.

He asked, “Shopkeeper, just tell me who you sold the books to, and I promise I’ll never come back again.”

The shopkeeper didn’t want trouble, so he gave in and told him.

“I sold them to that young lady who was just here. If you go now, you might still catch up. I’ve told you—now don’t come back and bother me again.”

“Fine, I promise,” Zeng Sibai agreed quickly, then ran out in pursuit.

However, Gu Leyou had already walked far away. After buying the books, she was planning to head straight home and didn’t want to linger in town.

Zeng Sibai chased after her for a while but couldn’t catch up.

Zhang Dage (Big Brother Zhang) had already finished his shopping and was waiting for her so they could return together.

Zhang Dage knew she was a good girl and not at all like the villagers gossiped.

On their way home, they chatted.

“Zhang Dage, have you ever thought about doing something other than fishing? I mean, sometimes you come home empty-handed. What will you do then?”

The question caught Zhang Dage off guard. He’d never thought about it before—fishing was what he’d done for years.

Maybe he should start thinking about alternatives.

“Leyou, are you asking because you have a good way to make money? Would you share it with me?” he asked.

“Dage, I remember visiting your house a few years ago. You have a piece of land, right? I think it’s suitable for planting rice. Once the rice grows, it’ll bring in a steady income. It’s better than fishing every day. And when it gets busy, your wife could help too.”

“Rice farming, huh? But what if it doesn’t work out? We’ve never tried that before—we’ve only grown vegetables. You know how to grow rice?” Zhang Dage hesitated.

“Well, we’ll never know until we try.”

Seeing he was still unsure, Gu Leyou continued, “There are eight main steps to planting rice—”

She didn’t get to finish before Zhang Dage interrupted in a panic, “You don’t have to explain it! I’m definitely not doing it. Actually, my wife and I have been thinking about opening a small restaurant, but with just the two of us, it’s hard to manage. We were hoping to find someone to help. Would you be interested?”

A restaurant? That didn’t sound very practical—at least not in the village. No one there could afford to eat out. And opening one in town would cost a lot more.

But this was their decision. Since they didn’t go into detail, she didn’t pry further.

When they reached the village entrance, Gu Leyou got off the cart and thanked him.

“Zhang Dage, I’ll think about your proposal. If I decide I want to work with you, I’ll let you know. Thanks again, and take care on your way back.”

The two villages were only separated by a narrow path, so it wasn’t too far.

But just as she walked a short distance into the village, she ran into her ex-fiancé, Zeng Sibai.

Judging from his demeanor, he clearly wasn’t there with good intentions. So her tone wasn’t friendly either.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Of course I’m here to see you. Can I take a look at those books in your hand?” Zeng Sibai said, staring at the books she was carrying.

Gu Leyou immediately became alert, thinking he was going to steal them.

“What do you want? These books aren’t for you—they’re for my brother. If you want some, go buy your own.”

Zeng Sibai replied arrogantly, “Just hand over the books. You bought the ones I wanted. I don’t care who you bought them for—just name your price and I’ll pay.”

“You make it sound so simple. If you want them, go buy your own. I’m not giving them to you. Besides, we’re no longer connected, so stop pretending like we’re close.”

That made Zeng Sibai furious.

He had planned to sweet-talk her into giving him the books, but clearly that wasn’t going to work. So now, he was going to take them by force.

Realizing that, Gu Leyou held the books tightly in her arms.

But she was just a young woman—she didn’t have the strength to fight him off.

And sure enough, Zeng Sibai tried to snatch the books from her.

Just then, Lu Yan happened to pass by and saw the scene.

He stepped in to help her once again.

Just as Zeng Sibai was about to push Gu Leyou down and grab the books, Lu Yan shouted:

“Hey! Didn’t I warn you last time? I said if I saw you again, I’d beat you. How dare you harass her again?”

Hearing Lu Yan’s familiar voice, Gu Leyou immediately felt reassured.

“My future husband is here—aren’t you going to scram? Don’t make him hit you. And if you want something, buy it with your own money. Don’t expect to get anything for free!”

With that, the two walked off together.

Zeng Sibai waited until they were far away before cursing under his breath, “You shameless couple! Just wait—I’ll get my revenge!”

Back at home, Gu Leyou wanted to invite Lu Yan to stay for a while, but he declined.

He said, “My child’s still at home. If I stay too long, he’ll get worried. I’ll come by another day.”

“All right. Thank you for saving me again today. I don’t even know how to repay you.”

“No need to thank me. We’re going to be husband and wife soon—of course I’ll protect you. But remember, if he comes back to bother you again, don’t be afraid to fight back. Don’t let him bully you.”

After leaving those words, Lu Yan headed home.

That evening, Gu Leshu came home with a miserable expression, looking like he was on the verge of tears.

He looked like he’d been bullied.

During dinner, Gu Leyou planned to ask her little brother what had happened.

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