Chapter 47

Lán Yùn’er understood clearly now. It turned out that the boss wanted to introduce her to a man. She smiled and said, “Boss, to be honest, I’m already married. My husband usually doesn’t want me to go out selling things. I’m doing this behind his back. If he finds out that I’m meeting other men, he might…” She didn’t finish the sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Bái Fèng’é was surprised: “You’re already married?” This girl looked so young; she thought she was single. She didn’t expect… “Yes, I’ve been married for over half a month,” Lán Yùn’er said with a bright and casual smile.

“Ah, what a pity,” Bái Fèng’é said with regret, shaking her head.

She had originally thought of introducing this girl to her nephew. Although the girl seemed to come from the countryside, she was really beautiful, and Bái Fèng’é liked her at first sight. Moreover, this girl had some kind of beauty pills, which Bái Fèng’é didn’t know where she got them. Anyway, they were great. Yesterday, Wán Shū and Yú Hóng even asked her to bring a few for them. Her nephew also wanted some to give to his leaders and friends.

“Boss, if there’s nothing else, I’ll leave. I have some family matters to take care of,” Lán Yùn’er stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder.

Bái Fèng’é nodded, “Alright, take care.”

“Yes,” Lán Yùn’er replied, and quickly walked out of the shop.

Less than three minutes after Lán Yùn’er left, a tall, handsome man dressed in a very stylish manner entered the store. As soon as the man stepped in, he called out, “Aunt.”

Bái Fèng’é turned around and, seeing her handsome nephew, quickly stood up to greet him. “You’re here! Oh, if you had come a few minutes earlier, you could have seen that girl.”

Bái Fèng’é spoke with some regret and sighed.

Zhāng Jǐngyù smiled faintly, “That’s really unfortunate. But she will probably come back to see you again. I’ll meet her the next time she comes, it’s the same.”

“It might take a while. I bought a few beauty pills, you see. They need to be taken every three or four days. It’ll take me more than half a month to finish,” Bái Fèng’é said as she sat him down and poured him a cup of water. “But don’t worry about it, that girl is already married. She’s been married for more than half a month.”

Hearing this, Bái Fèng’é sighed again. Such a beautiful girl, why did she get married so early?

“Well, then I really shouldn’t be thinking about her,” Zhāng Jǐngyù took a sip of his water.

Bái Fèng’é shook her head, sighing again, “That girl is the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. She wore a blue cotton coat, her hair was braided beautifully, and she had a little cloth bag. When she stood in front of me, I almost thought I was seeing a fairy. Jǐngyù, how is it that you don’t have such good luck? Why haven’t you found a wife as beautiful as her?”

Zhāng Jǐngyù was speechless and put down his cup. “Should I go dig a wall corner?” he joked.

Bái Fèng’é smiled, “Well, don’t go doing anything like that. But if you really could bring her over, that would be quite something.”

Zhāng Jǐngyù said, “So, should I dig or not?”

After chatting for a while, Zhāng Jǐngyù stood up and left. He still needed to buy something, and after purchasing it, he planned to visit his good friend. His friend was an exceptionally smart person who had topped the county in the college entrance exam. If not for a family crisis, his friend would have likely been attending a prestigious university. Zhāng Jǐngyù felt a little regretful about this, so he decided to buy more gifts for his friend.

After leaving the clothing store, Lán Yùn’er was strolling along the street. She wanted to buy some snacks for Huò Miáo Miáo and also a new piece of clothing, as Miáo Miáo’s current clothes were so torn they couldn’t keep her warm. Every day, the girl shivered from the cold.

After a while, she came to a store where she bought a cotton coat for Miáo Miáo. As she came out, she noticed a stall selling snacks across the street, so she hurried over to buy some.

While she was picking snacks, a tall man walked toward her. Zhāng Jǐngyù saw the girl selecting items at the stall. Although he could only see her profile, it was already breathtaking. Her complexion was as white as winter snow, and her face showed no flaws. From this angle, he thought she was truly stunning. When he got closer, his admiration only deepened.

This girl’s features were so delicate, as if she had been carefully crafted by the Creator. Her eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips were all perfect, making him marvel in awe.

His gaze deepened, and he could even smell a faint fragrance emanating from her. It was a soothing, refreshing scent that made him feel at ease.

Suddenly, he had a bold thought. He wanted to “dig someone else’s wall corner.” He felt like he had fallen for her at first sight.

Lán Yùn’er, sensing the gaze on her, frowned and turned to look at the man. The man was handsome and looked elegant, but his lingering gaze made her uncomfortable. She didn’t want to engage with him. After paying the vendor, she picked up the snacks and prepared to leave.

Zhāng Jǐngyù saw her getting ready to leave and hurriedly called out, “Miss, did you just visit Bái Fèng’s clothing store? Were you selling something there earlier?”

He tried to strike up a conversation, knowing that he needed to say something she would recognize, so she wouldn’t think he was a random flirt.

Lán Yùn’er froze for a moment and turned to him. “Who are you? How do you know I was at Bái Fèng’s store earlier?”

“Miss, don’t be nervous. I’m not a bad person. I’m the nephew of the store owner. My aunt mentioned you. She said you’re beautiful and that your products are great. I just came by, but you left just before I arrived,” Zhāng Jǐngyù smiled, his expression very warm.

Lán Yùn’er’s face darkened slightly. So, he was the nephew of that shop owner. She had no interest in talking to him. She nodded briefly, “Oh, so you’re a relative of Bái Fèng’s.”

Then, she added, “Sir, I have some family matters to attend to, so I need to head back. Enjoy your shopping.” Without waiting for his reply, she quickly walked away, her pace quick.

Zhāng Jǐngyù watched her walk away, frowning. She seemed… unwilling to talk to him? Had he been too abrupt? However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was very drawn to her. He truly wanted to “dig her over” and find out more about her.

An hour later, Huò Jìnchén returned to the village with his parents. At the village entrance, Zhōu Míngyuè was sitting among a group of women chatting. Even though the village women were reluctant to talk to her, she was shamelessly sitting with them. When she saw Huò Jìnchén and Yáo Guìzhī returning, her eyes lit up, and she quickly said, “I heard that Huò family’s eldest son, Jùndà, has been arrested? Oh, it’s almost the New Year. How is he going to come back to celebrate the holidays now that he’s in jail?”

Her voice was deliberately loud, hoping that Huò Jìnchén and Yáo Guìzhī would hear.

Yáo Guìzhī’s face darkened at her words. What was Zhōu Míngyuè doing, gossiping like that? Huò Jìnchén’s eyes also narrowed, and he gave her a cold glance.

Zhōu Míngyuè continued, “But it’s not difficult to get Jùndà out. Lán Yùn’er’s uncles work in the county, don’t they? They’re quite influential. If the Huò family asks them to help, they can definitely get him out. I think the Huò family must have already thought of this and is asking Lán Yùn’er to contact her uncles.”

Yáo Guìzhī was momentarily struck with realization. She turned to Huò Jìnchén and said, “Yes, Jìnchén, Yùn’er’s uncles are so influential. We could ask them…”

“Mom!” Huò Jìnchén interrupted coldly before Yáo Guìzhī could finish her sentence. His eyes were icy as he looked at Zhōu Míngyuè.

“Don’t simplify things. Yùn’er’s uncles are powerful, but if we ask them for help, they’ll still need to pay money, send gifts, and entertain people. Who’s going to pay for all that? And don’t forget, the country is cracking down on these practices. People might offer advice in front of you, but after you agree, they might turn around and report them. Do you want to get Yùn’er’s uncles in trouble?”

Yáo Guìzhī was stunned. She hadn’t considered all of this. She was only thinking of getting Jùndà out.

After a pause, Huò Jìnchén coldly glared at Zhōu Míngyuè. “Some people may look like they’re giving you good advice, but their hearts are rotten. They only want to harm others. Their intention is nothing but to cause trouble.”

Zhōu Míngyuè was stunned. She hadn’t expected Huò Jìnchén to speak so harshly in front of everyone. She couldn’t believe he was defending Lán Yùn’er.

She bit her lip, feeling wronged and furious. How could this bastard like Lán Yùn’er? What was so good about her?