Chapter 70: Going to the City to Find a Shop

At night, the village was quiet, with only the sound of cicadas chirping outside. Xu Jiaojiao was completely exhausted. She never understood what was so good about that kind of thing, yet this man was so enthusiastic about it.

Xie Zhi carried the girl in his arms, touched her forehead, then gently took her to the makeshift bathroom they had set up. The hot water had been heated under the sun during the day and hadn’t cooled much yet, even by nightfall.

He placed her in the bathtub to wash away the stickiness from her body. Xie Zhi’s gaze was serious, but when he saw Jiaojiao nestled in his arms, a joyful satisfaction bloomed in his chest like a growing branch. It felt incredibly fulfilling.

He had imagined this scene countless times in his dreams. Ever since their relationship changed, he had feared it was all just a dream. But the solid feel in his palm reassured him—it was all real.

Caught in his thoughts, he accidentally applied too much pressure. A red mark appeared on Jiaojiao’s fair skin, and she let out a soft whimper. Startled, Xie Zhi immediately comforted her in a gentle voice, kissing her repeatedly while holding her close.

He carefully wiped the water droplets from her skin with a towel, trying his best to keep his mind clean. But the girl was simply too perfect for him—how could he not crave more?

No one knew how long it lasted before he finally let go of her now slightly swollen lips. His eyes darkened as he wiped away the moisture at the corners of her mouth and murmured with endless affection, “Jiaojiao.”

—

“Brother Shengjie, Jiaojiao’s back,” Shen Yun sat beside the man, her voice soft and sweet as she cast a flirtatious glance his way.

Shengjie scoffed, his tone dismissive: “So what if that woman is back.”

“I just feel sorry for you. You have real talent, yet you can’t teach in the village. Now you’re stuck doing farm labor.”

Shen Yun’s gentle tone stirred deep frustration in Shengjie. He longed to go back a month, back when Xu Jiaojiao did whatever he asked, always obeyed him. She was dumb, yes, but also extremely beautiful.

He used to be praised among the educated youth crowd and brought his mother pride. But Xu Jiaojiao had changed. After getting involved with Xie Zhi, she was no longer the same. That drove him mad with resentment.

He even fantasized that if he had been the one to sleep with Jiaojiao, she’d have been tightly bound to him.

A crisp slap landed on Shen Yun’s face. His voice was full of anger: “You bitch! If you hadn’t tried to catch them in the act, would Xu Jiaojiao have changed like that? Would Xie Zhi have picked up my leftovers?”

The slap was so hard her cheek immediately swelled, and blood welled at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes filled with hatred, but the next second, she forced a smile and casually said, “Brother Shengjie, if you had slept with Xu Jiaojiao first, and with your history together, she’d definitely have chosen you.”

She said it offhandedly, but it struck a chord. Shengjie began to plot.

They were near the backwoods at the time. As he stood to leave, he noticed Shen Yun still following him.

Annoyed, he snapped, “Still not leaving? Waiting for a wild animal or some man to carry you off?”

Shen Yun’s face turned red and blue with humiliation, but she got up and followed anyway.

While Xu Jiaojiao was away from the village, Shen Yun completely lost her cash cow. Jiaojiao had stopped bringing anything home and still ate every day. Her mother even brought over several widowers for arranged meetings, scaring Shen Yun into hiding out at the educated youth compound.

She even considered marrying a random educated youth, but that guy, Feng Yuan, only wanted a quick thrill. After taking advantage of her once, he tossed her a can of preserved food and left.

Shen Yun was furious, but things only got worse. She was later caught by Shengjie trying to trade favors with Feng Yuan and was blackmailed.

Trailing behind Shengjie now, she coldly curled her lips. “Just you wait. I’ll ruin you.” She knew Xu Jiaojiao no longer had any feelings for Shengjie. If she could get him caught for attempted rape, the Public Security Bureau would take care of the rest.

—

The next morning, Xu Ze, Xu Jiaojiao, and Yan Fenglian boarded a vehicle and headed into the city to look for a storefront.

“Mom, how much are stores in the city?”

“To buy one in a good location costs a few thousand. Renting is around a few dozen per month.”

Xu Jiaojiao calculated silently. The prices didn’t seem too outrageous—still within her range. But as they wandered around, they found no “For Sale” signs on stores, and most shops were closed.

It was too hot. People didn’t want to go out. Living in the city meant spending money on everything, so some just shut their shops and went back to the countryside.

They eventually found a shop at the very corner of the street, but the smell of the nearby sewer was awful, and sunlight couldn’t even reach it. They gave up immediately.

Xu Ze held his nose, and they quickly left. “Should we ask Third Brother for help? He works in the city—maybe he knows more.”

Xu Jiaojiao also thought about asking Boss Hu. Since he already ran a store, he’d have better information than they did. The three split up—Yan Fenglian went to find Xu Bai for help, while Jiaojiao and Xu Ze went to find Boss Hu.

They agreed to meet later at the state-run restaurant. After making the plan, they parted ways.

Boss Hu’s shop was still as quiet as ever. Seeing the door open, Xu Jiaojiao entered with her brother. “Boss Hu, are you here?”

No one responded. Jiaojiao and Xu Ze exchanged glances, then squatted at the doorway to wait, staying slightly back so they wouldn’t interfere with any business.

—

Shengjie was also in the city that day. Standing deep inside the shop, he coldly watched Xu Jiaojiao. Looking at her beautiful face, his malicious intent deepened. He whispered to a shady-looking man beside him, “Lure her into the back room later.”

“It’s ready.”

The man’s lecherous gaze swept over Shengjie’s face. Unlike farm folks, this guy had smooth skin. The man even squeezed Shengjie’s backside and said gruffly, “Got it. Make sure the money’s ready.”

Shengjie’s face flushed with humiliation. He shoved the man away hard. “What the hell are you doing?”

He had no money now—but if he could get his hands on Xu Jiaojiao, the money would come.

He slipped into the room at the very back, cracked the door open, and muttered something. Xu Jiaojiao actually started following the shady man.

The man waved for his companions to come out. “You’re Xu Jiaojiao, right? We’re under Boss Shi. He told us to give you a gift.”

Jiaojiao was confused. “Boss Shi?” She thought of the little girl she met on the train.

“The one who looks like a kid?”

“That’s the one. Come on. Our boss hates anyone who tricks or hurts women. Today, we’ll let him see what it’s like to be forced.”

The man grinned wickedly, eyes glinting with danger, eager to go to that back room.

Xu Ze stopped Jiaojiao from moving forward, his expression hesitant. Jiaojiao gave a mysterious smile. From her years of experience, she figured that little girl must’ve set her up with a group of gay guys.

She was confident in her looks, but this guy wasn’t even looking at her—his gaze was fixed on her brother. Jiaojiao quickly stepped in front of Xu Ze to shield him. She needed to protect her brother at all costs.