Linfengchun

Kapitel 85

However, business has been going badly for the past six months.

Since he started his divorce proceedings, Xinglong Food Company has stopped supplying him. But that's alright; who can't survive without whom? There are plenty of small factories nearby; he can just walk a little further and give the store managers a little more money.

He didn't personally go to the countryside to sell vegetables; the wholesalers he had arranged delivered them to him, and he would then hand them over to the canteen. As a collective unit, face-to-face settlement wasn't common; everyone issued IOUs, settling accounts at the end of the year in the accounting office. He did the same to the wholesalers, issuing IOUs and settling accounts at the end of the year.

But recently, something strange happened. Wholesalers kept coming to his door demanding settlement of accounts from the first half of the year. He was furious and threatened, "Fine, we'll settle the accounts, but don't expect me to buy vegetables from you again!"

I thought I could intimidate them, but they still kept demanding payment.

It wasn't the end of the year yet, and he couldn't ask his former employer for money, so he had to use his own savings and working capital to pay it off. As a result, he didn't have much working capital left. He had a weak foundation to begin with, and had only made his fortune in the last year or two, so he didn't have much cash to support himself.

With the wholesale vegetable supply chain disrupted, it was time to find new partners. But strangely, all the wholesalers in the city we knew before insisted on immediate payment, with no delays.

Nonsense, who doesn't have debts in the family these days?

They even found fault with the cafeteria.

The vegetables supplied were not timely enough, and they weren't fresh... He was overwhelmed with problems for a long time. After finally managing to resolve the situation, he counted the remaining issues: two or three of the large canteens he used to supply had been taken away by competitors, leaving him with only two others, obtained through his mistress's family connections. And even those were small quantities.

Fortunately, there was still a restaurant.

But the restaurant business gradually declined. In recent years, more and more people were dining out, and his restaurant was near the provincial construction company. In recent years, many foremen who had become wealthy liked to have a meal at the restaurant when they came to do business nearby.

Good business is enviable. Soon, several other restaurants opened next to the restaurant. Although they were not large, they were cheap and affordable, and they took away a lot of customers.

The restaurant's business was sluggish, and Liu Chao couldn't get cash for the vegetables he supplied or the snacks he sold to stores. Several manufacturers and wholesalers were demanding payment in cash, causing a break in the cash flow. He was worried every day. He was just robbing Peter to pay Paul to barely manage to get by.

I came home hoping for a kindred spirit. But after spending more time with her, I realized she wasn't a kindred spirit at all; she was just like my wife, a nagging, annoying jerk!

Your relatives came over again and ate so much, took so much, bought this and that; your son was naughty and disobedient today; he broke so many dishes and tore my new clothes; I cooked this dish, did the laundry, mopped the floor and washed the dishes today... They keep nagging on and on, day after day.

Liu Chao was puzzled. Where had that beautiful woman gone—the one who was understanding, loved life and literature, spoke eloquently, and had a melancholic temperament?

Isn't she the one who hates oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea the most?

That's fine, her family has some influence, so we can use them. We'll just have to put up with it; there's nothing wrong with a virtuous wife.

However, when he developed feelings for his mistress, his son became unhappy. He cried out, jumping and shouting, "Daddy, Daddy, Auntie works so hard every day! She has to cook, clean, go to work, and take care of me… Why doesn't Mommy work so hard and doesn't have to go to work?"

The mistress was moved to tears.

Stepmothers are actually quite nice.

On second thought, that makes sense. Why should I take care of his family back home and do housework? I'm not like a haggard housewife who doesn't earn a salary or make any money. I'm a modern woman who can support myself completely!

With a wave of his arm, he called out that he wanted to get rid of housework.

So she stopped cooking, sweeping, washing dishes, and tidying up the house, and treated her husband's relatives with disdain or indifference. The only person she wanted to take care of, her son, was very well-behaved; he would say, "Auntie, Auntie, you don't need to worry about me, you go shopping, I'll play at home by myself."

When Liu Chao got home, he was shocked to find clothes scattered everywhere, dishes piled up in the sink unwashed, and his son sitting on the cold floor, crying loudly.

Dad, I'm hungry. I'm so hungry I'm dizzy and have no strength.

Where is your aunt?

My aunt said she went shopping and hasn't come back.

Liu Chao flew into a rage. "What did I marry for? Wasn't it to take care of the family and our son? You go shopping, leaving our son at home, without food or water—what kind of mother are you? A stepmother is a stepmother!"

The two were arguing loudly. A family member from their hometown secretly complained, "Chaozi, I'll never come to your house again. Your wife is too fierce. Yesterday, my son said something wrong, and she slapped him across the face. The red mark on his face hasn't faded yet."

Chaozi, no offense, but you really need to discipline your wife. Even though she's from the city, city people shouldn't be rude to their elders. I'm your great-uncle, and she still dares to treat me like dirt. No wonder your parents don't dare come; they'd be eaten alive if they did! Speaking of which, your wife back home has never been disrespectful to me… As the old saying goes, "When choosing a wife, choose virtue…"

When they argued, the mistress was so angry that she forgot to tell Liu Chao. She slapped the boy because he called her a vixen who seduced men; she glared at the uncle because he also spat on the floor in the house.

Liu Chao ran around outside, but when he returned home, everything went wrong, leaving him exhausted.

Thinking of my wife, who looks worn out, I feel grateful for her kindness.

Over the years, even in the most difficult times, she never complained; she sold her dowry to pay for my father's medical treatment; when she came home, there was always hot soup and hot water to serve her; look at how she raised her son to be chubby and well-mannered, and every time she brought him over, he was always dressed neatly and smiling at people.

I haven't been home to see her in a long time, and I wonder how she's doing.

My son never mentions his mother or anything about home, only occasionally mentioning that the greenhouse vegetable farms in Qiujia Village are doing quite well now. He should take some time to go home and visit…

Before he could find the time, he ran into Qiuqin in Huaiqiao City.

More than half a year had passed since Qiu Shanglin came up with the idea, and it was the time of school summer vacation. The vegetable company met with a construction team from out of town in the provincial capital to discuss business. They wanted to set up vegetable greenhouses in several other towns in Huaiqiao City. Since the middleman was the son of a leader of a provincial construction company that was doing real estate business with Hua Qianshan, the company also hosted a banquet for this leader at a restaurant near the construction company.

It just so happens to be Liu Chao's restaurant.

And coincidentally, Qiuqin was in the city on business, and Cheng Chong asked her to join them.

The waiter informed Liu Chao that there was business coming in, including leaders from a construction company. He was worried about finding a way to get acquainted with these leaders, so he quickly arranged the service himself to make sure they felt at home.

When he came out to greet them, a group of people were being led to a private room by a waiter.

Qiuqin stepped back a few paces and was quietly discussing professional issues with the construction team leader.

She was the only woman in the group, dressed fashionably yet exuding the efficiency of a professional woman, which made her quite eye-catching.

Liu Chao saw her at first glance, but due to the angle and the slight tilt of Qiu Qin's head, the change was too great, and he didn't recognize her. He glanced at her once and then turned to greet his superior with great enthusiasm.

Qiuqin still had her bob haircut, which was a little longer than before, and her hair was smooth and shiny, making her look even more charming. Because she was out on business, she wore light makeup and looked very energetic.

A brand-new, fitted, short-sleeved white blouse, a black professional knee-length skirt, and three-quarter-heeled white leather sandals. A delicate gold bracelet on her fair wrist elevates the overall look, and tiny gold earrings, the size of rice grains, peek out from her hair as she walks. It's no exaggeration to say that this outfit would be absolutely fashionable even in the 21st century.

“The soil in Yan Village is quite acidic, so Milan and begonia are more suitable. I’ve heard that there’s a type of gardenia in the south that also likes acidic soil. I think we could try cultivating it…” With a pleasant and clear voice and standard pronunciation, Qiu Qin spoke softly to the construction team leader in fluent Mandarin. She then stepped aside and entered the private room next to Liu Chao, who was taken aback.

Isn't this my wife, who looks old and haggard?

He hesitated. No, his wife wasn't this pretty, and she didn't speak Mandarin; her dialect was incredibly rustic. She wouldn't understand things like soil acidity or alkalinity, would she? This was an important person; why would she attend such an event?

To cultivate a good relationship with his superior, Liu Chao presented him with two bottles of strong liquor, which pleased the leader greatly. Seeing Liu Chao's eagerness to network with those present, the leader, taking the opportunity, introduced him to Cheng Chong. Although both came from Qiujia Village, their paths diverged significantly. While the former was a powerful figure in Qiujia Village, the latter was still struggling at the industrial and commercial school; and while the latter stirred up trouble in Qiujia Village, the former had already retired gracefully.

As they began to talk, Liu Chao was delighted to learn that the other was the CEO of the Bougainvillea Vegetable Company. When he mentioned that Bougainvillea's office was currently located in Qiujia Village, he was overjoyed again and immediately tried to establish a connection, claiming that he was from Qiujia Village.

Cheng Chong was naturally aware of Qiu Qin's family troubles, but he didn't know Liu Chao and initially didn't realize that this person was the same one. He thought it was just a case of two people from the same village meeting and their eyes welling up with tears, until Liu Chao eagerly claimed that he was also from Qiu Family Village and curiously asked him where he lived in the village, and then he suddenly realized.

Liu Chao hadn't returned for a long time, and he was still convinced that Qiu Qin, with her personality, would keep the divorce a secret and that no one else knew about their affair. He shamelessly talked about Qiu Family Village at length.

Cheng Chong listened with a polite smile, glancing sideways at Qiu Qin.

Qiuqin didn't see her husband at first either.

She hadn't seen him in a long time. She'd been so engrossed in talking about work that she hadn't noticed. It wasn't until Liu Chao joined her and started spitting out saliva that she realized the person sitting next to her was none other than her husband of many years. And he clearly didn't recognize her.

Overwhelmed with mixed feelings, I was lost in thought and didn't say a word.

Cheng Chong smiled. He knew Qiu Shanglin's plan and wanted to see the couple's reaction to seeing each other again. He then took the opportunity to introduce everyone present. Liu Chao was naturally delighted and greeted everyone respectfully and politely.

After introducing several people, Qiuqin had calmed down. She looked at Liu Chao, who had followed Cheng Chong to her, with a half-smile.

Liu Chao was about to offer a toast when Cheng Chong deliberately didn't reveal his identity. He simply introduced Liu Chao as a capable subordinate of his company, saying that Liu Chao would be a frequent visitor to the construction company in the future.

While muttering that the other woman looked remarkably like Qiu Qin, Liu Chao diligently poured her wine and offered her a toast. Qiu Qin tilted her head back and drank it down readily, drawing cheers from the entire table.

Liu Chao filled his own cup, intending to drink with him as per custom. Even as the cup reached his lips, he was still making polite remarks. Cheng Chong grinned mischievously and said slowly, "Speaking of which, we're both from the same village, from Qiujia Village."

Liu Chao was still being polite: "Oh, really? How come I've never seen you before?"

Cheng Chong said slowly and deliberately, "Qiuqin's family lives in the third row of houses at the east end of the village, XXXX."

*Pfft...* Liu Chao, quite uncouthly, spat out the wine he had just taken a sip of.