"Huh? Who is she? Is she a relative of yours?" Liu Xiuyan saw Li Bingjie sitting under the grape trellis. Although she was only leaning against the bamboo chair, and Liu Xiuyan only saw her slightly lowered profile, Liu Xiuyan couldn't help but sigh and envy: her appearance, her clothes, and her temperament seemed to be otherworldly... Liu Xiuyan suddenly felt a sour jealousy, and her tone of voice became somewhat dissatisfied.
Originally, she had some disagreements with Gu Lin these past two days, and she came today hoping that Xu Zhengyang would drive her to the furniture market in Futou Town on his motorcycle, which was definitely one of the coolest in the area. She wanted to show Gu Lin that she had admirers and suitors, hoping to make him cherish her more. In addition, she had also started to feel some regret and was beginning to hesitate, wondering whether she should choose Gu Lin or Xu Zhengyang.
Well, typical arrogant woman. She thought Gu Lin was handsome and wealthy, so he was the first choice. But Xu Zhengyang... seems to be getting more and more capable, and his conditions are improving. Moreover, according to the villagers, he has a good relationship with Zhong Shan, the director of Huaxiang Police Station, and Wu Feng, the director of Futou Town Police Station. Now he's wearing a police uniform and driving such a cool motorcycle. Although Gu Lin, who witnessed that scene from inside the doorway after the misunderstanding at the furniture market, inquired and learned that Xu Zhengyang was just an imposter in a police uniform, Liu Xiuyan still found that Xu Zhengyang seemed...no less capable than Gu Lin. After all, they had shared a sweet first love, and Liu Xiuyan really liked Xu Zhengyang's personality back then.
If she hadn't had this mindset, she wouldn't have started picking on Gu Lin these past few days, and there wouldn't have been the conflict and argument these past two days.
So she thought about finding an opportunity to ease the tension with Xu Zhengyang, wondering what if she missed it?
Liu Xiuyan, who was arrogant to the point of pride, believed that as long as she took the initiative to approach Xu Zhengyang, he would definitely be happy to fawn over her.
It gives Liu Xiuyan a great sense of accomplishment to have two men fight over her.
But today, full of confidence, she came to see Xu Zhengyang, only to find a girl even more beautiful than herself, whose elegance made her feel inferior, visiting his home. Her innate competitiveness and jealousy compelled her to force herself to walk towards the grape trellis…
"Wow, brother's in trouble!" Xu Rouyue stuck out her tongue from inside the house. While worried about her brother, she couldn't help but feel a little smug. Both girls were her brother's friends, and both were very pretty. What did that mean? It meant her brother was very popular with girls!
Volume Two, Chapter 50: I'm also going to the capital the day after tomorrow.
Seeing Liu Xiuyan walk towards the grape trellis with an unfriendly expression, Xu Zhengyang was annoyed. What was Liu Xiuyan up to? But he wasn't so petty as to chase her away, so he followed her and greeted Li Bingjie:
"Bingjie, this is Liu Xiuyan from our village..."
As the two walked one after the other, they suddenly noticed a figure swiftly passing by them. The driver's tall and imposing figure stood in front of Li Bingjie, coldly staring at Liu Xiuyan.
Liu Xiuyan was taken aback, and Xu Zhengyang paused.
Inside the room, Xu Rouyue's mouth gaped slightly as she sighed, "Is this a bodyguard?"
"Hello, my name is Liu Xiuyan..." Liu Xiuyan forced a smile, extended her right hand, and took a step forward, while giving the burly man a polite look.
The driver hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside, allowing Liu Xiuyan's hand to reach within two feet of Li Bingjie.
Li Bingjie merely glanced up at Liu Xiuyan, then at Xu Zhengyang, before lowering her head to continue reading, completely ignoring the beautiful face, the kind and slightly awkward smile, and the fair hand extended in a gesture of goodwill.
"Xiuyan, this is Li Bingjie, my junior high school classmate. She's not very talkative, so please don't mind her," Xu Zhengyang explained casually, thinking to himself, "Damn it? Why am I being so overly familiar? I've run into a snag, or rather, an iceberg!"
Liu Xiuyan was clearly taken aback that the other person wouldn't even bother to glance at her, their gaze merely sweeping across her face indifferently. Liu Xiuyan was furious. What kind of airs was this? Who did they think they were? Just as she was about to retort, she suddenly remembered the Audi A8 she'd seen on the street earlier, and her heart sank. She turned to Xu Zhengyang and said, "Outside, um, that Audi A8 on the street, is that her car?"
"Oh, maybe." Xu Zhengyang nodded. Although he hadn't gone out, he could guess that it must have been the car Li Bingjie had come in.
Liu Xiuyan was stunned for a while, then suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, as if she had suffered a great injustice and insult, and felt a sharp pain in her heart.
"Well, since you're busy, I'll be going now..." Liu Xiuyan bit her lip and whispered, then turned and walked quickly outside.
Xu Zhengyang currently dislikes Liu Xiuyan, but out of politeness, he still has to see her off.
So Xu Zhengyang reluctantly walked towards the courtyard gate, while Liu Xiuyan had already walked out. Xu Zhengyang had intended to just walk to the gate, watch her go, and then return, but he found Liu Xiuyan standing outside, seemingly waiting for him to leave. Xu Zhengyang had no choice but to step out and politely say, "Excuse me, um, why don't you go borrow a bicycle from Zhang Hao's house? He just bought a new one..."
Liu Xiuyan lowered her head and shook it, then suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, and choked out, "Zhengyang, can you forgive me?"
"Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang looked puzzled.
"I... I didn't agree to Gu Lin's request... Actually, I've always had you in my heart..."
Xu Zhengyang's expression returned to calm, showing neither joy nor dislike. He simply squinted and calmly gazed at Liu Xiuyan.
“Zheng, Zhengyang…” Liu Xiuyan felt a little flustered, as if she could feel Xu Zhengyang’s narrowed eyes staring into the depths of her heart, seeing through her thoughts and ideas.
Yes, Xu Zhengyang is indeed doing that.
He couldn't understand why a perfectly good girl would turn into someone who was hypocritical, didn't cherish relationships at all, and could lie so easily. Her jealousy, competitiveness, and desire to compare herself to others were so intense that it seemed there was nothing in the world that she could cherish. She might even slander her own family members for the sake of profit and to save face, to satisfy her ignorant and childish vanity!
So Xu Zhengyang sighed, raised his hand and waved, saying, "Liu Xiuyan, this is really not good of you!"
This was the third time he had said this to Liu Xiuyan.
Then, Xu Zhengyang turned around and walked back. After entering the courtyard, he hesitated for a moment, but finally raised his arms to the sides without looking back. He touched the wooden door, applied a little force, and closed the two small wooden doors.
All that was left for Liu Xiuyan were two dilapidated wooden doors after her figure disappeared.
The hanging ring on the wooden door was still dangling.
"Poor Xiuyan..." Xu Rouyue sighed in the room. Sigh, with her brother's somewhat old-fashioned and traditional nature, he would definitely find it very annoying to be friends with people like that. Xu Rouyue gently shook her head; she believed she had figured out the crux of the problem between them.
Liu Xiuyan stared at the gradually still rings for a long time before turning around and walking towards the street.
She was indignant and resentful. Why was Xu Zhengyang treating her like this? Wasn't he just a poor boy who traded millet? Wasn't he just using deceptive methods to make the villagers believe he had some connection with the local earth god? Wasn't he just lucky enough to buy a Yamaha 250 motorcycle? Wasn't he just... using his relationship with Zhong Zhijun to curry favor with Zhong Zhijun's father, Zhong Shan, the head of the Huaxiang Police Station? Wasn't he just acquainted with the head of the Futou Town Police Station and became a temporary fake policeman?
Is he comparable to Gu Lin? Even Gu Lin pursued me, so why does he dare to reject me so openly?
Tap tap...
The crisp sound of a car horn woke Liu Xiuyan from her deep thought. Looking up, she saw a white Iveco van parked at the entrance of the alley.
Liu Xiuyan glared at the driver through the open car window, somewhat annoyed, and shouted, "Why are you honking? Does having a car make you so special?"
The driver was a man who looked to be in his forties. He didn't take Liu Xiuyan's scolding to heart and smiled apologetically at her.
"What are you laughing at?" Liu Xiuyan unleashed her fury.
"Hey, you little brat, I honked to remind you, wasn't it for your own good?" A middle-aged man with an extremely lewd face, craning his neck and peeking out, walked over from the other side of the car. As he muttered to himself, his gleaming triangular eyes swept over Liu Xiuyan's face, then stared intently at her ample breasts before quickly moving down to her exposed white legs and small feet in high-heeled sandals. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and asked with a filthy expression, "Miss, is this Xu Zhengyang's house?"
Liu Xiuyan glared at the other person with disgust, then walked past the car with a stern face, ignoring them completely, and headed towards the street.
"Hmm, a hot country girl!" Yao Chushun chuckled lewdly and muttered, then suddenly realized that this girl might be Xu Zhengyang's sister, which would be bad... Oh, no, I met Xu Zhengyang's sister last time, and that girl was much prettier and more gentle and polite than this unruly girl.
Yao Chushun had only been to Xu Zhengyang's house once, and there were many such narrow alleys on both sides of the main street in the countryside, so he wasn't sure for a moment, only that it was probably this place based on his memory. Today he was in a good mood and wanted to let that country bumpkin Xu Zhengyang show off in the village and make a name for himself, so he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hey, Xu Zhengyang, Zhengyang, Boss Xu! Come out!"
His shout attracted the attention of villagers walking down the street, who stopped to look.
Liu Xiuyan stopped in her tracks, turning her head in surprise. What had that sleazy old man just called out? Boss Xu, Big Boss Xu? He... he seemed to be asking about Xu Zhengyang's home. Yes, he just called out Xu Zhengyang's name...
Xu Zhengyang naturally heard Yao Chushun's raspy voice and couldn't help but feel angry. What was he yelling about?
He quickly walked to the door, opened the courtyard gate, and went out. Looking at Yao Chushun at the alley entrance, he shouted, "Master Gu, what are you shouting about?"
"Hehe, I don't recognize my own house, so I'm just saying hello..." As soon as Yao Chushun saw Xu Zhengyang come out, he hurriedly trotted towards the alley to meet him, shouting to the driver, "Get that wooden box filled with foam down and bring it in, hurry up..."
"Mr. Gu, are you familiar with this person?" Xu Zhengyang asked in confusion.
"The people Zheng Ronghua arranged are fine."
"But driving this car with just the two of you... isn't it safe?" Xu Zhengyang was still a little worried. After all, this was no joke; it was a precious car worth two million!
"Don't you understand? This way no one will suspect anything, silly boy!" Yao Chushun chuckled, showing no sign of worry.
Xu Zhengyang nodded and said in a low voice, "Did you bring the money?"
"Fuck your father!" Yao Chushun cursed, "Check your bank account yourself. I transferred 1.8 million to your account as soon as I got the check!"
"Isn't it two million?"
"You son of a bitch, you still owe me 200,000 for this shop, are you trying to renege on your promise? Damn it!"
"Oh right." Xu Zhengyang chuckled and shook his head, inwardly marveling at how efficient Yao Chushun was, getting the money into his account so quickly. He took out his phone, dialed a number to check his account balance, and said, "Is everything settled at Gu Xiangxuan?"
"No, Zheng Ronghua wants me to send the things over to him right away. The old man needs them urgently," Yao Chushun said. "I've already called Jin Er. Don't worry, it'll be fine when I get back."
"Hehe, why is Zheng Ronghua in such a hurry for things? It seems he doesn't really trust you!" Xu Zhengyang joked casually.
"Nonsense, that old man is definitely going to give them away again. He can't bear to part with his precious kids at home..."
"Oh." Xu Zhengyang didn't take it seriously, thinking to himself that rich people are indeed different, giving gifts such valuable antiques.
As he spoke, Xu Zhengyang checked his phone and found the money had arrived in his account. He was filled with emotion; he was truly a wealthy man now!
As soon as Xu Zhengyang entered the courtyard, he saw the driver standing like a mountain blocking Li Bingjie's path under the grape trellis. Li Bingjie… though he couldn't see her face, he could guess she was still quietly reading the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*.
"A customer?" Yao Chushun smiled and nodded at the driver.
With his keen eye, Yao Chushun recognized the somewhat familiar driver and noticed a young woman seemingly blocking his view from behind, naturally recalling the scene at the train station a month or so ago.
"Yes, she's my classmate. She's not very talkative." Xu Zhengyang nodded and walked into the house.
"It's alright, it's alright. You stay with the guests, I'll take care of things," Yao Chushun quickly replied.
Xu Zhengyang hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright, it's still in that wooden box under the bed in the inner room."
"Damn, you actually dared to do that!" Yao Chushun said in a low voice.
“What’s there to be afraid of? Didn’t you say that the more you hide it, the more people will have their eyes on it?” Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, “Besides, besides my family, the only other person who knows about this is you…” His words naturally implied another meaning: if something really happens, Yao Chushun will be implicated.
However, Yao Chushun misunderstood. He stared blankly at Xu Zhengyang's smiling face, feeling increasingly moved.
Yes, this young man trusts me so much. Years ago, I trusted others, and that's why I was ultimately harmed by the person I trusted most... I can't bring myself to do anything to betray someone!
Xu Zhengyang didn't pay much attention to Yao Chushun's expression. Seeing that the driver he brought had already come in carrying a large wooden box, he shouted into the house, "Rouyue, take Master Gu to pack his things. Master Gu is taking them away."
"Yes." Xu Rouyue responded from inside the house and hurriedly ran out to politely invite Yao Chushun into the house.
After watching Yao Chushun and the others enter the house, Xu Zhengyang turned around and walked to the grape trellis, sitting opposite Li Bingjie.
Li Bingjie acted as if nothing had happened, still looking down slightly and reading the book with utmost concentration, occasionally turning a page lightly.
The driver walked a few steps away and stood outside the grape trellis, letting the afternoon sun beat down on him.
Inside, Yuan Suqin also ran to Xu Zhengyang's bedroom to help pack the valuable broken jars and old bowls into boxes, and casually asked if he had given the money to her son. Where were they all going? When she heard that Xu Zhengyang's antique shop was about to open and that Yao Chushun was a partner, Yuan Suqin was extremely excited, repeatedly saying that she would go to the shop later to take a look, and that someone had to keep the shop clean every day...
Meanwhile, on the street stood a beautiful girl, Liu Xiuyan, who was lost in thought with red eyes.
With her narrow mind and intense vanity, she simply couldn't understand what had happened to Xu Zhengyang. Could he really be the embodiment of the Earth God, which is why he became rich overnight? Yes, something incredible must have happened to him, otherwise how could he be so confident now, so... that he doesn't even take me seriously anymore.
No, I can't let this go, I have to have him!
Let's prove a point!
Liu Xiuyan bit her lip, lowered her head and left, secretly making a decision in her heart, and she was confident.
Because she understood Xu Zhengyang's personality and knew what kind of person he was.
The scene under the grape trellis in the courtyard remained silent.
Xu Zhengyang, smoking a cigarette, picked up "Journey to the West" again and started reading, while Li Bingjie remained engrossed in "Classic of Mountains and Seas."
After Yao Chushun and his driver made two trips back and forth carrying away the two wooden crates, Yao Chushun returned to Xu Zhengyang and said, "Zhengyang, I'm leaving now. Tomorrow, oh no, these next few days you'd better come over a few more times. After all, the shop is newly opened, you should at least get familiar with it. Besides... what if Zou Mingyuan's father sends someone to cause trouble?"
"Oh, okay." Xu Zhengyang nodded in agreement, got up to see Yao Chushun off, but suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said as he walked, "Master Gu, I'll go tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow. I have to go to the capital to take my sister to school."
"Oh? Okay, then, give Zhong Zhijun a call later." Yao Chushun tossed a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes to Xu Zhengyang, saying, "Zhong Zhijun worked at the police station outside the market for a while, and he knows the people there. Ask him to help make connections. I'll treat them to a meal, so we can look after each other in the future..."
Xu Zhengyang nodded and said, "Okay, I'll call Zhijun in a bit. You can just find him when you get there."
"Okay, I'll be going now." Yao Chushun agreed and walked out.
Xu Zhengyang saw the Iveco off at the door and watched it disappear from the alleyway. His sister and mother walked back from the alleyway with excited expressions. They had been watching the vehicle from outside, since Yao Chushun and his wife had to make two trips back and forth. Although the interval was short and Yao Chushun had said that they didn't need to watch it, the mother and daughter were still worried and wanted to guard the vehicle themselves.
After all... it's worth a fortune!