No one could answer Wang Jianhua’s doubts.
Even Chairman Xia with his changed personality looked down on him.
Xia Xiaolan was celebrating Zhou Cheng’s birthday.
It had been several days since Qiong Island was reorganized from a district to a province, establishing a provincial-level special economic zone. While Zhu Suizhou’s frustration and disappointment weren’t worth mentioning, Xia Xiaolan only needed to let her land sit there and slowly appreciate it.
People like Meng Guanchao were also dreaming, believing that Ye City’s land prices could reach at most 200,000 yuan per mu within two years, after all, the Qiong Island Special Zone had just been established and needed time and space to develop.
These people were making predictions based on Peng City’s land prices.
As another special economic zone, Peng City had unique advantages, being so close to HK and established as a special economic zone earlier. Yet in the year Xia Xiaolan entered real estate, Peng City’s normal residential land prices were around 200,000 yuan per mu. Xia Xiaolan bought the Jinsha Pool plot cheaply because it was a garbage dump.
By the time of ‘Luohu Tiancheng’, there were no more bargains to be found, and she paid a normal price – 7 million for 35 mu.
Of course, Luohu Tiancheng was a 1986 project, and now two years later, getting land in similar locations for 200,000 yuan per mu was a fantasy. The price had roughly doubled to 400,000-500,000 per mu.
With land purchased at such prices, how much should Xia Xiaolan sell her high-quality residential units per square meter?
Anyway, Peng City’s housing prices could rise higher, and she couldn’t stop the historical trend, as long as she wasn’t the one pushing prices up!
Xia Xiaolan had made a considerable profit in Peng City and came to Qiong Island to find bargains.
Holding several hundred mu of land, like a wealthy landlord with a warehouse full of newly harvested grain, Old Lady Xia wasn’t worried at all.
Money could be made practically while lying down.
With food and comfort satisfied, the wealthy Xia turned her thoughts to her man.
Late April was Zhou Cheng’s 25th birthday.
This year’s birthday gift wasn’t just the promised watch.
Xia Xiaolan prepared a red silk ribbon for herself, tied in a butterfly knot around her body, packaging herself as a “gift” that Zhou Cheng would need to unwrap personally to enjoy.
Comrade Zhou Cheng’s eyes reddened when he lifted the covers.
Then he ungraciously “enjoyed” his gift.
Afterward, still unsatisfied, he asked Xia Xiaolan if such surprises could come more often.
Xia Xiaolan smiled at him with narrowed eyes: “…That depends on your performance. This is a reward that can be given or withheld!”
Such a temptress!
Zhou Cheng felt weak in his legs the next morning.
Xia Xiaolan laughed heartily under the covers – if practice wasn’t enough, theory could make up for it. She had “driven” more “vehicles” than Zhou Cheng could imagine, and could show him different styles every year without repetition.
But she stopped laughing as soon as she got out of bed.
While Zhou Cheng might lack theoretical knowledge, his stamina was good – Xia Xiaolan felt her waist was about to break.
As she was massaging her waist in the room, someone knocked on the door.
It was Jiang Yan.
Seeing her strange posture, Jiang Yan was quite puzzled:
“Do you and Zhou Cheng also like to practice fighting?”
“…Yes, it’s about building our relationship. I asked Zhou Cheng to teach me some self-defense moves.”
This was 1988, and Miss Jiang wasn’t pretending to be innocent – she truly didn’t understand. Xia Xiaolan casually brushed it off.
What else could she do, describe the details to her former love rival?
Jiang Yan, also afraid Xia Xiaolan might think she still had feelings for Zhou Cheng, didn’t pursue the topic and went straight to the point:
“What did you mean by what you said to me the other day?”
“Just what it sounds like. I don’t believe you haven’t noticed.”
Between Bai Zhenzhu and Brother Pan, there seemed to be something brewing. Pan Baohua hadn’t thought about it that way yet, but when a man becomes familiar with a woman’s presence after Bai Zhenzhu suddenly left Qiong Island, Pan Baohua should carefully consider his “brotherly feelings” for her.
Would he stay single, or find a wife who could be his equal in skill and competition?
Unless Pan Baohua was foolish, he should know which to choose.
How many men would envy Pan Baohua? Bai Zhenzhu admired him spiritually and could match him in ability, freely switching between being a wife and a brother – if Xia Xiaolan were a man, she would want such a wife.
The only thing preventing Pan Baohua from recognizing his true feelings was his “promise” to Jiang Yan.
This showed that whether man or woman, one shouldn’t make casual promises – it’s easy to end up in a major “true love” situation!
Jiang Yan pondered thoughtfully.
Third Brother and that Bai Zhenzhu?
When Bai Zhenzhu came to the unit, Third Brother became energetic.
When Bai Zhenzhu left with Xia Xiaolan, Third Brother seemed a bit strange.
Could this iron tree of a man finally be blooming?
“Xia Xiaolan, if what you say is true, I definitely won’t be an obstacle to Third Brother establishing a family. On the contrary, I’ll help promote their relationship! Over these years, Third Brother has taken good care of me. I’m not an ungrateful person.”
Jiang Yan had initially wanted to speak contrary to her thoughts but decided to be straightforward instead.
This wasn’t Jiang Yan’s first interaction with Xia Xiaolan. She had been scolded by her and also cared for by her. Xia Xiaolan was someone who would return seven parts of kindness for three parts of respect shown to her.
If someone spoke rudely to Xia Xiaolan, she wouldn’t show mercy either.
For the Third Brother’s happiness, Jiang Yan put aside her tsundere attitude and decided to cooperate with Xia Xiaolan.
After all, Bai Zhenzhu was brought to the unit by Xia Xiaolan.
Xia Xiaolan was satisfied with Jiang Yan’s attitude. As long as Comrade Jiang Yan kept her slight tsundere tendency within reasonable bounds, she was quite lovable.
“How do you plan to bring them together?”
“I’ll talk to Third Brother directly. He’s not the type to be coy, and his ‘promise’ has also put pressure on me.”
Jiang Yan thought Xia Xiaolan would have other opinions, but unexpectedly, Xia Xiaolan nodded in agreement:
“It’s best to be open about it. I won’t mention anything to Zhenzhu for now. If Third Brother doesn’t have further intentions, wouldn’t that be awkward? By the way, you could also appropriately mention why Zhenzhu came to Qiong Island with me this time. Sigh, even the most capable female comrade can’t escape the fate of arranged marriages. Yet those refined male comrades can’t understand Zhenzhu’s good qualities, considering her every word and action as unorthodox… For a female comrade to force herself to change, to cater to others’ aesthetics, I think it’s a very uncomfortable thing. I wonder if someone who appreciates Zhenzhu will appear, allowing her to be herself without forced changes!”
Jiang Yan hesitated to speak.
Who could force Bai Zhenzhu to change?
Xia Xiaolan must be joking.
One punch from Bai Zhenzhu, and ordinary men wouldn’t stand a chance!
However, putting it this way wasn’t bad – after all, Third Brother’s nature was to help the weak and suppress the strong.
Jiang Yan had always felt that if Pan Baohua had lived in ancient times, he would have been either a great general or a great knight-errant. The chivalrous spirit in his bones couldn’t be changed – otherwise, he wouldn’t have angrily crippled her cousin Jiang Wu back then.
She never thought she’d one day collaborate with Xia Xiaolan.
Jiang Yan’s expression was complex as she left. In the corridor, she met Zhou Cheng returning with breakfast for Xia Xiaolan. Lost in thought, Jiang Yan walked right past Zhou Cheng without even looking at him.
Zhou Cheng: “…”