Zhou Cheng didn’t know that his brief appearance had left Gao Fei somewhat unsettled.

Even if he knew, he wouldn’t examine himself – he would only curse Old Fang for having problems. He wouldn’t be moved by a woman falling for him at first sight; any woman who took to him with just one look was too improper.

What was a proper person like?

Of course, like his wife Xiaolan, who could treat him as a normal friend no matter how handsome he was.

If it weren’t for Zhou Cheng’s thick skin and eager pursuit, his wife wouldn’t have agreed to date him. She said it was a “probation period,” but Zhou Cheng shamelessly glossed over that term. He had held her hand and embraced her – didn’t Xia Xiaolan have to take responsibility for him? Zhou Cheng’s mind was full of thoughts of his wife. Xia Xiaolan might not be the world’s most beautiful woman, but her eyes, mouth, nose – everything suited Zhou Cheng’s taste perfectly.

Even her hair grew exactly the way Zhou Cheng liked it. He had fallen for her at first sight, from her appearance to her temperament, everything appealed to him.

With such a jewel before him, how could other women catch his eye?

Without any holidays, Zhou Cheng constantly hoped Xia Xiaolan would visit him, yet worried about tiring her out. She had to study and run a business – studying taxed the mind, while business required both mental and physical effort. Zhou Cheng admired Xia Xiaolan’s spirit but felt she was too stubborn.

Wouldn’t it be better if Xiaolan took over his and Kang Wei’s business?

Kang Wei did all the hard work; his wife could earn money easily.

He wondered if his wife and future mother-in-law liked the New Year goods he sent. The foreign exchange certificates weren’t enough – if he had exchanged more, he could let Xiaolan buy other appliances. They had a washing machine; a TV would be nice… but he worried his wife wouldn’t even have time to watch TV.

He needed to ask Kang Wei to exchange more foreign exchange certificates.

The items sold at the Friendship Store were in high demand. Zhou Cheng wished he could present all the best things to Xia Xiaolan. He felt guilty that they couldn’t meet often while dating. Though guilt couldn’t be compensated with money, Zhou Cheng, in his first relationship, only wanted to treat his beloved well, fearing that Xia Xiaolan would suffer even the slightest grievance.

If he couldn’t bear to see Xia Xiaolan suffer, others certainly couldn’t make her suffer.

About slapping Zhu Fang, Zhou Cheng didn’t think he was wrong – if anything, he hadn’t done enough. Seeing how arrogant Zhu Fang’s mother was, he shouldn’t have left her to trouble Xiaolan. On the third day of the New Year, after dining with Kang Wei at home, Zhou Cheng drove him back.

On the way, Zhou Cheng learned that Xia Xiaolan had been taken to the police station because of the Zhu family, and he was furious.

“Brother, what a coincidence – the officer who questioned her was that policewoman from Anqing County Police Station…”

What coincidence!

In Xiaolan’s letters to him, she only mentioned that the Zhu family’s scheme backfired and they were taught a lesson but didn’t mention going to the police station. Seeing Zhou Cheng’s dark expression, Kang Wei quickly smoothed things over by sharing his misfortune: “Little Guang’s uncle’s secretary was awful, only showing up after I’d been beaten twice. I took all the hits – Sister-in-law didn’t suffer at all!”

“Kang Zi, you’ve suffered. I’ll remember your loyalty!”

Zhou Cheng spoke sincerely, making Kang Wei embarrassed. Talking about loyalty made things formal – if anything, it was Zhou Cheng who had always helped him improve. Kang Wei then discussed the accounts with Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng had nowhere to spend so much money, and remembering Xia Xiaolan’s suggestion to buy houses, he asked Kang Wei to help arrange it.

Kang Wei’s interest was piqued. “Can houses be valuable?”

Buying houses was difficult now, but it depended on who was doing it. With the right connections, buying two courtyards was feasible. Kang Wei looked down on those dilapidated small quadrangle courtyards. Though he wasn’t sensitive to these investments himself, he always followed smart people’s lead.

If Brother Cheng would listen to his future sister-in-law, Kang Wei felt he should listen too.

“Brother, leave it to me. By the way, it was Zhou Yi who told me about Sister-in-law’s matter. Why do these women have so many schemes?”

Could Zhou Yi have slipped up?

Zhou Yi did it deliberately!

Someone like Shao Guangrong, with his big mouth, wouldn’t bring such matters to the elders.

To be blunt, Zhou Cheng hadn’t brought anyone home possibly because the relationship wasn’t at that stage or the timing wasn’t right. Others shouldn’t meddle and expose Xia Xiaolan’s existence to the elders. When Guan Hui’e heard about her son’s relationship with others, she felt less close to him than outsiders. Regardless of what Zhou Cheng’s girlfriend was like, Guan Hui’e was already predisposed to dislike her.

People raised in their kind of family might not all be capable, but they have learned what to say in different situations.

Unintentional?

Slip-ups that harm others without benefiting oneself are usually intentional.

Zhou Cheng had started working in his teens and wasn’t particularly close to his cousins of the same generation. Besides, Zhou Yi was his cousin, and they hadn’t played together much as children. What grudge did Zhou Yi have against him? Zhou Cheng vaguely recalled that two years ago, at a dinner in the old house, Zhou Yi had wanted to introduce him to a girlfriend.

At that time, Zhou Cheng had just returned from the front lines. At night, he dreamed of flying artillery shells, wounded soldiers with severed limbs, and worse – bodies blown into pieces, intestines and flesh scattered, impossible to piece together complete corpses… Zhou Cheng wasn’t superhuman. At just 19, he had experienced the brutality of frontline warfare. He had no time for idle thoughts at the front, but once he had a moment’s peace, the nightmares began.

It took two months for him to gradually recover.

And Zhou Yi wanted to introduce him to a girlfriend in that state?

Even during naps, Zhou Cheng was alert, likely to pull out his gun and shoot any stranger within two meters. Who did Zhou Yi want to introduce? Someone from the Zheng family? Zhou Cheng kept this in mind – when his wife came to Beijing if these troublemakers dared to act up, he would teach them a lesson!

Zhou Cheng was somewhat worried – he wasn’t at all happy that those women liked him.

He only wanted Xia Xiaolan to like him.

Thinking about it, Zhou Cheng felt particularly confident. Unlike Shao Guangrong, he hadn’t dated many girlfriends, hadn’t been betrothed as a child, hadn’t had any marriage arrangements due to his young age, and had no unrequited “first loves”… He was pure and clean, having kept himself pure for 20 years for his wife Xia Xiaolan – she had to take responsibility for him.

“Achoo!”

As soon as she got off the train, Xia Xiaolan sneezed.

February in Yang City already had hints of spring. It was Li Fengmei’s first long-distance trip, and thirty hours in a seated position left her with aches all over. She understood Xia Xiaolan’s hardships now.

Hearing Xia Xiaolan sneeze, Li Fengmei asked with concern:

“Are you wearing too little?”

Xia Xiaolan shook her head, “Yang City is warmer than Shang City, not cold at all.”

Yang City wasn’t cold – when the sun came out, temperatures would climb to eighteen or nineteen degrees. In Shang City, breath would turn to white mist, but in Yang City, a sweater and jacket were enough. Except for the elderly and frail, no one wore thick cotton jackets. Cold-weather gear and down jackets were sold to people from other provinces.

Li Fengmei clutched her bag, “Then someone must be talking about you, that’s why you sneezed.”

Pan San had scared Ke Yixiong, but Xia Xiaolan hadn’t let her guard down. Bai Zhenzhu came to meet them at the station with two senior apprentice brothers. It had been over half a month since Bai Zhenzhu and Xia Xiaolan’s last meeting, and Boss Bai’s purse had grown fuller.

The Special Economic Zone was newly established, and the small commodities market was in chaos – it seemed tailor-made for Bai Zhenzhu to make money.