Xia Ziyu hadn’t intended for Tian Xiaoyan to go cry at the city government building. She was merely testing Tian Xiaoyan’s determination! Besides disgusting Liu Fen, it would have been useless. The moment Tian Xiaoyan went to cry, she would have been sent to a welfare institution. Even though Tian Xiaoyan was Liu Fen’s biological daughter, making a scene in public about Liu Fen’s heartlessness and Tang Hongen’s tyranny in stealing someone’s wife… it wouldn’t have much effect.
But Xia Ziyu had already decided to take Tian Xiaoyan back to Hong Kong. She had come to pick up Xia Junbao, but Tian Xiaoyan was an unexpected bonus.
When Xia Hongxia was called back in, Tian Xiaoyan was already standing beside Xia Ziyu, wagging her tail like an obedient puppy—even when Xia Hongxia herself had been a follower back then, she hadn’t been this servile!
Xia Hongxia uncomfortably averted her eyes. Perhaps in others’ eyes back then, she hadn’t been much different from today’s Tian Xiaoyan. That’s why Xia Xiaolan used to scold her, and they often quarreled about it.
Xia Ziyu didn’t let Xia Hongxia off either: “You’ve done well with sponsoring underprivileged children. I see both these children are quite clever. I’ll take them back to Hong Kong to raise them. As for your little restaurant, close it if you must. I’m setting up an investment office in Shenzhen—would you like to manage it?”
Investment office.
It sounded so prestigious.
Right, the newspaper had reported that Xia Ziyu was now an executive director at CR Investment. Though Xia Hongxia didn’t understand what an “executive director” meant, she figured it was a leadership position with decision-making power.
Now Xia Ziyu was offering her management of the Shenzhen investment office.
Xia Hongxia was completely bewildered.
How could she manage investments?
“…Let me think about it!”
Xia Hongxia sensed an opportunity but didn’t immediately reject it. Subconsciously distrusting Xia Ziyu, she couldn’t bring herself to agree right away.
Xia Ziyu smiled lightly, “Then think it over and let me know. Even a thirteen-year-old girl knows to aim high—don’t regret it when the opportunity passes. I remember you used to want a university graduate for a partner. Do you still want that? Running a small restaurant, you’ll never find a university graduate. At my investment company, you’ll find that a university degree is just the basic requirement for your assistants!”
Xia Hongxia’s face turned bright red.
What was wrong with wanting a university graduate partner? Everyone wanted someone accomplished.
Yes, running a small restaurant made it hard to find a partner, and no one had ever introduced her to any university graduates, but that wasn’t her fault!
Xia Ziyu left, taking both Xia Junbao and Tian Xiaoyan with her.
On the way, Xia Junbao couldn’t contain himself and looked happily at Xia Ziyu:
“Sister…”
Xia Ziyu’s smile was cold, and her assistant seriously corrected him:
“Kid, has happiness made you foolish? You see Director Xia and feel close? Don’t call her that in Hong Kong. You can call her Mrs. Du or Director Xia, but not sister directly. Director Xia helping underprivileged children like you is charity, it’s her kindness, not obligation. Remember that!”
She was his sister, yet he couldn’t call her that.
Xia Junbao was dejected but didn’t dare say anything.
Tian Xiaoyan’s face beamed with joy as she chirped, “Yes! I understand. I’ll listen to Director Xia, study hard, and repay Director Xia’s kindness in the future!”
Even the assistant gave Tian Xiaoyan an extra glance.
Climbing the social ladder—many people knew how, but for a twelve or thirteen-year-old village girl to have such thick skin, it would be hard for her not to succeed. In comparison, Xia Junbao, whom Mrs. Du had specifically brought back, wasn’t as quick-witted or thick-skinned as this girl.
Of course, the assistant understood that sponsoring underprivileged children was just a pretense. The person Mrs. Du wanted to bring to Hong Kong to raise was Xia Junbao. Mrs. Du had taken a roundabout way for Xia Junbao’s sake, and Tian Xiaoyan was just an add-on.
Mrs. Du was riding high in Hong Kong, but that was only due to Mr. Du’s favor.
Without his favor, she would have nothing.
So Mrs. Du was quite anxious too. She needed her supporters.
But both children she brought back were too young—who knew when they would be useful.
As for Xia Hongxia… thinking of her greasy appearance and foolish face, such a person running a small restaurant was hardworking and honest, earning money through diligence. But for Mrs. Du to elevate her to the head of CR Investment’s Shenzhen office, the assistant genuinely disapproved.
Someone like Xia Hongxia would embarrass CR Investment even as a figurehead.
Too vulgar to be presentable.
…”Achoo!”
Xia Hongxia rubbed her nose. Damn, who was talking about her behind her back?
After Xia Ziyu took Xia Junbao and Xiaoyan away, Xia Hongxia didn’t care how she would get them to Hong Kong—she was more capable anyway.
Wang Jingui and Xia Hongbing watched her return and both rushed to question her.
Hearing that Xia Ziyu had taken them away, Wang Jingui beat her chest in regret: “You fool, if you’d kept Junbao longer, she might have given more money!”
Xia Hongxia glared at them and continued running her shop as usual.
The greasy restaurant, dealt with small vendors, selling food so cheaply, yet poor customers still tried to bargain.
It was marked price—if she went any cheaper, she might as well feed these poor people for free!
Xia Hongxia’s mindset was becoming unbalanced.
Running a small restaurant, she probably couldn’t afford a luxury car like Xia Ziyu’s in her lifetime.
There was also little chance of finding a university graduate partner.
Yes, she looked down on all those matchmaking prospects. She just had this fixation on “university graduates.” So what if she wasn’t educated—couldn’t she find someone educated?
So, as Xia Ziyu said, should she close the restaurant and manage some investment offices?
Xia Hongxia was distracted all afternoon, almost cutting herself with the kitchen knife, and was particularly bad-tempered. Wang Jingui and Xia Hongbing didn’t dare provoke her.
Wang Jingui and Xia Hongbing were regretful, but at dinner, discovering Xia Junbao’s absence, Xia Hongxia’s two brothers were quite happy.
“Sister, is he not coming back to our home?”
“Of course not.”
He’d gone to Hong Kong to live the good life with Xia Ziyu, how could he come back?
Xia Junshan was so happy he ate an extra bowl of rice: “Good riddance! I never liked him. Mom kept forcing me to be nice to him. It’s great he’s gone, hope he never comes back!”
Xia Hongxia was startled, “You didn’t want to curry favor with Xia Junbao?”
Xia Junshan shook his head like a rattledrum.
Xia Junfeng also shook his head.
This was their home, why should they curry favor with Xia Junbao? Even when they weren’t in school, they had to help at the shop, but Xia Junbao didn’t have to do anything.
Xia Junshan also disliked Xiaoyan:
“She’s shameless. I saw her and Xia Junbao kissing behind the wall!”
“…”
Xia Hongxia also thought that was quite shameless.
Her brothers’ straightforward words had quite an impact on Xia Hongxia. They were all the same kind of people. If Junfeng and Junshan didn’t want to curry favor with Xia Junbao, she similarly didn’t want to curry favor with Xia Ziyu.
What’s wrong with just being herself?
Why must she be someone’s bootlicker?
Running her small restaurant, apart from possibly not finding a university graduate partner, she was living quite contentedly.
Oh, and she couldn’t afford a luxury car.
Xia Hongxia shoveled rice into her mouth fiercely. So what if she couldn’t afford it? So many people lived without luxury cars—why did Xia Xiaolan think she couldn’t maintain her principles? Hadn’t she held firm?