No one in Southern City was unaware of Ding Xiaoyue's reputation. She was indeed a formidable fighter, which explained why she dared to openly pursue handsome men and engage in such scandalous behavior without consequence.
Was it simply because no one could defeat her?
"It seems he's proving quite difficult to handle. Let's first send some people to cause trouble. Once the Red Gang leader returns, we'll have him make a move in secret."
"That's the only way. I hope he won't disappoint me."
"If he fails again, we'll go after his family."
"Yes, how did I not think of that?"
"..."
Unaware of their scheming, Zhang Liunian had already returned to the village and stood inside the factory.
The factory appeared rather rudimentary. Not only were the walls low, but the roof was also constructed from planks. It wasn't that Zhang Liunian didn't want to use tiles, but time was tight, and the area was too large for tiles to be practical.
He planned to pour a cement roof later; for now, this would have to suffice.
"Liunian, this factory is built quite large. Will it be enough? If not, we can help you enclose the surrounding area," Zhang Hao, noticing Zhang Liunian's displeased expression, had a myriad of thoughts before seemingly pinpointing the issue and making the suggestion.
Zhang Liunian turned and smiled. "It's enough."
"That's good." He was finally able to start operations, and the thought made him excited!
"Tomorrow, I'll have Uncle Zhao send more equipment. Gather everyone then, and I'll recruit a hundred people to work here. You'll start operations the day after tomorrow."
Was it finally time to begin? Zhang Liunian felt a surge of excitement. The market for preserved vegetables was finally opening up for him. He wondered how long it would take to capture the entire province and then the nation.
"Alright, tomorrow, after your equipment arrives, I'll have everyone come over."
"There's one more thing I need to trouble Uncle Hao with. I'd like you to recommend someone experienced and trustworthy to be the factory manager." It wasn't that he didn't want to use his previous associates; it was just that the factory manager from his past life hadn't appeared in Southern City yet, and their paths hadn't crossed.
"Leave it to me. There isn't a soul in this village whose background I don't know."
"Thank you, Uncle Hao."
"..."
After their conversation, Zhang Liunian returned home to prepare his ingredients. His sauces had also been selling very well recently, with more and more restaurants approaching him. Zhang Liunian had already begun supplying the crayfish restaurants in the county town and the braised meat shops in Southern City.
As the demand grew, he needed to start having others take over.
"Cough, cough, cough... The chili flavor is even stronger this time. The amount needs to be reduced slightly."
Zhang Liunian muttered to himself as he mixed the ingredients. By the time he finished, it was late into the night.
Carrying water to the yard to wash up, Zhang Liunian turned to go back inside and change when he collided with a soft body.
"Ah!" Su Jie cried out and stumbled backward. Directly behind her was a sharp rock; falling on it would have meant serious injury or worse.
Seeing this, Zhang Liunian quickly reached out and pulled her. She fell into his arms and bit his chest.
The suddenness of it all left Zhang Liunian momentarily stunned.
"You..." Zhang Liunian was about to speak when he met a pair of eyes from inside the house. His words immediately changed, and he explained, "Qingqing, it's not what you think."
With that, he pushed Su Jie aside without regard for her unstable footing. This caused Su Jie to fall to the ground with a yelp.
"Su Jie, are you alright!" Jiang Qingqing, hearing this, quickly went to check on Su Jie, completely disregarding what she had just witnessed.
"Qingqing, that was an accident. Please don't misunderstand. We really have nothing going on," Zhang Liunian said, feeling anxious and annoyed as his wife ignored him and focused on Su Jie.
Qingqing had always cared about him the most. Yet now, she was concerned about Su Jie. Had she truly misunderstood and become angry?
But it had just been an accident.
"Qingqing, I'm fine. Don't misunderstand Liunian. I was about to fall, and he just helped me. We really have nothing going on."
Su Jie got up from the ground, swayed, and then held Jiang Qingqing's wrist, saying with apparent sincerity, "You two should talk it out. Don't let an accident cause a misunderstanding. I'll go inside now."
"Su Jie..." Jiang Qingqing called out softly as Su Jie left.
Su Jie didn't stop but walked inside, feigning weakness. Once the door was closed, her face lost its innocent look, and a smile appeared.
"Qingqing, you heard that. It was truly an accident just now." Seeing that there were no outsiders, Zhang Liunian, still shirtless, tried to explain.
Jiang Qingqing looked at the teeth marks on his chest, her heart aching immensely. However, her upbringing prevented her from uttering any harsh words. After holding it in for a long time, she could only let out a cold snort and turn to walk inside.
Seeing that she seemed angry, Zhang Liunian quickly followed. He intended to wrap his arm around her shoulder as usual, but Jiang Qingqing shook off his hand and snorted again.
"Qingqing," Zhang Liunian watched his outstretched hand fall empty, his brow furrowed. He moved forward again, trying to embrace her, but failed every attempt.
"Bang!"
The room door closed shut. Huabao was also fast asleep.
Zhang Liunian looked at his wife, who was sitting on the bed with her back to him, and sighed. He sat beside her and continued to explain, "It was truly just an accident. Believe me, I will only ever love you."
Hearing this, Jiang Qingqing could no longer suppress the emotions in her eyes. Her lips trembled, and she opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.
Zhang Liunian, who had been watching her intently, noticed her softening. He reached out and clasped her small hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss. "Don't you understand how I feel about you?"
For all these years, Jiang Qingqing had been the only woman he had ever loved.
"Then what is this?" Jiang Qingqing suddenly turned and pointed at the spot on his chest where Su Jie had bitten him.
Zhang Liunian followed her gaze and saw the mark. He raised his hand and rubbed it vigorously. "This was left accidentally. I'll wash it clean right now."
Jiang Qingqing did not stop him as he got up to wash.
"I washed it three times with soap. Doesn't it smell fragrant?" Zhang Liunian said, embracing Jiang Qingqing after he had cleaned himself.
Jiang Qingqing looked at his reddened skin, her heart filled with an indescribable sadness.
One was a good sister, and the other was the man she loved most.
Whether this incident was an accident or intentional, she never wanted to see it happen again.
"Promise me there won't be a next time for such accidents," Jiang Qingqing whispered, her eyes welling up with tears as she gently stroked Zhang Liunian's chest.
This pained Zhang Liunian deeply. He pulled her onto his lap, lifting his hand to wipe away her tears. "From now on, no matter who falls on the ground, I won't help them, except for you."
He had helped Su Jie because he knew she was his wife's good friend. It seemed he shouldn't have done that; it had only made his wife so upset.