Mr. Xu had a violent temper; he had even beaten his beloved youngest son. When he lost his temper, he was quite ruthless. Mrs. Xu wailed and screamed for help, clutching her head, but her precious youngest son hid in a corner, afraid to make a sound, lest he be caught in the crossfire.
After all the commotion, the Xu family finally realized Xu Zifan's status in Donghe County. With several people guarding the outside, they couldn't even get out, and they were quite disheartened.
This time, however, Xu Zifan only detained them for a day, and put them on a train the next day. Xu Zifan said to them coldly, "Judging from how much trouble you cause, you must have chosen not to rely on us for your old age. Then go back and cause as much trouble as you want, and live well with your beloved youngest son."
No matter what Xu's parents said, Xu Zifan didn't reply and just left.
Just as Xu Zifan said before, he's never afraid of the Xu family causing trouble. What can they possibly do? Aside from accusing him of being unfilial, they have no other grounds to criticize him. He established a pension fund, funded primary and secondary schools, and helped countless elderly people and children; no one would believe he's an unfilial son. If he were unfilial, there must be a reason. As for those who question him, they would question him even without the accusations, and it wouldn't affect him at all.
He locked the Xu family up as soon as they arrived, actually to make them understand completely that he had no intention of indulging them and that they shouldn't try to make him obey in any way. The colder he appeared from the start, the more resolute he would let them know, and the more they would realize that pestering them was useless. Otherwise, Xu's mother's crying,闹事, and threats of suicide would be incredibly annoying.
The purpose of letting them go out for a walk was to let them know that their fussing wouldn't achieve any other results and that all their efforts were in vain. This was to psychologically discourage them, make them feel powerless, and leave them disheartened.
Xu Zifan was also testing the waters to see if his standing in the hearts of the people of Donghe County was truly as high as he thought. Although he had been a local tyrant for years, society was changing, and people's hearts were easily swayed. If the people joined the Xu family in criticizing him this time, he planned to leave and develop his career in Beijing. He wouldn't do something that wouldn't be appreciated; if people weren't grateful, his work for Donghe County would come to an end.
The trial went very well, which gave him the confidence to do more. He had been preparing a plan to raise funds and lead everyone to prosperity, and now he was finally ready to bring it to fruition.
His five-story department store is almost finished. The top floor will be a movie theater and a restaurant, the fourth floor will be an amusement park and a game room, the third floor will be home furnishings, the second floor will be clothing and accessories, and the first floor will be miscellaneous goods.
This department store is incredibly forward-thinking; its cinema, restaurants, and amusement park are all equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, giving it a very upscale feel. The other three floors are divided into semi-enclosed stalls in the center selling inexpensive goods, while the surrounding spacious shops sell higher-priced items. The layout is neat, organized, and clearly categorized, and it basically includes everything people need for daily life. Whatever you want to buy for your home, this department store has it all!
This department store is foreseeably to become a landmark building in Donghe County for many years to come. Xu Zifan's proposed plan is that all operating costs of the department store will be jointly funded by the original residents of Hexi Village, with profits distributed annually according to the amount of investment.
Over the years, he has been working alongside the villagers, running factories and schools together, and there is indeed a strong sense of unity among them. He once told Director Liu and the others that in the beginning, it was the villagers who worked hard and patiently with him to get the factory up and running. Although this was just him being polite, the villagers really didn't care much at the time. They supported him and followed him through the initial difficulties of building the factory simply because he replaced some defective products for them.
This kindness must be remembered. And over the years, he has run pig farms, chicken farms, fish ponds, orchards, and construction teams. No matter who he sends or where, they are always there immediately and work diligently. Regardless of their initial intentions, they are all truly simple villagers. It is with their support that he has been able to accomplish so much in this restrictive era.
So now, in this best of times, he wants to lead them to prosperity.
Of course, this definitely didn't include Su Qing. Xu Zifan guessed that Su Qing had given them directions when he saw the Xu family off at the train station, because the nasty things his mother said to him when she was agitated, like "marrying into the family" and "not laying eggs," sounded too much like someone was deliberately stirring things up. He asked Xu Zilong a question at the time, and Xu Zilong, afraid of him, honestly replied that he had encountered a young woman.
Xu Zifan guessed from his description that the woman was Su Qing. Upon checking, he found that Su Qing had indeed left the compound and hadn't gone to the shop. He couldn't understand why Su Qing kept watching his family. They had settled their score back then and lived their own lives for so many years, so why was she doing this?
But whether Su Qing was jealous, resentful, or simply wanted to see them suffer, he still had to settle accounts with her.
Su Qing's bad luck soon began. The economy had only recently opened up, and many rules were still being established, some strictly enforced, others more leniently. Donghe County, being predominantly populated by locals, naturally had lax enforcement. Su Qing's shop had many irregularities, and the sudden crackdown and the resulting fines infuriated her.
But she had nowhere to turn for justice in this matter; she could only blame herself for not being careful enough. She wanted Wu Zhigang's help, but Wu Zhigang had only been in office for a short time; how could he possibly use connections to handle such a matter? He simply told her to pay up to avoid trouble.
However, things weren't that simple. Su Qing faced the strictest scrutiny when opening her shop, making it incredibly difficult for her to earn money. Her land had also been returned to her; she didn't cultivate it, and no one wanted to rent it to her.
She wasted her life there. Nothing she did went smoothly, and Aunt Wu couldn't help but mutter about it, thinking she was a jinx. The old woman was superstitious, and when she mentioned Yang Wanyun, she said that Yang was a lucky star, and looked at how prosperous the Yang family had become, and then looked at her, saying that she was just a source of bad luck.
One time, when Aunt Wu was whispering with Wu Zhigang, Su Qing overheard them, and a fierce battle erupted between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the Wu family. Wu Zhigang told Aunt Wu not to say such things again, but he was also very disgusted by Su Qing's attitude towards her mother-in-law. Su Qing was furious at the sight and went to live in the old house. Every time she thought of the words "jinx," she felt as if needles were piercing her heart.
She lived two lives, and her experience with Yang Wanyun was a stark contrast between a "jinx" and a "lucky charm"!
She didn't believe in any of this, but Yang Wanyun was a thorn in her side. Now all the facts told her that she was just unlucky, a jinx, and a jinx! Otherwise, why would others be better off than her even after she was reborn?
Su Qing was so unlucky that even drinking cold water would cause her trouble; she basically couldn't earn any money in Donghe County. Now, only money could give her a sense of security. Watching her fellow villagers join the financing and wait to receive dividends, while she was the only one excluded and unable to benefit, made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Wu Zhigang could tell that she must have offended Xu Zifan again and was very dissatisfied with her. However, divorce was not a good idea at this time, especially for public officials, as divorce would be more likely to be criticized. Aunt Wu was eager to have a grandson, so she urged Wu Zhigang to take Su Qing back. This time, Aunt Wu had also come to a realization: Su Qing could do whatever she wanted; she would just cook delicious and nutritious meals for the two of them every day to help them recover, and once the baby was born, she would take good care of her grandson.
Su Qing was already prone to internal heat, and drinking those nourishing soups every day only made it worse. Especially now that she couldn't earn any money, after a hard day's work outside, she didn't feel any care from her family when she got home, which made her really want to move out and live on her own.
After some time, her belly still hadn't shown any signs of pregnancy, so Wu Zhigang suggested going to the hospital for a checkup with her. Su Qing, of course, absolutely refused. This refusal made Aunt Wu suspicious, and she looked at Su Qing with suspicion every day. She already had a bad impression of Su Qing, and Su Qing had indeed had feelings for Xu Zifan and had an affair. Back then, whenever Wu Zhigang came home from work, Su Qing was always unwilling to go. Could it be that she'd been seducing other men while living alone these past few years?
This suspicion lasted a lifetime, and Aunt Wu couldn't stop thinking about it. She also suspected that Su Qing had secretly aborted a child because she couldn't get pregnant. Otherwise, why would Su Qing's reaction be so strange? The relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law became increasingly tense, and Wu Zhigang was caught in the middle and felt very uncomfortable. No matter what he said to Su Qing, he couldn't get through to her. Whenever he mentioned the check-up, she would find all sorts of excuses to argue, which made him feel physically and mentally exhausted.
The final trigger was Wu Xiaomei's second pregnancy! Family planning had already been implemented by then, but they weren't particularly strict or inhumane in enforcing it. If someone got pregnant, the fines were hefty, but they wouldn't force an abortion. Wu Xiaomei had come to share the good news with Aunt Wu, but instead, she triggered Su Qing's nerves. She felt that the mother and daughter were deliberately saying these things to put her down.
Wu Xiaomei wasn't going to put up with her. As soon as she saw Wu Xiaomei's cold shoulder, she said, "Are you not welcoming me? I heard you haven't given me a single penny of the money you've earned. I'm eating at my brother's house. You'll have to put up with it if you don't want to!"
Su Qing retorted angrily, "What do you mean? What business is it of yours how my husband and I spend our money? You're just a sister, yet you're meddling in your brother's family affairs? If you're pregnant, you should stay home quietly. If something happens to you in my house, who will you blame?"
"How dare you talk like that! You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth!" Wu Xiaomei stood up, ready to argue, but Aunt Wu quickly pulled her back. Suddenly, Wu Xiaomei remembered Aunt Wu's suspicion that Su Qing couldn't have children. Aunt Wu couldn't say anything, so Wu Xiaomei seized the opportunity to ask, "Why are you so annoyed with me? So what if I'm pregnant with my second child? Oh, you're jealous because you can't have children yourself, huh? Go ahead and have one yourself!"
Su Qing grabbed an apple from the table and threw it at him, "Get out! Whether I have a child or not is none of your business."
"You don't even dare to go to the hospital, are you feeling guilty? What have you done? Why are you afraid to go to the hospital? I've seen you dressing up so extravagantly these past few years, who knows what kind of shady business you've been up to behind the scenes? How can you face my brother?"
"You're talking nonsense! How dare you slander me? You're not leaving today, and you're not leaving this door until you give me an explanation!" Su Qing stepped forward, grabbed Wu Xiaomei, and pushed her around, shouting.
Wu Xiaomei pushed her away forcefully, stepped aside, and scolded, "Didn't I hit the nail on the head? If you didn't do something to betray my brother, then go to the hospital. Why don't you dare to go? I'm asking you today, why don't you go? If you can't answer, isn't it because you're guilty? You've always liked to seduce men. Did you have an abortion before, which is why you're afraid to go?"
Su Qing retorted angrily, "You just had an abortion! I'm not going because I already have! I can't have children, are you satisfied now?!"
Wu Xiaomei calmed down and helped Wu Da Niang up. Wu Da Niang looked at Su Qing in shock, "What did you say? You went? You had a checkup? You...you can't have children?"
Su Qing looked at them with disgust. "So what if I can't have children? I was born unable to have children! Stop insulting me with those disgusting things. How could you even think of such things? Abortion, ugh, I've never seen anyone so eager to put a green hat on their brother and son."
Just then, Wu Zhigang returned and overheard her last words. He asked incredulously, "What are you saying? What do you mean by being born unable to have children?"
"It's what you heard, the doctor said I'm not fully developed and can't have children." She stared at Wu Zhigang and said, "So what if I can't have children? If you want a child, adopt a baby, isn't that the same? Don't you think so?"
Wu Zhigang frowned instantly. How could they be the same? They weren't his biological children.
His behavior had already given Su Qing the answer. No one in the room spoke until Wu Xiaomei awkwardly broke the silence, whispering, "Brother, you..."
"Don't blame me, I... I just made things up to force her to tell the truth. Um, I'm going back now. Mom's letting me stay with her for a couple of days. You two can discuss it yourselves."
Wu Xiaomei helped Aunt Wu pack a few clothes and quickly pulled her away. Su Qing looked at Wu Zhigang and asked, "You don't want to have children? What are you going to do if you want a baby? Are you going to find someone else to have one?"
Wu Zhigang frowned even more deeply, sat down, and said, "We'll always find a way."
Su Qing sneered, "No choice! Divorce!"
Wu Zhigang was stunned for a moment, then, seeing Su Qing's indifferent expression, he felt a sense of relief. Their marriage had been filled with resentment from the beginning. Although there had been harmonious moments, ever since he transferred home from the military, Su Qing had acted strangely, seemingly harboring some disdain for him. He had always been proud of his achievements and really disliked Su Qing's attitude. Now that Su Qing couldn't have children, and he was a very traditional man who longed for his own bloodline, since Su Qing had proposed a divorce, he readily agreed, "Okay."
Divorce was considered very unconventional at that time, especially in their area where everyone got along harmoniously and there weren't many troublesome families. Wu Zhigang and Su Qing were the first couple to divorce. But when everyone learned that Su Qing had initiated the divorce, they thought it was a good thing. Su Qing's character was questionable, and Wu Zhigang was getting rid of her by divorcing her.
Su Qing was preparing to leave Donghe County. Since Donghe County couldn't accommodate her, she wasn't going to stay any longer; the world outside was vast. When she was moving, she ran into Xu Zifan and Yang Wanyun outside; they were seeing off the old traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
Su Qing was unwilling to accept this and said coldly, "Xu Zifan, you used such despicable means to force me away, are you even a man?!"
Xu Zifan glanced at her. "What methods? Law-abiding methods? It was the right choice for you to leave, so you won't continue to be an eyesore."
"you--"
Just as Su Qing was about to speak, Yang Wanyun suddenly gagged twice. Xu Zifan turned around and patted her back, then politely asked the old Chinese medicine doctor, "Uncle Lin, do you have any plums or snacks that could make Wanyun feel better?"
The traditional Chinese medicine doctor smiled and waved his hand, "Everyone's constitution is different during pregnancy, so it may not work for everyone. You can try it though. Every pregnant woman has different food preferences."
"Okay, thank you for your help today, Uncle Lin."
"No trouble at all, just bring a bottle of good wine next time you go to my place."
After the old Chinese medicine doctor left, Su Qing stared wide-eyed at Yang Wanyun's stomach. "Yang Wanyun, you're pregnant? You're pregnant?!"
Yang Wanyun frowned and said to Xu Zifan, "Let's go back."
"Hmm." Xu Zifan took two steps, then turned back to Su Qing and said, "You know what you told my parents. But you've got one thing wrong: even if we didn't have children, I would still treat Wanyun just as well."
After Xu Zifan and Yang Wanyun left, Su Qing couldn't help but compare Xu Zifan to Wu Zhigang. She knew Xu Zifan wasn't lying because in her previous life, she was 30 and still childless, and Xu Zifan hadn't said anything, unlike Wu Zhigang who cared so much about children. So, if she hadn't schemed against Xu Zifan and Yang Wanyun after being reborn, if she had still married Xu Zifan, if she had used her prophecy to help Xu Zifan set up a factory, wouldn't she be very happy now?
Xu Zifan is so capable now, he doesn't even care if his wife can't have children. Why was she so blinded by greed to marry Wu Zhigang? These days she can't earn money, and spending more time at home, she's realized their quality of life is far inferior to when she lived alone. Even if Wu Zhigang is a deputy bureau chief, how much money can he earn? How many years will it take him to accumulate wealth? Especially in Donghe County, which is managed by Yang Yongqing, the economy is very poor; Wu Zhigang has no chance to save money!
She gained absolutely nothing from marrying Wu Zhigang, and had to put up with Aunt Wu and Little Sister Wu; it was all just making things difficult for her. Thankfully, she's divorced now, and she'll have plenty of opportunities elsewhere.
Su Qing disposed of all her assets here, took the money, and left. No one cared where she went.
The completion of the department store not only brings profit sharing to the villagers, but also provides them with many opportunities to make money. With the county's population increasing, so many new jobs have been created, giving everyone something to do. Renting a shop in the department store is much cheaper than opening a store elsewhere, so anyone who wants to do business can give it a try. Even if they're not cut out for it, they won't lose much.
Immediately afterward, Xu Zifan's first garden-style residential complex was completed. It consisted entirely of three-story buildings with excellent landscaping, and each ground-floor unit had a yard with unobstructed sunlight. The complex had a policy offering a 30% discount to residents with local county residency. After this policy was introduced, almost all the original residents of Xihe Village bought houses and moved in. This brought them all together again, leaving newer residents from the county to wait for the later-built complexes.
Xu Xiaofen learned from her classmates in Beijing that the Xu family of three had given an interview and appeared in the newspaper accusing the couple of being unfilial. However, it didn't have much of an impact, only appearing in small local newspapers in Beijing. Then, Xu Zifan's department store and garden residential complex gained fame, quickly overshadowing the incident. Compared to Xu Zifan's family affairs, people were more interested in knowing what ingenious ideas he had and how far he planned to go.
No matter how much the Xu family protested, they couldn't get anything out of them, so they had to accept it and called Xu Zifan to compromise. They wanted to come live with Xu Zifan, but he refused, only agreeing to send them money every month. The same went for Xu Xiaofen; they only visited once, for her wedding. Most of their money was being sponged off by Xu Zilong, which Xu Zifan didn't care about. He was already providing for them in their old age, and what kind of life they wanted to live was none of his business.
They raised a son who sponged off them, so in a sense, they deserved their hardship in their later years.
Yang Wanyun gave birth to a daughter. After becoming a mother, her thoughts became even more...
Her insights into life became more nuanced and profound, leading to a wider appreciation for her writing. After finding a suitable replacement at the university, she resigned to focus solely on writing. As society changed and constraints on writing lessened, she was finally able to freely express the stories in her heart, producing several bestselling novels in just a few years.
Xu Zifan also followed the trend of the times, opening taxi companies, express delivery and logistics companies, internet companies, and so on after real estate. His businesses multiplied, and his net worth increased. Meanwhile, the villagers who initially followed him had already moved into two-story villas, each with their own businesses, and had become among the first to get rich.
Mayor Liu retired, Yang Yongqing retired, Wu Zhigang married a new wife and had a son, and Donghe County gradually became Donghe City. Many changes occurred in this place, but the one thing that remained unchanged was the people's continued support for Xu Zifan—a kind of faith, a gratitude towards him. Of course, Xu Zifan didn't exploit this gratitude for anything; on the contrary, he was passionate about charity, personally setting an example to teach everyone not to be driven by profit, and to always maintain their true selves no matter how high they reach.
After Yang Yongqing retired, Xu Zifan also handed over most of his work to others. He accompanied Yang Wanyun and the elderly couple on trips to see the different scenery of the world. Yang Wanyun was a writer, and the customs and cultures she encountered while traveling always inspired her. She became happier and more content in this kind of life.
After Yang Wanyun received a bookcase full of trophies and certificates, gaining high recognition from the literary world, she said to Xu Zifan for the first time, "Thank you for encouraging me to write, thank you for giving me a nurturing environment to grow, thank you for showing me the world. I really, really love this career, and I am especially grateful to you."
Xu Zifan gently smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear and said with a smile, "Why are you suddenly being so formal? Do we need to say thank you?"
"I knew you'd say I was being too formal, so I've never said it all these years. Today I saw Su Qing, and she was living a very miserable life. I suddenly really wanted you to know that I'm truly grateful to Su Qing. If it weren't for her scheming against us, how could I have married you and become a better version of myself? My life has been very fulfilling, and I haven't wasted a single day, all because of you."
Their golden wedding anniversary was even featured on television. The story of a legendary figure who became the richest man in the country and helped his entire village become wealthy, and the heartwarming love between a literary giant, inspires envy in many. Having lived through their era, their love—not intense or passionate, but precious, characterized by mutual encouragement, support, and cherishing—is truly extraordinary. This is Yang Wanyun's happiness.
Su Qing was cleaning at a nursing home when she saw them on TV. She stopped what she was doing, looked at the people on TV, and tears streamed down her face without her realizing it. After leaving Donghe County, she had clearly made money; she had even bought a house and a car. When she was 30, she remembered that the stock market would skyrocket, and that any stock she bought would rise, so she quickly invested her money. Finding that it had indeed risen significantly, she simply invested all her remaining funds.
She believed in her past life memories, and the continuously rising stock market gave her a lot of confidence. In her previous life, she only lived to be 30 years old, and she didn't know anything after that. But she asked many people and read many expert predictions, all of whom said that the stock market would continue to rise. Who could have imagined that she would end up being trapped!
She lost all her savings and had to sell her car to make a living from her clothing store. But more and more people were starting businesses, and more and more factories were opening up. Their clothes were also more stylish, and the "new styles" she remembered were quickly outdated. She didn't know how to design clothes, so she could only buy and sell goods like everyone else, and her earnings were naturally similar to everyone else's—nothing new or exciting.
She was reborn, yet faded into obscurity. Unwilling to accept this, she felt immense pressure and gradually developed a fondness for gambling and buying lottery tickets. At first, it was just small-scale gambling, but as life became increasingly difficult, she became more and more addicted, hoping to one day strike it rich and live the life she desired. But luck was not on her side; her addiction resulted in losing her shop and house! She returned to the same life as in her previous existence, struggling and working odd jobs everywhere, eventually ending up as a cleaning lady in a nursing home, living the life she hated most.
Seeing Xu Zifan on TV filled her with regret. Why hadn't she married him? Even if she hadn't married him, why hadn't she stayed in Hexi Village and been an ordinary villager? Those villagers are all self-made millionaires now. And why didn't she sell her stocks when they were rising? Otherwise, she would be a rich woman. How many good opportunities had she missed in her life?
Yang Wanyun had thought a lot when she saw Su Qing that day, and she felt very fortunate. Not fortunate that marrying Xu Zifan would guarantee her a life of comfort, but fortunate that she had worked hard enough to achieve something and reach a level where she could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Xu Zifan. If she had only ever wanted to be a carefree wife, even if Xu Zifan's heart had never changed, she might not have been happy!
Afterwards, Yang Wanyun mentioned it to Xu Xiaofen, and both of them sighed. Wasn't Su Qing's downfall entirely her own doing? Life offers countless opportunities, but you must cherish them to seize them. Constantly hoping for something for nothing, expecting a windfall, is never the way to go; it will only harm you in the end.
Fortunately, Xu Zifan changed them, not only their lives but also their mindset. They seized opportunities, worked hard, and finally achieved success and happiness. If they could live their lives again, they might not be more satisfied, because they didn't cut corners in their lives; they have already cherished them enough.