Chapter 36: Xu Le-Cheng Has Been Captured and Brought Back

"I am a business person, not a philanthropist."

The villager was somewhat relentless. "Mrs. Xiao, you've had so many incidents, and my family has helped you out."

"In light of that, you really ought to pay a higher price."

Yan Ziyue’s smile vanished. "Since you put it that way, Auntie, I won’t be buying your eggs."

"You can see who else is willing to pay a high price for them and sell to them instead."

The villager’s smile stiffened on her face.

"Mrs. Xiao, I’ll follow your rules!" A plump middle-aged woman pushed the first woman aside. "You really have the gall to say such things."

"If we’re all from the same village, how come I’ve never seen you do a single good deed for your neighbors?"

"It’s embarrassing just to hear you talk!" others chimed in mockingly.

"That’s exactly right. Besides, who knows if her eggs are even fresh? Asking Mrs. Xiao to pay a dollar for them is just trying to force someone into a losing business deal."

"Her family has always loved taking advantage of others. If anyone ever takes a tiny advantage of them, they’d skin them alive."

The villager showed no trace of embarrassment or discomfort; instead, she acted righteous. "It’s Mrs. Xiao who wants to buy eggs, so she has to follow my rules!"

Yan Ziyue glanced at her sideways. "I think you’ve misunderstood something. I’m not specifically trying to buy *your* eggs; I’m buying eggs in the village."

"There are plenty of people in the village willing to sell to me. I don’t have to buy from you."

"On the contrary, you only have one option: me."

The other villagers stepped forward to sell their eggs. "Mrs. Xiao, take ours. We’ll follow your rules."

Yan Ziyue turned and smiled, collecting their eggs and settling the payments on the spot. "If you have more, you’re welcome to come to me anytime."

The others left, beaming with their money in hand. Mrs. Xiao’s buying price was a bit lower than in town, but the key was that they could sell everything at once without any worries or complications.

The remaining villager tried to make a scene, but as soon as Xiao Heshuo walked over with a stern face, she grabbed her basket and fled in terror.

"Are you all right?" Xiao Heshuo asked.

Yan Ziyue shook her head. "There are quite a few people in this village who love to take advantage of others."

There was a group in the village who were habitually greedy and utterly shameless. Seeing that she was truly fine, Xiao Heshuo didn't dwell on it. "I was just thinking of discussing something with you. Would you like to go to junior high school?"

Yan Ziyue looked at him in surprise. "Me? Go to junior high?"

It wasn’t that she hadn't thought about it, but she hadn’t considered doing it now.

Xiao Heshuo picked up a kitchen knife and went to the chicken coop to chop vegetable scraps for the chickens and ducks. "I see your studies are going well, and I thought about sending you to junior high."

"There aren’t any universities right now, so you might as well aim for high school first."

Yan Ziyue was in the vegetable patch, picking ripe produce and tidying up. "I have thought about it, but..."

"Isn't it a bit too early?"

"I’ve only just started reviewing primary school material. I’m afraid I won't be able to pass the entrance exams." She had heard that junior high exams were very difficult.

Xiao Heshuo tossed the chopped scraps to the chickens and ducks, watching them peck away happily. "It doesn’t matter if you don’t pass this time. You’ll have other chances. You can just try again."

Yan Ziyue considered the situation. There was no junior high in the village, only a primary school; the only junior high was in town. If she enrolled, she would have to get up very early every day or live on campus. She didn't want to live on campus.

First, it would interfere with her egg business. Second, it wouldn’t be good for her relationship with Xiao Heshuo. Third, it would, to some extent, prevent her from properly dealing with the Yan Zhuangshi family and Xu Lecheng.

However, if she commuted, she would have to wake up very early and wouldn't get home until late at night. That, too, would get in the way of many things.

"It’s a bit troublesome." She carried the vegetables into the kitchen and said, "If I go to school, what about the egg business?"

"And I don’t want to let the Yan Zhuangshi family or Xu Lecheng off the hook just like that."

Xiao Heshuo wanted to offer to help with the eggs, but he checked himself. "What you’ve said is indeed a problem."

"There’s no rush for junior high. You can think about it slowly."

The current Yan Ziyue didn't want him to handle everything for her. She preferred to solve what she could on her own. This version of her was radiant and incredibly attractive to him.

Yan Ziyue nodded. "I’ll have to think it over."

"By the way, if I go to take the entrance exam now, would that be okay?"

Xiao Heshuo assured her it was no problem. "I’ll take care of it."

Yan Ziyue looked at him, half-joking and half-serious. "Husband, you’re so capable."

Come to think of it, Xiao Heshuo wasn’t a native of Damu Village. He had been found by the village chief when he was about three years old. At the time, he was badly injured and spent a long time recovering at the chief's house. Later, a childless couple in the village adopted him and raised him as their own. It wasn't until he was twelve or thirteen that his adoptive parents passed away from illness. Because he always kept a cold expression, there had been some unkind rumors in the village.

Xiao Heshuo murmured, his tone a bit strange, "I have some connections. Once I’ve settled everything, I’ll tell you."

Yan Ziyue said, "Alright," and chatted with him while preparing lunch. The couple decided on egg drop soup and two stir-fried vegetable dishes. They had been eating a lot of meat lately, so they decided to skip it for a couple of days.

Just as lunch was ready, Yan Ziyue heard someone shouting.

"Xu Lecheng has been caught! Xu Lecheng has been caught!"

Yan Ziyue’s eyes lit up. She grabbed Xiao Heshuo and ran outside. "Hurry, Husband! Let’s go see what’s happening!" She wouldn't miss a chance to see Xu Lecheng’s downfall.

Xiao Heshuo sighed helplessly. He locked the door and followed her toward the educated youth residence. On the way, they saw many villagers heading in the same direction, some still holding their bowls and chopsticks, others carrying stools or cups.

When they arrived, a small crowd had already gathered. Xiao Heshuo shielded her as they squeezed to the front.

Once through, Yan Ziyue saw Xu Lecheng, bound and kneeling on the ground, looking disheveled. She couldn't help but smile.

Xu Lecheng, oh Xu Lecheng. In your past life, you were glorious, a general manager of a company. Now, you’ve become a pariah. How does it taste?

Xu Lecheng, his face bruised and swollen, knelt there and insisted, "Captain, I was just coming home to visit family! You have no right to treat me like this!"

The captain of the educated youth team threw a yellowed piece of paper in front of him. "This was found in your bag."

"I asked the doctor at the clinic to examine it. It contains traces of a sedative—the same kind found in the cup of water you gave to Zhang Qingqing."

"Now, do you have anything else to say?"