Chapter 53: Yan Ziyue Thinks of a Great Way to Make Quick Money

Xiao Heshuo could roughly guess why Yan Zhuangshi had come to find him.

Ignoring Yan Zhuangshi, he exchanged a few words with Village Chief Luo and made ready to leave.

However, he was blocked by Yan Zhuangshi. "Xiao Heshuo, can I talk to you?"

He was filled with endless regret!

If he had known that Zhang Juhua was such a person, and that Zhang Qingqing was not his biological daughter, nothing in the world would have made him treat Zhang Juhua well, let alone marry her.

"No," Xiao Heshuo said coldly.

Yan Zhuangshi had always been afraid of Xiao Heshuo, and after everything that had happened, he dared not put on any airs in front of him. "Xiao Heshuo, no matter what, I am still Ziyue's father."

"Come on, Yan Zhuangshi, do you still have any shame left?" Village Chief Luo could no longer stand by and watch, sneering, "How did you treat Ziyue and her mother all those years?"

"You never treated them like human beings, spending every waking hour catering only to your precious Zhang Juhua and Zhang Qingqing."

"Now that you've found out Zhang Juhua is a used-up woman of loose morals and Zhang Qingqing isn't even your child, you expect Ziyue to support you? What kind of daydreams are you having?"

Recalling those years, Yan Zhuangshi would beat and curse Ziyue and her mother at the slightest provocation. He never brought any money home, and constantly went around the village complaining that Ziyue's mother hadn't given him a son and didn't know how to please him.

And now, reduced to such a miserable plight, Yan Zhuangshi suddenly remembered Ziyue's filial potential and wanted her to take care of him.

What an absolute pipe dream!

Yan Zhuangshi rubbed his hands together and forced an awkward smile. "Village Chief, regardless of everything else, Ziyue is still my own flesh and blood."

Village Chief Luo told Xiao Heshuo to go on ahead.

Xiao Heshuo nodded and turned back.

When Yan Zhuangshi tried to block him again, Village Chief Luo pulled him away.

"Yan Zhuangshi, have you forgotten that Ziyue formally severed all ties with you?"

Smoking his dry tobacco pipe, Village Chief Luo said with utter impatience, "If you want someone to support you, go find Zhang Juhua and Zhang Qingqing. Those two are your true loves."

With that, he walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.

Yan Zhuangshi was so furious that he broke into a fit of coughing. He hated Zhang Juhua and her daughter, and he hated Yan Ziyue, but he never once thought he was in the wrong.

In his mind, womanizing and keeping his money to himself were entirely normal things for a man to do. If anyone was to blame, it was Yan Ziyue's mother for lacking the capability to keep him tethered to the home.

"No, I must find a way to make Yan Ziyue support me."

Yan Ziyue was his only child; she was obligated to provide for him in comfort and luxury, which was the least she could do to repay years of his nurturing grace.

***

Yan Ziyue, who was busy studying at school, was completely unaware of these developments.

At that moment, she was discussing a matter with Zhu Xinyu and Nie Cairer. "I wanted to ask you two, do a lot of classmates often borrow your notes and textbooks?"

Zhu Xinyu nodded. "A good number of classmates borrow my books and notes."

"As long as they don't damage them, I'm happy to lend them out. If someone is careless and ruins things, I simply won't lend to them a second time."

Nie Cairer rolled her eyes. "I never lend mine."

"If they can't be bothered to take proper notes during class, they have no business begging classmates for them afterward. What kind of habit is that!"

Zhu Xinyu disagreed. "Nie Cairer, you're wrong about that. It's not that some students deliberately fail to take notes in class."

"Some simply aren't good at note-taking, some struggle to keep up during the lecture, and others run out of time. You shouldn't paint everyone with the same brush."

Nie Cairer let out a soft huff and turned back to her seat to read, clearly unwilling to continue the argument.

Yan Ziyue had already figured out their personalities. Zhu Xinyu was easygoing, though not without his own boundaries. Nie Cairer was somewhat difficult to approach; she disliked others borrowing or using her belongings and preferred to surround herself with top students.

"Zhu Xinyu, would you mind lending me your notes?"

She asked with a bright smile, "I've just transferred here and there are many things I don't understand yet. I'd love to look at your notes."

Zhu Xinyu readily handed over his notes for Chinese, Mathematics, and English. "These cover the basics. Take a look at these first."

"Once you finish these, you can ask me for the rest."

He added a word of caution, "Please take good care of them and try not to damage them."

After giving her repeated assurances that the notes would remain pristine, Yan Ziyue took them back to her desk.

She tucked the Chinese and English notebooks into her school bag and opened the mathematics notebook.

Upon opening it, she found the handwriting neat and orderly, making it a genuine pleasure to read.

The boy's handwriting still held a touch of youth and wasn't particularly artistic, but it made up for it with meticulous detail and an immaculate layout that was pleasing to the eye.

As she read on slowly, she realized just how formidable top students truly were. Not only were the notes comprehensive, but they also included step-by-step problem-solving processes—often providing multiple methods for a single problem.

To her—no, to any student with mediocre grades or a need for detailed guidance—this was an absolute treasure trove!

Her eyes rolled thoughtfully as she considered discussing a business venture involving the sale of these notes with Zhu Xinyu the next day.

This could be a lucrative short-term enterprise.

The egg-selling business could not last indefinitely; the pool of potential buyers in any single area was ultimately limited, and people could not purchase eggs every single day.

***

Therefore, she needed to find another source of income.

Only by gathering enough capital could she successfully open a storefront during the summer vacation.

At noon, during the lunch break.

As Yan Ziyue prepared to head out to the street to grab a casual bite to eat, she noticed that quite a few students had brought their own lunches.

Some brought steamed buns or stuffed rolls, while others brought packed meals.

The slightly better-off brought lunchboxes containing rice accompanied by one or two side dishes.

The best-equipped boxes contained dishes with meat, though in small quantities.

"Old Zhu, let's go eat in the cafeteria," Xu Yuanjie said, slinging an arm around Zhu Xinyu's shoulder with a cheeky grin. "We agreed that I'd treat you this week, especially after all the help you gave me last week."

Zhu Xinyu smiled and shook his head, pulling a lunchbox from his school bag. "I brought my own food. You go ahead to the cafeteria by yourself."

His expression remained completely natural, without the slightest trace of embarrassment or self-consciousness.

Xu Yuanjie leaned in to inspect the contents of the lunchbox.

A white steamed bun, some rice, a portion of stir-fried cabbage, and two or three small slices of meat—it looked quite decent overall.

Zhu Xinyu picked up the steamed bun, eating as he skimmed an English textbook. "Yuanjie, aren't you going to rush to the cafeteria?"

"Come back after you finish eating, and I'll tutor you. If you bomb the final exams, Teacher Zhang will definitely skin you alive."

Hearing this, Xu Yuanjie leaped up and darted toward the door. "Wait for me, Old Zhu! I'll finish eating in a flash."

"Xu Yuanjie, wait for me," Yan Ziyue called out, chasing after him with a smile. "Could you show me the way to the cafeteria?"

Xu Yuanjie was very accommodating, patting his chest to signal it was no trouble at all. "The school cafeteria is actually pretty good, and the prices are quite reasonable, though the food isn't exactly gourmet."

An idea began to form in Yan Ziyue's mind. "Then why don't you eat outside?"

As he led her toward the school cafeteria, Xu Yuanjie let out a laugh. "The food outside is more expensive."

"Even though it tastes better, it costs more money, so most students prefer the cafeteria. Besides, for top students like Old Zhu, the school provides meal subsidies."

Puzzled, Yan Ziyue asked, "Then why does he still bring his own food?"