The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The Handsome Guy Recorded Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The Handsome Guy Recorded Holding the money, Zhuang Yan looked at his younger brother with a bit of uncertainty and said, “It really sold for this much? You didn’t hide any, did you?”

The young man hurriedly raised his hand to swear: “I swear, Brother Yan, I wouldn’t dare. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the stall owners around us.”

Zhuang Yan knew he wouldn’t dare either and took out two of the bills to give to him: “From now on, if you work hard with me, Brother Yan, I’ll definitely not let you suffer.”

The young man, delighted with the money, laughed and said, “Brother Yan, we’ve almost sold all the clothes, shall we help Xia Lin sell hers?”

“No, it’s a waste of time. Let’s pack up and go to a restaurant.”

If Lu Jingqiu were there at that time, she would have never bought anything from a thug like Zhuang Yan, let alone clothes made by Xia Lin.

After coming back from the Black Market, mom rested for a while before they set off for Ten-miles Village.

It took about two to three hours to get from North City to Ten-miles Village, and she hadn’t realized before how beautiful the scenery was in this area.

Zhou Lanping gazed at the occasional hills along the road and said, “Are there more forests and mountains here? The scenery is really different from where we are.”

Lu Jingqiu replied, “Right, the mountains are like ink wash, and there’s a rustling expanse of forests, emitting the scent of various plants. What I love most is the forests here, especially in spring and autumn when there’s plenty of good stuff. We Educated Youths like to go inside to look for wild fruits and mushrooms, and with a bit of luck, you might even encounter wild ginseng. Unfortunately, I’ve never found one.” The protagonist Xia Lin often found wild ginseng in there, some even of an advanced age.

Listening to her daughter’s description, Zhou Lanping was also curious. She had lived on an island with her husband, lived in the plains, but had never been to the mountains.

The closer to Ten-miles Village, the more Lu Jingqiu talked, sharing all sorts of little details about her life in the village with her parents.

Looking back and hesitating, she felt that the three years in Ten-miles Village were full of interesting, memorable events.

When she tired of speaking and turned to look, she saw her mother had fallen asleep beside her. Lu Jingqiu rolled down the car window, played with the camera in hand, and enjoyed the breeze and the beautiful views along the road.

A bus approached from the distance. Lu Jingqiu was only concerned with capturing a beautiful landscape shot and didn’t notice until the moment she pressed the shutter button when the two vehicles suddenly passed by each other, and the camera clicked.

In the lens, she saw a face; warm, sunny, and righteous. She was so captivated that she couldn’t look away, thinking to herself that the man was really good-looking. When Lu Jingqiu moved her camera aside to look, it seemed as if the man on the opposite side recognized her, appearing surprised and puzzled as he looked at her.

Curious, Lu Jingqiu stared back at him. Jiang Nanzhou, still in puzzlement, looked back at her. They both tilted their heads, watching each other for a long time, until their vehicles moved apart, and they withdrew.

Coming back to her senses, Lu Jingqiu felt somewhat embarrassed for staring at a man for so long. She subtly touched her face and then thought, what does it matter to look at a stranger you meet along the way, especially when he’s so handsome? It’s just like enjoying the scenery and treating the eyes.

…

Upon reaching the town, Lu Jingqiu, knowing her way around, led her parents to the only state-owned restaurant in town.

They just arrived when they ran into some acquaintances, Shen Mu, and Gao Shu.

“What a coincidence to bump into you two here.”

Shen Mu nodded with a smile, and Gao Shu, noticing her parents behind her, quickly stood up and said, “Uncle Lu, Aunt Zhou.”

Shen Mu also promptly stood up and followed suit.

Gao Shu was a nice person, but for someone who had deeply hurt his daughter, Lu Xianrun still didn’t have a good impression, though he wouldn’t show it on his face. He smiled and nodded, “I haven’t seen you for three years, you seem more well-built. Everything good with you here?”

Gao Shu nodded: “It’s been good.”

After Lu Xianrun finished speaking, he turned to look at Shen Mu and asked his daughter, “Is this young man the one who called me at the train station before?”

“That’s right.”

Lu Xianrun said, “I owe you one for the call last time.”

Shen Mu replied, “We’re all comrades here, helping each other is what we should do.”

Zhou Lanping looked at the half-eaten bowls of noodles before them and said, “Since we’ve met, why don’t you join us for a meal.”

Lu Xianrun quickly called the waiter over, ordered two more dishes, and asked for two bowls of shredded pork noodles.

The servings were so generous in those days that it was just the right amount for the mother and daughter.

At the dinner table, Gao Shu asked about Auntie’s illness, because the day before yesterday, Shen Mu’s older brother had delivered a letter to his father-in-law, saying Lu Jingqiu had applied for another compassionate leave.

Jiang Nanzhou only mentioned that Auntie was sick, but now that they saw Auntie and Uncle Lu had come to Ten-miles Village, they were puzzled; however, from Auntie’s appearance, it was clear she really was sick.

Zhou Lanping didn’t plan on keeping it a secret, and calmly replied, “Auntie has cancer, the incurable kind.”

Those words made Gao Shu and Shen Mu drop their chopsticks instantly, both shocked, their mouths agape, at a loss for words.

Zhou Lanping knew they would have this expression, and said, “Surprised, aren’t you?”

Gao Shu: “Auntie, you?”

Lu Xianrun said, “We came to see the place where Qiuqiu stays, you don’t need to overthink it or treat us any differently, just pretend we’re here for a visit.”

Lu Jingqiu also managed a smile, her eyes curving cheerfully, as if she didn’t have a single worry.

The family’s reaction surprised them slightly, as most families would be weighed down with heavy hearts and worries upon facing such a situation, yet they had never seen a family facing such an illness with such optimism.

On the way back, Gao Shu felt uneasy, after all, she was the aunt who had watched him grow up, and had taken care of him often. Now that she had this disease, it pained him.

Shen Mu also knew he was upset, not just them from the large courtyard, but even his comrades who didn’t have much interaction with Lu Jingqiu, were concerned for her.

Lu Jingqiu’s family didn’t return with them to Ten-miles Village but went to the town’s guest house instead; they chose not to stay in Ten-miles Village mainly because they feared for Mother’s illness, and at least there was a hospital in town. They had a car, and it was only a ten-minute drive from Ten-miles Village to the town, which was more convenient.

After getting settled in Ten-miles Village, it was already three or four in the afternoon.

A Jeep had arrived in the village and drove all the way to the Educated Youth Spot, with children chasing along, full of curiosity.

When the car stopped, it took giving out candies for Lu Jingqiu to persuade the children to scatter.

“Jingqiu.” Yun Yuzhi and Li Yinger from the Educated Youth Spot had heard from Gao Shu and Shen Mu that Lu Jingqiu had brought her parents over, and they couldn’t believe it. Now seeing the two people standing beside her, they were still surprised that she had brought her parents along: “Uncle, Auntie.”

Lu Jingqiu took Zhou Lanping’s hand and introduced her two friends. Zhou Lanping’s complexion at that moment didn’t give away her serious illness as she greeted them warmly.

She also shared the pastries they had bought the day before with them.

…

“The clothes you made have been sold, here’s your money.”

At the foot of the back mountain in Ten-miles Village, the rogue Zhuang Yan handed over the remaining money to Xia Lin. She was pleased to be able to sell such expensive clothes in a month and said eagerly, “I can make so much money from just five or six pieces; this time I should make more.”

Zhuang Yan waved his hand and said, “Linlin, these clothes are hard to sell. It took a month to sell them, and that was only because we found a sucker. I’m planning to get into the grain trading business. Do you want to partner up with me, put some money in?”

As soon as Xia Lin heard this, she tucked the money behind her back and replied coolly, “I don’t understand grains, nor do I plan to get involved in grain trading. If you’re not doing the clothing business, then we’re not doing it.”

She knew all too well what kind of person Zhuang Yan was. In her previous life, she had suffered quite a bit at the hands of Zhuang Yan, which was why she had sought his help.

Among the people she knew, only Zhuang Yan was involved in the Black Market business. She wanted to go by herself, but with Gao Shu around, it wasn’t very convenient for her.

Gao Shu was very opposed to her visiting the Black Market. In this life, she didn’t want to leave Gao Shu, but she couldn’t do without money either.