kvmb Chapter 60 Town
Chapter 60 Town
The first thing I do after shopping is to organize my spoils.
A plain white T-shirt hanging in the closet caught Wang Manni's attention. "Xiaoqin, this white T-shirt of yours, the one with the Beijing logo, looks like a volunteer's uniform!"
"Manni, which one are you looking at?" Zhong Xiaoqin walked over and took a look. "Oh. This outfit is indeed a volunteer uniform. It's the one my husband wore when we first met. He said it was very meaningful, so he's kept it ever since!"
Wang Manni finally found a starting point, "Xiaoqin, did you and Professor Chen meet during the event?"
"Yes, there's Gu Gu and Xu Huanshan too. The four of us are all volunteers, except Xu Huanshan is the fireworks designer, in charge of setting off the fireworks. The other three of us are service volunteers."
"When did Wenwen meet Professor Chen?"
"They're university alumni and from the same hometown. I think they met on the train when they first went to register for university. Why are you asking this?" Zhong Xiaoqin finally realized something was wrong!
"It's nothing, I was just asking." Wang Manni didn't have a good reason, so she could only brush it off. "Let's try this pink shirt on again, it'll look great with the pants I just bought!"
"Really? I think this pink shirt is beautiful too! I saw it as soon as I walked into that store..."
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Xu Huanshan found Lin Youyou and had another formal conversation with her in the car.
"Yes, yes, I don't deny it, I have feelings for you. But I'm already married. Gu Jia loves me very much too, and she gave birth to my lovely son, Xu Ziyan. I cherish all of that very much."
“I will not divorce my wife. I love her very much, and I cannot abandon Gu Jia and our child. Gu Jia has always worked hard for this family. Without Gu Jia, there would be no fireworks company, and we wouldn’t have the life we have now. I can’t just abandon her.”
Lin Youyou was somewhat disappointed, "I've waited for you for so long, and this is all I get?"
Do you know Chen Yu?
"Professor Chen, you've mentioned it a few times. I think it's a friend of yours and Gu Jia's."
Xu Huanshan looked at Lin Youyou and said, "I didn't tell you, but he has two wives. The three of them have always been together and their relationship is quite harmonious."
After a moment's thought, Lin Youyou understood Xu Huanshan's meaning: "Are you serious? You want to keep me as a mistress on the side?"
"Don't put it so harshly. I'm very touched that you resigned from your job at the amusement park, which you really love, and traveled all the way to Shanghai to find me. But I really can't leave Gu Jia or Zi Yan."
Lin Youyou thought Xu Huanshan was just imagining things, but she could keep him calm for now and deal with the rest later. If she couldn't quickly develop a relationship with this indecisive man, who knew when he would dare to take the next step?
That day, Xu Huanshan didn't "get off work" until very late. Gu Jia assumed that Xu Huanshan was very busy at the company, working on projects and needing to work overtime! Feeling sorry for Xu Huanshan, she even made an exception and cooked noodles for him. Xu Huanshan was already very full, but he couldn't let Gu Jia see anything, so he could only force a smile and eat.
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Wang Manni is going back to her hometown, but she won't stay in Shanghai forever; she'll just stay there for a few days.
Because her parents kept pressuring her to get married, and Wang Manni had no good excuse, she had no choice but to go home and appease them. Just then, Wang Manni's birthday was approaching, and her parents wanted to take advantage of the birthday celebration to introduce her to a potential blind date.
Wang Manni invited Zhong Xiaoqin and Wang Wenwen to her hometown for her birthday party. According to local custom, a long table is set up for a 30th birthday celebration, reminiscent of a charming waterside town. Zhong Xiaoqin, having always lived in Shanghai, only knew about life outside the city through images and books. Wang Manni's brief description immediately piqued Zhong Xiaoqin's interest, making her want to visit. Wang Wenwen felt similarly interested; both she and Chen Yu were from the north and had never experienced a small town like this, a town resembling an ancient ancient town in southern China.
Chen Yu understood Zhong Xiaoqin's meaning. Since there was nothing important going on, it wouldn't hurt to go along and experience the warm and welcoming town that Zhang Zhi had described.
Chen Yu checked the map and found the distance wasn't too far, so he arranged for a nanny van and drove there. The children were left at home; they weren't taken out, as both were still small and it wouldn't be convenient for them to go far.
The scenery of this small town is truly breathtaking. The ancient blue bricks and fresh green tiles complement each other, like treasures refined by time; the cobblestone paths underfoot seem to tell stories of the past, captivating all who behold them. A delicate stone bridge spans the gently flowing river, winding like a silver ribbon, while small boats ply the water, adding to the serene atmosphere. The intricate alleyways are like a maze, inviting both disorientation and enjoyment of exploration. Most striking is the abundance of greenery; from the lush trees to the vibrant meadows, the entire town is rendered picturesque, a tranquil and peaceful scene unfolding before your eyes. Surrounded by such beauty, one seems to forget all worries, content to immerse oneself in this poetic world.
"Brother Xiaoyu, this place is so beautiful! It's exactly the same scenery as in the TV shows!" Zhong Xiaoqin couldn't contain herself when she saw the beautiful scenery. She kept exclaiming in amazement as she walked, holding Wang Wenwen's hand and pointing out her new discoveries. Relatively speaking, Wang Wenwen was much calmer. That's just her personality. Although she wasn't as proud as Gu Jia, her mind was indeed not much different.
Chen Yu himself had considered that if it weren't for Zhong Xiaoqin's indulgence, and he had to choose between the two, he still wouldn't choose Wang Wenwen. Although Zhong Xiaoqin was somewhat underage, she was honest and kind at heart. Her only flaw was that she lacked her own opinions and believed whatever others told her. This problem existed in the original drama and only slightly improved by the end of the series.
"Let's find a place to rest for a while, take a boat ride this afternoon, and then wander around a bit. After we've attended Wang Manni's birthday party tomorrow noon, we'll head back." Chen Yu made a preliminary travel plan, and Zhong Xiaoqin and Wang Wenwen had no objections.
As the hostess, Wang Manni extended an invitation, "If you don't mind, come to my house to rest! I can show you around this afternoon and be your tour guide!"
Zhong Xiaoqin and Wang Wenwen both looked at Chen Yu, knowing that going to someone else's house depended on whether Chen Yu was willing.
"I'm fine with anything." Chen Yu's impression of Wang Manni came from TV dramas. From what he could see, aside from her materialism and vanity, this woman didn't seem to have any other major flaws. This was also why Chen Yu hadn't stopped Wang Manni from becoming friends with Zhong Xiaoqin. Zhong Xiaoqin wasn't afraid of materialism; she was a wealthy woman herself. Moreover, with Chen Yu and Wang Wenwen around, they often discussed investment issues, and incidentally explained to Zhong Xiaoqin how capital extracts surplus value from ordinary people. Zhong Xiaoqin had already developed some resentment towards the rich and hostility towards the luxury goods industry. Chen Yu even felt that Zhong Xiaoqin was going a bit too far.