Eternal Novel Hits
patreon
The reborn of paranoid boss cannon fodder wife(316-320
🕑 Added 2024-03-11 16:18:38 +0000 UTCChapter 316: It Wasn't Me
The brick truck for transporting bricks arrived.
Inquiring about the brick placement.
Bai Lu took the driver to the open space outside.
Bricks fell from the truck one after another, making a clattering sound, attracting the attention of passersby and neighbors who stopped to watch.
Some neighbors greeted Bai Lu, chatting about her new home, while some women had already started chatting in groups.
"I never would have thought that Xiao Cheng's family would build a new house before ours."
"I heard it's not just an ordinary brick house, but a beautiful villa. I wonder what it looks like."
"It's probably like the ones in the city, with terrazzo floors inside, tiled walls outside, spacious and sturdy, able to withstand strong winds and storms."
"That's right. Unlike our old brick and tile houses. When a typhoon comes, the tiles clatter down."
"In the past, Xiao Cheng was hardly ever home. Who would have thought he'd build such a big house so quickly?"
"It's because Bai Lu came～ A home with a wife is a real home. Xiao Cheng naturally has to come home every day and live a proper life..."
"As the saying goes, behind every successful man is an excellent woman supporting him. In my opinion, they're both successful people, both excellent and successful."
"In the past, you didn't say that. You said Xiao Cheng was a tyrant who did nothing but evil..."
"Cough! Shh! Keep your voice down. That's all in the past. Now that Xiao Cheng has Bai Lu, he's changed his ways..."
The gossiping women glanced secretly at Bai Lu, who responded with a graceful smile.
Feeling embarrassed, they smiled back and greeted her politely.
Bai Lu was good, gentle, and didn't fuss over small matters.
She ignored the gossiping women, listening to their words as if they were just background noise.
If it were someone else, they might have gotten into an argument or even resorted to violence.
Compared to Chen Chunli, the gossiping women preferred Bai Lu and liked doing business with her.
They heard that Xiao Cheng went to another province this time to discuss cooperation, bringing air conditioners and refrigerators. They didn't know when he would come back and were eager to see what good things he brought.
Even if they couldn't afford to go and see, it was good to know!
Inside the house, Wang Cuihua, who was watching TV, heard the sound of bricks falling outside and the gossiping chatter of the women. She immediately dropped the remote and ran out.
Her sprained foot from the barbecue day hadn't fully recovered, so she couldn't run properly and limped over.
She approached Bai Lu, who was surrounded by neighbors.
"Bai Lu."
Although Wang Cuihua was limping, Bai Lu didn't want to invite her home for tea.
Lately, she had been a bit petty.
Xiao Wei, being even more cautious, stepped in front of Bai Lu. "Don't fall onto my sister-in-law."
Wang Cuihua steadied herself against the wall and glared at Xiao Wei. "I won't fall."
"You nearly fell into the stinky ditch the other day," Xiao Wei bluntly revealed.
Wang Cuihua: "..."
"I was walking too fast and didn't pay attention to the road. Later, I realized it wasn't safe and stopped in time."
"What do you mean stopped in time? You were tripped by a stone, fell into the stinky ditch headfirst. If it weren't for the stone holding you back, you would have fallen into the stinky ditch."
What bad intentions could a little flower of the motherland have? She just didn't know what "face" was.
Bai Lu suppressed a smile.
Wang Cuihua had once nearly died, so her mind was clearer now and she didn't argue with children like before.
She turned to her savior. "Bai Lu, thank you for saving me that day. If it wasn't for you, I would have drowned..."
Seeing Wang Cuihua on the verge of tears, Bai Lu immediately interrupted, "It was Chen Dafu who saved you, not me."
Wang Cuihua's expression changed momentarily, seemingly embarrassed and angry: "It was either him or you who saved me."
"It wasn't me." Bai Lu refused to take credit for something she hadn't done.
She didn't want any trouble in the future.
She had to explain things clearly: "Chen Dafu rescued you from the water, and I performed CPR on you but you didn't wake up. It didn't work, you were out of breath. It was Chen Dafu who performed artificial respiration and brought you back."
"Chen Dafu saved you," Xiao Wei concurred.
Wang Cuihua's face turned red and then pale. "Chen Dafu almost strangled me. It wasn't him who saved me!"
Bai Lu: "..."
Xiao Wei: "..."
Not wanting to argue with Wang Cuihua anymore, Bai Lu covered Xiao Wei's ears, although in fact...
Xiao Wei had already heard everything.
Bai Lu coughed lightly. "In that case, it was still Chen Dafu who saved you. If he hadn't jumped into the river to save you, we wouldn't have known you fell into the water. By the time everyone found out, you might have... well..."
Wang Cuihua, nearly strangled by Chen Dafu, refused to admit his lifesaving grace.
She only acknowledged Bai Lu as her savior.
She wanted to repay Bai Lu's lifesaving grace: "Bai Lu, your family is building a new house. You should hire a construction team. With so many people to cook for, you'll definitely be too busy. I'll help you with cooking."
Before Bai Lu could refuse, Wang Cuihua hastily explained, "Not at your house, but at mine."
Construction workers usually provide meals for themselves, whether they're building residential houses or working on large construction sites.
There are exceptions to special circumstances.
Wu Xiuyun and Yu Fugui's old house was not in town, with no kitchen for the workers to cook in. They had no choice but to include the meals in the workers' wages, which naturally raised the cost compared to buying groceries and cooking themselves.
Working on construction sites is very hard.
Exposure to the elements, freezing hands in winter, enduring the scorching sun, lifting one brick after another to build walls, working until exhausted, and then having to buy groceries and cook. It's very tiring.
Bai Lu had seen how hard it was when Xiao Cheng was building a house for Yu Fugui and had a deep understanding.
Building a new house according to Xiao Cheng's specifications, which was essentially a Chinese-style villa, would require hiring many workers and cooking many meals.
However, Wang Cuihua might not have the time either.
"Don't you have a candied chestnut business?"
Talking about the candied chestnut business, Wang Cuihua couldn't help but admire Bai Lu's brain: "Didn't I buy your electric chestnut roaster? Now I don't have to roast them myself anymore. After spraining my foot, I can't ride a bike conveniently, so I learned your method of selling candied chestnuts."
"I let the fruit vendor next door take the goods from my house and sell candied chestnuts for me. I'll give him a commission..."
"Sitting at home watching the electric chestnut roaster, you can earn money. Bai Lu, you're really smart. I never realized before that you had such a good way of making money. I never realized you were so smart..."
Chapter 317: Don't Want to Bring
Bai Lu used to be quite foolish, a fact Wang Cuihua was well aware of, though she herself wasn't particularly clever.
But later on...
At some point, Bai Lu changed. She became smarter, prettier, better at getting along with neighbors, and excelled in her studies, surpassing Wang Cuihua in every aspect.
With a higher level of education and overall excellence, Bai Lu became more favored by Xiao Cheng.
On the night of the barbecue, Wang Cuihua could no longer pretend to be blind. She knew she could never catch up to Bai Lu.
It became clear to her that what she desired, the excessive affection Xiao Cheng showed to Bai Lu, would never be given to her.
Because Bai Lu was more deserving.
No longer fixated on Xiao Cheng, Wang Cuihua realized how great Bai Lu was. She was so impressive and excellent that Wang Cuihua couldn't even feel jealous or hateful towards her.
Because they were like heaven and earth.
She could only look up to Bai Lu, the most outstanding one.
Standing side by side with Xiao Cheng on a divine altar was Bai Lu.
On the night of the barbecue, as she was about to fall into the river, the first person Wang Cuihua thought of was Bai Lu.
She couldn't be sure if Xiao Cheng would save her, but she knew Bai Lu would.
Because Bai Lu was a person of clear distinction between grievances and favors.
As long as one didn't harm Bai Lu or become her enemy, she would extend a helping hand and save them.
And indeed, after being pulled ashore by Chen Dafu, Bai Lu immediately reached out to save her.
Over these days, Wang Cuihua had heard many neighbors talking about what happened that night, so she knew all about the rescue process.
"Bai Lu, don't worry about cooking. I won't need your help. Your family is building a new house, and we've hired a team of construction workers. If it's the same team that built Aunt Wu's house last time, there are two workers' wives who will help with the cooking."
"They'll help wash vegetables, cook, etc... I have plenty of firewood myself..."
Bai Lu found it hard to believe that Wang Cuihua had suddenly become so sensible just because she fell into the river. "Do you need money to cook?"
Wang Cuihua was taken aback. "Don't we need money to buy groceries?"
Bai Lu replied, "I don't want to give any."
Wang Cuihua: "..."
When did Bai Lu become so stingy? She didn't seem like this before.
"Alright, then when you and Brother Xiao Cheng start a big business in the future, remember to include me."
"I don't want to include you."
Wang Cuihua: "..."
"Bai Lu, this won't do. You have to be as kind and good as before if Brother Xiao Cheng is going to keep liking you. Otherwise, someone else might steal him away."
"No one can steal him."
Wang Cuihua looked at Bai Lu's overly beautiful face... It seemed to make sense.
"Why don't you take me when you make money?"
"You're a bit annoying," Bai Lu said bluntly.
"And you cry a lot, afraid of this and that," Xiao Wei added disdainfully. "You can't even fry chestnuts properly. Your hands blister and ache. Even tofu isn't this weak."
Wang Cuihua: "..."
"That's because..."
"We don't want to hear it."
...
As the truck finished unloading the bricks and drove away, a tricycle stopped under the big tree opposite. A familiar figure jumped off and waved: "Bai Lu."
"Bai Lu."
"Uncle Fu."
Bai Lu saw the anxiety on Xiao Guofu's face and stepped forward: "What's wrong?"
Xiao Guofu's face was full of worry: "The fruit buyers who usually come this time of year have arrived. They're offering the same low price per pound as usual, and even though we've said we won't sell, they refuse to leave.
"They say the quality of the fruit in our mountain is subpar. Even though they're offering five or six cents per pound, they insist on staying to see who dares to come and buy the subpar fruit."
The fruit from Xiao's village had already been promised to Xiao Cheng and Bai Lu on the night of the barbecue.
So, even though the buyers had arrived, they wouldn't sell. However, the buyers were stubborn and stayed, threatening them.
Bai Lu frowned. "Are they trying to force us to sell...? How long do the buyers plan to stay? Are they going to camp in their trucks?"
Xiao Guofu shook his head. "They've brought tents, just like in previous years, and set up camp at the foot of the mountain. They're waiting for us to pick the fruit and bring it down to weigh and sell to them, so they can load it onto their trucks.
"They even brought their own pots and pans, oil, salt, rice, and noodles... Some vegetables are bought from the villagers, and some they brought themselves. After filling their trucks with goods, some drivers will leave while others will stay behind to continue buying."
This approach was tantamount to occupying Xiao's village, buying up the fruit at low prices, and leaving only when it was all sold.
They didn't give other buyers a chance.
Or rather, they didn't give any other buyers a chance to find out about the fruit in Xiao's village and raise the prices.
Bai Lu had another speculation, but she couldn't be sure until she saw the buyers.
She had thought about exporting fruit even before the college entrance examination. At that time, when she mentioned it casually in Xiao's village, Xiao Cheng said he would give her an answer after she finished her exams.
Later, all the surprises came on the night of the barbecue, including the fruit export business.
Xiao Cheng's intention was to cooperate with her and Xiao's village to jointly embark on the road of fruit export.
The specific mode of "cooperation" had not been determined yet, but the fruit in Xiao's village had been promised to her and Xiao Cheng on that night, in cooperation with Xiao Guofu. There could be no mistake.
Accompanied by Xiao Guofu, Bai Lu went to Xiao's village, with Xiao Wei accompanying them.
Five large trucks were parked at the foot of the mountain, and about a hundred meters in front of the trucks, the grass had been trampled flat, with three tents set up.
Ten strong men stood in front of the tents, facing off against the villagers of Xiao's village, mocking them.
"This desolate place in the mountains, where even driving a car almost shakes it apart, is lucky to have people graciously come to buy the fruit. Do you still expect high prices?"
"We're offering the highest price possible. If you don't believe us, go out of the mountains and see for yourselves. The prices outside can't even match half of what we're offering."
"Those who are sensible should go up the mountain to pick the fruit. If you keep delaying, the fruit will pass its ripeness, its quality will deteriorate, and the price won't be this high anymore."
"We don't want poor quality fruit. When we leave, let's see where you'll go to cry."
In previous years, the villagers might have believed such nonsense, as they had never left the mountains and didn't know what the fruit market was like outside, or whether a few cents was high or low, profitable or not.
But this year, after Bai Lu and Xiao Cheng did the Candied chestnut business and gave a boost to Xiao's village, everyone knew that fruit could be sold for more than just a "cheap" price.
Whether it was chestnuts or other fruits, there was a normal market price higher than a few cents per pound.
The villagers would no longer be deceived.
"Even with five cents, we can't even earn back the labor costs. We can't even pick enough to have a decent meal. We won't pick."
"Since you think even five cents is too much, and the quality of the fruit doesn't meet your requirements, why are you still hanging around here?"
"If you don't want to buy, we don't want to sell. Where you came from, just go back!"
Jiang Zhiguang and others couldn't believe that the people from Xiao's family, who had always been hardworking in picking fruit, dared to drive them away!
They had just said they wouldn't sell, but now they were actually driving them away!
What could be the reason that made these poor folks suddenly so confident, even daring to refuse the God of Wealth?
Chapter 318: Big Bull
In the midst of the confrontation between the two sides, a young girl stepped forward from the crowd. She had an elegant demeanor and a faint expression.
Her tone was cold: "Are you planning to settle in Xiao's Village?"
Jiang Zhiguang was puzzled by this irrelevant question.
"I think you've got it wrong. We're here as fruit buyers, not to settle down," Liang Jianming replied with indifference to the beautiful girl's normal question.
Bai Lu also chuckled coldly: "The villagers have all said they won't sell, yet you're still here. If not to settle down, then what?"
"Are you here to set up camp in the grasslands and wait for the New Year?" Liang Jianming retorted.
Jiang Zhiguang coldly snorted: "Who would want to stay longer in this remote and desolate place? Don't use 'not selling' as an excuse. We see through your intentions. The price we're offering is already the highest in the market. If you don't believe it, go out of this remote place and see for yourselves."
"What market price can such subpar fruit fetch? Do you really think it's worth as much as the five cents we're offering? We're willing to waste time waiting for the harvest because of the friendly cooperation we've had in previous years. If you think you can drive up the price, you're mistaken! Besides us, no one else will come to Xiao's Village to buy your inferior goods."
Bai Lu sneered nonchalantly: "Buying low and selling high, making a hundredfold profit?"
Jiang Zhiguang was suddenly taken aback, having to reassess the girl in front of him. Seeing her cold and wise demeanor, he realized she was not like the ignorant villagers.
He no longer beat around the bush: "This isn't something you should concern yourself with, nor can you interfere. The fruits that don't meet the standards in the market will only fetch this price in Nan City."
These were the five major fruit buyers who monopolized the fruit market in Nan City. Their company was internally controlled by them.
Bai Lu knew that talking to these people would be futile and might even expose their plans prematurely. The key was to drive them away.
"Whether our fruits meet the market standards or not, it's up to the market supervision department to supervise. It's none of your business, and your words don't count. If you think your offer is high, that's your business. If we think it's low and refuse to sell, that's our business."
Xiao Guofu rarely heard Bai Lu speak so directly. It seemed that these buyers were different from the ones who forcibly took sand last time and not easy to deal with.
He promptly agreed: "We said we won't sell, and we won't. You can leave."
The villagers echoed in agreement: "We won't go up the mountain to pick fruits. Give up trying to raise the price!"
"Five cents can't even cover the labor costs. Who's got the energy to climb up and down the mountain for nothing?"
"If you want to find someone to buy, go ahead, but we won't sell our fruits cheap!"
"If you want to leave, leave. We won't entertain you anymore!"
Although Xiao's Village had many mountains and trees, not every mountain was planted with fruit trees.
In the past, during the era of production teams, they mostly planted fir trees and pine trees... without collective planning for fruit trees. Most of the fruit trees on the mountain were wild and scattered.
After the land reform, the villagers obtained the mountains, and fruit trees were transplanted accordingly.
Other large trees on the mountain were not cut down, making it difficult to pick fruits as they had to move from one tree to another, consuming time and energy.
Five cents was equivalent to "selling labor cheaply".
In the past, when the villagers were too poor to make ends meet and didn't know about the fruit market outside, they worked hard to pick fruits, barely earning enough to buy salt.
Nowadays, with Bai Lu and Xiao Cheng's candied chestnut business opening up, there were businessmen coming to the village every now and then to buy chestnuts, making their lives less harsh and unbearable.
They no longer needed to sell their labor cheaply.
But Jiang Zhiguang and the others who came to visit were not happy: "You guys don't know what's good for you! Besides us coming to buy fruits every year, have you ever seen anyone else coming?"
"Hurry up and pick the fruits! Sell them to us, take the money to buy food. Don't wait until the fruits rot on the trees, and everyone ends up with nothing."
"Fruits are hard to sell these days, and it's not like Xiao's Village is the only place with fruits. If you don't pick the fruits now, we'll go elsewhere to buy. You'll regret it..."
"Ah!!!"
"What the hell!"
Before Liang Jianming could finish his sentence, a large and smelly lump of manure fell in front of him.
When he couldn't bear the stench and looked up, a cow was passing by him, its backside facing him.
"Pfft—"
Another lump of cow dung fell to the ground and splattered!
Liang Jianming was overwhelmed by the smell.
A seven or eight-year-old boy wearing coarse linen clothes, leading a cow, leisurely walked through the middle of the battlefield.
"Pfft—crack!"
"Clack-clack-clack—" The big bull kept splattering, wagging its tail excitedly.
Lumps of manure, precious gifts, fell right into the hands, faces, and bodies of Jiang Zhiguang and the others.
Not even the tents were spared.
Their luck skyrocketed!
"Ugh—"
A group of grown men retched and ran away, frantically waving their limbs as they tried to shake off the cow dung. But the more they shook, the more it stuck to them.
Liang Jianming was also dragged away by his companions.
Bai Lu, Xiao Guofu, and the others watched as the ten figures, who had been "blessed" by Big Bull, jumped into the river with a splash, trying desperately to wash themselves clean.
They washed for a long time before getting up.
They probably still weren't clean, with wet clothes clinging to their bodies, they hurried back to their trucks.
They quickly drove away.
The confrontation zone was quite wide, spanning tens of meters, but the smell still wafted over with the wind.
Bai Lu covered her nose and retreated, moving away from the smell quickly but gracefully.
Li Hongying ran away at full speed.
Xiao Guofu and the others also quickly retreated from the stinky wind, their faces alternating between red and blue.
Dozens of pairs of eyes stared at the culprit of the cow dung— the young cowherd.
San Wazi held the cow rope, looking innocent: "I saw that Uncle Dashan's cow was hungry, so I took it to the riverbank to graze. I didn't expect it to turn the grass into mush."
Another small figure suddenly jumped out from behind a tree, holding a handful of green grass and waving it.
"I don't know if it's because it ate this. I thought it looked fresh and tender, so I picked some for it Big Bull seemed to like it."
Bai Lu sighed and quickly picked up her mischievous child: "Sorry... Xiao Wei hasn't seen cows eat grass before. Out of curiosity and kindness, he randomly picked and fed them, causing Big Bull some discomfort..."
"No problem!"
"The two kids saw that Big Bull was hungry and kindly fed it some grass. They didn't expect this kind of accident to happen, but it drove away the bad guys, which is really impressive!"
Dashan took over San Wazi 's cow rope, his weathered face filled with a warm smile.
There was no blame at all: "Big Bull didn't get hurt. It was constipated for a while, but now it should be fine after eating some other green grass later."
Xiao Guofu and Li Hongying and the others also laughed and tried to ease the situation, "Big Bull is in good health~"
"Xiaowei and Sanwa are amazing, driving away the bad guys with just a bunch of grass!"
"Dealing with bad guys requires this trick!"
"Even Big Bull cooperated..."
Chapter 319: I Miss You
White Bai Lu and Xiao Wei had dinner at Grandpa and Grandma's house, with Xiao Guofu and Li Hongying joining them.
After the meal, they returned to town under the watchful eyes of the villagers, riding the tricycle they borrowed from the village shop. There were also fruits sent by the villagers in the car.
Pomegranates, peaches, mangoes, lychees...
The Xiao family resolutely cut off their cooperation with the buyers of previous years, pinning all their hopes on Bai Lu and Xiao Cheng.
Bai Lu wouldn't disappoint them. She called Xiao Cheng as soon as she got home to discuss the matter.
They explored several trade routes, including one that involved entering the markets of other regions from coastal cities.
The land route had high "road maintenance fees," and according to Wang Yang and others, there might also be bandits and roadblocks on the transportation route, ambushing on remote highways or village roads.
There were no surveillance cameras on the road. If they encountered trouble, they could only consider themselves unlucky and lose money to the bandits.
Or they could use force, which was also risky.
Xiao Cheng had sent people to investigate at the checkpoints between the two provinces earlier, and they had made all the necessary arrangements.
The only unclear area was related to Li Chengbin's father-in-law, which made things a bit tricky.
The water route was fine, but the transportation time was a bit long, so they needed to find a better way to store the fruits.
Finding a good solution wasn't easy, and opening up all the land routes wasn't feasible either. The search for building materials and other matters was ongoing, and they needed to... reconsider carefully.
With this discussion, Bai Lu and Xiao Cheng began having phone conversations every day, chatting late into the night.
As the moon turned, it was Chinese Valentine's Day.
The seventh day of the seventh lunar month—Qixi Festival.
The moon was particularly beautiful tonight.
The gentle breeze blew, flowers swayed, butterflies danced, fish played in the water, cicadas chirped in the trees, and fireflies dotted the sky, landing on the windowsill in pairs, folding their wings lightly, listening to the tender and shy voices filled with affection inside the house.
"Um..."
The girl only said one word, which was a bit regrettable, but her soft voice was extremely pleasant to listen to.
Under the shimmering moonlight, the girl's rosy cheeks were even more alluring, arousing endless reverie, tugging at heartstrings.
Even the low, indulgent voice on the other end of the phone sounded unusually gentle, mimicking the girl's way of speaking: "Um... What does that mean?"
Who was probing deeper?
It's the aloof and indifferent big shot~
Bai Lu's mind went blank, her ears filled with the slightly magnetic and deep voice, making it hard to believe that even the big shot had such a childish side, mimicking her way of speaking.
Probing deeper... cough cough cough!
She finally understood what that feeling was.
It felt a bit strange and wonderful, with a myriad of twists and turns in her response: "Miss."
He asked again, "Miss who?"
Bai Lu quickly glanced around, the TV was on, and the little boy was sitting at the opposite table, staring straight ahead, completely ignoring everything except the TV.
The landline phone had been moved to a small table nearby, at a distance from the TV and the little boy.
Bai Lu lowered the phone receiver, covering the gap between it and her lips with one hand, and whispered a word softly.
"You."
"What about me?" he continued to probe.
Bai Lu: "..."
Was this guy possessed by a child?
Was his comprehension a bit slow?
"Have you been drinking?"
On the other side of the starry night sky, in front of the French window, there was a wooden table with a desktop phone on it. At the other end of the curved telephone line was a pair of large hands with distinct joints, and the owner of those hands stood with hands behind his back in front of the window.
His tall and sturdy figure, like a cliff-standing pine tree, stood alone in the world. The colorful night scene outside the window reflected in his eyes, casting layers of light and shadow. The sky was full of stars, but they couldn't enter his eyes because his gaze was far away, drawn by the sweet smile of a tender and shy girl, stepping into his heart under the moonlight.
Embracing his eyes, sweeping away all the accumulated darkness, and illuminating the dawn.
His eyes lit up, melting away all the strangeness outside the window, giving him the strength to overcome all obstacles.
With a light grip of his fingers, the crystal-clear new pearl hairpin, tainted with the warmth of his palm, like a soft and tender face of a girl.
"Lulu."
"Um..."
Bai Lu quickly glanced at the serious little boy watching the martial arts drama, and whispered clearly, responding to his previous question: "I miss you. Do you miss me?"
"I miss you."
Even one word was clear, piercing through the dark night, drilling into her ears through the telephone line.
Bai Lu's ears felt warm for a moment, and she followed his probing: "Miss who?"
A low chuckle came from the phone.
After a moment, the deep and mellow voice answered with one more word than before.
"I miss you."
And one word less.
Bai Lu's mind flashed, and she asked, "Who misses me?"
Xiao Cheng lightly tapped the pure and flawless pearl hairpin in his hand, feeling its smooth and delicate texture, like the charming face of a girl.
The playful laughter, the probing questions.
Stirring people's heartstrings: "I miss you."
This was the first time the big shot in this life and the next had said "I miss you"—three words!
Bai Lu suddenly felt excited and happy, as if she had picked up a treasure. Xiao Cheng had given her many firsts.
The first time holding hands, the first embrace, the first time saying "I miss you," the first time sharing a bed...
The first kiss...
Bai Lu's thoughts drifted further and further away, and pink bubbles began to rise, filling her heart with joy and excitement.
Until she was interrupted by a female voice.
"Brother Cheng."
Wasn't Xiao Cheng in a hotel room? How could there be a woman's voice?!!
Bai Lu pursed her lips, neither speaking nor hanging up the phone.
She wanted to see who this perceptive waitress was, not working on Qixi Festival, but running to "Brother Cheng's" room late at night, calling him softly as "Brother Cheng"!
If "Brother Cheng" dared to hang up her phone, they would never speak on the phone again!
No more phone conversations!
With Xiao Cheng no longer speaking softly in her ear, his cold eyes lifted slightly, fixed on the uninvited figure across the table, with a distant and indifferent tone.
"Miss Yun, is there something?"
Yun Ruolin wore a long white silk dress, with her hair half-up, her delicate face untouched by makeup, her smile as gentle as spring water. She held a hotel-issued meal box in her snowy white jade hand.
She explained softly, "The waitress was about to deliver your meal, but she was called away by a guest with urgent business on the other side. I happened to have something to discuss with you. Since your door wasn't closed and I heard you talking on the phone, I took the liberty of bringing your meal in."
After placing the meal box on the table, Yun Ruolin also pushed a business card to Xiao Cheng.
"I heard that you're looking for high-end, elegant marble flooring. This is a friend of my father's. His construction materials company has a lot of marble flooring. You can contact him to see if there's anything you like."
Xiao Cheng said, "Thank you."
So, she was the good person helping him find high-end building materials for the villa. Bai Lu understood.
"Brother Cheng" had such good connections!
Wherever he went, there were people to help him, and even on Qixi Festival, there were people giving him gifts. It was really "enviable"!
Chapter 320: My Wife
Xiao Wei was watching a martial arts drama when suddenly he felt a cool breeze blowing over his head, filling the entire house with a chill.
Were the martial artists in the TV series really that powerful? The Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms were even reaching outside!
Xiao Wei wanted to share this earth-shattering news with Bai Lu, but when he turned around, he saw something unexpected.
He saw that Bai Lu's usual gentle smile was gone. Her face, usually clear and pure, now wore a smile that seemed like a smile yet not quite, with pursed lips and a hint of gritted teeth.
It seemed like Bai Lu was angry.
Because the roses in the vase had been plucked bare by her... one flower... two flowers... three flowers...
Could it be that his big brother had once again angered his sister-in-law?
Xiao Wei looked at the scattered rose petals on the ground silently, then quietly turned back to continue watching TV.
It wouldn't be good if he got caught in the crossfire.
His big brother should be able to appease his sister-in-law.
But he thought too much; the flames of war only grew stronger.
When Yun Ruolin was discussing the price range and introducing various types of marble, customized products, patterns, carving, polishing, and transportation details, the first beautiful pink rose was plucked bare by Bai Lu, becoming a stem.
Every time Xiao Cheng responded or asked for more information, another pink rose was plucked bare by Bai Lu.
As Yun Ruolin described the excellent soundproofing effect and high-quality large French windows in a soft voice with occasional laughter, another pink rose was plucked bare by Bai Lu.
As Xiao Cheng responded and inquired about more details, another pink rose was plucked bare by Bai Lu.
Beautiful petals scattered on the ground, layer upon layer, piled up at Bai Lu's feet, only to be kicked away by her.
A soft reminder came again: "Brother Cheng's phone seems to be forgotten off the hook?"
Bai Lu: "..."
How dare he hang up on her!
When he got home, she would make him eat three pounds of spicy chicken!
Xiao Cheng glanced at the phone on the table and, in a formulaic tone, said calmly but firmly, "No need to hang up."
Yun Ruolin smiled lightly and casually asked, "Is it something important you're discussing? If it is, I came at the wrong time and disturbed you."
Knowing it's a disturbance but still not leaving!
Bai Lu silently pinched the flowers.
Xiao Cheng's voice was clear: "Family matters."
A flash of surprise crossed Yun Ruolin's eyes, and she instinctively asked, "Family? Relatives?"
Would it be impolite to inquire about someone's family matters, especially if they were just business partners?
Bai Lu perked up her ears decisively.
Dare to call her some distant relative or unrelated person, she would make him eat a spicy feast when he got back!
Xiao Cheng didn't like others meddling in his private affairs. When Yun Ruolin brought it up, his expression tightened.
Before Yun Ruolin could change the topic, Xiao Cheng spoke up: "The mistress of the house."
Yun Ruolin was taken aback, looking at Xiao Cheng who never explained anything to anyone, explaining to her against his usual demeanor.
"The architectural style and decoration style of the new house are all based on her preferences."
So, all that information and inquiries earlier were for the mistress of the house to voice her opinions on the spot?
To let the mistress voice her opinions immediately?
Yun Ruolin's face changed, her smile disappeared instantly, and her sharp nails dug into her palms.
How could there be a mistress in Xiao Cheng's house? How could... there shouldn't be a mistress there.
"The mistress..." Who is she?
Yun Ruolin couldn't believe what she was hearing. Just as she muttered to herself in disbelief, Xiao Cheng's clear and powerful voice rang out—
"My wife."
Bai Lu: "..."
Alright, she forgave him.
But she wouldn't prepare a spicy feast to welcome him.
Yun Ruolin froze, her heart trembling, and she dared not look at the man opposite her. Her gaze inadvertently swept to the teapot and the half-opened gift box on the table, seeing a hairpin with seven white pearls embedded in it, and she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
Her face turned pale, her smile vanished instantly, and her sharp nails dug into her palm.
How could this thing be here...
"Knock knock knock!"
Suddenly, a loud knock on the door broke the eerie silence in the room.
"Brother Cheng, I found it!"
Li Si didn't care if Xiao Cheng agreed or not, or if it was appropriate to come in at this time.
After knocking on the door, he rushed in, and when he reached Xiao Cheng, he seemed to notice there was another person in the room and that it was Yun Ruolin.
He immediately greeted her, "Miss Yun, it's so late and you're still not asleep. Are you here to discuss cooperation with Brother Cheng?"
Yun Ruolin's ears, still recovering from the shock of the knock, regained their normal function. She regained her composure, and her previously lost facial expression returned.
She smiled politely, nodded lightly, and said in a calm tone, "We're done with our discussion. If you have something to talk to Brother Cheng, I won't disturb you anymore."
With that, she turned and quickly left.
Her white dress quickly disappeared outside the door.
But Li Si was worried, his heart aching, "Brother Cheng why did you let her in again? What if something happens so late at night? Last time, you let her into the room late at night and said you weren't drunk, mistaking her for Big Sister-in-law.
"Today, you haven't been drinking, but you let her into the room again. If Big Sister-in-law finds out..."
Li Si was so worried about his big brother and sister-in-law's relationship that he didn't even notice the phone on the table that wasn't hung up.
Nor did he notice Xiao Cheng's face turning as dark as the bottom of a pot, or his hand, which had just picked up the phone but now seemed ready to strike someone.
"Li Si."
"Ah, Brother Cheng."
Two voices sounded simultaneously.
Li Si rushed in to stand in front of Xiao Cheng's desk, close to both the landline phone and Xiao Cheng, and suddenly heard a voice coming from the receiver, interrupting his endless lecturing.
He paused abruptly, his brain blank for a moment, and instinctively asked, "Big Sister-in-law?"
"Is it a call from Big Sister-in-law?"
Before Xiao Cheng could speak, a clear and pleasant voice came from the receiver: "Ah Cheng, you haven't eaten yet, have you? The food has been brought to your room for so long. If you don't eat it soon, it'll get cold. Give the phone to Li Si, I want to talk to him about something."
The words seemed normal, but they contained a lot of information.
Xiao Cheng was about to explain when the phone was snatched away by the flustered Li Si: "Big Sister-in-law!"
"Big Sister-in-law, please don't misunderstand! Let me explain. It's not what you think, Cheng Ge and..."
"Beep beep beep!"
The sound of the phone being hung up was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, shocking Li Si from head to toe.
It chilled him to the core, from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, making him feel like death was just a second away.
He stiffened his neck and turned it creakingly, only to see the cold-faced Yan Wang staring at him, his murderous gaze fixed on him, and the telephone receiver in his hand.
"Cheng Ge, let me explain..."
"Call back!"
Li Si was almost scared to death by the murderous aura emanating from the big boss. He rushed to the desk, fumbling to dial the number.
At the same time, he tried to reassure himself and the big boss, "Brother Cheng, don't worry, Big Sister-in-law can't be angry, she must have misunderstood, the phone must have been accidentally hung up..."
