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墨書 Inktalez
"Pearl, I want to tell you... the engagement between Wu Yuqian and Qing Wenyu was actually ruined by me. I know you have deep feelings for Song Family Village. As long as you are here, the villagers don't have to worry about their homes being taken away. So when you were about to leave, we followed you, hoping you would stay. After discovering that you boarded that passenger ship, Xingxing and I came up with a plan... we asked someone to help us find you and share a drink..."
Song Pearl listened silently as the village chief spoke, her previous humiliation and anger long gone, now feeling as if she were hearing a story unrelated to her.
"Chief, those things are in the past; you don't need to blame yourself anymore. In fact, I should thank you. If it weren't for the scandal you created for me, I might not have been able to reunite with my biological father. You don't need to apologize!"
"Pearl, you're not angry at all?" the village chief asked, staring at Song Pearl.
"I'm not angry," Song Pearl smiled, her smile somewhat exaggerated. "If it weren't for you, I'd still be single now. I should thank you and Wang Xingxing; you two are the matchmakers."
The village chief's face turned red from Song Pearl's laughter.
"I thought very simply back then. Hongqing is the largest enterprise in our county. If you married Qing Wenyu, the Resort would be secured, and outside developers would lose hope. Alas... who would have thought that now the county wants to sell the Resort... Is there really no way for Hongqing to protect the Resort? Or is it that, Pearl, you didn't put in your heart?"
Seeing the village chief's pitiful expression, Song Pearl's heart softened once again.
Although the Pearl Fish had been returned to the sea and Song Family Village no longer held her dreams, and Nanhu Fish Pond was no longer the home she yearned for, there were still many people worried about losing their homes.
"Chief, society is progressing, and times are developing. You need to learn to accept new things. The new developers have capital and strength; they will definitely build the Resort better..."
"But I want to protect the villagers' homes! If one day the land of Song Family Village falls into outsiders' hands, who will speak for us? I'm afraid... alas!"
The village chief couldn't continue, leaving two lines of tears.
Song Pearl had almost figured out the village chief's character; she knew his tears were partly genuine and partly feigned, but his desire to protect his home was sincere.
"Initially, Wu Qiang saw potential in Song Family Village's land and invested funds to support your construction of the Resort aquaculture farm. We were all quite grateful at that time. Now it seems this was just the first step in inviting wolves into our home! Following him closely is Jinmai Group... These outsiders are indeed not good people; they boldly took away Song Shizhen's man back then and now are eyeing Song Family Village's land. What sins has our village committed in this lifetime!"
Song Pearl listened silently as Wang Xingxing cheerfully brought over two dishes: one stir-fried green beans with chili and one oil-splashed baby bok choy, placing them on the dining table.
"Pearl, try my cooking; it's definitely not worse than the chefs at the Resort. I have a fish and some ribs coming up soon!" He wiped his hands on a clean apron.
Song Pearl couldn't help but smile slightly, while Wang Xingxing seemed completely at home in someone else's kitchen, more natural than in his own.
"Do you two never cook? Look at this apron; there's not a single oil stain on it!"
The village chief, interrupted by his comment, stopped talking and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lighting one.
"When is Wen Yu coming back? I want to wait for him to apologize in person. If you're too shy to ask, I’ll ask him to help buy the Resort!" the village chief said.
"He has a dinner party tonight and doesn't know when he'll be back," Song Pearl replied honestly. "I heard Jin Mai's investment plan for the Resort is in the billions, which is why the county agreed to sell it. Hongqing doesn't have that kind of capital to compete!"
"Billions?" The village chief's eyes widened. "In our poor area, how does Jinmai Group have that much money?"
"It must be because we have good development prospects here!"
"You’re educated and worldly; why do you say that without certainty? I feel like this matter isn't simple. Investing billions is like burning money! Is someone trying to go against us, or is Wu Yuqian seeking revenge on us?"
The village chief extinguished half of his cigarette and tossed it into a clean ashtray. "But is this Girl really that formidable?"
Song Pearl chuckled. Shouldn't it be a good thing if someone was using money for revenge?
"Village chief, Wu Yuqian is Song Shiting's daughter. She's currently in charge of this investment matter. Instead of coming to me, you should seek out Song Shiting. He has feelings for Song Family Village just like you do; he wouldn't stand by and watch his fellow villagers suffer. He will definitely help persuade Wu Yuqian."
"Song Shiting doesn't have much affection for our village. Don't you know he and his sister left to beg for food? They are your relatives, but I can't gossip behind their backs like this. However, I've long seen that Wu Yuqian isn't someone good! She's different from you; all she sees are money and interests. If it were feasible, why would I ruin her engagement and stop her from marrying Qing Wenyu?"
Song Pearl frowned. After experiencing two lifetimes of confusion, she had grown thoroughly tired of the scheming and plotting once she saw through the truth. She didn't want to fall into traps set by others nor set traps for others anymore.
The Song Shiting family no longer needed her concern; her lifelong dream of marriage had been realized as she married her dream man and lived what seemed like a warm but actually bland life.
As for the remaining time, since she couldn't be a fish, she just wanted to let go of everything and live well for herself, doing things she liked instead of having her life arranged by others.
The village chief was still rambling on, and Song Pearl thought to herself that it was self-inflicted misery, but she didn't have the heart to say it out loud.
She couldn't treat this old man that way; if it weren't for his kindness, she wouldn't have gotten married so quickly.
Wang Xingxing cooked six dishes and opened two bottles of beer, unceremoniously drinking with the village chief at Song Pearl's home restaurant.
"Pearl, come eat some too!" Wang Xingxing called to Song Pearl, clearly taking on the role of host. "This is home-cooked food; smell this stir-fried egg with chili. Aren't you craving it?"
Song Pearl was amused by Wang Xingxing's words. She sat down and picked up her chopsticks to taste a bit of each dish, and indeed, it had the familiar flavor.
"After I get married, I'll be the one cooking at home! Look at me, a big man who has to work hard to earn money for the family. If I marry a wife who can't even cook, that's one thing; but then she complains that my mom's cooking isn't good enough and insists on eating what I make..."
Wang Xingxing complained, but his face was full of happiness and sweetness.
"Pearl, is it you who does all the cooking at home? Qing Wenyu, that kind of sheltered young master, probably can't do anything, right?"
Hearing Wang Xingxing, the village chief joined in to chat about family matters.
Times had changed; as a village chief now, no one in the county would take him seriously. He was less influential than Wang Xingxing, who ran his own business.
When Qing Wenyu returned home, he saw this lively scene of conversation and drinking. He subtly frowned, his good upbringing masking the coldness he felt inside.
"Are there guests at home? Why not go to a restaurant to cook a few dishes?" His gaze fell on a plate of stir-fried egg with chili on the table; it seemed like they had used one egg with a lot of chili. The dish was too spicy for anyone to touch.
"Wen Yu is back! Just in time; I needed to talk to you. Sorry for still eating at your place!"
The village chief smiled as he pulled Qing Wenyu to sit down at the table. He and Wang Xingxing had come with a purpose; they were just chatting and hadn't drunk much alcohol, keeping their minds clear. But he was best at pretending to be simple and honest to gain sympathy from the younger generation.
Qing Wenyu sat down beside Song Pearl and smiled at the two of them, saying, "You two enjoy your meal; I've already eaten!"
Wang Xingxing put down his wine glass and forcefully handed a pair of chopsticks to Qing Wenyu, saying, "From the looks of you, even if you've eaten, you haven't had enough. Have some more."
Although Qing Wenyu was already aware of Wang Xingxing's temperament, this kind of casual familiarity still made him feel a bit uncomfortable. He gently nodded and accepted the chopsticks.
He indeed hadn't eaten well at the table. Although Wu Yuqian had tried to mediate, that pompous Jin Wei Cheng was clearly there to provoke him. If it weren't for his years of experience in the business world, he might have lost his temper.
From his experience, Jin Mai showed no sincerity in cooperation this time. Wu Qiang's departure had unexpectedly large implications for the collaboration between the two companies.
He couldn't help but suspect that the previous cooperation between Jin Mai and Hongqing was not due to recognizing Hongqing's commercial value but rather because of Wu Qiang's influence.
"Wen Yu, don't worry. I will communicate with Wei Cheng about this cooperation plan again. After all, we are all here for investment collaboration," Wu Yuqian assured Qing Wenyu as they were leaving.
This cooperation was very important for Hongqing's second-phase new project. Perhaps the other party had figured this out, which is why they started playing a cat-and-mouse game right from the beginning.
The dishes on the table had a unique flavor, better than any nutritious meal he had ever had. The village chief and Wang Xingxing finished their drinks, and half of the spicy scrambled eggs had already been eaten.
"Is this dish made by Song Pearl? I haven't tasted anything like this since we got married," he glanced at Song Pearl sitting nearby. She also had chopsticks in front of her but hadn't eaten much; she was just quietly accompanying them, which was consistent with her usual character.
"Pearl, I finished the noodles; could you please cook some more and bring it over? Do you know how to cook?" Wang Xingxing asked Song Pearl as he put down his chopsticks.
"Sure, I'll go cook," Song Pearl replied as she stood up.
Qing Wenyu felt a discomfort in his heart. The way these two spoke so casually made it seem as if they were family rather than just friends.
Having drunk quite a bit on an empty stomach without eating much, he felt even worse after having some dishes. He forced himself to endure the discomfort and followed Song Pearl into the kitchen.
"Did you make all these dishes?" Qing Wenyu asked as he watched Song Pearl cook the noodles, unconsciously rubbing his stomach.
"Not me, it was Wang Xingxing," Song Pearl said, looking down at the pot as the water boiled and she tossed in the noodles. Hand-made noodles boiled in clear water are the most flavorful, and she sprinkled a few spinach leaves into the broth.
"Don't let these outsiders come to our home so casually in the future. Look at what a mess it has become," he said to her.
"It won't happen again. They came looking for you, and when it's time to eat, we have to invite them to stay for a meal. Besides, they're not really outsiders..."
At this point, Song Pearl noticed Qing Wenyu rubbing his stomach. "Go out and keep the guests company first. I'll heat up some Goat Milk and bring it to you in a bit."
As soon as she finished speaking, he suddenly leaned over the vegetable washing basin and vomited. Since he hadn't eaten anything, it was just a mouthful of water.
"Thank goodness the kitchen is big; otherwise, we would have wasted a pot of noodles!" Song Pearl took a tissue and naturally wiped his mouth, then tidied up his clothes with gentle movements.
Since they met, he had never seen her so gentle and considerate.
"I'll go out first." Qing Wenyu's face turned red as he awkwardly escaped from the kitchen.
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