The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead-Chapter 413 - 402

Luo Xinyue found Manman a counter space within a few days. It wasn’t large, less than ten square meters, but it was well-located and only cost ten yuan a month.

Shen Manman hired a young girl to man the counter.

As for the radios and watches from her second cousin, a single item could earn several months’ worth of rent. Yet, Manman’s counter wouldn’t even draw a question in one or two days.

Retail sales were few, a pack or two at a time, and some days she couldn’t even make a yuan.

Of course, it was just the beginning, and she could only see how things went.

During the time Xia Lin was in confinement, she observed the vast difference in Gao Shu’s behavior before and after the pregnancy. He had previously been so cold and distant, but now he was incredibly attentive and enthusiastic. It made her think a lot.

What exactly was the source of her obsession with him across two lifetimes?

In her previous life, after going through so much, she might have thought that the original him was better.

Plus, back then, Gao Shu had achieved fame and success, and she had reached the pinnacle of her life as well.

The two of them getting back together had been a way to make up for past regrets without any contradictions, and in the end, only their two sons’ unseemly scramble for the inheritance marred the picture.

So, in this life, she chose Gao Shu again, thinking that as long as she didn’t act out and get involved with Wei Jincheng, with her experience from her previous life, she ought to fare well no matter what.

But her efforts failed to resonate with him, and instead, they exposed all the flaws in him that she hadn’t seen in her previous life.

So, when choosing a man, you can’t just look at how handsome he is.

If in this life, she had made an effort and caught up with Jiang Nanzhou, wouldn’t Lu Jingqiu’s life be hers?

In her previous life, that man had been quite a mystery in his earlier years due to his job.

Fate gave her a chance to meet him again in this life but didn’t tie them together with a red string.

It seemed that it was also because of Jiang Nanzhou’s arrival that Lu Jingqiu’s life had changed in this lifetime.

Regrettable as it was, life had to go on.

Looking at the son lying in the bed, Xia Lin couldn’t feel even a trace of affection when she thought of his demeanor in her previous life.

Gao Shu treasured him as if he were precious—ha, they say to raise sons for your old age, bullshit. In this life, she wouldn’t give him a penny.

She didn’t want to stay with such a husband and son for even a moment.

When she thought about the tricky Zhuang Yan outside, waiting for his cut, her mind grew even more chaotic.

Zhuang Yan might have been a minor village troublemaker who never did an honest day’s work, but he had certainly never bullied any wives or girls, his only fault being his indolence.

Later, with the opening up, he and his brothers ventured out and actually made a name for themselves.

That was why she chose to go into business with him after she was reborn.

Unfortunately, he was out of luck in this life, having learned too many things.

As for Lu Jingqiu, that was just Ge Dazhuang trying to steal from the mountain as usual. He had just seen her go up the mountain that day and had asked Zhuang Yan to visit Ge Dazhuang’s home on his behalf.

Whether they’d actually meet up or not was none of her concern.

They had encountered each other in her previous life; she didn’t know why they hadn’t in this one.

As for Xue Jianian, that was just a foolish impulsive act when she had just been reborn.

She hadn’t expected Zhuang Yan to blackmail her over it.

Having experienced everything in her previous life, giving him fifty thousand today was already generous of her; a hundred thousand, she wouldn’t even consider it.

...

By April or May, Lu Jingqiu spent hardly two weeks at the cinema. If she wasn’t at the newspaper office for a week, she was at the publishing house for two weeks.

Either she got seconded away by the Bureau of Culture. She was as busy as a spinning top.

Even so, she would still find time now and then to look for Zhuang Yan.

Zhuang Yan, however, did not stay put in the civilian house Xia Lin bought for him as she had instructed.

After wandering around West City for so many days, he had noticed the changes in the big city.

He came across the Fish Tail Street Market and also saw Xia Lin’s wholesale store.

Seeing how many clothes were sold on Fish Tail Street, and how many daily necessities were bought, his heart, always ready to trade, couldn’t help but itch.

After wandering around, he ended up outside Wei Jincheng’s factory.

He noticed that merchants from various cities and counties were coming here to get goods, and there were even dedicated managers.

Zhuang Yan went in too, and with the fifty thousand yuan Xia Lin had given him, he spent only a few hundred. He bought a batch of men’s clothing.

He then went out to set up a stall in a park square to sell his goods.

After one month, this turnover actually doubled his money.

Zhuang Yan started getting cocky, learning that Wei Jincheng’s factory also had military tents, overcoats, and some military boots.

If these were sold in their city or county town, they would definitely be hot sellers.

He had it all planned out; once he got the money, no matter Xia Lin or no Xia Lin, he was ready to get some goods and take them to the county town.

Zhuang Yan had it all figured out, but unfortunately, there were some things he was just not ruthless enough for.

...

Xue Jianian came to the factory today to visit her grandparents. She arrived in the morning, bringing them lots of vegetables, grains, flour, and meat.

Grandma Xue told her not to bring anything since the canteen here had food; Ah Cheng had arranged for meals to be delivered to the elderly couple every day.

But only the grandfather knew there was more to his granddaughter’s vegetables.

His wife hadn’t been sick much in the last few years, and she herself hadn’t noticed—she thought it was because their lives had gotten better in recent years.

Xue Jianian not only delivered food regularly to her grandparents, but also to her parents. Now, Professor Shi and Professor Shen seemed like completely different people compared to when they lived in the village.

After leaving her grandparents’ place, as she passed the main gate, Xue Jianian noticed a familiar face that she seemed to have seen somewhere before.

She didn’t pay much attention at the time, since it wasn’t unusual for many people to come to the factory for goods.

However, when she was about to sleep that night, her mind suddenly lit up, remembering who she had seen at the factory that day.

She hurriedly said to Wei Jincheng, "Do you know about those merchants who come to the factory to get goods? There’s one named Zhuang Yan, Jingqiu has been looking for him recently."

"There are many merchants who come to the factory, and I only know a few of the big ones. The rest is handled by the business department. Who is Zhuang Yan, and what does Jingqiu want with him?"

"A friend’s cousin. He has some grudge with Xia Lin. Looks like he came from their hometown to cause trouble for Xia Lin. He’s pretty fierce, and I’m afraid he might do something stupid. Jingqiu asked me to keep an eye on Xia Lin’s house, but unfortunately, these days I’ve been leaving early and returning late, so I haven’t noticed any suspicious people around their house."

"Oh, could her family have made a mistake? To come to my factory and place orders if he’s looking to cause trouble?"

"I’m not sure. Tell the business department tomorrow to look out for Zhuang Yan if he comes to the factory again, and help stop him."

"Okay."

First thing the next morning, Xue Jianian told Lu Jingqiu about seeing Zhuang Yan.

Lu Jingqiu didn’t expect Zhuang Yan to have started doing business and also felt that it didn’t have much to do with Xia Lin.

She also made a call to Zhuang Chen to inform him that there was news of Zhuang Yan.

These past few days, Lu Jingqiu had been waiting at her unit for a call from Wei Jincheng’s factory.