CHAPTER 93: CHAPTER 93 ENCOUNTER

Zhao Xiuxia pulled her out in her sixth grade second semester, because her exam scores were excellent in the class. At the market, they happened to run into the principal, who said to Zhao Xiuxia, "Cultivate Sun Chan well, she will definitely have a future, maybe even become the first university student from the village." Because of these words, Sun Lijuan cried at home all night, refusing to eat or drink. To comfort her daughter, Zhao Xiuxia forcibly pulled Sun Chan out of school, forbidding her to continue studying.

This was the most regrettable thing for Sun Chan in her previous life. Now given a second chance, she thinks that although she doesn’t have the ability to go to college anymore, perhaps she could at least try for a self-study technical secondary school.

But now it seems a bit difficult to pursue, with only a primary school education, there are many things she’s unfamiliar with.

"Well, just take your time. I can lend you my middle school textbooks, just have him send them over," Yang Liu said with a smile. "Actually, my dad is a teacher... but I don’t keep in touch with them anymore."

"What happened?"

"Nothing much. My grandmother doesn’t like me going home, says I bring bad luck to my younger brother. When I was little, she even poked me with needles! Every time I go back, she wants to hit me, scold me, and she’s always trying to send me away as far as possible. My parents treat me well, and that makes her unhappy." Yang Liu rarely talks about family matters with Sun Chan; she thought Yang Liu was cheerful by nature, unaware she had such unhappy memories.

In many families where males are favored over females, Yang Liu’s grandmother went too far. Fortunately, her parents were relatively kind to her, and because of this issue, her mother had fierce conflicts with her grandmother, almost leading to a divorce. After having a younger brother, the grandmother’s attitude improved quite a bit.

However, the past trauma was already there, so Yang Liu seldom went home.

Sun Chan said, "I don’t know how to comfort you."

Yang Liu smiled and said, "I don’t care about it anymore. I was thinking, if your business does well, can I join you? I’m so tired of my current job. My grandmother arranged it through her contacts, and in two or three years, I haven’t saved a penny. She secretly says I’m just a waste who only knows how to enjoy herself. I’m not happy about it."

Yang Liu wasn’t much of a dreamer, taking life as it comes. However, living under someone else’s roof didn’t feel great. She decided to hold on tight to Sun Chan, who seemed like a big tree offering shelter.

Sun Chan smiled, ruffling her hair, "Alright, if I make money, I’ll definitely let you help out. But don’t quit your job now. Who knows what the future holds?"

Yang Liu nodded, "Alright, I’ll listen to you."

That evening, Sun Chan went to talk to her boss about resigning. The boss thought, you really know your place; I hadn’t even figured out how to let you go yet, and you took the initiative. They quickly agreed to her resignation request and even gave her a few extra days of salary.

As Sun Chan left the boss’s office, she thought to herself, had she known it would be this easy, she might have saved the position for Liu Qingshuang. But even if she did, it wouldn’t have benefited him.

That night, Sun Chan stayed one more night at the sanatorium and left early the next morning. Yang Liu was reluctant to part with her, even stuffing a bag of her own cookies into Sun Chan’s hands.

Sun Chan walked out with her bag, and at the entrance, she saw Han Dong coming from afar, carrying a lot of fruit and a big package.

Seeing Sun Chan, he excitedly waved, "Where are you going?"

Sun Chan smiled and walked up to him, "I’ve resigned. I’m preparing to leave. What about you?"

Han Dong was taken aback, then laughed, "You’re not doing this job anymore? That’s great, come with me, let’s do business together."

"How could that work?" Sun Chan laughed and said, "Even close family members keep clear accounts, and it’s even less appropriate between us. Besides, I can’t do big business. I just want to start small on my own."

Knowing this girl has always been stubborn, Han Dong didn’t persuade further. He patted Sun Chan on the shoulder and said, "Let me treat you to a meal, on account of my recent good earnings from selling fruit."

Sun Chan nodded with a smile, "Sure. I also want to explore the city and think about what kind of business to start."

The two headed into the city. X City was much larger than the county town where Sun Chan lived. The buildings were beautiful, and many shops were already showing development potential. Since she planned to sell food, Sun Chan focused mainly on the snack shops around. The most common items sold were buns and various noodles, and she thought maybe she could sell pancakes or potato cakes. These ingredients weren’t expensive, and cooking them was relatively simple.

After wandering through many places, Han Dong finally asked, "Hungry? What do you want to eat? My treat."

"Anyplace is fine," she replied.

"Don’t underestimate me; let’s eat something good!" Han Dong insisted and dragged Sun Chan into a more upscale restaurant in the area.

They sat in a corner, and Han Dong ordered a dozen dishes in a row. Sun Chan hurriedly said, "Don’t order so much, I can’t eat it all. It’s such a waste."

"No worries, just eat. I’m so happy to see you, I ended up ordering more. Don’t worry, whatever’s left I’ll keep for dinner."

Sun Chan glanced at Han Dong, "You’ve matured quite a bit."

Han Dong chuckled proudly, "I’ve always been mature."

He shared various incidents encountered while doing business, like spending days and nights unable to sleep on the truck, almost being handed counterfeit bills worth thousands, and dealing with roadside thieves. Sun Chan listened, also feeling nervous with each story.

Amidst their animated conversation, another guest entered the restaurant. Han Dong became curious when he saw the newcomer.

"What is he doing here?"

Sun Chan turned to look. It was a somewhat plump military officer with a friendly face, smiling broadly, and walking alongside a woman. This woman appeared to be in her twenties, also in military uniform, very beautiful and graceful.

The two walked in together and sat at a table right behind Sun Chan.

In those days, there were no private rooms, so you could see them clearly.

Curious, Sun Chan asked, "Why the curious look, what’s up?"

"I know that person, but not very well... never mind, let’s eat," Han Dong said, not wanting to discuss it with Sun Chan, though he found the situation a bit strange.

The young man was Gu Juntao, though he and Han Dong weren’t acquainted.

However, Han Dong had seen a family photo of Gu Juntao’s entire family and knew this was his half-brother from his stepmother. Moreover, he had just heard from his mother that Gu Juntao was meeting potential marriage partners, with his mother introducing girls from good families. What was the situation here?

Judging by the two’s demeanor, they clearly weren’t just acquaintances. Did he start a relationship without telling his family?