Chapter 120:

Yu Xianghai came as soon as he said he would. After hanging up the phone, he packed his things and headed straight for the special economic zone. Nowadays, they frequently traveled between several places. Baishi County was their foundation, while all three of their children were in Yangcheng. They also visited the special economic zone, where their father lived—all familiar places.

Yu Xiang’an also comforted Li Dazhu, saying that things weren’t too bad now. If this kind of commotion had happened when smartphones were widespread, many people would have taken out their phones to record videos and upload them to social media. If any of those videos reached his blind date, he would have been misunderstood. Fortunately, it was unlikely to spread back to Baishi County now.

Besides, he was innocent in the first place.

On Ding Minxiu’s side, her injuries weren’t serious. Zhou Boyang had calmed down and hadn’t hit her. She immediately found people to protect her. However, Zhao Qiangniang suffered more and had to stay in the hospital for over a month. As people age, their recovery slows down.

Ding Minxiu didn’t skimp on the medical expenses for Zhao Qiangniang. She had plenty of money now, so covering the costs wasn’t an issue. She didn’t expect Zhou Boyang to pay for it either—after what had happened, there was no way he would.

When she returned home, she heard from neighbors that Zhou Boyang had come looking for her, which frightened her. She decided to move out soon—this place was no longer safe. She hurriedly packed some important belongings and hid them. The situation terrified her. How had they found her? Would he hit her again? She couldn’t afford to hire bodyguards forever.

Ding Minxiu proposed a divorce to Zhou Boyang.

Divorce? So she could be with that adulterer?!

Zhou Boyang refused. “You think you can dump me and climb to a higher branch? Dream on! I won’t let you get away with it!”

Ding Minxiu wanted Chen Wen to help her, but she couldn’t find him. When she inquired, she learned that his legal wife from his hometown had come with their son and was now fighting him for control of the factory. He had no time for Ding Minxiu and their son.

Helpless, Ding Minxiu, under the protection of two people, asked Zhou Boyang, “What will it take for you to agree to a divorce?” She was afraid he might beat her to death.

Zhou Boyang glared at her darkly. “Give up. There’s no way I’ll let you and that bastard be together!”

…

Yu Qingshan had left quickly, but after Yu Xianghai and Ye Qijia arrived, they swiftly gathered information, circling around to ask discreetly.

So, Yu Xiang’an eventually found out—who had they asked?

They had gone to the neighborhood where Ding Minxiu lived to inquire. Nearby, Yu Xiang’an had some properties.

Chen Wen’s legal wife had also appeared. The house had already been registered under Ding Minxiu’s name. Chen Wen had covered his tracks well—the house wasn’t bought with his money, so his wife couldn’t reclaim it. However, she didn’t let Ding Minxiu off the hook. She wrecked the place, causing a huge scene…

For now, there was no resolution. Yu Xiang’an shook her head and told Yu Xianghai and Ye Qijia, “Let me know when there’s an outcome.”

She wasn’t interested in hearing bits and pieces every day, being left in suspense. She just wanted to know the final result. If the original owner of this body were still here, she’d probably want to know how these two ended up too.

Yu Xianghai chuckled. “Alright, I’ll let you know when there’s news. You’re busy now—don’t worry about it.”

They all agreed to keep Yu Xiangju in the dark. Ding Minxiu wasn’t important—Zhao Qiangniang was. Right now, Yu Xiangju didn’t need to get involved. Zhao Qiangniang was in the hospital, and Ding Minxiu had already paid the bills. She had doctors and nurses taking care of her.

Yu Xianghai thought that while Zhao Qiangniang was unlucky to be hospitalized, at least she was out of the storm. Otherwise, she might have been dragged into the mess again.

The only pity was the child…

Too young to understand anything, yet already labeled as an illegitimate child.

Back in their hometown of Baishi County, people didn’t know the full story. After Zhou Boyang and Zhou Tianyou left, no news had been sent back. They could only speculate wildly, imagining dramatic confrontations and how Ding Minxiu had been torn apart.

Such messy affairs weren’t uncommon these days. Money was a powerful motivator—people abandoned principles they once held dear just to secure a better life. Especially those who had suffered through hardship, their desire for comfort was stronger. If they couldn’t achieve it themselves, they pinned their hopes on others to fulfill it for them.

Yu Xiang’an had seen plenty of cases like this—this was just one of them.

When Yu Mansheng heard about it, he didn’t say much. He wasn’t managing any projects now—he was working on-site himself. But back when he was overseeing construction sites, he’d seen this kind of thing all the time.

Men working away from home, single and alone—how many of them could take proper care of themselves?

Most workers were men, but there were women too—some whose husbands weren’t around, others whose husbands were nearby but rarely together…

And then there were those who had families and children back home but formed new relationships at the worksite, even having more children.

Yu Mansheng couldn’t interfere.

It was their personal choice—consensual on both sides.

Yu Xiang’an didn’t have the patience to keep up with Ding Minxiu’s situation in bits and pieces. She was busy with real estate matters. The land she had purchased was quite large, with a mountain and a lake.

The foot of the mountain would first be developed into high-end residential housing, while the area behind would become luxury villas. Yu Xiang’an planned to keep a few properties for herself. The location was excellent, with great greenery, transportation, and surroundings—it would be hard to buy such a place in the future.

The design of these houses was more important than usual, so she hired a renowned designer—a classmate of Yu Yegui’s. The design fee alone was no small sum.

There were countless tasks piling up one after another.

On Lin Chuanbai’s side, his cousin Lin Nanxing and her husband came to Yangcheng to visit.

His younger cousin Lin Chuanqiong and uncle Lin Jiqing both worked at Baishi County’s leading enterprise—the pharmaceutical factory. But Lin Nanxing and her husband didn’t.

Their factory’s performance had been declining, and Lin Nanxing had taken early retirement.

As she put it, retiring early at least got her a lump sum. If she waited until the factory was completely broke, she wouldn’t even get that.

So she took the money and left.

She was optimistic because she had other options. That’s why she brought gifts and sought out Lin Chuanbai.

“Brother, can you find jobs for the two of us?”

For Lin Chuanbai, this wasn’t a problem. Moreover, Lin Nanxing hadn’t brought Xu Haili along. Xu Haili, his second aunt, had a personality Lin Chuanbai wanted nothing to do with. There had been friction between them in the past, which was probably why Lin Nanxing came alone with her husband.

Lin Chuanbai asked, “What kind of job are you looking for? Do you want to stay in Baishi County or go elsewhere?”

If her request wasn’t excessive, he’d help. If it was, he wouldn’t indulge her. Their relationship wasn’t that close.

Lin Nanxing hesitated. “…Brother, do you think we could start a small business? If that doesn’t work, then a steady job would be fine.” She wanted to give it a try.

Lin Chuanbai pondered. “What kind of business?”

Lin Nanxing brightened. “I want to sell children’s clothing—specializing in kids’ clothes and shoes. But we don’t have much savings…” She said sheepishly.

The couple had spent most of their money on food and daily expenses, leaving little in savings. They were rare among their peers for their carefree spending habits. They lived rent-free in Lin Guangbai’s two-story house, and with their monthly wages, aside from child expenses and household costs, they spent the rest on food and leisure. As a result, both were quite plump.

She explained, “Before coming, I checked our savings. We don’t have much startup capital, so I wanted to ask for your advice.”

Lin Chuanbai remained expressionless. “That’s fine. Pay a deposit, take some goods on credit to sell. If they sell, settle the payment. If they don’t, return the clothes and get your deposit back. Can you afford a deposit of one or two hundred?”

Back when Yu Xiang’an gave Ye Qijia clothes to sell, she didn’t charge a deposit—she just let her take the goods and pay after selling. Here, he wouldn’t charge for the goods either, but he’d take a small deposit as insurance.

A deposit was safer, and they could definitely afford it. Even if they had no savings, the early retirement payout would cover it.

Two hundred yuan could get them a thousand yuan’s worth of goods; one hundred could get five hundred’s worth. That would last them a while.

Lin Nanxing beamed. “Thank you so much, Brother!”

Lin Chuanbai said, “I’ll let your sister-in-law know. When do you want to pick up the goods?”

Since they were both out of work, Lin Nanxing replied, “The sooner, the better.”

It really wasn’t a big deal. After hearing about it, Yu Xiang’an readily approved and had someone take them to select the clothes.

Neither Yu Xiang’an nor Lin Chuanbai asked about their plans, assuming they had things figured out.

Honestly, it didn’t require much preparation.

They didn’t need to complicate things at the start—just setting up a street stall would do.

But then they took the cheapest clothes and sold them at mid-range prices.

These clothes wore out quickly, not matching the quality expected at that price point. They wouldn’t harm anyone, but they were poor quality—you got what you paid for.

Now, selling ten-yuan quality for a hundred-yuan price, customers were furious and demanded refunds.

When Lin Chuanqiong awkwardly called to say there had been a commotion, even a physical fight, Lin Chuanbai: “…”

What could he even say?

Lin Chuanqiong: “…The people who bought the clothes came back for refunds. I gave them all their money back.”

In the end, they not only made no profit but had to cover medical expenses.

Lin Chuanbai: “…”

What was the point? With so many clothing sellers now, customers compared prices. Ruining their reputation meant no future business.

Lin Chuanqiong: “She can’t keep selling like this. Those clothes were a waste. I used my days off to set up a stall elsewhere and sold the whole batch.”

Lin Chuanbai: “…”

This…

Lin Chuanqiong was exhausted, frustrated with his only sister. When she brought the goods back, he’d given her plenty of advice, and she’d nodded along—only to forget everything afterward.

Lin Chuanbai asked, “Does she still plan to sell clothes?”

Lin Chuanqiong: “Yes, but now my wife and I are joining in. With her keeping an eye on things, Nanxing won’t mess up again.”

His wife was sharp—she wouldn’t let disputes escalate. Now, they’d work together: his brother-in-law would handle sourcing, and his wife would help with sales.

His wife’s job was barely hanging on anyway. After calculating the profits from selling the clothes, he had her quit to focus on this business.

Lin Chuanqiong added, “Brother, we’d like to continue. When’s a good time to pick up more goods? I’ll bring the payment for this batch too.”

“Just let me know when you’re coming. I’m flexible.”

Lin Chuanbai didn’t mind. As long as they had a plan, it was fine. It was just that Lin Nanxing’s actions were truly baffling.

She wanted to make this her livelihood, yet she sabotaged her own future. Luckily, she had a reliable older brother.

Lin Chuanqiong didn’t mention that when the incident happened, his mother had ranted at home, accusing Lin Chuanbai of ill intentions. He was too ashamed to repeat such words.

Lin Chuanbai had acted out of kindness, and yet his family had messed up and blamed him. He made sure his mother’s complaints stayed within the household—this was no way to repay goodwill.

Helping someone only to make an enemy.

Lin Chuanbai hung up and headed to the cafeteria for lunch. On the way, he ran into Ye Chen, who was muttering to himself.

Lin Chuanbai greeted him, and they ate together.

He asked about Ye Jingjing, Lin Yining’s close friend and Ye Chen’s daughter. “She’s not eating here at noon anymore?”

Ye Chen: “No, she eats at school now—saves time.” High school meant heavier academic pressure, and eating at school was more convenient.

Ye Jingjing had been disappointed for a long time, wanting to keep eating here, but Ye Chen refused.

Why?

Because the cafeteria food here was delicious—far better than school meals.

It wasn’t surprising. The chefs here were all trained at Yu Xiang’an’s culinary school in Yangcheng. Before graduation, some were assigned here for internships, each with a signature dish.

Their arrival meant new additions to the menu.

And since they usually stayed only a few months or half a year before rotating out, the menu stayed fresh.

Qian San felt incredibly lucky because of this cafeteria. Employees got three meals a day.

Most dishes were free, with only specialty stir-fries costing extra. He rarely ordered those—the free meals were already lavish.

Every day, he brought lunchboxes, taking food home for his family after lunch and dinner.

Now, he couldn’t be happier with life at the factory.

Back then, I was dazed and anxious, worried about what it would be like working under a private boss. But now? Compared to before, I have a stable monthly salary and great benefits.

The future isn’t guaranteed, but at least the family’s financial situation is comfortable now. And with a private boss, no one dares to slack off anymore. In the past, many people would dawdle at work, but now they’re afraid of getting fired, so they don’t dare do that anymore.

He even got promoted, earning even more. While lining up for food, he spotted Lin Chuanbai and Ye Chen from a distance. He knew them—Lin Chuanbai was their research director and also their boss, while Ye Chen was a researcher, a highly capable intellectual.

Qian San hoped his child could become such an intellectual in the future, working with instruments in an office, earning a high salary with ease.

More and more factories were struggling. He knew some who had left regretted it terribly and wanted to come back, but there was no way—they couldn’t return. Even if they envied the benefits here, it was too late.

One former coworker even came to him to borrow money. He was too embarrassed and came under the cover of darkness. Qian San understood the pressure—family burdens weighing on a person, forcing them to endure.

He queued up with his lunchbox. Today’s dishes were scrambled eggs with tomatoes, dry pot mushrooms with sliced pork, and fried tofu with meat. He had two lunchboxes—one for soup. Today’s soup was seaweed and soybean.

You could serve yourself the soup, but someone was watching nearby to make sure no one took too much.

When he got home, his wife was waiting for him. The scrambled eggs with tomatoes were sweet, so they left them untouched. They took the dry pot pork and fried tofu, stir-fried them with some home-cooked vegetables, so everything could have a bit of meat flavor.

Even though their financial situation was better now, they couldn’t relax. Their daughter needed a dowry, their son needed betrothal gifts—they had to save wherever they could.

The food he brought home every day was already much better than before. Today was especially lucky—there were three slices of meat in the dry pot dish, one of which was a big fatty piece. His wife reprocessed it, slicing it into shreds so everyone could have a taste.

His wife was beaming. He knew why—two days ago, they got his first paycheck after the promotion, which was much higher than before, making life even more comfortable.

Private bosses weren’t all bad. As long as you worked hard, the benefits were good—far better than the half-dead state before.

After eating, Lin Chuanbai didn’t return to the lab. Instead, he went to the office to find Yu Xiang’an, who was reviewing documents.

When he arrived, Wang Xiaoya was just leaving with a stack of files. Seeing him, she smiled and greeted him. Lin Chuanbai returned the greeting.

Inside, Yu Xiang’an was sitting at her dark desk, focused on a document. Hearing the noise, she looked up, saw him, and smiled. “You’re here.”

Unconsciously, Lin Chuanbai smiled too.

Normally, the pharmaceutical factory was managed by a deputy director, but some decisions required Yu Xiang’an, the actual owner. She spent most of her time in the special economic zone, so it was easy for her to drop by occasionally.

Lin Chuanbai: “What’s the reason for this visit?”

Though Lin Chuanbai mostly stayed here, he didn’t handle business matters—just his research department.

Yu Xiang’an smiled again. “Sales are too good. We’re expanding production.” The factory wasn’t large, but it was a golden goose.

Lin Chuanbai narrowed his eyes, a little smug. “We’ll earn even more in the future.”

Lin Chuanbai, being in Yangcheng, had heard about Ding Minxiu’s situation, though not in detail. Now, he suddenly remembered: “Has there been a verdict? It’s been a while.”

Yu Xiang’an: “Yes.”

Lin Chuanbai: “What happened?”

Yu Xiang’an: “Ding Minxiu and Zhou Boyang divorced and became enemies. Zhou Boyang probably took a lot of money—the Zhou family moved, no one knows where. Ding Minxiu is divorced, but that man is still with his original wife. Apparently, Ding Minxiu was severely punished. She’s still the mistress, and she also moved—no one knows where. She probably won’t return to Baishi County.”

Lin Chuanbai shook his head. He thought the Zhou family and her son were unreliable. There were many paths she could have taken, but she chose this one.

She had a job—even if she had ventured into street vending, she could have earned decent money. If she had dared to take risks, she might not have become rich, but she could have lived a comfortable life. But she chose this path. Character determines fate.

Lin Chuanbai: “What about Zhao Qiangniang?”

Yu Xiang’an put down her pen and sighed. “After being discharged from the hospital, Ding Minxiu took her away.”

Lin Chuanbai pointed out: “Ding Minxiu probably still needs her to help with the child.”

Yu Xiang’an sighed again. “Her whole life has been controlled by her daughter.”

One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

Lin Chuanbai: “She’s fine with it.”

Yu Xiang’an sighed once more. “Seeing their outcome, I felt a moment of satisfaction, but then it just felt off. Tell me—if we hadn’t come here, if they had survived that crisis, what do you think would have happened?”

Searching through the original host’s memories, Yu Xiang’an recalled that discovering Zhou Boyang and Ding Minxiu together had devastated her. Combined with the fear of being sent to the countryside, she hadn’t survived. If she had, unwilling to endure such humiliation, she might have exposed them, sending Zhou Boyang and Ding Minxiu to reform through labor for moral crimes. Then, she would have been forced to go to the countryside.

But life there would have been hard. And after such a scandal in Baishi County, she probably wouldn’t have wanted to return. She might have found someone in the countryside to share the burden.

When educated youth were allowed to return to the cities, she would have come back—likely with a family in tow.

As for the college entrance exam, the original host’s academic performance wasn’t bad. If she hadn’t completely abandoned her studies, she might have passed.

Lin Chuanbai thought about his side.

The original host had been fixated on attending a worker-peasant-soldier university. He might have gone that route.

Before the college entrance exam was reinstated, Lin Houpu had asked if he wanted to attend. He had refused.

Going to a worker-peasant-soldier university had been the original host’s wish—he wanted to get as far away from home as possible. He couldn’t face the divorced Lin Houpu and Wu Zheng, so he would have sought a distant place to work, start a family, and live quietly.

Yu Xiang’an: “And if we hadn’t transmigrated here, if we hadn’t died under that billboard, what then?”

Lin Chuanbai: “The little girl’s parents were inside. We might have been commended, then… just carried on with work and life, no different from anyone else.”

The only difference would have been his more solitary nature.

Yu Xiang’an: “After leaving the hospital, I would have gone back to running my private restaurant. It had just opened—I would have worked hard to grow it. You liked my cooking, so you’d have visited often. With my personality, I’d have struck up conversations, trying to learn your preferences to make dishes you’d enjoy. We’d have crossed paths again…”

Compared to their current life, the only real hardship was the early days after arriving. Later, they adapted, gained the golden finger of the space, built a thriving life, and found each other—two kindred spirits who had transmigrated together, coming together in a world that wasn’t originally theirs.

Lin Chuanbai, imagining the possibility of being with Yu Xiang’an in reality, softened. “Do you regret rushing to save that little girl?”

Yu Xiang’an: “No.”

Lin Chuanbai: “Me neither.”

They smiled at each other.

Wang Xiaoya, who had just reached the door, saw this through the window and quietly left. This moment belonged only to them—she’d wait.