Wang Qiang and His Wife's Shock

Not long after, Jing Fengqin had finished preparing a meal. Wang Qiang brought out a bottle of white liquor and poured a glass for each of them. Jing Fengqin then picked up Lele, placed her in a high chair, and set down a small bowl of rice mixed with some rib soup.

To everyone's surprise, Lele began eating with a spoon like a little adult. Although she ate slowly and spilled quite a bit, the fact that she was feeding herself at only two years old was surely a sign of extreme intelligence.

Watching the adorable Lele, a thought suddenly crossed Zhang Shuai's mind for the first time: he wanted a child of his own. He wasn't sure how Lin Xiuwen would feel about it; after all, she was still a university student with two years left until graduation, and she likely wouldn't be thinking about having children so soon.

After downing a glass of liquor, Wang Qiang began to loosen up and talk more.

"Zhang Shuai, you've rested for over a month and passed your driving test. When are you planning to start working?"

Zhang Shuai didn't hide his intentions and said directly, "Brother Qiang, I don't plan on getting a job."

Wang Qiang frowned. "If you don't work, how will you eat and live? How are you going to save up for a house, a car, and a wife?"

"Don't worry, I definitely won't starve. I'm planning to attend university as an auditor to learn some things."

Wang Qiang knew that Zhang Shuai had always felt bitter about not having finished his education, but hearing that he wanted to audit classes still felt surreal. They were already twenty-five; at this age, they should have been in the workforce for years. Was there really any point in going back to school? Besides, even regular university graduates struggled to find work these days, so what was the point of auditing?

"Auditors don't get a diploma, so what's the point of going to university?"

"I don't need a diploma. I just want to learn some things I'm interested in."

"Then if you aren't working, how will you support yourself? Everything costs money these days."

Zhang Shuai didn't answer directly. Instead, he pulled a car key from his pocket and placed it on the dining table.

Seeing the brand-new key, Wang Qiang and Jing Fengqin exchanged a look. An incredible thought crossed their minds, and their eyes filled with disbelief.

"Zhang Shuai, this car key... don't tell me you bought a car?"

"Yeah, I did. A Biguan Di electric car. Paid fourteen thousand in full."

Wang Qiang found it hard to believe. As a childhood friend, he knew exactly what Zhang Shuai's situation was. Zhang Shuai had spent the last few years living in his rural hometown due to depression. It wasn't until his grandfather passed away and he had no family left there—coupled with the emotional blow from Ye Manqiu—that he came to Qingshui City to seek Wang Qiang out.

It was Wang Qiang who had lent him ten thousand yuan to get his electrician's license and brought him into the trade to earn some money. But it had only been a few months; where could Zhang Shuai have gotten the money to buy a car?

Even Wang Qiang, who was perceived by people back home as doing well because he owned a house in the city, wasn't actually wealthy. As an electrician, he made about ten thousand a month. With his wife staying home to care for the child and the heavy burden of a mortgage and household expenses, his income barely covered their needs, leaving him with almost no savings.

Although Wang Qiang had gotten his license long ago, he couldn't afford a car, and the down payment for their house had been scraped together by both sets of parents when they married.

That was why Wang Qiang found Zhang Shuai's purchase so impossible to fathom.

After a long, stunned silence, Wang Qiang asked skeptically, "Where did you get the money for the car?"

Zhang Shuai replied, "I earned it, of course."

"What kind of work allows you to make that much money in just a month or two?"

"Heh, don't worry, Brother Qiang. I earned it through legitimate channels."

Wang Qiang fell silent. Jing Fengqin chimed in with a smile, "Zhang Shuai has really changed these past two months. It's like he's a different person. Not only did he lose weight and become a real looker, but he's also learned how to make money and bought a car. You're so impressive! With your skills, finding a wife should be a breeze, right? My brother-in-law has a cousin who is twenty-five this year. She's beautiful and a university graduate. Want me to introduce you?"

Zhang Shuai waved his hands quickly. "Sister-in-law, I have a girlfriend! You don't need to set me up."

"When did you find a girlfriend? You should bring her over for us to meet sometime."

"We met while I was at driving school. She's a university student, about to start her junior year. Once school starts, I'm going to go audit classes with her."

"Oh? You found a university student? Which school?"

"Hanjiang University."

Wang Qiang was surprised. "What? That's a 985 key university! How did you manage to hook a student from a 985 school? You've got some skills, man."

"Heh, would you believe me if I said she was the one who chased me?"

Wang Qiang felt a bit jealous and said sourly, "You rascal. Now that you've lost weight and look handsome, you've got university students chasing you? What does she look like? Do you have a photo?"

Zhang Shuai picked up his phone, navigated to Lin Xiuwen's WeChat Moments, found a video, and handed it to Wang Qiang. "Here, Brother Qiang, see for yourself what my girlfriend looks like."

Wang Qiang took the phone and watched. The video was filmed by the pool of a luxury mansion. A young girl in a pink skirt sat by the water, gently kicking her legs. She had a fantastic figure and a pure, beautiful face, with an aura of youth that seemed to radiate right off the screen.

Anyone could see that the girl in the video was a beauty, and her family seemed quite wealthy, living in a mansion with an indoor pool.

"Well? Pretty, right?"

Wang Qiang retorted, "Zhang Shuai, you didn't come here to eat today, did you? You came here to show off!"

Zhang Shuai laughed. "It's not just to show off. I came to say goodbye. I'm heading to Hanjiang University tomorrow."

At this point, Jing Fengqin curiously took the phone from Wang Qiang and watched the video as well.

"Zhang Shuai, this girl's family seems very well-off. This looks like the villa area at Luyuan Mansion, doesn't it?"

Zhang Shuai nodded. "That's right, it's Luyuan Mansion."

Jing Fengqin said, "Only rich people live in Luyuan Mansion. What's your girlfriend's name?"

"Her name is Lin Xiuwen."

"Lin Xiuwen? With the surname Lin, could she be Lin Yuemin's daughter? I heard Lin Yuemin's daughter is studying at Hanjiang University."

Zhang Shuai didn't know who Lin Xiuwen's parents were, so he asked curiously, "Who is Lin Yuemin?"

Jing Fengqin replied, "Lin Yuemin is the boss of Fumin Technology Group! Who in Qingshui doesn't know the Qingshui Lin Family? They are the most prominent family in the city. The three Lin brothers are involved in politics, business, and the military respectively. Lin Yuemin is the second brother, the one in business. I believe he lives in Luyuan Mansion."