Chương 10: The Zhou Family is Truly Blessed

Xia Yao rode her aunt's bicycle to eat noodles. Zhou Erwa's restaurant wasn't hard to find, right at the main entrance of the textile factory. The bicycle stopped, and Xia Yao jumped off, immediately spotting a little girl in a floral jacket sitting at the restaurant entrance. The little girl was incredibly cute, with a round face, exquisitely sculpted features, and fair, rosy skin.

She was eating candy, and when she looked up at Xia Yao, she paused for a moment, then spoke in a soft, adorable Sichuan accent, praising her.

"Little girl, you're so good." Xia Yao felt her heart melt. She rummaged in her pocket for a moment, but hadn't brought any snacks.

"Here, baby, have some candy." Meng Anhe parked her bicycle, took two White Rabbit milk candies from her purse, and smiled as she handed them to Zhou Momo.

"Big bunny!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up. She reached out and took the candy, then looked up at Meng Anhe with a big smile and said, "Thank you, pretty auntie!"

"Hmm, so good." Meng Anhe looked at the little girl with her smiling eyes and was also very fond of her. She couldn't help but sigh to Xia Yao, "My daughter is so well-behaved, unlike my two little devils who only cause me trouble."

"My cousins are quite well-behaved." Xia Yao said with a smile, "At least they're quiet when they're asleep, haha."

"Are you two here for noodles?" Zhao Tieying greeted them with a smile. Zhou Yan, who was about to take stock of the business, also looked towards the entrance, his eyes lighting up. The girl on the left had a beautiful oval face, delicate eyebrows, cherry lips, and skin that seemed to glow. She was tall, with long black hair cascading down her shoulders. A white long dress was cinched at the waist, highlighting her slender waist and elegant figure.

She wore a light beige cardigan over her shoulders and carried a bulging handbag. When she looked down at Zhou Momo, her eyebrows curved, and a shallow dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth, making her look bright and gentle. The woman on the right looked to be in her early thirties, with big, wavy hair, and looked six or seven parts similar to the girl next to her.

She wore a white pointed-collar shirt with a delicate gold button at the collar, flared trousers covering black mid-heeled leather shoes, and a red knitted cardigan over it. She wore light blush and lipstick, looking very confident, exuding a flamboyant and fashionable aura. Zhao Tieying looked at the two women standing at the door, a hint of amazement in her eyes, and subconsciously pulled her feet back, hiding her patched old cloth shoes.

Among the middle-aged women in Zhou Village, she was considered fashionable. But next to these two women, she looked like a greenhorn. Those big, wavy hair, flared trousers, and high heels—she had only seen them in movies. This fashion trend hadn't reached the village yet, and it was rare even in the town.

"Auntie, my name is Xia Yao. I've come to thank Comrade Zhou Yan for saving my life," Xia Yao said with a smile to Zhao Tieying. Her tone was gentle, with the soft, sweet voice of someone from the Jiangnan water towns.

"Ah, it's you." Zhao Tieying suddenly realized that she was Deputy Factory Director Lin's niece. The other woman must be Deputy Factory Director Lin's wife. No wonder she was so fashionable. She quickly turned around and called out, "Zhou Yan!" Zhou Yan had already heard their conversation and put the money into the drawer. The light at the door dimmed, and a tall figure walked out. Xia Yao looked up and was taken aback. She subconsciously looked up and saw how tall he was! Zhou Yan was 1.

82 meters tall, which was definitely tall in this era of scarcity. He was even a few centimeters taller than Lin Zhiqiang from the north, and he would definitely stand out in the crowd in Sichuan. Looking at his face, he had sharp features, deep-set eyes, and a clean and handsome appearance. He also had a pair of almond-shaped eyes that seemed to smile affectionately, even when looking at a dog.

He wore the white cotton shirt commonly seen on chefs in high-end hotels, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, one button undone at the collar, and a dark blue apron tied around his waist. The same clothes looked clean and well-fitting on him. Xia Yao thought that even the captain of their art academy's most popular basketball team wasn't as handsome as him. Meng Anhe sized up Zhou Yan, and couldn't help but nod slightly, vaguely recalling the feeling she had when she first met Lin Zhiqiang in Moscow.

Back then, he was the campus heartthrob among the international students; now he already had a beer belly. A man's prime is just too short.

"Comrade Zhou Yan, I'm Xia Yao. Thank you for jumping into the river to save me the day before yesterday." Xia Yao extended her hand to Zhou Yan, poised and confident.

"You're welcome." Zhou Yan gently shook her hand. Her hand was fair and slender, with exceptionally smooth skin, like a piece of warm jade, only slightly cool. Xia Yao noticed that Zhou Yan's hands were unusually rough, especially his fingertips, which had thick calluses. Despite his young age, he hadn't slacked off in his cooking.

"Are you from Zhejiang Province?" Zhou Yan felt a sense of familiarity with her accent, and his heart skipped a beat. Xia Yao nodded in surprise, "I grew up in Hangzhou, but my ancestral home is Zhoushan. Have you ever been to Zhejiang Province?" Zhao Tieying, standing beside him, also looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"No, I just met someone from Zhejiang Province before, and I thought their accent sounded a bit like yours," Zhou Yan said with a smile, shaking his head and casually brushing it off. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"You're quite something, Xia Yao's accent is actually quite faint now," Meng Anhe said with a smile.

"I'm Xia Yao's aunt. Thank you for saving Xia Yao. My husband, Lao Lin, praised you endlessly when he got home yesterday. He went on a business trip yesterday afternoon, so I brought Xia Yao over today."

"You're too kind. I didn't think much of it at the time, but anyone would have done the same," Zhou Yan quickly replied. He noticed that Lin Zhiqiang's wife didn't look like a typical housewife; she exuded the aura of a strong woman, the kind who was decisive and authoritative at work.

"Most people don't have this kind of courage; you're a true hero," Meng Anhe praised. The workers had all gone to work, and the vendors at the factory gate had quieted down. Seeing two fashionable women arrive at Zhou Erwa's restaurant, they all strained their ears, craning their necks to hear the gossip, some even getting closer to watch the spectacle. Upon learning that these two were Deputy Factory Director Lin's wife and niece, and that they had come to thank Zhou Yan, they all whispered among themselves.

"Didn't Deputy Factory Director Lin just give us a cheap bicycle yesterday? Why are we thanking him again today?"

"City people are particular. The young lady must have come in person to thank us. But she's really pretty, even prettier than the factory workers."

"She and Zhou Yan seem quite well-matched, a perfect couple."

"Well-matched? Zhou Yan's just a self-employed individual, how could a city college student be interested in him?"...

"These are some thank-you gifts I prepared." Xia Yao opened her handbag and began taking things out one by one. Shanghai brand malted milk powder, Friendship face cream, Pechoin cold cream, a whole carton of Yuxi cigarettes... The onlookers' eyes widened, their envy growing with each look. These were rare items; normally, who would dare buy these things? City people are so generous! (The latest novels are first published on 69shu. com!)"Sweetie, this is malted milk powder for you."

Xia Yao handed the malted milk powder to Zhou Momo.

"Thank you, pretty sister." Zhou Momo held the malted milk powder, her eyes shining. She had eaten this at her uncle's house during the Chinese New Year, and it was so sweet!

"Auntie, this snow cream and cold cream can prevent frostbite and cracking when applied in winter."

"This is too expensive, I can't accept it. We usually just use clam oil, we don't need this." Zhao Tieying waved her hands repeatedly.

"This is better than clam oil. We can put some on Xiaobao's face when it's cold. These cigarettes are for Uncle. My uncle said they're good to smoke, I don't know if he'll like them. And this is yesterday's lunchbox." Xia Yao directly stuffed the things into her hands.

"This... I can't accept this." Zhao Tieying said, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up. This city girl is so thoughtful. She said she came to thank Zhou Yan, and she even brought gifts for them. She's generous and speaks so sweetly. If only I could find a daughter-in-law like her. Xia Yao took out a peacock blue fountain pen from her bag and handed it to Zhou Yan: "This pen was a gift from my father. I hope you'll accept it."

Zhou Yan looked at the Parker pen with its 24K gold-plated clip and cloisonné enamel top bead, and shook his head, saying, "This imported pen is too expensive. I already feel guilty accepting the bicycle; I can't take what others cherish." This girl is truly a little rich girl; her family's financial situation is probably no worse than Lin Zhiqiang's. Her upbringing is excellent. Meng Anhe looked at Zhou Yan, somewhat surprised.

He knew his stuff; this Parker 45 cost 45 yuan, and you needed foreign exchange certificates to buy it. It was a birthday gift from Xia Yao's father.

"You saved my life. If my father were here, he would definitely want you to accept it too," Xia Yao said firmly, looking at him. Zhou Yan hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the pen, nodding, "Then I'll accept it, thank you."

"You're welcome." Xia Yao's face lit up with a smile again.

"I had your pork rib noodles yesterday, they were so delicious! My aunt and I haven't had breakfast yet, so we came here specifically for noodles."

"Sweetie, come in and sit down, let Zhou Yan make some for you right away," Zhao Tieying said quickly with a smile.

"Okay," Xia Yao replied softly, her dimples deepening. The way she addressed her as a Sichuanese auntie always felt warm and familiar.

"The menu is on the wall," Zhou Yan said as he entered. Seeing Zhou Yan and the others go inside, the vendors started whispering amongst themselves again.

"Friendship face cream and Pechoin cold cream—things only rich women in the city use, and she just gave them away like that!"

"She gave away a whole carton of Yuxi cigarettes! A carton of those costs thirty yuan!"

"The Zhou family is truly blessed!"

"See that pen? The factory manager always wears the same one in his breast pocket, just a different color. Last time I heard Director Liu say it was called a Parker, an American product, and it costs 45 yuan!"

"Oh my god! Forty-five?!" A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, everyone speechless with shock. A small pen cost more than a textile factory worker's monthly salary! That girl just gave it away casually! Zhou Yan has truly struck it rich. The Wang couple turned green with envy; not only had their business been stolen, but seeing Zhou Yan make such a fortune was truly unbearable for them!