Qin Huairu doesn't want me anymore!

Qin Huairu, panting heavily as soon as her feet touched the ground, leaned against a streetlamp, still feeling lightheaded: "Was that... a dream?"

But she quickly realized three things:

First, Liu Dong really didn't lie to her;

Secondly, if he wanted to take her away, he wouldn't need to go through such a long and complicated process.

Third—she really left the courtyard house.

Siheyuan.

The north wind rattled the windows, and as darkness fell, lanterns began to be hung at the door of every household.

crackling-

The sound of firecrackers grew louder and louder, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and the aroma of rice cakes.

Just then, Jia Dongxu started yelling and rampaging through the yard:

"Huai Ru—!"

"Qin Huairu—!"

"Master! Have you seen Huairu?!"

"Second Uncle! Is my wife with you?!"

"Third Uncle—"

"Da Mao!!"

His face turned bright red, and he didn't even realize he'd lost a shoe.

Finally, he rushed to Liu Dong's door and pounded on it, shouting, "Liu Dong! Have you seen my wife?!"

Inside the house, Liu Dong was having dinner with Chen Xueru and her daughter, his chopsticks holding braised pork.

"Didn't see her." He slowly finished chewing. "What? Did someone kidnap your wife?"

"Your wife was the one who got kidnapped!" Jia Dongxu stomped his feet in anger.

Chen Xueru burst out laughing, slamming her chopsticks down: "Jia Dongxu, you're lying through your teeth! I'm sitting right here, are you treating me like I'm invisible?"

Jia Dongxu turned and left with a dark expression.

They searched the entire compound thoroughly, turning everything upside down, but there was no one there.

Keep looking.

Before they knew it, the clock struck nine o'clock in the evening. There was still no word from Qin Huairu.

Having no other option, Jia Dongxu went to the police station to report the case.

Upon hearing this, the police officer waved his hand dismissively: "Hey, what kind of report is this? You're an adult, not a lost child. Your family should go find them themselves!"

"We're so busy here every day, how could we have time to go around helping people find wives?"

Jia Dongxu was speechless, but his heart was burning with anxiety.

In the dead of night, I put on my cotton-padded coat, pedaled my old bicycle, and made my way back to Qin Huairu's hometown—those few mud houses in the mountain valley, dark and without a single cat in sight.

He slumped down on the edge of the field, the surroundings eerily quiet except for the rustling of the wind through the dry grass.

Suddenly, with a "Waaah!" he threw his head back and wailed, crying like a child whose candy had just been taken away.

Others pulled him aside and advised, "Don't worry, your wife will come back sooner or later!"

He wiped his nose and shook his head: "She's not coming back... She's already given up on me."

He knew better than anyone that the affection between the two of them was as thin as a sheet of paper, easily seen through by the wind and torn apart with a single poke.

"Oh my god... my wife ran away... Qin Huairu doesn't want me anymore!"

-

Liu Dong is currently on holiday and doesn't need to clock in at work.

He dropped Chen Xueru off at the bar in the morning, then spotted an empty alley, took off, and headed straight for Hong Kong.

These last few takeoffs were much smoother. He could adjust his direction at will and even control the wind noise. It was no longer like the first time when it exploded with a loud "boom" that caused dust to fall from the roof.

On the streets of Hong Kong, Qin Huairu has become a completely different person.

She shed her rustic look with a coarse cloth jacket and braided hair, donned a floral dress and small leather shoes, styled her hair with a perm to create a fluffy curl, and stood there with a small bag slung over her shoulder—the entire street turned heads to look at her.

Wow, so pleasing to the eye.

"Li Ma, is the teacher I asked you to find reliable?" Liu Dong asked.

Li Ma immediately agreed: "Perfect! My niece is nineteen, a medical school graduate, just graduated and hasn't started working yet. She's quick-witted and steady, perfect for teaching you, Madam!"

"Okay, sure." Liu Dong nodded. "A college student's foundation won't be bad."

Qin Huairu came to Hong Kong to make a living; she couldn't survive long on luck alone.

Literacy, accounting, understanding Cantonese, and handling everyday English—these are all indispensable.

Learning to read is of paramount importance: she still has to guess what's on the menu;

I also need to improve my arithmetic: I can even make mistakes when giving change at grocery shopping.

Not to mention Cantonese and English, you have to use gestures for ages just to order tea.

It sounds scary, but it's not that mysterious—if you study hard and use it a lot, you'll naturally get the hang of it.

"That's great!" Liu Dong grinned. "By the way, she just got pregnant. Have that girl come over; she can teach and have the pregnancy checked. Having someone knowledgeable in medicine at home puts our minds at ease!"

"Yes, yes, I'll do it right away!" Aunt Li readily agreed.

Driver? No need.

Chef? Li Ma does the work of two.

No one owns a car. These days, the streets of Hong Kong are mostly filled with bicycles. Cars are as rare as beetles. People only feel truly connected to the world when they ride a bicycle.

After settling Qin Huairu's affairs, Liu Dong strolled leisurely down the street with his hands in his pockets.

He pondered: What kind of business should I do in the future?

We can't just let her sit at home with her pregnant belly; once the baby is born, she'll have to get back in shape.

Open a tavern?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he extinguished it—no way!

Why?

Because Hong Kong appears calm on the surface, but secretly our people are acting as intermediaries, quietly exchanging valuable goods from Beijing for foreign currency.

What if one day, Chinese liquor from Beijing suddenly appeared in a liquor cabinet in Hong Kong...

People immediately noticed: How did this wine fly over here?

If the news gets out, he and Chen Xueru will probably be in jail that very day.

Alcohol is not suitable for this purpose.

What are we going to do then?

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind: "I'm really begging you this time... I won't skimp on the shipping fee... you absolutely have to help me!"

Liu Dong suddenly turned his head.

The other person happened to look up as well—the two of them were stunned on the spot.

"It's you?!"

"How is it you?!"

No one expected to run into an acquaintance here.

"Liu Dong! My old friend, weren't you staying in Beijing guarding your little tavern? How did you end up in Hong Kong?"

"Vladimir! My old buddy, what are you doing here instead of having tea at the embassy, ​​a diplomat?"

The two laughed, patted each other on the shoulder, and gave each other a tight hug.

That's right, it's the representative of the older brother who partnered with Liu Dong to deal in cloth and transport oil before—Vladimir.

"Come on, come on, it's on me!" Liu Dong waved his hand. "The rooftop bar has an amazing view!"

Vladimir happily followed him into the elevator.

The terrace was indeed bright and airy, with the setting sun casting a shimmering glow on the glass railings.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, there were only a few customers. Besides the two of them, there was only a couple sitting in the corner.

"Come on, friend, let's have a drink!"

The glasses clinked together, producing a crisp, clear sound.

Vladimir took a sip of vodka, smacked his lips, and said, "Ah, I'm dying to taste your pure grain liquor..."

Changing the subject, he leaned closer: "By the way! How did you manage to get rid of those ten thousand bolts of cloth and sixteen thousand barrels of oil without anyone noticing? There were hundreds of people at the dock, and they all insisted they didn't see you moving the goods! Do you do magic?"

Liu Dong took a leisurely sip of his drink and said casually, "Brother, some things are better left unasked; too much questioning can hurt feelings. We have an old saying where I'm from: 'Curiosity killed the cat.'"

"Hahaha!" Vladimir laughed, his shoulders shaking. "But I just love to get to the bottom of things!"

"If you ask again, you'll lose your life." Liu Dong said calmly, reaching out to grab his wrist.