Chapter 121: Hidden Deep Within

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As soon as Chai Jin stepped into the courtyard, Liu Shan let out a sharp cry, "Wow, Brother Jin, why are you looking so handsome today?"

Old sly Huang also patted his hair, chuckling, "Haha, Chai Jin, you seem especially refreshed today."

"You really fooled us badly," the two began chatting away, each interrupting the other.

Chai Jin looked at these two and felt goosebumps rise all over.

Sitting back down in the courtyard, he gazed at them and asked, "Monkey, did you tell them everything?"

Liu Qingwen laughed softly, "I did, Brother Jin."

"Hiding things forever isn’t right. Among us ‘hair friends,’ we’re always open and honest."

“Hair friends?” Chai Jin was a bit puzzled. “What the heck are hair friends?”

Fang Yi chimed in, “Monkey and Liu Shan are descendants of Uncle Liu Huang. They share a lot in common, so they’ve been to a few hair salons together.”

“Later, they bumped into Old Huang there a few times. Meeting in a hair salon among a sea of people—that’s fate. So they call each other hair friends.”

Chai Jin looked at them, utterly baffled. “That nickname really fits.”

“If Uncle Liu Huang knew his descendants included you guys, he’d probably lift the lid of his thousand-year-old coffin to punish you for disgracing the family.”

Liu Shan and Liu Qingwen quickly forced smiles.

Chai Jin had no time for nonsense. He said, “After lunch, go out and buy four more vans.”

“Buy vans? For what?” they all asked in unison.

Chai Jin glanced at Wang Xiaoli, busy in the kitchen, then stood up.

“To haul money.”

“Ah?”

Those two simple words instantly fired up the five men.

Chai Jin ignored them.

As he entered, the smell of food hit him, stirring sudden hunger.

The kitchen was stuffy; Wang Xiaoli was sweating profusely by the gas stove.

Chai Jin grabbed a towel, rinsed it at the well outside, then came back in.

He wiped the sweat from Wang Xiaoli’s forehead. “Hot?”

“If there are many people tomorrow, don’t cook here—order takeout from a restaurant.”

Wang Xiaoli instantly felt much better, her fair, delicate face blooming with a smile.

Standing nearly 1.7 meters tall before Chai Jin, her graceful figure could soften any man’s heart.

Two faint dimples appeared. “That won’t do. The food outside isn’t clean enough.”

“You’re hungry, right? I remember you liked dried vegetables when you were little. Try some.”

Wang Xiaoli scooped some out with a spatula and brought it to Chai Jin’s mouth.

He accepted it without hesitation, chewing as he said, “Sister Li, your cooking is always the best.”

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Although Wang Xiaoli had grown up playing with Chai Fang, she was two months older than Chai Jin. The three often went out fishing for crayfish together.

When they were kids, playing house with Liu Qingwen and the others, Wang Xiaoli always played the role of Chai Jin’s bride with a red veil.

In a sense, they were childhood sweethearts.

But their relationship had suddenly shifted, and their interactions changed.

Wang Xiaoli now carried a shy air, lacking the boldness she once had around Chai Jin.

Chai Jin used the towel to wipe her sweat again. “Last dish?”

“Mm, yes, the last one.”

“Xiao Jin, go wake Shan Shan up. She went out this morning and got tired, then fell asleep.”

“Okay.”

Chai Jin stepped out and shouted into the yard, “Help yourselves! Self-reliance leads to abundance. Come help with the chores!”

The men quickly got up and went into the kitchen to carry dishes and fetch bowls and chopsticks.

Chai Jin went into the room and carried out little Chai Shan.

The little girl was drowsy and clingy.

Sitting on Chai Jin’s lap, her small head pressed closely to his neck, yawning as she asked, “Brother, who are those people? Your friends?”

She was pointing at Old Huang and the others.

Chai Jin pinched her cheeks and smiled. “Yes, they’re my friends.”

“Still sleepy?”

“Mm, very sleepy.”

But just as she said that, seeing the spicy crayfish Old Huang brought out, she immediately perked up and jumped down.

“Wow! Sister Li’s crayfish is the best!”

“Brother, I’ll go help.”

Chai Jin smiled wryly but said nothing.

The entire table of dishes was prepared by Wang Xiaoli alone.

Seven or eight people sat in the humble courtyard, praising the food nonstop.

Old Huang and the others realized that Wang Xiaoli was truly the lady of the house beside Chai Jin.

Thinking carefully, Chai Jin hadn’t really gotten close to the young lady. The rumors were just hearsay.

Looking at Wang Xiaoli again, her beauty rivaled the young lady’s without a trace of inferiority.

They couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Brother Jin was truly a master at hiding everything.

He had such a beautiful girlfriend—and she was wealthy too.

Right now, over ten thousand people were lined up, with a hundred thousand purchase certificates issued. Just that sum would cost over a hundred million.

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Meanwhile, the total value of Hongchang Electronics Factory was only a few tens of millions.

And then there was that second-generation heir, He Kai.

Now thinking about it, was he even worthy to tie Brother Jin’s shoelaces?

What a He, what a Chen—still a far cry from Brother Jin!

The men sighed deeply.

…

In the afternoon, everyone went out to buy the vans.

Chai Jin stayed behind.

He helped Wang Xiaoli tidy up some dishes in the courtyard.

An ancient mulberry tree stood there, and the two washed dishes by the well.

They spoke little but both recalled their childhood games of playing house.

Who would have imagined that when grown up, they would truly be together?

After a long silence, Wang Xiaoli suddenly looked up at Chai Jin and said, “Xiao Jin, I might have to take Shan Shan back in a few days.”

“Fangfang called me. She said the acquisition plan for the distillery has been approved by the Yuanli County State-owned Assets Supervision Committee. It’s going to be very busy.”

This was Chai Jin’s later arrangement. The production at Little Li Distillery couldn’t keep up with market demand.

So they contacted Yuanli County to restructure and integrate all the county’s state-owned factories.

Chai Jin was silent for a moment, feeling a twinge of reluctance.

“When will you leave?”

“In a few days. You’re so busy lately; I’ll cook for you and wash clothes for you for a couple of days.”

Wang Xiaoli said this, lifting her fragrant shoulder and wiping sweat from her face, looking enchantingly lovely.

With Wang Xiaoli by his side, Chai Jin’s life was truly transformed.

Coming home to a hot meal, having his bedding folded daily, and his clothes washed spotless.

In a vast place like Guangxia, sleeping quarters might be just a few feet wide, but life was probably like this.

Seemingly trivial and plain, yet when savored, it always warmed the heart.

After a while, Chai Jin said, “Alright, once I finish my work here, I’ll come get you.”

“Mm-hmm, okay.” Wang Xiaoli blushed but said no more.

She understood that the next time she came over, their relationship would be officially confirmed.