Chapter 12

Jiang Qishen said: “If someone hadn’t introduced you, I really wouldn’t have recognized you.”
Yang Bufan nodded. “I got a perm recently, got tanned. It’s normal you didn’t recognize me.”
Someone suddenly shouted at the door: “Whose three‑wheeler is this?!”
Yang Bufan turned, yelled: “Mine! Leaving soon!”
Turned back, saw Jiang Qishen also looking, examining her three‑wheeler.
Yang Bufan said: “Considered Rolls‑Royce and Ferrari before, but ended up with this three‑wheeler. National treasure CVT Maserati pink. Mainly like this simple, low‑key style.”
She laughed at her own humor. But Jiang Qishen didn’t laugh. Said the opposite, tone unclear if mocking or what: “Looks like you’re doing very well.”
Yang Bufan squinted into the distance, smiled warmly: “Yeah, you think so too? Our village is really nice. Look out, green peaks layered. So pretty.”
“When you’re hungry, you can open your mouth and drink the northwest wind.” Jiang Qishen said.
Yang Bufan laughed. “You’re so funny. Good women aim for all directions. Drink northwest wind, never complain.”
Jiang Qishen was definitely annoyed. This idiot couldn’t understand his sharp sarcasm. Asked directly: “Money enough?”
“Enough.”
“If it’s enough, transfer me some.”
A question mark popped on Yang Bufan’s head. Didn’t get it.
“Aren’t you selling jewelry?”
Yang Bufan felt guilty. Half a month ago, she had indeed sold the necklace he gave her at the seafood market.
Lately she’d been regretful. When they broke up, busy fighting with Jiang Qishen, forgot about those rows of expensive bags. Didn’t know who’d be carrying them now.
If she’d taken them and sold them, she could’ve built another 2,000 square meters of barn, bought 50 more lambs. Regretted it so much, tears flowed when she thought about it.
The only necklace she brought back was also valuable. Original price 120,000. Haha. Really nice.
During that time, Yang Bufan racked her brain, wanted to make up a good story, sell it for more.
See? No matter how you loved before, now you just focused on how to monetize that love, sell it for a good price.
Thought for a long time, found inspiration. Typed: Husband has terminal cancer, raising money for treatment, tearfully selling this brand new xxx, authentic, no haggling, thanks kind people 😭😭
Jiang Qishen saw it. Sat up in the middle of the night. *What, is she sick?*
Naturally, few asked about this jewelry. Sent for authentication. Turned out she’d even gotten the style wrong. Got rejected by the authentication service.
In the end, Jiang Qishen had the office director bargain down to 11,000, bought it.
This price made him both contemptuous and angry. Jiang Qishen felt the time he’d wasted was even more worthless.
Back to the present. Yang Bufan said: “Can’t wear such expensive jewelry anymore. Have to work. Sold it to someone who’d treasure it.”
She heard Jiang Qishen’s first cold laugh of the day.
Yang Bufan thought: *So when you forget someone, you forget their flaws first. Like his painful ways had blurred. She’d almost forgotten how difficult he was.*
Jiang Qishen definitely thought she was a dog in a sedan chair, didn’t know what was good for her. That’s why he laughed coldly.
But Yang Bufan didn’t care, didn’t mind. Reached into her pocket, pulled out two coffee beans, crunched them.
These were coffee beans Feizai gave her. No moka pot at home. Afraid they’d expire, ate them like snacks every day. A bit like burnt soybeans. Ate them, felt just as energized.
Jiang Qishen sitting across from her was very oppressive. The tea he made, he didn’t drink. Thought other people’s cups were dirty. Yang Bufan poured and drank for a while. Sweat on her head. Village head still hadn’t come back.
This table was old. Tea stains, oil stains, like a patina. Hadn’t been wiped in ten years. Yang Bufan leaned her arms on it, moved around. Several times almost touched some unknown stain.
Jiang Qishen watched for a long time. Finally couldn’t help it. Grabbed her arm with one hand, pulled out a stack of tissues with the other, reached to wipe, but like he was being stubborn, just threw them on the oil stain to cover it.
Then looked away. Didn’t look.
Yang Bufan: “I’ll do it.”
She quickly wiped the table, threw it in the trash. This person’s germophobia OCD was extreme. Before, if a rag fell on the floor at home, he’d walk around it.
Living with him was really very troublesome. Complicated.
Luckily now she didn’t have to care about these things.
Yang Bufan was thinking about home. Had no interest in conversation. Just sat there, stared at each other.
He was handsome, clean, full of wealth. In this summer heat, he created his own cold world. Made Yang Bufan look at her reflection in the tea cup. But she didn’t feel anything special.
Now she was so poor, if she got inflamed, she’d first search the medicine price, then search: what happens if this disease isn’t treated?
After all, social insurance was cut.
Life pressure made her not care about appearance anxiety. Seeing herself disheveled, she wasn’t ashamed.
And she’d already understood: she wasn’t the focus. No one cared. She could be sloppy, ugly, without burden. Others’ gazes, expectations were illusions. People had to see: life had no stage, no spotlight, no applause. Had to get used to being ignored.
Unconsciously, she seemed to have freed herself.
She didn’t find more topics. Naturally crunched her coffee beans, opened Pinduoduo, shared a cash‑out link to the group, @‑ed the whole village to help her cut.
This missing 0.01, didn’t know when she could collect it. Wiped sweat. But she wouldn’t give up. Even after she died, she’d pass this 0.01 cash‑out quota to the next generation. Determined to fleece Pinduoduo.
Yang Bufan thought: *She really had no backbone. Could confidently say those things before. Now could completely drop dignity, not care how her ex looked down on her.*
She hadn’t forgotten the bold words from the breakup. But life was bony, ability limited. Those grand ambitions were just her overreaching, loud farts.
The village head finally came back. Asked loudly: “Yangzi, how’d it go with CEO Jiang? You’re both big‑city young people, have knowledge. Should be lots of cooperation opportunities.”
Yang Bufan stood up. Said: “Thanks, village head. CEO Jiang and I talked well. If there’s a chance, definitely cooperate. Workers are coming today. Afraid Dad can’t handle it alone. I have to go back.”
The village head was very pleased. Said: “Such a sensible, filial good child. Come to my place for raw marinated seafood another day.”
“Yangzi!”
A man suddenly called her from behind.
Yang Bufan stopped, turned. Saw a lean, familiar face. Her eyes curved into crescents. “Hesheng! You’re back.”
Hesheng grew up in the same village. After graduation, developed in Shanghai. The two chatted warmly for a while. Actually sat down again. Talked about things Jiang Qishen had zero interest in.
Lao Zhang saw his expression wasn’t good. Suddenly asked Yang Bufan: “Xiao Yang, any good local restaurants nearby?”
“Good ones…” Yang Bufan thought, a bit troubled. “Usually home‑cooked is better.”
Lao Zhang hinted happily: “Is that so. No wonder you always said your dad cooks well.”
“Yeah! Really didn’t lie. Dad’s braised pork is amazing. Mutton too.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah!”
Jiang Qishen glanced at her quickly.
“Come to think of it, the boss and I haven’t tried…”
Before he finished, Yang Bufan suddenly turned happily to Hesheng. Lao Zhang’s second half hung awkwardly in the air.
“Hey, want to come to my place for lunch?”
“Sure, haven’t been in ages. In Shanghai I missed Uncle’s cooking. Want me to get some goose liver to bring?” Hesheng smiled.
“Yeah yeah yeah!”
After that, Yang Bufan turned to Lao Zhang. “There’s a good food stall. Five kilometers from here, in town. I’ll send you the location.”
Sent him a location, texted Dad that Hesheng was coming for lunch.
Lao Zhang looked at the boss. Found him with a poker face, glaring at a chair, like the chair had offended him.
Just then Dad called. Asked what else Hesheng wanted to eat. Hesheng was making tea with wet hands. Yang Bufan naturally put the phone to his ear. Hesheng naturally listed dishes.
That posture, as intimate as could be.
That interaction, as in sync as could be.
Couldn’t be that familiar without twenty years of childhood friendship.
Lao Zhang glanced at the boss again. A drop of cold sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead. Moved his chair back imperceptibly, sat farther away.
Suddenly behaved.
The clueless village head was still reflecting, feeling guilty. Were their meals too bad? Was that why CEO Jiang’s assistant driver wanted to find a specialty restaurant?
He had to get up and ask what was going on.
This was Chaoshan. Chaoshan food had dignity. Couldn’t let people look down on it.
After Hesheng finished listing dishes, Yang Bufan said a few more things, hung up.
Hesheng went to wash his hands. Yang Bufan finished her last cup of tea. Was about to stand when Jiang Qishen, face dark, mocked: “Why don’t you just sit in his lap?”
Yang Bufan’s brain automatically conjured that image. Her, sitting… She shivered. *Oh god, what’s the difference from incest?*
In her mind, she immediately knelt, kowtowed three times to Mazu, begged for a clean brain back.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Her discomfort was seen by Jiang Qishen. Somehow, his words got sharper: “I think you two match. One stupid, one dark.”
“You match him.”
“I didn’t pull and tug with him in public.”
“If you want, I can call him over.”
Lao Zhang: “…”
“Yangzi! Ready?”
Hesheng, finished washing hands, stood at the yard entrance, waved. Yang Bufan thought: *Can’t be bothered to argue. Going home to eat.*
Hesheng kept looking back at Jiang Qishen.
Yang Bufan asked: “What’s up?”
“That CEO Jiang just now, seemed to know me.” Hesheng said.
“Have you met?”
“No.”
“Then why say that?”
“The way he looked at me,” Hesheng’s expression was a bit weathered, “like he couldn’t forget an old flame, held a grudge.”
“Some people in this world are just sick. Can’t stand anything. Even dogs would spit at them.”
“…Is that so.”
Yang Bufan drove her national treasure CVT Maserati pink, rumbled away with her buddy. The village head came back, invited Jiang Qishen into the office for tea.
Jiang Qishen looked away. Lao Zhang quietly made up for it: “Boss, looking at Xiao Yang like this, she’ll probably go back to Shenzhen. To be blunt, her quality of life is way worse than Shenzhen. Plus, the village head is finding her work. Means she wants to go back. Just can’t say it now, face.”
Jiang Qishen got up indifferently, headed for the financial village official’s office. Passing the village committee bulletin board, caught sight of Yang Bufan’s smiling photo prominently displayed. Let out his second cold laugh of the day.
Poverty had made her grow cunning. But too late.
She’d actively abandoned the luxury lifeboat in fate’s current, chosen to jump ship and swim upstream, back to this fly‑infested countryside.
Suffer it yourself.
Served you right.
“CEO Jiang, this afternoon we’re visiting major farmers. Here’s the list. Pick one.” Financial village official Xiao Liu handed over a file.
Jiang Qishen glanced. Saw a familiar name. Said coldly: “Except this one.”