Wang Danniang's favors were spent with Xie Sui; how her family fared from now on depended on them.
Xie Sui's final act for Tie Zhu was to expose Hao Yuxiu's true colors. Before leaving, he visited Master Lin again, ostensibly to bid farewell, but in reality, to retrieve the voice recorder.
At this time, voice recorders had limited capacity, and he hoped it had captured something useful.
His luck was good. Hao Yuxiu, unwilling to give up, went to Master Lin again, trying to appease him, then threatened him. If he didn't help her transfer to the county town, she would reveal their affair, get Master Lin into trouble, and accuse him of coercing women.
Master Lin was no pushover; the old fox was cunning. With her current entanglement with Tie Zhu, her conduct was questionable, and who would believe her?
Past events were long gone, and without evidence, she would just be slandering him.
Moreover, she was still married to her current husband. Her conduct issues were more severe. If she didn't want to be ruined, it was best they part ways and go their separate directions.
Master Lin was almost fifty. Even if he lost his job, he could still work in private restaurants and wouldn't lack income, just lower pay.
Hao Yuxiu, furious and helpless, left in tears.
This recording was enough for Tie Zhu to see what kind of person Hao Yuxiu was. If he still refused to see the truth, Xie Sui truly wouldn't interfere anymore.
Indeed, after listening, Tie Zhu's eyes grew darker, his body stiff and tense. He said stiffly, "What is this thing? How can it have Xiu Xiu's voice? Brother Xie, I know you're capable, but you don't need to do this to break us up."
"Damn it!"
Xie Sui swore, "I've never seen anyone like you, banging your head against a wall and refusing to turn back, as if everyone in the world is trying to harm you.
Fine, I shouldn't have meddled in your affairs. This is a voice recorder, cost me over a thousand yuan. It recorded their conversation.
Master Lin isn't a good person either; he's pushing you out to shield himself from Hao Yuxiu, so she won't relentlessly target him.
You're just foolish, willingly becoming the scapegoat.
Tie Zhu, I, Xie Sui, am not doing this out of malice. We part ways here. I've repaid the favor of your family looking after Wan Wan and the children in the past. From now on, we owe each other nothing."
Xie Sui almost threw the voice recorder away, but considering the cost, he eventually deleted the recording and saved it, thinking it might be useful later.
After this, he genuinely stopped concerning himself with Tie Zhu's family affairs. His own factory was already keeping him busy.
Six months later, news of their wedding spread. Xie Sui didn't attend but had his father send a gift, the same amount as other villagers, not a cent more. They maintained a relationship like ordinary neighbors.
The state-run restaurant closed, and Wang Elder's business also failed. He wanted Xie Sui to introduce him to business opportunities in the county town, but Xie Sui refused. Favors were finite; no one's favors were inexhaustible.
Wang Elder was helpless. His family had to subsist on their village land. The life that had started to improve gradually declined. The fall from prosperity to hardship led to constant complaints and arguments within the family.
Hao Yuxiu saw that the Wang family's life wasn't as good as she imagined. After six months, she took the family's money and ran off.
Tie Zhu was furious, finally regretting not listening to Xie Sui. But it was too late. He also packed his belongings and went to find Hao Yuxiu, blaming her for their family's current predicament.
After that, Xie Sui never heard news of Tie Zhu again. His own status grew, and such trivial matters were no longer brought to his attention.
...
This was all in the past. After the fifteenth day, Hu Pan returned. Lin Wanwan looked at her in surprise, almost not recognizing her.
The formerly naive and sweet girl now had permed hair, a work suit, black leather shoes, and light makeup. She was capable and cheerful, like a changed person.
Society was the best teacher. Hu Pan was preparing to develop new markets and came to plan the new factory with Xie Sui.
"Pan'er, is that really you? I almost didn't recognize you. Is your family doing well?"
Hu Pan said gratefully, "Very well. Brother Xie showed me that there's another way to live. My father also asked me to thank you on his behalf.
Thinking back to the past, it feels like it wasn't me. Sister Wanwan, why don't you come with me to develop the new market? It's much more interesting than staying home with the kids.
You don't know how intoxicating it is to build something from scratch, to witness a factory operating, to create countless job opportunities. That sense of life value is intoxicating."
Xie Sui felt something was amiss and quickly intervened, "Hold on. You're extreme. You went from one extreme in love to another in career. Wanwan is the backbone of my family; I wouldn't bear to see her suffer."
Hu Pan joked, "So you're willing to see me suffer?"
Xie Sui said righteously, "Of course. I'm not your man. If you want someone to dote on you, find someone else. I'm already taken."
The two women laughed heartily. Xie Sui let them talk while he went to the kitchen to cook. Hu Pan was even more impressed, "Brother Xie can cook too?"
"He cooks quite well; even hotel chefs learn from him. He came up with the recipes for the pickle factory. This guy has a sharp mind, he's very clever. When he sets his mind to something, he succeeds."
Hu Pan asked, "You praise him so much, aren't you afraid I'll fall for him and snatch him away?"
Lin Wanwan said generously, "Feel free to snatch him. If you can snatch him away, it's your skill. A man has to be willing; if he can be snatched by you today, he can be snatched by another woman tomorrow. Can I tie him to my waist and watch him all the time?"
Hu Pan learned something new, "Sister Wanwan, you're right. In the future, when I find a man, I'll have you vet him. Your judgment is truly excellent."
Lin Wanwan asked her, "Xie Chen, what are your plans?"
A hint of emotion flashed in Hu Pan's eyes, "Alas, don't mention him. He showed me how foolish I was, liking a man so humbly, only to have him not want me.
Alas, if I could, I'd go back to last year and slap my past self hard.
As you've seen, his family has their noses in the air. I'm not good enough for him, so I won't annoy them."
Her words were laced with sarcasm. She wasn't good enough; Xie Chen was looking for a celestial fairy. Let's wait and see what kind of wife he finds.
Speaking of Xie Chen, he arrived then, pushing his bicycle in. Upon seeing Hu Pan, his face darkened, "Hu Pan, didn't you leave? What are you back for?"
Lin Wanwan shook her head helplessly. Xie Chen's mouth was worse than having no mouth at all; he never had anything good to say.
Hu Pan, instead of lowering her head meekly and apologizing as before, sneered, "This is Sister Wanwan's home. I came to see her. Does it concern you?"
Xie Chen's expression turned uglier, "Come out with me."
Hu Pan's sarcasm intensified, "You want me to go out, so I go out? Who do you think you are? Xie Chen, listen to me carefully now. I, Hu Pan, am not the foolish Hu Pan who was only good to you before. A man like you doesn't deserve my kindness.
We never established a relationship, and your family doesn't think I'm good enough. I won't grovel for your family's acceptance. My parents raised me, not to serve others.
Don't bark orders at me, or I'll be impolite!"