Zhou Zhijun frowned slightly and said flatly, “Whatever you have to say, say it here.”
Zuo Jinhui did indeed have something important to discuss.
Her expression stiffened a little. Her fingers instinctively tightened around the strap of her faux-leather handbag as she softened her voice. “Brother Zhijun, this is really important. It concerns your future life… Just come outside for two minutes. I promise I won’t keep you long.”
Zuo Jinhui had always been clever and bold. The last time she had helped with the coal briquettes was proof enough.
Zhou Zhijun had no desire to go outside, but he was afraid she might say something inappropriate in the house and make Chuntao misunderstand.
After hesitating for a moment, he glanced toward the doorway of the inner room. In the end, unable to resist her pleading, he stepped outside. Zuo Jinhui immediately followed him.
By then, dusk had fallen, and the chill of the evening had begun to settle in. Zuo Jinhui quickly pulled the front of her coat together.
“What is it? Hurry up and say it.” Zhou Zhijun stood in the middle of the courtyard, his tall, sturdy figure as imposing as a mountain. His tone was brusque.
“Brother Zhijun, congratulations on having a boy and a girl.”
Zuo Jinhui kept her voice very low.
She had wanted so badly to ask Zhou Zhijun why he had chosen Chuntao of all people, but in the end, she swallowed the words.
Her family was well-off, and she had been the proud princess everyone admired from childhood. There had never been a shortage of men pursuing her—there were enough to fill half a street. Yet she had fallen for Zhou Zhijun, a man from the countryside.
In front of Zhou Zhijun, she had long since shed all her pride. The last time she had asked him to come to her home to make coal briquettes, she had taken the initiative and confessed her feelings. Zhou Zhijun had rejected her without mercy.
Now he and Chuntao already had children. To ask that question would not only make her look foolish but would also be inviting humiliation.
If she provoked his dislike, they might not even be able to remain friends.
Rather than drive herself into a dead end, it would be better to play the long game. Sooner or later, she would find an opportunity.
After steadying herself, she said, “Brother Zhijun, I have a business opportunity. I can get ready-made clothes, nylon stockings, and small imported appliances. We could work together and open a shop on Qingshan Street. I’ll handle the supply, and you can run the store. What do you say?”
Zhou Zhijun’s brows drew together even more tightly. His gaze shifted toward the window of the inner room in the north house, where Chuntao was sleeping. His tone was decisive.
“No. I can’t do that business.”
“Brother Zhijun, you’re sharp and capable. You’d definitely do well! It’s a great business, and the money comes in fast!” Zuo Jinhui hurried to persuade him.
“Chuntao just gave birth. I have to stay here and take care of her.” Zhou Zhijun’s voice was firm.
“Brother Zhijun, Sister Chuntao gave you a son and a daughter. Of course you want the three of them to live a good life. But how can you manage that with only those two poor plots of land?” Zuo Jinhui added, still unwilling to give up.
She was right. Zhou Zhijun certainly wanted Chuntao and the children to live well. He knew that farming alone would never be enough.
He had already been planning to wait until everything settled down, then take out a contract on the village reservoir and raise fish there.
The business Zuo Jinhui had mentioned would undoubtedly be profitable, but he still had to go help with the reservoir construction.
Even if he did not have to go work on the reservoir, he would rather lease the reservoir for fish farming than go into business with her.
He knew her intentions all too well. If he wanted to cut things off, he had to do it completely.
“I do want the three of them to live a good life, but I have other plans. Find someone else for this business.”
Just then, Aunt Zhou and Second Aunt Zhou came out of the north house to prepare some soup. When they saw the two of them standing in the courtyard, they froze for a moment.
Aunt Zhou spoke first. “It’s dark and cold outside. Come in and sit down. We’re going to make some soup.”
Zuo Jinhui quickly waved her hands. “Auntie, don’t bother making any for me. I’ll be leaving in a moment.”
“It’s completely dark already, and you have such a long way to go. How are you supposed to get there? Have some soup and stay the night. Tomorrow morning, you can leave with Xiaowei. That way you’ll have company on the road!” Aunt Zhou urged.
“No, thank you. I came by truck, and it’s waiting up ahead.”
To get to Dongshan, Zuo Jinhui had gone out of her way to ask her brother for help securing a truck from the transport company. She had spent the whole journey asking for directions before finally finding this place.
But in the end, she had not dared to say what she truly wanted to say, and Zhou Zhijun had rejected her proposal to go into business together. Her heart was unbearably heavy.
Still, she knew that pestering him would be useless. A tough man like Zhou Zhijun would never respond to that sort of behavior. It would be better to retreat for now and advance later, making her plans slowly.
Li Chun Tao was nothing more than an uneducated country woman. Now that she had given birth to two children, years of hard work would surely leave her looking worn and haggard.
Zuo Jinhui, on the other hand, had a stable job, an education, and an independent mind. Although she was no longer as young or as pretty as Chuntao, she was confident in her own charm.
Besides, liking the new and tiring of the old was human nature. She refused to believe that Zhou Zhijun would never change his mind.
Zuo Jinhui tightened her grip on the handbag strap over her shoulder, forcing down the ache in her heart. She waved at Aunt Zhou.
“Auntie, really, there’s no need. The truck is waiting at the village entrance. If I’m late, the driver will start worrying.”
Then she turned toward Zhou Zhijun. There was resentment hidden in her eyes.
“Brother Zhijun, think over the business proposal carefully. There’s no hurry. I truly want to help you. Sister Chuntao is following you, and she’s even given you two children. With your personality, you surely don’t want the three of them to live in poverty. Whenever you change your mind, come find me at the county Foreign Trade Company.”
Zhou Zhijun’s brows remained furrowed. He merely nodded.
“All right. It’s dark and the roads are slippery. Be careful on your way.”
Looking at his indifferent expression, Zuo Jinhui forced out a faint smile.
“Auntie, Second Aunt, Brother Zhijun, I’m leaving. Take good care of yourselves. I hope Sister Chuntao and the babies stay well too.”
With that, she turned and walked out of the courtyard. Her nose stung, and her eyes instantly grew hot. Tears surged uncontrollably.
“Girl, call the driver over and have some soup before you go!” Aunt Zhou shouted after her.
Zuo Jinhui did not answer. She only quickened her pace.
The village road was full of potholes and mud. Her foot slipped, and she staggered, nearly falling.
Watching her hurried retreat, Aunt Zhou felt that something was wrong, though she could not say exactly what.
She turned back to Zhou Zhijun and sighed. “That girl is so sincere. She came all this way and won’t even stay for a meal. It’s enough to make a person worry.”
Second Aunt Zhou nodded in agreement. “Girls from the city are pampered. She probably can’t get used to a poor mountain village like ours. But still, she should at least have stayed for some soup. Why did she leave so suddenly?”
Zhou Zhijun was silent for a moment before saying, “Ma, Second Aunt, go inside and make the soup. I’m going to check on Chuntao and the babies.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the north house.
Meanwhile, Zuo Jinhui climbed into the back of the truck and leaned against the seat. She turned her head and looked toward the direction of Second Aunt Zhou’s house, then raised a hand to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
From her bag, she took out the photograph she had carried with her the entire journey.
It was a picture taken years ago in the county town, showing her with Zhou Zhijun and Wu Mingwei. She had been only a teenager then, her smile bright and radiant.
Zhou Zhijun and Wu Mingwei were both wearing green military uniforms, their tall figures straight and handsome.
Wu Mingwei wore a brilliant smile, while Zhou Zhijun had a stern look on his face. Yet even with that cold expression, his sharply defined, handsome features had made her heart flutter.
She gently traced the outline of Zhou Zhijun’s face in the photograph and whispered in her heart, “Brother Zhijun, I won’t pressure you. I’ll wait for you…”
The truck started up. Billowing dust rose behind it as it carried her stubborn love away, gradually disappearing into the darkness.
In the north room at Second Aunt Zhou’s house, Zhou Zhijun sat on the edge of the bed. One hand clasped Chuntao’s tightly, while the other gently smoothed the loose strands of hair across her forehead. His deep, dark eyes were filled with tenderness.
“Chuntao, you’re amazing. You gave me two babies at once—I’ve got both a son and a daughter now…”
Their eyes met. Chuntao blinked shyly and said softly, “Brother Zhijun, you’re pretty amazing too…”
The corners of Zhou Zhijun’s mouth lifted into a roguish grin. Lowering his voice, he said, “Mm. My seed is strong, and your soil is fertile…”
Just then, one of the babies sleeping beside them suddenly began wailing. The cry was so loud that it could be heard throughout several neighboring courtyards.
