Si Nian's smile softened with warmth. "You're too kind. It's my honor to cook for you."
Hmm... Maybe pursuing men isn't so bad after all. Sorry, I take back what I just said—I admit I judged you too harshly.
After all, even in the future, Si Nian couldn’t earn this much money in a single day.
If it meant she didn’t have to work hard, what did it matter if she was a little shallow?
Her sudden shift in attitude amused the man.
He handed her the money without another word.
In high spirits, Si Nian waved goodbye, her smile brighter than a blooming flower.
Clutching the thick wad of cash, her hands trembled.
She hadn’t dared to count it in front of him, but at a glance, she estimated it was several hundred yuan!
Wasn’t this the legendary generous man she’d heard about?
Had her wish—left in the comments section under someone else’s post—finally come true? "May I be blessed with a man who spoils me with money!"
Si Nian walked a good distance away, making sure no one was around, before she finally pulled out the cash and started counting.
A thick stack of crumpled ten-yuan bills—just the sheer volume felt like a small fortune in the future.
So it was true—back when she was little, she’d seen the butcher uncle next door always carrying thick wads of cash in his pocket.
He’d even given her the loose change! How could someone be so generous?
Her heart raced as she counted.
Six hundred and seventy yuan in total!
This must be what it felt like to strike it rich overnight.
In the 1980s, six hundred yuan could buy so many things.
No wonder this man didn’t even blink at paying thousands in betrothal gifts.
In the countryside, he was practically a tycoon.
But it also made her realize just how much Aunt Liu had skimmed off the top.
At the livestock farm.
After seeing Si Nian off, the workers crowded around, buzzing with gossip.
"Boss, how’d it go? What did you two talk about?"
"Boss, you’re not being fair! Hiding such a stunning beauty from us—were you afraid we’d steal her?"
"Come on, show us what your wife packed for lunch! I was sitting close by earlier, and the smell was driving me crazy. My mouth was watering!"
Zhou Yueshen ignored them and sat in the spot where Si Nian had been. He opened the lunchbox.
Inside were three dishes, packed to the brim.
The braised pork still steamed faintly, the glossy sauce shimmering with droplets of oil—just the sight alone was enough to make anyone’s stomach growl.
The other two dishes were vegetarian, but they were stir-fried with plenty of oil, glistening and refreshingly light.
The rice was perfectly steamed, each grain plump and fragrant.
It looked incredibly appetizing.
Even though they’d just eaten, the men couldn’t help but swallow hard, their faces practically screaming envy.
"Holy crap, braised pork? Did your wife really make this? The only time I’ve had pork like this was at a state-run restaurant, and one plate cost several yuan! And it wasn’t even half as flavorful."
"It couldn’t have been Aunt Liu. That woman pinches every penny when she cooks—just looking at her food kills my appetite."
"Only the boss isn’t picky. She ruins perfectly good meat. It’s such a waste."
"Well, now that your wife’s here, Boss, you’ll be eating like a king."
Zhou Yueshen lowered his gaze, thinking of the meat buns from that morning.
There was no doubt she’d made them.
Si Nian had no reason to lie or hire someone else to cook for him.
Besides, she was new here—she didn’t know anyone.
She wasn’t at all what he’d heard about her.
When Si Nian returned home, the two children were fast asleep on the sofa.
Aunt Zhang sat nearby, stitching shoe soles. Seeing Si Nian return, she quickly stood.
"You’re back! The kids fell asleep, and I didn’t want to leave Shitou alone, so I waited for you. Now that you’re here, I should head home."
Si Nian thanked her. "Sorry for the trouble. I took longer than expected."
"Not at all! Zhou Yueshen’s always been good to us—he sells us meat at the lowest prices. We’re lucky to afford meat at all, thanks to him. Watching the kids is the least I can do."
Si Nian could tell that despite Zhou Yueshen’s reserved demeanor, he was well-respected in the village.
At the very least, he seemed like a decent man.
But if he was so good, why had his ex-wife divorced him?
She must have known about the three children beforehand and accepted them.
That couldn’t have been the reason.
Curious, Si Nian asked, "Aunt Zhang, if you don’t mind me asking… why did Zhou Yueshen and his ex-wife divorce?"
Aunt Zhang stiffened, her expression turning grave.
"Ah… you don’t know about that yet, do you?"
Si Nian hesitated, recalling how Zhou Yueshen had frowned whenever his ex-wife was mentioned.
"If it’s not too much trouble, could you tell me?"
Aunt Zhang nodded solemnly.
"It’s not a secret, so there’s no harm in telling you."
"When they divorced, it caused quite a stir."
"That woman… she was downright inhuman." Aunt Zhang sighed.
"Before she married into the family, she agreed to everything—including that Zhou Yueshen didn’t want children of his own. She said she was fine with it."
"You’ve seen his house, right? A place that big—there’s nothing like it for miles. That farm of his doesn’t just raise livestock; they butcher the pigs too. I heard the fresh meat markets in town and even the county get their supply from him. He was one of the first to strike it rich as a private business owner."
"That woman probably never expected him to be so wealthy. At first, she treated the kids well, and everyone thought she was a good person. But then she got greedy—she must’ve thought that since Zhou Yueshen didn’t want his own children, he’d leave everything to the three kids."
"She figured that if something happened to them, he’d change his mind. So she poisoned the food she gave to Second Child. If Eldest Child hadn’t noticed in time, Second Child would’ve died."
"After it happened, she denied everything. But Zhou Yueshen tracked down the pesticide seller, who testified against her. Only then did she confess. The child survived, but Zhou Yueshen was furious. He had her sent to prison—she’s still serving her sentence."
"That’s why, despite his wealth, no one wants to marry him. After what his ex-wife did, everyone knows he’s serious about not having his own children. No one wants to raise someone else’s kids just to see the inheritance go to them."
"So he’s been single all this time."
"Those poor children… they’re so well-behaved, yet they nearly got killed."
"I’m not trying to guilt-trip you, but if you treat the kids well, Zhou Yueshen will surely treat you well in return."
Si Nian was stunned. She hadn’t known any of this.
Now she understood why Eldest Child had been so resistant when she’d offered food to Second Child the night before.
The trauma from their stepmother ran deep—no wonder he’d been so wary of her.
At the time, she actually thought the child was being overly sensitive and even felt a bit annoyed.
But looking back now, it was just the child's way of protecting themselves.
