Seventies Sweetheart: From Breakup to Billionaire-Chapter 158: The House Collapsed

"If you’d told me earlier that you didn’t want to date me because you didn’t like me, would I have clung to you so desperately? I’m so outstanding, it’s not like I can’t find someone else, does it have to be you?"

The woman angrily stomped on Secretary Wang’s foot.

She was wearing a pair of thick-heeled leather boots; the heel pressed down on his foot, causing Secretary Wang’s expression to change instantly, yet he didn’t dare to pull his foot away.

"Wang Kang, remember this, next time you encounter a similar situation, if you don’t like someone, just tell them directly. Don’t come up with excuses, won’t that just waste someone’s time for no reason?"

"I... I understand now."

The woman gave him another fierce glare, then haughtily swung her bag and left.

Secretary Wang grimaced and turned around, only to see Lin Xiang, who was pushing his bicycle.

His face, already flushed from the pain, turned even redder.

"I... that was an old friend I used to know."

Lin Xiang smiled, "You don’t need to explain to me."

Everyone has their own way of dealing with relationships. Lin Xiang didn’t agree with Secretary Wang’s handling but wouldn’t interfere.

Even though he didn’t outright say he didn’t like the three people, he didn’t lead them on, nor did he try to take shortcuts through them, which was already better than most people.

"Thanks for last night. If you hadn’t lent me your bicycle, I wouldn’t have known when I’d get home walking."

"I remember the cotton spinning factory gave you a ticket as part of your award to buy a bicycle. You’ve got plenty of money too; you could easily buy your own. Running to town often would be more convenient."

Lin Xiang smiled, "The money and tickets have other purposes; no plans to buy big items for now."

She wasn’t short of money or tickets, but her family had just built a house, and buying a bicycle now would draw too much attention, which wasn’t good.

Secretary Wang wasn’t much of a gossip, so he left it at that.

"Nothing else, I’ll head home first then."

On the way back from the town government to Li Hua Team, she was bound to pass by the cotton spinning factory.

When Lin Xiang was about a hundred meters away from the cotton spinning factory, she saw Niu Tiantian arm in arm, chatting and laughing with several female colleagues.

Niu Tiantian also saw Lin Xiang, waved enthusiastically, and abandoned her companions to run towards Lin Xiang.

"Why haven’t you come to town recently? I haven’t seen you in ages, and my uncle says you haven’t been to the state-run restaurant in a while either."

Niu Tiantian grabbed Lin Xiang’s right hand familiarly and shook it gently, testingly asked, "Are you still mad at me?"

"When have I ever been so petty?" Lin Xiang explained, "It was just an unintentional remark overheard and used by someone with ulterior motives. Besides being straightforward, you did nothing wrong. Why would I be mad at you?"

"I haven’t been to town lately because I’ve been busy selling spicy noodles at the market, busy and tired. Every day when I get home, I just want to wash up and rest, no energy left to come to town."

Niu Tiantian sighed in relief and couldn’t help but swallow when Lin Xiang mentioned the spicy noodles. "I won’t deny it, your spicy noodles are really tasty. My uncle tried making them for us later, but my dad and I felt something was missing. Oh, by the way, you probably don’t know, but someone from the state-run restaurant’s staff family is also selling spicy noodles."

"They just started setting up a stall these past few days, wonder if you’ve bumped into them."

Lin Xiang realized then that the new stall at the market selling spicy noodles was run by the family of someone from the restaurant.

Maybe last time when she made spicy noodles for foreign guests, the aroma spread to the restaurant’s customers, prompting them to inquire, showing her a business opportunity.

"Ran into them, and they’ve taken quite a bit of my business."

"Oh? Has your business been affected much?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"A bit, but still within my acceptable range. That’s business for you, no one’s ever heard of anyone monopolizing the market. Customers choose where to spend based on talent."

She couldn’t possibly expect others not to set up stalls to sell spicy noodles.

And she wasn’t interested in a price war, so she’d just have to focus more on the taste.

With the same price and portion, most consumers would surely prefer the tastier option.

Niu Tiantian couldn’t help but give Lin Xiang a thumbs up, "With your mindset, there’s no worry about not achieving great things!"

Lin Xiang helplessly smiled.

Niu Tiantian leaned closer again, the scent of soap constantly filling Lin Xiang’s nostrils, "Lin Xiang, I heard something today, someone from your Li Hua Team was killed? They say a kind person saw her on the roadside on their way to town and took her to the hospital, but she didn’t make it, is that true?"

Lin "Kind Person" Lin Xiang: "Your friend seems to be calling you, aren’t you guys about to start work?"

"Oh right, I’ve already been late once this month, can’t afford to be late again today, so I’ll head to work, let’s chat next time when we meet."

Niu Tiantian had already run a distance away but suddenly turned back to shout at Lin Xiang, "Next time there’s a market closer to town, I’ll go to your place for spicy noodles!"

"Sure, I’ll cook you a big bowl then."

After saying goodbye to Niu Tiantian, Lin Xiang continued walking towards home.

As Lin Xiang entered the village and walked a few steps, she met an auntie holding her grandson, who couldn’t help but urge her seeing her slow pace, "Girl, your house has collapsed, shouldn’t you hurry to see if there’s any way to salvage it?"

"What a pity, a house built with new green bricks, the main structure was up, and then it collapses just like that, how much money does that waste."

Lin Xiang stopped in her tracks, "My house collapsed?"

"Yes, everyone’s trying to help out at your place now, you should go take a look too."

Lin Xiang sprinted off, and as she got closer, she indeed saw the house’s main structure that was up, with several walls collapsed.

Mrs. Lin sat crying bitterly on the ground, not caring about the mud, "My house, the house I’ve waited for years to build, not even finished, and now it’s gone..."

"Mom." Lin Xiang hurried over, trying to pull Mrs. Lin up, but before she could touch her arm, a gust of wind brushed her ear, with an unease in her heart, and before she could react, Mrs. Lin pulled her tightly into her arms.

"Mm—"

Lin Xiang only heard a muffled sound from Mrs. Lin, immediately followed by a loud scolding voice from Fifth Uncle.

"You’ve already destroyed the girl’s house, and now you want to hurt people?"

"It’s all her fault!" Aunt Lin roared with a trembling voice: "If she hadn’t complained, my Yu Yuan wouldn’t have been arrested by the police! Lin Xiang, it’s all your fault!"