Chapter 396: Meeting Lin Qianqian in Yun Cheng

Hahaha, a goddess? I'm dying of laughter.

A goddess who can turn into milk? Uncle, I'd also love to see that—take me with you!

Hahaha, this wastelander sure knows how to pacify kids—claiming to be a goddess and milk.

Ye Heng's exchange with the two kids drew loud laughter from the crowd; the upper citizens mocked him, and naturally no one believed him.

Still talking about milk—does he even know what milk looks like? Boasting to kids without fear of biting his tongue.

Milk is a luxury in any special zone; I was born unlucky after the apocalypse and have never tasted milk—how dare a wastelander like him mention those two words?

Never mind him; pacifying kids naturally means saying whatever you want.

The surrounding noise came from those who loved a spectacle, jeering to the fullest, completely treating Ye Heng as a clown.

In their view, milk is counted among the wasteland's major luxuries, high in nutritional value, almost on par with hard currency.

A wastelander who constantly talks about milk naturally seems to be boasting.

But Luo Song's two children have really drunk milk; their father says Uncle Ye is a good person, a great person who will take them to a better life.

Uncle Ye was mocked by these people, and they were the first to object.

Luo Song's son immediately shouted.

Don't you dare mock Uncle Ye—we believe in Uncle Ye!

Luo Song's little daughter, eyes red, grabbed Ye Heng's pant leg and said through tears:

Uncle Ye didn't lie—we've drunk milk, it's especially delicious; you can't say that about Uncle Ye!

Everyone just took it as childish babble, no one really took their words to heart.

Ye Heng, however, didn't care what others thought of him; a few words from bystanders couldn't affect him, nor would they cost him a piece of flesh—it was painless and itchless.

The less they believed him, the happier he felt.

Good things are best kept hidden; the fewer who know, the better.

So, regarding protecting the children, Ye Heng only listened to two sentences, then quickly squatted down again and instructed the two kids:

Don't worry about what they say; you're both good kids.

Luo Song and Xu Ya also hurriedly brought the two children to their sides, quietly educating them.

Children sometimes spout nonsense, or exaggerate based on reality; if a perceptive person picks up on it, it could instead bring trouble to Ye Heng.

Since choosing to follow Ye Heng to live in the refuge, they are naturally members of the refuge and should prioritize its interests.

The little incident didn't affect Ye Heng's mood.

Yang Zheng soon returned, announcing that the procedures were completed.

Becoming an upper citizen involves countless obstacles and procedures, layer upon layer of scrutiny, while leaving the upper citizen status takes only a few minutes.

Upper citizens who had once benefited from Luo Song's kindness, upon hearing he was leaving, spontaneously came to see him off.

Setting off, Luo Song felt a bit reluctant, while Xu Ya was deeply reluctant; the road ahead was uncertain, and everyone would be afraid.

Ye Heng saw this, but didn't over-explain.

Once we reach the refuge, the answer will become clear.

Lin Meng was already on her way to buy seeds.

Having promised Ye Heng, she naturally wouldn't delay; she immediately set off for Yun Cheng.

She remembered that Yun Cheng had a large market selling various seeds and plants—edible, ornamental, cold-resistant, drought-resistant—you name it, they have it, plus many foreign varieties, quality fertilizer and nutrient soil.

For Lin Meng, what she lacks least now is time and money.

It had also been a long time since she last visited Yun Cheng; this time she'd treat it as an outing to clear her mind.

The next day, Lin Meng appeared at the Yun Cheng market in casual attire.

The huge market had plenty of foot traffic, the most popular spots being those selling precious flower seedlings.

At a glance, the place brimmed with vitality, especially the finished plants displayed outside each stall—a riot of colors that pleased the eye.

Lin Meng only intended to come buy seeds today, so she didn't linger at the flower-seedling stalls.

After she finished buying various seeds and came out, seeing it was still early, she planned to stroll around the ornamental potted-plant area to see if she could pick a few to bring home as villa décor.

Who would have thought that as soon as Lin Meng stepped into a large, upscale potted-plant shop, she saw a familiar figure.

That silhouette was unmistakable—it was Lin Qianqian.

Lin Meng never expected to see Lin Qianqian in Yun Cheng; the last time she heard news of her was from the old village head.

After Lin Jia Cun was demolished, Lin Qianqian took the demolition compensation and fled, also sweeping away the remaining money from her uncle's family, leaving behind only things she couldn't carry.

It's said that her uncle and Lin Hao Xuan now live miserably, relying only on minimum living subsidies.

Although most villagers in Lin Jia Cun are of average character, whenever Lin Qianqian is mentioned, no one has a good word for her; they think her behavior is downright disgraceful.

She was selfish to the extreme; her parents raised her without ever mistreating her, yet when family misfortune struck, she was the most ruthless and heartless.

Wang Fang was similarly selfish, but at least she didn't abscond with much money; Lin Qianqian, however, took even her paralyzed father's medical fees and her younger brother's school and living expenses, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Now seeing Lin Qianqian again, look at her wearing a bodycon skirt that barely covers her buttocks; though Lin Meng didn't see her face, she already felt a sigh, a sense of 'things remain, people have changed'.

Lin Meng didn't go over to confirm; she glanced and then turned to another shop.

She and Lin Qianqian had long been strangers; there was no point in crossing paths and wasting her time.

Just as she turned to leave, Lin Qianqian seemed to sense something and couldn't help but turn her head to glance in the direction Lin Meng was going.

Just one glance, and Lin Qianqian spotted Lin Meng.

At that moment, her heavily made-up face showed a hint of hatred; her features gradually twisted, and her long nails, from clenching her fists, nearly deformed.

The man whose arm she was hooked noticed Lin Qianqian's emotional shift, couldn't help but lean in, and spoke in an oily tone.

What's wrong, baby? Did you see an acquaintance?

The men around her were nearly fifty, with big bellies, mouths full of yellow teeth, sparse hair that couldn't hide their oily scalps—just looking at them made one feel queasy.

But Lin Qianqian hurriedly hooked her arm around his, eyes glazed with infatuation, and said:

Brother Li, I think I saw my cousin; will you come with me to say hello?

Lin Qianqian's competitive mindset kicked in; just now she saw Lin Meng dressed plainly and alone, and saw that she wasn't doing as well as her.

Everyone says she's made it in Jing Shi, become rich, but Lin Qianqian always thought it impossible.

She's been in Jing Shi for so long; there are plenty of girls in the Socialite Class who are better than Lin Meng, yet none achieved financial freedom—how could Lin Meng manage it?

She must be lying.

Otherwise, why would she have taken the village's demolition compensation house?

If she really had a villa in Jing Shi and was doing well, who would still care about this small county's affordable housing?

So Lin Qianqian thinks Lin Meng isn't actually doing well—maybe she bought the car on loan, or is lying; buying a house in Jing Shi would be even more impossible.

But she's different now; although Brother Li is older, his family is wealthy, with assets over a hundred million, he holds her in his palm and buys her many brand-name items.

Now she wears gold and silver, lives in luxury, and has achieved financial freedom.

No matter what, she has to go in front of Lin Meng and let her see—among the Lin family's girls, she is the one doing the best.