[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-in-a-small-county-and-you-say-i-m-a-big-shot":3,"chapter-i-m-in-a-small-county-and-you-say-i-m-a-big-shot-i-m-in-a-small-county-and-you-say-i-m-a-big-shot-chapter-14":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I'm in a Small County, and You Say I'm a Big Shot?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2297425,4494,"Chapter 14: 013 Jiang Chen","i-m-in-a-small-county-and-you-say-i-m-a-big-shot-chapter-14",14,"\u003Cp>The next morning, Fang Qingye got up, washed up, put on a jacket, jeans, and sneakers; his parents were already gone, no one knew where, so he left a note on the living room table, went downstairs, left the residential compound, and ate a bowl of fish soup noodles with a poached egg at a snack shop across the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, a white BMW pulled up to the entrance of the residential compound—it was Song Dahai’s car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Qingye got into the front passenger seat and said to him: “Let’s go pick up Chen Meimei at the Waterworks Residential Compound.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dahai turned the car onto Youyi Road and drove northeast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Meimei’s parents were ordinary employees at the county waterworks, now renamed Nanxin Water Group Co., Ltd., and they lived in the Beicheng Waterworks Residential Compound. Fang Qingye called her, and by the time the car arrived at the compound entrance, Chen Meimei was already waiting outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today she wore a light pink tracksuit, white athletic shoes, and a small black shoulder bag; with her petite frame, she looked adorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the car stopped, Song Dahai leaned out the window and grinned: “Chen Meimei, get in!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl spotted Fang Qingye in the front seat, replied, then sat in the backseat; the BMW immediately turned around and headed toward Century Square, where they had agreed to meet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the car entered Youyi Road, Fang Qingye saw a white Volkswagen Polo ahead; after the traffic light turned green, the Polo turned left onto Chaoyang Road, and Song Dahai’s car followed behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way? She’s going too?” Song Dahai muttered under his breath, eyeing the Polo ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Qingye asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s Qian Xiaoli’s car. She’s not supposed to be going to Langshan, right? We didn’t invite her—probably just heading the same way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dahai added, trying to reassure himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fate had other plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Polo pulled over at the northwest corner of New Century Square, stopping beside a silver-gray Honda Accord, where a young man in casual suit stood—Jiang Chen, the organizer of this outing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three girls got out of the Polo—Qian Xiaoli, Shao Jing, and Wang Simin—and began talking with Jiang Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they were all going to Langshan together!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Song Dahai blurted: “Damn it! What’s Jiang Chen playing at? I thought Qian Xiaoli wasn’t coming?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since we’re here, let’s just go with it. Park the car,” Fang Qingye replied, smirking inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What bad luck—this was going to be lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The BMW pulled over behind the Volkswagen Polo; all three got out and gathered together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qian Xiaoli heard from Shao Jing there was an outing today, so she wanted to join,” Jiang Chen volunteered to explain to Song Dahai, who shot him a glare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Xiaoli was tall, and her gray tracksuit accentuated her slender figure; she stood behind everyone with hands in her pockets, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Qingye introduced Chen Meimei to the group; since they were all around the same age, no one said much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Jiang Chen announced: “Everyone! I’m covering all expenses for today’s outing. Dahai, don’t try to compete with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dahai shrugged, as if to say, “Do as you please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright then, ladies—let’s head to the supermarket first to buy ingredients for the barbecue. Pick whatever you like, don’t hold back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Jiang Chen led the girls into a nearby large supermarket; Chen Meimei hesitated briefly, then followed inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now only Fang Qingye and Song Dahai remained outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Jiang Chen’s really putting on airs now,” Song Dahai said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one, smoking steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chen’s father was a section chief at the Chengjian Bureau, his mother worked at a county factory, their household was modest, and with his salary from the Tongji Bureau, he could never afford a 200,000-yuan Honda Accord—but two years ago he made a fortune from stock trading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chen’s father was a section chief at the Chengjian Bureau; his mother worked at a county factory—their family was average, and with his salary at the Tongji Bureau, he could never afford a 200,000-yuan Honda Accord. But two years ago, he made a fortune from stock trading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From 2005 to 2007, China’s A-share market experienced a super bull run, surging from 998 points all the way to 6,124 points; stocks and mutual funds were selling like crazy, and even elderly people who didn’t know what a mutual fund was rushed into banks, buying whatever they saw like shopping at a farmers’ market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some people became rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time he was still in university, he persuaded his parents to buy stocks and mutual funds, investing not just their savings but also securing loans from the credit union to pour into the stock market!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, still in college, he convinced his parents to buy stocks and funds—not just using their savings, but also securing loans from the credit union to invest in the market!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more impressive, when the A-share market peaked in October 2007 and began its steep decline, he successfully exited at the top!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sold all his stocks and mutual funds; later, Jiang Chen privately admitted he’d made nearly two million yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bought a car and a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment in Jinghai; his tone with classmates grew much more confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said Jiang Chen orchestrated all of this himself—clearly, he had both guts and vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, Jiang Chen emerged from the supermarket with four girls, each carrying large and small bags, loading everything into the trunks of the three cars, ready to depart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wang Simin, Qian Xiaoli’s car is cramped—why don’t you ride with me?” Jiang Chen suddenly invited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Simin had an oval face; after graduation, she passed the civil service exam and now worked as a teacher at Xingguang Primary School in the county; her father was a township secretary. After hesitating, she nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three cars slowly started, one after another, heading out of the county.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Chen’s chasing Wang Simin,” Song Dahai told Fang Qingye in the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Obviously. Anyone can see that,” Fang Qingye replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, Fang Qingye remembered the two had married; they’d even called him to invite him to the wedding, but by then he’d already moved to Shanghai and couldn’t return—though he still sent a gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cars left the county and entered the provincial highway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On both sides, rows of metasequoia trees stretched green; not far off lay wheat and rapeseed fields, the rapeseed in full bloom, golden and beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Qingye’s mood was pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This spring scenery was truly beautiful—nothing like Shanghai’s concrete jungle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Song Dahai pulled out a CD and inserted it into the player; Phoenix Legend’s song began playing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gaze up at the moon above\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many dreams fly freely\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday’s sorrows have dried in the wind\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll reunite with you on this vast road\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The melody was soothing, reminding Fang Qingye of the music video—two people driving a convertible, Zeng Yi with his shaved head and sunglasses, cool and carefree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Qingye softly hummed along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But halfway through, Song Dahai suddenly remembered something and turned off the player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?” Fang Qingye asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This song’s too rustic. Switch to another.” He pulled out another CD and inserted it; soon, a distinctive male voice began singing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The porcelain blank outlines blue-and-white brushstrokes, thick then fading\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peony painted on the vase resembles your first makeup\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rising sandalwood scent through the window reveals my thoughts\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brush pauses halfway across the paper\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jielun’s “Blue and White Porcelain”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen Meimei, what do you think of this song? ‘Blue and White Porcelain’ from Jay Chou’s latest album,” Song Dahai said through the rearview mirror to Chen Meimei, who sat quietly in the back seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen Meimei, what do you think of this song? It’s from Zhou Jielun’s latest album—‘Blue and White Porcelain,’” Song Dahai asked through the rearview mirror, addressing the quiet girl in the backseat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Meimei replied after a pause: “Actually, I think the Phoenix Legend song is prettier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha ha…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Qingye laughed silently inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[74] This guy—tried too hard, and missed the mark completely.\u003C\u002Fp>",1375,"2026-06-20T05:58:40.725Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0e0e1a3af0ee0146d14ab352ac3235da74888e763fac1c0b7b743c95288ee0fa","i-m-in-a-small-county-and-you-say-i-m-a-big-shot-chapter-15","i-m-in-a-small-county-and-you-say-i-m-a-big-shot-chapter-13",215,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-in-a-small-county-and-you-say-i-m-a-big-shot-cover.jpg"]