Chapter 517: A Dog Can

Lu Lu Jingyao smashed the cup, and everyone fell silent.

Both the Lu and Gao families feared saying another word and making her smash another cup.

Now, Lu Lu Jingyao was the pillar of the Lu family; the craft weaving factory settling in Liuqiao Town could bring real benefits to relatives and friends. If they angered her, the investment would fall through—where would they go to seek justice?

Moreover, Lu Lu Jingyao had helped Gao Gao Xiaoyan secure her overseas visa; the Gao family was deeply grateful to her. While everyone else had been spitting at Li Ye, Gao Gao Xiaoyan and her parents had said nothing—and now they dared not speak at all.

Sun Zhuolin remained silent because he had just obtained what he wanted and didn't want to lose it all at the last moment.

Amid the shock of everyone, Lu Lu Jingyao bent down and picked up the shards one by one.

When she finished picking them up, her face had already returned to calm.

She said nothing, offered no explanation—as if she had merely accidentally knocked the cup to the floor.

"Liu Liu, what nonsense are you spouting? Looking for a foreign partner?"

Lu Lu Ruichang glared at his sixth brother, wishing he could slap him twice—had three cups of cheap liquor gone to his head and turned him into an elder again?

There are always some elders who love to bring up the most awkward topics: when family juniors struggle to marry, they latch onto it and chatter endlessly, growing happier the more others suffer.

Lu Tao's drunkenness had mostly worn off, but he could only stammer, unable to speak.

Just as the awkwardness deepened, a burst of enthusiastic applause erupted outside the private room.

"What's going on outside? Go see."

Lu Lu Jingyao's father seized the chance and hurriedly ordered Lu Zixue to divert everyone's attention.

Lu Zixue went out, returned, and muttered: "A crowd outside is praising Li Xia Yue, congratulating her on becoming some manager, saying she's no less than a man."

"Oh, Li Xia Yue? I know her," Sun Zhuolin smiled. "Back then, Li Xia Yue got her office job at the Grain Bureau through her grandfather's connections."

"Later, she quit and followed Jin Peng to sell clothes—polite people call it diving into business; blunt ones call her just a big-time individual vendor."

"Anyone who's studied history knows we've always ranked 'scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants'—merchants at the bottom, scholars at the top. That 'scholar' means people like Lu Jingyao and Zixue."

In the early 1980s, Li Xia Yue's high school diploma was more than enough to land an office job—but Sun Zhuolin subtly looked down on her.

Yet Lu Zixue nodded vigorously: "That's right, that Jin Peng used to be a thug, now he thinks he's something great. Li Xia Yue's just a high school grad, calling herself a manager. Why are there so many managers now?"

Sun Zhuolin and Lu Zixue chatted enthusiastically, but Lu Lu Jingyao merely watched silently, saying nothing.

Sun Zhuolin despised merchants—this was clear from his own investment dealings.

Lu Zixue also looked down on uneducated salespeople—or rather, since he'd passed the college entrance exam, he looked down on anyone who wasn't a college student.

But Lu Lu Jingyao, who had witnessed the power of capital overseas, held a completely different view of these "uneducated" salespeople.

There were so many salespeople here; just by their accents, you could tell they came from all corners of the country. Each salesperson represented a vast, non-overlapping market.

In a nation still suffering from material shortages, what did these hundreds of markets mean?

They meant enormous profits and immense potential, like countless streams converging into a river.

Moreover, Lu Lu Jingyao had seen Fenghua-brand clothing in British malls—it wasn't cheap; only these past two years had she been able to afford it.

With a brand, a market, and banks willing to lend—how could the future not be bright?

I need to work harder.

Gao Gao Xiaoyan watched Lu Zixue's beaming face and couldn't help tugging his sleeve.

Your own sister's face is dark—why are you still talking?

Besides, Li Ye had pulled her up during her darkest hour. So whenever Lu Zixue belittled the Li family, Gao Gao Xiaoyan truly couldn't bear to listen.

But Lu Zixue suddenly turned and shot Gao Gao Xiaoyan a sharp glare.

Gao Gao Xiaoyan lowered her head, silent, retreating behind Lu Lu Jingyao. She now saw clearly: in the entire Lu family, only Lu Lu Jingyao treated her like a human being.

Lu Lu Ruichang treated her politely, but mostly because Gao Gao Xiaoyan had given the Lu family a grandson, and also to avoid trouble and protect Lu Zixue's reputation.

Yet Lu Zixue and Gao Gao Xiaoyan's actions made the tension in the room palpable.

With Lu Lu Jingyao silent, no one left in the room could converse with Sun Zhuolin.

Sun Zhuolin stood up.

"Alright, I've had enough to drink today. I'll handle the craft factory matter for you as soon as possible."

"Also, don't blame my niece for being angry—it's just that Li Ye has been too abusive. When I meet Li Li Zhongfa, I'll have a few words with him. People shouldn't be so arrogant; when you can show mercy, show mercy."

"Hey hey, Lu Jingyao, come with me to see your Uncle Sun off."

Lu Lu Jingyao's father quickly signaled to her, urging her to accompany him in seeing Sun Zhuolin out.

Lu Lu Jingyao didn't refuse; she followed behind to see the guest off.

But as she watched, she noticed Sun Zhuolin bump into several people right at the entrance of Qingshui Hotel.

What a coincidence.

The man leading them was Li Li Zhongfa.

Lu Lu Jingyao saw her father's suddenly stiff back and felt his tension—if Sun Zhuolin really spoke to Li Li Zhongfa about Li Ye's arrogance, things would get truly messy.

But Sun Zhuolin, as if drunk and forgetful, merely nodded slightly to Li Li Zhongfa, then walked past him.

You were just telling him to be less arrogant—why didn't you say it?

Lu Lu Jingyao couldn't help smiling.

Acting like you don't care about Li Li Zhongfa—you think that makes you his equal?

Are you drunk? You don't seem drunk.

Are you not drunk? You seem drunk enough.

After passing Sun Zhuolin, Li Li Zhongfa glanced at Lu Lu Jingyao.

Then he stepped into the hotel.

A sixty-year-old man still had a touch of arrogance—utterly dismissive, not even acknowledging Lu Lu Ruichang or Lu Lu Jingyao.

But among those following Li Li Zhongfa was Pei Pei Wencong—he had met Lu Lu Jingyao before.

"Miss Lu, what are you doing here?"

Lu Lu Jingyao had been focused only on Li Li Zhongfa and hadn't noticed Pei Pei Wencong.

First, Pei Pei Wencong had gained weight over the past two years; second, Lu Lu Jingyao assumed someone of his rank as a foreign guest would be accompanied by city or county officials.

Yet now, not only were there no county officials with him, but Pei Pei Wencong was even walking behind Li Li Zhongfa.

What kind of etiquette was this? Li Li Zhongfa had been a bureau chief for so many years—how could he not know proper protocol?

"Mr. Pei, hello. I'm truly sorry—I didn't recognize you just now."

"Hahaha, no problem, no problem. It's been three years. Are you here for Jin Peng's wedding too?"

Lu Lu Jingyao forced a smile: "No, my brother's child is having a full-moon celebration today."

"Oh oh oh, congratulations, congratulations! A small gift, nothing much—congratulations!"

Pei Pei Wencong hurriedly pulled out a red envelope and offered it to Lu Lu Jingyao with both hands.

Lu Lu Jingyao wouldn't accept Pei Pei Wencong's red envelope—even if she were isolated from information, she knew his connection to Li Ye was special.

At that moment, Li Xia Yue and Li Ye walked over from the banquet inside.

Li Xia Yue asked in surprise: "Mr. Pei, how do you know Lu Lu Jingyao?"

Pei Pei Wencong chuckled: "Of course because of Li Ye! Three years ago, our publishing house was looking for secondary translators for authors. Miss Lu was the translator for Ms. Jonina Wals. We met once in Hong Kong."

"Later, my assistant mentioned Miss Lu—I learned she's now Jonina Wals's housekeeper."

Li Xia Yue exclaimed: "Secondary translator?"

Teacher Ke had already told Peng Shu about Li Ye investing his royalty income in the mainland. Sometimes, Wen Wen Leyu mentioned "A Song of Ice and Fire" to her sister Li Xia Yue—though she didn't mention the exact amount, it was clearly Li Ye's original work, then secondarily translated.

So Li Xia Yue looked at Li Ye, then at Lu Lu Jingyao, and suddenly grabbed Li Ye's ear, furious.

"Are you a dog that can't stop eating shit? What are you up to?"

(End of Chapter)

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