Chapter 188
The day Song Nianchu developed her new product, she couldn't wait to take it to the city for Sun Wenshi to taste.
But no sooner had she left than an unexpected visitor arrived at Qinghe Fishing Village.
Zheng Lanhui wore a polka-dot dress, her soft long hair tied in front of her chest with a matching hairband, and high heels on her feet. Her whole appearance was fair and radiant.
Standing at the entrance of the village, she looked out of place among the villagers.
"Who are you looking for?" Someone noticed her lingering at the village entrance and approached to ask.
"Hello, is Mu Shi'an here?" Zheng Lanhui saw someone speaking to her and quickly took the chance to inquire.
"Mu Shi'an? Why are you looking for Comrade Mu?" The person became a little wary as they sized up Zheng Lanhui.
This young woman was clearly not from the countryside—fair-skinned and asking specifically for Mu Shi'an. Could she be his lover from the city?
At that thought, the friendliness on his face faded.
"I'm his friend. I need to see him about something," Zheng Lanhui said, forcing what she thought was a kind smile.
"Sorry, there's no one by that name here. Try somewhere else." The man waved impatiently.
As far as he was concerned, Mu Shi'an was already Ah Chu's man now. There was no way he'd lead another woman to him.
"Not here? Isn't this Qinghe Fishing Village?" Zheng Lanhui was taken aback.
"I said no, so there's no. You'd better leave now."
Zheng Lanhui stared at the man in surprise. He had been friendly when he first approached her, but now his attitude had turned so harsh.
"Comrade, I have something very important to discuss with Mu Shi'an. If you won't guide me, I'll just ask someone else." She made a move to enter the village.
"Hey, miss, what do you think you're doing? You can't just barge into someone else's village. I told you, he's not here. Get out!" The man started shooing her away.
"I've asked all the way here, and this is definitely Qinghe Fishing Village. The person I'm looking for is here." Zheng Lanhui refused to leave.
A quarrel broke out between them.
Just then, Mu's mother happened to be carrying a wooden basin to the nearby stream to wash clothes. Zheng Lanhui recognized her from a distance and shouted,
"Auntie!"
"Auntie!"
"...
Mu's mother vaguely heard a familiar voice and instinctively turned around, meeting Zheng Lanhui's gaze.
"Auntie!" Seeing that Mu's mother had noticed her, Zheng Lanhui waved even more enthusiastically.
It was a little far, so Mu's mother didn't recognize her at first, only doing so when she got closer.
"Auntie, I knew I hadn't come to the wrong place." Zheng Lanhui's face lit up with a smile when she saw her.
"Lanhui? What are you doing here?" Mu's mother stared at her in surprise.
"Auntie, I came to visit you. But this man here kept insisting you weren't in the village for no reason." Having found Mu's mother, Zheng Lanhui was even more certain she was in the right place.
Mu's mother glanced at the villager in confusion.
Even though his lie had been exposed, the man didn't look ashamed. Instead, he stared at Zheng Lanhui with even more suspicion.
"She was hanging around our village entrance all sneaky-like just now. I was worried she might cause trouble, so I didn't let her in," he explained.
"It's all right, I know her. She's here to see me." Mu's mother thanked the villager.
The man's eyes darted between Zheng Lanhui and Mu's mother, but in the end, he couldn't find another excuse to send her away.
"Since you know her, fine. But you understand our village's situation is special right now. Better not bring outsiders in."
"I know." Mu's mother nodded.
Reluctantly, the man left.
Once he was gone, only Zheng Lanhui and Mu's mother remained.
Zheng Lanhui enthusiastically hooked her arm through Mu's mother's.
"Auntie, have you been well these days? You have no idea how much I've missed you."
Back in Jing City, Zheng Lanhui had always found excuses to invite Mu's mother out shopping.
She believed that if she won over Mu's father and mother, Mu Shi'an would surely be with her.
And Mu's mother had indeed been impressed with her before, praising her in front of Mu Shi'an more than once. But Mu Shi'an had always seemed uninterested, claiming he had no time for relationships.
"I'm fine here. But you—shouldn't you be in Jing City? How did you end up here?" Mu's mother's tone was gentle.
After their family's fall from grace, friends and relatives had rushed to distance themselves.
To have someone still willing to travel so far to visit her moved her deeply.
"I'm working at the hospital in Qinghe County now," Zheng Lanhui said.
"You're working at Qinghe County Hospital? How did you end up there?" Mu's mother was puzzled.
She knew Zheng Lanhui's family background well. They were a true scholarly family, and as their only daughter, there was no reason for her to come to a place like this.
"Isn't it because you're here?" Zheng Lanhui didn't say it outright, but a hint of shyness appeared on her face.
Mu's mother understood immediately: she had followed Mu Shi'an here.
Her feelings ran deep.
But thinking that Mu Shi'an was already married, a complicated expression crossed Mu's mother's face.
"Lanhui, life here is too hard. You should go back to Jing City." Mu's mother couldn't bear to see Zheng Lanhui go through so much trouble only to end up heartbroken.
"If you can stay here, so can I. Besides, I still need to talk to Shi'an about something important. Is he in the village right now? Can you take me to him?" Zheng Lanhui looked at Mu's mother with pleading eyes.
Mu's mother tightened her grip on the wooden basin.
"Well... What do you need to see Shi'an about?"
"Auntie, it's a bit confidential. I can only tell Shi'an himself." Zheng Lanhui looked apologetic.
"Confidential?" Mu's mother was curious.
"Yes, but it's definitely good news. Trust me, I would never do anything to hurt Shi'an." Zheng Lanhui's gaze was earnest as she looked at Mu's mother.
Mu's mother's expression shifted. If Zheng Lanhui said it was confidential, could it be that she had a way to get Mu Shi'an back to the city?
If so, that would be wonderful!
"Lanhui, wait here. I'll go and call Shi'an out." Mu's mother's voice carried a trace of excitement.
"I can't go in with you?" Zheng Lanhui hadn't expected this response.
"You heard what that villager said. The village's situation is a bit unusual right now. Outsiders aren't really welcome. It'll be just the same if you wait here for Shi'an." Mu's mother sounded apologetic.