20 years of restarting life

Chapter 3481 People’s hearts are unpredictable
“People’s hearts are unpredictable!”

Zhao Chang'an muttered to himself. In his previous life, many people, including himself, thought that Hu Qian was shameless and had an affair, which led to her divorce from Xiao Zhou.

When they divorced, Hu Qian received a share of the Zhengzhou Zhouji Lamb Soup Shop. Of course, she also had to bear the hundreds of thousands of yuan in loans and borrowings for the newly opened shop.

Xiao Zhou married a woman a few days after his divorce, and they later had a big, healthy son.

After Mr. and Mrs. Zhou passed away, they inherited two storefronts in the farmers' market and continued to run Zhou's Lamb Soup Shop.

Xiao Zhou also became more cheerful, because no one was watching his woman all day anymore, wanting to sleep with her. And the woman was also down-to-earth and capable. Although the business was not as prosperous as it was in his parents' time, it was still able to make ends meet.

In addition, with the property left behind by Mr. and Mrs. Zhou after their passing, they continued to live a comfortable life.

It now appears that things are perhaps much more complicated than outsiders perceive.

Xiao Zhou usually doesn't talk much, is rather quiet and reserved, and not good at speaking. Mr. and Mrs. Zhou are always smiling and always greet people with humility. Even though they are rich, they still speak kindly and give people a kind and honest impression.

Hu Qian is beautiful and fashionable. Because so many shameless men want to seduce her, some even pretend to be drunk and try to take advantage of her, she has developed a sharp tongue, speaks harshly, and is easily angered and unapproachable.

Human nature is prone to evil. While the men were fantasizing about and slandering Hu Qian behind her back, they would also lick her boots whenever they had the chance.

The women despised Hu Qian's beauty, which made her men lose their souls and treat her coldly. Yet, they shamelessly flocked to her again and again, licking her lips. They all cursed her as a shameless vixen, a slut, who seduced men everywhere.

Public opinion can be devastating, and slander can destroy even the strongest bones. As a wife, Hu Qian had to uphold her professional ethics by being a good wife and mother and not getting involved with other men.

But what if Xiao Zhou's family has other ideas? For example, Xiao Zhou might prefer a woman who is strong and capable, able to share the heavy workload of the business, and proactively do housework.

Just like a shepherd boy, he prefers a big, fat sheep that is strong and gentle, rather than a skinny sheep with a bad temper and horns.

For example, his parents were certainly aware of their son's mentality, so they specifically hired two young, big-butt female waitresses who looked like that and were capable of bearing sons, hoping to carry on the family line.

In the simple mindset of this elderly couple, no matter how beautiful a woman is, if she cannot give birth to a son for the Zhou family to inherit their large mutton soup business, she is just a rooster that cannot lay eggs.

So it's understandable that a woman like Hu Qian, who came from a humble background but was proud, would leave the Zhou family to make room for Xiao Zhou.

Zhao Chang'an remembered someone saying that the world is actually just a big makeshift stage performing a play, and now it seems that's true.

The Zhou couple weren't really bad people. Xiao Zhou was just a stubborn, inflexible, and clueless kid. But you can't feel the suffocation inside unless you're in the thick of it.

Compared to the feeling of suffocation that Hu Qian has experienced since Zhou Zhou's birth, it has become increasingly clear and oppressive.

Zhao Chang'an was filled with emotion as he drove forward, only to find that all the breakfast shops selling hot dry noodles were closed, with notices posted on them stating that the earliest one would reopen the next day.

In fact, the hot dry noodles tomorrow will not taste good at all, because the noodle shops will not be open for the next few days. The hot dry noodles used by these breakfast shops are old noodles that were specially kept in the freezer before the Chinese New Year.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Chang'an pulled the car over to the side of the road and dialed Hu Qian's number.

In the summer, he, Tang Shuang, Liu Chengzhen, and Tang Li were drinking mutton soup at Zhou's mutton soup shop. At that time, Hu Qian was feeding Zhou Zhou while she was turned to the side, and her entire side was exposed to Zhao Chang'an's eyes.

Given Hu Qian's cautious nature, Zhao Chang'an estimated that, apart from Xiao Zhou, he was the second man to appreciate that kind of charm and beauty so completely.

Even now, my mind is still filled with those lively, jumping thoughts. I'm also thinking about the milk-flavored steamed buns that Xue Yunzhu used to make, and I can't help but want to make a phone call to Hu Qian.

After all, as Zhou Zhou's godfather, it was indeed inappropriate for him not to see her during the Spring Festival, let alone make a phone call. Moreover, that night when Zhao Chang'an went to Xiao Zhou's house, Hu Qian was home alone. She even casually lifted her pajamas and let Zhao Chang'an press his ear against her stomach to listen to her heartbeats.

This trust and pure heart deeply moved Zhao Chang'an.

The phone rang for a while, then was answered, and Hu Qian's delighted voice came through: "Chang'an!"

"Call me godfather."

Zhao Chang'an chuckled and teased Hu Qian.

"Godfather~, hehe~"

Hu Qian's affected, coquettish voice made Zhao Chang'an feel a surge of anger rising within him.

"Whether you're at home or at the shop, I brought a small gift for our daughter when I came back for the New Year. I'll take it to you. If you're at the shop, I haven't had breakfast yet, so I can just mooch a meal from you."

Zhao Chang'an asked a question he already knew the answer to, but was confused.

"No, Zhou Zhou and I are at my parents' home in the mountains. Zhou Zhou, call me Dad."

Hu Qian was playing with her daughter on the other end of the phone when she heard a baby babbling, which sounded a bit like calling "Papa".

"That's a pity, I was hoping to hug my daughter. You two have fun over there, I'll see you again next time I come back."

Zhao Chang'an wasn't entirely in a position to do this. After chatting with Hu Qian for a few minutes, he felt much calmer and prepared to hang up the phone and go back to the hotel to while away the day.

"Don't hang up."

Hu Qian hurriedly called out on the other end of the phone, saying, "Actually, my parents' home isn't far from the city, and the road is easy to travel; it's just behind Jiti Mountain. Yesterday afternoon, I had a big fight with Xiao Zhou, and when I came back in a huff, my parents, brother, and sister-in-law all scolded and blamed me. I was so angry that I didn't eat dinner last night. This morning, they all went to visit relatives, leaving Zhou Zhou and me at home. I'm still hungry and want to go back to the city."

Hu Qian's words were not entirely true. Yesterday, she took a taxi back to her parents' home. She was so angry because of her parents' and her brother and sister-in-law's scolding that she didn't eat. But her mother had cooked several of her favorite dishes that day. She just didn't eat them, so she couldn't blame anyone else.

Originally, her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and niece could have visited relatives a little later this morning, but fearing that she would still be upset and refuse to eat, and that Zhou Zhou would go hungry, her mother prepared the meal early in the morning, and kept the dishes simmering in the pot over a charcoal fire, so that she would have something to eat when she woke up in the morning.

Hu Qian hadn't even gotten out of bed yet, and of course, she was still hungry.

Zhao Chang'an knew the place Hu Qian mentioned and asked in surprise, "Is it the village opposite that century-old tea garden?"

"Not quite across the street, but right by the roadside near the old tea garden. Or rather, it's a fork in the road where it meets the village road. Go up halfway up the mountain and you'll find my house. If you know about that old tea garden and the village across the street, you should have seen that two-story villa on the mountainside."

"I know, I was even marveling at how well this place chose its location."

“I chose this location because it connects to a cell phone tower on the north side of Jiti Mountain. The village is blocked by a small mountain to the west, so you have to go to the top of the mountain to get a signal if you want to make or receive a call.”

"Great, great, I'll come pick you up right away, it'll probably take about 30 or 40 minutes."

Zhao Chang'an glanced at the time; it was only a little past seven in the morning. By the time he arrived at the house where Hu Qian's parents, brother, and sister-in-law lived, it should be before eight o'clock.

"Okay, my daughter and I will wait for you. Drive slowly, no rush."

Hu Qian was very gentle over there, and what she said made Zhao Chang'an's heart race.