20 years of restarting life

Chapter 3737 Xiang Yong's White Moonlight
"Mr. Zhao, I really envy you being able to travel all over the world. Unlike us, we're tied down so much just to make money that we can't go anywhere."

Qiao Yan smiled and said to Zhao Chang'an, "Although running a hotel does make some money, and we live a pretty good life in Pengzhou, I should be content. But I still often dream about the days I spent in Zhengzhou. Back then, even though we didn't have much money, we were really happy. I really want to go back to those days. How wonderful! Although I love my child, all day long, I have to work at the hotel, take care of the child, and now I have to process tea leaves. It's really tiring!"

"Back then, you were all so happy, just like when I was a teacher at school. Although the salary wasn't high, I was still very happy! I taught high school students, who weren't much older than me. During class, we were teacher and student, and after class, we could still be friends and play ping-pong together. But we're all getting older, and we all have to settle down, start families, and take on responsibilities. Like those sisters of yours in Zhengzhou, the ones who flaunt their good lives to you every day are all unmarried. As for the two who are married, I don't think they're having a good time. One of them complains about her husband's lack of ability every day, saying she was blind and threatening to divorce him. The other is always calculating how much more she needs to save for a down payment on a house. I haven't seen them be very happy either."

The hot-blooded Xiang Yong didn't tolerate his wife's behavior at all, and he would immediately expose her secrets.

"If you can't speak, then shut up like a mute!"

Qiao Yan blushed with anger and rolled her eyes at Xiang Yong, who was driving in front.

"Look, she can't stand the truth. She turns on you as soon as you touch her sore spot. What woman is gentle and kind, who keeps her mouth shut and doesn't say much!"

Xiang Yong sighed, but at the same time, he couldn't help but glance at Lin Xiaojie's graceful and charming figure in the rearview mirror, trying hard to suppress the pounding in his heart.

He graduated from the mathematics department of a teachers' college and then taught mathematics at Pengzhou No. 1 Middle School. His personal hobbies include playing table tennis and studying math Olympiad problems. He prefers quiet and dislikes loud and talkative people.

But his wife's mouth, just like his mother had told him in private, was as talkative as a hen that had laid an egg.

He didn't actually like Qiao Yan when they went on the blind date, but his sister was the boss at home, so he had no choice but to listen to her and marry Qiao Yan.

After they got married, Qiao Yan took over the town's canteen and forced him to quit his job. Soon after, she also took over the town's tea plantation. Every spring, she would invite aunts, wives, and young girls from her hometown to pick tea. Now everyone in the village says he has married a good wife, but only he knows that he doesn't actually like her.

Sometimes, when he felt annoyed by his wife's nagging and also had a lot of annoying things to do at the hotel, he would go to the rocks by the stream outside the back wall of the elementary school and quietly watch the flowing water.

A few days ago, he frequently encountered a simply dressed but beautiful and quiet woman sitting by the river not far away, watching the flowing water. After seeing her for several days in a row, he grew to like her more and more. He secretly followed her and found out that she was an elementary school teacher. As for her name, he dared not ask, much less strike up a conversation with her. If his wife found out, he would be finished.

But I never expected to see her at the hotel today.

When she changed into a cheongsam, she was absolutely stunning to Xiang Yong, and it captured his heart.

Speaking of beauty, the four women Zhao Chang'an brought to the private room were all beautiful in their own way, especially Fan Chufei, who was a rare beauty. However, he had absolutely no interest or desire for them.

This was certainly related to his knowing that he couldn't reach her level, but more so because Lin Xiaojie's gentle demeanor, with a faint sadness between her brows and no words, made him feel that she was a silent yet extremely challenging mathematical problem, making him almost unable to control himself.

"Humph."

Qiao Yan sneered a few times. Of course, she didn't see her husband sneaking glances at Lin Xiaojie sitting next to her. She glanced at Lin Xiaojie with her beautiful eyes and saw that she didn't seem to be listening to what they were saying. She was just looking at the scenery outside the car window.

Or perhaps she was getting her bearings, afraid of getting lost. She knew her husband disliked her for being too talkative and hoped she would speak less, but that was just Qiao Yan's personality. Besides, if you can't talk, what kind of hotel are you running?
He has no idea how tired or miserable he is. Even if he did, he would say that he deserves it for taking on so many responsibilities.

Back then, I was working in Zhengzhou, and life was going well. I also had a male colleague with whom I had an unspoken but not yet officially defined relationship.

It was only because his family was poor that they supported him through college. His parents, brother, and sister-in-law were all farmers, and it was already very difficult for them to support him through college.

So neither of them dared to break the ice, because they simply couldn't bear the pressure from life and family that would follow once it was broken. They just wanted to work hard and wait until they had more money to date openly.

When she returned home for the Chinese New Year, she visited her uncle's house and was introduced to a potential partner. He was the younger brother of Xiangzhen, who worked with him. He was a graduate of Shancheng Teachers College and a teacher at Pengzhou No. 1 Middle School. The young man was quiet and good-looking.

The parents were overjoyed, but Qiao Yan, looking at her uncle's stern face, didn't have the courage to say no. After all, her uncle was the head of the Qiao family, and no one dared to disobey him.

Two days later, they met briefly at her uncle's house. It wasn't that he was bad; at least she didn't dislike him. He just didn't talk much. Most importantly, Qiao Yan already had someone in her heart and didn't like him at all.

However, her parents, still silent, assumed she was shy and liked him, and then they got engaged, paid a dowry, and got married quickly.

Qiao Yan knew that her weakness stemmed from her lack of money, so she listened to her sister-in-law's advice and immediately forced her husband to quit his job and take over the town's hotel.

She had thought that once she made money, if the man didn't look down on her and was still willing to marry her, then she would marry him with the money in her pocket.

Although I know it's just wishful thinking and self-delusion, it's still a source of hope and longing.

It wasn't until she became pregnant and gave birth to her daughter that she realized she could never go back, regardless of whether that man was still single or willing to forgive her and want her back.

"This is Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Once you've gotten rid of basic material needs, you'll need more spiritual nourishment. You might as well set a slightly ambitious goal for yourself and work on it. You'll find that the days pass by with challenges and anticipation. What people fear most is losing their pursuits and ideals, which are also their spiritual pillars. If you lose even that, you'll inevitably feel that the days are meaningless."

Zhao Chang'an meant what he said, and he wanted to tell Lin Xiaojie that based on her current state and what Li Shiya had said in her previous life, Zhao Chang'an guessed that her boyfriend might have confronted her and broken up with her.

For graduating seniors, this is the time for them to find internships that last for several months. During these months, they need to secure employment as soon as possible. Otherwise, if they wait until graduation in July to start looking for jobs, it will be too late, and it will be very difficult to find a decent job.

For ordinary college students in the central and western regions, the first choice after graduation is still a secure job, unlike in coastal cities where college students tend to work for foreign companies, or at least Taiwanese and Hong Kong companies, or larger private enterprises.

In short, Zhao Chang'an felt that Lin Xiaojie was a bit depressed and acting strangely. As Li Shiya's former roommate in his previous life, Li Shiya jokingly said that she wanted to introduce him to her. Zhao Chang'an thought that he should help her if he could, since they had a past connection.

(End of this chapter)