My sister broke off her engagement to marry someone richer? My older sister married me and became in

Sun Dahai's shout was like a bucket of cold water being poured into a blazing stove.

The buzzing discussions in the supply and marketing cooperative disappeared in an instant.

Everyone turned their heads in unison.

The saleswoman behind the counter, who had been all smiles just moments before, had forgotten to move the beads on her abacus.

Lin Xiumei's hand, which was holding Yu Gaoyang's arm, froze in mid-air.

The smugness on her face seemed to freeze, solidified there.

All eyes were focused on the panting old man and the glaringly red booklet in his hand.

Lin Xiumei was the first to react; she seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Boss Lu?"

Her voice rose, becoming high-pitched and thin, with a hint of harshness.

"Who are you calling 'boss'? Sun Dahai, are you senile? He's just a peasant who toils for a living in the mountains..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

Because of her eyes, she finally saw the few large gold-embossed characters on the cover of the booklet in Sun Dahai's hand.

People's Republic of China, Land and Property Ownership Certificate.

Lin Xiumei opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Sun Dahai ignored her completely. He took two steps to Lu Qingshan and handed him the land deed with both hands.

He was bent very low, and the wrinkles on his face revealed a sense of excitement and awe.

"Boss Lu, look! Everything's done! The stamps are all on!"

Fearing that Lu Qingshan would be dissatisfied, he turned around and loudly explained to the crowd around him who had not yet come to their senses.

"From today onwards, the second coal smelting workshop in Hongshan County will belong to Boss Lu!"

"That piece of land, over thirty acres! And those big furnaces, all the houses, from now on they'll all belong to the Lu family!"

A factory covering more than 30 acres!

A murmur of gasps rose from the crowd.

That wasn't just a vegetable patch in the village; it was a large factory on the western outskirts of the county.

"My God...you...you bought a factory?"

An elderly woman who was watching the commotion covered her mouth.

"Then...how much will that cost?"

A bespectacled, intellectual-looking man standing nearby couldn't help but ask the question that was on everyone's mind.

This problem is like flipping a switch.

Sun Dahai straightened his back instantly.

His face wore a proud expression as he extended four thick, dark fingers, etched with the marks of years of hard work.

"forty thousand!"

His voice was loud and clear, each word sounding as if it had been struck with a hammer.

"Boss Lu is very generous! A flat price of 40,000 yuan! All cash, to be settled on the spot!"

Forty thousand yuan...

The supply and marketing cooperative fell silent once again.

This time, not even a sound of breathing could be heard.

This number is an astronomical figure that most people present would never dare to imagine in their entire lives.

Now, someone has used that money to buy a factory.

And it's in cash.

"hiss--"

Someone gasped in surprise.

Immediately afterwards, a series of gasps filled the supply and marketing cooperative.

The way everyone looked at Lu Qingshan changed.

It was a look that mixed reverence, fear, and even a hint of ingratiation.

That's the most instinctive reaction of ordinary people when faced with absolute wealth and power.

The saleswoman's face turned pale and then red. She stole a glance at Lu Qingshan, then quickly lowered her head, feeling a wave of fear wash over her.

Luckily, I was polite just now and didn't offend this guy.

Immediately, everyone's gaze, tinged with mockery and ridicule, fell upon Lin Xiumei and Yu Gaoyang.

Everyone remembered.

Just minutes before, this woman was arrogantly boasting that her man was going to do big business and buy a car.

Looking back now, it's simply a joke.

The color drained from Lin Xiumei's face, as if it had been washed away by water, fading away completely little by little.

Her ears were ringing, and she couldn't hear anything.

Only the words "40,000 yuan" remained, like three mountains pressing heavily on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.

The wool coat she had just been so proud of now looked ridiculous on her, like a clown's costume.

All the capital she used to look down on Lin Xiulan was shattered in the face of the number "40,000 yuan," leaving not a trace.

She felt as if everyone's gaze was like red-hot steel needles piercing her face and body, leaving her nowhere to hide.

She instinctively gripped Yu Gaoyang's arm tightly, her nails almost digging into his flesh, and her body swayed uncontrollably.

Yu Gaoyang's expression was even more unpleasant than hers.

His face turned a deep liver color, then slowly turned ashen.

The "big business" his father was about to start, which he had just boasted about, was still far from being realized.

Lu Qingshan, the peasant he had always looked down upon, the loser he had used as a background figure, had silently thrown 40,000 yuan in real money in his face.

That's not bragging.

That red land deed stamped with the official seal was the loudest slap in the face.

Intense jealousy and boundless humiliation, like two venomous snakes, were tearing at his chest.

He felt like a monkey that had been stripped naked and thrown into a crowd for exhibition.

Lu Qingshan didn't glance at them once from beginning to end.

He took the land deed from Sun Dahai, and without even opening it, casually handed it to Lin Xiulan beside him.

His movements were casual, and his tone was as indifferent as if he were handing over a grocery receipt.

"Xiulan, keep this safe."

Lin Xiulan nodded and carefully put the land deed into her purse.

That was their family's roots, and it made her feel more at ease than the suitcase full of money.

Lu Qingshan picked up the malted milk powder and pastries he had bought from the counter, reached out, and put his arm around his wife's shoulder.

He took her, turned around, and walked towards the gate of the supply and marketing cooperative.

As he brushed past the pale-faced Lin Xiumei and her husband, he didn't even spare them a glance.

It was a kind of utter, deep-seated disregard.

In Gao Yang's view, this was more unbearable than any ridicule or humiliation.

Lu Qingshan and Lin Xiulan disappeared through the doorway.

Inside the supply and marketing cooperative, the oppressive atmosphere seemed to come alive, and it instantly erupted into chaos.

"My God, forty thousand yuan, that's a fortune..."

"Is he Lu Qingshan from Hongshitun? The one who went into the mountains to hunt wild boar and black bears?"

"No wonder! That's what they mean by 'a true master keeps a low profile'!"

"Who were that couple just now? They were bragging about buying a car, they were so embarrassing..."

The murmurs surged like a tide toward Yu Gaoyang and Lin Xiumei, who were still frozen in place.

Yu Gaoyang suddenly came to his senses.

He stared intently in the direction Lu Qingshan had left, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked.

He ignored Lin Xiumei, who was swaying and nearly fainting beside him.

He flung her hand away as if shaking off something dirty.