Later, she heard that a clothing store in town was going to be sold. Clutching her more than two thousand yuan, she decided to take a gamble.
She would go to the clothing city in the provincial capital to get some clothes and set up a stall in town to sell them.
Even if she didn't earn much, it was better than staying home every day.
And so, she fumbled her way to the Datong Wholesale Market in Nancheng.
It was there that she first learned about the profession of a fashion model.
She heard that she could earn money just by standing and changing clothes, and she was very tempted.
But fearing her grandmother's disapproval, she lied and told her she had found a job in a department store in Nancheng.
From then on, she would send money home on time and could not return.
She rented a small room of about ten square meters there and lived there for several years.
In the meantime, the Datong Market underwent renovation and demolition, and she followed her old boss to the Yinjii Department Store.
It was also there that she met Lu Mingzhe.
As a young woman, she had come a long way from a small town to where she was now, and it was not easy.
Lu Mingzhe listened with emotion, feeling both admiration and pity for her.
He couldn't help but tightly grip her hand as she spoke.
Soon, Xiang Wan drove the car to where he had parked it the night before.
"Alright. You can get out. I have to go to work."
For the first time, Lu Mingzhe felt a sense of dependence on her.
He really wanted to just sit by her side and watch her, not wanting to part.
"What time tonight? I'll pick you up after work."
"Why? You're coming over again tonight?"
"It's not the first time, so what's one more night? Don't refuse me."
Xiang Wan thought about it. It was true.
It had been four or five years, and one more night wouldn't make a difference.
What was there to be shy about?
"I don't know. Don't pick me up. Come directly to my place after six o'clock, I'll be home by then."
"Okay, I'll be home and clean, waiting for you."
"..."
Lu Mingzhe reached out, pinched her chin, turned her face, and brushed his lips against hers.
"Drive carefully. Goodbye."
Xiang Wan was in a great mood all day.
Although she didn't say much, her subtle expressions couldn't deceive anyone.
She often broke into smiles, her eyes and brows filled with tenderness.
Everyone gathered around her, teasing her.
"Sister Wan, why are you so happy? Is something good about to happen? Has your boyfriend proposed?"
In their eyes, Xiang Wan was no longer young, and her career was very successful.
It was time for her to settle her personal matters.
Xiang Wan didn't answer them.
"Are you all that idle? Have you finished today's orders?"
The wedding was tomorrow.
Even if the wedding dress was rented, the bride had to try it on for size in advance.
Lu Mingzhe was called home by his mother.
"Jiaojiao is from Jincheng, and the car will be dispatched from Jincheng to our place that day, so the timing is a bit tight."
"Have you two discussed coming a day earlier? It's fine to stay at your place, or at a hotel, but don't be late. What do you say?"
"Why do I feel like your wedding is like child's play, and you don't take it seriously at all?"
Lu Mingzhe didn't think as much as his mother did.
In his eyes, all he had to do was show up at Chen Jiaojiao's house on time to claim her.
If he successfully got the person, he would consider the matter settled.
If not, he would definitely make the Chen family look bad.
As long as the goal of revenge was achieved, that was all that mattered.
He didn't care about anything else.
He didn't care about the wedding dress or whether it fit; that wasn't his concern.
"Don't worry about it, Mom. They have their own arrangements. You just get yourself ready and wait to be a mother-in-law tomorrow."
"I didn't sleep much last night, and now I'm very sleepy. Don't call me unless it's important."
Saying that, he yawned and went upstairs.
He might not care, but parents couldn't be so ignorant.
Mother Lu couldn't help but call Father Chen.
Seeing that the Lu family had everything prepared, while his side was in disarray, Father Chen felt very panicked.
He immediately agreed to send Jiaojiao over.
"We'll go with her too. Our in-laws' consideration is right. We'll stay at a hotel a day in advance to avoid missing the auspicious time for sending off the bride. We will cooperate fully!"
After hanging up the phone, Father Chen went to find Chen Jiaojiao.
Yesterday, Hu Jiasheng had worked for several hours and, along with other designers, calculated a reasonable figure.
By adding two rows of supporting pillars similar to skywalks to the existing building, the original hidden dangers could be offset.
Zhan Beijue gathered a group of experts and the acceptance committee members to discuss and calculate the plan.
Chen Jiaojiao accompanied him the entire time.
She returned after working until the early morning.
She was very upset and couldn't sleep. Just as she was dozing off, her father found her.
When she heard it was about her wedding, she was furious.
"I told you, I will not marry him. If you want to marry, go ahead and marry him yourself. Why are you looking for me?"
Father Chen pointed at her nose.
"Chen Jiaojiao, don't force me to go find Hu Jiasheng."
"I've already had someone investigate him. What is he? Although he is nominally the CEO of Zhan's Group, he is actually an illegitimate child!"
"With Zhan Beijue above him and several of Zhan Beijue's legitimate children below him, he'll never amount to anything in this life!"
"What prospects can you have following someone like that? Look at Lu Mingzhe, can't you be less short-sighted?"
Chen Jiaojiao wouldn't listen.
If she cared about these things, she wouldn't have started a relationship with Hu Jiasheng in the first place.
"Are you done? If so, you can leave. Unless you tie me up and take me there, I won't go."
She thought that as long as her attitude was firm, her father wouldn't be able to do anything to her.
However, for the long-term interests of the Chen family, her father actually indulged her.
"Fine. You said it yourself. Don't blame me for being impolite."
Saying that, he grabbed the crystal fruit platter on the table and hit Chen Jiaojiao on the back of the head with a "bang."
She slumped onto the sofa with a thud.
He used Chen Jiaojiao's fingers to unlock her phone, found Hu Jiasheng's number, and dialed it.
Hu Jiasheng, like Chen Jiaojiao, was troubled and couldn't sleep, working overtime day and night.
Seeing his phone light up, he casually answered.
"Jiaojiao."
"I'm not Chen Jiaojiao, I'm her father. Listen to me, Hu Jiasheng."
"Chen Jiaojiao's marriage to Lu Mingzhe has been decided by our two families, and it will be tomorrow morning."
"Her relationship with you was a mistake. Lu Mingzhe already knows about it. Fortunately, he is magnanimous and doesn't intend to hold you accountable for the sake of both families' reputations."
"But don't be ungrateful. Since there's still room for maneuver, you two should break up quickly."
"I'm taking Jiaojiao to Nancheng now. If you're sensible, don't contact her again. Otherwise, if the wedding can't proceed and both our families are embarrassed, you won't get away with it."
Chen Jiaojiao had never told Hu Jiasheng that she was getting married, and it was tomorrow.
He was very surprised.
"She's getting married to Lu Mingzhe tomorrow? You're not joking, are you?"
"Whether I'm joking or not, you can find out by calling Zhan Beijue. He's a good friend of Lu Mingzhe and will definitely be there tomorrow."