This made sense, and besides, he was the big boss; his thoughts were bound to be different from a fresh graduate like herself.
"But I still feel a bit uneasy. How about you give me some tasks to do? Once I complete them, I won't feel like I owe you so much."
Ye Tiancheng maintained his usual bright smile in response to Liu Lanying's innocent suggestion.
"It's alright. You said you're just a fresh university graduate with no savings, yet you bought so many nutritional supplements for me. I know they're quite expensive, probably over a thousand yuan. I actually feel quite bad about it and want to make it up to you."
Liu Lanying thought Ye Tiancheng hadn't recognized her, but since he had, she lowered her head and fiddled with her hair shyly.
"Mr. Ye, you noticed? Those supplements were expensive?"
"Don't be so formal with me from now on. Don't keep calling me Mr. Ye or Boss Ye; it makes us seem like strangers. We've known each other for a while, and I think we're good friends. Just call me Brother Ye. As for the supplements you mentioned, they were very nice, all well-known brands, and very beneficial for my health."
If it weren't for the nutritional supplements Liu Lanying sent, which inadvertently helped Ye Tiancheng's true qi to quickly integrate, he might not have woken up until now, or he would have been extremely weak and unable to move from his bed.
"Okay then, I'll go with you to eat lobster."
Although she said she felt uncomfortable, after being persuaded by Ye Tiancheng, Liu Lanying felt she should try it. After all, she had never eaten it before and wanted to try something good.
"I won't be polite then."
Ye Tiancheng went to a seafood restaurant alone and generously ordered a large lobster, along with crabs and clams. The table was filled with dishes. Liu Lanying had never eaten such delicious food in her life. Although she hadn't seen it before, as a university student, she maintained her etiquette and acted very ladylike.
"This is so delicious, Brother Ye. No wonder they say expensive things have all advantages except the price. This lobster meat is so fresh and tasty, it's amazing."
Liu Lanying truly enjoyed a feast that day and repeatedly thanked Ye Tiancheng. Ye Tiancheng, in turn, generously told her.
"Once we sell all the pigs this time, believe me, if you want to eat delicious meals like this every day, you can. You won't just be an ordinary university village official anymore. You can wear luxury brands, get your hair permed, do your nails, wear high heels, designer clothes, and a beautiful watch. I believe you can definitely do it."
Liu Lanying had never thought about these things, but Ye Tiancheng's words filled her with aspirations. Perhaps her life didn't have to be as everyone initially thought – that because she was born in the countryside, she would never escape it and would always be unsuccessful.
"Brother Ye, what you're saying is making my head spin. I can't believe I could achieve that. Do you really think I can?"
Throughout her upbringing, Liu Lanying had been constantly told that as a girl born in the countryside, she didn't need to work too hard. The only thing she needed to do was to understand her place and improve her personal qualities. She didn't need to be highly skilled in her work; she just needed to learn to be a gentle and virtuous wife, and most importantly, marry well.
It seemed that in others' eyes, marrying well was the only true success, and nothing else mattered to her. Of course, no one expected her personal growth, including Liu Lanying's parents. Now, someone suddenly appeared who seemed to have full confidence in her future, making Liu Lanying feel as if her entire outlook on life had changed.
"I believe you can achieve it if you work hard. You're different from me; you're genuinely talented. I stumbled into it. I feel your future is full of hope."
"But everyone tells me that as a woman, being too outstanding makes it difficult to get married. So, they tell me not to be too outstanding, as it's not good for the family."
Ye Tiancheng found this notion amusing. "The Qing Dynasty has been gone for so many years, yet people still hold such feudalistic ideas. It's unbelievable! Men and women have long been equal. Why should your personal value be dependent on others? I think you're great, and you'll achieve great things. This is your personal value, and it can never change. What if you marry a good husband and then get divorced? I feel that an outstanding woman like you doesn't necessarily need marriage to validate herself. Just be yourself."
Ye Tiancheng's words were like a revelation to Liu Lanying. The main reason was that no one around her had ever spoken to her like this. Everyone felt Liu Lanying was too outstanding and a bit out of place. Such a girl was not easily conquered and was difficult to get along with.
"I also plan not to get married, but it's a bit difficult to resist societal expectations."
"That's a matter of fate. If someone you like appears, you can certainly tie the knot with them. But if there's no suitable person, there's no need to force yourself. Why make life so tiring? There's no need."
Ye Tiancheng's words gave Liu Lanying new ideas. Previously, she thought Ye Tiancheng was just a rural entrepreneur who didn't understand anything. Later, she realized he had attended a proper university, though not a prestigious one. Now, Liu Lanying finally understood that there was a gap in their thinking; he was different from those true rural entrepreneurs. It seemed he was quite useful, not useless at all.
"Alright, Brother Ye, I'm willing to believe you. Can I follow you from now on? I'm quite obedient, and I believe you can provide me with some life guidance."
Liu Lanying was convinced that perhaps by following Ye Tiancheng, she could truly change her life. From the moment she helped choose the village chief, Liu Lanying felt that Ye Tiancheng was like a benefactor in her life, capable of changing many of her life's circumstances.
"Don't worry, if you need my help with anything, I will definitely not hesitate. If you want to follow me, I'm afraid my current capabilities are not enough. For now, you should work hard in your own position. Trust me, everything will happen naturally."
With Ye Tiancheng's promise, Liu Lanying also came to a realization. Indeed, there was no need to rely on others. Perhaps when she became outstanding enough, Ye Tiancheng could help her even better.
"Okay, I believe you. Thank you for your generous hospitality today, Brother Ye. In short, I won't disappoint you."
The two parted ways. After the pigsty was built, the pig farming business began and quickly flourished, seeming to go quite well.
Most importantly, Ye Tiancheng's company was steadily profitable, and the pig farming had entered a stable phase. Therefore, Su Muxian stopped causing trouble. Primarily, Su Muxian hadn't expected Ye Tiancheng to be so capable and resolve all issues. She had intentionally made things difficult for him and never thought she would be conquered by him.
"Brother Ye, you should go to the hospital quickly. It seems Sister-in-law and the baby are in trouble."
It was early one morning. Ye Tiancheng had planned to go to the company to work after waking up. Although he had worked overtime the previous night, work was never as smooth as one wished, and being a bit tired was understandable.
However, he suddenly received a call from Xiao Pang. Heaven and hell were separated by an instant. The moment he heard that Hou Mingzhu was in trouble, Ye Tiancheng felt he had fallen into hell and couldn't feel at ease.
"You go and check on her first and stabilize the situation. I'll be there immediately. Make sure nothing happens to your sister-in-law and the baby."
"Brother Ye, I'm already on my way, but I can't guarantee anything. After all, I don't have your extraordinary abilities. So, hurry up and come, otherwise, no one can control the situation."
After speaking, Xiao Pang hung up the phone anxiously. Ye Tiancheng threw on a piece of clothing and set off. This time, he didn't drive steadily but used his true qi, almost teleporting. He had been saving his true qi for some time and was reluctant to use it, but today, he had no choice.
Ye Tiancheng stopped in mid-air and began to channel his true qi to Hou Mingzhu and the baby in her womb. As the baby grew larger, it required more true qi. It had been suppressed for a while, but it soon became uncontrollable, and irreversible problems had arisen, requiring Ye Tiancheng to repair it with his true qi again.
This half-hour process of channeling true qi was incredibly difficult for Ye Tiancheng.
In the last few minutes, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat and collapse. However, Hou Mingzhu had not yet entered a stable phase and still needed more true qi. At this critical moment, Ye Tiancheng wished he could slap himself twice. Why was he so weak? He had saved up true qi for a while, but it wasn't enough at the crucial moment.
Ye Tiancheng gathered his strength again, preparing to channel true qi to Hou Mingzhu, but he felt extremely weak, finding it difficult even to sit up straight. It was indeed quite challenging.
"Ye Tiancheng, don't waste your effort. This child still has at least three months before birth, and you'll be needed more and more. I know you can't hold on any longer. I'll have the surgery to remove this child and won't cause you any more trouble."
Due to the effect of the true qi on the baby in her womb, Hou Mingzhu had not been timed. She could still communicate normally with Ye Tiancheng. Seeing Ye Tiancheng gradually weaken, Hou Mingzhu naturally felt reluctant. If Ye Tiancheng and the child were both lost in the end, Hou Mingzhu would truly be the loneliest person in the world. Since one had to be sacrificed, even though Hou Mingzhu was very reluctant, she could only sacrifice the child.
"Don't say that, Hou Mingzhu. I forbid you to be discouraged. There's a solution for everything. I will definitely protect both of you. Don't worry about this."
Perhaps motivated by Hou Mingzhu, Ye Tiancheng gathered more true qi and channeled it again. However, he couldn't last for three minutes before a sudden sweet, metallic taste filled his chest, and he vomited a mouthful of blood in front of her. This truly frightened Hou Mingzhu.
Such a scene was indeed terrifying. Anyone who saw it would be shocked, especially a pregnant woman, who should be the least exposed to fright.