Step by step, a gentle breeze leads to a smooth path

Chapter 304 The Most Favorable Information

Song Mingxiang was right. At first, Song Wanxing felt too ashamed to go out and stayed at home for a few days.

But his drinking problem flared up, and he drank all the alcohol in the house. Then he shamelessly asked Qian Shuzhen for money.

He took the money and left, determined that it wouldn't matter if people said a few things to him; he was used to it anyway.

Unexpectedly, the villagers greeted him warmly: "Wanxing, you've been away for so many years, you've finally come back, you must have made a lot of money!"

"Wanxing, what's the outside world like? Tell us about it!"

"Yes, you're a cultured person, so you must be thriving outside, right? You must have made a lot of money, right? Where have you been? What kind of work have you done?"

"Your job outside must be easy and pay well, right? When are you going again next time? Take me with you!"

"Wanxing, you're finally back! All these years, your wife has had a tough time raising three children, thankfully your older brother has been there to help. Now that you're back, you must treat her well!"

Among the villagers were men who were genuinely curious, aunties who spoke up for Zhao Xiaojuan, and of course, a bunch of people with ill intentions who looked Song Wanxing up and down, judging him to be someone who hadn't made a name for himself.

For example, Song Yi's mother, she hadn't swallowed her anger about not being able to marry Song Tingnan, this "money-making brat," back then. She said sarcastically, "Song Wanxing, are you having too much fun out there to think about home? Aren't you worried about your wife? If you don't come back soon, you'd better watch out or you'll lose her!"

"Dazhuang's wife, what kind of sarcastic remarks are you making? Xiaojuan is such a good person, always busy taking care of the children and her mother-in-law. Stop gossiping and ruining her reputation. And what about the village chief's wife?" An aunt who couldn't stand it spoke up for Zhao Xiaojuan.

"Oh dear, Auntie, you're always at home, but you don't know that Zhao Xiaojuan is probably working now. She's out every day, saying she's setting up a stall to do business. She must be making a lot of money, but does anyone know what kind of business she's doing?"

"You foul mouth! Xiaojuan always goes out during the day, either with her child or with her sister-in-law. What shameful things could she possibly do? You're just jealous and can't stand seeing others do well."

"Me, jealous of her? Bullshit! My son has a decent job, my husband dotes on me and doesn't let me do any work. Me, jealous of her? She's being fought over by several men! She even has another one at home..." Then the words got uglier and uglier, and the women split into two groups and started arguing.

This was a lot of information, so Song Wanxing stepped back and sorted out the most useful information—the villagers thought he had been working away from home all these years!

Hahaha... It must have been his older brother who covered for him, hahaha... That's right, that's exactly it. He straightened his back, bought two jin of pure grain liquor, and hummed a tune as he went home.

I'll find out the rest later. Zhao Xiaojuan, if you do anything to betray me, just wait and see!

Then this hypocrite, when he has nothing to do, wanders around asking for information, and when he comes back, he subtly probes his own parents.

What kind of business does her family run, how much money does they make, and what kind of men does Zhao Xiaojuan associate with...?

Fortunately, Song Wanli didn't let Qian Shuzhen get involved in the family business. Apart from buying a house in the county town and knowing about the 'Wufu Small Market,' Qian Shuzhen had heard of other businesses, such as investing in Zheng Xiangqian's house construction and selling, and the accounts for flower baskets sold to Anxi City, but she wasn't very clear about them.

Even these things made Song Wanxing envious.

One evening after dinner, he put down his bowl and said to Song Wanli, "Brother, after all these years, I didn't expect you to still be so dishonest."

"What? I'm not decent?" Song Wanli was almost laughing in anger. "If I'm not decent, you just pack your bags and leave, while I help you raise three children and take care of your mother alone, and you don't say a single kind word, yet you say I'm not decent. Fine, today I'll hear how I'm not decent?"