Chapter 197: Who Doesn’t Have A Few Little Secrets?
Lu Qiaoge remained composed, just waiting for the other party to take action…
However, even until this morning, there was no movement.
Then Lu Qiaoge discovered a pattern: as soon as she got a bit closer to Zhen Xi, that spying gaze would sweep over.
So, these three people were sent by Chairman Zhen, precisely to guard against someone seducing away his so-called heir?
Was that how it was?
But just now, Lu Qiaoge finally understood.
Rat Big and Rat Two, who loved gathering news whenever idle, weren’t idle this time either.
It was mainly the feeling they liked of busying around with their master.
Thus, while Lu Qiaoge was busy up top, Rat Big and Rat Two were busy below, the flying ones flew all around, and the calico cat leaped up and down.
Of course, this place was different from others; Lu Qiaoge didn’t let them show themselves and didn’t want them too close to her.
They played on their own when nothing was happening, and told her when something came up.
Thus, Xiao Cangcang, who could contact Lu Qiaoge silently, told her a shocking piece of news.
Lu Qiaoge was indeed quite shocked, but after thinking about it, it seemed reasonable.
Lu Qiaoge said to Xiao Cangcang in her mind: “I know about this; you go tell the little friends not to get too close to the crowd. There are too many people today. If you want to watch the excitement, go squat on that big elm tree across the way.”
Qin Hengzhi, as the military representative stationed at the factory and as the former middleman, was naturally invited as well.
Everyone knew Lu Qiaoge and Qin Hengzhi were dating, so they arranged for the two to stand together.
Thus, Qin Hengzhi, standing very close to Lu Qiaoge, keenly noticed something flying past his eyes.
By the time he looked, that thing had long vanished.
Involuntarily, Qin Hengzhi turned his gaze to the smiling Lu Qiaoge.
In the corner of his eye, Qin Hengzhi also saw the extremely familiar swallows and pigeons circling and dancing in the sky.
A few breaths later, he smiled too.
After the speech ended and the leader announced the start, Lu Qiaoge had to go get busy as well.
Qin Hengzhi also had to stand watch at the main entrance for entry for a while.
Before parting, Qin Hengzhi gave Lu Qiaoge a wallet.
Lu Qiaoge took it; as expected, it was filled with Big Unity ten-yuan banknotes.
Qin Hengzhi didn’t say how much, only saying softly: “Buy whatever you like.”
Lu Qiaoge clutched the wallet; no need to count to know it was at least five hundred yuan.
More than her annual salary.
Lu Qiaoge asked with a half-smile in a low voice: “You give me the money; what will you use to marry a wife?”
Qin Hengzhi curved his lips and said gently: “Don’t worry; the money to marry a wife was prepared long ago.”
And at this moment, even though everyone was keeping their voices down, with over ten thousand people surging in, the place suddenly grew boisterous.
Qin Hengzhi left, heading toward the entry point.
Lu Qiaoge headed toward Zhen Xi.
Just now Xiao Cangcang had told her that among the gathered intel, the people surveilling her included Little Fat Card and Assistant Gao.
Zhen Xi definitely didn’t know, still thinking they were all his own people.
Little Fat Card was Zhen Mingze’s person.
The other two were Chairman Zhen’s people.
Besides keeping tabs on Zhen Xi and Lu Qiaoge regarding that batch of treasures, they also bore the responsibility of not letting the women on this side exploit loopholes with Zhen Xi.
What was on Lu Qiaoge’s mind, however, were those iron boxes in the Hongxing Lake reed marsh.
So, were the so-called treasures at the lake bottom, or were they entirely separate matters?
Now she still needed to figure out who the treasure guardian was that Zhen Xi’s maternal grandfather had entrusted.
But after so many years, aside from the deputy manager of the fishery company, it seemed no one knew there were treasures hidden in Hongxing Lake.
It looked like she still had to start with that deputy manager.
And the reason she was suspected was because she’d had contact with Zhen Xi these two times.
Moreover, it was active contact.
Suspecting her did have some reason.
But the current question was whether the things in the reed marsh should continue sinking.
After all, to fish those things out, her own strength definitely wouldn’t suffice.
Moreover, if they were truly precious porcelain, even national treasures hard to find in the world, she certainly couldn’t salvage them on her own.
In this era with extremely strict reviews in every aspect, how was she to explain to people that she knew there were national treasures at the lake bottom?
Was she to tell people she could understand animals’ inner voices?
Unless it was immediate family or Qin Hengzhi.
Otherwise, if others knew, it wouldn’t be admiration but terror and disgust toward her.
Who doesn’t have a little secret?
Now she needed to understand the background from back then.
At that time, the museum’s location was in Beidu.
How it was transported to Jiangcheng was probably known only to Zhen Zihao himself.
His task to his subordinates was to monitor her contact with Zhen Xi.
But zero contact was impossible, especially since no one had anticipated the transaction volume would be this huge.
In just a morning, over ninety percent of the clothing brought by the special train had sold.
Secretary You was so shocked he hadn’t recovered his wits.
So he was wrong; did everyone here have money?
But he was still wrong.
In today’s Dragon Country, aside from workers and cadres with jobs, or families with ample conditions, most ordinary folk were still very poor.
But what they faced wasn’t the majority.
It was a very small portion.
Just this small portion was enough.
In the afternoon, these staff members started buying things for themselves.
Lu Qiaoge bought a windbreaker each for Qin Hengzhi and herself; his was dark coffee-colored, while hers was beige.
She also bought two shirts for Qin Hengzhi, with crisp fabric and decent prices.
Next, Lu Qiaoge bought a cotton cloth top for Grandmother and Meng Xia, and a shirt for Lu Da.
As for Su Hui and herself, she didn’t need to worry.
Lu Qiaoge had given the workers a morning off.
Presumably, they’d bought what they wanted to buy and seen the excitement; they should have gone back to work by now.
But the female workers Xiao Du and Xiao Xue from the neighboring city had a full day’s holiday.
They were drenched in sweat but still excited and thrilled, not feeling tired or hot at all.
Beside them were three young women, each with their brought canvas bags stuffed full.
Xiao Xue looked at the beautiful cinched-waist dress hanging on the clothes rack and said: “I want to buy one more to wear next year.”
The staff only handled fetching goods; no bargaining or trying on now, but their attitude was good, and the staff had said that for quality issues from the manufacturer, returns and exchanges were unconditional.
After all, even though it was the women’s clothing area, it wasn’t suitable for trying on—not out of worry they’d not buy, but fear of issues, since there were really too many people today.
The trade group had specially set up a returns area in a corner of the cultural palace.
It could be said they’d considered every aspect.
Here they issued banknotes, customers went to one of the payment spots to pay; where business was good, it looked chaotic.
But it was orderly amid the chaos.
Shen Yun had naturally come too; she planned to buy several pieces, especially wanting a red windbreaker, since she and Liang Aishu were marrying in October. That would be just the season for windbreakers.
She looked with complex emotions at Lu Qiaoge talking with several high leaders, her features picturesque yet calm and composed, as if this person was growing more and more unfamiliar.
Shen Yun had come with two friends from the broadcasting station.
One was Chen Zhi, the other Cai Xiaohe.
She pretended casualness as she said to Chen Zhi: “Your partner Shao Le is colleagues with Lu Qiaoge; aren’t you taking the backdoor to get some cheap good stuff?”
