Chapter Seventy-Six: The Dispute Over the Ring

“No need to go out to eat, it’s better to dine at home,” Liu Xiaoqin said with a gentle smile. “I’ve heard restaurants use all sorts of gutter oil these days. Homemade food is clean!” When dealing with Zhou Nan, you have to play to your strengths against her weaknesses—otherwise, you’ll only suffer the loss yourself.

Zhang Hua quickly echoed her words. “Yes, yes, Xiaoqin has already bought ingredients. Why waste money eating out? Let’s just cook at home!”

“That’s fine, let’s eat at home,” Zhang Can replied as he settled onto the sofa.

Zhou Nan also entered the living room and decided not to leave. Glancing at Zhang Hua, she remarked coolly, “Little sister, your second brother treats you really well. That necklace worth seventy or eighty thousand is quite stunning.”

Zhang Hua was startled and immediately asked, “Seventy or eighty thousand? But… didn’t Second Brother just say it was only one or two thousand?”

“Your second brother is quite the fibber. Did you really believe it was just one or two thousand? That’d barely buy you a tiny segment!” Zhou Nan shot a glance at Zhang Can, unceremoniously exposing his little lie.

Zhang Hua was taken aback. She glanced at the ring on Liu Xiaoqin’s finger and asked hesitantly, “And that… that…”

“It’s about the same as your necklace,” Zhou Nan remarked offhandedly.

Zhang Hua gave Zhang Can a glare, but with two other young women present, she held her tongue. Her second brother was being far too extravagant. After all the hardship their family had endured, how could he be so free with his money? He’d casually given both her and Liu Xiaoqin bank cards loaded with tens of thousands, but that was different; she and Liu Xiaoqin were careful with money, and over time she had come to appreciate Xiaoqin’s character—thrifty, beautiful, and prudent, unlike other pretty girls who were nothing but expensive ornaments.

If her parents found out about this, they’d surely scold him. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Hua resolutely took off the necklace and handed it back to Zhang Can. “Second Brother, if you spent seventy or eighty thousand on this necklace, I can’t keep it. If Mom and Dad hear, they’ll be angry. I’m just a country girl—even if I like beautiful things, I can’t accept something this expensive. Take it back and return it.”

She shoved the necklace into Zhang Can’s hand and glanced at Liu Xiaoqin.

Liu Xiaoqin understood Zhang Hua’s intent, and after a moment’s hesitation, she reluctantly slipped off the ring from her finger and returned it. Zhang Hua quickly snatched it, stuffed it into Zhang Can’s hand along with the necklace, and said, “Second Brother, take these back!”

Then she angrily muttered, “What a waste!”

It wasn’t the price Liu Xiaoqin minded, but the meaning behind the ring—it was a gift from Zhang Can, a token between sweethearts, and returning it felt like more than just giving back a piece of jewelry. Who knew when she’d get another chance like this? And with Zhou Nan watching like a hawk… But Zhang Hua, honest and straightforward, had no such thoughts and returned it.

Zhou Nan smiled faintly, her little scheme having succeeded. The ring was back in her hands. “Hua, don’t pressure your second brother,” she said lightly. “Once something’s bought, unless it’s defective or a fake, it can’t be returned. So if you think it’s wasteful, let your second brother sell it to me. I was just looking to buy a couple of sets for gifts—these will do.”

Without waiting for Zhang Can’s agreement, Zhou Nan took both pieces from his hands, pulled a bank card from her purse, and slipped it into his palm with a bright smile. “There’s two hundred and fifty thousand in this card. These two pieces, plus the money from last time, are all yours!”

Zhang Can, holding the card, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Zhou Nan, grinning, took the necklace out of its box and walked over to Zhang Hua. “Hua, let me give you this necklace. Wear it. Your second brother once saved my life, so his family is my family. You’re my little sister too. See how beautiful this necklace is? It makes you look even prettier.”

Zhang Hua blushed, unable to resist Zhou Nan’s coaxing. “I… I’m not as pretty as you, Sister Zhou. The necklace is too expensive… I can’t accept it…”

“Don’t worry!” Zhou Nan comforted her immediately. “If your second brother gave it to you, your parents would scold him. But since I’m the one giving it, there’s no problem. Don’t worry.”

Zhou Nan hadn’t expected her words to be so persuasive. Zhang Hua, entranced and a little dazed, allowed Zhou Nan to fasten the necklace around her neck, beaming at the compliment.

After helping Zhang Hua with the necklace, Zhou Nan took out the ring, slipped it onto her own right ring finger, and found it fit perfectly. She tossed her hair, showing off to Liu Xiaoqin, who was watching in a daze.

Liu Xiaoqin’s eyes reddened—she understood all too well she was no match for this beautiful woman. In the blink of an eye, the ring Zhang Can had given her was now on Zhou Nan’s finger, and Zhou Nan wore it with such boldness and pride.

Feeling a pang of sourness in her heart, Liu Xiaoqin hurried to the kitchen to cook, wiping her tears as she chopped vegetables. The tears streamed down like pearls from a broken string.

She thought of her father, who had gone to the provincial city for medical treatment, and her mother, who had gone along to care for him. She should have gone too, but her mother insisted she stay, saying one person was enough, and told her to take good care of Zhang Can—his kindness was as deep as the sea, and with time, affection would surely blossom.

Life here wasn’t hard, and money was no concern, but she felt increasingly uneasy. She had been so confident, believing her looks and resolve would win Zhang Can’s heart. From their first meeting, she sensed he liked her, otherwise he wouldn’t have agreed to the betrothal. But after coming to Jincheng, everything changed with Zhou Nan’s arrival. Every unspoken contest ended in almost total defeat for Liu Xiaoqin. Even her beauty, once her greatest pride, felt pale in comparison—Zhou Nan was prettier, cleverer, with higher status. What could she compete with?

In the living room, Zhou Nan even flaunted the ring, and Zhang Can could only shake his head with a wry smile. Zhou Nan’s competitive streak was simply overwhelming.

She’d intended to stay for dinner, but her phone rang. After taking the call and pondering a moment, she said, “Zhang Can, little Hua, I have to go. I wanted to stay and chat, but something urgent has come up that I need to handle.”

Zhang Hua got up to see her off. Zhou Nan pinched her cheek and smiled, “Sister, if you’re free tomorrow, I’ll take you out for some fun…”

“Oh…” Zhang Hua responded instinctively and saw Zhou Nan to the door. After closing it, she smiled wryly at Zhang Can, touching the necklace at her throat.

“Since she insists on giving it to you, just accept it,” Zhang Can sighed. He understood how anxious his sister must feel about accepting such an expensive gift.

Suddenly, he remembered—Zhu Senlin had told him to bring Liu Xiaoqin and Zhang Hua to the shop for work tomorrow. Zhou Nan wanted to take his sister out, but why hadn’t he thought to mention it? In any case, it would be best to let Zhou Nan give up. She was an extraordinary woman, and he had no business getting entangled with her. The powers behind her were far beyond his reach—he was still too weak to be a match for them. He needed to find a way to dissuade her. Today could have been the perfect opportunity, but she had seized the advantage and even managed a counterattack.

He sat lost in thought for a long while. When Liu Xiaoqin finished preparing the meal and laid the dishes on the table, she quietly called Zhang Can and Zhang Hua to eat.

Though the situation with Zhou Nan had left a bitter taste, Zhang Can was conflicted. On one hand, he wanted to sever all ties with Zhou Nan, to avoid any messy entanglements; on the other, deep within, he yearned for her company—even though he knew Zhou Nan was a powder keg that could explode at any moment.

After a bowl of rice, Zhang Can looked at Liu Xiaoqin and Zhang Hua, remembering what he needed to say. “Third Sister, Xiaoqin, I made a business deal today and earned a little money. My old boss transferred half the shop’s assets to me, so from now on, I’ll be managing the store with him. We’ve agreed that tomorrow, I’ll take you both to start work. Third Sister, you’ll help with odd jobs and gradually learn the ropes. Xiaoqin, you’ll handle the finances, working during the day and studying accounting at night school. The shop doesn’t have many staff, so it’s much easier than a big company—don’t worry. And even if you can’t manage, it’s fine. I can cover the costs. You can just keep an eye on things and make yourselves comfortable.”

“What? Second Brother, you mean… we really have jobs?” Zhang Hua was stunned for a moment, then burst into joy. This news was even better than Zhou Nan’s necklace. For a country girl like her, with little education or skills, to have a proper job in a city like this was better than anything.

Zhang Can nodded. “Not just any job—the shop is half ours now, worth several million. So, you both need to take good care of it. Once you’re settled and things are stable, we’ll bring Mom, Dad, Big Brother, and Sister-in-law here. I’ll buy them a house and open another shop so they’ll all have formal jobs and steady incomes. Then we won’t have to worry about anything.”

Zhang Hua was truly happy now, her eyes brimming with tears. “Second Brother, if Mom, Dad, Big Brother, and Sister-in-law could hear this, they’d be overjoyed!”

“Let’s not tell them just yet,” Zhang Can said. “When everything’s settled and I go fetch them, then we’ll give them a surprise. Also…” He turned to Liu Xiaoqin, “Xiaoqin, has your dad gone for treatment? Maybe you should go and help care for him. Your mom’s alone, it must be tough for her…”

Hearing such concern from Zhang Can, Liu Xiaoqin’s tears fell one by one, but her heart felt warm at last. She wiped her eyes and said, “My mom told me to stay here, find a job, and take good care of you. She can take care of Dad by herself, and I can earn money here, so they want me to stay.”

Zhang Can thought for a moment. “How about this—bring your parents to Jincheng. It’s a big city too, and the hospitals here are just as good as those in the provincial capital. Here, you and I can look after them, and there’s no need to worry about money. I think that’s best.”