Xie Jinghu had known about Zou Weijun’s job at the publishing house for some time.
Initially, he didn’t pay much attention, thinking Zou Weijun wouldn’t last long at work before losing interest.
It wasn’t that Xie Jinghu deliberately looked down on Zou Weijun, but she hadn’t worked a single day since marrying him.
When they met, Zou Weijun hadn’t yet graduated. He frequently visited the Zou household to ask Professor Zou for help with technical challenges in production, and over time, he and Zou Weijun developed feelings.
Upon graduating, Zou Weijun had two paths: continue to graduate school or stay on as faculty. But when Xie Jinghu proposed marriage, she chose neither, packed her bags, and left with him—much to the Zou family’s disapproval. Professor Zou, a refined man, even cursed Xie Jinghu, accusing him of luring Zou Weijun away.
Zou Weijun had a romantic streak, seeing her family’s opposition as a test of true love. She insisted on being with Xie Jinghu, abandoning both academic paths to become the wife of a small business owner.
At the time, the Xie family was far from prominent, while the Zou family was a true scholarly household. Had she not been with Xie Jinghu, she likely would have married a man of similar background, and though they might not have been wealthy, they would have lived comfortably as long as they weren’t lazy.
But marrying Xie Jinghu meant Zou Weijun could no longer indulge in her love for literature and poetry.
Though Xie Jinghu had some assets, in the late 1980s, small business owners had low social status. Xie Jinghu himself had to humble himself in dealings, so how could Zou Weijun’s life be easy?
A daughter from a scholarly family, she had to interact with the wives of small business owners. It wasn’t that she was arrogant, but they truly weren’t from the same world. Many of Xie Jinghu’s business partners’ wives came from humble beginnings. Some remained frugal despite wealth, while others became ostentatious, wearing gold and carrying designer bags, yet lacking refinement—spitting on the ground even at dinner tables. The Zou family, though not rich, valued hygiene and manners. Before Xie Jinghu, Zou Weijun had never dealt with such rough crowds.
Yet she had no choice but to grit her teeth and socialize with them. If she didn’t maintain these relationships, Xie Jinghu’s business would suffer.
This went on for years until the Zou family, seeing Zou Weijun’s determination and the birth of her child, reluctantly accepted the marriage.
Worried for his daughter and grandson, Professor Zou worked tirelessly to improve the competitiveness of Xie Jinghu’s factory, developing several technical patents over a year or two. During the 1997 financial crisis, while similar factories collapsed, Xie Jinghu’s stood firm. He even acquired struggling smaller factories, then sold them off when the economy recovered, even selling his own factory.
With the proceeds, Xie Jinghu founded Jinhu, seeking new ventures and leaving manufacturing behind.
Xie Jinghu felt no regret selling the factory, but Professor Zou did.
The factory held years of his and his team’s hard work, overcoming one technical challenge after another.
What did Professor Zou gain?
A title as chief technical advisor.
With the factory sold, that title became meaningless.
Xie Jinghu, no longer in manufacturing, had no need for his father-in-law’s expertise.
As Xie Jinghu’s wealth grew, so did his ego. He forgot the early years of marriage, like the Spring Festival when the factory had unsold stock and no liquidity, and workers blocked their door demanding pay. Too ashamed to face them, Xie Jinghu stayed inside while Zou Weijun bravely placated the workers.
To ensure the workers could afford the holiday, Zou Weijun sold her gold jewelry—some gifted by Xie Jinghu, others secretly provided by her mother. Though she didn’t often wear them, parting with them was painful.
Xie Jinghu also forgot how many business crises Zou Weijun had weathered with him. Even after founding Jinhu, she dutifully maintained social connections as his wife, doing everything other bosses’ wives did… until his affair came to light, shattering her. The prolonged struggle led to her depression, and the illness prevented her from socializing. Now, Xie Jinghu’s impression of Zou Weijun was solely of her sick self.
Whether he couldn’t remember or chose not to recall her dedication before her illness, he crudely summed up her married life as “never having to work a day after marriage” and “never suffering except for the first two years.”
So, Zou Weijun working in Rongcheng?
Xie Jinghu doubted she could find a decent job.
With no work experience or technical skills, any job she got would likely rely on connections from her in-laws or family.
Using the Xie or Zou family ties, she’d have a cushy, respectable job to bolster her image of independence.
Xie Jinghu figured she’d quit soon, but surprisingly, she’d been working since last year through April this year without resigning.
He wanted to ask her what her monthly salary could buy.
He also wanted to know how her “depression” seemed to vanish once she started working—had she been faking it?
But he couldn’t reach her.
Even after obtaining her new number post-New Year’s Eve dinner, the thought of the stack of “share transfer agreements” in Xie Yuping’s study, ready for signature, made him hesitate to call.
He feared her illness was feigned.
He feared even more that if she answered and “relapsed,” it would enrage Xie Yuping, forcing him to transfer more shares to Xie Qian.
He scoffed at Zou Weijun’s independence act, but his brother and mother clearly approved.
Xie Jinghu decided to test the waters through Zhao Dong.
As the thought crossed his mind, Zhao Dong, sitting across from him, felt a chill.
Xie Jinghu had been lost in thought—plotting something again?
Zhao Dong braced himself, only to be stunned by Xie Jinghu’s question.
“Do you know about Rongcheng Publishing Group?”
Of course, Zhao Dong knew—it was the company where Jiang Youjia’s father was general manager.
Thinking of Jiang Youjia, Zhao Dong’s eyes darkened.
Busy with networking, he hadn’t had time to deal with Jiang Youjia yet.
