Chapter Seventy-Six: Triumph

“The Neijiang Restaurant was given to me? Who gave it to me?” Lu Hao felt as if he were lost in a fog, utterly clueless about what was happening.

The voice on the other end of the line continued, “Yes, Mr. Lu, a lady named Miss Long spent a large sum to purchase this restaurant, then specified that it be transferred to you. She also gave us your phone number.”

Lu Hao was stunned, but then he understood what this meant.

“Alright, I see. I’ll come over today.”

“We’ll be waiting for you.”

Lu Hao hung up the phone.

As he turned around, he was suddenly embraced by a gentle pair of arms.

“What’s wrong? Who was calling?” Zhao Cuihua asked, her cheeks flushed.

Her hands refused to let go.

Since becoming a widow, it was the first time she truly felt the comfort of relying on a man, and it had restored her confidence as a woman.

“It was someone from the Neijiang Restaurant, asking me to go over.” Lu Hao didn’t mind Zhao Cuihua’s intimate gesture; after all, she was now his woman.

“The Neijiang Restaurant? Is it about what happened a few days ago?” Zhao Cuihua’s heart tightened at the words.

“Could they be out to trouble you? Don’t go…” she said anxiously.

Lu Hao patted the back of her hand and smiled, “Don’t worry, what could happen? With my skills, even if those thugs have bad intentions, they won’t be able to do anything.”

“No, I’m afraid they’ll cause you trouble. I’ll go with you. If things get dangerous, I can call for help right away,” Zhao Cuihua said, alert and determined.

Lately, Lu Hao’s days had been anything but peaceful, especially after he crippled the heir of the Sun Group.

The Sun family had ruled the village for years—how could they let this go?

So she insisted on accompanying him, fearing something might happen to Lu Hao.

“Alright, Cuihua, we’ll go together then,” Lu Hao said, and he left the house with Zhao Cuihua.

Just as they stepped outside, a couple from the neighboring house appeared, their eyes fixed on Lu Hao and Zhao Cuihua.

The woman was Liu Shuiyu, a widow notorious throughout the region. She had wide hips and full breasts, but her face was unattractive, pockmarked, with short hair, and she was short and plump. Compared to the tall, slender, and beautiful Zhao Cuihua, the difference was striking.

Her notoriety stemmed not from her appearance, but from her unabashed affairs with men. She made no effort to conceal her escapades, flaunting them boldly, and her amorous exploits were countless.

She never turned anyone away and never hid her relations with other men, having improper relationships with many in the village.

This created a peculiar sense of pride—though she had contracted several venereal diseases, few in the village dared offend her, for any provocation would summon many men to her defense.

“Well, well, I wondered why today’s wind felt so strange—it’s because you, Zhao Cuihua, found yourself a man! And such a pretty boy, too. Did he please you last night?” Liu Shuiyu sneered the moment she saw them.

She harbored resentment; she’d tried several times to set up her lovers with Zhao Cuihua, hoping to entangle her, but Zhao Cuihua had refused every time.

After repeated rejections, she grew bitter and angry.

“Don’t talk nonsense in broad daylight—no one is like you…” Zhao Cuihua’s face reddened, and she pointed at Liu Shuiyu, agitated.

Liu Shuiyu rolled her eyes and leaned against the short man at her side. “You slept with a man, so what? You’ve been a widow for years; what’s there to be shy about?”

“If you were like me, you’d admit it openly. What, you want to sleep with men but you’re afraid of the village gossips?”

She stepped closer to Zhao Cuihua, her tone mocking.

“Oh my, look at those red marks on your neck, and you say you haven’t?” Liu Shuiyu pointed at Zhao Cuihua’s neck.

Then she sized up Lu Hao, and with a flirtatious glance, she said, “Cuihua, as I told you before, you take my man, I take yours—we’ll swap, how about it?”

Liu Shuiyu seemed completely unfamiliar with shame, saying this right in front of Lu Hao and Zhao Cuihua.

Zhao Cuihua grew angrier, glaring at Liu Shuiyu, “Liu Shuiyu, don’t think everyone is like you.”

“Don’t ever say such things again, and don’t bring it up in the future,” Zhao Cuihua said, pulling Lu Hao to leave.

At that moment, the short man beside Liu Shuiyu spoke up.

“Zhao Cuihua, I, Chen Dekui, have plenty of money. There’s not a widow in Peach Blossom Village I haven’t slept with. Ask them, have I ever failed to pay, or ever failed to treat them well?” Chen Dekui said greedily, eyes fixed on Zhao Cuihua.

“As long as you’re with me, anything you want, I’ll buy for you. Didn’t you tell your friend recently you wanted a refrigerator at home, but didn’t have the money? Just sleep with me…”

Lu Hao’s brows furrowed at this.

“Bullshit,” Lu Hao cut Chen Dekui off before he could finish.

“My sister Cuihua has hands and feet—she doesn’t need to sleep with a man like you to buy a refrigerator,” Lu Hao said angrily, lifting his brow.

“You really look down on people.”

“From now on, I’m her man. If you dare harass her again, I’ll deal with you,” Lu Hao said, adopting the rough manner of Peach Blossom Village’s local bullies.

This man was dishonest, idle, wealthy, and liked to bully honest folk; Lu Hao had to be tough with him.

“Tch, what’s so great about that,” Chen Dekui muttered, intimidated by Lu Hao’s fierce gaze and threats.

He only dared bully women, never men—otherwise, he wouldn’t target widows.

Unlike the likes of Erhu, who often went after married women in the village, whose husbands dared not protest.

Chen Dekui’s voice was subdued; he turned his head, obviously unwilling to confront Lu Hao directly.

Liu Shuiyu saw her man lose face in front of Zhao Cuihua’s, and that the other was just a fair-skinned youth, probably a college student.

It infuriated her even more.

She glanced at Chen Dekui and sneered, “Useless coward.”

Then her gaze returned to Zhao Cuihua. “Let me tell you, the young man you found only wants your body for novelty. In a few days, he’ll toss you aside and won’t spend a penny on you.”

“I’m different. I’ve been eating at the Neijiang Restaurant every day lately. You know that place is the best in the village, don’t you?” Liu Shuiyu said, full of pride.