Chapter 119: Are You Trying to Drive Me Away?

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Are You Trying to Drive Me Away?

Zhang Youcai was baffled. "Isn’t Boss Zhang right in front of you? Where else are you looking?" he wondered. "Who else in the village is more fitting of the title ’Boss Zhang’ than me?"

Zhang Ronghui was equally perplexed. He had just cast a smug look at Zhang Yun, and now he saw the result.

"Is He Xiong actually here for Zhang Yun?" he wondered.

Watching He Xiong rush over enthusiastically, Zhang Ronghui glanced at Zhang Youcai. "Are you sure you guys didn’t collude to put on an act just to trick me?" he thought. However, seeing Zhang Youcai looking just as baffled took him by surprise.

"Why did you come knocking on my door? Afraid I might run away?" Zhang Yun teased.

He Xiong hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no. I was just anxious. I didn’t want to trouble you to deliver it, so I made a special trip to visit."

"So sincere?" Zhang Yun smiled.

"Of course it’s true!" He Xiong’s face was full of sincerity. "I’ve further confirmed that you were right! Naturally, I’m even more looking forward to it now!"

With so many people around, he didn’t even mention the ginseng to avoid attracting competitors. If the villagers wanted to buy it, Zhang Yun would definitely give them priority. Although someone like Zhang Youcai definitely couldn’t afford this price, it was always better to play it safe.

Zhang Yun nodded with a smile and pulled Ouyang Mingruo closer. "See this? I have to keep my girlfriend company. I just appraised a batch of antiques here, so I haven’t had the time to sort it out yet. Since you don’t want to trouble me with a trip, I’ll have to trouble you to head back first. Come back again this evening!"

Zhang Youcai and Zhang Ronghui were only a few meters away, and hearing this left them completely dumbfounded.

Although He Xiong only dealt in traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, making his scope of business relatively narrow, Liu’s Restaurant had branches all over the county, so his business was massive. Such a big boss came to the door personally, and he was dismissed with just one sentence?

He Xiong didn’t take offense at all. He smiled and nodded at Ouyang Mingruo in greeting. "With such a beautiful girlfriend, Boss Zhang naturally has to prioritize keeping her company. No problem, I’ll head back first and come over again this evening."

That was it? Zhang Ronghui and Zhang Youcai exchanged bewildered glances.

Zhang Ronghui immediately felt the disparity between them. "No wonder his business is so huge!" he thought. "He’s around thirty, the age of fiery vigor and arrogance, yet he can be so humble toward a nobody like Zhang Yun!"

Zhang Youcai, on the other hand, began to ponder. "What kind of business dealings do He Xiong and Zhang Yun have?" he wondered. "It must be incredibly important for He Xiong to keep such a low profile."

"Boss He! Why don’t you go over to my place for some tea first? Once Zhang Yun is free, I’ll accompany you to his house. How about it?" Zhang Youcai immediately went over to greet him.

Zhang Ronghui also walked over, but his complicated mood rendered him speechless.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yun took Ouyang Mingruo and headed back home.

"Girlfriend?" Ouyang Mingruo gave him a half-smile. "Someone kept saying I wanted to use him as a shield, but now you’ve used me as one first!"

Zhang Yun chuckled. "Who asked you to stand next to me? With your looks and temperament, you don’t fit in with the villagers at all. If I didn’t say you were my girlfriend, they would’ve thought you were a competitor!"

"I’ll take that as a compliment. But what competitor? And what kind of business do you have with him?"

"Why do you ask? It’s just a small-scale operation. How could it catch the eye of the great Miss Mingruo?"

The more Zhang Yun refused to say, the more curious Ouyang Mingruo became. "I’m just puzzled. You’re clearly just an ordinary little farmer. Why are there so many people chasing after you to do business?"

"Ordinary like Koo Tinlok? So you’re praising my handsome looks?" Zhang Yun gladly accepted it with a laugh. "They’re not chasing after me to do business; they definitely just want to scam me out of my money."

Ouyang Mingruo punched him lightly. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

With her eye for people, she could tell that Zhang Youcai was just a rural boss, while He Xiong was clearly different. He didn’t seem like the type to put on such an act just to scam a little money.

"You’re overthinking it. I just farm and raise fish, and occasionally dig up a centennial ginseng or something. He Xiong is just coveting my centennial ginseng, that’s all."

Ouyang Mingruo was completely unconvinced. "Can a centennial ginseng be found just by digging occasionally?" she thought. "Why don’t you say you dig up gold occasionally?"

Upon returning home, Zhang Yun saw the sweat-drenched Xu Jin and the other three sparring and practicing martial arts in the courtyard!

"Oh, you guys sure are energetic, aren’t you?"

Seeing Zhang Yun return, Xu Jin and the others immediately stopped, quickly lined up in front of him, and dropped directly to their knees.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master!"

Ouyang Mingruo had consumed half of a Mysterious Petal, and Zhang Yun hadn’t hesitated to accept Ouyang Kunpeng’s hundred-thousand-yuan token of gratitude. The four of them had used two whole petals, so Zhang Yun certainly deserved their grand gesture of respect.

"Get up. How do you feel?"

"I feel like I’ve improved by leaps and bounds!"

"My strength is greater, my speed is faster, and my reflexes are sharper."

"It really feels like my Power has been boosted by several years."

"Thank you for your help, Master!"

Ouyang Mingruo felt a sense of wonder once again. When Zhang Yun previously mentioned passing on his Power to them, she thought he was just bluffing—fooling both her and his four disciples. She never expected them to actually experience such intense results!

"These kids work too hard. Hurry up and eat something," Zhang Fu said with deep emotion.

Zhang Yun was well aware of the changes. Since they practiced martial arts year-round and were eager to break through their bottlenecks, it was completely normal for them to have heightened senses.

"Didn’t you guys bring luggage? Take turns showering and eating! Once you’re done, send Miss Ouyang on her way!"

Zhang Yun was fully embracing his role as a master, earnestly instructing his disciples, when Ouyang Mingruo suddenly smacked him on the head.

"What do you mean ’send me on my way’? Are you sending me to the execution ground?"

Xu Jin and the others were just about to answer solemnly, but hearing this, they couldn’t help but hold back their laughter. They hurried to the car to grab their belongings, afraid that if their master got scolded by his girlfriend, he would turn around and scold them instead.

Watching their natural interaction, Zhang Fu felt greatly comforted in his old age. It looked like there was a real chance! "However," he thought, "such an outstanding girl is clearly from a wealthy family. Even if they’re in love right now, would her family ever approve of my son?" But his son had suddenly become quite remarkable lately, which filled him with confidence.

"Are you trying to chase me away?" Once they reached the upstairs room, Ouyang Mingruo didn’t joke around as usual; instead, she looked a little sorrowful.

Zhang Yun smiled. "You came looking for me on a whim, not because you like me, nor for poetry and distant fields. You can’t escape your problems. If you go back and face them earlier, you might be able to solve them sooner."

"But you won’t go with me. I only feel safe when you’re around," Ouyang Mingruo said, putting on a pitiful expression again.

"I’ve assigned my four great disciples to you, and I even passed my Power onto them. There won’t be any issues with your safety..."

Before Zhang Yun could finish his sentence, Ouyang Mingruo suddenly embraced him again, pressing tightly against his body.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. But Zhang Yun understood what she meant. The sense of security he provided wasn’t just physical protection from attacks; it gave her a psychological anchor to lean on right now!

Zhang Yun was on the verge of saying he would accompany her... but on second thought, the gap between their worlds was too vast. It was better not to invest too much, or it would lead to headaches in the future. As long as she was safe and unharmed, that was enough.

Right at that moment, Zhang Fu’s loud shout echoed from downstairs. "Zhang Yun! Your classmate is here to see you! It’s Chen Hui from the county town!"