Chapter 519: Ren Shan’s Ambition

Chapter 519 Zuo Jinghuan's Predicament

Despite Zuo Zuying's dissatisfaction, he couldn’t override Zuo Jinghuan’s eagerness, and Liu Hongtao’s sincerity was undeniable.

Once Hou Li nodded in agreement, the two went to register their marriage.

They kept the wedding banquet small, only involving important relatives and friends from both sides, just four tables in all.

Liu Hongtao had two married older sisters and an older brother. He was the youngest son in the family but independent, having already bought his own place.

After Zuo Zuying’s nudging, after marriage, Zuo Jinghuan moved directly into the house Liu Hongtao had bought, skipping the whole big-family living situation.

The house wasn’t far from the Liu family home, so they still ate meals back at the old house for the time being.

Zuo Jinghuan had initially dove headfirst into love, but after marriage, she finally understood Zuo Zuying's concerns.

Every time during meals, the whole room would chatter away, and she couldn’t understand a word, left clueless, just silently eating with her head down.

All the dishes were bland, torture for someone who craved bold flavors, with not a speck of heat anywhere.

Their breakfast porridge even had sugar added, and some stir-fried dishes too, like scrambled eggs with tomatoes or braised pork—Zuo Jinghuan found it hard to adjust.

For several days in a row, she hadn’t seen any noodles or bread in sight, not a single bite, and no one had asked what she liked to eat.

Though Zuo Jinghuan couldn’t understand the Liu family’s dialect, she vaguely sensed they didn’t like her.

Liu’s mother murmured softly to Zuo Jinghuan, implying that since Liu Hongtao had insisted on marrying her and the family couldn’t stop him—and with the elderly grandmother anxious about his marriage—now that they were family, she hoped Zuo Jinghuan and Liu Hongtao would live well together.

Now that they had moved out, she pushed Zuo Jinghuan to cater to him more in daily life, running through Liu Hongtao’s likes and dislikes before finally bringing up the topic of having children.

Having been warned by Zuo Zuying, Zuo Jinghuan naturally deflected, calling it a matter of fate and that it should happen naturally.

Under Liu’s mother’s dissatisfied tone, she quickly changed her attitude, agreeing readily and promising full cooperation.

Firm in words but not in action—after all, couldn’t she control whether she got pregnant?

The school building was already under construction, and she and her mother would soon be busy. Launching a new school meant endless work, enough to keep her occupied for a long time.

After leaving the Liu household, Zuo Jinghuan returned to her parents’ home. Watching how Zuo Jingdan and Zhao’s mother interacted, envy flickered in her eyes.

If only Liu Hongtao could be like Zhao Zhanjun and live with her family.

But she knew it was pure fantasy—this was nearly impossible.

In just over a month, the crossroads at Yangyu Mountain had transformed. The once mountains of trash were gone, and the potholed, sewage-filled ground had been paved with cement and gravel.

Storefronts along the main road were already up, extending from the main thoroughfare into each branching path.

Su An counted—there were 21 rough, cement-partitioned shopfronts of varying sizes on either side of the main road.

Of the three branching paths, one was already completed, with 11 small shops in total.

The second path was under construction but shallower, with only seven partitioned spaces on both sides combined.

The last path was still being paved. Zeng Zhijie and Liang Jin, hands behind their backs, prowled around, throwing their weight around.

In the empty frames of the finished main road shops, local elders had already laid out baskets, selling vegetables, eggplants, and pumpkins from their own gardens.

Others had placed tables with wares displayed on top.

Su An looked at the elderly folks and asked Ren Shan, "What's going on? Why are there renters already?"

Ren Shan gave a slight smirk. "It's free. The shops won't be rented out until next year. Anyone can set up here this year. We need to attract people first."

As she spoke, she pointed at an old woman with a table. "That's Ceng Zhijie's grandmother. I just gave a little hint, and that sharp kid immediately had his grandmother come grab a small spot. Then he rode a tricycle to the market to stock up on cigarettes, beer, soda, and the like. Business is good—the old lady grins from ear to ear."

"The others selling vegetables used to set up near the big market, but it was too far to haul their goods. When they saw this roadside spot could shelter them from wind and rain, they rested here for a while. As soon as they put down their baskets, passersby started asking for prices, and then they just stayed. Others saw them and, thinking they also had vegetables at home, brought their kids to pick some and set up here too."

Ren Shan lowered her hand behind her back and tilted her head slightly. "Many people saw them sitting there making money and got the idea. Several have already started asking around about rent."

"I hired an elderly couple from nearby to sweep the ground and take out the trash every morning. When it's clean, everyone’s willing to come here for a stroll. More people mean more liveliness."

Su An looked at Ren Shan with admiration. What kind of genius had her brother brought back? At just fifteen, her mind was sharper than street-smart old-timers.

"It's October now. I estimate the third intersection will be fully finished in about ten more days."

Ren Shan nodded. "Right. Then we’ll coat the outside with cement and whitewash the interior walls."

Su An asked, "Have you thought about the next steps?"

Ren Shan nodded. "I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. I plan to have Ceng Zhijie treat the local Community Police Officers and city inspectors to a few meals, maybe give them some cigarettes and such, so they’ll drive away the private vendors around here a few times. We might also need to reserve a few small shops to curry favor with the neighborhood office."

"Otherwise, I’ve done the math. The first year probably won’t make much profit—maybe just over a hundred grand. The second year will double that, and after that, we’ll increase the rent proportionally each year."

Su An’s eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"Right now, workers in nearby factories work overtime for just over a hundred a month. Are you crazy—over a hundred grand in the first year!"

Ren Shan smiled slightly, tilting her head as the sun shone on her face, making her glow with confidence and boldness.

"An'an-jie, I’m being very conservative. Within several miles around here, aside from the market up front, this is the only three-way street market. Replicating this location is nearly impossible."

"And do you know how many people live in this area?"

"I’ve checked around—it’s jam-packed. People set up makeshift shelters under eaves, and stairwells can fit three or four people. A single large room can house five families—just throw up a bed against the wall, and that’s a family’s living space."

"Many are trash pickers, laborers, or factory workers—all kinds of people at the bottom of society."

"They work hard, and life will keep getting better for everyone. Once they have money, they’ll spend."

"And that’s not all. Every day, you’ll see people carrying bags looking for housing. Ceng Zhijie says many local residents are building sheds or fixing up old houses to rent out. I heard the factory up front is expanding and plans to build dormitories here too."

"Where there are people, there’s demand for food and drink. No matter how frugal they are, they still need three squares a day, right? And clothes and shoes for all seasons?"

"I’ve also reserved a large shop on the main road up front. I plan to get a clinic to set up. In the future, this Yangyu Mountain three-way market will be the hottest spot in the area!"