Chapter 38 Extra 1: The Surprise Prepared for Lu Yingxiao…

Chapter 38 Side Story 1: A Surprise for Lu Yingxiao…

“Good morning, Yingxiao.”

On Monday morning, Xia Huaimeng strode into the office clutching her bag, her face etched with utter exhaustion.

Lu Yingxiao had just arrived as well.

Spotting Xia Huaimeng, she beamed, “Good morning!”

That bright, cheerful voice made Xia Huaimeng pause momentarily. She then stepped forward, stopping directly in front of Lu Yingxiao and studying her intently with an odd expression.

Uncomfortable under such scrutiny, Lu Yingxiao instinctively leaned back slightly. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

Xia Huaimeng declared, “You’re not normal.”

“Not normal? What do you mean?”

Lu Yingxiao glanced down at herself, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

Xia Huaimeng explained, “Everyone else shows up on Monday looking completely drained—even workaholics like Yu Yan and the others don’t walk in relaxed and smiling like you do, as if it’s springtime.” As if suddenly struck by inspiration, Xia Huaimeng leaned in closer with a grin. “Is it *really* springtime for you?”

Before Lu Yingxiao could reply, Xia Huaimeng continued, full of admiration, “This week, we have a pop quiz on the employee handbook. Even veteran employees who’ve memorized the handbook backward and forward feel a little nervous hearing about it. You only joined our company recently and started studying the handbook just days ago—yet you’re not nervous at all. In fact, you even found time to go looking for love? You’re incredible!”

Lu Yingxiao couldn’t help but admire Xia Huaimeng’s powers of observation.

She gave a small cough and replied earnestly, “What spring? Winter hasn’t even arrived yet.”

“Really? No spring at all?”

“None!”

Xia Huaimeng still looked skeptical, locking eyes with her.

Suddenly, Lu Yingxiao tugged hard on Xia Huaimeng’s sleeve and called out, “President Gao!”—glancing toward someone behind her.

Startled, Xia Huaimeng whirled around immediately to greet him.

Gao Yan was as composed as ever, offering only a slight nod in acknowledgment. His gaze didn’t linger on Lu Yingxiao; he walked past the secretarial office door without pause.

Xia Huaimeng peeked down the corridor where Gao Yan had disappeared, hand pressed to her chest, still rattled. “President Gao is intimidating enough normally—but sneaking up like a ghost? That’s downright terrifying.”

Lu Yingxiao chuckled.

Xia Huaimeng’s gaze swung back to Lu Yingxiao, her eyes fixed on the faint, lingering smile on her lips. “Seems like you weren’t scared at all when you saw President Gao. In fact, you looked downright happy.”

Lu Yingxiao replied calmly, “I was just pretending—putting on a brave face. Just thinking about reciting the employee handbook makes my heart race. I’m especially worried that when it’s actually *my* turn, I’ll get so nervous I’ll blank out completely. But just now, seeing President Gao, I suddenly thought—if I’m no longer nervous or afraid in front of *him*, I’ll probably stay much calmer during the actual quiz too.”

A lightbulb went off in Xia Huaimeng’s mind. “That’s brilliant! If you’re not afraid of President Gao, why would you fear a pop quiz?”

So when Lu Yingxiao pulled out the “scary picture” of Gao Yan that Xia Huaimeng had given her on her first day—digging it from the very bottom of her drawer and holding it up to study it—Xia Huaimeng didn’t question it further. She simply admired Lu Yingxiao’s dedication in silence. To ensure flawless recitation, she was actually staring at Gao Yan’s “scary picture” for extended stretches. What a tough cookie!

Lu Yingxiao made no secret of studying Gao Yan’s “scary picture,” and soon all her colleagues in the secretarial office knew about it. By mid-morning, word had even spread to coworkers on the same floor. With Xia Huaimeng enthusiastically explaining and amplifying the story, everyone learned that Lu Yingxiao—the new secretary in the secretarial office—was a true go-getter.

After all, it’s the little things that reveal the most about a person.

If she’s this driven just to memorize the employee handbook, her dedication to other tasks must be even more impressive.

When the news eventually reached Lu Yingxiao’s ears, she felt slightly embarrassed.

Though she was indeed serious and driven at work, her original reason for studying Gao Yan’s “scary picture” wasn’t exactly professional.

Gao Yan had likely heard about it too—after all, she happened to run into him three or four times that day.

Each time they met, he subtly ensured she caught sight of his face—as if silently asking, “Instead of staring at a lifeless photo, why not look at me—a living, breathing person?”

Lu Yingxiao: “…”

…

Days passed.

Commute to work, commute home—then weekends spent playing with Gao Yan and his sister. Her life was ordinary, yet deeply fulfilling.

Lu Yingxiao truly cherished this rhythm. She was also quietly satisfied that, after they’d finally broken through that delicate barrier between them, Gao Yan hadn’t rushed things further. Their current dynamic resembled that of a long-married couple—no grand passion, just deepening mutual understanding and quiet, steadfast support.

With just one glance from her, he instantly knew what she wanted.

With just one gesture from him, she instantly knew what he needed.

That day was another pleasant weekend.

At Gao Youhe’s suggestion, the three of them headed to a relatively famous resort in the neighboring city.

The village retained its simple, unspoiled charm. Original residents hadn’t been relocated—everyone still lived in their ancestral homes. Especially those along the main street: each household had opened a small shop—some selling local snacks, others exquisite handicrafts. To the right of the main street ran a narrow canal threading through the entire resort.

The canal teemed with brightly colored, plump koi.

Gao Yan bought two bags of fish food. Gao Youhe eagerly dragged Lu Yingxiao over to feed them.

Where crowds gathered thickest, the koi swarmed in droves.

Of course, perhaps because so many tourists fed them constantly, these koi appeared rather indifferent to the food.

Gao Youhe’s enthusiasm waned instantly. “These koi don’t seem to like eating.”

Lu Yingxiao gently tugged her forward. “Let’s go somewhere less crowded. Maybe there are some who still enjoy it.”

Gao Youhe: “Okay.”

The sisters-in-law strolled deeper along the canal, farther into the resort.

Gao Yan followed silently behind.

The further they moved from the crowd, the quieter the surroundings grew—and the fewer koi remained in the canal, each smaller in size. Here, they were no longer picky eaters. The moment fish food scattered onto the water, nearby koi darted in from all directions, jostling playfully to devour it.

Gao Youhe played with unrestrained delight.

Seeing the fish food nearly gone, Gao Yan told Lu Yingxiao and Gao Youhe he’d return to the original spot to buy more.

Lu Yingxiao fed the koi for a while longer, then handed the last of the food in her palm to Gao Youhe.

Gao Youhe: “Sister-in-law, you’re not feeding them anymore?”

“No—you feed them.” Lu Yingxiao pointed toward an open farmhouse courtyard behind them. “I’m going to take a quick look over there.”

She thought she’d spotted a pagoda tree.

Pagoda trees were more common in northern China. In this southern city, Lu Yingxiao had never seen one before. Moreover, the Chinese character for “pagoda tree” (*huái*) contains the character for “ghost” (*guǐ*). Most people held superstitious beliefs about it, considering it inauspicious to plant one in a courtyard. Yet this farmhouse courtyard appeared to hold no such taboo. Gao Youhe followed Lu Yingxiao’s gaze.

A plain-looking farmyard, but seeing Lu Yingxiao's interest, Gao Youhe drew close affectionately and said, "Sister-in-law, I'll go with you."

The two women walked toward the farmhouse.

A gray-haired elderly woman was sitting under the eaves, soaking up the sun. Seeing two unfamiliar tourists standing at her courtyard gate, she gave them a kind smile. "Just visiting?"

Lu Yingxiao replied, "Yes." Pointing at the bare, leafless tree in the yard, she asked the old woman, "Is this a locust tree?"

The old woman nodded. "It's a locust tree. I planted it the year I got married, some fifty or sixty years ago."

Lu Yingxiao walked up to the locust tree, reached out, and patted its thick trunk. "No wonder the trunk is so stout. It must produce lots of locust blossoms every year."

"That's right. The branches are covered with locust flowers, really beautiful."

"When I was little, I ate locust flower porridge and found it so tasty. Nothing else tasted as good."

The old woman was surprised. "It's rare to find young people nowadays who like it. Every year when the locust flowers bloom, I make locust flower porridge. Unfortunately, besides me, none of my children or grandchildren like it." She could tell Lu Yingxiao truly liked locust flower porridge. The old woman went inside, took a large bag of this year's harvested locust flowers from the refrigerator, and said, "You can have these."

Lu Yingxiao offered to pay her.

The old woman refused. "Every time my son and daughter come home, they rummage through my fridge. Whenever they see the locust flowers, they try to toss them out."

Gao Youhe had only seen locust flowers in textbooks or online.

Curiously looking at the locust flowers the old woman had given her, Gao Youhe asked, confused, "Such beautiful flowers, why would they want to throw them away?"

The old woman let out a long sigh. "Because they think it's unlucky."

"Unlucky?" Gao Youhe didn't understand.

The old woman pointed at the locust flowers in Gao Youhe's hand, then at the locust tree in the yard. "They not only want to throw away the locust flowers I've stored in the fridge, but they also want to cut down this locust tree in my yard."

As if remembering something, the old woman smiled faintly and without expression. "When times were hard and we had no food, we relied on this locust tree. Now that we have plenty of food and clothing, they suddenly become superstitious, thinking the locust tree is too yin and likely to bring bad luck to the family. Whenever anything slightly unfortunate happens, they blame it on this tree."

"I really don't want them to cut it down."

"But my children are grown, and I'm old. I could stop them before, but not anymore."

"If I keep refusing to let them cut it down, they'll say I don't wish them well."

Her tone was filled with sadness and loneliness.

Gao Youhe was upset hearing this and wanted to help the old woman scold her unfilial children and grandchildren. But then she thought, no matter how bad they were, they were still the old woman's own flesh and blood. She herself was just a stranger they had just met. Outsiders shouldn't interfere in family matters. In the end, she pursed her lips and said nothing.

Lu Yingxiao also remained silent, just gazing blankly at the locust tree in the yard.

In the eyes of the old woman's children and grandchildren, the locust tree was unlucky. But in her eyes, it held the most beautiful childhood memories.

When she was little, she moved out with her mother and rented a small house in an urban village.

Outside the window of that small house stood a sturdy locust tree.

That locust tree belonged to the landlord, an elderly woman with graying hair. Seeing that she and her mother were struggling financially, the landlord would bring them a big bowl of locust flowers every day. She would tell her mother how to cook them deliciously, chattering on each visit about how filial her own children were and how large her monthly pension was, more than she could ever spend.

Back then, she was young and didn't understand what a pension was. She only understood that it sounded wonderful—not having to work every day but receiving a fixed monthly pension that never ran out.

Her family was poor.

Being poor meant lacking money.

So she asked her mother, "How do you get a pension?"

Her mother told her, "You get a pension after you retire."

She then asked her mother, "When will you retire?"

Her mother smiled and said she couldn't retire because she only did odd jobs for others. Even when she reached the retirement age, she wouldn't get a pension. To have a pension, you had to be like the landlady, working in a stable job when you're young, so you'd have a pension when you're old.

Her mother used this to motivate her, telling her she must study hard, grow up, and land a good job that offers a pension upon retirement.

She nodded and promised her mother she would study hard and get into a good unit in the future.

At the same time, she told her mother, "Mom, you'll have a pension too. I'll give it to you then—I'll give you a hundred million!"

In her mind, her mother deserved the best.

When it came to money, she should give the most.

In her understanding, "a hundred million" was the largest unit, so of course, she should give her mother a hundred million.

Her mother didn't point out that a hundred million was an astronomical figure, something ordinary people could never achieve even with a lifetime of effort. She just said happily, "Okay, I'll wait for you to give me my pension."

Unfortunately, her mother passed away before she grew up.

She didn't know if people went to the afterlife after death, but she didn't want to break her promise to her mother. Once she started earning money, she set aside necessary monthly expenses and used the rest to buy spirit money, which she burned for her mother.

So far, she had spent 312,748 yuan, still 99,687,252 yuan short of a hundred million.

This figure was exactly the same as the pension the system had promised her, down to the smallest digit.

She had no idea how the system knew about this.

Besides her and her mother, no third person should have known about this.

So, either the system had the ability to access her memories, or...

"Sister-in-law..." Gao Youhe's worried voice suddenly sounded in her ear, snapping Lu Yingxiao out of her reverie.

"What's wrong?" Lu Yingxiao asked with a smile.

Gao Youhe carefully observed Lu Yingxiao. Seeing her expression was normal, she smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, I just wanted to call you."

Lu Yingxiao reached out and ruffled Gao Youhe's hair.

She looked up at the locust tree in the yard again. Perhaps all locust trees looked similar, but the more she looked, the more this one resembled the locust tree from her childhood. Perhaps the old woman sensed her fondness for the tree and tentatively said to her, "Do you want this tree? If you do, I'll give it to you for free. Better than leaving it here to be cut down."

Lu Yingxiao did want it.

But where would she plant it?

The old woman wanted to give her the tree mainly because her children and grandchildren considered it unlucky. Lu Yingxiao didn't know if Gao Yan was superstitious, but she had heard that businesspeople often had some taboos about such superstitious matters. She couldn't bring something others considered bad into Gao Yan's home.

So Lu Yingxiao said, "Let me ask someone if they want this locust tree."

The old woman understood Lu Yingxiao's polite refusal and didn't pursue the topic further.

Gao Yan returned after buying the fish food and happened to overhear Lu Yingxiao's conversation with the old woman. At first, he didn't pay much attention, thinking the old woman simply wanted to get rid of the locust tree in her yard and was casually asking Lu Yingxiao. But as they were about to leave, he noticed Lu Yingxiao glancing at the locust tree several times, and Gao Youhe beside her seemed to have something to say to him. Gao Yan immediately made a mental note of it.

When Lu Yingxiao went to the bathroom, Gao Yan asked Gao Youhe what had happened while he was away.

Gao Youhe explained everything to Gao Yan in detail, adding, "I think sister-in-law really likes the locust tree and has a real soft spot for it. When the old lady offered to give her the tree, it was obvious she wanted it. But she probably felt bringing it home might not be good for us, so she ultimately didn’t take it."

After hearing this, Gao Yan nodded to show he understood.

Gao Youhe tugged at Gao Yan’s arm, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "Brother, how about we secretly buy the locust tree and give it to sister-in-law as a surprise? What do you think?"

Gao Yan had the same thought in mind.

He reminded Gao Youhe, "Keep it under your hat. Don’t let your sister-in-law know."

Gao Youhe made a little zipping motion over her lips and assured him, "Don’t worry, my lips are sealed."