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The strange encounter at Ouyang Xue's restaurant did not make Rui Xiaodan shy away from Ding Yuanying; instead, it was like a beacon in the fog, allowing her to see clearly her own longing for love.

Ding Yuanying's unwavering integrity in the face of adversity, his wisdom in handling difficulties with ease and insight, and his occasional vulnerability that seemed out of place in the world, all combined to create a complex and fatal attraction that left a deep impression on Rui Xiaodan.

In addition, she is a person who dares to love and hate and has a strong drive to act.

Once she realized her feelings, she no longer hesitated and took the initiative to pursue Ding Yuanying.

This "woman pursuing man" drama quietly unfolded in the ancient city.

She found various reasons to get close to Ding Yuanying, and even took the initiative to throw herself into his arms, which could conquer even the most stoic man.

Ding Yuanying initially resisted and distanced himself, after all, he had long been accustomed to living alone.

But Rui Xiaodan's sincerity, boldness, and pure concern without any ulterior motives, like warm sunshine, gradually melted the ice in his heart.

In the end, this wise man who had seen through the ways of the world could not resist this burning emotion. The two overcame the huge differences in age, experience and circumstances and came together.

……

That day, Rui Xiaodan had just gotten off work when she saw Feng Shijie waiting at the entrance of the Public Security Bureau, a simple and somewhat awkward smile on his face.

"Officer Rui, off duty?" Feng Shijie greeted him, rubbing his hands together.

"Boss Feng? You wanted to see me?" Rui Xiaodan was a little surprised.

“That’s how it is,” Feng Shijie quickly explained, “Last time I mentioned to Teacher Ding that our Wangmiao Village wanted to find some work, and Teacher Ding pointed out a direction, saying that we could try making some audio cabinets and speaker enclosures, which don’t require high technical skills but do require meticulous handcrafting. There are plenty of hardworking old carpenters in our village, and recently, following the blueprints and samples, they’ve actually managed to tinker with a few finished products. I think… they look pretty good!”

As he spoke, he carefully observed Rui Xiaodan's expression: "I was thinking, Officer Rui, you're a worldly person, and you're familiar with Teacher Ding, so you understand these refined things. Could you perhaps take some time to visit the village, give us your opinion, and see if our stuff is presentable enough?"

Rui Xiaodan was very clever and immediately understood the hidden meaning behind Feng Shijie's words.

Asking her to oversee the process was a pretense; the real intention was to use her as an "insider" to reconnect with Ding Yuanying.

Whether the box made by Wangmiao Village is good or not, in the end, it all comes down to Ding Yuanying's word.

Feng Shijie had gone through a long and roundabout way, trying to lure Ding Yuanying to Wangmiao Village as well.

In the past, Rui Xiaodan might have directly pointed it out or politely declined.

But at this moment, her mindset is different.

She knew that it was a waste for Ding Yuanying's talent to be confined to this small place, and she also vaguely felt that perhaps the Wangmiao Village incident could become an opportunity for him to display his abilities.

Moreover, helping impoverished villages escape poverty is a good thing, and she is willing to facilitate it both publicly and privately.

So she smiled, not exposing Feng Shijie's little scheme, and readily nodded: "That's a good thing, Boss Feng. As long as the villagers are willing to work hard, that's fine. Okay, I'll find some time to go to Wangmiao Village with you to take a look."

She paused, then added seemingly casually, giving Feng Shijie the reassurance he needed most: "I'll bring Ding Yuanying along. He's the expert; let him take a look and offer some professional advice."

Upon hearing this, Feng Shijie's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he thanked her repeatedly, "Oh! That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Officer Rui! With Teacher Ding overseeing things, we can rest assured! We'll wait for your reply!"

Watching Feng Shijie leave, thanking her profusely, Rui Xiaodan's lips curled into a slight smile.

She realized that she was unknowingly becoming a bridge connecting Ding Yuanying with the outside world.

And where this bridge leads, perhaps even she herself is filled with anticipation.

……

After receiving Rui Xiaodan's confirmation, Feng Shijie returned home and began to meticulously prepare for his trip to Wangmiao Village.

He mobilized the village's most skilled carpenters to produce a batch of audio cabinet and speaker enclosure samples, strictly following the even more detailed requirements provided by Ding Yuanying.

They also made a point of cleaning the only relatively tidy courtyard in the village, the village committee compound, meticulously preparing it so that the inspection would appear both natural and crucial.

In his plan, Rui Xiaodan was undoubtedly the "stepping stone" and the "breakthrough point".

If Rui Xiaodan can be invited to Wangmiao Village and allowed to witness firsthand the village's poverty and the villagers' honesty and hard work, and given her special relationship with Ding Yuanying, she can persuade Ding Yuanying to lend a helping hand, the success rate will greatly increase.

He even secretly hoped that Rui Xiaodan would take the initiative to speak well of Wangmiao Village to Ding Yuanying out of sympathy.

The appointed day arrived, and Feng Shijie was waiting at the village entrance early in the morning.

However, when Rui Xiaodan's car stopped, the person who got out of the passenger seat, besides Rui Xiaodan, was Ouyang Xue, who looked shrewd and surveyed her surroundings.

Of course, the most important person, Ding Yuanying, did not come, which was different from what Feng Shijie had expected.

Feng Shijie's heart skipped a beat, and the warm smile on his face froze for a moment.

Ouyang Xue's sudden appearance disrupted his planned rhythm of in-depth one-on-one communication.

"Mr. Feng, thank you for waiting." Rui Xiaodan greeted him with a smile, and then naturally introduced, "Ouyang Xue, my good friend, is also a restaurant owner. She has a lot of insight into things. I specially brought her along today so that we can have another person to consult."

Ouyang Xue smiled and nodded at Feng Shijie, but her gaze swept over the village houses, roads, and villagers working in the distance like a scanner.

Feng Shijie quickly composed himself and said repeatedly, "Welcome, welcome! It's an honor for Wangmiao Village that Boss Ouyang could come!"

He guided the two to visit the samples, introduced the village's situation and everyone's efforts, and spoke earnestly, emphasizing the current state of poverty and the desire for change.

After the visit, Feng Shijie had planned to strike while the iron was hot and invite Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue to have a casual meal together in the village, to further deepen their relationship and then make more specific requests for assistance.

However, before he could speak, Rui Xiaodan spoke first, saying sincerely and politely, "Boss Feng, the villagers' skills are really good, and their spirit of finding a way out of difficulties is even more admirable. You've really gone to a lot of trouble to arrange things today."

She then changed the subject, adhering to the clear principle of "reciprocity": "Look, we've come all this way, visiting and bothering you, so we can't let the village spend any more money. How about this, I'll arrange lunch. Let's find a place in town and have a simple meal. It'll be a way of thanking you for your warm hospitality and detailed introduction, Mr. Feng."

These words were reasonable and appropriate, expressing gratitude while also drawing a clear line, turning a potentially intimate "village banquet" into a polite but distant "thank you banquet." All of Feng Shijie's prepared remarks, intended to build closer relationships through personal connections, were stuck in his throat.

He opened his mouth, looking into Rui Xiaodan's clear yet unquestionable eyes, and at Ouyang Xue's seemingly insightful smile beside her, but in the end he could only swallow his helplessness and force a somewhat strained smile onto his face:
"Officer Rui, you're too kind! I can't accept this..."

"Of course," Rui Xiaodan said with a smile, her tone gentle yet firm.

The meal, arranged in town, was eaten in a polite yet distant manner.

Rui Xiaodan politely inquired about the specific difficulties of Wangmiao Village, but made no mention of how to get help from Ding Yuanying.

Feng Shijie tried several times to steer the conversation toward Ding Yuanying, but Rui Xiaodan subtly avoided it, or Ouyang Xue jokingly deflected the topic.

In the end, Feng Shijie could only watch helplessly as Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue drove away.

He stood at the dusty village entrance, feeling utterly empty inside.

His meticulously planned scheme was easily resolved by Rui Xiaodan's "treating him with courtesy."

He then realized that this policewoman was not as easy to manipulate as he had imagined; she had her own principles and a clear sense of boundaries.

Trying to use her to bind Ding Yuanying was a much more difficult path than he had anticipated.

A deep sense of powerlessness welled up in Feng Shijie's heart.

……

Even after being rebuffed by Rui Xiaodan, Feng Shijie did not give up.

He turned his attention to Su Ning, another prominent figure in the ancient city.

In his simple understanding, Su Ning, who could run a restaurant with the style of "tranquility leads to far-reaching vision" so successfully that even a tech fanatic like Ye Xiaoming admired him greatly, must be an extremely capable person with unfathomable strength.

If we can persuade Suning to take action, Wangmiao Village might have a better chance of escaping poverty.

He deliberately chose a time when there weren't many customers in the afternoon, tidied his clothes, and walked into "Tranquility Leads to Far-Reaching Vision" with some trepidation.

The tranquil and elegant atmosphere inside the store made him unconsciously slow his pace.

After explaining his purpose, the shop assistant led him to a quiet tea room where Suning usually met with customers.

To Feng Shijie's surprise, Su Ning did not treat him poorly because he was the owner of a car repair shop. He politely invited him to sit down and personally made him a cup of tea.

This flattered Feng Shijie and rekindled his hope.

"Mr. Su, I apologize for bothering you." Feng Shijie accepted the teacup with both hands and got straight to the point, explaining the impoverished state of Wangmiao Village and his urgent feelings. He concluded earnestly, "Mr. Su, you are a businessman with extensive experience and connections. I was just wondering if you could point out a way for Wangmiao Village to succeed? Or even just provide some small jobs so that the villagers can have a way to earn a living!"

Su Ning listened quietly, her fingers gently stroking the warm teacup, her face expressionless.

After Feng Shijie finished speaking, he paused for a moment before slowly opening his mouth, his tone calm yet carrying a detached calmness that seemed to penetrate reality:

“Master Feng, I understand your feelings. It’s a good thing to want your fellow villagers to live a better life.” He changed the subject, “But have you ever thought about it? The wealth in this world, or rather, the business opportunities, are generally finite within a certain period of time.”

Feng Shijie was taken aback, clearly not quite understanding this somewhat abstract statement.

Suning used a more concrete example to explain: "Take my restaurant 'Ningjing Zhiyuan' for example. There are only so many people eating in the ancient city, and the money is only so much. If customers come to my restaurant, they might not go to 'Old Zhang's Restaurant' next door. Over time, won't 'Old Zhang's Restaurant's' business be affected? Won't the owner have a problem with me?"

He paused, his gaze seemingly able to see through people's hearts, and continued, "On a larger scale, the positioning of my place will inevitably affect Ouyang Xue's 'Yafengju' to some extent. Although things seem peaceful now, who can guarantee that if 'Yafengju' encounters difficulties in its operations one day, Ouyang Xue won't attribute the cause to my competition? If she's a calculating person, or even a bit... neurotic, won't she come looking for trouble with me?"

“Doing business isn’t just about doing your own thing well.” Su Ning’s voice was deep and clear. “You also have to consider whether you’re taking away other people’s interests, or whether you’re causing unnecessary disputes. Especially when you encounter difficulties and are under immense pressure, can you withstand it? These are all questions you must think through before taking action.”

He looked at Feng Shijie with a deep gaze: "The intention to alleviate poverty is good, but relying solely on enthusiasm and external assistance is unlikely to truly lift a place out of poverty and into prosperity. What it needs is endogenous motivation and competitiveness that can adapt to market rules. The problem in Wangmiao Village is not a lack of opportunities, but rather how to find a path that it can walk on its own."

Suning's words have thoroughly analyzed the harsh logic and potential risks of the market economy.

However, at this time, Feng Shijie was preoccupied with the poverty of Wangmiao Village and the desire to find a "savior," and he couldn't listen to these warnings about "rules," "risks," and "endogenous motivation."

In his ingrained belief, as long as one finds a truly capable and talented person, all difficulties can be easily resolved.

He believed that highly capable people had inexhaustible funds and connections that ordinary people couldn't access, but he often overlooked the most fundamental factor: their own ability to withstand pressure.

Therefore, what Suning said seemed more like an excuse to shirk responsibility.

The expectant smile on Feng Shijie's face gradually disappeared, replaced by disappointment and confusion.

He felt that although Su Ning was polite, he was no different from those who were unwilling to help at heart. They were all afraid of causing trouble and unwilling to lend a hand.

“Boss Su, what you’re saying… is too profound.” Feng Shijie forced a smile, his tone revealing undisguised disappointment. “We farmers are straightforward; we only believe in one thing: with someone as capable as you, helping our village shouldn’t be difficult…”

Not enough words to speculate.

The atmosphere suddenly cooled down.

After sitting for a few more minutes, Feng Shijie awkwardly got up and said goodbye.

Watching Feng Shijie leave with confusion and disappointment, Su Ning gently shook her head.

He knew that some truths could not be understood without personal experience.

The road to prosperity for Wangmiao Village is destined to be anything but smooth.

For the time being, he was merely a calm bystander.

...(End of chapter)