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In the summer of 1983, He Wenhui graduated from university.

Four years ago, when she boarded the train to Beijing with her handbag, she was just a clueless young girl.

When he returned four years later, he was already a university graduate and an intellectual.

I spent four years in Beijing, learning to speak Mandarin, to wear high heels, and to not be shy in front of crowds.

But He Wenhui didn't learn one thing: how to face Liu Hongchang.

Liu Hongchang spent four years in the Peking University cafeteria, waiting for He Wenhui for four years.

At first, it naturally put a lot of pressure on He Wenhui, but later she felt extremely happy.

After all, a sycophant like Liu Hongchang is rare, which fully demonstrates He Wenhui's great charm.

After graduating from university, He Wenhui did not stay in Beijing, but instead chose to return to Nanjing to work.

Although her mother, Yu Qiuhua, had recovered her eyesight, she was getting old and her health was deteriorating day by day.

Wentao went to work in a factory as an apprentice, but he couldn't earn much money in a month.

Wen Yuan had grown into a young woman, and Yu Qiuhua asked Su Ning to arrange for Wen Yuan to work as a waitress in the Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty.

However, the little girl is very cunning. She keeps her eyes on Su Ning every day and has even developed the idea of ​​getting close to him.

Wenda is starting elementary school now, which is exactly the time when money is needed.

Therefore, He Wenhui could not stay in the capital; she had to come back and support the family.

When it came time to be assigned a job, He Wenhui chose a government agency in Nanjing, a stable office job with guaranteed income regardless of circumstances.

The salary isn't high, but it's stable, and I can take care of my family.

Li Jianbin also returned to Nanjing.

His family had connections in Nanjing, and through connections, they got him transferred to a public institution in the city.

The two agreed to get married once their jobs were stable.

……

He Wenhui lived a very insightful life, but Liu Hongchang was becoming increasingly lost.

During the four years that He Wenhui studied at Peking University, Liu Hongchang worked as a cook in the university cafeteria, so he was both very close to He Wenhui and very far away from her.

Every day, he would stand behind the window to get his food, and when He Wenhui passed by with an enamel basin, he would smile like a happy sycophant, but He Wenhui would just walk away with a frown.

Liu Hongchang watched He Wenhui walk to the cafeteria entrance, feeling a void in his heart, as if something had been ripped out of him.

For four years, more than a thousand days and nights, Liu Hongchang has been able to see He Wenhui every day.

But from beginning to end, it was just a one-man show for him.

It's ridiculous, like a clown...

However, Liu Hongchang, a man without a sense of self, is not worthy of pity at all; he has completely turned his life into a joke.

Li Jianbin and He Wenhui talked for many years, from high school to university graduation, from Nanjing to Beijing.

The two were childhood sweethearts, both college graduates, and both worked in government agencies. Their families were also satisfied.

Li Jianbin's mother used to look down on He Wenhui's family for being poor, but things are different now.

After all, He Wenhui graduated from Peking University and had a job in a government agency, a secure job. What did it matter if her family was poor?
In the end, isn't she still just the daughter-in-law of the Li family?

Yu Qiuhua was also satisfied with Li Jianbin, feeling that the boy was steady, polite, and caring.

Liu Hongchang? Yu Qiuhua had long forgotten him.

It wasn't that Yu Qiuhua was ungrateful; it was that she never cared about Liu Hongchang.

Su Ning helped cure her eyes, Yu Qiuhua remembers.

But that was Suning, not Liu Hongchang.

……

He Wenhui and Li Jianbin's wedding date was set for National Day, and it was a very lively occasion, after all, times have changed.

Li Jianbin's father used his connections to borrow three newly launched Santana cars, instantly elevating the wedding's prestige.

He Wenhui sent an invitation to Suning, but Suning did not attend.

Instead, they sent Yang Maixiang, who gave them a large red envelope, said congratulations and best wishes, and then left.

Yang Maixiang now looks like a noblewoman. Having just given birth, she is plump and radiant with fair skin and a beautiful face.

After graduating from university, He Wenhui lost all her luster in front of Yang Maixiang, which suddenly made He Wenhui realize once again that she was the ugly duckling.

"Maixiang, want to stay for a celebratory drink?"

"No! I have to go back to take care of the child; the little one is very clingy."

"Alright! Then Jianbin and I will go to your place to thank you and Master Su later."

You're too kind!

Ultimately, the He family has no conscience.

In the original drama, Liu Hongchang devoted everything to the He family, but in the end, he became a ridiculous joke.

He Wenhui had received so many favors from Liu Hongchang, as if it were all a matter of course, and never took Liu Hongchang seriously from beginning to end.

Suning naturally wouldn't stand up for Liu Hongchang, but they had their own judgment and knew exactly who was more important.

I wouldn't want to associate with that kind of person...

In any case, the initial move was merely to reward those who disrupted the relationship between Liu Hongchang and He Wenhui, so retiring now is the most sensible decision.

The most ridiculous thing is that Liu Hongchang didn't receive an invitation at all.

Li Jianbin and He Wenhui never even considered inviting him.

It wasn't that they deliberately didn't invite him; they simply couldn't remember him and even harbored deep resentment towards Liu Hongchang.

In He Wenhui's mind, Liu Hongchang was just an oblivious cook, completely unrelated to her life.

……

Now, Liu Hongchang has also returned to the No. 2 canteen of Yangzi Petrochemical.

I took a leave of absence without pay back then, and when I came back, my position was still there, and my seniority continued to be calculated.

The second canteen is still the same second canteen, the stove is still the same stove, and the pots and pans are still the same pots and pans.

He put on his apron and hat, picked up the iron spoon that had been with him for many years, and stood in front of the stove, just like he had four years ago.

It seems like nothing has changed, yet it also seems like everything has changed.

Upon learning of He Wenhui and Li Jianbin's marriage, Liu Hongchang was deeply saddened.

However, Liu Hongchang neither cried nor made a scene, and his expression remained unchanged.

After all, he had witnessed He Wenhui and Li Jianbin's relationship over the past four years, and he had long anticipated their current situation.

Some people say that Liu Hongchang is a joke.

He chased He Wenhui for so many years, from Nanjing to Beijing, and back to Nanjing, but in the end she didn't even send him an invitation. What is he anyway?

Some people say that Liu Hongchang is not a joke; he is foolish, so foolish that it's heartbreaking.

I felt sorry for him, but after feeling sorry for him, I still thought he was stupid.

But Suning doesn't see it that way.

Liu Hongchang has a problem; he's born to be a sycophant. You pave the way for him, but he refuses to walk and insists on jumping into a pit.

Liu Hongchang is a terrible person. He trampled on his own dignity for a woman who didn't care about him at all.

If you don't even respect yourself, how can you expect others to respect you?

But Suning has no right to criticize Liu Hongchang. Having traversed so many worlds and experienced so much, he has long since come to understand many things.

……

After getting married, He Wenhui lived a peaceful and happy life.

Li Jianbin treated her very well. Although her mother-in-law was a bit harsh, they didn't live together, so out of sight, out of mind.

He Wenhui works in a government agency, with a regular 9-to-5 job that is easy and stable. Her younger brother, Wentao, is an apprentice in a factory, where he is making rapid progress. His master likes him and says he is quick to learn.

Wen Yuan is in elementary school now. He is lively and cheerful and gets along very well with his classmates.

Yu Qiuhua's eyesight improved, and she spent her days playing cards with her neighbors, living a very comfortable life.

He Wenhui is living a good life, she doesn't need anyone to worry about her, and no one worries about her.

Only He Wenyuan, after growing up, became much more extreme.

They often try to associate themselves with Suning, even using their youth to aggressively pursue them.

"Brother Ning, would you like some water?"

"Thank you! I'm not thirsty."

"Brother Ning, are you tired? Shall I give you a shoulder massage?"

"Uh? No need! Are you settling in well at the store?"

"It's great! Everyone has been very helpful to me, and I'm doing very well at the store."

"That's good! Focus more on your work; there's a promising future in the Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty."

"Brother Ning, don't worry! I definitely won't let you down."

"Ah."

Suning naturally noticed He Wenyuan's ulterior motives and immediately left the branch.

……

After Liu Hongchang returned to work at the second canteen, he became even quieter than before.

He stopped chatting with people, stopped joking with people, and went straight back to his dorm after work, never even going home.

His older brother, Liu Yunchang, came to visit him and advised him to think more positively, to which he replied that he had. He also advised him to find a partner, but Liu said he didn't want to.

His mother, Wang Cuilan, also came to urge him to go on blind dates and get married, but Liu Hongchang said there was no rush.

Wang Cuilan berated Liu Hongchang for a long time, but Liu Hongchang remained silent.

Liu Hongchang didn't not want to get married; he was just afraid.

I'm afraid I'll fall for someone again, chase after them again, and then be dumped like a snotty ...

This flavor is something you only need to experience once.

As Suning's business continues to grow, its Daming Imperial Kitchen has opened dozens of branches in Nanjing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou. The central kitchen has been expanded twice but is still not enough, and they are preparing to build a second one.

Newspapers began reporting on Suning's remarkable achievements, with headlines like "From Individual Business Owner to Entrepreneur" prominently displayed in news reports. Suning's name began to be known by more people, and television stations even came to interview him.

Sitting in front of the camera, Suning, dressed in a suit and tie, wore a confident smile.

"Mr. Su, could you tell me about the hardships you faced in starting your business?"

"There's nothing particularly difficult about it, it's just a matter of taking it one step at a time! The main thing is that the current policies are good, giving ordinary people like us an opportunity."

"So, what direction will the Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty take next?"

"Open more branches, pay more taxes, and help the government solve more employment problems."

That day, Liu Hongchang was sitting on a long bench in the cafeteria, slurping a bowl of noodles, when he looked up and saw Su Ning's face on TV, and froze.

On TV, Su Ning was wearing a suit and tie, looking every bit the successful man. He was a completely different person from the Su Ning who used to chop vegetables in the second canteen.

Liu Hongchang stared at it for a while, then lowered his head and finished eating his noodles. Suddenly, he realized that he really needed to make a change.

……

Many years passed in the blink of an eye. Through an introduction, Liu Hongchang met a woman and quickly got married.

The other party works in a textile factory, is divorced, and has a daughter.

The woman was not talkative, but she was very hardworking. She didn't mind that Liu Hongchang was poor, nor did she mind that he was unambitious.

The two got their marriage certificate but didn't hold a wedding banquet; instead, their two families sat down together for a meal.

Liu Hongchang's mother, Wang Cuilan, was particularly happy that day. She drank several glasses of wine, held Liu Hongchang's hand, and started crying as she spoke.

Wang Cuilan was always worried that her youngest son would remain a bachelor for life.

The eldest son, Liu Yunchang, is infertile, and it seems that their Liu family line is about to end.

Now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief...

Liu Hongchang's wife brought their daughter, who always called Liu Hongchang "Dad".

Liu Hongchang treats his daughter very well. He picks her up from school every day, cooks for her, and helps her with her homework.

Although the child was not Liu Hongchang's biological child, Liu Hongchang treated her as his own.

"Liu Hongchang, why don't you want another one?"

"The opportunity hasn't come yet! There will be opportunities in the future."

"That's true! Your mom's really looking forward to holding her grandson! You'd better work hard."

……

Suning saw Liu Hongchang again at a factory anniversary event at Yangzi Petrochemical.

As a successful person, Suning was invited back to attend a gathering, where old colleagues and friends sat together for a meal and to catch up.

Liu Hongchang looks much older than he did a few years ago; his hair has turned quite white, and the wrinkles around his eyes gather when he smiles.

Wearing a gray jacket over a white crew neck shirt, he looked clean and tidy, but also appeared old-fashioned.

Liu Hongchang sat in the corner, not saying much. He would drink when others offered him a toast, and then remain silent afterward.

His wife sat next to him. She was of average appearance and not particularly beautiful, but she looked very capable and took good care of Liu Hongchang.

Suning went over to offer a toast and exchanged a few pleasantries with his old colleague whom he hadn't seen for many years.

Liu Hongchang stood up, holding his wine glass, looked at Su Ning, opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed his words.

"Hongchang, how have you been lately?"

"It's great. My wife is good to me, and my daughter is obedient. My wife is also pregnant recently. That's just how life is."

"How about you go work as a chef in the Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty? The benefits there are relatively better."

"No need! I'm quite happy working in the second cafeteria."

"Alright! The Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty welcomes you anytime." Su Ning nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

The two clinked glasses, each took a sip, and said nothing more.

So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. The people and events of those years, the good and the bad, the right and the wrong, are all in the past. Let's not talk about them anymore.

After leaving the factory anniversary celebration, Su Ning got into the car, and Yang Maixiang sat in the passenger seat. She turned around and saw Liu Hongchang standing at the factory gate, watching them leave.

Yang Maixiang sighed, "Alas! Liu Hongchang is also a man with a tragic fate."

Su Ning didn't reply, gripping the steering wheel and keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Liu Hongchang chose his own path, so he has no one to blame but himself.

Suning is different; the path is right under their feet, and they just need to keep moving forward.

"Su Ning, I heard that Wen Yuan and you have a very good relationship?"

"Who told you that?"

"Hmph! If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place."

"Don't get me wrong! I would never be interested in a girl like Wen Yuan."

"Really?"

“Maixiang, I know the He family’s nature better than you do, so naturally I can’t get too entangled with them.”

"..."

...(End of this chapter)