Chapter 29: Bai Rou

"Thank you, handsome!" The young woman threw Zhao Guoyang a flirtatious glance.

In his previous life, although Zhao Guoyang had never married, he had met all kinds of extraordinary women, so he was more than capable of handling this level of flirtation. He smiled and waved his hand at her. "No need to thank me. This is my stop. Goodbye!"

With that, Zhao Guoyang got off the bus without looking back.

Truthfully, he didn’t feel any aversion towards this rather attractive woman. In the early 1990s, in Nanyue Province—especially cities like Yangcheng and Pengcheng, which were among the first to open up to reform—Western culture had a significant impact. The mindset of people here was far more open than in other provinces across the country.

Just like this woman from earlier—she wasn’t necessarily trying to seduce Zhao Guoyang. She simply wanted to express her gratitude while showcasing her feminine charm.

After getting off the bus, Zhao Guoyang was just about to find out where Zhongdan Department Store was when a pleasant voice called from behind him, "Hey, little brother, why didn’t you wait for your sister? I almost lost my shoe chasing after you!"

Turning around, Zhao Guoyang saw the same young woman from the bus, now gazing at him with playful annoyance.

She had a shapely figure that moved with a graceful sway, her features delicate and alluring, exuding the unique charm of a southern woman. She wore the most fashionable butterfly hairclip of the era, and a pair of stylish red high heels. Upon closer inspection, even without a touch of makeup, she was a rare beauty. Zhao Guoyang couldn’t help but admire her silently, scratching his head in confusion as he asked, "Miss, may I ask why you’re looking for me?"

Noticing Zhao Guoyang’s slight wariness, the young woman laughed. "What’s wrong, little brother? Are you afraid your sister might eat you up? I can tell from your outfit that you’re here in Yangcheng on business. Coming to Zhongdan, you must want to stroll around and buy something for your girlfriend, right?"

"You just helped your sister out, so I’ll keep you company while you shop. Afterward, I’ll treat you to a meal to say thank you."

Zhao Guoyang studied her eyes carefully and found only clarity there, no hidden intent. He let his guard down. Besides, wandering around aimlessly by himself wasn’t ideal. Having a local guide would save him a lot of trouble. At least, with a native by his side, communicating with the locals would be much easier.

Having thought it through, Zhao Guoyang smiled. "In that case, I’ll accept your help. By the way, I don’t know your name yet."

The woman’s face lit up with a brilliant smile when Zhao Guoyang agreed to let her accompany him. But she seemed to recall something and frowned slightly. "Little brother, don’t call me ‘comrade’ like that. In Yangcheng, that’s not how we address people."

"Then… what should I call you?" Zhao Guoyang shrugged.

"My name is Bai Rou. Just call me Sister Bai," she said with poise.

Zhao Guoyang wasn’t a stickler for formality, so he nodded. "Alright, I’ll call you Sister Bai. By the way, I’m Zhao Guoyang..."

"Brother Yang..." the beautiful woman cooed.

A chill ran down Zhao Guoyang’s spine, and he quickly waved his hands. "Sister Bai, please just call me Guoyang. That other nickname makes me uncomfortable..."

She giggled. "Fine, then I’ll call you Brother Guoyang. Brother Guoyang, judging by your build, you must be from the north, right? Northern boys are usually bold and forthright, but it’s rare to see one as shy as you."

The muscles in Zhao Guoyang’s face twitched. He couldn’t help but grumble inwardly, "Honestly, to people from Nanyue, everyone from the other provinces is a northerner, aren’t they?"

Geographically speaking, out of the Republic’s twenty-three provinces, five autonomous regions, and three municipalities, only Nanhai Province lies to the south of Nanyue Province. And to most people in Nanyue, Nanhai—a small island of only thirty thousand square kilometers—might as well be invisible.

Therefore, in the eyes of Nanyue’s people, everyone from other provinces is a northerner.

In reality, by geographical division, the Qinling Mountains and Huai River are the dividing line between north and south. By that measure, apart from Pengcheng and Gangcheng, the rest of Jiangnan Province’s cities all belong to the south. Ninghai City, as a county-level city under Guangling City, is also solidly a southern city.

As a small-town southerner, Zhao Guoyang found it amusing to be considered a northerner by Bai Rou.

Of course, with the mentality of someone who had lived two lives, he wouldn’t quibble over such trivial matters. Soon, a calm smile appeared on his face, and he began chatting with Bai Rou as they walked side by side.

During their conversation, Zhao Guoyang learned that this beautiful woman wasn’t an ordinary citizen, but the owner of a small food processing company. She and her husband had founded the "Dingxin" Food Co., Ltd. a year ago, specializing in children’s snacks such as seaweed and biscuits, and the company had become somewhat well-known in Yangcheng.

Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last. Six months ago, Bai Rou’s husband fell gravely ill, and despite spending a fortune on medical bills, he couldn’t be saved in the end. Without her husband to support her, Bai Rou was left to shoulder the company’s burdens all by herself.

As a woman running a business, she had to work far harder than a man, and often endure the curious or judgmental looks of men in society. Exhausted and worn down, she’d lately considered selling the factory. That very morning, she had just finished work at the plant and decided to go out alone to clear her mind. Who could have guessed she’d run into a pickpocket—and thus cross paths with Zhao Guoyang.

After hearing Bai Rou’s story, Zhao Guoyang felt a twinge of sympathy for her. In the 1990s, many people ventured into business, and plenty of women joined the wave, but very few achieved real success. In business, women often faced natural disadvantages. Without extraordinary determination and grit, it was hard to compete with men.

Bai Rou, despite her gentle appearance, had managed a sizable food factory for some time—a testament to her hardships and perseverance.

Perhaps sensing the sympathy in Zhao Guoyang’s gaze, Bai Rou smiled faintly. "Have I been rambling too much? You must be bored, Brother Guoyang. All right, we’re at Zhongdan Department Store. Let me show you around properly."

Seeing the smile bloom on Bai Rou’s face, Zhao Guoyang paused for a moment, then nodded repeatedly and walked shoulder to shoulder with her toward the entrance of the department store.