Dai Mengmeng checked the time. There were still half an hour before work, so she could chat for a while.
"Meng Meiyun got into Hancheng University of Science and Technology back then. After graduation, she came to Dongjiang and soon met her current husband. Her husband is very wealthy. He bought her a car and a house, and also brought her entire family over."
"She got married so quickly?"
Yang Jian was not yet twenty-five after the New Year. Meng Meiyun was around the same age as him, meaning she got married three years after graduation.
"I don't know if she's married. I only heard her call someone 'husband' on the phone. I haven't seen her myself. We're from the same village, and I haven't seen her family hold a wedding banquet."
"When did you come here?"
"I've been here for over a year. I work in finance at the Yufeng Shoe Factory across the street. Meng Meiyun introduced me to this job."
"How much is the salary?"
"Close to two thousand, much higher than in Hancheng. What about you? When did you come, and which factory do you work at?"
"I just arrived not long ago and don't have a job yet. This chess and card hall is opened by my friend, and I'm helping him out for now."
Yang Jian dared not say he was running a gambling den. This classmate clearly didn't know he was wanted by the police.
"Oh, you haven't found a job yet. How about this, I'm going to work now. Give me your phone number, and I'll contact you after work this afternoon. I live in Liuqiao Village, and I'll treat you to dinner tonight."
It seemed that work time was approaching, and Dai Mengmeng was in a hurry to leave.
There seemed to be no reason to refuse, so Yang Jian gave her his phone number.
After saying goodbye, Dai Mengmeng quickly ran across the road.
A Feng walked over, "Brother Jian, who is that?"
"A high school classmate of mine. I didn't expect to meet her here."
"What a coincidence! Do you think she might leak your whereabouts to your hometown?"
"Probably not. Her family is in the mountainous area east of Xinhe. From our conversation just now, she clearly doesn't know my situation. I haven't seen her in six or seven years, and I've lost contact with most of my high school classmates."
"That's good. If you meet her again, you should still greet her, just in case she tells your family about your situation here. Those people from Hongxing won't miss any opportunity to harm you."
"I know. I won't get too close to her. We didn't have much interaction in school anyway."
Yang Jian felt a bit troubled. This location was clearly on Dai Mengmeng's daily commute route, making it difficult for him to avoid her.
Since it was Friday and there was no Mark Six lottery, not many people were buying numbers. According to Fang Hai, the reason for the low turnout today was that everyone was studying the lottery reports, analyzing them based on the hints provided, and would place their bets on the day of the draw.
The adjacent supermarket sold lottery reports. There were many types. The colored original versions cost seven to eight yuan each, while photocopies were one yuan. Many people bought them, making it a significant source of income for the supermarket.
The peak time for prize redemption was also between 5 PM and 6 PM, when workers got off work.
Yang Jian and the others could go home after finishing this wave of customers.
At 5:30 PM, Yang Jian's phone rang. It was Dai Mengmeng calling.
"Dai Mengmeng, are you off work?"
"Yes, I just got off. Are you still at the chess and card hall? I'm by the roadside opposite the supermarket. Hurry over."
Yang Jian took his phone and went outside to look across the street. He indeed saw Dai Mengmeng waving at him. He had no choice but to give the car keys to A Feng, give him some instructions, and then head out.
"Dai Mengmeng, why aren't we going over there? There are restaurants next to the supermarket. I'll treat you to dinner."
After crossing the road and meeting Dai Mengmeng, Yang Jian asked curiously.
"You don't even have a job, how can you treat me? Let's wait a moment. Someone is treating us to a big meal."
Dai Mengmeng said while looking towards the road.
Yang Jian chuckled, "Could it be your boyfriend treating us? That would be too awkward."
"I don't have a boyfriend. My parents are not in good health, and I have a younger sister in junior high school. I can't marry far away. Everyone here is from out of town, so I haven't dated anyone."
Just as Yang Jian was about to ask more, a red Porsche car stopped in front of them.
The window slowly rolled down, and a stunning face appeared. "Old classmate, you've gotten so handsome after so many years without seeing each other."
Yang Jian recognized the person at a glance, "Meng Meiyun, how could it be you?"
Dai Mengmeng opened the car door, "I told Meiyun about you being here today. She's wealthy, and she's treating us tonight. Get in."
Yang Jian hesitated for a moment before sitting in the back seat. The car smelled of expensive perfume.
"Yang Jian, what have you been doing since graduating from high school?"
Meng Meiyun glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"After graduating from high school, I went to construction sites and worked for several years. I felt it was meaningless, so I thought I'd come here to try my luck and see if I could find a good job. I came here with a friend not long ago. I didn't expect you to be doing so well. This car is not cheap."
From Meng Meiyun's words, Yang Jian could tell that she, like Dai Mengmeng, knew nothing about his situation. This meant they didn't have much information about Xinhe. Yang Jian breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's alright. I came here right after graduating from university. I've settled down here, and I've bought a house. My parents and younger brother have all moved here, so I haven't been back in the past two years. I'm really happy to see you today. Mengmeng is my only fellow townsman here."
Yang Jian smiled, "I'm also very happy to see you. You were the dream girl of all the boys at Chengguan No. 1 Middle School back then. You're even more beautiful now. I feel a bit inferior."
Meng Meiyun chuckled, "Yang Jian, you've learned to be glib after a few years apart. You've actually become more handsome. Are you dating anyone?"
"As a poor guy like me, who would be interested? I'm thinking of earning more money here to build a new house back home, so that matchmakers will come to propose marriage."
"Haha, what era is this? You still need a matchmaker? Fortunately, we're old classmates. If others heard this, they'd call you a bumpkin. Yang Jian, you've come to Dongjiang at the right time. There are many opportunities to get rich here, and luck can come quickly."
Meng Meiyun's lack of snobbery impressed Yang Jian.
"I have neither a degree nor capital or skills, so how could I think of getting rich? I'd be satisfied with a job that pays well."
"Leave the job to me. I remember you studied martial arts. No one dared to provoke you at school. With your physique, being a security captain or a private bodyguard would be no problem at all."
Meng Meiyun's offer to help him find a job caught Yang Jian off guard. He had just said it casually, it was just a chat, he didn't expect her to be so enthusiastic.
"Thank you, Meiyun. My friend has already introduced me to a job, and I have an interview tomorrow."
"Really? What kind of job? Don't think about working on an assembly line in a factory. You'll never get ahead in life that way."
"I'm going to be a driver for someone. I heard he's a wealthy boss who drives a Q7. I've never driven such a nice car before, so I'm a bit worried."
"You can drive? Then don't go for the interview. Come work as my personal assistant directly. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the benefits."
Meng Meiyun was clearly a bit excited. Both Dai Mengmeng and Yang Jian were astonished. This was clearly excessive enthusiasm.