The so-called "Cinderella" princess wasn’t really a Cinderella. Her family owned a manor and was wealthy.
Knowledge determines everything.
It is true. In ancient times, people said, "All trades are low, only studying is high." Some called this sour, but it holds the truth of striving for future generations.
In this life, even if Zhu Yanyi hadn’t met Taishu Yuanxiang, she likely wouldn’t have tangled with her past-life husband. Their living environments meant they would never cross paths.
Zhu Yanyi’s world was the art circle. Because of Zhu Yanyi, she had one foot in high society. Even if her past-life husband reappeared, she couldn’t enter her world. Their lives were too different.
Zhu Yanyi finally understood. She had been reborn. The past was just a memory. She couldn’t, and wouldn’t, walk the same path again.
Zhu Yanyi sighed. "Okay, I was obsessed. I didn’t clear things up, so they became knots. Now I’m overthinking."
Yan Aohan remained gentle, though a hint of depth lingered in his eyes. Zhu Yanyi didn’t notice. "Ani, you are lucky. You remember your past life. Treat it as a memory. Don’t tangle too much. Fate changes."
Zhu Yanyi half-understood but nodded. "Fine. The past won’t happen again. I won’t worry about it."
Zhu Yanyi could filed it away without dwelling, but Yan Aohan couldn’t. The first thing he did upon returning to his room was order an investigation into a man named Xu Ke. Zhu Yanyi had already forgotten.
Early Saturday morning, Zhu Yanyi dragged Yan Aohan out for morning exercise. It was cold, but she insisted. She hadn’t exercised with him in a year.
They ran two laps around the main road, then turned into a soy milk shop. They ordered soy milk, fried dough sticks, and baked cakes, along with some small breakfast dishes.
"Old Wang, you’re early today."
"Old Ying, why are you eating here too?"
Two men, looking sixty or seventy, looked energetic. They greeted each other, ordered, and sat down.
"You haven’t met me. I come here every Saturday." Old Ying sipped soy milk, picked up a steamed bun, and dipped it in vinegar.
Old Li chuckled. "Your wife controls your money. You only get out once a week."
"Pah! Don’t talk nonsense, Old Li. My wife doesn’t care. I just eat breakfast. She still gives me money." Old Ying laughed. "I just don’t like going out every day. My grandson says home-cooked porridge is healthier."
"Speaking of health, you should take your grandson to Aoyan Medicinal Cuisine for breakfast. They serve medicinal breakfasts now." Old Li bit into a fried dough stick.
Old Ying glanced at him. "You think I don’t know? I do. But the line is long. And Aoyan’s breakfast is limited. Only one hundred portions a day."
"No wonder. They said they need to save for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is limited. Lunch is one hundred twenty portions. Dinner is two hundred." Old Li knew the news well.
Old Ying laughed. "You know a lot, Old Li."
"Of course. My daughter’s sewing shop is opposite the medicinal cuisine shop. She sees everything."
Old Ying laughed, then changed the topic. "By the way, I heard the Little Divine Doctor is back. Beijing is busy again."
"I heard he’s treating a liver cancer patient. The results are good. Many sick people want to see him." Old Li said seriously. "It’s not just serious cases. Even Old Wang next door, with a slight cough, wants to see him."
"Sigh. These people don’t think how busy the Little Divine Doctor is. They only see his skill. If he treated every cold, he’d be too busy. Besides, Beijing’s doctors are good enough for minor ailments. Why bother him?" Old Ying said directly.
"Not just domestically. I heard international patients are coming too." Old Li shared more news.
"Foreigners coming? Aren’t foreign doctors good? Don’t they have advanced medical instruments? Why come to China for our Little Divine Doctor?" Old Ying complained.
"Old Ying, calm down. You’re old. Save your energy. Anger isn’t good for you." Old Li pointed out. Old Ying had a hot temper since youth.
"I’m angry! That’s why I said it."
Old Li smiled. "Why be angry? Medicine has no borders. Foreigners seeking help shows they recognize Chinese medicine. Shouldn’t you be happy?"
Old Ying smiled. "You’re right. I’ll eat two more buns. Think about the past. They looked down on Chinese medicine, calling it pseudoscience. Now they want our treatment. Misleading? I bet they look gloomy now."
"Haha." Old Li laughed.
Zhu Yanyi raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t heard about international patients. Since the authorities hadn’t contacted her, they had their own arrangements. She didn’t need to worry.
"By the way, did you hear? A Hong Kong tycoon is coming to Beijing to invest." Old Ying continued the gossip.
"Since our country developed, many overseas Chinese have invested here. The Huang family came before. So a Hong Kong tycoon is normal." Old Li was calm.
Zhu Yanyi admired them. Old Ying and Old Li seemed to have some background. Mostly, being born in the capital made them so stable.