C17 The High Officials and the Nobility

Upon hearing the words, Lyu Huan turned to look at Zhang Chunhe, her brow furrowed in concern.

She knew Zhang Chunhe well, having grown up together in the same village from a young age.

Lyu Huan had always been the village belle, with a family background that was the envy of many.

As an adult, she married Yang Lishan, the village's sole college graduate, and moved with him to the city.

With his degree, Yang Lishan easily secured a position in a government office, while Lyu Huan, diligent and hardworking, landed a stable job at a textile factory.

In those days, their family's wealth was considerable, even by city standards, let alone when compared to rural households.

Back then, Zhang Chunhe and Lyu Huan were inseparable; for a long time, Lyu Huan considered her a dear friend.

But with the urban renewal project and the relocation of Spalding's urban villages, the once impoverished villagers, including Zhang Chunhe, found themselves suddenly wealthy, each becoming multimillionaires.

Zhang Chunhe's family, too, benefited from the demolition, receiving a windfall of five million and two city apartments.

In contrast, Yang Lishan and Lyu Huan, due to their jobs, had their household registrations moved from the village and missed out on the demolition compensation.

As their social statuses shifted, so did their relationships.

The rural kin who once curried favor with the Yang family now sneered and jeered at them, and former close friends showed their true colors.

Lyu Huan vividly remembered turning to Zhang Chunhe in desperation.

Far from offering aid, Zhang Chunhe heaped scorn and ridicule upon her, ultimately lending her a mere five hundred yuan.

Before the demolition, Zhang Chunhe was always greeted with open arms by Lyu Huan during her city visits, staying for days on end and leaving with generous gifts worth far more than five hundred yuan.

Lyu Huan rejected Zhang Chunhe's money, and with it, years of friendship.

Seeing Zhang Chunhe again stirred a tumult of emotions in Lyu Huan's heart.

"Lyu Huan, it's only been a few days, and you've forgotten me? Just last month, you were at my place, tears and all, begging for a loan. Have you forgotten that already?" Zhang Chunhe's voice was edged with hostility.

"I remember quite well, Zhang Chunhe!" Lyu Huan snapped back, her anger flaring as she recalled his contemptible sneer.

Adversity reveals true friendship – a lesson Lyu Huan had come to understand deeply over the past three months.

"Oh, look who's here to buy a house? Wasn't your daughter on her deathbed and your husband locked up? How can you afford a house now?" Zhang Chunhe scrutinized Lyu Huan with a disdainful look.

"It's you who's closer to death, and your husband who belongs in jail!" Yang Manman shot back without missing a beat.

"Yang Manman? You're actually okay!" Zhang Chunhe exclaimed, her surprise quickly giving way to increased fury as she glared at Lyu Huan.

"I'm fine, thanks to the kindness of strangers, unlike you," retorted Yang Manman sharply, the young girl's spirit refusing to be downtrodden.

"So, what is it? A miraculous recovery or was there never an illness?" Zhang Chunhe sneered. "Making up such a story just to buy a house is laughable!"

"How could I possibly stoop to such deceit!" Lyu Huan seethed, but she knew better than to try outshouting a rural shrew, instead stewing in her own frustration.

"Let me be frank, you can't afford a place here. Better to drop the idea now. Why not visit some other properties instead of wasting time here?" Zhang Chunhe said with a mocking smile.

"We'll see about that," Yang Manman retorted, pulling her mother along as they made their way directly toward Rescould Pavilion.

Behind them, Zhang Chunhe's mocking laughter rang out, "I'd love to see how you lot, with your measly wages, can afford a house in Rescould Pavilion!"

Outside Rescould Pavilion, the crowd was swelling.

"Mom, look, isn't that Director Zhang from your factory?" Yang Manman pointed excitedly at a distinguished middle-aged man in the distance.

As times have evolved, the upper-class elite have increasingly prioritized fitness, with many even enlisting the expertise of professional trainers.

In contrast, the lower-income populace, long accustomed to high-calorie diets and too swamped with work to exercise, have seen their health decline.

Lyu Huan worked at Vrahoot Textile Mill in Spalding, a massive enterprise boasting over 30,000 employees and ranking among the nation's largest.

Director Zhang, who ran the colossal Vrahoot Textile Mill, naturally held an unparalleled status.

Upon encountering Director Zhang, Lyu Huan's nerves kicked in.

"Director Zhang is here to buy property; that alone suggests these homes won't come cheap!" Lyu Huan mused, already contemplating her departure.

"There's Director Wang from my dad's workplace!" Yang Manman exclaimed, pointing to a balding middle-aged man.

Seeing Director Wang only heightened Lyu Huan's anxiety.

How could someone like her, an average citizen, afford a home in a neighborhood favored by the wealthy and powerful?

"Director Zhang, you're here to house-hunt as well!" Hua Junliang, standing nearby, eagerly approached someone and struck up a conversation.

The crowd around them occasionally erupted with gasps of recognition as one prominent figure after another was identified.

Yet, as these influential individuals drew crowds engaged in lively discussions, no one seemed to notice Lyu Huan and her daughter.

"Hey, I recognize that person; he's Su Miaoyun's agent. Since Su Miaoyun is from Spalding, maybe she's looking to buy a place at Rescould Pavilion?"

"An agent's salary can only go so far. It's probably Su Miaoyun herself eyeing a Spalding property," someone nearby countered.

Unbeknownst to all, a woman, thoroughly concealed, trailed the agent.

"And there's Sun Jun, the sports star hailed as the most versatile athlete in history. He's also interested in Rescould Pavilion. It looks like Sun Jun isn't a local!"

"What does it matter if he's not from around here? Rescould Pavilion is a prime asset, a top investment choice. It would be foolish to pass up the chance to buy here!"

Sun Jun, a sports star who has surged to prominence in recent years, has made his mark across multiple disciplines, including track and field, swimming, team sports, racing, boxing, and more. In each arena, he has not only clinched the championship but also shattered world records.

Spalding City holds a special place in Sun Jun's heart as his lucky charm. It was at the Spalding International Marathon where he first burst onto the scene, claiming the top spot on the podium. Since then, Sun Jun has dominated the Spalding City Marathon, securing the title for six years running. This year, he's set to compete in the seventh edition, aiming to extend his winning streak.

"Look over there, that's Qu Rumeng, the youngest Martial Grandmaster in history, and the first female to claim the title in the century since our nation's founding. Rumor has it she can channel her inner strength to knock leaves from trees thirty meters away—a truly miraculous feat."

"Grandmaster Qu? More like a beneficiary of the Qu family's influence. Without her connections, she'd never have reached such heights. If she did it on her own, I'll eat my words on live stream!" someone in the crowd skeptically remarked.

But Qu Rumeng is no legacy of privilege. Her father and grandfather were both common folk, and throughout her schooling, she depended on scholarships to get by.

The buzz of voices only heightened Lyu Huan's restlessness and discomfort. In a gathering place for the elite, she felt out of place as an ordinary citizen.

"Yu, you're too young to understand. This isn't the kind of place for us," Lyu Huan murmured to Yang Manman.

Unperturbed by her mother's concerns, Yang Manman replied with a boldness born of innocence, "Mom, what's there to be scared of? Surely they won't deny us a chance to look around."

"You've hit the nail on the head. With the crowd today, Rescould Pavilion has the audacity to charge an entrance fee of fifty thousand yuan. If you're here to buy a house, that amount goes towards the purchase. But if you're not buying, you might as well be throwing your money into the wind!" Hua Junliang approached, sharing the news with a sense of urgency.