Of course, Ma Lu wouldn’t talk too much about this aspect with him.

Chongqing in 1920 was bustling and prosperous, and the twenty-year-old Ma Lu sparked some ideas in Zhang Jie.

"Why don’t you simply become my daughter-in-law? My son is one year older than you and is currently studying at university in Beiping. How about it, are you interested?"

All these years, Zhang Jie didn’t care about Ma Lu’s family affairs, and Ma Lu never asked about their family matters. Now knowing that she is a girl, how could he not have thoughts?

"Uncle, sorry, I don’t want to get married yet. I think being on my own is pretty good."

No matter how Zhang Jie persuaded afterward, Ma Lu always responded with this sentence.

Her circle was very small. Besides doing business, she remained within the confines of her home daily. Even after reverting to her daughter status, she never wore flashy clothes. When she went out to sell her goods, she deliberately made herself look unattractive. Her hair was always cut short, and it would be hard to identify her as a woman without looking at her figure.

In Ma Lu’s view, having lived through so many lifetimes, she had already seen what the outside world was like. Now she just wanted to stockpile resources, so she would have support when she grew old. Such a life might sound uninteresting, but to her, it was a whole new experience.

Initially, Zhang Jie thought Ma Lu looked down on his son and was just making excuses. Unexpectedly, in the following years, Ma Lu remained single, living like a young girl, even though she was nearing thirty. Watching himself age day by day while this woman maintained herself like a female student left him bewildered.

Ma Lu unconcernedly replied, "Do you see me worrying about anything on a daily basis? I just write drafts and sell some food. My life doesn’t have stress. Those who want to trouble me can’t beat me. I enjoy watching them try to mess with me but fail miserably, which makes my mentality better. Time hasn’t etched any marks on my face. When I said I wouldn’t marry, I wasn’t joking."

During the dozen years in Chongqing, how could there not be some troublesome events?

Zhang Jie handled the troubles from the bookstore to the extent he could, and whenever an author’s appearance was required, Ma Lu would cooperate.

This back and forth inevitably exposed her identity. Naturally, she wouldn’t downgrade herself for attending such formal occasions, although the fact remained that she never grew her hair long. Her masculine attire, along with her achievements in the literary field, prompted people to call her teacher wherever she went.

Her personality was respected, and she had excellent partners for smooth business collaborations. Even the previous sixty-forty split already changed to fifty-fifty by the third year, establishing an equal relationship between her and Zhang Jie, making it relatively easy for her.

However, in the process of setting up stalls, she frequently encountered hooligans and some low-quality individuals. In such situations, she would act directly, never just talk. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Why had she been rigorously training her body and strength all these years?

It was precisely to deal with such scenarios.

And for over ten years, she had been making those three snacks without any changes, not because she couldn’t add new snacks but because she was too lazy to bother. In her view, focusing on making these three delicacies well and with finesse was sufficient. Many regular customers came for these flavors. If she introduced something new, people may not necessarily come to buy it.

It’s not like she lacked the ability to open a store, but she felt it wasn’t free, hence she gave up, favoring the freedom of setting up stalls instead.

This lifetime seemed uneventful, yet she had already dismantled some unsafe factors with her strength.

She watched the political upheavals over the years without any interference because she knew that even if she caused trouble, it wouldn’t change the established facts, let alone the fact that she, as a woman, couldn’t change anything. Her role was confined to being unrestrained with pen and ink. If she truly entered the so-called battlefield, she might be vulnerable.

Over the years, Zhang Jie helped her block many so-called admirers. Actually, she knew those men were all targeting her money. Unfortunately, she had no money, as her wealth either went to stockpiling grain or was exchanged for gold bars. Her small house had seen many thieves, but what could they steal? Her valuables were stored in her space, which was more secure than a safe.

In June 1927, Japan dispatched troops to Qingdao. On August 1, the Nanchang uprising erupted, marking the establishment of the People’s Liberation Army. This year, she was 27 years old.

From arriving in Chongqing in 1915 until now, twelve years had passed. She had always been in a closed state, not because she didn’t want to move, but she felt the timing wasn’t ripe enough. However, now she felt it was time to do something for the country.