《Sweet Nostalgia of the 80s》


 Chapter 1 - 1 1 Rebirth in 1985

    ?1: Chapter 1: Rebirth in 1985 1: Chapter 1: Rebirth in 1985 An Hao slowly opened her eyes and was astonished at the scene before her.


    She remembered clearly, utterly disheartened, she had jumped from the twelfth floor and crashed onto the cold concrete ground, not lying on this earthen kang bed.


    An Hao sat up and took a careful look around, the mud-brick house with walls pasted with newspaper, the square table painted red with leftover pancakes on it, the enamel washbasin, the kang bed she was lying on, and the quilt made of patchwork fabric.


    This...


    This scene looked just like the life she lived twenty years ago¡ªcould it be that time had flowed backward?


    Realizing something, An Hao was startled, hurriedly leaped out of bed, and stood in front of the wardrobe mirror at home, immediately gasping in shock.


    In the mirror was a delicate little face, skin smooth and gleaming, with two black braids hanging in front of her chest, and in those big watery eyes was a look full of astonishment.


    She incredulously raised her hand to touch her smooth cheek, then pinched herself hard to remind herself she was still alive.


    That¡¯s right!


    She had been reborn!


    An Hao smiled joyfully, and as she smiled, tears streamed down her face!


    This was crying tears of happiness!


    She thanked Heaven for pitying her, giving her a chance to live her life anew!


    Her previous life had been too much of a failure, filled with unbearable pain and despair in her dying moments¡ªshe refused to accept such a wretched ending for herself, so with her fiery temper, she ended her life in such a tragic way.


    Thinking of her past life, An Hao¡¯s heart ached, the treachery of her stepmother and stepsister, a trusted friend stealing her man, ending up homeless, chased for debts and dying a grim death away from home.


    All of that happened because she was brainless and hot-tempered, quick to explode, and easily manipulated into doing foolish things, letting herself and her husband Qin Jian down.


    Now that she could live again, she vowed to keep her eyes wide open and live a brilliant life.


    As An Hao was reflecting, she heard her stepmother Bai Xue¡¯s voice from the courtyard, ¡°Husband, what to say about that girl?


    Neighbor Zhang¡¯s goodwill in matchmaking was with good intentions.


    It¡¯s said a daughter is hard to keep at home, and our girl is already eighteen; it¡¯s time we found her a husband.


    Although Wang Genqiang is a bit...


    well, the village head¡¯s family is in such good standing...


    I didn¡¯t expect her to be unwilling, but who knew she had such a temper, even resorting to hitting her head against the wall, sigh...¡±


    The Wang Genqiang mentioned by stepmother Bai Xue was the second son of the Wang family, and the only son of the village head.


    Previously, the village head had a first son who was very bright but always sickly; he died from a serious illness at the age of fourteen, leaving the village head devastated.


    Later on, they had a second son, whom they named Wang Genqiang, but he had some problems with his mind.


    To say he had ¡®problems¡¯ was putting it mildly; in plain terms, he was an idiot, and the people in the village privately dubbed him ¡®Wang the Simpleton.¡¯


    In her past life, An Hao remembered Bai Xue had wanted to marry her off to Wang the Simpleton with a simple aim: Wang the Simpleton was very fond of her, and the village head had promised if she married him, stepsister Bai Yanjiao would get a city job, and there would also be a hefty bride price, which was why the stepmother forced her into the marriage.


    She was unwilling at the time and had a big fight with Bai Xue about it; things escalated quickly, and Bai Yanjiao panicked and pushed her, causing her to hit her head.


    When her father An Shuchao returned, she wanted to explain to him, but the stepmother beat her to it, with a tear-streaked face full of supposed grievances, recounting the family¡¯s hardships.


    She even showed the scratches An Hao made on her to An Shuchao.


    Her father exploded in rage immediately and ordered her to go on the matchmaking visit; even if she could not marry that fool, she had to show up for the sake of giving face to the village head, as not showing up could lead to the village head making life difficult for him at the production team¡¯s work assignments.


    She defied her father and berated Bai Xue mercilessly; her father was so furious he beat her severely and forced her to meet with the suitor.


    Afterward, she did go, beat up Wang the Simpleton, had a fight with the village head¡¯s wife, and even wreaked havoc at Aunt Zhang¡¯s house.


    That incident truly made her infamous.


    After that, no one in the village dared to propose to her, and half a year later, when the stepmother heard that Qin Jian, who worked at the Provincial Electric Power Research Institute, had returned home, word was that Qin Jian was ill-fated, as women who got engaged to him would fall ill not long after, nearly dying, only recovering after calling off the engagement.


    Because of this, Qin Jian, in his thirties, was still unmarried, so Bai Xue consulted fortune-tellers, claimed compatibility, and spoke with Qin Jian¡¯s mother; the two mothers quickly arranged the marriage.

 Chapter 2 - 2 2 The Marriage Arrangement with the Fool

    ?2: Chapter 2 The Marriage Arrangement with the Fool 2: Chapter 2 The Marriage Arrangement with the Fool The situation in her previous life was probably something like this, after the stepmother and Qin Jian¡¯s mother had arranged the marriage, both families started preparing for the wedding.


    Resistance was futile for An Hao, as she was getting on in years as a single woman, and it wasn¡¯t feasible for her to stay unmarried at home indefinitely.


    Being a freeloader and raising a grown daughter was costly in terms of food and clothing expenses, and neither her father An Shuchao nor stepmother Bai Xue Mei agreed with her objections; it was as if she had been forced into marriage.


    Because her reputation hadn¡¯t been good prior to the marriage, she was originally resentful when she arrived at her in-laws¡¯ house and made a few scenes, completely offending the family.


    Qin Jian had numerous discussions with her about these issues to no avail, and eventually, Qin Jian, in a fit of anger, simply applied for a transfer and for a while didn¡¯t come back.


    Reflecting on it, An Hao thought she was truly foolish in her previous life; there were so many ways to solve problems, yet she had chosen the simplest, most brutish, and least likable one, influenced by others to divorce Qin Jian.


    An Shuchao¡¯s voice echoed in the courtyard, disrupting An Hao¡¯s trip down memory lane, ¡°Child¡¯s mother, this is not your fault, you meant well, An Hao has a fiery temper, but I will talk to her.¡±


    Bai Xue Mei looked at him worriedly, ¡°What if An Hao refuses to go no matter what...¡±


    An Shuchao was squatting on the steps of the courtyard smoking his pipe, and when he heard Bai Xue Mei¡¯s words, he instantly lost his temper, ¡°What?


    She dares to disobey!


    I¡¯m her father, if I tell her to go, she must go.


    If she dares not to, I¡¯ll drag her there even if I have to beat her.¡±


    An Hao, listening from inside the house, felt a chill in her heart; her father An Shuchao was so bewitched by her stepmother Bai Xue Mei, who was very cunning¡ªnice to one¡¯s face but mean behind their back, and had wrapped her father around her finger the moment she entered the door.


    She manipulated all the household gossip to her advantage.


    ¡°No, child¡¯s father, no matter how you put it, An Hao is still a girl, don¡¯t beat the child whenever you please.


    Talk to her nicely, let her meet Wang Genqiang.


    If she¡¯s willing, that¡¯s great, and then Yanjiao¡¯s job¡ªthe village chief said he¡¯d arrange it through relatives.


    Plus, we can offer an additional dowry, and there will be money for An Ping¡¯s tuition.


    We can save a bit more to buy An Hao some decent clothes, and get you some good things to nourish your health.¡±


    Bai Xue Mei made all her points with the An Family¡¯s best interest in mind, as if her whole heart was set on doing good for them.


    The kinder and more virtuous she appeared, the more she made An Hao seem unreasonable.


    At that moment, Bai Yanjiao, who was standing aside, spoke up, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t talk anymore, you give your all for this family, and big sister just doesn¡¯t understand, and even misunderstands you.


    Why bother?


    In the eyes of others, you¡¯re still a stepmother!¡±


    ¡°Yanjiao, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Bai Xue Mei¡¯s face darkened as she glared at her daughter, but inside she was delighted.


    Her daughter was clever, never missing a beat on what to say and when to say it.


    ¡°Yanjiao isn¡¯t talking nonsense.


    Child¡¯s mother, don¡¯t scold her, it¡¯s An Hao who is at fault, I¡¯ll go talk to her.¡± An Shuchao tapped his pipe on the ground and pocketed his smoking pipe as he stood up.


    An Hao heard everything clearly from inside the house; this mother and daughter lead her father around in circles.


    The turning point in her fate was this matchmaking session; indeed, in the year 1985, the matchmaking that occurred when she turned eighteen had led her life in a completely different direction.


    They think they can trap her this time?


    No chance!


    In this lifetime, she would definitely not follow the same old path!


    With this thought, An Hao straightened her clothes, and with a loud clang, she pushed the door open and stepped out.

 Chapter 3 - 3 3 Double Benefit

    ?3: Chapter 3 Double Benefit 3: Chapter 3 Double Benefit Seeing An Hao walk out of the house, the gazes of mother and daughter Bai Xue converged sharply on her, ready to watch the drama unfold.


    Such expressions were no stranger to An Hao¡ªshe had seen them more than once or twice in the past three years.


    They would love nothing more than to marry her off to an idiot, just to reap some benefits themselves.


    ¡°An Hao, your mother has found you a marriage proposal, from the head of the village¡¯s family...¡± An Shuchao hadn¡¯t finished speaking when An Hao interrupted him.


    ¡°Dad, there¡¯s no need to continue.


    I do not agree to this marriage proposal.¡± An Hao refused decisively.


    This was the very beginning of her fate veering off course, and in this life, no matter what, she definitely wouldn¡¯t go on a blind date again.


    ¡°Listen to this, listen to this!


    Old An, An Hao is your own daughter, yet this is how she treats you.


    You can imagine her attitude towards me,¡± Bai Xue complained, seizing the opportunity to criticize An Hao.


    An Shuchao was originally angry with An Hao¡¯s thoughtlessness, and Bai Xue¡¯s words only intensified his anger: ¡°Do you have any idea how fortunate you are?


    We¡¯re so poor we can hardly keep a pot on the boil.


    With so many mouths to feed meal to meal, marrying the head of the village¡¯s son could greatly relieve our family¡¯s burden.¡±


    Burden?


    If he was so concerned about the burden, he shouldn¡¯t have married Bai Xue the year after his mother¡¯s death, let alone brought along the idle and freeloading Bai Yanjiao.


    An Hao had said as much in her previous life, only to be met with a slap across the face from her father.


    It was only later that she learned why her father treated Bai Xue so well: he had owed a life debt to Bai Xue¡¯s husband and, coupled with Bai Xue¡¯s manipulative ways, it led to their current situation.


    Having been reborn, An Hao would not be foolish enough to say such things in front of so many people.


    To Bai Xue¡¯s surprise, An Hao did not explode with a retort as usual.


    Still, Bai Xue had come today with the aim of making An Hao agree to marry Wang Genqiang, so she continued to stir the pot:


    ¡°An Hao, I am doing this for your own good.


    Wang Genqiang may not be bright, but he is a good, honest man.


    The village head has assured me repeatedly that once you marry into their family, you won¡¯t suffer the slightest grievance.


    You¡¯ll have white flour steamed buns for every meal and even get to eat meat once a week.¡±


    If that was truly the case, then the terms were indeed attractive.


    In the villages of the 1980s, being fed well was a luxury, let alone enjoying white flour buns and meat.


    An Hao laughed dryly at Bai Xue and said, ¡°Since the conditions are so good, why don¡¯t you let Yanjiao go?¡±


    That remark caught Bai Xue off guard.


    The girl¡¯s sharp tongue was becoming more formidable.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for An Shuchao¡¯s presence, Bai Xue would have really liked to slap her twice.


    ¡°Hear that, hear this!


    Old An, my heartfelt efforts are treated as worthless by her!¡± Bai Xue always played this card well; after three years of living with An Shuchao, she knew exactly what worked on him.


    Seeing his daughter infuriate Bai Xue to the point of tears, An Shuchao was brimming with rage and about to burst, only to hear An Hao continue, ¡°What did I say?


    Wasn¡¯t it fair?


    With such good terms, why don¡¯t you let Yanjiao go?


    It¡¯s clear because Wang Genqiang is an idiot.


    There¡¯s a difference between a real mother and a stepmother!


    You only think about marrying me off for some return benefits for the family.


    Mother, I¡¯m even considering your reputation¡ª if you marry me to the idiot, aren¡¯t you afraid of being pointed at when you walk out of this door, mocked by the neighbors?¡±


    ¡°I...


    I don¡¯t favor Yanjiao!¡± Bai Xue was nearly livid, her own sharp tongue usually formidable.


    Yet today, she found herself outmaneuvered by this sly girl.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so concerned for the family, why not marry Bai Yanjiao to the fool?


    That way, not only would you solve the family¡¯s financial troubles, you¡¯d also earn a good reputation in the village, killing two birds with one stone!¡± An Hao¡¯s lips curled up in a warm smile.

 Chapter 4 - 4 4 Hard Time at Home

    ?4: Chapter 4 Hard Time at Home 4: Chapter 4 Hard Time at Home Marrying off her own dear daughter to Wang the Simpleton?


    Bai Xue certainly would not allow it.


    Before she could voice her objections, Bai Yanjiao, who was standing by the side, couldn¡¯t hold back her impatience.


    Hands on her hips, she took a step forward, pointed at An Hao, and lashed out, ¡°An Hao, you spiteful thing!


    You¡¯re forcing my mom to throw me into a pit of fire!


    There¡¯s a limit to ruining someone, and you¡¯ve crossed it!¡±


    The smile on An Hao¡¯s lips deepened, ¡°So you admit it¡¯s a pit of fire!


    You know it¡¯s ruining someone!¡±


    ¡°You!


    You!!¡± Bai Yanjiao opened her mouth to retort angrily but she stuttered without being able to say anything coherent.


    An Hao watched her and chuckled to herself secretly.


    Even though Yanjiao didn¡¯t finish her sentence, she knew that her father An Shuchao must have had some thoughts.


    She didn¡¯t believe her father¡¯s heart was made of iron and that he truly wished for her to marry the Simpleton.


    ¡°Fine!


    Fine!


    If you¡¯re going to be like that, then I won¡¯t interfere anymore,¡± Bai Xue, seeing this, teared up, a belly full of grievances looking at An Shuchao while complaining.


    ¡°I¡¯ve married into the An Family for three years now, and which day haven¡¯t I dedicated myself to this home.


    With An Hao speaking ill of me like this, I really feel terrible.


    I wash my hands of this matter, you, Old An, make the decision.¡±


    An Shuchao felt his daughter had a point.


    If he forced An Hao to marry Wang the Simpleton, what would the villagers think of him?


    For the rest of his life, he would not be able to hold his head high, being the butt of gossip ¨C and he was a man who valued face!


    At the same time, he was confronted with the serious problem of providing for the family.


    An Hao was attending school, preparing for college entrance exams next year, An Ping was in middle school, Yanjiao was not good at studies, so she stopped and was doing nothing at home; Bai Xue doted on her daughter terribly, preferring to suffer herself rather than having her do more chores, what could he, as a stepfather, even say?


    For a moment, An Shuchao also felt exceedingly worried.


    He sighed deeply, crouched down, and took several strong draws from his smoking pipe, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about this matter anymore.


    Xue, tomorrow you go return the dowry to the village chief¡¯s wife.¡±


    Left without a choice, Bai Xue could only agree.


    An Hao was also aware of the family¡¯s situation; all the talk was worthless in the face of financial difficulties.


    For a family like hers, life was incredibly tough, depending solely on her father ¨C he could work himself to death and still not become wealthy.


    Thoughts began spinning in An Hao¡¯s mind; she should do something to lighten the family¡¯s burden.


    In her previous life, she had learnt quite a lot to make ends meet, lived more than a decade longer than anybody else, and still had some grasp on the nation¡¯s policies and market trends.


    Tomorrow, she planned to go into the city to see if she could find some way to make money.


    Once An Shuchao had made up his mind, Bai Xue really started to worry.


    She had taken ten yuan as a reservation fee from the future bride of the village chief.


    Considering it was almost New Year¡¯s, she had asked someone to fetch several yards of cloth from the cooperative in town thirty miles away to make clothes for An Shuchao and An Ping, and bought two hair ribbons for Yanjiao, along with a bag of candy and two pounds of meat.


    Ten yuan was already a considerable sum to their family, and she had spent half of it on these items.


    If this arrangement fell through, she would have to return the items to the village chief¡¯s wife.


    Now what was she to do?


    She had nothing to give back to them.


    After much thought, this matter still had to be discussed directly with An Shuchao, so she took out the five yuan from her pocket and handed it to him, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then please remember to return these five yuan to the village chief¡¯s family tomorrow.


    The other five yuan I¡¯ve used to prepare some New Year goods for the family, seeing it¡¯s almost the New Year.


    I thought we could have a good one this year.


    But looking at our current situation...


    you¡¯ll have to take another five yuan from the house for the village chief.¡±


    ¡°Alright...


    alright,¡± An Shuchao took the money, heaved a sigh, and put it in his pocket.


    There wasn¡¯t much money left at home; it seemed that after the New Year, he would have to find ways to earn some money through manual labor.

 Chapter 5 - 5 5 The pigs eat better than us

    ?5: Chapter 5 The pigs eat better than us 5: Chapter 5 The pigs eat better than us Marrying off to Wang Er the fool, once An Shuchao gave his approval, Bai Xue couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Thinking about the good days ahead flying away, she felt upset the entire afternoon.


    An Hao¡¯s headache was still rather severe.


    After simply uttering a few words, she turned and went back into the room, lay down on the kang bed, pulled the quilt over her head, and fell asleep again.


    When she woke up again, it was already dark.


    She got up, washed her face, and walked out after lifting the cotton curtain.


    The kitchen fire had been extinguished, and after glancing inside, she went directly to the north room.


    The north room was where An Shuchao and Bai Xue lived.


    They usually ate in this room, which had a small low table in the center already set with food, waiting just for her and her brother, An Ping, who hadn¡¯t arrived home yet.


    ¡°An Hao, come and eat,¡± Bai Xue greeted her with a smile as soon as she saw her.


    There wasn¡¯t the slightest unhappiness on her face, and with her indifferent attitude, it seemed as if the afternoon¡¯s events had never happened.


    Since she was acting this way, An Hao didn¡¯t give her a dirty look either, but sat down with a grin as well.


    She glanced at the food on the table, corn porridge with flatbread and pickles, a meal that was quite a bit worse than usual.


    Clearly, Bai Xue was annoyed.


    Even though the family was poor, it wasn¡¯t bad to this extent.


    The soup in the bowl was so watery it could reflect a person¡¯s image, the flatbread had been reheated several times and changed color, obviously tough and not tasty.


    The grains of salt on the pickles hadn¡¯t been washed off properly, suggesting the meal wouldn¡¯t be very good.


    An Hao didn¡¯t point this out, and the family sat at the table waiting for An Ping.


    It was time for him to come home.


    Indeed, after a short wait, An Ping came back from a classmate¡¯s house where he had been doing homework.


    As soon as he got home, he threw his backpack aside and sat at the low table without even washing his hands.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even wash your hands before eating,¡± An Hao frowned and reprimanded him, ¡°Be careful or you¡¯ll get sick.¡±


    An Ping, a sixteen-year-old lad with thick eyebrows and big eyes, bore a slight resemblance to An Hao.


    Hearing her say this, he glared: ¡°You always make a fuss over nothing.¡±


    Their relationship hadn¡¯t been very good anyway.


    Back when their mother was alive, An Ping was mischievous to an extreme, and An Hao would always scold him, which made him particularly resent her.


    After their mother passed away and stepmother Bai Xue entered the house, she quickly noticed that An Shuchao favored sons over daughters.


    She skillfully indulged An Ping, always catering to him with the best food and drink.


    Sure enough, the boy, as witless as she had been in a past life, was easily won over.


    Once their father died, An Ping was kicked to the curb without a penny to his name, and he even dared to gamble.


    Fortunately, he finally saw the light.


    When debt collectors came chasing and blocked their door, he stood in front of her, taking a knife to his death.


    The blood that spilled everywhere, the regretful look in his eyes as he stared at An Hao before dying, uttering his last words in life: ¡°Sis, I was wrong!


    It was me who harmed you!


    I¡¯m sorry,¡±¡ªthe blood and those final words of remorse and tragedy pierced An Hao¡¯s eyes and heart.


    Even though she had been reborn, the memory of her past life still caused her heart to ache faintly.


    In this life, she absolutely wouldn¡¯t let her brother be spoiled by Bai Xue into those bad habits of dependence, she would ensure her dear brother trod a different path.


    When An Hao came to her senses, Bai Xue was already standing up with a smile, taking a towel from the rack, scooping some hot water from the iron pot on the stove, dunking the towel into it, and handing it to An Ping: ¡°An Ping, your sister is right.


    Here, wipe your hands.¡±


    ¡°Mom is always good to me,¡± An Ping took the towel, wiped his hands carelessly, and handed it back.


    ¡°You¡¯re spoiling him,¡± An Shuchao said this despite feeling pleased inside.


    They say stepmothers are heartless, but Bai Xue was an exception, quite good to his own son.


    Bai Xue just smiled: ¡°They are all children after all.¡±


    An Ping reached out to start eating, but upon seeing only a dish of pickles on the table, his face immediately soured: ¡°Why is our food getting worse and worse?


    Even pigs eat better than us!


    I¡¯m growing right now, how can I manage if I don¡¯t eat well?¡±

 Chapter 6 - 6 6 Dont Get Any Wrong Ideas

    ?6: Chapter 6 Don¡¯t Get Any Wrong Ideas 6: Chapter 6 Don¡¯t Get Any Wrong Ideas ¡°Always got to make a fuss.


    Everyone else can eat; why can¡¯t you?¡± An Shuchao glared at An Ping and picked up a cold pancake, starting to eat it with some pickled vegetables.


    The pancake was so coarse it scratched his throat, and the pickled vegetables were so salty they could choke a person, but he still forced it down.


    As he swallowed, he noticeably stretched his neck and gulped forcefully.


    After one bite, An Ping couldn¡¯t continue eating and, frowning, complained, ¡°This is too hard to eat.


    Couldn¡¯t you at least warm up the pancake?¡±


    Bai Yanjiao held her bowl and sipped the porridge, murmuring, ¡°An Ping, stop complaining.


    You see the state of our family.


    I had arranged a marriage for your sister.


    The man¡¯s family was offering a job and a generous dowry, but she wouldn¡¯t agree.¡±


    ¡°What?


    What?


    What?¡± An Ping was so startled that he slapped the table and shouted, ¡°Are you out of your mind?


    You pass up such good terms?


    You enjoy seeing the whole family starve, is that it?¡±


    An Hao didn¡¯t respond until she had finished chewing the pancake in her mouth, ¡°Would you be happy if I married ¡®Stupid Wang¡¯?¡±


    ¡°As long as the family is well-off,¡± An Ping said.


    At the moment, in his eyes, his elder sister An Hao wasn¡¯t as close to him as Bai Yanjiao.


    All day long, An Hao knew only how to argue with him, and even sometimes wanted to hit him.


    It would be better for her to marry off early and contribute to the family.


    ¡°Hmm.


    That¡¯s right.


    We should find you a rich but silly girl to marry someday,¡± An Hao retorted, neither warm nor cold.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want that,¡± An Ping immediately became anxious when he heard this.


    ¡°An Hao, don¡¯t get any ideas about me.¡±


    An Hao shook her head, thinking how naive An Ping was.


    Did he really think so little of her, his own sister?


    She was the closest person to him in this world, aside from their father¡ªhow could she harm him?


    An Ping already had no appetite, and after An Hao¡¯s words, he felt even less disposed to eat, so he pushed his bowl away in frustration and went back to his room without eating.


    Bai Xue tried to go after him but was stopped by An Shuchao, ¡°Leave him be; it¡¯s just a mild hunger.¡±


    After dinner, An Hao cleaned up the pots and pans and went back to her room.


    She thought about going to town the next day, wondering if she could buy something to sell.


    Their village was close to the mountains, with inconvenient transportation, and was not large.


    The only supply and marketing cooperative had a limited selection¡ªjust basic necessities.


    So, many things had to be bought in town.


    She planned to ask her father for some money and go to town early to buy goods.


    It was the end of the year, and it would be inconvenient for the villagers to go out, so they could buy from her.


    The more An Hao thought about it, the more she felt she could definitely make some money, so she got up, dressed, and went to ask her father for money.


    As she passed the kitchen, she heard noise inside.


    Could it be mice in the house?


    An Hao gently pushed the door open, turned on the light, and saw her own brother, An Ping, rummaging the kitchen for something to eat.


    The light suddenly came on, and An Ping jumped with fright.


    He didn¡¯t want to be caught sneaking around for food, but when he turned and saw An Hao, his expression instantly changed from panic to anger, ¡°Are you trying to scare me to death?


    Why aren¡¯t you asleep in the middle of the night, coming here to frighten people?¡±


    An Hao restrained her temper and didn¡¯t get angry but asked with a smile, ¡°Are you hungry?


    I¡¯ll make you something to eat.¡±


    After speaking, she rolled up her sleeves to draw cold water from the tank and wash her hands.


    An Ping was stunned.


    What was going on with her?


    She¡¯d completely changed; she didn¡¯t seem like herself at all.


    While An Ping was still dazed, An Hao had already started to look for things to cook for him.

 Chapter 7 - 7 7 Cooking Skills

    ?7: Chapter 7 Cooking Skills 7: Chapter 7 Cooking Skills Their family had few hands for work and many mouths to feed, and their living expenses depended entirely on what An Shuchao could earn, so their days were much tougher than others¡¯.


    Unfortunately, Bai Xue and Bai Yanjiao were particular about their food and clothing, preferring to dress flamboyantly even if it meant going hungry.


    While others¡¯ families could at least afford wheat buns, their household stuck to cornmeal cakes as their staple all year round with only the occasional wheat buns or noodles, though they did have vegetables.


    They still had vegetables like carrots, white radishes, and cabbage.


    This evening, Bai Xue felt displeased and didn¡¯t even prepare a dish.


    As soon as An Hao took out these vegetables to cook, An Ping glanced over and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I can¡¯t eat these same three things every day.


    I¡¯m practically turning into a big radish.¡±


    An Hao ignored him and continued to look for something else.


    After a long search, she found nothing but cakes and a few chili peppers.


    She lifted the curtain of the cabinet and peered inside, noticing two bowls turned upside down.


    She remembered that in the past, she would only work together with Bai Xue, as Bai Yanjiao didn¡¯t do any chores, so An Hao wouldn¡¯t either, meaning she rarely visited the kitchen.


    It was unusual for a family¡¯s daughter not to cook.


    Bai Xue didn¡¯t comment on An Hao¡¯s lack of cooking, she just silently took on the work herself.


    Therefore, An Shuchao always thought of Bai Xue as a virtuous woman.


    An Hao looked at the two overturned bowls in the cabinet with curiosity and reached out to lift one, discovering a round, smooth egg hidden underneath.


    Seeing the egg, An Hao instantly understood.


    She had just looked in the basket where the eggs were kept and found none left.


    What did it mean that there were two eggs hidden beneath the basket now?


    She was secretly hoarding tasty treats.


    An Ping, with his hands stuffed in his sleeves, leaned against the doorway watching An Hao stare at the cabinet in a daze and impatiently said, ¡°Are you going to cook or not?


    If you can¡¯t, then get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°Even if I can¡¯t cook, I¡¯m still better than you!¡± An Hao, annoyed by his noise, retorted.


    ¡°If you can cook then get on with it!


    I¡¯m starving!¡± An Ping babbled as he moved closer, then seeing the egg in An Hao¡¯s hand, his eyes lit up, ¡°Where did you get the egg from?


    Didn¡¯t Mom say we were out?¡±


    An Hao turned her head and gave him a sideways glance, pointing to the overturned bowl, ¡°It was underneath that.


    I just found it.¡±


    An Ping gave An Hao a thoughtful look, said nothing aloud, but started to wonder.


    Every time they were told there were no eggs left, could it be that the stepmother was hiding them away?


    Seeing An Ping silent, An Hao didn¡¯t say more.


    Her brother wasn¡¯t stupid; he was just blinded by others.


    She believed that if she could help him see clearly, he would understand certain things.


    An Hao took out the egg, cracked it into a bowl and beat it until the liquid was golden.


    She then cut two cakes into evenly sized pieces and mixed them thoroughly with the egg.


    She stirred the fire in the coal stove and set a pot on top, scooped a large spoonful of lard into it, and waited for the oil to heat.


    She then added a few cuts of green onion to the oil and poured in the egg-coated cakes, stirring them around.


    Quickly, an enticing aroma wafted through the air, making An Ping, who was watching, salivate.


    The cakes were soon ready, and An Hao then sliced two red chili peppers into rings, added some salt and wheat flour, mixed it with water, and poured it into the hot pan with the residual oil.


    Instantly, the spicy fragrance filled the air, and in moments, the watery mixture turned into a thick paste, creating a spicy paste dish.


    In the cold winter night, having some hot, spicy paste could warm up the body.


    An Hao, with nimble hands and feet, finished the dish and handed a bowl to An Ping, ¡°Eat this, and I¡¯ll make you some soup!¡±

 Chapter 8 - 8 8 Trouble with Mice at Home

    ?8: Chapter 8 Trouble with Mice at Home 8: Chapter 8 Trouble with Mice at Home An Ping always felt that An Hao looked at him with disdain on normal days, merely scolding him or taunting him with her cold, sarcastic remarks.


    Suddenly being so nice to him, he was a bit unaccustomed to it.


    Upon hearing An Hao offer to make him soup, he quickly waved his hand, ¡°No need.


    These two big pancakes are plenty.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.


    You eat quickly.


    Once you¡¯re done, I can wash the dishes!¡±


    An Ping squatted on the ground, picked up his bowl, and started eating.


    The pancakes dipped in egg and then fried were glittering golden and fragrant, so delicious that he almost bit his tongue off.


    ¡°An Hao, I¡¯ve got to say, your cooking really isn¡¯t half bad!


    Way better than mom¡¯s by no small margin,¡± An Hao mumbled with his mouth full.


    An Hao cracked a slight smile.


    In her past life, to pay off An Ping¡¯s debts, she had done all kinds of jobs, including working in a restaurant and learning from chefs and pastry chefs¡ªcooking was a piece of cake for her.


    Moreover, adding egg and oil, it would be odd if it weren¡¯t delicious.


    An Ping wolfed down the fried pancakes and even finished the spicy paste, dripping with sweat, and then belched loudly.


    He patted his belly, sighing contentedly, ¡°So tasty.


    If only I could eat eggs every day.¡±


    An Hao glanced at An Ping, her heart stirred slightly, and she said softly, ¡°An Ping, just endure a little longer.


    I¡¯ll figure something out to make sure you can eat eggs every day.


    Not just eggs, but meat too!¡±


    A glint of joy flashed in An Ping¡¯s eyes, but it was gone in a second, replaced by his usual demeanor, ¡°Psh, what can you do!


    You¡¯re all talk.¡±


    An Hao said nothing, deciding to wait until she earned some money.


    Having overeaten, An Ping felt a bit uncomfortable in his stomach.


    He strolled around the courtyard a couple of times before heading to the southern room to look for hawthorn to aid digestion.


    An Hao scooped some cold water and washed the dishes in the kitchen.


    Bai Xue Mei walked out of her daughter Bai Yanjiao¡¯s room, holding an empty bowl, and as soon as she entered the kitchen, she was greeted by the aroma of fried eggs.


    Her face darkened at the sight of the eggshells discarded next to the coal stove.


    The eggs she had secretly hidden had been eaten, igniting the anger she had suppressed all day, and with a ¡°clang, clang¡± she knocked on the door, berating An Hao, ¡°You don¡¯t lift a finger to help at home, but when it comes to eating, you¡¯re never left out!


    Did you eat the two eggs I kept under the bowl?¡±


    Hearing the noise, An Hao turned around and saw Bai Xue Mei holding the empty bowl, with egg remnants still visible at the bottom; she understood immediately.


    It turned out her mother was so protective of her own daughter that she secretly hid things at home and sneaked them to Bai Yanjiao late at night.


    An Hao wasn¡¯t angry.


    As she continued to wash the dishes, she smirked and said, ¡°I was wondering why our food was always running low.


    I thought we had a mouse problem at first, but now I see the light.


    No wonder sister Yanjiao doesn¡¯t eat much yet never seems to lose weight.


    It¡¯s the old saying, ¡®A horse does not grow fat without being fed at night!''¡±


    Bai Xue Mei¡¯s face turned from red to green as she listened to An Hao¡¯s veiled criticism; she was effectively being called a rat that stole food and was ridiculed along with Yanjiao.


    ¡°An Hao, how can you talk like that?


    I¡¯m your mother!


    Is this how you speak to your mother?¡± Without any other argument, Bai Xue Mei resorted to asserting her seniority to oppress An Hao.


    ¡°So you remember you¡¯re my mother?


    By your logic, both Bai Yanjiao and I are your children, so how can you distinguish so clearly between who is dear and who is not?


    Sneaking her egg soup at night, I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t the first or second time this has happened!¡± An Hao said as she finished washing the dishes, and casually pulled out a piece of dish towel to dry them.


    ¡°Your sister was feeling unwell, so that¡¯s why I made her the egg soup!¡± Bai Xue Mei retorted, realizing that the old An Hao was brainless and couldn¡¯t speak well, but now, after a fall that must have struck her head, she had suddenly become articulate and could now choke Bai Xue Mei with a single sentence.

 Chapter 9 - 9 9 Worries About Money

    ?9: Chapter 9: Worries About Money 9: Chapter 9: Worries About Money ¡°Really?


    Since you¡¯re not feeling well, just eat openly, why hide it?


    It causes misunderstandings, and that¡¯s not good!


    If my dad knew, he might think badly of you,¡± An Hao said in a soft, gentle voice, but her words were deeply uncomfortable to hear.


    When Bai Xue heard this, she was afraid that An Hao would tattle to An Shuchao.


    If he found out that she was secretly hoarding food at home, he would definitely be angry.


    Thinking of this, Bai Xue quickly said, ¡°I was just scared of the mice, that¡¯s why I hid it under the bowl!


    I¡¯ll take it out tomorrow, fry it and eat it!


    Better than letting both people and mice covet it!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth!¡± An Hao chuckled softly, effectively scolding herself in the process.


    Bai Xue was initially full of anger and wanted to teach An Hao a lesson, but she ended up being lectured instead, and her face struggled to maintain her dignity.


    Back in her daughter Bai Yanjiao¡¯s room, Bai Xue sat on the kang bed and started to curse, ¡°That wretched girl An Hao is getting more and more audacious.


    I secretly made you a bowl of egg flower soup, and she won¡¯t let it go!


    She even indirectly called me a mouse!¡±


    Bai Yanjiao, hearing her mother¡¯s voice so loud, afraid that their step-father might hear, quickly stopped her, ¡°Keep your voice down, if old An hears, he¡¯ll turn on you.¡±


    ¡°He sleeps like a dead pig.


    He won¡¯t hear a thing.¡±


    Reassured by what Bai Xue said, Bai Yanjiao responded, ¡°Mom, I hate her so much.


    Just looking at her face annoys me.


    We must find a way to get her married off quickly.¡±


    ¡°Right.


    I¡¯m thinking the same thing!¡± Bai Xue pondered.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to ask around for someone to find a husband for An Hao quickly, to get her out of this house.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The mother and daughter talked a bit more before finally going to sleep.


    While they were talking, An Hao, having finished washing the dishes in the kitchen, saw An Ping coming out of the south room, stuffing something into his mouth.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t had enough to eat yet?¡± An Hao asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m stuffed, it¡¯s uncomfortable.


    I¡¯m eating some hawthorn to help digestion,¡± An Ping said offhandedly.


    Hawthorn?


    ¡°Do we have that stuff?¡±


    ¡°Ah, plenty,¡± An Ping gestured to An Hao, ¡°Come take a look.¡±


    An Hao followed An Ping to the south room and indeed saw a big jar in the corner, filled with hawthorns¡ªbig, bright red, and quite nice to look at.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?


    When our mom was alive, she planted two hawthorn trees on the mountain.


    They bear a lot of fruit, but they¡¯re too sour and nobody eats them.


    Every year we throw out a big jar, and they all go to waste.¡±


    Reminded by An Ping, An Hao remembered, and as she looked at the huge jar of hawthorns, an idea suddenly lit up in her mind.


    The next day after breakfast, Bai Xue took the ten yuan to find the village chief¡¯s wife, while Yanjiao went to meet friends.


    An Shuchao leaned against the wall, enjoying the sun after breakfast, smoking his pipe and scratching his scalp in worry.


    With the new year approaching and the new year goods not yet purchased, he had only thirty yuan on hand.


    If he paid back five yuan to the village chief¡¯s wife, he¡¯d be left with even less money.


    As he worried, An Hao, having finished washing dishes in the kitchen, came out and approached him, saying, ¡°Dad, give me some money, I want to buy something.¡±


    Annoyed and in a foul mood, An Shuchao became angry as soon as he heard his daughter ask for money, ¡°Money, money, money, that¡¯s all you want!


    Why don¡¯t you earn it?¡±


    An Hao was scolded as soon as she spoke and felt frustrated inside, but she also understood her father¡¯s struggles and his timidity.


    Having been reborn, she truly didn¡¯t want to stay in this family.


    But for now, she had nothing and knew she needed to make something happen.


    Once she had some capital, she would take her brother An Ping and leave, letting her father and Bai Xue live their own lives.


    From then on, they would lead separate lives, with no interactions between them!


    So, she tried to calm herself down and said with a smile, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be anxious, think of it as a loan from me.


    I¡¯m borrowing five yuan from you today.


    I¡¯ll pay you back double tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What?


    You can earn money?¡± An Shuchao was full of disbelief.


    ¡°Just give it a try.


    It might work.¡±


    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t?¡± It would be another few yuan wasted.


    ¡°Dad!


    Just let me try.


    If I lose the money, next year I won¡¯t spend a penny of the family¡¯s money on school, I¡¯ll take care of it myself.¡±


    Seeing his daughter putting it that way, An Shuchao no longer knew what to say.


    His daughter was good at her studies and had a sharp mind; she might actually be able to make some money.

 Chapter 10 - 10 10 Marry Me as Your Wife

    ?10: Chapter 10 Marry Me as Your Wife 10: Chapter 10 Marry Me as Your Wife An Hao held the five yuan in her hand and went to the village supply and marketing co-op to weigh three pounds of rock sugar, with pre-packaged bags costing six jiao each and bulk rock sugar four jiao per pound.


    She chose three pounds of the bulk rock sugar and two large sheets of glass paper to make hawthorn cakes, which she would then wrap in the glass paper to sell.


    After returning home, she closed the door and immediately began making the hawthorn cakes.


    In the eighties, these might have been common snacks in big cities, but in their impoverished, remote mountain area, they were considered rarities.


    An Hao, who had been a chef in her previous life, had studied food extensively.


    Seeing as her current family situation wasn¡¯t wealthy, she decided to work with the hawthorn that was readily available.


    An Hao poured out a third of the hawthorn, meticulously removed the cores, and then added half a pot of water.


    She cut the hawthorn into slices and began to cook them until the flesh was soft and cool.


    Then, with patience, she picked out and discarded the hawthorn skins.


    She found a clean piece of cheesecloth and filtered the hawthorn in batches to create a smooth paste, then added an appropriate amount of the rock sugar into the pot with the hawthorn paste.


    She stirred continuously while simmering until it was thick and sticky, and then took the pot off the stove.


    Next, she found a clean, large enamel basin, lightly coated it with a thin layer of rapeseed oil, and poured the cooked hawthorn paste into it to cool and set outside the house.


    An Hao worked all day and was exhausted by the time she finished everything.


    Afterward, it was already dusk.


    Bai Xue Mei was in the house munching on sunflower seeds.


    Seeing that it was getting late, she lifted the door curtain and stepped out.


    Seeing An Hao tidying up in the yard, she walked over and patted her on the shoulder, ¡°An Hao, stop cleaning up; let me do it.


    You take this ten yuan to the village chief¡¯s wife and explain your intentions to her while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    An Hao wiped sweat from her brow and glanced at the money in Bai Xue Mei¡¯s hand but didn¡¯t take it, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already go there early this morning?


    What did the village chief¡¯s wife say?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not giving up, is she?


    She thinks I¡¯m rejecting her money on purpose.


    You should go and explain it personally.


    That way, this matter can be put to rest.¡± Bai Xue Mei pushed the money into An Hao¡¯s hand and crouched down to start washing the pots and pans they had used.


    Since Bai Xue Mei had put it that way, An Hao didn¡¯t overthink it.


    Going there in person to explain would be best to avoid the village chief¡¯s wife¡¯s continued concern.


    An Hao noticed it was getting dark and hurriedly washed her hands before heading to the village chief¡¯s house.


    Upon entering, she happened to meet the village chief on his way out.


    After explaining her purpose, the chief told her his wife was in the small woods behind their house, digging up earth to prepare for working with coal mud.


    After thanking the village chief, An Hao headed directly behind their house.


    From a distance, she saw a silhouette squatting there.


    An Hao couldn¡¯t see clearly, so as she approached, she called out, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ve come to repay the money.¡±


    When she got closer, she saw that it was Wang Genqiang all by himself crouching there.


    Seeing An Hao coming over, he stood up, his tall figure of one meter eighty clumsily smiling, ¡°Heh heh, An Hao, I¡¯m Gen Erqiang.


    My ma didn¡¯t come; it¡¯s just me.¡±


    ¡°Your mom didn¡¯t come?


    Or did she leave again?¡± An Hao was wary of his ability to communicate clearly and asked again.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t come.


    My mom said she wanted me to meet you.¡± Wang Genqiang, hands in his pockets, grinned at An Hao, the more he looked, the more he liked, ¡°An Hao, you really look nice.¡±


    It was then that An Hao suddenly realized there was nothing wrong with what Wang Genqiang was saying¡ªthe village chief¡¯s wife indeed hadn¡¯t come.


    If that was the case, she had to leave quickly; lingering could lead to idle gossip.


    An Hao didn¡¯t linger to explain much to Wang Genqiang and turned to leave immediately.


    Wang Genqiang saw An Hao leaving and got anxious.


    He took long strides to follow her, ¡°An Hao, don¡¯t run.


    I fancy you, would you marry me and be my wife?¡±

 Chapter 11 - 11 11 Let Dumb and Dumber Sleep with Her

    ?11: Chapter 11 Let Dumb and Dumber Sleep with Her 11: Chapter 11 Let Dumb and Dumber Sleep with Her An Hao heard footsteps behind her, turned her head, and saw Wang Genqiang catching up.


    Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.


    It was so dark already, and if something were to happen, it would be an utter loss.


    Besides, Wang Genqiang¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t like that of normal people; if something happened, it would be her own bad luck.


    An Hao seemed to understand why Bai Xue had asked her to come and deliver the money now¡ªit was such a venomous plot!


    She started to run, too, calling out as she did, ¡°I don¡¯t like you.


    You should find someone else.¡±


    ¡°An Hao, An Hao...


    wait for me!


    Auntie Bai said, as long as we sleep together, you¡¯ll grow fond of me,¡± Wang Genqiang shouted.


    Upon hearing this, An Hao immediately felt a blaze of rage in her heart.


    She yelled back at Wang Genqiang, who was striding closer, ¡°Wang Genqiang, when it comes to marrying, what you say doesn¡¯t matter.


    You should go talk to your mom!


    Stop following me, or I won¡¯t be polite to you anymore.¡±


    Seeing that An Hao was running faster and faster and he couldn¡¯t catch up, Wang Genqiang turned and walked toward the depths of the woods, ¡°Mom, An Hao said the matter of getting a wife is up to you!¡±


    When she got home, An Hao¡¯s heart was still pounding wildly.


    In her past life, she had been in constant conflict with Bai Xue at home; Bai Xue and her daughter oppressed her everywhere, but she was no pushover either.


    Bai Xue disliked her and wanted to drive her out.


    She equally disliked Bai Xue and her daughter and wanted to squeeze them out as well.


    After her rebirth, she just wanted to live a good life and not fight with her anymore.


    She wanted to reform her brother and take good care of her father.


    Even though his attitude towards her was not kind, An Hao knew his heart wasn¡¯t bad.


    Ever since Bai Xue had married into the family, she caused trouble and made a fuss every day, so it was only logical that the father would be annoyed with her.


    She believed that if she did well, she would eventually change her father¡¯s view of her.


    But it seemed that Bai Xue wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook so easily.


    In this life, although she wouldn¡¯t make a fuss with Bai Xue like before, she definitely wouldn¡¯t let her be oppressed without a fight.


    ¡°Back so soon?¡± Bai Xue was somewhat surprised to see An Hao.


    That¡¯s not what she and the village chief¡¯s wife had agreed upon.


    ¡°What else?


    Do you wish something happened between that fool and me so you can take the chance to sell me to the village chief¡¯s family?


    So you and Bai Yanjiao can enjoy the benefits of selling me with a clear conscience?


    How can you be so malicious!¡± An Hao was very angry at being manipulated by Bai Xue like this and spoke a bit impulsively.


    Bai Xue¡¯s scheming being so bluntly exposed made her face flush with anger, and she shouted, her neck stiffening, ¡°An Hao, what nonsense are you talking about?


    I worked hard for your An Family to arrange a marriage proposal, and if you didn¡¯t want it, that would have been that.


    But now, you come back from breaking off the engagement and start by scolding me?


    You explain yourself today.


    If you can¡¯t, neither of us will have dinner tonight.¡±


    Bai Xue started making a fuss in the yard, her shouting causing An Shuchao to come out of the house.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on now?


    Arguing about what?


    Can this house ever have a few days of peace?¡±


    Bai Xue¡¯s eyes reddened, tears began to drop, ¡°Old An, I can¡¯t live like this anymore.


    Since I came through the door, your daughter has not given me a single day of peace.


    Today I just asked her to return a betrothal gift, look at how she scolded me when she came back!¡±


    ¡°An Hao, what¡¯s the matter with you?


    Do you really have to turn our house upside down before you¡¯re satisfied?¡± An Shuchao reprimanded An Hao without knowing the full story.


    An Hao didn¡¯t want to explain, but seeing the situation today, she had no choice but to speak, ¡°Dad, she asked me to return the betrothal money to the village chief¡¯s wife, and I was nearly caught by that fool.


    Guess what he said?


    He said Auntie Bai told him, as long as he slept with me, the deal would be sealed.¡±


    An Shuchao¡¯s brows rose, and he turned his head to look at Bai Xue, ¡°Is this true?¡±

 Chapter 12 - 12 12 Treat Others the Way They Treat You

    ?12: Chapter 12: Treat Others the Way They Treat You 12: Chapter 12: Treat Others the Way They Treat You Bai Xue burst into heavier tears, ¡°Old An, do you really not trust me?


    I¡¯ve been married to you for three years, ask yourself, how have I treated your An Family in these years?


    Do you still trust your daughter more, and take her word as the truth?


    If she dares to say today that I let the idiot sleep with her, tomorrow she¡¯ll dare to say I told her to die!


    Old An, if you don¡¯t trust me, there¡¯s no point in continuing our life together, we might as well just get divorced!¡±


    An Shuchao was most afraid of Bai Xue mentioning divorce.


    Since Bai Xue had married him, she had managed good relations with the neighbors and had a good reputation in the village.


    She got along well with their son An Ping, but somehow she just couldn¡¯t get along with An Hao.


    Thinking of An Hao¡¯s past behavior, An Shuchao habitually felt that it was her fault, and in anger, he raised his hand and slapped towards An Hao¡¯s face.


    An Hao saw the slap coming and dodged, grabbing An Shuchao¡¯s wrist tightly, with flames rising in her eyes, ¡°Dad, first find out the truth before you hit me!¡±


    ¡°What is there to find out?


    An Hao, you accuse me of plotting against you, do you have any evidence?¡± Bai Xue glared at her.


    ¡°I do.


    Wang Genqiang said it himself,¡± An Hao retorted without weakness.


    ¡°Does a fool¡¯s words count?¡± Bai Xue raised her chin, the corners of her mouth curling into a cold smile, thinking she was too green to compete with her.


    ¡°You may not trust the word of an idiot, but you should trust mine!¡± A sharp glint flashed through An Hao¡¯s eyes, ¡°If I lie about today¡¯s incident, I will not die a good death!


    Mom, do you dare make such a poisonous vow?¡±


    Bai Xue was taken aback, and after hemming and hawing for a while, she said, ¡°I...I wouldn¡¯t curse myself...¡± An Hao sneered, shook off An Shuchao¡¯s hand, and went back to her own room.


    This was giving Bai Xue a taste of her own medicine; to deal with someone unreasonable like Bai Xue, one had to use unreasonable methods!


    Upon entering, she was surprised to find An Ping in her room.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± An Ping shook the book in his hand, ¡°This is the book you borrowed last month.


    You didn¡¯t return it, so I came to find it myself.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.


    I forgot about it with all the busyness.¡±


    An Ping snorted lightly, and as he was leaving, he stopped, ¡°An Hao, don¡¯t spout nonsense like hoping for death in the future!


    It¡¯s annoying to hear!¡±


    Surprised by his words, An Hao asked, ¡°An Ping, are you showing concern for me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.


    Don¡¯t flatter yourself!¡± An Ping glanced at her and walked out.


    Just as he stepped out, he slipped with a thud, and yelled angrily in the courtyard, ¡°Who¡¯s so annoying, pouring dishwater everywhere!¡±


    An Hao burst into laughter from inside the room, the gloominess in her heart scattering away.


    Although An Ping wouldn¡¯t admit it, she could feel that her brother was somewhat different from before.


    The next morning, An Hao got up early before dawn.


    She checked the results from the previous day and was quite satisfied with the outcome, then carefully unwrapped the hawthorn cakes, cut them neatly with a knife, weighed them accurately, wrapped them tidily in cellophane, and packed them into a large basket before setting out.


    The basket was heavy, bending An Hao¡¯s back as she carried it.


    She had timed the day perfectly¨Ctoday was market day in town, and being close to the end of the year, it was sure to be bustling.


    Indeed, as soon as she left the house, she ran into Old Chen from the neighborhood, who was also heading to the market early.


    An Hao rode along with his ox cart toward the town.

 Chapter 13 - 13 13 The First Income

    ?13: Chapter 13 The First Income 13: Chapter 13 The First Income When she got off, she gave Uncle Chen a piece of hawthorn cake as a thank you.


    Upon arriving in town, An Hao looked around and chose a spot close to the street corner, paid a management fee of twenty cents, and started setting up a stall to sell hawthorn cakes.


    At first, there were few people, but as time passed, the crowd grew busier and livelier.


    An Hao lifted the cloth that covered the bright red hawthorn cakes and even put out two pieces for passersby to sample, ¡°Hawthorn cakes, sour and sweet, appetizing and good for the spleen, tasty and affordable.¡±


    An Hao was naturally attractive, with bright, sparkling eyes that were big and round like purple grapes, smiling at everyone she met, and her fair face with two small dimples was both adorable and charming, her appearance immediately endearing her to people.


    Passersby were willing to take a longer look, and with her calling out, her sweet voice attracted a large group of people who crowded around.


    ¡°Miss, how much are you selling these hawthorn cakes for?¡± an elderly woman came up close and asked her.


    ¡°Granny, my hawthorn cakes are homemade, just forty cents for a large piece,¡± An Hao said sweetly, smiling as she cut a small piece, placed it on a piece of glassine paper, and handed it to her, ¡°Granny, try this.¡±


    After tasting it, the old woman quickly nodded with approval, ¡°Mmm, not bad!


    Tasty and cheap!


    Give me two pieces!


    I¡¯ll give them to the kids for the New Year.¡±


    Forty cents wasn¡¯t expensive, and the old woman was worldly; her son did business in Southern City and told her that hawthorn went by the saying, ¡°A piece of hawthorn, a piece of gold brick.¡± Hawthorn was a hot commodity, already selling for thirty cents a pound, and dearer ones were even fifty cents.


    With the added ingredients and processing, selling it for just forty cents a piece was certainly cheap.


    Moreover, one piece was about a pound.


    As the old lady made her purchase and praised the cakes, the surrounding people crowded over.


    Hawthorn cakes were still a novelty in town, and everyone was used to the tough fruit leather, but once they tried these soft and tasty hawthorn cakes, they all decided to buy some.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take two pieces!¡±


    ¡°Give me five!


    When visiting relatives, I¡¯ll bring some...¡±


    In no time, there were only four pieces left of An Hao¡¯s basket of hawthorn cakes, and as it was nearly noon, she thought about getting something to eat.


    Just then, someone came and bought the last four pieces.


    In just half a morning, An Hao had sold all of her hawthorn cakes, leaving the other vendors around her quite envious.


    The old man next to An Hao, seeing how she had sold her goods all morning, was sure she must have earned quite a bit, so he asked, ¡°Girl, how much money have you made?¡±


    ¡°Not that much,¡± An Hao said with a smile, seeing that the old man had been envious all morning without making many sales and thinking he had it tough.


    So she packed her things, walked over to the old man¡¯s stall and asked him, ¡°Old man, what are you selling?¡±


    The old man pointed and said, ¡°Garlic.


    Only twenty cents a big braid.


    I grew too much this year and brought it out to sell.¡±


    Garlic was common in every household, and those who had excess brought it to sell.


    There were many selling along the street, so it was normal the old man couldn¡¯t sell his.


    Feeling sorry for the old man, and since she didn¡¯t have much garlic left at home herself, An Hao decided to buy two big braids, making the old man¡¯s smile wide with happiness.


    After lunch, An Hao took another stroll, bought some hair accessories for little girls, as well as three pounds of meat and two pounds of melon seed candy.


    She found a quiet place to count her money, and saw she still had about twenty yuan left.


    Twenty yuan was what an ordinary family earned in a month, and An Hao was thrilled.


    With the New Year approaching, the town would have one more market day, and she could sell even more.

 Chapter 14 - 14 14 The Despicable Thief

    ?14: Chapter 14 The Despicable Thief 14: Chapter 14 The Despicable Thief With that money, her family could have a good year.


    An Hao finished selling early and went to find Uncle Chen to ride on his ox cart, but he wanted to linger a bit longer, so An Hao decided to walk back slowly by herself.


    Unbeknownst to her, someone had already set their sights on her from early on.


    As An Hao walked ahead, that person followed her at a distance, and when they were out of town and people were few and far between, he suddenly sprang up from behind and knocked An Hao to the ground.


    ¡°Ouch, don¡¯t you have eyes when you walk?¡± An Hao¡¯s buttocks were sore from the fall, and her belongings had been flung aside.


    As she struggled to get up, the man pinned down her hands and feet.


    A chill ran through her heart¡ªcould it be a ruffian at this time of the year?


    Before An Hao could come to her senses, the man reached into her pocket, pulled out the money on her, and started to run.


    So he was after the money!


    Damn it!


    That was the hard-earned money she got from selling goods from dawn to dusk, and her whole family was counting on that money for the New Year.


    ¡°Stop!


    Stop right there!¡± An Hao rolled over and scrambled up from the ground, chasing after him fiercely.


    That guy was a well-known rogue in town, with neither father nor mother, always stealing chickens and dogs.


    He would steal a bit and live off it for a while, then go back to stealing again.


    He had even been detained before, but the police couldn¡¯t do much about him; he only stole food and drinks, which wasn¡¯t enough for a sentence.


    With the New Year approaching, this rogue also needed to eat, so he had set his sights on An Hao early, following her after she finished selling.


    An Hao ran and shouted, but there were no people in sight.


    Thinking of her own hardships, An Hao clenched her teeth and chased with all her might.


    Down the dirt road, a car was coming in the distance.


    The driver saw a girl in a red jacket and blue pants desperately chasing a man.


    As she ran, she also shouted loudly, causing the man driving to frown.


    He drove the car even faster, and as the distance closed in.


    He faintly heard the girl shout, ¡°Stop!


    Thief...¡±


    So, he pressed even harder on the accelerator, and the car kicked up a trail of dust.


    By the time the car got close, An Hao had already caught up with the little rogue.


    She kicked him from behind, sending the little rogue sprawling, and she fell to the ground as well.


    Taking advantage of the rogue¡¯s struggle to get up, An Hao quickly scrambled to her feet, pounced on him, and sat on top of him, fighting to get her money out of his pocket: ¡°Give me back my money!


    Return it to me!¡±


    The little rogue also became infuriated; it was humiliating for a grown man to be pinned down by a young girl!


    Angry, he swung his hand to slap An Hao.


    An Hao dodged the slap by tilting her head and, clenching her fists, she pounded the little rogue: ¡°That¡¯s for stealing money!


    That¡¯s for not doing good!¡±


    She had only landed a couple of blows before the little rogue grabbed her wrist.


    No matter how hard she tried, she was still a slender girl, not strong enough, and certainly no match for a grown man.


    The little rogue flipped over, pinning An Hao underneath him, and raised his big hand: ¡°This little lady sure is feisty, even daring to defy me!


    Is it just about stealing some money from you?


    You really want to fight for your life with me?¡±


    An Hao thought she would surely be slapped hard on the face and was frightened when suddenly, a loud and thunderous voice roared in her ears.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    The voice was commanding and full of deterrence, scaring the little rogue so much that his hand paused mid-air and he did not bring it down.


    As An Hao turned her head to look, the person standing there was none other than her husband from her previous life¡ªQin Jian.

 Chapter 15 - 15 15 The Handsome Talent Qin Jian

    ?15: Chapter 15 The Handsome Talent Qin Jian 15: Chapter 15 The Handsome Talent Qin Jian Qin Jian had a tall and slender figure, dressed neatly in grey Chinese tunic suit, his brows and eyes exuded an inherent coolness, especially those slightly elongated eyes with their sharp gaze, which sent chills down one¡¯s spine at a glance.


    An Hao was slightly stunned.


    In her previous life, she remembered that her first meeting with Qin Jian should have been on the day of their wedding.


    Who would have thought that in this life, she could meet Qin Jian so early.


    It was really strange; could it be because she was reborn and didn¡¯t go on the arranged date, thereby unknowingly changing the trajectory of her destiny?


    As An Hao was pondering, she heard Qin Jian harshly scolding the hoodlum, ¡°Stand up!


    Return the money to the lady!¡±


    The hoodlum, intimidated by Qin Jian¡¯s stern face, obediently let go of An Hao and stood up from the ground.


    Reluctantly, but with no choice, he took out the money from his pocket, looked up at Qin Jian while doing so, and not until met by his unyielding gaze did he completely empty his pockets of the money.


    An Hao took the money handed over to her, counted it, and saw that it was the exact twenty she had lost.


    ¡°Is that enough?¡± Qin Jian asked An Hao in a clear voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s enough,¡± An Hao replied.


    Qin Jian nodded and glancing at the hoodlum, he said, ¡°Come on, follow me to the town¡¯s police station!¡±


    The thief was so scared that he turned pale, pleading desperately not to go.


    Some passersby, witnessing the scene, recognized him as a habitual thief and condemned him one after another.


    Eventually, Qin Jian still managed to shove the thief into his car and took him to the police station, where he accompanied him throughout the whole process and completed a statement.


    Walking out of the police station, Qin Jian was ahead and she followed behind.


    She remembered that in her previous life, when she married Qin Jian, he always had such a cold face, not very warm to anyone, giving a feeling of keeping people at a distance.


    But through the contact just now, she found that although Qin Jian was cold to others, his heart was actually warm and kind.


    Staring at his back, An Hao thought to herself how fortunate she was to have met him earlier in this life.


    Qin Jian had always felt a gaze on the back of his head, and it was only then that he turned around to look at this young girl, noticing her unabashed gaze upon him.


    In the research institute, he was known as the ¡°Ice Mountain of Ten Thousand Years,¡± and there were few who did not fear him; even his employees didn¡¯t dare to stare at him so directly.


    However, recalling the girl¡¯s pluckiness during the thief-catching incident, it was indeed quite feisty.


    ¡°Have you had enough?¡± he joked with An Hao, which was unusual for the ordinarily taciturn him.


    Remembering how this man with the cold face had rescued her time and again in her last life, An Hao felt waves of warmth in her heart.


    ¡°Yes.


    I see a man of great talent!¡± An Hao responded cheerfully, and seeing Qin Jian slightly raise his eyebrows, she turned around and ran back, ¡°Thank you for saving me!¡±


    As she got up to run, Qin Jian remembered something from his car and said, ¡°Where are you going?


    Don¡¯t you want your things?¡±


    An Hao stopped in her tracks and saw the garlic braid in Qin Jian¡¯s hand, smiling sheepishly, ¡°Oh yes.¡±


    Coming back, she was about to get her things from Qin Jian¡¯s car, but she heard him say, ¡°Get in the car!¡±


    An Hao hesitated, ¡°Is that appropriate?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Qin Jian looked at her.


    An Hao then reassured herself, what was she being bashful about, after all?


    Not to mention anything else, did she expect to walk all the way back on such a long journey?


    On the way, Qin Jian focused on driving, while An Hao stealthily took a couple of glances at him.


    Seeing that he was silent, An Hao too said nothing, she sat in the car and drowsily dozed off.


    By the time she opened her eyes again, they had already arrived in the village.


    An Hao¡¯s home was at the eastern end of the village, while Qin Jian¡¯s home was at the far western end, their directions being completely opposite and unrelated.


    As such, it was inconvenient for Qin Jian to drop her off, not to mention this was their first meeting in this life, and she didn¡¯t want Qin Jian to think of her as flippant.


    Just as An Hao was about to get out of the car, Qin Jian stopped her, ¡°Wait!


    Wipe your face before you leave.¡±

 Chapter 16 - 16 16 Backbiting

    ?16: Chapter 16: Backbiting 16: Chapter 16: Backbiting ¡°Ah?¡± An Hao was startled for a moment, then she remembered the scuffle she had with the little thief and realized that was when her face got dirty.


    She rummaged through her pocket for a handkerchief, but before she could find it, a blue and white striped handkerchief was handed to her.


    An Hao took the handkerchief and wiped her face, intending to return it to Qin Jian, but then it seemed a bit improper.


    So, she stuffed the dirty handkerchief directly into her pocket: ¡°I¡¯ll return it to you after I wash it.¡±


    ¡°No need.


    Keep it,¡± Qin Jian said in a deep voice.


    Seeing her starting to pack up, he couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°Girl, be more careful in the future.¡±


    An Hao finished packing and glared at him as she got off.


    Qin Jian was a bit stunned.


    Was he being despised?


    Had he just been glared at by her?


    For the first time in his life, the perennially cold Qin Jian felt uncertain.


    He didn¡¯t understand; he had saved the girl, so why had he received a glare?


    Her attitude towards him had changed so drastically compared to before she got on the vehicle, hadn¡¯t it?


    An Hao was extremely grateful to Qin Jian in her heart.


    The reason she glared at him was that he had failed to tell her that her face was dirty before boarding, allowing her to sleep in front of him with smudged makeup for the entire trip...


    the whole trip...


    Qin Jian actually felt very wronged, as his attention had been solely on rescuing her and driving the car.


    How could he have noticed that?


    After getting off, An Hao placed all her belongings in her basket, thanked Qin Jian again, watched his vehicle drive away, and then turned to leave.


    She had just reached the small bridge in the village with her belongings on her back when she ran into the village gossip, Yang Yonghua, cracking sunflower seeds and chatting idly with others.


    ¡°Hey, did you all hear?


    An Shuchao¡¯s daughter Daya was caught sneaking into the grove with the village chief¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°Really?


    Could the An Family¡¯s girl be interested in the chief¡¯s simpleton son?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true!


    That girl has always looked like a seductress, a flirt through and through, just like her mother!¡± Yang Yonghua cracked sunflower seeds noisily, maliciously slandering An Hao.


    An Hao¡¯s mother had been very beautiful in her youth, drawing comparisons with Yang Yonghua when she married into the village.


    They were both quite attractive, but An Hao¡¯s mother had a good reputation and was warm-hearted, always ready to help her fellow villagers whenever she could, earning her a good reputation over the years.


    While Yang Yonghua was known for her wagging tongue, which made most villagers dislike her.


    A few years ago, their families had a dispute over housing land, and thereafter, they hardly spoke to each other.


    Only a few gossiping women in the village would often gather to chat.


    Zhang Juyun laughed upon hearing her: ¡°Yonghua, with how you describe An Hao, even if she were flirty, she wouldn¡¯t pick that simpleton, right?¡±


    Yang Yonghua pouted: ¡°Juyun, I know your daughter Song Yueqin is close to her, so you¡¯re taking her side.


    You don¡¯t know, but I saw her with that simpleton in the grove with my own eyes, and the village chief¡¯s wife admitted it, too.


    Do you know why she went to the grove with him?


    For money!


    The chief¡¯s wife wanted to secure An Hao as her daughter-in-law and secretly gave Bai Xue ten yuan as earnest money.


    It¡¯s said that after the deal is done, they¡¯ll add another fifty yuan!¡±


    Hearing her detailed account, Zhang Juyun agreed: ¡°You make sense.


    As Yueqin told me, they really are having a hard time.


    Which families nowadays only eat pickles with their pancakes?


    Hers is one of them!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    As An Hao got closer, Yang Yonghua pointed: ¡°Look, speak of the devil, and he shall appear.¡±

 Chapter 17 - 17 17 Slinging Mud Arbitrarily

    ?17: Chapter 17 Slinging Mud Arbitrarily 17: Chapter 17 Slinging Mud Arbitrarily A group of old women immediately shut their mouths.


    As An Hao passed by the bridgehead, she saw the gossiping women chatting idly and greeted them with a smile, ¡°Aunties are all here!¡±


    ¡°Wow, where are you off to, An Hao?¡± Yang Yonghua spit out a mouthful of melon seed shells, her eyes fixated on the basket on An Hao¡¯s back.


    ¡°I went to the town to buy some things.


    You aunties keep chatting, I¡¯ll be heading back now.¡± An Hao didn¡¯t want to waste time idly chatting with them and briefly answered before she started to leave.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?


    The aunties aren¡¯t going to eat you, are we?¡± After finishing off the last couple of seeds in her hand, Yang Yonghua clapped her hands, approached, and asked, ¡°What did you go to town to buy?


    Let your auntie have a look.¡±


    ¡°Nothing special, just some food and necessities.¡± An Hao was polite in her response; she knew that Yang Yonghua was notoriously difficult to deal with, and she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for herself.


    ¡°What kind of good stuff have you got there?


    Let your auntie feast her eyes.¡± Yang Yonghua didn¡¯t wait for An Hao¡¯s consent and began to rummage through her basket.


    ¡°Hey... Auntie...¡± An Hao wanted to stop her, but it was already too late.


    ¡°Oh my, this hair accessory is really pretty!¡± Yang Yonghua, with her shamelessly thin skin, took a liking to the hair accessory An Hao had bought and unabashedly asked for one, ¡°Give one to your auntie, won¡¯t you?


    It¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Auntie!


    I¡¯m selling these.


    Besides, I only have so many items in stock; giving one to you and none to the other aunties wouldn¡¯t be right.


    If I gave them away, I¡¯d have none left.


    Once I earn some money, I¡¯ll specifically pick one out for you.¡± An Hao knew how thick-faced Yang Yonghua was¡ªif you were too embarrassed to refuse, she would take advantage of you.


    Yang Yonghua¡¯s face darkened as she threw the hair accessory back into the basket, waving her hands dismissively with a look of displeasure, ¡°Fine then, go on your way!


    If you won¡¯t give it, then you won¡¯t.


    For all I know, the thing might not even come from a good place and could dirty my hands!¡±


    An Hao¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, ¡°Auntie Yang, what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°An Hao, your Auntie Yang didn¡¯t mean anything by it.


    You better go now!¡± Yang Juyun, who had been standing to the side and saw that the situation was turning sour, quickly stepped in to smooth things over.


    ¡°What does she mean?


    You don¡¯t know?


    Trotting off to the grove late at night with Wang ¡®the idiot¡¯¡ªslept over, did you?


    Tell me, how much did the village chief¡¯s wife pay you for a night¡¯s sleep?¡± Yang Yonghua shouted at the top of her lungs, ensuring that all the passersby knew what was going on.


    ¡°Auntie Yang, where did you hear these slanderous lies about me!¡± An Hao was annoyed.


    ¡°One must have solid evidence to make such statements.


    Spouting nonsense and slinging mud without proof is unacceptable!¡± Despite her wish to avoid trouble, she wasn¡¯t afraid to stand her ground.


    ¡°Who¡¯s spouting nonsense?


    An Hao, you little wench, watch your mouth!


    If you talk about evidence, I saw it with my own eyes!¡± Yang Yonghua stood with her hands on her hips, pointing at An Hao accusingly.


    ¡°Oh?


    You saw it with your own eyes?¡± An Hao wasn¡¯t upset; she even chuckled, ¡°Well then, I should ask you, Auntie.


    What were you doing out in the grove late at night if not at home?¡±


    Her remark made several of the gossiping women turn to look at Yang Yonghua.


    An Hao continued, ¡°Auntie Yang, Uncle Zhang is a decent man.


    Everyone in the village knows you bully Uncle Zhang, but even bullying has its limits!¡±


    No sooner had An Hao spoken than the gossiping women looked at each other, all seeming to understand something.


    ¡°Yonghua, you couldn¡¯t possibly be...¡±


    ¡°An Hao!


    You wretched girl!


    Today I¡¯ll rip that foul mouth of yours!¡± Secretive about her own affairs and thinking she had kept them well hidden, Yang Yonghua was furious to have been exposed by An Hao, her face turning purple as she lunged forward, ready to scuffle with An Hao.

 Chapter 18 - 18 18 Falling into the River

    ?18: Chapter 18: Falling into the River 18: Chapter 18: Falling into the River Confident in her robust physique, she intended to give An Hao a thorough thrashing, but to her surprise, An Hao¡¯s body was nimble.


    The moment she saw Yang Yonghua lunging at her, An Hao swiftly dodged, and the heavy Yang Yonghua went plop and fell into the river under the bridge.


    The coldest days of winter were upon them, and a thin layer of ice had just formed underneath the bridge.


    When Yang Yonghua¡¯s hefty body hit the water, the thin ice shattered, and the bone-chillingly cold water soaked through her clothes.


    Fortunately, the water was shallow enough that it posed no risk of drowning.


    ¡°My God!


    I¡¯m freezing to death!


    Help!¡± A scream like that of a pig being slaughtered echoed from beneath the bridge.


    ¡°Quick, let¡¯s go down and pull Yonghua up!¡± Zhang Juyun didn¡¯t have time to speak with An Hao, signaling everyone, and the gossipy women all scrambled to rescue her from under the bridge.


    ¡°Aunt Yang, don¡¯t hurry back up.


    Take your time to wash yourself clean before you come out, and maybe clear your head a bit too!¡± An Hao cleared her throat and called out, then chuckled and headed for home.


    Once An Hao arrived home, her family had just woken up from their noontime nap.


    She plopped the carrying basket onto the table in the main room and picked up the enamel jar to pour herself a drink, parched from the journey.


    Bai Xue glanced at the basket and asked with a teasing smile, ¡°Weren¡¯t you off to sell goods?


    Are you done selling?¡±


    ¡°Sold out.¡± An Hao finished her water and lifted the cloth covering the basket to reveal a pile of items inside.


    ¡°I sold some things and bought some stuff for the New Year.


    Our family can finally have a good celebration this year.¡±


    An Shuchao was packing his smoking pipe and upon hearing his daughter¡¯s words, he leaned in to peek inside.


    Seeing the large chunk of meat, his face bloomed with joy: ¡°Indeed, it has been several years since we¡¯ve had a proper meat meal.


    Good girl, you¡¯ve done well today!¡±


    An Hao saw An Shuchao¡¯s rare smile and felt that her efforts today were worthwhile.


    As they were speaking, Bai Yanjiao swept into the room through the curtain.


    Seeing the array of items on the table, her eyes sparkled with excitement: ¡°Am I dreaming?


    Sister, did you really make money today?


    How much did you earn?¡±


    An Hao pulled out the twenty dollars from her pocket, counted out fifteen, and handed them to An Shuchao: ¡°Dad, this is the money I borrowed from you before.


    I said I¡¯d return it double.


    The extra five dollars are for you to use for the household expenses.¡±


    ¡°You earned so much?


    You made more in one day than some people make in half a month!¡± An Shuchao was paranoid about poverty, so the sight of the money made him beam with happiness.


    ¡°Sis, how come you still have five dollars left?¡± Bai Yanjiao¡¯s eyelids were thin, and seeing the five dollars in An Hao¡¯s hand filled her with envy.


    That was several months¡¯ worth of pocket money for her.


    ¡°This is working capital.


    I¡¯m saving it for a reason!


    There¡¯s a next time,¡± An Hao planned to do more in the next round, then take the goods and sell them.


    ¡°Sister, can you give me two dollars?¡± Bai Yanjiao eyed the money in An Hao¡¯s hands, itching with desire.


    It had been a long time since she had gone to the market in town.


    ¡°Next time.¡±


    Seeing that An Hao was unwilling to share, Bai Yanjiao rolled her eyes at her: ¡°You¡¯re so stingy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stingy?


    Do you know how much soy sauce and vinegar those two dollars could buy for our family?


    If you want to spend money, go earn it yourself!¡± An Hao did not care for Bai Yanjiao¡¯s selfish attitude and retorted sharply.


    ¡°Mom!


    Dad!


    Look at Sister!¡± Bai Yanjiao clung to Bai Xue¡¯s neck, a face full of grievance, ¡°She won¡¯t give it to me, and she despises me like this!¡±


    Listening to An Hao¡¯s words, Bai Xue felt angered and poked Bai Yanjiao¡¯s forehead: ¡°Why do you have no ambition?


    You treat her like a sister, but she doesn¡¯t treat you like one!¡±

 Chapter 19 - 19 19 Took the Wrong Medicine

    ?19: Chapter 19: Took the Wrong Medicine 19: Chapter 19: Took the Wrong Medicine An Hao knew Bai Xue was looking for trouble again, so she simply listened and paid no attention.


    As long as it didn¡¯t cross her red line, let Bai Xue talk, it wasn¡¯t as if she¡¯d lose a piece of flesh.


    Once the money had been distributed among them, An Ping leisurely strolled into the main house, shuffling his slippers.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s meat to eat!


    That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, all thanks to your sister,¡± An Shuchao realized that his daughter wasn¡¯t completely useless and only knew how to cause trouble.


    An Ping glanced at An Hao and thought to himself that his sister was quite capable.


    This time, it seemed like she had bumped her head and woke up a completely different person.


    ¡°How much money did my sister give you?


    Give me two yuan!¡± An Ping, seeing the situation, knew An Hao must have sold well, so he reached out and asked An Shuchao for money.


    ¡°Not giving it!


    What do you need the money for so badly?


    Are you short of food or drink?¡±


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s embarrassing to go out during the New Year as a young man without any pocket money,¡± An Ping protested.


    ¡°I, an old man, have been laughed at for many years now.


    I¡¯m not afraid of being laughed at, what are you afraid of!¡±


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re so stingy!¡± An Ping, not receiving the money and feeling disheartened, complained, ¡°If you don¡¯t give me the money, don¡¯t expect me to help you move bricks at the kiln during the summer vacation.¡±


    ¡°You little rascal, daring to make demands of me!¡± An Shuchao took off his shoe and threw it at An Ping.


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Bai Xue, seeing father and son about to fight, found it was time to play the good guy, ¡°An Ping hardly ever asks you for money, just give him one yuan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how you spoil him.


    Absolutely not!


    We need to save that money for household expenses and in the future, for his schooling and getting a wife!¡±


    ¡°I get it, I get it!


    You¡¯re so annoying, always rambling on whenever I ask you for money!¡± Knowing that he couldn¡¯t get the money from his father, An Ping gave up and, looking at the three pounds of meat on the table, shouted, ¡°Not giving me money and not even letting me eat?


    Aren¡¯t you going to cook?¡±


    ¡°Coming right up,¡± Bai Xue quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll stir fry some meat for you tonight!¡±


    Everyone scattered around the house, An Ping went to his own room, and just as he entered, An Hao followed him.


    ¡°An Hao, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Call me sister!¡± An Hao glared at him, ¡°You¡¯re always calling me ¡®An Hao, An Hao¡¯ without any respect for your elders.¡±


    An Ping, in a sour mood, looked at An Hao impatiently, ¡°Just spit it out if you have something to say, I¡¯m annoyed.¡±


    ¡°What an attitude!


    No manners at all.¡± An Hao muttered under her breath, reached into her little jacket pocket, pulled out the five yuan, and handed two bills to An Ping, ¡°Here, take this money.¡±


    An Ping¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of the money, ¡°No way, An Hao, did you take the wrong medication today?¡±


    ¡°So giving you money means I took the wrong medication?¡± An Hao raised an eyebrow, ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll just keep it.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± An Ping snatched the money quickly and kissed the RMB, ¡°Once given, money isn¡¯t taken back!


    Thanks!


    An Hao!¡±


    ¡°Keep this money safe and don¡¯t let others know about it.


    Also, I didn¡¯t give you this money to waste it; use it for something worthwhile, like buying study supplies.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± An Ping happily pocketed the money and patted An Hao on the shoulder, ¡°An Hao, I¡¯m noticing you¡¯re getting more generous!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been good, it¡¯s just that you never noticed!¡±


    ¡°Pssh!


    You get winded just from someone calling you fat.¡±


    The siblings bantered, and the atmosphere between them was much more harmonious than before.


    Just when An Hao was starting to feel a bit happy, she heard a rough and angry shout coming from the yard, ¡°An Hao, you cheap tramp, come out here!


    You pushed your mother into the water, I¡¯ll never let this go!¡±

 Chapter 20 - 20 20 Blocking the Door and Running Wild

    ?20: Chapter 20 Blocking the Door and Running Wild 20: Chapter 20 Blocking the Door and Running Wild Bai Xue Mei was cooking in the kitchen when she heard Yang Yonghua cursing in the yard, and she walked out without even untying her apron.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, what¡¯s wrong?


    How did my An Hao offend you?¡±


    ¡°How did she offend me?¡± Yang Yonghua slapped her thigh and started crying at the top of her lungs, ¡°It¡¯s a sin!


    Such a sin!


    Can you believe at my age, An Hao pushed me into the river?


    The icy, bone-chilling water!


    I nearly lost my life.¡±


    Hearing someone talking about his daughter in the courtyard, An Shuchao threw on a coat and went out.


    Seeing Yang Yonghua sitting on the ground and wailing, he felt a surge of dislike.


    Yang Yonghua and his family had once made quite a fuss over a plot of land, and that old woman was incredibly fierce.


    Arguing back and forth got them nowhere, she grabbed a shovel and swung it at An Hao¡¯s mother.


    Luckily, An Hao¡¯s mother dodged quickly, otherwise she would have been seriously injured.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying, Yang Yonghua, if you want to throw a tantrum, don¡¯t do it at my house.


    You say my An Hao pushed you into the water, there must be a reason for it, my An Hao wouldn¡¯t trouble you without cause,¡± An Shuchao now sided with his daughter.


    Yang Yonghua got riled up at those words, scrambled up from the ground, ¡°It¡¯s a disgrace, I didn¡¯t want to speak of it.


    But since you put it that way, I have to set the record straight!


    Your girl and that Wang Ersha went off into the grove together, you think people shouldn¡¯t talk about it?!¡±


    In that era, ¡°going off into a grove¡± implied something sexual had happened between a man and a woman.


    In the rural areas of the 1980s, such an event involving a girl was extremely serious.


    She would be pointed at and branded for life, never able to hold her head up high.


    After that, getting married would become difficult.


    ¡°Yang Yonghua, you¡¯re farting nonsense!


    You and your foul mouth!


    My An Hao isn¡¯t like that, and she definitely wouldn¡¯t go off into the grove with an idiot, not unless she got kicked in the head by a donkey!¡±


    The two argued so loudly that they drew the attention of the neighbors, who gathered at the An Family¡¯s entrance to gawk.


    Sensing the commotion escalating, Bai Yanjiao¡¯s mind raced with a thought.


    If she could use this opportunity to push An Hao out, it would be for the best.


    With so many onlookers, what could An Hao do?


    ¡°Oh, woe is me!¡± Bai Xue Mei untied her apron and threw it on the ground, then sat down like Yang Yonghua and started to cry, ¡°This heartless girl!


    She really wants to drive me to my grave!


    What bad karma have I accumulated?


    To be saddled with such a thoughtless girl who causes trouble today and tomorrow again!


    She finally turns eighteen, and I thought she¡¯d grown up and learned some manners, but instead, she stirs up this mess, bringing disgrace upon our house!


    And I can¡¯t even talk about it or punish her, being a stepmother is so hard!¡±


    Bai Xue Mei cried with snot and tears, making it seem to others how difficult it was to be a stepmother to her.


    ¡°Xue Mei, what are you talking about!¡± After all, the girl was his own flesh and blood, and even if An Hao caused embarrassment, she was still part of the An Family.


    ¡°Dad!


    Don¡¯t scold Mom at a time like this!


    Mom is genuinely worried and anxious for my sister,¡± Bai Yanjiao came out to help Bai Xue Mei up.


    The doorway was now blocked by a crowd, all pointing fingers and gossiping about An Hao¡¯s misbehavior.


    An Shuchao became frantic, pushed Bai Yanjiao aside, grabbed Bai Xue Mei¡¯s arm, and started pulling her up, ¡°Are you out of your mind?


    By talking like this, aren¡¯t you intentionally slinging mud at your own daughter?


    How is An Hao supposed to marry after this!¡±

 Chapter 21 - 21 21 Losing Face Completely

    ?21: Chapter 21 Losing Face Completely 21: Chapter 21 Losing Face Completely Bai Xue¡¯s intention was exactly that, to prevent An Hao from marrying anyone else, so she would obediently marry the village chief¡¯s son.


    An Shuchao had always stood by her side, but she hadn¡¯t expected him to turn against her today, standing instead with An Hao.


    ¡°You!


    What do you mean by this?


    Old An, are you saying I¡¯m a wicked stepmother?


    Fine!


    Whatever I do is wrong!


    I¡¯ve given you my heart and soul, and look what I get in return.


    What¡¯s the point of me living!


    I might as well hang myself and be done with it!


    Save you all from thinking I¡¯m the bad guy!¡±


    Bai Xue got up, took a few quick steps to the wall, reached for the rope hanging there, and pretended to go hang herself.


    ¡°Xue!


    What are you frightening everyone for!


    Making a scene!


    It¡¯s total nonsense!¡± An Shuchao rushed over to snatch the rope from Bai Xue.


    An Hao, listening inside the house, felt a chill in her heart.


    Bai Xue really was relentless in setting her up, seizing every opportunity to cause her trouble!


    ¡°An Hao, did you really sneak off into the woods with someone?¡± An Ping asked, frowning and tugging at An Hao¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Me sneak into the woods with Wang the idiot?


    Do you believe that?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t, why don¡¯t you go out and clear your name?


    Letting people slander you!¡± An Ping could no longer contain his impatience.


    ¡°An Ping, it¡¯s good that you understand.¡± Even though she had been cursed at for a while, seeing her brother An Ping so worried for her was worth it.


    ¡°You better go out there and explain yourself!¡±


    An Hao nodded and with a loud bang pushed open the door, ¡°Enough!


    Everyone stop arguing!¡±


    Seeing An Hao come out, every eye in the courtyard turned to her, eager to hear what she would say.


    She walked over to Bai Xue with a composed face, glared at her coldly, and snatched the rope away, ¡°You don¡¯t need to die!


    No one is forcing you to die!


    I¡¯ll die!


    Once I¡¯m gone, everyone can be at peace!¡±


    Having said that, she grabbed the rope and walked out.


    ¡°Eh, do you believe what Yang Yonghua said?¡± the widow Zhang from the west end of the village munched on sunflower seeds, watching with relish.


    She turned and asked the person next to her.


    ¡°Who can say for sure?¡±


    Widow Zhang wore a mischievous smile, ¡°I bet it¡¯s true.


    Yang Yonghua is the ¡®news agency¡¯ of our village.


    If she says An Hao sneaked into the woods with Wang the idiot, it¡¯s very likely she did.


    Besides, her mother Bai Xue even admitted it, so it must be very close to the truth.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?


    An Hao and the idiot?


    Just thinking about it seems impossible!¡±


    ¡°Money!


    Isn¡¯t it all for money?


    How poor has the An Family become?


    When people are desperate, is there anything they wouldn¡¯t do?¡±


    The onlookers, who were originally just watching for entertainment, began to murmur among themselves, and with what widow Zhang said, they all started thinking there might be some truth to it.


    ¡°Makes sense.


    The An Family has really lost face this time, birthing such a daughter is truly the family¡¯s misfortune.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we¡¯ll see if she¡¯ll still want to get married now.¡±


    These villagers really loved watching the excitement and didn¡¯t mind making things worse; their muttering reached An Hao¡¯s ears clearly.


    Bai Xue, hearing everyone believed it, suddenly burst into tears, ¡°I¡¯m so ashamed!


    I¡¯ve lost all face.


    How can I even hold my head up in this village anymore!


    I can¡¯t live like this anymore!¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, all of you shut your mouth!¡± An Shuchao was so angry he nearly passed out; he was not articulate, and his anger did not translate into powerful words.


    Yang Yonghua looked at everything that was unfolding in front of her, feeling more and more smug, ¡°Folks, just look at the shameful thing the An Family¡¯s girl has done.


    It¡¯s absolutely humiliating!


    If it were me, I couldn¡¯t live with it!


    Better to die than to live and lose face in this world!¡±


    Inside the house, watching An Hao shaking with anger, An Ping¡¯s eyes revealed intense pain and despair.


    His fists clenched with a crackle, and finally, he couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and with a crash, he kicked the door open.

 Chapter 22 - 22 22 Chaos Reigns

    ?22: Chapter 22: Chaos Reigns 22: Chapter 22: Chaos Reigns ¡°Yang Loudmouth, you shut your mouth!


    If you accuse my sister again, I¡¯ll tear up that flapping mouth of yours!¡± An Ping charged out.


    The thing Yang Yonghua hated most was being called Yang Loudmouth.


    Hearing An Ping call her that, she got angry and, pointing at An Ping¡¯s nose, scolded, ¡°You little brat, don¡¯t think your sister is something special!


    Sneaking into the grove with a man, she¡¯s nothing but trash!¡±


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± An Ping, seeing An Hao holding back, was so angry that he instantly rushed up and started grappling with Yang Yonghua.


    As they were fighting, Yang Yonghua¡¯s son Yang Erdan charged out of the crowd, ¡°An Ping, you dare hit my mom!


    I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    And in an instant, chaos reigned.


    An Ping and Yang Erdan started fighting.


    ¡°Stop fighting!


    Stop it!


    Let go of each other!¡± An Shuchao was stomping in anger, trying to intervene and break up the fight.


    Yang Yonghua screamed, ¡°Oh, your whole family is bullying the old Yang family, huh?


    You think since old man Zhang is useless, you can bully my son and me like this?


    Let me tell you, no one can break this up!


    They want to fight?


    Let them!


    Anyone who dares interfere is inhumane!¡±


    Her shout stopped anyone from intervening, and they just stood there to watch the spectacle.


    As expected, Bai Xue and Bai Yanjiao had no intention of intervening.


    They preferred to escalate the situation.


    An Hao saw An Ping stand up for her, and her eyes reddened slightly.


    At heart, her brother was still kind.


    He jumped into a fight to defend her honor, seeing how she was wronged.


    Even though he knew he was no match for Yang Erdan, he still fought desperately!


    In her past life, she lived a failure, and in this life, she hadn¡¯t stolen or robbed, hadn¡¯t done anything illegal, and harbored no ill will or bad thoughts, yet there were still so many people who wouldn¡¯t let her live in peace.


    The difference was, in her last life, she was alone; this life, An Ping stood up for her, and so did her father.


    What did she have to fear?


    What if she had to become an aggressive woman?


    ¡°Enough!


    All of you, enough!


    Stop it right now!¡± An Hao shouted fiercely, moving forward to break up the fight, only to be shoved to the ground by Yang Erdan.


    ¡°Get lost!


    You ill-born slut!¡±


    This jab hit An Hao where it hurt the most.


    She got up from the ground, threw down the rope in her hand, and lunged at Yang Erdan, slapping him fiercely on the face from both sides.


    ¡°You bastard!


    Insult me all you want, but to insult my deceased mother!


    Even if I die here today, An Hao, you won¡¯t get away with it!¡±


    The crisp slaps landed squarely on Yang Erdan¡¯s face, leaving two bright red handprints almost instantly, stunning him.


    An Hao was like a furious beast, with the fire in her eyes shocking him to stillness.


    ¡°An Hao, you dare hit my son!


    I¡¯ll fight you!¡± Yang Yonghua shrieked, charging at An Hao with her bulky body.


    Clenching her teeth, she raised her hand and delivered two more slaps to Yang Yonghua¡¯s face.


    ¡°Auntie Yang!


    I respected you as an elder of our village, and I addressed you as auntie.


    But I never imagined you would insult my honor like this!


    Where have I wronged you?


    You claim I was involved with Wang ¡®Simpleton¡¯, where is your evidence?


    Show me your evidence!


    Your words may seem trivial, but they could ruin my life!


    Why do you do this?


    Is it just because of that land dispute from years ago?


    So much time has passed, yet you still hold onto that grudge!


    And you, Bai Xue, you know exactly what happened between Wang ¡®Simpleton¡¯ and me!


    How can you lie through your teeth without a conscience?


    Aren¡¯t you afraid of being struck by lightning?


    You witnessed my mother¡¯s death, and you know my father is honest and not quick-witted, so you bully me like this?


    Well!


    Well!


    Since that¡¯s how it is, I might as well die to prove my innocence!¡±

 Chapter 23 - 23 23 Hanging

    ?23: Chapter 23 Hanging 23: Chapter 23 Hanging An Hao said this as she grabbed a coil of rope and pushed through the crowd, striding out vigorously.


    Immediately, a burst of discussion erupted among the crowd, ¡°Look at An Hao, she must have suffered a great injustice!


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t go as far as to hang herself!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, did you hear how excessive Yang Erdan¡¯s words were?


    An Hao¡¯s mother is already dead; why drag her into this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too much.


    Really too much.


    It might well be that they¡¯re deliberately bullying An Hao.¡±


    Public opinion began to shift, and Yang Yonghua started to feel afraid.


    In truth, she had seen An Hao enter and then leave the grove ¨C the whole affair took no more than five minutes; five minutes was just enough time to walk in and walk out, not enough to do anything else.


    It was out of jealousy that An Hao hadn¡¯t given her the headdress, coupled with the longstanding grudge between their families, that she had deliberately acted this way.


    Now, seeing that the villagers were starting to speak up for An Hao, she began to feel uneasy.


    Fear deepened as she looked at An Hao, who seemed determined to die.


    ¡°An Hao, where are you going?¡± Yang Yonghua shouted at the top of her lungs, her plump body twisting as she chased after her.


    ¡°Sister!¡±


    ¡°An Hao!¡±


    An Ping and An Shuchao also ran out after her.


    An Hao kept walking, hearing them calling out from behind but without turning her head, she said, ¡°No need for anyone to stop me!


    I want to die!


    If I die, we¡¯ll all have peace.¡±


    ¡°Sister, what nonsense are you talking about!¡± An Ping, taking a few quick steps, caught hold of An Hao¡¯s arm.


    An Hao turned her head to look at him and winked at the gradually catching up crowd and An Ping, ¡°An Ping, don¡¯t stop sister, I won¡¯t really die!¡±


    ¡°This is...


    this is a trap...¡± An Ping was stunned, as An Hao was not the kind of person he remembered having such cunning.


    An Hao shook her head and whispered, ¡°Why would I want to die?


    Things got to this point because of everything that¡¯s been said, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this!


    To deal with such a mean person, you must be even more unreasonable and outrageous than her to make her shut up.


    What¡¯s the saying?


    ¡®The bold are fearful of the reckless, and the reckless are fearful of those who have nothing to lose!¡¯ Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t die!


    Seeing you fight for me and dad defend me made me really happy!


    I must get the upper hand over loudmouth Yang this time; she can¡¯t be allowed to push us around anymore!¡±


    ¡°Sister...


    then you...¡±


    While they were talking, the villagers who had come to watch the commotion caught up.


    ¡°An Ping, don¡¯t pull me!


    If I live, I¡¯ll just have people poking my spine in the future, better to prove my innocence with death!


    If I die, I can see our mom beneath the ground.


    Poor dad is full of ailments; when he grows old, you must be filial in my stead!¡± An Hao put on a face of deep sorrow as she acted.


    An Ping suddenly hugged An Hao¡¯s arm tightly, shouting, ¡°Mom, Mom!


    Can you see this from heaven?


    This is how a child without a mother gets bullied!¡±


    An Hao, seeing her brother actually start to play along, wanted to laugh but she knew she couldn¡¯t in this situation and made a face as if in extreme agony, pushing An Ping away, and turned to keep walking.


    ¡°An Hao, where are you going to hang yourself?


    Where are you going!¡± Yang Yonghua huffed and puffed as she ran.


    An Hao ignored her and quickened her pace towards the west end of her village, where Yang Yonghua¡¯s house was located.


    By the time a large group had followed her there, An Hao began tying a rope around the crooked neck tree outside her home, shouting, ¡°Aunt Yang, there are limits to how much you can bully someone.


    Since you¡¯re leaving me no way out, I might as well die at your doorstep!


    Even if I become a ghost, I will come to your house to claim my debts!¡±


    ¡°Oh my ancestors!


    Please stop!


    You cannot hang yourself at my door!¡± Yang Yonghua hit her thigh and called out to her people, ¡°Fellow villagers, please help me out!¡±


    Seeing the situation escalate, the villagers stepped forward to persuade An Hao, ¡°An Hao, it¡¯s not worth it!


    It¡¯s not worth losing your life over this!¡±


    ¡°Who says it¡¯s not worth it!


    This matter concerns my innocence.¡± An Hao snatched the rope from Yang Yonghua¡¯s grip and glared at her, asking, ¡°Aunt Yang, you better explain clearly what this is all about.


    Otherwise, I¡¯m going to die at your house today.


    If I don¡¯t live, you won¡¯t have any peace either!¡±

 Chapter 24 - 24 24 Defending Innocence

    ?24: Chapter 24 Defending Innocence 24: Chapter 24 Defending Innocence An Hao¡¯s aggrieved look made the villagers unable to bear watching.


    Such a good child, acting so desperately, must have been wronged.


    Thinking of An Hao¡¯s mother¡¯s good reputation while she was alive, everyone felt that Yang Yonghua was very likely slandering the child.


    On normal days, Widow Zhang had nothing to do and loved to watch the excitement and hear about unusual things, but she wasn¡¯t brainless.


    Looking at the scene before her, she seemed to think that she had just made a wrong guess.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Yonghua, how much of what you say is true, eh?


    If you¡¯ve really wronged An Hao, you better come out with it quick and clear her name.


    Are you really going to stand by and watch the child hang herself at your doorstep?


    Isn¡¯t that a sin!¡± Widow Zhang¡¯s sharp tongue turned the tide as soon as her upper lip touched her lower lip.


    ¡°Exactly!


    Yonghua, what exactly is going on!¡± one person said, and a bunch of others followed suit, creating an uproar.


    ¡°Yang Yonghua, if my An Hao dies, I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡± An Shuchao shouted through gritted teeth.


    Seeing that things had gotten completely out of hand, Yang Yonghua knew she had to clarify or she¡¯d never get past this; she bit the bullet and blurted out, ¡°I saw An Hao enter the small grove, so I hid nearby to watch.


    I thought if she didn¡¯t come out for a while, I¡¯d go and see what she was up to.


    Who knew, she came out in less than five minutes.


    I...


    I wasn¡¯t exactly lying!¡±


    ¡°Then you say she slept with Simpleton!


    What can be done in five minutes?


    To walk into that little grove behind the village chief¡¯s house takes two minutes, another two to get out¡ªonly one minute to stay there!¡± Widow Zhang shouted loudly.


    ¡°Exactly!


    Yang Yonghua, how can you frame someone¡¯s child like that?


    A girl holds her reputation more dear than her life, do you think she would do such a thing?¡± An Hao¡¯s neighbor, Big Sister Li, finally spoke up.


    Suddenly, there was a huge backlash, and the people who initially came to watch the An Family¡¯s trouble began to question Yang Yonghua.


    She was so overwhelmed by the questions she couldn¡¯t defend herself.


    ¡°This...


    I...


    I...


    I apologize, okay?


    I was just angry with that girl, not showing any respect to her elders, pushing me into the water in this cold weather!¡±


    ¡°What?


    That¡¯s because you pushed her and you fell in yourself!¡±


    ¡°I...


    I...¡± Yang Yonghua was completely shut down by the confrontation.


    Seeing that the villagers believed she was being framed, An Hao knew it was time to let the matter rest, as continuing could be bad for everyone involved.


    She just wanted to defend her innocence without causing more trouble.


    ¡°Auntie Yang, now that you¡¯ve admitted to framing me, I hope you won¡¯t do it again in the future.


    Also, my mother has been gone for many years, and I don¡¯t want to hear you speaking ill of her behind my back!¡± An Hao said seriously.


    ¡°Alright!


    Alright!¡± Yang Yonghua agreed quickly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this matter here, and if I hear anyone speaking ill of me behind my back again, I will consider it your doing.¡± An Hao finished, then bowed to the villagers, ¡°Thank you, all the aunties, big sisters, uncles, and big brothers, for helping me reclaim my innocence!


    Thank you for standing up for me!¡±


    ¡°An Hao, don¡¯t be afraid!


    A clean hand wants no washing.


    If anyone dares to gossip about this behind your back, Big Sister Li will be the first to stand up for you!¡± An Hao¡¯s neighbor, Big Sister Li, thumped her chest to show her support.


    ¡°Thank you, Big Sister Li!¡± An Hao bowed deeply to her.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s break it up,¡± Widow Zhang waved her hand at the crowd, and the onlookers dispersed.

 Chapter 25 - 25 25 Making a Name with One Battle

    ?25: Chapter 25: Making a Name with One Battle 25: Chapter 25: Making a Name with One Battle The village chief hurried over when he heard the news and, seeing that the crowd had dispersed, quickly grabbed someone and asked, ¡°Is everything alright?


    Has everyone left?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were waiting for you village officials to sort things out, but now it¡¯s as cold as a dish of yellow flower vegetables!¡± Old Lady Li gave him a piece of her mind and headed home.


    Only after everyone had left did Yang Erdan help Yang Yonghua back to their house.


    As soon as they entered, they ran into Zhang Laozhan, who had just come out.


    Upon seeing Zhang Laozhan emerge, Yang Yonghua unleashed all the anger she had pent up: ¡°You useless thing, I was nearly ruined by the gossip of the entire village while you hid inside like a turtle, and now you come out when everyone¡¯s gone!


    What are you doing out here?¡±


    Zhang Laozhan was Yang Yonghua¡¯s live-in son-in-law, who, being poor and from a family with many brothers, had always struggled to find a wife.


    Yang Yonghua had been both fat and ugly in her youth, but since she was the only child and her parents could not have more, and their family was relatively well off, they ended up taking in Zhang Laozhan as a live-in son-in-law.


    Therefore, the children carried the surname Yang.


    On the day she gave birth, she had a dream where she ate two eggs.


    Upon waking, she began to experience labor pains and soon gave birth to a child, whom she named Yang Erdan.


    In the village, the more precious the only child, the more ridiculous the name; the more ridiculous the name, the better the chances of survival.


    Thus, names like Wang Genqiang, Yang Erdan, and Li Shuanzhu were especially popular.


    ¡°Even if I¡¯m no good, I¡¯m still better than you with your belly full of black water and rotten guts!


    All you do after eating your fill is to sit around lazy, gossiping and spreading rumors!


    Now you¡¯ve managed to embarrass us in front of the whole village!¡± Zhang Laozhan, fired up by his wife¡¯s tirade, finally lost his temper.


    ¡°What did you say?


    You old scoundrel!


    How dare you curse at me!


    You eat and wear what my family provides, and yet the elbow is turned outwards!


    Say that again, I dare you!


    I¡¯ll beat you to death if I don¡¯t kill you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a shrew!¡± Zhang Laozhan retorted.


    ¡°You dare to curse at my mom!¡± When Yang Erdan saw his normally meek father curse at his mother, he started hopping mad and charged to punch him.


    ¡°The two of you have really turned on me!


    I¡¯ve been bullied by you my whole life!


    Today, I have to let out some steam and teach you both a lesson, so you¡¯ll stop causing trouble every day!¡±


    Lashing out for the first time in his over forty years, Zhang Laozhan grabbed a broom from the yard and swung it at Yang Yonghua and her son.


    That late evening, the wails and howls of the mother and son duo spread throughout half the village, turning them into the village¡¯s biggest joke!


    An Hao became famous after this battle.


    In her past life, she became infamous due to the incident with the village idiot!


    But it was a bad reputation that lasted until her death, never shaken off.


    Everyone knew she took advantage of the village idiot, fought with the matchmakers, and even drove her stepmother to consider hanging herself.


    Reborn, she became famous again after another battle.


    However, this time she fought to defend her innocence.


    This battle ensured that no one in the village dared to belittle An Family¡¯s young lady anymore; they knew An Family¡¯s young lady was tough but also knew she was reasonable, not the type to hold a grudge unduly.


    Suddenly, people thought she was a fiery but sensible good girl.


    Back at home, Bai Xue sat in the north room, wiping away tears.


    Bai Yanjiao was comforting her by her side.


    Upon seeing An Shuchao come in, Bai Xue quickly wiped her tears and stood up: ¡°Old An, how did things go with An Hao¡¯s situation?¡±


    An Shuchao glanced at her, his expression dark: ¡°What else could happen?


    The child nearly hung herself, but that loudmouth Yang finally told the truth.


    The child did nothing shameful!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Bai Xue quickly dried her tears, her face showing relief, ¡°That¡¯s great!


    As long as An Hao didn¡¯t do that kind of thing, how could I ever face her deceased mother!¡±

 Chapter 26 - 26 26 Kicked by a Donkey in the Head

    ?26: Chapter 26: Kicked by a Donkey in the Head 26: Chapter 26: Kicked by a Donkey in the Head An Hao sneered sarcastically after hearing those words, ¡°Then I really should thank Mom for her concern!


    You were dying of anxiety before because I refused to marry the idiot, and now you¡¯re going crazy with worry that I might do something with him in the woods.


    Mom, how can someone as smart as you not understand such a simple matter?


    How could I possibly want to sneak into the woods with someone I don¡¯t even want to marry?


    Has your brain been kicked by a donkey?


    Or has mine?¡±


    With that remark, Bai Xue¡¯s face turned from green to red, ¡°I...


    I¡¯m just concerned about you, right?


    Concern leads to chaos, so when I heard about these things, my mind just went blank!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?


    Then I really thank you, Mom!


    Next time, no matter how concerned you are about me, the first thing you should do is not to throw dirt on me!¡± An Hao said, then turned around, flung open the curtains, and walked out.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom!


    You really surprised me this time!¡± An Ping joined in, ¡°My sister would never sleep with that idiot.


    Not to mention anything else, just her obsession with cleanliness would keep her from tolerating doing it in such a filthy place like the woods.


    How could you side with that loudmouth Yang today and start slinging mud at my sister?¡±


    Yanjiao didn¡¯t like them all blaming her mother and felt unhappy, ¡°An Ping, isn¡¯t Mom just worried about our sister?


    Between that Yang loudmouth and our sister, whom do you think Mom would side with?


    Of course it¡¯s our sister!


    Isn¡¯t Mom just worried sick about our sister¡¯s trouble?


    Really now!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say anymore, okay?


    Is the food ready yet?


    I¡¯m starving!¡± An Ping didn¡¯t want to argue with her.


    ¡°No!¡± Yanjiao glared at him irritably, ¡°Mom really raised a thankless wretch!


    You¡¯re provided with everything and then you talk like this, do you think Mom¡¯s heart isn¡¯t cold?¡±


    When Bai Xue heard her daughter saying this, tears started falling pitter-patter again, ¡°An Ping is right.


    Mom is blind; it¡¯s all my fault!


    To think that I let An Hao suffer such a grievance, I¡¯ll go apologize to her right now!¡±


    As she spoke, she got up to look for An Hao.


    An Shuchao wasn¡¯t satisfied with what Bai Xue had done today either, but after listening to the conversation between An Ping and the mother and daughter, he couldn¡¯t get angry anymore.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s move past this.


    It wasn¡¯t intentional.


    Just be more careful next time,¡± An Shuchao waved his hand, ready to put the matter to rest.


    Bai Xue nodded, clutching a handkerchief in her hand and continually wiping her tears, unwilling to lift her head.


    ¡°Dad, you better console Mom!


    She really does everything for this family, don¡¯t let her heart grow cold!¡± Yanjiao took the opportunity to push An Shuchao toward Bai Xue, then glanced at them and pulled An Ping out with her.


    Inside the kitchen, An Hao was cooking.


    Yanjiao walked in, pretending to help her, and came over to her side.


    ¡°Sis, do you need me to do anything?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± An Hao was peeling onions, without lifting her head.


    Yanjiao glanced at the door, saw no one, then moved closer to An Hao and threatened her in a low voice, ¡°An Hao, don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve made a scene today, you can do anything to me and Mom!


    You think you¡¯re so clever, do you?


    Learning how to sting people with your words.


    Let me tell you, Dad and Mom are cozying up just fine in the room right now!


    If you think you can get the better of us with that, then you¡¯re just too naive.¡±


    An Hao glanced at her, her voice cold, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.


    I¡¯ve never thought about driving you two away!


    I also want to live my life peacefully, but if someone won¡¯t let me live peacefully, I definitely won¡¯t make it easy for her either.¡±


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll just wait and see!¡± Yanjiao squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.

 Chapter 27 - 27 27 The Heart Aches, So Does the Flesh

    ?27: Chapter 27: The Heart Aches, So Does the Flesh 27: Chapter 27: The Heart Aches, So Does the Flesh ¡°Sis, what are you two whispering so closely about!¡± An Ping, unable to bear his hunger any longer, came into the kitchen to see if An Hao¡¯s cooking was ready and happened upon this scene of the two huddled together and murmuring.


    At first glance, it appeared quite affectionate.


    ¡°What we¡¯re doing?


    We¡¯re whispering a secret, right, sis?¡± Bai Yanjiao purposefully draped her arm around An Hao¡¯s, presenting a facade of closeness for An Ping to see, while her hand ruthlessly pinched a chunk of An Hao¡¯s inner arm.


    A sharp pain shot through her, nearly bringing tears to An Hao¡¯s eyes.


    She bit her teeth, squeezed out a smile, lifted her other hand to grasp Bai Yanjiao¡¯s hand, her nails digging deeply into her flesh, and brushed her hand away with a laugh, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s no secret.


    Yanjiao said that with New Year¡¯s coming, she wants to use her own saved money to buy you a gift, talking about getting you two cans of luncheon meat.¡±


    At this, An Ping¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Really?


    That¡¯s great!


    Thank you so much, second sis!


    I¡¯ll be waiting eagerly for the New Year!¡±


    Bai Yanjiao found herself unable to refuse!


    A can of luncheon meat, forty cents each, two cans...


    The mere thought was excruciatingly painful!


    ¡°Fine, fine, just you wait!


    I¡¯ll buy it for you!¡± Bai Yanjiao grudgingly agreed for the time being, deciding whether or not to buy it later.


    This cursed An Hao was truly ruthless, costing her more than two dollars in an instant.


    It hurt her so much!


    It hurt both the flesh and the heart!


    An Hao finished cooking a sumptuous dinner and served it, a stir-fry of eggs with scallions, another dish of pork with Chinese cabbage, a big pot of millet porridge, and a ring of warm pancakes¡ªall to An Shuchao¡¯s contentment.


    Seeing An Hao earning money, he felt that life had some direction at last.


    After dinner, An Hao did not clean up the dishes; instead, she returned to her room.


    She felt tired and lay on the bed with her eyes closed, lost in thought.


    This day had been truly exhausting.


    In the town, she was indebted to Qin Jian for his help, and when she left, she even took his handkerchief.


    One should be grateful and reciprocate kindness.


    Although Qin Jian had said nothing, An Hao wanted to thank him.


    But, just going to his house to say thanks didn¡¯t seem quite appropriate; what should she bring to thank him?


    An Hao pondered this, drowsily drifting toward sleep.


    As she was about to enter her dreams, she heard An Shuchao knocking on her door: ¡°My girl, are you asleep?¡±


    ¡°Dad?


    Do you need something?¡± An Hao got out of bed, put on her shoes, and opened the door.


    An Shuchao, wrapped in a threadbare cotton-padded jacket, entered the room and found a stool to sit on: ¡°An Hao, you made a fair bit of money at the market this time.


    There¡¯s one more market day before the New Year, are you still planning to go?¡±


    ¡°Go?


    Of course, I am!¡± An Hao contemplated; with half a vat of hawthorns left, she could still make some haw cake to earn a bit more.


    An Shuchao nodded and inquired, ¡°Do you have enough money?¡±


    An Hao was startled.


    ¡°What I mean is, you could take An Ping and Yanjiao with you to the next market, make more, sell more.


    If you don¡¯t have enough money, take from me!¡± An Shuchao, having tasted a little success, wanted An Hao to sell more and bring back some cash.


    ¡°Alright.¡± An Hao had been worried, as she couldn¡¯t carry too many haw cakes herself; having an extra person meant an extra helper.


    ¡°Then if there¡¯s nothing else, start preparing early tomorrow.


    Leave the cooking and other housework to your mother.¡± An Shuchao had planned things out, trying to free up more time for An Hao.


    He felt that he might have been wrong about his daughter before; perhaps she had a real knack for business.


    With such an opportunity, why not let her try her hand freely?

 Chapter 28 - 28 28 The Eternal Iceberg

    ?28: Chapter 28: The Eternal Iceberg 28: Chapter 28: The Eternal Iceberg The next day, An Hao took out all the hawthorn from her house.


    She decided that this time, before the New Year, she would definitely buy some more money at the market.


    After some thought, it seemed that making just hawthorn cakes would be too monotonous.


    Since she planned to have a big sale, why not make a series of hawthorn products?


    So, she began experimenting with making candied haw on a stick and hawthorn sugar snowballs at home, diversifying her product line.


    An Ping watched An Hao wash the hawthorn and dry them, then went to find a lot of bamboo sticks, removed the cores from the hawthorn and threaded them onto the sticks; dipping them in the brightly colored golden syrup to make a fresh red, enticing string of candied haws.


    ¡°This is pretty simple!¡± Since the incident that happened yesterday, An Ping had grown much closer to An Hao.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as it seems.


    The most crucial part is cooking the syrup; if not done properly, it turns bitter,¡± An Hao said, deftly making strings of candied haws.


    She had made them countless times in her last life, but in this life, she wasn¡¯t sure if her skills had deteriorated.


    It seemed, however, that the results of her experiments were quite satisfying.


    After making a few strings of candied haws, An Hao made a hawthorn sugar snowball.


    The length of time the syrup was cooked directly determined the consistency of the sugar.


    This time, the hawthorn was covered with a layer of white sugar frost, resembling a snowball.


    With a crunching bite, it was indeed sour, sweet, and delicious!


    ¡°Try it, how is it?¡± An Hao handed An Ping a string of candied haw.


    An Ping took a bite, almost biting off her own tongue in delight: ¡°Delicious!


    So delicious!


    Sis, I¡¯ll join you at the market in three days.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± An Hao agreed.


    An Hao made twenty sticks of candied haws and a small bag of hawthorn sugar snowballs, wrapping them in clean cellophane and preparing to go out.


    She was still preoccupied with Qin Jian saving her life ¨C one should repay a kindness with a spring of gratitude.


    Their village was well-known within a radius of tens of miles for its poverty, having nothing at all, and her family was exceptionally poor.


    Thus, she could only express her thanks with a few strings of candied haws.


    Although the gifts were humble, they represented her sentiment.


    An Hao returned to the room and changed into clean clothes.


    A clean, dark blue cotton-padded jacket, a pair of black trousers below, and her braids combed neatly and dangling in front of her chest, she checked herself in the mirror after getting ready.


    Truly, at the age of eighteen, in the prime of her youth, even in simple attire, she looked very clean and pure, exuding a youthful charm.


    This was the An Hao she should be!


    In her hand, An Hao carried a small bag pieced together from colorful scraps of fabric.


    She filled it with about one pound of hawthorn sugar snowballs and five candied haws before heading out the door.


    Qin Jian was thirty years old this year, an engineer at the Provincial Power Research Institute.


    Young and successful with quite the handsome face, he always appeared cold and distant to others.


    He was very strict at work, demanding both of himself and his subordinates.


    Despite his youth, few were not afraid of him.


    People addressed him respectfully as ¡°Captain¡± in person, but behind his back, they called him the ¡°Cold-faced King of Hell.¡±


    He had held a respectable position in the military at a young age, but few girls dared to marry him¡ªit was said he had an overpowering fate, and anyone who got close to him ended up badly.


    Furthermore, he was always busy with military life.


    Over time, his marital prospects were neglected.


    Now thirty and still without a suitable girl in sight, his mother Li Junping was as anxious as a monkey eating garlic.

 Chapter 29 - 29 29 Visiting to Express Gratitude

    ?29: Chapter 29 Visiting to Express Gratitude 29: Chapter 29 Visiting to Express Gratitude ¡°Did any of your leaders at the institute introduce you to any potential spouses this year!¡± During lunch, Li Junping couldn¡¯t help but ask him.


    ¡°Yes.


    I dated two, but they weren¡¯t suitable,¡± Qin Jian said while biting into a steamed bun.


    ¡°What¡¯s not suitable about them?


    You think they¡¯re unsuitable, or do they think you¡¯re unsuitable?¡±


    ¡°Both sides felt it wasn¡¯t suitable.¡±


    Li Junping would ask a question and Qin Jian would answer in as few words as possible, not willing to say an extra word, which frustrated her to death: ¡°Can¡¯t you just talk to your mom about this?


    Are you trying to worry me to death?¡±


    ¡°I find the women too timid, and they find me too cold!¡±


    At that moment, Qin Feng couldn¡¯t help but chime in, ¡°Bro, your face is always cold like a temple guardian god, who wouldn¡¯t be scared?¡±


    ¡°Eat your food, you have something to say about everything,¡± Li Junping scolded her daughter, then turned back to Qin Jian, ¡°Son, you¡¯re already thirty and not yet married, your father and I are worried sick.


    Next time there¡¯s an introduction, as long as the girl likes you, just marry her.¡±


    ¡°Mom, your standards are too low.


    Although my brother is a bit cold, his handsome appearance is hard to come by in this vast countryside.


    And he works at the Provincial Power Research Institute, what great conditions!¡± Qin Feng felt her brother was a dragon among men, and not a single girl in the village was worthy of him, only a city girl would do.


    ¡°Then your brother is fated to struggle finding a wife!


    Who would willingly give their daughter¡¯s hand in marriage to him!¡±


    Qin Jian frowned slightly: ¡°Enough, let¡¯s leave it to fate.


    Mom, I¡¯m only here for a short vacation this time; I have to leave in three days, so please give me some peace for these few days.¡±


    Li Junping opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, a clear and melodious voice came from the yard, sounding like a silver bell: ¡°Auntie, are you home?¡±


    ¡°Yes!


    I am!¡± Hearing someone calling her, Li Junping put down her bowl and stood up.


    She stepped out and saw An Hao standing in the yard.


    ¡°Are you...


    Old An¡¯s daughter...?¡± Although they lived in the same village, there was quite a distance between the east and west of the village, and they did not see each other often.


    ¡°Auntie, I am An Hao.¡±


    ¡°An Hao!


    You¡¯ve grown more beautiful.


    Do you need something from your aunt?¡± Li Junping asked with a smile.


    ¡°Is Big Brother Qin at home?¡±


    Mentioning Qin Jian made Li Junping pause slightly: ¡°Yes!


    Yes!


    Do you need him for something?¡± Qin Jian often stayed at the institute for work and had to travel for business, only returning once a year.


    When An Hao was young, Qin Jian had already gone off to university, and there were not many children of her age in the village who knew him.


    ¡°Auntie, the thing is...¡± An Hao had not yet had a chance to explain when the curtain to the north room was lifted, and a tall figure appeared before her eyes.


    ¡°Big Brother Qin, I¡¯ve come to return something to you.¡±


    Qin Jian looked at the lively young girl standing in the yard and immediately remembered the outspoken girl who had ridden in his car the day before.


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    An Hao smiled, took a handkerchief out of her pocket, and extended it toward Qin Jian: ¡°I¡¯ve washed the handkerchief clean.


    Here it is back for you!¡±


    Qin Jian glanced down at the young girl who reached only up to his chest and coughed lightly: ¡°It¡¯s just a handkerchief!


    No need to return it!¡±


    ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t be proper,¡± An Hao insisted on returning the handkerchief, as it was inappropriate for a young woman to keep a man¡¯s handkerchief.


    Qin Jian turned his head away, unwilling to accept it: ¡°It¡¯s just a handkerchief.


    If you don¡¯t need it, simply throw it away.¡±


    ¡°This...¡± In his past life, he was just as stubborn; nothing had changed in this life.


    Seeing her son¡¯s rigid demeanor made Li Junping anxious; noticing An Hao¡¯s slightly embarrassed look, she smiled, took the handkerchief, shoved it back into An Hao¡¯s arms, and said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him.


    If he gives you something to hold onto, then hold onto it.¡±

 Chapter 30 - 30 30 Good Impression

    ?30: Chapter 30 Good Impression 30: Chapter 30 Good Impression An Hao, seeing the situation, didn¡¯t play coy or refuse and accepted it graciously, ¡°Alright then.


    Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll accept it.


    Thank you, Big Brother Qin!


    Thank you, aunty.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on between you two?¡± Li Junping asked with some puzzlement, knowing that asking her son would yield no answers, so she straightforwardly asked An Hao.


    ¡°I was returning from selling things in town when I ran into a thief.


    Big Brother Qin subdued the thief and recovered the stolen money for me.


    I specifically came to thank him!¡± An Hao said with a smile, handing the items from her backpack to Li Junping, ¡°My family is poor, and we don¡¯t have much to offer.


    These are candied haws and hawthorn sugar snowballs I made myself, please have a taste.¡±


    Everyone likes a sensible girl, and after listening to An Hao, Li Junping¡¯s impression of her improved a bit more.


    Just as she was about to accept the items, Qin Jian stopped her, ¡°Mom, we can¡¯t accept!


    We¡¯re all from the same village, helping out is what we should do.


    How can we take things from her?¡±


    Li Junping¡¯s face was a picture of embarrassment, her hand hanging in the air, undecided whether to take it or not.


    An Hao pursed her lips with a smile, ¡°Who said this is to thank you?


    It¡¯s true I came to express my gratitude!


    I already said thank you earlier!


    These treats are for the aunty, don¡¯t I have the right to give something to her as a fellow villager?


    That¡¯s not wrong, is it?¡±


    Qin Jian glanced at An Hao and saw her eyes sparkling, shining with a sly light.


    A smile brought out two playful dimples at the corners of her mouth, adding a touch of cheekiness to her appearance.


    Seeing An Hao smiling cheerfully at him, Qin Jian¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Then, he turned and went inside the house.


    Li Junping then took the treats from An Hao, looked down at them, and couldn¡¯t help but praise An Hao for being sensible.


    An Hao remembered in her last life, the moment she stepped into her in-laws¡¯ house, her mother-in-law Li Junping never gave her a kind look.


    This life was truly different from the last.


    Every move she made influenced the trajectory of her destiny.


    It was a good start, and she aimed to keep following this positive path.


    After a brief exchange with Li Junping, An Hao prepared to leave as it was noon and time for her family to have their meal.


    Li Junping didn¡¯t hold her up but sent her off with a smile, ¡°An Hao, feel free to visit aunty¡¯s home whenever you like!¡±


    ¡°Alright, aunty, no need to see me out.


    It¡¯s too cold, you should hurry back inside!¡±


    After An Hao left, Li Junping, holding the bag of treats, went back inside, where Qin Feng approached with curiosity, ¡°What¡¯s delicious?


    Let me try.¡±


    ¡°An Hao¡¯s homemade candied haws!¡± Li Junping took out two skewers, gave one to Qin Feng, and gave another to Qiang Jian.


    ¡°You two eat.


    I¡¯ve already had some,¡± Qin Jian waved his hand.


    At their research institute in the city, he often saw candied haws being sold on the streets.


    In the city, they weren¡¯t anything special, but in this extremely poor village, they were a rarity.


    Seeing him decline, Li Junping took them back for herself.


    Qin Feng bit into one, the sugar cracking crisply, the tart sweetness of the hawthorn bursting delightfully in her mouth, ¡°Wow!


    This is delicious!


    It¡¯s much better than what I ate when I went to the city before.


    An Hao is quite skilled.¡±


    Li Junping also couldn¡¯t stop praising after tasting it.


    Qin Feng, with a great love for food, quickly finished her skewer and eyed the one belonging to Qin Jian, ¡°Brother, if you¡¯re not going to eat that, can I have it?¡±


    Seeing Qin Feng¡¯s eyes light up, Qin Jian was tempted to give it a try himself.


    He took out a skewer from his pocket, bit off one, and found it indeed very tasty.


    Before he could speak, Qin Feng snatched it from his hand, ¡°Thanks, big brother!¡±

 Chapter 31 - 31 31 Going to the Market

    ?31: Chapter 31 Going to the Market 31: Chapter 31 Going to the Market Qin Feng had eaten another skewer of sugar-coated hawthorns and was still eyeing the basket.


    Li Junping wouldn¡¯t let her have any more, no matter what, ¡°Your dad and your brother haven¡¯t even had any yet.


    These two skewers are for them to save for when they come back tonight.¡±


    ¡°Playing favorites.¡± Qin Feng, who was eighteen, had a notable trait¡ªshe was lazy and had a serious sweet tooth; she could barely move her legs once she saw food.


    ¡°Can I have a few sugar snowballs then?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!


    Go ahead!


    All you know is eating.


    I wonder how you¡¯ll ever find a husband!¡± Li Junping said harshly, but she still handed a few to her.


    Qin Feng went off to the side to eat, and Li Junping turned her attention to An Hao.


    ¡°Qin Jian, what do you think of the An family¡¯s girl?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what do I think¡¯?¡± Qin Jian glanced at her, ¡°Stop worrying about it.


    The girl¡¯s still very young!¡±


    Li Junping wanted to say more but then thought better of it; An Hao was still in school, and it was very unlikely she would agree.


    So, the idea that had just sprung to mind was suppressed once again.


    An Hao got home and gave the remaining skewers of sugar-coated hawthorns to the neighbors who had stood up for her the day before.


    Anyone who spoke up for her deserved her thanks, after all.


    Now, everyone in the village started praising how nice the An family girl was.


    Especially the sharp-tongued widow Zhang, who couldn¡¯t stop singing An Hao¡¯s praises to anyone who would listen.


    These past few days, An Hao had tried to sell some hair accessories at home and found it difficult to attract buyers, leaving a few unsold.


    So she gave up on the idea of bringing things from outside to sell in the village.


    She started preparing to sell items outside instead.


    Three days later, the market day in the town was coming up; it was the last market before the New Year.


    An Hao had already prepared the items she planned to sell, and early in the morning, she called out to An Ping to join her.


    Initially, An Ping was very enthusiastic about going with her to sell, but the winter morning was so cold it could freeze water to ice, and he did not want to leave his warm bed.


    An Hao called him for a long time, but he refused to get up.


    An Shuchao, who was asleep in the north room, heard her and got up, putting on his clothes: ¡°My dear girl, I¡¯ll go sell with you!¡±


    Thinking about standing in the cold town all day, An Hao worried about her father¡¯s age and his health.


    She feared he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it.


    ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t need to go!


    I have a way to get An Ping up!¡±


    An Hao knocked on the door, pushed it open, and went in.


    Seeing An Ping wrapped up like a cocoon, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Get up, An Ping, we have a big job today!


    Quickly get out of bed and come with me to the market.


    If we sell well today, I will pay you a wage!¡±


    At the mention of wages, An Ping¡¯s eyes shot open, ¡°Really?


    How much will you give me?¡±


    ¡°At least two yuan, but it depends on your performance!¡±


    An Ping perked up instantly, no longer bothered by the cold, and sat up straight away, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m coming with you!¡±


    When they arrived at the town, there were already quite a few people.


    Luckily, the spot they used last time hadn¡¯t been taken by anyone else, so she quickly paid the management fee and set up shop with An Ping.


    ¡°Sis, do you think we can sell all this stuff?¡± An Ping was a bit worried as he looked at the abundance of goods.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.


    We can definitely do it!¡± With the experience from the last time, this time An Hao was full of confidence in their goods, ¡°An Ping, you have to shout loudly to sell!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    With people gradually showing up, the siblings started to call out, ¡°Hawthorn cakes, sugar-coated hawthorns, hawthorn sugar snowballs, sour and sweet, good for digestion and not expensive!


    Come and buy!¡±


    These items were popular in the town, and as soon as the sibling duo began to shout, a crowd quickly gathered around.

 Chapter 32 - 32 32 Green Tea Bestie

    ?32: Chapter 32 Green Tea Bestie 32: Chapter 32 Green Tea Bestie An Hao¡¯s goods were good and not expensive, and people¡¯s enthusiasm for buying them was very high.


    An Ping looked at the crowd that was three layers deep inside and outside, with people handing over large bills, afraid that if they didn¡¯t buy now, there would be nothing left.


    The excitement was simply indescribable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s enough for everyone!


    No need to rush!¡± An Hao said, while skillfully packing the goods.


    Before her eyes, the piles of goods were quickly being sold, replaced by the increasingly thick stack of bills in An Ping¡¯s hands.


    After a busy morning, the goods they brought were about to sell out.


    An Hao was so tired that her mouth was parched, and just as it was time for lunch, she suddenly heard someone calling her name.


    ¡°An Hao!


    An Hao!¡±


    She looked towards the voice and saw her ¡°good friend¡± Song Yueqin.


    In her previous life, it was Yueqin who had always stirred up her relationship with Qin Jian and his family, causing her to fight with the Qin Family like mortal enemies until she divorced Qin Jian.


    When she was at her most difficult times, for fear that Qin Jian would help her, Yueqin suppressed her all over the city, making her life worse than a dog¡¯s.


    Seeing Yueqin in this life, An Hao¡¯s heart felt like a bottle of mixed flavors¡ªextremely unpleasant.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you!


    What are you thinking about!¡± Yueqin waved her hand in front of An Hao¡¯s eyes.


    An Hao snapped back to reality and smiled faintly, ¡°Nothing much!


    Yueqin, how come I haven¡¯t seen you around lately?¡±


    ¡°I went to the city to stay with my grandmother for a while.


    I just came back!¡± Yueqin said with a grin, ¡°Look, isn¡¯t my new dress pretty?¡±


    Yueqin¡¯s mother was a sent-down youth who fell in love with her father while in the countryside, so the two of them made a private lifetime commitment.


    After returning to the city, Yueqin¡¯s mother found out she was expecting Yueqin.


    Her grandmother panicked at the time and took her to have an abortion.


    But then, Juyun, her mother, ran away with the household registration book and stubbornly married Yueqin¡¯s father.


    Yueqin¡¯s grandmother did not like country people and never forgave her daughter, nor did she accept her son-in-law.


    The two families lost contact until a few years ago when Yueqin¡¯s uncle died, and her aunt remarried with her cousin to the south.


    Only then did her grandmother acknowledge Yueqin.


    During every holiday, she would stay in the city for a while.


    Each time she came back with new clothes, it was enough to make An Hao envious for a long time.


    The time An Hao spent with Yueqin consisted mostly of her clinging to Yueqin, following behind her.


    In this life, that would never happen again.


    After seeing her true colors, An Hao would no longer foolishly tell her everything or be at her beck and call.


    ¡°It looks good.


    Very nice,¡± An Hao replied simply, going back to organizing the remaining few items.


    ¡°An Hao, how come I barely recognize you after just a few days?¡± Yueqin was somewhat puzzled; An Hao was not like this before.


    Every time she saw Yueqin in new clothes, An Hao¡¯s eyes were always filled with envy.


    An Hao would pester her, touching the clothes here and there, as if wishing she could reach out a hand through her eyes.


    But this time, her expression was indifferent, as if she hadn¡¯t even noticed.


    ¡°Changed?


    I¡¯m still me!¡± An Hao said with a smile, saying no more.


    Full of confusion, Yueqin was even more astonished when she saw An Hao setting up a stall to sell goods and opened her mouth wide in surprise, ¡°An Hao, when did you learn to make and sell these things?


    How did I have no idea?¡±


    ¡°Yueqin, you wouldn¡¯t know, right?


    Even as his brother, I had no idea, let alone you!¡± An Ping had witnessed An Hao¡¯s talent and now greatly admired her; he no longer called her An Hao but instead straightforwardly addressed her as sister.


    ¡°This is called ¡®true skills are never flaunted¡¯!¡± An Hao teased, and as she looked up, she saw a car slowly approaching from not far away.

 Chapter 33 - 33 33 Playing Tricks

    ?33: Chapter 33 Playing Tricks 33: Chapter 33 Playing Tricks In that era, the people who could afford cars were extremely rare, and they had to be either influential or wealthy.


    As soon as An Hao saw the car, she knew it was Qin Jian¡¯s.


    Wasn¡¯t he here for a New Year¡¯s visit to relatives?


    Why did he leave so soon?


    Qin Jian was sitting in the car, looking from side to side.


    The marketplace in the town was always set up along the roadside, so one had to pass through it to get anywhere.


    Through the car window, he happened to see An Hao selling goods by the roadside.


    Remembering the tangy and delicious candied haws from the other day, Qin Jian felt a slight stirring in his heart and stopped the car.


    It was hard to describe exactly what he was feeling, but he headed straight for the place where An Hao was selling those candied haws.


    Song Yueqin was talking to An Hao.


    Seeing An Hao¡¯s gaze drift across the street, she grew curious and followed the gaze, only to see a tall and magnificent man walking toward them.


    He was dressed in an impeccably neat Zhongshan suit.


    His outstanding demeanor was striking even in a crowd, marking him as someone exceptional.


    He had a chiseled face, handsome features, but was not prone to laughter, as if he were a man who had stepped right out of a poster.


    My God!


    How could there be such a handsome man!


    His bearing was extraordinary, and passing by here in a car, he was clearly either someone of status or someone with a powerful job!


    Song Yueqin took a liking to him at first sight; this masculine, aloof man was precisely her type!


    In her dreams, she longed to marry a man like him!


    While Song Qian was lost in thought, Qin Jian had arrived at An Hao¡¯s stall.


    ¡°Give me ten jin of hawthorn cake and hawthorn candy snowballs!¡± he said, pointing to the few items left.


    An Hao smiled.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She swiftly weighed the items and handed them over to Qin Jian.


    An Ping stretched out a hand for the money: ¡°Four yuan!¡±


    Qin Jian pulled out four yuan from his pocket and handed it to An Ping, taking the package of treats.


    ¡°Brother Qin, are you heading back to the research institute now?¡± An Hao asked casually.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Jian answered formally, ¡°My vacation is over, so it¡¯s time to go back!¡±


    Song Yueqin felt a twinge of jealousy upon seeing that An Hao actually knew this man.


    In her eyes, An Hao should¡¯ve been her follower, should¡¯ve been the greenery that set off her own splendor.


    Why should she be the one stealing the limelight as the blossom!!


    So, she immediately put on what she considered a charming smile and asked, ¡°An Hao, you know this big brother?¡±


    An Hao turned her head to glance at Song Yueqin, and seeing the look in her eyes, she knew Song Yueqin had her eyes set on Qin Jian.


    How foolish she had been in her last life, never having realized from the very first glance that she liked Qin Jian, allowing Song Yueqin to meddle between them.


    This time, it would not happen again.


    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± she responded, her voice neither warm nor cold.


    Song Yueqin immediately showed an admiring face: ¡°Brother Qin, which research institute are you from?


    I¡¯ve always envied intellectuals!


    I¡¯ve dreamt of becoming a young female intellectual, of being a top student.


    Do you have any good study methods?¡±


    Qin Jian¡¯s gaze had originally been on An Hao, but hearing Song Yueqin say this, he shifted his attention to her.


    An Hao knew this was one of Song Yueqin¡¯s usual tricks.


    In her previous life, Song Yueqin had caused no small amount of trouble behind her back, all in an attempt to capture Qin Jian¡¯s attention like this.


    Annoyed, she replied coolly: ¡°Yueqin, Brother Qin is very busy with work.


    Perhaps you can ask him another time.


    Take care, Brother Qin!¡±

 Chapter 34 - 34 34 Interested in Becoming a Soldier

    ?34: Chapter 34: Interested in Becoming a Soldier 34: Chapter 34: Interested in Becoming a Soldier Qin Jian hadn¡¯t finished speaking when An Hao pushed him away with a single sentence.


    Since she had already spoken, what reason did he have to stay?


    ¡°Hmm.


    Goodbye!¡± Qin Jian grabbed his things and turned to leave.


    As soon as Song Yueqin saw this, she immediately became anxious and hurriedly asked, ¡°Big Brother Qin, what¡¯s your name?


    Where do you live?


    How can I write to you if I have questions?¡±


    Qin Jian paused, hesitated for a moment, looked at An Hao, and seeing her looking back at him with a pair of moist eyes, he said, ¡°My name is Qin Jian!


    I work at the Provincial Electric Power Research Institute.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Song Yueqin quickly noted it down.


    Looking at Qin Jian¡¯s handsome, picturesque face, her heart thumped rapidly.


    She looked at Qin Jian with a shy and smiling face, and called out loudly, ¡°Big Brother Qin!


    My name is Song Yueqin!


    I¡¯ll write to you when I have time!¡±


    Qin Jian pressed his lips together and, without saying a word, turned to open the car door.


    Just before getting into the car, as if possessed, he said to An Hao, ¡°Thanks for the sugar-coated hawthorns you gave me before, they were delicious!¡±


    An Hao was momentarily stunned; the Qin Jian of her previous life had never said such a thing to her.


    Perhaps it was because the relationship between them as a couple had been rather cold, and he rarely spoke; when he did, it was usually to tell her not to fuss.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± An Hao felt slightly moved and hurriedly picked up two strings of sugar-coated hawthorns from the stall and chased after him, ¡°These two strings of sugar-coated hawthorns are for you!¡±


    Qin Jian clearly paused for a moment as well.


    Seeing him at a standstill, An Hao smiled and urged him, ¡°Come on, take them!


    Don¡¯t start with the whole ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have¡¯ talk again...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just let you lose money on this!¡± Qin Jian prepared to take out money from his pocket.


    An Hao didn¡¯t wait for him to pull out his wallet, she pushed the sugar-coated hawthorns into his hand with a radiantly brilliant smile that outshone the sun, ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn!


    Just take it!¡±


    After speaking, she turned and walked back.


    Qin Jian looked at the two enticing red strings of sugar-coated hawthorns in his hand, and the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly, ¡°Thank you!


    An...¡±


    An...


    ¡°An Hao!


    My name is An Hao, as in ¡®years of peace¡¯ An Hao!¡±


    ¡°An Hao...


    An Hao...¡± Qin Jian murmured softly to himself twice, then turned and got into the car.


    As soon as he got into the car, he put the sugar-coated hawthorns aside, looked at them again and then picked them up.


    He had indeed never liked such things before; they were sour and not very exciting, just little things to coax girls with.


    But now, he had started to somewhat like these sugar-coated hawthorns.


    He thought about the reason and gave himself a far-fetched excuse.


    ¡°It¡¯s natural for tastes to change!¡± Qin Jian softly said to himself, then took a bite of the sugar-coated hawthorn, ¡°Hmm, indeed not bad!


    I¡¯ll share what I bought with everyone when I get back!¡±


    Song Yueqin watched the car go farther and farther away, not taking her eyes off it until it was out of sight.


    ¡°An Hao, how do you know Big Brother Qin?


    Where is his home?¡± As soon as Yueqin saw Qin Jian, she couldn¡¯t forget him, wondering how she might connect with him.


    An Ping saw what was on Song Yueqin¡¯s mind and snickered, ¡°Yueqin Sister, are you smitten with that soldier?¡±


    ¡°Go away!


    Childish nonsense, what would you know!¡± Song Yueqin glanced at An Ping with disdain, ¡°Adults are talking, kids should keep out of it!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± An Ping burst into laughter, ¡°I think you¡¯re just feeling guilty because I¡¯m onto you!


    You¡¯re a girl, and yet you¡¯re so forward.


    It would be strange if he wasn¡¯t scared off!¡±


    Remembering how forward she had just been, Song Yueqin¡¯s face grew hot; had she been too obvious?


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!


    I just wanted to ask how to study well, I¡¯m planning to get into a good university!¡±

 Chapter 35 - 35 35 Go Eat Beef Noodles

    ?35: Chapter 35: Go Eat Beef Noodles 35: Chapter 35: Go Eat Beef Noodles An Hao listened and chuckled to herself but didn¡¯t burst the bubble.


    Whether she truly wished to attend university or harbored other intentions, probably only she knew best.


    Song Yueqin and An Ping exchanged a few verbal jabs.


    Seeing An Hao¡¯s indifferent expression, Yueqin found it incredibly unbelievable and was utterly baffled.


    What on earth was going on with An Hao?


    Customers came to buy things in fits and starts, making it impossible for Yueqin to find an opportunity to have a proper conversation with An Hao.


    The weather was so cold that water turned to ice.


    Yueqin, unable to stand the freezing temperature any longer, urged An Hao, ¡°When will you return?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time.


    If you¡¯re cold, go back first!¡± An Hao had no desire to chat more with Yueqin.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be off.


    If there¡¯s nothing up, I¡¯ll come to hang out with you!¡±


    An Hao hummed indifferently and continued to organize her stall.


    After Song Yueqin left, An Hao sold out all of her goods.


    ¡°Count how much we made today?¡± An Hao asked An Ping as she rubbed her frozen hands.


    ¡°One, two, three...¡± An Ping couldn¡¯t wait to start counting, ¡°Seventy-three, seventy-four, seventy-five yuan!


    Taking the cost from the last earnings, this time we¡¯ve made a clean seventy-five yuan!¡±


    An Ping¡¯s voice trembled with excitement as he thrust the money into An Hao¡¯s hand: ¡°Don¡¯t believe me, count it yourself!¡±


    An Hao counted and found it indeed to be the case.


    She immediately took out five yuan and gave it to An Ping: ¡°This is your share!¡±


    ¡°So much!¡± An Ping accepted the money, grinning from ear to ear.


    An Hao pocketed the rest of the money and after some thought, decided it was not good to go back without explanation, so she divided it into two parts: Fifty for one portion and twenty for the other.


    After the siblings packed up their stall, it was already afternoon.


    An Ping, a growing lad, was famished.


    He pulled out a dry pancake from the food bag and wolfed it down with a swig of cold water.


    The hard, cold pancake made him stretch his neck as he swallowed, and An Hao watched her brother with a hint of pity.


    She felt the money in her pocket, clenched her teeth, and pulled An Ping along: ¡°Stop eating that, I¡¯ll take you for noodles!¡±


    An Ping, startled at first, became ecstatic and jumped up: ¡°Sis, are we going to that beef noodle place in town?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± An Hao nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!


    Let¡¯s hurry!¡± An Ping jammed the pancake back into the food bag and merrily hopped along with An Hao to the noodle shop.


    At the noodle shop, An Hao ordered two bowls of beef noodles.


    The hefty bowls of beef noodles had al dente noodles and a rich broth, costing fifty cents each.


    An Hao ate her fill from a large bowl, even slurping up the last drops of broth, leaving her with a pleasantly round, full stomach, and she let out a satisfying belch.


    An Ping was at an age where he could eat a horse, and one bowl wasn¡¯t enough.


    He ate another, fully content only after two hearty servings of noodles.


    Leaving the noodle shop, it was getting late, and An Hao and An Ping rode back in a villager¡¯s oxcart.


    That evening, just as the siblings reached their doorstep, they encountered An Shuchao squatting at the gate, puffing on his pipe alone.


    ¡°Dad, why are you outside in such cold weather instead of at home?¡± An Hao asked casually.


    ¡°Ah!¡± An Shuchao sighed.


    ¡°The house is too crowded, I came out for some air!¡±


    Seeing his demeanor, An Hao knew that guests had arrived at home, and they must be the kind to give him a headache: ¡°Has my second brother returned?¡±


    An Shuchao shook his head: ¡°No!


    It¡¯s your stepmother¡¯s mother and her brother¡¯s family who have come!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± An Hao¡¯s eyes widened.


    Like locusts, that family could consume and create chaos; now that it was just before the New Year, they had arrived.


    Were they planning not to leave?


    PS: Dear readers, if you like the story, please give You Ran plenty of support.


    Ask for recommendations, leave comments, make a gift, your support is You Ran¡¯s greatest motivation.


    Love you all, muah!


    Wishing all the readers a pleasant time reading~~

 Chapter 36 - 36 36 The Scroungers Have Arrived

    ?36: Chapter 36: The Scroungers Have Arrived 36: Chapter 36: The Scroungers Have Arrived ¡°With them coming, how are we supposed to celebrate the New Year?


    We¡¯re already poor, living beyond our means!


    Now they¡¯re here, how much food will they consume?¡± An Hao thought about it and felt a headache coming on.


    ¡°Dad, how long will they stay?


    Did they say?¡± An Ping was relatively calm compared to the rest, having visited Bai Xue¡¯s parents¡¯ home last year, he got along quite well with her family.


    Especially with Bai Xue¡¯s brother¡¯s son, Bai Yufeng, with whom he had a particularly good time.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t say.


    Judging by the old lady¡¯s intention, it seems they will stay for a while.


    They¡¯ll probably stay at least until after the New Year!¡± This was causing An Shuchao great distress already, as it was difficult enough for their family to get by on their own food, let alone with his daughter-in-law¡¯s entire family there as well.


    There¡¯s a saying that the end of the year is the hardest time, and it couldn¡¯t be more true.


    An Hao also sighed, ¡°Since they¡¯re here, there¡¯s no use worrying about it.


    It¡¯s just for a little while, we¡¯ll manage somehow.¡±


    ¡°Where is there money, though?¡± An Shuchao was worried, deeply sighing and looking up at An Hao, ¡°How did it go selling goods today?¡±


    ¡°Not bad!


    Several tens, nearly a hundred, right?¡± An Ping, younger and less thoughtful, eagerly spoke up when his father asked.


    An Hao frantically tried to stop him, but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Really?¡± An Shuchao¡¯s eyes shone with a glimmer of hope.


    ¡°In total, seventy,¡± she said, handing fifty yuan to An Shuchao, ¡°If we spend it carefully, there won¡¯t be a problem.


    The remaining twenty, I want to keep for capital, for my own use.


    Dad, don¡¯t make a fuss!¡±


    Seeing the fifty yuan, An Shuchao¡¯s previously clouded face suddenly cleared, ¡°No problem, no problem!


    After this New Year, I¡¯ll go work at the kiln for a few days!¡±


    An Hao nodded.


    Once back home, the moment An Hao showed up, Bai Xue came out of the kitchen with a smile to greet her, ¡°An Hao, tired, aren¡¯t you?


    Come have some water and rest!¡±


    There¡¯s an old saying that if someone is overly solicitous for no apparent reason, they¡¯re up to no good.


    Whenever Bai Xue put on such a look, she definitely had an ulterior motive.


    Indeed, before An Hao could speak, Bai Xue promptly followed with a question, ¡°So, how much did you sell for today at the market in town?¡±


    ¡°Not much,¡± An Hao didn¡¯t want to tell her.


    ¡°Fifty!¡± An Shuchao¡¯s voice came from behind.


    Upon hearing this, An Hao glared, frustrated¡ªshe could never expect her father to keep a secret.


    ¡°Wow!


    That much?


    An Hao is really brilliant!¡± Bai Xue¡¯s face bloomed with joy, as she had been worried about not having money to spend.


    Now that someone had earned some, it couldn¡¯t be better.


    ¡°The money has been earned, but that¡¯s all there is.


    After the New Year, I plan to review my lessons and won¡¯t be selling things anymore.


    Whether that¡¯s enough, you decide!¡± An Hao said sternly to Bai Xue, then turned and left.


    Did she really think An Hao didn¡¯t know?


    In her past life, Bai Xue¡¯s mother had come with her brother to take advantage often; how else would her own family¡¯s life have been particularly difficult!


    Bai Xue¡¯s face turned unsightly after being rebuffed by An Hao.


    ¡°Xue, An Hao¡¯s attitude isn¡¯t good, but her words make sense.


    You should manage this fifty yuan, along with the twenty from before, making seventy in total.


    Set aside some for the children¡¯s education and then plan the rest!¡± An Shuchao said as he handed the fifty yuan to Bai Xue.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old An!


    I¡¯m not muddled, I know who¡¯s close and who¡¯s distant,¡± Bai Xue said with a laugh, stepping forward and pecking An Shuchao on the face.


    ¡°We¡¯re old spouses now!


    It¡¯s embarrassing if someone sees!¡± An Shuchao said, but inwardly he was quite pleased.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.¡± Bai Xue chided with a glance, ¡°Old An, you¡¯ve been working so hard, I¡¯ll take good care of you tonight!¡±


    Her meaning of ¡°taking good care of,¡± An Shuchao knew all too well.


    Remembering the taste of his daughter-in-law, Bai Xue, which was quite irresistible, they hadn¡¯t been intimate for a long time.


    Tempted by her suggestive look, he really felt his blood starting to boil, eager and impatient!

 Chapter 37 - 37 37 The Unreasonable Bai Family Members

    ?37: Chapter 37: The Unreasonable Bai Family Members 37: Chapter 37: The Unreasonable Bai Family Members An Shuchao was thus easily subdued by Bai Xue¡¯s few words, and all the previous discomfort vanished into thin air.


    ¡°Go on, keep my brother company in the room for a while, I¡¯ll come once the food is ready!¡±


    ¡°Eh, alright!¡±


    The dinner was ready in no time, and Bai Xue had made an abundant meal in anticipation of her family¡¯s visit: a big plate of stir-fried leeks with eggs, a large bowl of cabbage and pork stewed with vermicelli, along with a dish of stir-fried potato shreds and fennel-boiled peanuts.


    In the pot was a millet porridge, and the staple food was steaming hot white-flour buns.


    The table in the room was small, and An Ping had to borrow a low table from the neighbors to join with their table.


    An Hao¡¯s family of five, together with the four from Bai Xue¡¯s family, made it a tight squeeze for the nine people seated together.


    As soon as Bai Xue had served the food, before old lady Niu Ruizhu even picked up her chopsticks, Bai Jianshe had already grabbed his and pulled the big basin of cabbage and pork vermicelli towards himself, and began eating on his own.


    His aim with the chopsticks was precise, and with each pick he got a piece of meat, enjoying it more than anyone else with the big white buns.


    Ever since Niu Cuihua had married into Bai Jianshe¡¯s family, she had also suffered a lot, seldom having anything delicious to eat and rarely seeing any meat or fish.


    At the sudden sight of eggs and meat, her eyes lit up with envy.


    She started to scoot the contents of the dish into her bowl, all the while smiling and saying, ¡°I love eating eggs!¡±


    After serving herself half of the plate, she also served her son Bai Yufeng, ¡°Fengzi, eat more, you haven¡¯t had much to eat these days and you¡¯ve lost so much weight!¡±


    An Hao watched wide-eyed as her father An Shuchao¡¯s chopsticks were suspended in mid-air, without even a single egg to pick up and eat.


    It wasn¡¯t just An Hao who was angry, Bai Xue felt a bout of irritation upon witnessing the scenario.


    She had gritted her teeth today and fried five eggs in one go, but before anyone could touch them, her thoughtless sister-in-law Niu Cuihua had already scooped them all out.


    Even the old lady appeared as if she saw nothing, happily eating peanuts and munching on white buns without saying a word.


    Bai Xue was starting to feel uncomfortable.


    Her mother had always been partial, only thinking of her when troubles arose, but only had her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson in mind when there was good food and drink.


    ¡°Mom!


    Look at Auntie, I haven¡¯t even got to have a bite of the eggs, and she has scooped them all out!¡± Bai Yanjiao was unhappy, her eyes filled with resentment as she looked at Bai Xue.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me?


    It¡¯s not like I am the one eating them!¡± Bai Xue muttered dissatisfaction.


    After all, they were her own brother and sister-in-law, and despite her dissatisfaction, she couldn¡¯t say these things in front of her husband¡¯s family.


    Seeing her mother not intervene, Bai Yanjiao no longer cared about the etiquette of the dinner table and abruptly stood up, her chopsticks reaching over the empty dish in front of her directly into the plate of cabbage, vermicelli, and pork in front of her uncle, picking out the meat to eat.


    The meal felt like a battle, with the dining table resembling a battlefield, full of the sounds of chopsticks clattering against plates rather than conversation.


    An Ping ate slowly and couldn¡¯t get any meat.


    An Shuchao, who was thin-skinned, felt embarrassed to reach out for the meat as everyone else was grabbing for it.


    Seeing her husband unable to get anything, Bai Xue also felt an unpleasant taste in her mouth.


    She glared at Bai Jianshe and shouted, ¡°Jianshe, leave some meat for your brother-in-law.


    He hasn¡¯t reached any yet!¡±


    Bai Jianshe, mouth full of food and not looking up, mumbled indistinctly, ¡°Brother-in-law¡¯s family is well off, with meat every day, they won¡¯t miss this one meal!¡±


    An Shuchao was at a loss whether to cry or laugh.


    Finally, An Hao couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and abruptly stood up from her stool.

 Chapter 38 - 38 38 War on the Dining Table

    ?38: Chapter 38 War on the Dining Table 38: Chapter 38 War on the Dining Table She bent over to pick up the cabbage, vermicelli, and fried pork from the table and brought it to An Shuchao, using her chopsticks to push half of it towards him, ¡°Dad, eat more, you need strength to do more work!


    When eating at home, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about!¡±


    An Shuchao saw his daughter¡¯s concern for him and did not say much, just nodded his head and started eating quickly.


    Bai Jianshe saw the bowl being taken away and was immediately displeased, ¡°An Hao!


    Everyone is eating, and you¡¯ve scooped away all the veggies, how are we supposed to eat?¡±


    An Hao smiled gently, ¡°Isn¡¯t this what I learned from uncle and auntie?


    If I don¡¯t pick it up, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t get anything to eat!


    After all, our family isn¡¯t well off, and my dad is too shy to say anything.


    But as his daughter, I can¡¯t let my dad go hungry!¡±


    Having said that, she didn¡¯t put the bowl down and instead scooped half of the meaty part for An Ping, ¡°An Ping, eat more.


    Study well after the New Year!¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm, thank you, sister!¡± His face beamed with joy as he looked at his bowl full of meat, grinning from ear to ear.


    As there was not much meat left in the bowl, Bai Jianshe became anxious, his eyes fixated on it, waiting for An Hao to put the bowl down.


    The moment she did, he was ready to grab it and take it for himself.


    But An Hao didn¡¯t put the bowl down at all, pouring the remaining dish into her own bowl instead.


    ¡°Hey, An Hao, what do you mean by this?¡± Bai Jianshe slammed down his chopsticks and glared at An Hao, ¡°We are guests in your house, is this how you treat your guests?¡±


    Upon hearing this, An Shuchao was taken aback.


    Seeing her husband¡¯s displeased expression, Bai Xue hurriedly tried to smooth things over, ¡°Jianshe, what are you saying?


    You¡¯re an elder after all, why squabble with a child?¡±


    Niu Cuihua always stood by her husband¡¯s side.


    Seeing him upset, she joined the conversation, ¡°Sister, it seems your family doesn¡¯t welcome us here!


    If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll leave right now and see what the villagers have to say!¡±


    Bai Xue cared a lot about her reputation.


    She felt stifled upon hearing Niu Cuihua¡¯s words but replied, ¡°Cuihua, when have I ever mistreated you when you¡¯ve come over?¡±


    Niu Cuihua grinned, ¡°I know my sister wouldn¡¯t mistreat us.


    Sister, we don¡¯t have enough food, could you fry a couple of eggs for us?¡±


    Bai Xue thought about the few eggs they had at home and felt a pang in her heart, ¡°Cuihua, there are only two eggs left.¡±


    ¡°Then go fry them,¡± Bai Jianshe chimed in as well.


    Bai Yanjiao wouldn¡¯t have it, ¡°Uncle, every time you come here, you pillage like a bandit entering a village.


    Can¡¯t you leave us some rations?¡±


    Bai Jianshe¡¯s eyebrows knitted together in anger, ¡°What kind of talk is that?


    Are these your words or your parents¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Go on, just fry them!¡± An Shuchao said helplessly.


    Faced with such a mother-in-law and brother-in-law, what could he do?


    ¡°No way!¡± An Hao slammed her chopsticks down, ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no food?


    Aren¡¯t the radishes and peanuts food?


    You come here, and we treat you well, but on normal days, we only have pancakes with pickles!


    People should be grateful.


    If you want to leave, then go; the sooner, the better!¡±


    Bai Jianshe stiffened his neck, ¡°What are you saying?


    Telling us to leave?


    On what grounds?


    Have I eaten your food?


    Or have I drunk your drinks?¡±


    ¡°This food and drink you¡¯re having is earned by me!¡± An Hao crossed her arms, her eyes sharp as knives, ¡°If you¡¯re a guest, you should act like one.


    With an attitude like yours, I¡¯d be glad to see you leave, and I wouldn¡¯t be afraid to say it out loud!¡±


    Bai Jianshe was firmly put in his place by An Hao¡¯s retort.


    Indeed, An Hao¡¯s family was known as one of the impoverished households in the village.


    Everyone knew that when they came over, they were treated generously with good food and drinks.


    Even if this story was told, nobody would think badly of An Hao¡¯s family; they would only find his behavior excessive.


    The old lady had been half-closing her eyes, watching the drama for a long time before she finally spoke slowly, ¡°Enough!


    There¡¯s plenty to eat, now everyone just shut up and eat properly!


    Good girl, don¡¯t be like them!


    Your uncle doesn¡¯t know any better, just be patient with him!¡±


    Bai Jianshe did not like what the old lady said and was about to retort when she glared at him with both eyes, causing him to swallow his words.

 Chapter 39 - 39 39 Got Pregnant

    ?39: Chapter 39: Got Pregnant 39: Chapter 39: Got Pregnant Throughout the meal, everyone was unhappy.


    After eating, An Hao returned to her room and immediately buried herself in reviewing lessons once the door was closed.


    The high school exam was in July, and she had to get into college.


    It was clear that knowledge could indeed change one¡¯s destiny.


    She had regrets in her past life, and in this life, she absolutely couldn¡¯t let herself experience regret again.


    In the western room of the northern house, Bai Yanjiao was sitting with Granny, both of them keeping her company on the bed.


    ¡°Xuemei, your life this year has been much better than last year,¡± Granny said slowly.


    ¡°This time we came, we planned to stay a few more days before leaving!¡±


    ¡°Mom!


    It¡¯s almost New Year¡¯s, why did you bring Jianshe¡¯s family here again?¡± Bai Xuemei was also worried.


    Bai Jianshe was a deadbeat, a lazy man who didn¡¯t work.


    That would have been enough, but he had plenty of bad habits, like smoking, drinking, and even gambling.


    Last year, he hid out here with his family during the New Year to avoid his debts.


    This year, they came again.


    ¡°Has he gotten himself into trouble again?¡± Although Granny had not said anything since she arrived, Xuemei could guess it was definitely something along those lines.


    ¡°Ah, what a sin!¡± Just as Granny was about to speak, she saw her granddaughter blinking and listening intently, so she waved her hand at her, ¡°Yanjiao, go to the northern room and call your uncle and aunt here.


    You go play with Fengzi and An Ping for a while.¡±


    Bai Yanjiao was just as uninterested in listening to the family¡¯s troubled affairs and quickly left the room after getting off the kang bed.


    Before long, Bai Jianshe and Niu Cuihua came over.


    ¡°Mom, you called for us!¡± Niu Cuihua, feeling at home, took off her shoes and climbed onto the kang bed, her smelly feet making Bai Xuemei frown in disgust.


    Bai Jianshe squatted down on the ground, took out some paper, and started rolling a cigarette to smoke.


    ¡°Jianshe, you tell your sister about your problems yourself!


    I¡¯m too ashamed to say it,¡± Granny told him.


    Since Granny had spoken, Bai Jianshe lit his cigarette, took a drag, and started to explain, ¡°Sister, I got a girl pregnant.


    Now, her family knows about it, and they¡¯re blocking me every day at our village entrance demanding money.


    Where would I get the money?


    They say if I don¡¯t pay, they¡¯ll report me for lewd behavior, and I might have to go to jail.


    So I had to come here to spend the New Year, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Xuemei¡¯s head began to ache.


    She jumped off the kang bed and started hitting Jianshe on the head, ¡°You useless thing, you¡¯ve stopped gambling only to go and ruin a young girl!


    Isn¡¯t your wife at home enough for you?


    If you¡¯re not satisfied, why not look for a married woman or a widow or something?


    Why did you have to bother that young girl!¡±


    ¡°Stop hitting!


    Sister, stop hitting me!¡± Bai Jianguo covered his head, trying to dodge everywhere.


    ¡°Sister, stop hitting him.


    What¡¯s done is done, how else can we deal with it?


    I¡¯ve put up with him for so many years and I¡¯m not even angry anymore, why are you getting angry?¡± Niu Cuihua sat on the kang bed, hands in her sleeves, trying to calm Bai Xuemei down.


    ¡°How can you be so carefree?


    Your man is messing around outside, and you can just sit there without getting angry!¡± Bai Xuemei was so angry her chest hurt; her brother was a good-for-nothing, and his wife was something else entirely.


    ¡°What can I do?


    He¡¯s my man, he¡¯s my sky!¡±


    ¡°Fine then, hitting him would be useful if he¡¯d learn from it, but I¡¯ve already done that!


    The situation is what it is now; either we give them money or we keep hiding!¡± Granny¡¯s heart was also big, directly leaving her son¡¯s mess for her daughter to solve.


    It sounded like if Bai Xuemei had the money, she should give it, but if she didn¡¯t, they would have no choice but to stay here.


    Although they were her family, Bai Xuemei couldn¡¯t wait for them to leave as soon as possible.

 Chapter 40 - 40 40 Talking about a Marriage Proposal

    ?40: Chapter 40 Talking about a Marriage Proposal 40: Chapter 40 Talking about a Marriage Proposal As soon as they arrived, they completely disrupted the household.


    ¡°How much money does she want?¡± Bai Xue thought about it and still decided to solve the problem with money.


    ¡°Two hundred!¡± Bai Jianshe held up two fingers


    ¡°What?


    Is she going to rob a bank or something?¡±


    ¡°You can say that again!¡± Bai Jianshe spat on the ground, ¡°Sis, in my opinion, we shouldn¡¯t give them the money.


    We can just celebrate the New Year here and hide out for a while.


    After the New Year, when things have cooled down, we can go back!¡±


    ¡°You think this is just debt collection?


    That it¡¯ll blow over?¡± In a village where we see each other all the time come morning or evening.


    Moreover, she¡¯s an unwed girl who lost her virtue and got pregnant.


    How could she not seek retribution?


    ¡°Then you give her the money!¡± Bai Jianshe hit exactly where Bai Xue felt vulnerable.


    ¡°I...


    Where would I get the money from!¡± She was really about to be driven mad by her good-for-nothing brother, ¡°Just stay for a couple days first, and we can decide based on how things go!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Bai Jianshe agreed immediately.


    So the matter was settled for the time being.


    Seeing that it was getting late, Bai Xue wanted to go arrange their accommodation but was stopped by the old lady, ¡°Xue, this issue is minor and will pass sooner or later.


    Right now, we have a more pressing matter!¡±


    At the mention of a pressing matter by the old lady, Bai Xue nearly fainted.


    The ¡®minor issue¡¯ she mentioned was enough to give her a headache for days, so what could be worse than a ¡®pressing matter¡¯?


    Was this not tantamount to killing her?


    ¡°Mom, what else is there?


    You¡¯re not planning to take your daughter¡¯s life, are you?¡±


    ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying!¡± The old lady glared at her in dissatisfaction, ¡°We¡¯ve come here a few times, you see if it annoys you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mom, just say it!¡± The sooner it was out, the better.


    If it could be handled, she would do so; if not, what could she do?


    At worst, she¡¯d just listen to the old lady¡¯s nagging for a while and be done with it.


    The old lady nodded, and slowly and leisurely started, ¡°Our Fengzi isn¡¯t getting any younger.


    I¡¯ve been thinking about finding him a marriage match.¡±


    Bai Xue looked at the old lady without saying a word, knowing she must have more to say.


    Indeed, the old lady paused and then continued, ¡°I have taken a fancy to An Hao, this girl.


    You figure out a way to matchmake them!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Bai Xue¡¯s eyes bulged out like brass bells, ¡°You¡¯ve taken a fancy to An Hao?


    I advise you to drop that idea!


    That girl is fierce and has a bad temper, erupting like a can of gunpowder when agitated.


    Who could bear that?¡±


    Additionally, there had been commotion just a few days ago, and to be honest, she was still somewhat wary of that girl.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t agree!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree either!¡±


    Bai Jianshe and Niu Cuihua both stood up in opposition.


    That little girl was too formidable, and marrying her might lead to constant quarreling.


    They didn¡¯t want to bring such a tough daughter-in-law into the family.


    ¡°All of you shut up!¡± The old lady shouted, and the room instantly fell quiet, ¡°You¡¯re all blind.


    I¡¯ve asked Yanjiao, and she said that An Hao knows how to make candied haws.


    Last time she went to the market, she made sales of more than twenty in a day.


    That¡¯s the monthly living expenses for ordinary folks like us.


    Wouldn¡¯t marrying such a capable bride save us a lot of effort?¡±


    ¡°That girl can¡¯t stand me, and she thinks too highly of herself.


    Would she even fancy someone from our family?¡± There¡¯s no need even to think about it, it¡¯s one hundred percent impossible.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make it ¡®a done deal before she knows it¡¯!¡± The old lady had already thought it through.


    If her grandson Bai Yufeng slept with An Hao, she¡¯d have to accept her fate, wouldn¡¯t she?

 Chapter 41 - 41 41 Running Out of Money

    ?41: Chapter 41 Running Out of Money 41: Chapter 41 Running Out of Money ¡°Mom, do you really think this girl is one to just accept her fate?


    If you want to stay here, then just stay quietly.


    Don¡¯t stir up any trouble I can¡¯t clean up for you!¡± Bai Xue Mei had witnessed An Hao¡¯s mettle and wasn¡¯t confident enough to provoke her.


    Seeing her own daughter was an obstacle she couldn¡¯t overcome, the old lady temporarily abandoned the idea, but the thought lingered in her mind.


    After talking for most of the night, Bai Xue Mei was sick and tired of her family¡¯s incessant problems and really didn¡¯t want to hear any more of it.


    So, she began arranging accommodations.


    Nephew Bai Yufeng and brother Bai Jianshe would share a room with An Ping, sister-in-law Niu Cuihua and the old lady would stay with Bai Yanjiao, and An Hao still had a room to herself.


    They stayed like this for several days, until the New Year had passed.


    In these days, because Bai Xue Mei¡¯s relatives were visiting, and with the addition of New Year, the dining table always featured white buns or dumplings, eggs and meat; during the festivities Bai Jianshe clamored for alcohol, and Bai Xue Mei watched her money slipping away.


    After staying for a full half month, Bai Xue Mei had almost halved her money.


    From the original fifty yuan, only thirty-five yuan remained, and the thought of An Hao and An Ping¡¯s imminent school expenses sent a chill through her.


    For each of them, just the lunch coupons for a term cost fifteen yuan, meaning only five yuan was left to spend.


    If she spent any more, she might not save a single penny, and An Shuchao would undoubtedly get mad at her.


    She really didn¡¯t want to use her own secret stash of money.


    Bai Xue Mei hinted several times to the old lady that they should go back first, but she was indifferent.


    When she brought it up with her sister-in-law, her sister-in-law would start crying, saying she wanted to go talk to the matchmaker at the door, making Bai Xue Mei feel quite powerless.


    After all, these people couldn¡¯t be beaten or scolded, nor did she have the heart to do either, which left her in pain from frustration.


    Seeing that it was almost time for lunch, Bai Xue Mei lay in bed, not wanting to get up and cook at all.


    ¡°Mom, why aren¡¯t you up cooking yet?


    I¡¯m so hungry!¡± Bai Yanjiao came back from playing with her friends outside and saw Bai Xue Mei lying on the bed, so she urged her to cook.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that,¡± Bai Xue Mei turned over and sat up, pointing towards the north room¡¯s west corner, ¡°Your uncle¡¯s family is staying here doing nothing but eating!


    We¡¯re running out of money, what am I supposed to use to cook?¡±


    Bai Yanjiao knew the household had spent quite a bit recently, but they couldn¡¯t just drive her uncle¡¯s family away.


    She too was worried for Bai Xue Mei and suddenly had an idea when she thought of An Hao reading in the east room, her eyes lighting up, ¡°Mom, ask An Hao to buy groceries and cook.


    Last time she saved five yuan from selling things, she must have kept it this time too.


    With the 15th approaching, if you speak to uncle¡¯s family after that, they won¡¯t have much to say.¡±


    ¡°Can she handle it?¡± Bai Xue Mei murmured doubtfully.


    ¡°Yes, she can!


    Can¡¯t you just tell Old An that you¡¯re not feeling well?


    Then the responsibility naturally falls on An Hao,¡± Bai Yanjiao confidently suggested.


    Bai Xue Mei was half-convinced but decided to give her daughter¡¯s idea a try.


    What if it worked?


    When An Shuchao came back from playing chess under the stage at the village entrance, Bai Xue Mei told him she wasn¡¯t feeling well and probably couldn¡¯t cook today.

 Chapter 42 - 42 42 Eat Whatever is Available

    ?42: Chapter 42: Eat Whatever is Available 42: Chapter 42: Eat Whatever is Available ¡°What can she do?¡± Bai Xue muttered.


    ¡°Of course she can!


    Just tell Old An that you¡¯re not feeling well.


    If you do that, the responsibility will naturally fall on An Hao.¡± Bai Yanjiao said confidently.


    Bai Xue was half-convinced, but since her daughter had suggested an idea, she might as well try it.


    Who knows, it might work.


    When An Shuchao came back from playing chess under the stage at the village entrance, Bai Xue told him she wasn¡¯t feeling well and probably wouldn¡¯t be able to cook that day.


    ¡°No worries!


    You just rest up.


    I¡¯ll go tell An Hao to make a meal,¡± he said.


    Lately, Bai Xue had been taking such good care of him that he was completely comfortable.


    So, he turned a blind eye to things at home.


    After all, Bai Xue¡¯s ex-husband had died trying to save him.


    He felt guilty towards Bai Xue, and it was because of this that when she came to him with tears in her eyes, leading Bai Yanjiao, he agreed to marry her again despite knowing the family was in a difficult situation.


    Moreover, Bai Xue hadn¡¯t been doing too poorly since the marriage, and being too stingy would have made her lose face in front of her family.


    An Shuchao went to An Hao¡¯s room, knocked on the door, and entered.


    Seeing An Hao buried in her books, he casually asked, ¡°Good girl, still working hard?


    Are you confident about the college entrance exam this year?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± An Hao closed her book and said confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad, I will definitely get into university this time!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.


    If you get into university, I will be proud in front of the whole village!¡±


    An Hao giggled, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely earn that pride for you.


    By the way, Dad, did you need something?¡±


    ¡°Your mom isn¡¯t feeling well, so you¡¯ll have to cook lunch,¡± An Shuchao scratched his head.


    An Hao could tell he was embarrassed, so she smiled and stood up, ¡°Bai Xue sent you, didn¡¯t she?


    Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡± An Shuchao nodded happily, ¡°It¡¯s okay if our family is a bit poor, what¡¯s important is that we get along well.


    Recently, I¡¯ve noticed that you, your stepmother, and stepsister have been getting along quite nicely, and that makes me very happy!¡±


    An Hao smiled wryly and walked out.


    Getting along well?


    It was nothing more than Bai Xue getting so harassed by her own family that she had no energy left to argue.


    An Hao went to the kitchen to cook, where she found only a few winter cabbages and radishes.


    The flour was nearly gone, the millet was all used up, and only cornmeal was left.


    The house looked as if it had been raided by mountain bandits!


    No wonder Bai Xue was unwilling to cook.


    With so few ingredients, what decent meal could she make?


    It seemed she was having a hard time and had tossed the problem to her.


    An Hao knew that whether she took on this challenge or not, there was likely to be a conflict, but she didn¡¯t want to draw more attention to herself over these matters.


    So, she went to find Bai Xue.


    ¡°Mom, give me some money!


    I¡¯ll go buy rice, flour, and some meat and vegetables!¡± An Hao stood by the bed and spoke to Bai Xue, who was feigning illness.


    Bai Xue, with her eyes closed, hummed, ¡°We¡¯re almost out of money.


    If you have any, you can advance it.


    Otherwise, we won¡¯t even have enough for meals.¡±


    Upon hearing this, An Hao turned around and went to the kitchen.


    Since there was no money, they would just have to eat whatever was available.


    An Hao went to the kitchen to cook, stoking a big fire and pasting pancakes onto the pan.


    The pan was filled with cornmeal paste.


    She took two radishes from the cellar, chopped them up, and stir-fried a large bowl full with rapeseed oil.


    Lunch was served just like that.


    Bai Xue had thought that An Hao would at least use her pocket money to buy some food, but when she saw what was served, she was almost furious.

 Chapter 43 - 43 43 Not Taking the Blame

    ?43: Chapter 43 Not Taking the Blame 43: Chapter 43 Not Taking the Blame Although her family had been eating at her expense for so many days, and she felt distressed by it, the fact that her good-for-nothing brother and sister-in-law brazenly ate without contributing, truly angered her.


    But no matter how angry she was, they were still her biological brother and sister-in-law, and An Hao was being too much by acting this way.


    ¡°An Hao, you¡¯re letting my family eat this?¡± She lost her appetite at the sight of the large basin filled with plain white radish strips.


    She was truly fed up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    Don¡¯t we often eat this?


    What¡¯s bad about it?¡± An Hao ignored her and continued to serve the food onto the table.


    As soon as the food was served, all the freeloaders in the house showed up.


    Upon seeing the meal, Bai Jianshe was immediately dissatisfied, ¡°Sis, what do you mean by this?


    Are you trying to drive us away?


    If you want us to leave, just say it!


    You don¡¯t have to use this method to humiliate us!¡±


    Bai Xue, seeing her brother overthinking it and noticing that her grandmother was also not pleased, hurriedly explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that at all.


    I wasn¡¯t feeling well today, and the meal was cooked by An Hao.¡±


    The implication was clear that the idea was An Hao¡¯s, and she had nothing to do with it.


    Bai Xue¡¯s words immediately caused everyone to look sharply at An Hao.


    An Hao had no intention of taking the blame.


    Without even lifting her eyes, she said indifferently, ¡°Yes, I did cook the food.


    Isn¡¯t this also what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Xue, your mother raised you, and now you can¡¯t even bear to feed her for a few days when she¡¯s old?¡± The old lady was also unhappy with her daughter¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re being too unfair!


    Between us, siblings, how can you act like this?¡± Bai Jianshe glared at Bai Xue with a face full of rage.


    Bai Xue truly felt wronged.


    This was not her intention at all; she simply wanted An Hao to chip in with some money.


    Bai Yanjiao, seeing her mother being misunderstood by everyone and noticing An Hao¡¯s indifferent demeanor, couldn¡¯t contain her anger.


    She lashed out at An Hao, ¡°An Hao, are you setting my mother up like this?


    My mom didn¡¯t mean that!¡±


    Bai Xue, seeing her daughter defending her, put down her chopsticks, covered her face, and wept quietly to one side.


    An Shuchao also felt that this time his daughter had gone too far, so he reprimanded An Hao, ¡°An Hao, your mom didn¡¯t mean that, you misunderstood her.¡±


    An Hao felt a bitter taste in her mouth when she saw her father inadvertently siding with Bai Xue.


    She glanced at Bai Xue and spoke calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.


    Since you feel wronged, let¡¯s talk about it.


    Yes, you asked me to cook, but did I ask you for money to buy groceries?


    Did you give it to me?


    Without even giving money, how do you expect me to prepare a meal?


    So, I have two interpretations, first, you¡¯re deliberately making it difficult for me.


    Second, you want to drive them away but are too embarrassed to do it yourself, so you made me do it.


    How should I interpret it?¡±


    Bai Xue had intended to throw the problem to An Hao, but instead, she was neatly checkmated by her.


    Facing so many people, no matter what she chose, it was wrong, so she could only cry out louder, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to front the money?¡±


    ¡°Our family is this poor?


    I don¡¯t have money!


    Even if I had money, I couldn¡¯t support this constant eating!¡± An Hao finished speaking, picked up her chopsticks, and started eating her meal.


    ¡°We¡¯re just eating at your place for a few days, do you need to give us such attitude?


    Making it seem like we¡¯re locusts or something.¡± Niu Cuihua grumbled with a frown.


    ¡°Exactly!


    What kind of attitude is this!


    After all, this is my sister¡¯s house.


    No matter what, you¡¯re not the one to call the shots.¡± Bai Jianshe¡¯s temper flared up again.


    An Shuchao had reservations about his mother-in-law and his maternal uncle, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything directly.

 Chapter 44 - 44 44 I Dont Want to Study Anymore

    ?44: Chapter 44 I Don¡¯t Want to Study Anymore 44: Chapter 44 I Don¡¯t Want to Study Anymore Seeing the dinner table become such a scene, my daughter-in-law feel wronged and my granddaughter angry, it¡¯s impossible not to say a couple of words, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s all stop arguing.


    We¡¯ll just get through this meal and make a good one next time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly!


    That¡¯s what I like to hear from my brother-in-law!¡± Bai Jianshe finally satisfied.


    ¡°Okay!


    Fine!¡± An Hao, holding back anger, spoke word by word, ¡°In this family, only my dad earns money.


    He works for the production team during the day and at the brick kiln at night.


    One person earns the money for seven or eight people to spend.


    Do you think you¡¯re eating just rice?


    This is all the flesh and blood and sweat of my dad!


    Do you want to drain him dry or drive him to his death?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s taking it too far.


    We never meant that!


    Everyone shut up and eat!


    If anyone says another word, the old lady¡¯s walking stick doesn¡¯t see!¡± Seeing the situation worsening, the old lady took control of the matter in time.


    Everyone at the table fell silent and obediently lowered their heads to eat.


    After the meal, the Bai Family wiped their mouths, pushed their bowls away, and with a lift of their legs, they headed to Bai Yanjiao¡¯s room, leaving only the An Family and the table full of leftovers behind.


    An Hao clenched her teeth at the chaotic table and without a word, stood up to begin cleaning up.


    An Ping felt that the Bai Family had been overdoing it these days.


    Watching An Hao quietly clean up, he genuinely felt sorry for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you wash the dishes!¡±


    Seeing An Ping pick up the pot to fetch water, An Hao quickly stopped him, ¡°An Ping, let me do this.


    You better spend your time reading books in your room.¡±


    ¡°Sis, who reads books during the New Year!¡± An Ping didn¡¯t want to study; his grades weren¡¯t particularly good, and he didn¡¯t have much interest in learning.


    Plus, with the family hardships, he wasn¡¯t planning to continue studying, ¡°Sis, I¡¯ve decided.


    After the New Year, I¡¯m going to the city to work and earn money.¡±


    An Hao was taken aback upon hearing this.


    In her previous life, An Ping had also given up studying early.


    In this life, was he going to give up again?


    In her previous life, her relationship with An Ping had deteriorated to the extreme, and she only cared about her own feelings, neglecting her brother.


    In this life, she was determined to make sure An Ping continued his education.


    He absolutely must not drop out and start mingling in society, picking up bad habits, and ultimately meet with a tragic death.


    ¡°No, An Ping, I don¡¯t agree with you not studying!


    It¡¯s said that knowledge changes fate.


    So many people want to study but can¡¯t.


    Our dad works so hard to provide for your education, how can you not study?¡± An Hao firmly opposed.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not cut out for it.¡±


    ¡°No one is born good at studying.


    If you¡¯re not doing well, you need to work harder!


    An Ping, you have a sharp mind.


    Right now, you¡¯re just too playful.


    If you concentrate more on your studies you will definitely make it.¡± An Hao turned to look at An Shuchao, who sat next to the table frowning and puffing on his cigarette, and said, ¡°Dad, am I right?¡±


    An Shuchao exhaled a big puff of smoke, ¡°An Ping, your sister is right.


    When your mom died, she made me promise to see that both of you got a good education.


    As long as you want to study, even if I have to pawn everything, I¡¯ll support it.


    Unless I fall.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I just feel sorry for you!¡±


    ¡°To show you care for Dad, study hard.¡± An Hao said as she continued cleaning up, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the money.


    I will help Dad work more to earn it.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.


    I¡¯ll go read!¡± Seeing that both his father and sister disagreed, An Ping had no choice but to temporarily give up the idea and walked out, lifting the curtain.


    Back in his own room, Bai Yufeng was sitting on the edge of the bed flipping through his textbooks waiting for him.


    Seeing An Ping come in, he jumped up, ¡°So, did your dad agree to let you go work in the city with me?¡±

 Chapter 45 - 45 45 Fancying Her as a Daughter-in-law

    ?45: Chapter 45: Fancying Her as a Daughter-in-law 45: Chapter 45: Fancying Her as a Daughter-in-law An Ping lay on the bed and sighed as he looked at the ceiling, ¡°Brother Yufeng, I want to go with you, but my dad and my sister are collectively against it.¡±


    Bai Yufeng was two years older than An Ping and two years younger than An Hao; he had just stopped studying.


    Before the new year, he went to the city to work for a month and spent all thirty yuan he earned before he came back.


    But he had seen city life and was set on going to the city.


    He got along well with An Ping, and An Ping wasn¡¯t stingy either; he didn¡¯t lose out when hanging out with him.


    Hearing that An Ping couldn¡¯t go, he felt a bit disappointed.


    ¡°An Ping, city life is so good.


    You can earn more money and there are lots of fun places to go.


    You can watch movies, go ice skating, and even stroll around the state-owned stores,¡± he tried his best to paint a wonderful picture for An Ping, hoping to entice him.


    ¡°Really?¡± An Ping, who was playful by nature, lit up at this and quickly sat up, gripping Bai Yufeng¡¯s hand excitedly, ¡°Brother Yufeng, I¡¯ll find another chance to talk to my dad, then I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll definitely wait for you.¡±


    As soon as Bai Yufeng finished speaking, Bai Yanjiao¡¯s voice came from the courtyard, ¡°Cousin, grandma wants you to come to my room for a bit.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± Bai Yufeng patted An Ping on the shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m off, I¡¯ll come back to find you later.¡±


    When he got to Bai Yanjiao¡¯s room, Bai Yufeng saw the whole family was there.


    The old lady sat on the brick bed; the aunt and Bai Yanjiao were sitting on the edge of the bed.


    His dad and mom were each leaning against the wall; one was sitting on a little stool.


    It appeared they were having another meeting.


    ¡°Granny, did you want to see me?¡± Bai Yufeng stepped forward and pulled up a stool to sit down.


    The old lady nodded with a smile and said to him, ¡°Fengzi, granny has a question for you, and you must answer honestly.¡±


    ¡°Granny, go ahead!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met An Hao¡¯s girl; what do you think of her?¡± The unpleasantness from today¡¯s meal notwithstanding, the old lady had grown increasingly fond of An Hao.


    This girl was bold and decisive, and at crucial moments, she could stand up and think of her relatives.


    If such a girl were brought into the family as a bride, it would be a real jackpot.


    She had the looks, the ability to earn money, and a strong character; you couldn¡¯t find such a treasure even if you searched with a lantern in these parts.


    Bai Yufeng was stunned by the old lady¡¯s question and turned his head to see what his anxious parents would think.


    ¡°Why are you looking at them?


    Just say what you think,¡± the old lady scolded her grandson.


    ¡°I...¡± Bai Yufeng¡¯s mind filled with the image of An Hao¡¯s smiling face, her watery eyes, the two dimples that appeared with her smile, and her slender figure that was charming in every aspect.


    He had liked An Hao from the first moment he saw her.


    But An Hao was too fiery, and he didn¡¯t dare provoke her.


    He would secretly watch her using his peripheral vision, afraid that she would notice and get angry with him.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®I¡¯?


    It¡¯s really hard to get a word out of you!¡± the old lady said impatiently, finding her whole family slow to act and indecisive.


    ¡°I fancy her.¡± Bai Yufeng¡¯s fair cheeks flushed a hint of red, ¡°I fancy her, but what if she doesn¡¯t fancy me back?¡±


    As the grandson spoke, the old lady¡¯s face broke into a smile, her aged face beaming like a chrysanthemum.


    She was about to speak when her son, Bai Jianshe, cut in first, ¡°Fengzi, you better put those thoughts away.


    That kind of woman is not easy to handle if you bring her home.


    She acts this way now; who knows how she¡¯ll treat me and your mom after getting married.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way.


    Mom, I don¡¯t want a daughter-in-law like that!¡± Niu Cuihua echoed her husband¡¯s words.

 Chapter 46 - 46 46 The Toad Wants to Eat Swan Meat

    ?46: Chapter 46 The Toad Wants to Eat Swan Meat 46: Chapter 46 The Toad Wants to Eat Swan Meat ¡°Whether you guys have an opinion or not, what matters is whether Fengzi likes her.¡± The old lady smiled at Bai Yufeng, ¡°Just having the intention isn¡¯t enough, you also need to take action.


    When you¡¯re free, go help An Hao with things like carrying water or cooking.


    And if you get the chance, ¡®take her down¡¯...¡±


    What the old lady meant by ¡°take her down¡± was to sleep with An Hao.


    Once he slept with An Hao, she¡¯d have to marry him whether she wanted to or not.


    ¡°Sure, grandma, I understand.¡± Bai Yufeng, his schemes endorsed by the old lady, was so excited he rubbed his hands together.


    Bai Yanjiao, listening to the side, pulled on her mother Bai Xue, ¡°Mom, grandma is coming up with another rotten idea.


    If cousin really has the ability to sleep with An Hao, then it¡¯s fine, but I¡¯m afraid he might end up trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing a handful of rice.¡±


    Although Bai Xue was worried, she reconsidered and thought that if An Hao really could be seduced by Bai Yufeng, then the house would quiet down from now on.


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to make trouble for her again.


    In other words, even if he fails to steal the chicken, what¡¯s the worst that could happen?


    It would just cause a fuss, but if it really happens, if An Hao marries out, she would be so happy she¡¯d wake from her dreams laughing.


    ¡°Alright, then it¡¯s settled.¡± the old lady took out her dry tobacco pipe from her clothes, put it to her lips, and tsk tsked, ¡°This is a big matter for our family, and you all need to be supportive.


    This granddaughter-in-law is the one I¡¯ve chosen, and I must secure her no matter what!¡±


    After An Hao finished cleaning up the pots and went to the yard to shovel coal and stoke the fire, she passed by Bai Yanjiao¡¯s room and heard the conversation inside.


    Hearing the old lady talking about a big matter, about a granddaughter-in-law, she couldn¡¯t help but sneer secretly.


    A family of lazy gluttons¡ªwho would dare marry into it?


    With things as they are, they still want to take a wife¡ªwhat family¡¯s daughter would look up to them?


    After she sealed the kitchen stove, she returned to her own room to read.


    Not long after she sat down, Song Yueqin came looking for her.


    Seeing An Hao engrossed in doing her exercises, she felt a taste of indescribable dissatisfaction.


    An Hao was already better than her in school on a normal day; wouldn¡¯t she be even better with additional reading?


    ¡°An Hao, why haven¡¯t you come to see me anymore?¡± Song Yueqin frowned, looking unhappy, ¡°I¡¯ve been back for so long and you haven¡¯t even visited my house once!¡±


    An Hao spread her hands with a look of helplessness, ¡°There¡¯s too much going on at home, my stepmother¡¯s relatives have all come, and I can¡¯t find the time to visit you.¡±


    Song Yueqin knew a thing or two about the situation at An Hao¡¯s house.


    The Bai Family had been living at the An Family¡¯s house for such a long time, eating and drinking for free, and it was already the talk of the town.


    But as the saying goes, it¡¯s none of their business, so they didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    ¡°An Hao, can your family really sustain feeding your stepmother¡¯s whole family for free?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford it,¡± An Hao replied honestly.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you kick them out?¡± Song Yueqin suggested to An Hao.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kick them out.


    Let nature take its course,¡± she said resignedly.


    She wasn¡¯t the only one in a hurry in this household; once everything was eaten and drunk up, they would naturally leave.


    If she went so far as to kick them out, who knows what kind of commotion that might stir up.


    Song Yueqin felt that An Hao had really changed; if it had been the past, she would have asked for her help in devising a plan, but now she had outright rejected the idea.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t kick them out, then you won¡¯t.


    I guess they¡¯ll be leaving soon anyway,¡± Song Yueqin said offhandedly, seeing that An Hao wasn¡¯t taking the bait, and continued,¡± Tomorrow is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.


    I heard from my mom that the neighboring village is showing a movie, let¡¯s go watch it together.¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47 47 Watching a Movie

    ?47: Chapter 47 Watching a Movie 47: Chapter 47 Watching a Movie Films were not a novelty to An Hao; she had watched plenty of them in her previous life.


    So when the neighboring village started showing a film, she didn¡¯t want to go.


    ¡°Yueqin, I won¡¯t be going.


    It¡¯s bitterly cold at night, and I don¡¯t feel like going out!¡± An Hao tactfully declined Song Yueqin¡¯s invitation.


    ¡°Not going?¡± Song Yueqin¡¯s face now bore an unmistakable look of discomfort, and she felt somewhat slighted, ¡°An Hao, what¡¯s gotten into you?


    All I did was make a trip to the city, and since I¡¯ve been back, you¡¯ve been giving me the cold shoulder.


    Why is that?


    Did I do something wrong?


    Tell me, and I¡¯ll change, won¡¯t I?¡±


    An Hao, seeing that Song Yueqin had put it that way, thought that if she really didn¡¯t go, once Song Yueqin left her house, who knew what she might say about her.


    Oh well, if she had to go, it was just to see a film.


    ¡°Alright then.


    Let¡¯s go together tomorrow evening,¡± An Hao agreed reluctantly.


    ¡°Great.


    I will come to find you after I eat dinner tomorrow night!¡± Song Yueqin walked away beaming with joy.


    The next evening, Song Yueqin had her dinner early and arrived to fetch An Hao, dressed up very nicely.


    She wore a fitted blue jacket, straight-leg pants, and a pair of dainty leather shoes, with her braids tied up neatly using bright red bands.


    Her face was smeared with Snowflake Cream, the fragrance detectable from afar.


    She had curled her bangs with a heated matchstick, a wavy style that looked quite fashionable for the era.


    Seeing An Hao eyeing her intently, Song Yueqin quickly asked with pride, ¡°Do I look pretty?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.


    Pretty,¡± An Hao nodded, quickly got dressed, and stepped outside.


    Just as she left, she came across the old lady being supported by Bai Yufeng for a breath of fresh air.


    ¡°An Hao, you¡¯re heading out?¡± the old lady greeted her.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± An Hao replied, her tone neutral.


    ¡°Where are you off to this late at night?¡±


    ¡°To watch a film.¡±


    Hearing An Hao¡¯s reply, the old lady thought an opportunity had arisen and quickly let go of Bai Yufeng¡¯s hand, pushing him forward, ¡°Fengzi, since there¡¯s a film in the next village, you should go have a look too.


    Besides, it¡¯s not safe for two young girls to walk at night; you could protect them if you went along.¡±


    An Hao chuckled softly and declined without much expression, ¡°No need.


    There are plenty of villagers heading to the neighboring village to watch the film; I can go with them and come back with them.


    It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for Bai Yufeng to accompany us girls; it might not end well, and could lead to gossip.


    In this village, spit can drown a person.¡±


    After An Hao said this, Bai Yufeng felt too embarrassed to go; scratching his head, he replied, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m not going anywhere.


    I¡¯ll stay and walk with you in the courtyard.¡±


    The old lady glared, ¡°Grandma doesn¡¯t need your company.


    Go watch the film with An Ping.¡±


    Bai Yufeng immediately caught on to his grandmother¡¯s intentions and nodded, heading inside to look for An Ping.


    On the way, Bai Yufeng and An Ping ran into An Hao, who insisted on not walking with them.


    Knowing that An Hao wanted to avoid him, Bai Yufeng didn¡¯t have the heart to insist, so he called An Ping to walk ahead.


    ¡°Your stepmother¡¯s nephew has taken a fancy to you,¡± Song Yueqin teased with a giggle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± An Hao quickened her pace, heading forward.


    It took about an hour before An Hao and Song Yueqin arrived at the neighboring village.


    Not far from the village entrance, under an old locust tree, a crowd had gathered around something exciting, occasionally erupting into cheers.


    An Hao was curious and wanted to go see, but Song Yueqin grabbed her, ¡°Don¡¯t stare, let¡¯s move!


    The film is about to start.¡±


    An Hao turned and followed Song Yueqin to the stage area.


    If she had known what would happen later, she would not have gone to watch the film under the stage with Song Yueqin, not for all the world.

 Chapter 48 - 48 48 Gambling

    ?48: Chapter 48 Gambling 48: Chapter 48 Gambling A movie had been playing for over an hour.


    During the intermission, An Hao stood up¡ªshe needed to use the restroom.


    Coming out of the restroom, she saw the crowd under the pagoda tree growing larger and larger, with many men gathering around to watch during the break.


    An Hao, seeing the crowd packed so tightly that no one could slip through, had no idea what was happening inside.


    She edged closer and tiptoed to get a look, only to see someone seated under the old pagoda tree.


    This person seemed vaguely familiar, likely a local ne¡¯er-do-well who loitered all day with nothing to do.


    At that moment, he had a large white bowl in front of him, with two dice placed inside one bowl, then covered with another bowl, which he lifted high and shook vigorously with both hands.


    He shouted loudly, ¡°Place your bets, place your bets!


    Come and place your bets!


    Are you betting on high or low?


    ¡±


    ¡°High, high, high!


    Bet on high!


    Trust me, I¡¯m right!¡±


    ¡°Low.


    Bet on low.¡±


    The onlookers gave their various suggestions.


    An Hao shook her head¡ªit was gambling after all.


    In the eighties, even the villages had started gambling in this way.


    The more backward a place was, the more it fostered bad customs.


    She had always disliked gambling, even hated it intensely.


    In the previous generation, her brother An Ping had died because of it.


    She could still vividly remember the scene of him being slashed by random knives, the glaring red blood and his agonizing screams that occasionally still haunted her dreams.


    Just thinking about it made her shiver.


    She turned to leave when suddenly she heard An Ping¡¯s voice drifting over, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Brother Yufeng, bet on low.¡±


    ¡°Open!¡± shouted the ne¡¯er-do-well.


    A sigh came from the crowd, ¡°What a pity.


    If you had bet on high, you could have won a dollar this time.¡±


    ¡°Ah Ah Ah Ah!


    Damn my luck!¡± An Ping reached into his pocket and suddenly realized he didn¡¯t have a single penny left.


    He had brought all six dollars An Hao had given him that evening, and had lost it all.


    Now he even owed the ne¡¯er-do-well a dollar.


    Hearing this, An Hao felt a chill as if plunged into an ice cellar¡ªAn Ping was actually starting to learn gambling here.


    In her panic, she turned back, pushed through the crowd, and squeezed inside while calling out, ¡°An Ping!¡±


    As there were too many people and the noise was loud, no one heard An Hao¡¯s cries, including An Ping.


    Seeing his pocket cleaner than his face left him dumbfounded.


    ¡°Money!


    Give me the money!¡± the ne¡¯er-do-well extended his hand to An Ping.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money.


    Look...


    Can I owe you a dollar?


    I¡¯ll get the money from my family tomorrow and give it to you?¡± An Ping said to the ne¡¯er-do-well with an embarrassed look on his face.


    ¡°No way!


    If you don¡¯t have money, why gamble?


    Are you joking with me?


    So many people are watching; don¡¯t think you can just run off!¡± the ne¡¯er-do-well grabbed An Ping¡¯s wrist and wouldn¡¯t let him leave.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t gamble if you can¡¯t afford to lose,¡± the crowd remarked.


    An Ping¡¯s face turned red with urgency, and turning to the ne¡¯er-do-well, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying I won¡¯t give it to you.


    I¡¯ll go get the money!¡±


    ¡°Who believes that,¡± the ne¡¯er-do-well glanced at An Ping, ¡°Your new clothes aren¡¯t too bad.


    Take off that jacket, and we¡¯ll call it even.¡±


    An Ping naturally refused; the clothes had cost him two dollars, and without them, he¡¯d have no explanation when returning home.


    He looked pleadingly towards Bai Yufeng.


    Bai Yufeng pinched the little coin in his pocket, unwilling to part with it, and gestured with his eyes for An Ping to run.


    Left with no choice, An Ping feigned agreement, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take off my clothes for you.


    Now let me go!¡±

 Chapter 49 - 49 49 Speak and Tease

    ?49: Chapter 49 Speak and Tease 49: Chapter 49 Speak and Tease As soon as Lao Lai let go, An Ping turned and dived into the crowd.


    ¡°You little brat, lost money and still want to run!¡± Lao Lai got annoyed, stood up, and grabbed him by his clothes, kicking An Ping.


    ¡°You gonna run again?


    You run and I¡¯ll have someone beat you up, you believe that?¡±


    No sooner had his words fallen than several men stepped out of the crowd, ready to deal with An Ping.


    ¡°Brother Yufeng...


    save me!¡± At this moment, An Ping could only plead with Bai Yufeng for help.


    Bai Yufeng saw things were turning bad and took off running, ¡°An Ping, hold on.


    I¡¯ll go back and get you money!¡±


    An Ping¡¯s heart turned cold by half, his cousin actually just ran away like that.


    Seeing so many people approaching to hit him, An Ping panicked completely, ¡°Big brother, Big brother, can¡¯t I take off my clothes to settle this?¡±


    He was just about to undress when he heard a loud shout: ¡°An Ping!¡±


    Immediately after, An Hao broke through the crowd and arrived in front of him with all her might.


    ¡°Sister...¡±


    An Hao looked at him with a pained expression.


    An Ping hung his head in embarrassment, expecting An Hao to scold him harshly, but to his surprise she took his hand and led him out, ¡°Come on, come home with me!¡±


    An Ping was worried about how to leave, and An Hao¡¯s arrival was just in time to break the siege.


    However, now the problem was how the two of them were going to get away.


    ¡°Stop right there!


    You think you can just walk away after owing money?¡± Lao Lai stood up, blocking An Hao¡¯s path, ¡°Who are you to him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his sister.¡± An Hao lifted her head to look at Lao Lai, not even catching her breath, ¡°Big brother, I heard everything from outside, my brother truly has no money, or else he wouldn¡¯t have owed the debt!


    I came in a hurry today and didn¡¯t bring any money either, so I can¡¯t give it to you!


    Look, he¡¯s still a kid, he was just curious and gambled a couple of times and lost his money, could you please let him off this once?¡±


    An Hao spoke nicely to him.


    People like him were feared by everyone within miles, and it¡¯s best not to provoke them if possible.


    Her goal was to take An Ping away, everything else was secondary!


    Lao Lai, looking at An Hao who was pretty and had a soft, pleasant voice, wanted to give her a hard time just to keep her around a bit longer, ¡°Sister, this isn¡¯t your brother¡¯s fault!


    Debts must be paid; who let him lose at gambling!


    Either let him take that shirt off, or you come up with a way to exchange it for him!


    Or,¡± he pointed at his own face, ¡°a kiss on your brother¡¯s cheek will do too!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you saying, Lao Lai!¡± An Ping was instantly enraged upon hearing Lao Lai joking with his sister.


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± An Hao turned her head and glowered at An Ping, ¡°Do you think we don¡¯t have enough trouble already?¡±


    An Ping sheepishly shut his mouth.


    An Hao turned back around, standing tall and looking at him fearlessly, ¡°If you¡¯re going to say that, then I don¡¯t like to hear it!


    All the people here are villagers from our home area!


    Everyone¡¯s watching with their eyes open.


    If you really bully me, a young girl, I¡¯m sure the crowd won¡¯t just stand by!


    Besides, there are many people from our village under the stage!¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to intimidate me?¡± Lao Lai, with a ruffian look, smiled at An Hao.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to intimidate you!¡± An Hao hardened her face, staring into his eyes and said, word by word, ¡°What you¡¯re doing today is organizing gambling.


    That¡¯s illegal!


    If you insist on getting that money back today, then let¡¯s find your village¡¯s party secretary while everyone¡¯s here.


    Or we could go to the police station and report that you¡¯re running a gambling den here, luring kids to gamble.


    What kind of crime is that?¡±


    Lao Lai¡¯s face changed upon hearing this, his eyes bulging out as he threatened her, ¡°You want to report me?


    You, girl, have quite the nerve!


    If you dare report, I will make sure you and your brother don¡¯t leave this village today.¡±

 Chapter 50 - 50 50 Breaking the Siege

    ?50: Chapter 50 Breaking the Siege 50: Chapter 50 Breaking the Siege An Ping looked at him and felt his legs shaking with fear.


    An Hao planted her hands on her hips, raising her voice several notches, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m easy to bully.


    Everyone here saw what happened today.


    If anything happens to me or my brother, it¡¯s because of your doing!


    If you let An Ping go, we¡¯ll write off the lost money as bad luck and won¡¯t ask you for it.


    Then we¡¯re even, but if you dare do anything to us, I¡¯ll go straight to the police station.


    I bet you have at least thirty or forty in your hand, right?


    Once you get locked up, not only would you not get your hands on the money, but you¡¯d also be facing a few years behind bars!¡±


    The old leper, having been in a re-education through labor camp before, deeply understood the consequences within.


    He glanced at An Hao, as formidable as a little chili pepper, and felt a wave of frustration.


    Letting her go didn¡¯t sit well with him, but he feared she really would go to the local police and file a complaint against him!


    ¡°Well?


    It looks like I really need to shout for help!¡± An Hao shifted her gaze toward the crowd outside, and shouted toward those watching the movie, ¡°Uncle Chen, Old Zhao, Village Head, come over here and see for yourselves!¡±


    Her voice was sharp and thin, carrying far into the night.


    The onlookers felt sympathy for An Hao; it wasn¡¯t easy for a young girl, and they feared she might be bullied by the old leper.


    They spoke up in her support, ¡°Yeah, let it go!


    It¡¯s just a dollar; don¡¯t lose much over a little!¡±


    Seeing the crowd siding with An Hao, the old leper reconsidered his position.


    He might be shameless, but he wasn¡¯t stupid.


    It wasn¡¯t worth losing the money in his hand over a dollar.


    So he waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Alright, alright!


    Lucky you, kid!¡±


    An Hao pulled An Ping away without another word.


    She told Song Yueqin she had something urgent at home and needed to leave first.


    The second half of the movie was just starting, and Yueqin didn¡¯t want to leave, so she let An Hao go first and stayed to watch the movie, planning to return home with others afterward.


    An Hao, holding An Ping¡¯s hand, walked towards their village.


    When they reached a quieter area, An Hao stopped.


    An Ping thought An Hao was going to scold him, but instead, she let out a deep sigh and earnestly reasoned with him, ¡°An Ping, you gambled away all your money today, right?


    It would take our dad half a month of hauling bricks to earn those six dollars back.


    You saw for yourself how half a day¡¯s hard work could vanish in an instant, and you could have been in real trouble.


    This was just a small gamble.


    What if it had been a large one?


    You could have lost your life!


    If it led to our family¡¯s ruin, do you think you¡¯d be honoring the memory of our deceased mother?


    You¡¯re getting older; I won¡¯t say much more.


    You have to be more careful from now on.¡±


    ¡°Sis, I¡¯m sorry.¡± An Ping hung his head and wiped away tears, ¡°I let you down!


    I lost all the money!


    Brother Yufeng got me into gambling, saying it was fun and that with a bit of luck, you could win dozens in one night.


    I believed him!¡±


    At these words, An Hao was so angry she could feel her nostrils flare.


    So, it was Bai Yufeng who had led An Ping down this path.


    She toiled for the Bai Family, and now they were also corrupting her brother.


    She realized her previous thoughts were mistaken; she couldn¡¯t let them stay any longer.


    Otherwise, An Ping would surely be led astray by Bai Yufeng.


    ¡°What if your luck had been bad?¡± An Hao retorted, ¡°An Ping, don¡¯t believe in luck!


    We¡¯re ordinary people, living ordinary lives!


    There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch!


    If you want a good life, you have to work for it with your own two hands!¡±


    ¡°I understand, Sis!¡±


    An Hao nodded, finally allowing herself to breathe a long sigh of relief!

 Chapter 51 - 51 51 Inviting the Wolf into the House

    ?51: Chapter 51: Inviting the Wolf into the House 51: Chapter 51: Inviting the Wolf into the House ¡°Sister, were you scared when you saved me just now?¡± An Ping felt guilty; he himself is a boy and yet his legs went soft from fear, let alone An Hao.


    She had rushed in front of him and protected him, what kind of feelings must have been going through her mind?


    ¡°Scared!


    I was so frightened that my whole body broke out in a sweat.


    But you are my brother, no matter how scared, I would never abandon you!


    If you feel sorry for me, make less trouble for me in the future.¡±


    An Ping nodded vigorously, ¡°I won¡¯t!


    I absolutely won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    The next morning, An Hao took the opportunity to follow An Shuchao out for his morning walk while he was getting up.


    ¡°Dad, I have something to tell you.¡±


    When An Shuchao saw it was An Hao, he stopped in his tracks, ¡°What is it, my girl?¡±


    An Hao recounted yesterday¡¯s incident involving An Ping to An Shuchao, which enraged him so much that he was about to turn back and drag An Ping out of bed to beat him.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t get agitated, listen to me!¡± An Hao quickly stopped him, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely An Ping¡¯s fault!


    How could he know about this?


    It was Bai Yufeng who took him to gamble.


    Dad, you see, our family provides for them well, that¡¯s all fine, but An Ping cannot be led astray by them.


    On the way back yesterday, An Ping told me he¡¯s thinking of dropping out of school to go work in the city with Bai Yufeng, and if that happens won¡¯t he end up learning bad habits?


    Isn¡¯t this inviting the wolf into our house?¡±


    ¡°Kick them out!


    I really can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± An Shuchao stamped his feet in anger, ¡°If your mother knew, how upset she would be!


    When she passed away, she asked me to take good care of you all, and I...


    I truly feel I have let her down!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also what I think.¡± An Hao pondered before speaking, ¡°Dad, leave this matter to me!


    If you deal with it, it may stir up gossip and make Bai Xue unhappy.


    It¡¯s more appropriate for me to do it!¡±


    ¡°Would they listen to you?


    If they were thin-skinned and sensible, they would have left on their own.


    Do they really need to be driven out?¡± An Shuchao was apprehensive, ¡°I should go!¡±


    ¡°Dad, can you really get over this hurdle in your heart with Bai Xue?¡± An Hao said, looking at him with indifferent words.


    An Shuchao knew in her heart that she was still unhappy about the year he married Bai Xue.


    Back then, he and Bai Xue¡¯s husband worked together at a brick kiln.


    When they were setting up the brick wall, it accidentally collapsed, and Bai Xue¡¯s husband saw him about to be crushed underneath.


    He pushed him hard.


    As a result, he got away, and Bai Xue¡¯s husband was crushed under the pile of bricks.


    He was rushed to the hospital and passed away shortly after.


    Later on, he arranged the funeral for Bai Xue¡¯s husband and gave all his money to the Bai Family.


    But, unexpectedly, Bai Xue came to his house with her daughter, saying she could not carry on without her husband and asked him to marry her.


    He did not agree; after all, his heart had always yearned for An Hao¡¯s mother.


    He turned Bai Xue away from his door, sending most of his monthly earnings to her and keeping only a small portion for living expenses.


    However, months later, Bai Xue came again, with Bai Yanjiao who was starved and skinny, claiming that they were bullied in the village and couldn¡¯t survive without a man in the house.


    She firmly settled into his house, and over time, idle gossip in the village began to spread.


    An Hao and An Ping, the children, could not lift their heads up in shame, and whenever he brought the matter up, Bai Xue would silently weep.


    Finally, pushed to the limit, An Hao bitterly scolded Bai Xue, ¡°Can you really not live without a man?


    My dad takes care of your food and drink and covers Bai Yanjiao¡¯s school fees.


    He solves all your problems!


    What more do you want?


    Do you have to marry him?¡±


    Bai Xue hung a white rope from the ceiling beam, demanding that An Shuchao return her husband to her!

 Chapter 52 - 52 52 Think of a Way

    ?52: Chapter 52 Think of a Way 52: Chapter 52 Think of a Way An Shuchao had been an honest man all his life and had no choice, even though his daughter strongly opposed it, he had married Bai Xuemei.


    The two picked a date and got their marriage certificate.


    After the wedding, Bai Xuemei was overall quite decent to him and his family.


    Occasionally, when there were some inappropriate incidents, he just endured and they soon passed.


    To support the whole family, he was practically killing himself working, but An Hao never understood his efforts.


    It was since then that An Hao began to oppose Bai Xuemei in every way and stopped listening even to him, causing turmoil for several years.


    It was only recently that the girl seemed to have calmed down a bit and seemed to have matured quite a lot, which brought some peace to the household.


    An Hao was able to earn money now, and he also made an extra effort, striving to make their lives more prosperous.


    Just when he thought better days were coming, the Bai Family arrived, and overnight, their life regressed to the time before liberation.


    He was concerned about these matters and couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask them to leave; doing so would also upset Xuemei.


    After all these years, the two of them had developed some feelings for each other.


    An Hao, seeing the changing expressions on her father¡¯s face, knew his inner conflict, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll figure something out!


    Just understand it in your heart, and don¡¯t go beating up An Ping anymore!


    I¡¯ve already talked to him.¡±


    ¡°An Hao, are you still upset because Dad married Bai Xuemei?


    Dad, back then, I had no other choice,¡± An Shuchao tried to explain his past reasoning to her.


    ¡°Dad, I disapproved of your actions in the past.


    Bai Xuemei clearly took advantage of people!


    Her husband died because he pushed you once, and we are all grateful to him for that!


    You paid for the funeral, supported her and her daughter with money, and even did their chores!


    You have compensated enough.


    Just because her husband died, does she have the right to cling to you?


    It was just because she saw our family was living well for those years!


    Any woman who truly loved her husband wouldn¡¯t do what she did!¡± This was what An Hao truly believed in her heart.


    Similarly, if An Shuchao had any attachment to her mother, he would never have married Bai Xuemei.


    ¡°An Hao, are you still angry with Dad?¡± An Shuchao knew his daughter was unhappy; this issue had always been a thorn in her side.


    So whenever it was brought up, she fiercely resisted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.


    I resent you!¡± An Hao lowered her head and said, ¡°There are many women in the village who lost their husbands but didn¡¯t end up like her, unable to move on!


    Dad, you¡¯ve been too naive!¡±


    An Shuchao was left speechless by An Hao¡¯s retort.


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Seeing An Shuchao silent, An Hao did not continue.


    After all, it was the past, and who was right and who was wrong didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    What mattered was how to go forward in the future.


    ¡°Okay...


    okay...¡± An Shuchao nodded, ¡°Then we¡¯ll do as you say, find a way to get the Bai Family to leave!


    We need to provide a good environment for An Ping, the kid lacks self-control and could become beyond saving if he follows the wrong crowd just a few more days.


    I feel guilty towards your mother, and I absolutely can¡¯t indulge him in this matter.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± An Hao saw that her father understood this point and a smile finally appeared on her face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry!


    I¡¯ll keep a close watch on An Ping and make sure he doesn¡¯t go astray!¡±


    Bai Yufeng had been keeping this matter to himself, not daring to utter a word.


    He was just worried that An Hao would come back and spill everything, but after waiting several days, there was no further trouble.


    Gradually, he felt at ease again.


    An Hao acted as if the incident had never happened, taking over all the cooking duties.


    Bai Xuemei saw right through An Hao¡¯s intentions; she just wanted to drive her family away.


    She knew this well, and every time it was mealtime, she would grumble and complain about An Hao.


    When it was time to cook, she would sneak into her room and feign illness.


    She no longer had much money on hand and wanted her freeloading brother to leave as well.


    It had been half a month already; it should come to an end.

 Chapter 53 - 53 53 Fostering Thieves Thoughts

    ?53: Chapter 53: Fostering Thieves¡¯ Thoughts 53: Chapter 53: Fostering Thieves¡¯ Thoughts At first, there was still a bit of greasiness in the meals, but later on, even the oil was gone.


    In the end, there wasn¡¯t even porridge to eat, only plain boiled water remained.


    Bai Jianshe would curse every time he returned to his own room, but after cursing, he refused to leave!


    After all, it was a bargain, and he wouldn¡¯t pass up anything free.


    An Hao couldn¡¯t believe that even with the food like this, the Bai Family didn¡¯t leave; she was truly amazed at their thick skin.


    The new year was almost over, and An Hao received a notice that she had to return to school for classes the next day.


    With the college entrance exam approaching, there weren¡¯t many classes left.


    Families that were too poor to afford tuition could pay less in grain and attend school for a few days, then study at home for the rest of the time.


    An Hao¡¯s family was in this situation.


    In the afternoon, taking advantage of the warm weather and while everyone at home was napping, she lifted the curtains in the room and heated a kettle of water to wash her hair.


    She took off her cotton-padded jacket and put on a thin garment, then bent over the basin to wash her hair.


    While she was washing, Bai Yufeng came out from An Ping¡¯s room.


    Having woken up from his nap, he hurriedly went out to use the restroom because he was bursting to pee.


    On his way back, passing by An Hao¡¯s room, he saw her washing her hair.


    She had rolled up her sleeves, revealing arms as white as the roots of green onions, and her head was lowered, the water flowing down from the back of her head to her neck.


    Perhaps because her clothes got wet and uncomfortable, she pulled down the collar of her garment a bit, and her fair neck was exposed.


    Bai Yufeng, at the height of adolescence, felt his mouth go dry at the sight.


    His gaze followed her neck down to her fuller chest and slender waist, stirring a rippling desire in his heart.


    He had never dared to look at An Hao so boldly.


    Seeing her like this today confirmed she was indeed very attractive.


    A wicked fire surged in his heart, making him uncomfortable, and from somewhere, he found the courage to stride forward and wrapped his arms around An Hao¡¯s waist from behind.


    ¡°An Hao, I fancy you!¡±


    An Hao was washing her hair when Bai Yufeng suddenly hugged her from behind, startling her so much that she jerked her head up.


    In her agitation, she knocked over the basin, spilling water all over the ground.


    ¡°Bai Yufeng, what do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± she shouted with an enraged face, her cheeks flushed with anger.


    ¡°An Hao, I...


    I want to be with you!¡± Bai Yufeng was already scared of An Hao, and seeing her angry made his heart skip a beat, and he blurted out without thinking.


    An Hao was furious, about to scold him, when suddenly she heard her grandmother¡¯s voice from Bai Yanjiao¡¯s room: ¡°Who is it, who¡¯s out there in the yard!¡±


    In that instant, a plan surged in An Hao¡¯s heart.


    This was a perfect opportunity.


    If she could use it well, she could definitely drive the Bai Family out!


    So, she gritted her teeth and started shouting, ¡°Bai Yufeng!


    What are you doing!


    Do you understand that this is assault!


    Ah¡ªDad!


    An Ping!


    Come quick!¡±


    Bai Yufeng was startled by her outburst: ¡°An Hao, what... what are you trying to do?¡±


    An Hao ignored him and just kept shouting at the top of her lungs, her voice urgent and fearful, ¡°Dad, An Ping!


    Come quick!


    Bai Yufeng is assaulting me!¡±


    Bai Yufeng turned pale, panic-stricken.


    He didn¡¯t stop to think and twisted around, trying to run away.


    Just as he stepped out of the door, he bumped into An Shuchao, who hadn¡¯t even managed to put on his shoes properly.


    Then, everyone came out, and the old lady, seeing her grandson Bai Yufeng in such a cowardly state, immediately sensed something was wrong.


    The boy must have caused trouble!


    ¡°An Hao, what happened?¡± An Shuchao saw his daughter with red-rimmed eyes, holding back tears, with her arms crossed in front of her chest.


    Her still wet hair had soaked through her clothes.


    ¡°Dad!¡± An Hao cried out in grievance, tears streaming down, ¡°I can¡¯t live like this anymore!


    I have no face to see anyone now!¡±

 Chapter 54 - 54 54 Confess Without Coercion

    ?54: Chapter 54 Confess Without Coercion 54: Chapter 54 Confess Without Coercion ¡°What¡¯s the matter?


    What on earth happened?¡± An Shuchao looked at his daughter, her expression one of unbearable pain, and his face turned red with anxiety.


    ¡°Bai Yufeng...


    When I was washing my hair, he...


    he was groping me...¡± An Hao covered her face and began to cry, tears streaming through her fingers.


    ¡°Bai Xue!¡± An Shuchao was frantic, pointing at her nose and yelling, ¡°This is your nephew¡¯s doing!


    Now what do we do?¡±


    ¡°I...


    I don¡¯t know what happened either!¡± Bai Xue was completely dumbfounded.


    She felt ashamed and disgraced that Bai Yufeng could do such a thing at home.


    Then she thought, he couldn¡¯t have really taken the old lady¡¯s word to heart, wanting to subdue An Hao.


    ¡°I provide for you with good food and shelter!


    And today, I¡¯ve raised an ingrate!


    Now he¡¯s even after my daughter!¡± An Shuchao was so angry that his chest heaved.


    If it weren¡¯t for being at home, and his daughter being wronged, he would have truly regretted it.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, I don¡¯t like hearing this kind of talk!¡± At the crucial moment, Niu Cuihua stood up to speak well of her own son, ¡°Is everything An Hao says the absolute truth?


    You think your daughter is so innocent?


    In my opinion, your daughter fancies how my son looks and wants to throw herself at him.


    Unable to come up with a way, she staged this drama.¡±


    Bai Yufeng had felt earlier that he had caused trouble and didn¡¯t dare to speak.


    Now seeing his mother stand up for him gave him courage, and he quickly defended himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything inappropriate to her.


    I really didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting!¡± An Ping finally arrived and hearing Niu Cuihua talk about An Hao in such a manner, started cursing, ¡°If you insult my sister again, you can just get out!


    And Bai Yufeng, I treated you like a brother, and this is how you repay me and my sister!


    Heartless!


    White-eyed wolf!¡±


    ¡°You little calf, who are you telling to get out?¡± Bai Jianshe had a furious temper, and looking at An Ping, his fists were itching to move.


    ¡°Your whole family!¡± An Ping roared.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The old lady slammed her walking stick onto the ground, ¡°Stop all this noise.


    Bai Yufeng, tell me what happened!¡±


    ¡°Grandma, I didn¡¯t do anything inappropriate to An Hao.¡± Bai Yufeng wouldn¡¯t say anything else, insisting that he didn¡¯t do anything to An Hao.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± An Hao wiped her tears and glared at Bai Yufeng accusatorily, ¡°Did you, or did you not enter my room?¡±


    Bai Yufeng hesitated for a long time before nodding his head, ¡°I went in.¡±


    ¡°If you had no ill-intent, why did you go into my room?¡±


    ¡°I...


    I just wanted to see if you needed any help!¡±


    ¡°Did I invite you in?¡± An Hao angrily pointed at his clothes, ¡°He took advantage of me washing my hair to hug me from behind, intending to molest me!


    If you don¡¯t believe me, you can smell his body; it definitely has my scent on it!¡±


    ¡°Right!


    Come here and let me smell you!¡± After the previous incident, An Ping firmly took An Hao¡¯s side.


    Bai Yufeng was already feeling guilty and seeing this, he quickly covered his chest, ¡°No!


    I won¡¯t let you smell!¡±


    An Ping went over to grab him, and An Hao pointed at him, ¡°This is an admission of guilt!¡±


    Bai Yufeng then realized he had fallen for An Hao¡¯s trap again, his face turned red all the way to the neck.


    ¡°So what if he hugged you?¡± Bai Jianshe stiffened his neck, ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything else to you, did he?


    Is it worth making such a fuss?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, exactly!¡± Niu Cuihua also chimed in, ¡°Making such a fuss over such a trifle, what are you planning?


    Do you want to tarnish my son Fengzi¡¯s reputation?¡±

 Chapter 55 - 55 55 Confronted at the Door

    ?55: Chapter 55: Confronted at the Door 55: Chapter 55: Confronted at the Door An Hao glanced at her and said nothing.


    She had done everything she needed to do; all that remained was to watch Bai Xue.


    Sure enough, Bai Xue spoke up, ¡°Mom, Jianshe, since it¡¯s like this, just go!


    It¡¯s for Fengzi¡¯s sake and for An Hao¡¯s good!


    If you want to visit in the future, come back then, but let¡¯s not make a spectacle of this matter for all the neighbors to know.


    You know how gossip can kill people.


    Being a stepmother is hard; even if you won¡¯t consider my feelings, you should leave for your own sake.¡±


    Bai Xue felt for her family, but her family didn¡¯t seem to care for her, and life had to go on; the house was already out of grain.


    She couldn¡¯t just feed her brother¡¯s whole family for no reason, as they would just up and leave when it suited them, while she still needed to survive.


    Her daughter, Bai Yanjiao, was already dissatisfied, complaining every day about not having decent meals.


    For the sake of Yanjiao, she couldn¡¯t let her family stay any longer!


    What¡¯s more, they couldn¡¯t be allowed to stay!


    Bai Jianshe was about to say something when he heard someone pounding on the door outside, ¡°Xue!


    Xue, come out quickly!


    There¡¯s a crowd outside, with rolling pins and spades, asking where your house is!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Jianshe was instantly alarmed; perhaps he had slept with some family¡¯s chaste daughter, and her relatives had come looking for him.


    With this thought, he could no longer care about anything else, ¡°Let¡¯s just go!


    Quick, pack up the stuff!¡±


    With one sentence, the Bai Family knew what was happening and hurried to pack up their things.


    Bai Jianshe stuffed his clothes in a bag, turned to Bai Xue and asked for money, ¡°Sis, give me some money!


    We won¡¯t even have money for a hotel to hide out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve eaten everything in the house, where would I get any money from!¡± Bai Xue frowned, reluctant to give any.


    ¡°Are you telling me you have no money?


    Isn¡¯t all the money in the house in your hands?


    Sis, hurry up and give it to me!


    Do you want to see your brother gambled away and killed with spades and rolling pins in his own home?¡± Bai Jianshe said impatiently.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Bai Xue pulled out ten dollars from her pocket, money she had scrimped and saved for Bai Yanjiao to secretly buy some eggs in the afternoon to nourish her health.


    Just as she was about to count it out, Bai Jianshe snatched it away, ¡°Don¡¯t count it!


    Just give it all to me!¡±


    ¡°Jianshe, that¡¯s not okay!


    You need to leave me some!¡± Bai Xue said as she tried to grab it back.


    Bai Jianshe didn¡¯t say another word, picked up the luggage, and ran out.


    ¡°Hey!


    Hey!¡± Bai Xue cried out, but she couldn¡¯t keep him from leaving.


    The family of four, as if fleeing for their lives, opened the door and ran out of the village!


    After the Bai Family had finally left, An Hao didn¡¯t even have a chance to catch her breath before people blocked her door.


    It wasn¡¯t strangers but the relatives of the chaste girl Bai Jianshe had slept with, each holding a spade or a rolling pin as they stormed into her house.


    ¡°Bai Jianshe, get out here!¡± shouted a man with a scruffy beard at the forefront, who seemed to be in his fifties, just like An Shuchao, and he stood with his arms akimbo, shouldering a spade.


    As he shouted, those following him became agitated and began pointing and cursing.


    ¡°Get out here!¡±


    ¡°Get out here!¡±


    The throng of over twenty people made An Hao dizzy to see.


    The Bai family really was relentless, eating his food, drinking his wine, taking his belongings, and leaving him with trouble as they left.


    The furious crowd could easily become a problem if a single wrong word was spoken.


    ¡°Gone mute?¡± The man glared at An Hao¡¯s family, and when no one spoke, his eyes scanned over each person before settling on Bai Xue, ¡°Are you Bai Jianshe¡¯s sister?¡±


    Bai Xue, usually a sharp-tongued woman, felt terrified by the scene, ¡°I am...


    I am...


    Big brother, where are you from?


    Why have you brought so many people to my house?¡±

 Chapter 56 - 56 56 Why Dont You Go Rob a Bank

    ?56: Chapter 56 Why Don¡¯t You Go Rob a Bank 56: Chapter 56 Why Don¡¯t You Go Rob a Bank ¡°What a fine mess your brother Bai Jianshe has made!


    He got my daughter pregnant and then ran off!


    He¡¯s been hiding here for over a month!¡± The man blurted out the scandal as soon as he opened his mouth.


    Such things are shameful to talk about.


    If it weren¡¯t handled carefully, his daughter might never get married.


    In these parts, if there¡¯s any gossip, the village gossips will spread it far and wide in less than a month.


    Bai Xue was also shocked.


    She had thought the girl¡¯s family would keep it quiet out of fear of losing face and would discuss the matter with them privately, but the girl¡¯s father didn¡¯t seem to care about that at all and started shouting about it in her courtyard.


    Now everyone in the village knew, and they crowded around her house, watching the commotion with their hands tucked in their sleeves, as if it was something rare to see.


    ¡°Big brother, I am Bai Jianshe¡¯s sister, that¡¯s right.


    But he¡¯s already left and isn¡¯t here anymore, unfortunately!¡± Bai Xue tried to speak kindly with a smile.


    She remembered Bai Jianshe had told her the girl¡¯s name was Liu Xinghua.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!


    My daughter was a pure and innocent girl until that beast Bai Jianshe spoiled her!


    This can¡¯t just be left at that!¡± Xinghua¡¯s mother said angrily, her round, bead-like eyes looking fierce.


    ¡°But he¡¯s already gone.


    I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s gone to...¡± Bai Xue said helplessly, cursing her worthless brother inwardly for causing her trouble.


    ¡°If he¡¯s gone, we¡¯ll come to you!¡± shouted Xinghua¡¯s relatives one after another, ¡°Today, we must come up with a solution!


    Otherwise, we¡¯re not done here!¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the solution?


    You can¡¯t expect Jianshe to marry her, can you?¡± Trouble had come knocking, and she couldn¡¯t turn it away; since Bai Jianshe was her brother, she had to clean up his mess.


    ¡°Marry her?


    As if that toad could eat swan meat!


    Take a piss and look at himself, that Bai Jianshe.


    He wants to marry my daughter?!¡± Xinghua¡¯s father cursed angrily.


    ¡°Then you tell me, what¡¯s the solution?


    You can¡¯t beat my uncle to death, right?¡± Bai Yanjiao chimed in from the side.


    ¡°Exactly, you need to give us a way to solve this,¡± Bai Xue agreed.


    ¡°Pay up!¡±


    ¡°How much!¡±


    ¡°Two hundred!¡±


    ¡°Two hundred!!!¡± Bai Xue¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Are you robbing me?!¡±


    ¡°Are you paying or not?


    If not, we¡¯ll just move into your house and stay here!¡± Xinghua¡¯s mother threatened shamelessly, signaling her relatives to push their way into the house.


    ¡°Stop making a scene!¡± An Shuchao couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and yelled out loud, ¡°Bai Jianshe slept with your daughter, go find him!


    What are you doing in my house?!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you his brother-in-law?


    You should deal with it as his brother-in-law.


    Either pay up or go to the police station!


    I¡¯ll report Bai Jianshe for indecency!¡± Xinghua¡¯s mother was no easy opponent.


    Seeing An Shuchao angry, Bai Xue quickly stepped forward to calm things down, ¡°I¡¯ll pay, all right?


    Two hundred is too much.


    You¡¯ve seen the state of my house; two hundred is not a small sum, we really can¡¯t afford it!¡±


    Xinghua¡¯s mother looked around and then peeked into An Hao¡¯s room through the curtain, saw that they were indeed poor, and thought two hundred might be too much.


    Considering the cost of their daughter¡¯s abortion surgery was only a little over twenty, they needed some compensation for her wellbeing, ¡°Just give eighty then.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even have eighty,¡± Bai Xue was in a real bind.


    ¡°Borrow it!¡± Xinghua¡¯s father commanded, ¡°With so many villagers here, can¡¯t you borrow it?¡±


    ¡°Fifty!¡± An Shuchao gritted his teeth, ¡°Fifty I can do, but any more than that, and you might as well kill me because I won¡¯t be able to come up with it!¡±

 Chapter 57 - 57 57 Stirring Up a Hornets Nest

    ?57: Chapter 57: Stirring Up a Hornet¡¯s Nest 57: Chapter 57: Stirring Up a Hornet¡¯s Nest An Hao, seeing her father agree to the terms so readily, was full of urgency, ¡°Dad, our family is so poor we can¡¯t even lift the lid on our pot, where will we get the money?¡±


    ¡°No money, no talk!¡± Xinghua¡¯s mother, hands on her hips, glared at An Hao, ¡°To sleep with an unmarried girl and not want to give anything in return, where in the world can you find such a good deal?¡±


    An Hao could see that her parents were not really there to seek justice for their child; they clearly came for money.


    With such a shameful incident, in a normal family, they would cover it up and secretly find a way to solve it.


    But her family, fearing that others wouldn¡¯t know, made a fuss everywhere, even neglecting their daughter¡¯s reputation, all for the sake of money, right?


    Haven¡¯t the Bai Family caused enough trouble for her family already?


    She refused to take the blame for this!


    ¡°Auntie,¡± An Hao, not annoyed, patiently negotiated, ¡°This matter isn¡¯t something to be proud of.


    If you still hope for your daughter to get married in the future, then don¡¯t go around spreading the word.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about it!¡± Xinghua¡¯s father had already negotiated with a bachelor from the neighboring village; a dowry of thirty, and after the second day of February, he would take Xinghua as a bride.


    But you can¡¯t suffer a loss without compensation, after inquiring for so long they finally found who to target, and they definitely had to take a hard knock.


    Knock out some money to get a wife for the son, worrying about where the bridal money would come from!


    ¡°Well then, since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll speak my mind.


    After what happened with your daughter Xinghua, it¡¯s up to her.


    If it was mutual affection, and she knew Bai Jianshe was married with children, why did she still get together with him?


    Since they got together, don¡¯t talk about being taken advantage of and asking for money.


    If it wasn¡¯t with her consent, then go to the police station and file a charge against Bai Jianshe for rape; don¡¯t make trouble in my house!


    If you insist on causing trouble, then we will have to solve it with the police station,¡± An Hao said in one breath, after all, the money must not be given.


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t give it, what do we do?¡± Xinghua¡¯s relatives huddled together, whispering.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll stay put!


    No matter what you say, if that Bai Jianshe doesn¡¯t pay up, we¡¯ll make trouble with his family to the end!¡± A group of people agreed, throwing their stuff down and charging into the house.


    An Shuchao stepped forward to block them, An Ping saw and went up to help, Bai Xue ran to the front of the house to lock the door; suddenly, the yard was thrown into chaos.


    ¡°Which kind uncle or aunt can go and get the village party secretary?¡± seeing that things were going awry, An Hao desperately sought help.


    Hearing An Hao¡¯s plea, some villagers couldn¡¯t stand by and went to get the village officials.


    An Hao didn¡¯t want to escalate the situation; after all, the family couldn¡¯t withstand such turmoil, and if everyone got angry and someone was killed, it would be troublesome, ¡°Wait a moment, auntie, calm down.


    You want to resolve the issue, right?


    Here¡¯s twenty-five for the surgery and the nutritional supplements.


    My family is poor, and it shouldn¡¯t really be up to us to pay this money...¡±


    An Hao hadn¡¯t finished speaking when she was interrupted, ¡°Wait for what!


    You think this is buying vegetables, one moment it¡¯s twenty, the next fifty.


    Let me tell you, anything less than eighty won¡¯t do!


    Charge into the house!¡±


    Once Xinghua¡¯s mother spoke, the others charged.


    Bai Yanjiao, seeing she couldn¡¯t stop them, rushed into the kitchen, scooped up a basin of cold water, and splashed it directly onto Xinghua¡¯s mother who was at the forefront.


    This act was like poking a hornet¡¯s nest!


    Xinghua¡¯s relatives, one by one, charged up like madmen to hit Bai Yanjiao, so some fought and others pulled away, and good-hearted villagers joined in.


    Gradually, the skirmish escalated, and they started to grab tools to fight.


    Xinghua¡¯s father swung a shovel wildly, and it looked like it was about to smash into An Ping¡¯s head.


    An Hao, with her quick reflexes, lunged to push An Ping, and the two of them fell to the ground.


    An Ping was unharmed, and An Hao was too, except her head felt dizzy from hitting the ground.

 Chapter 58 - 58 58 Ending the Farce

    ?58: Chapter 58 Ending the Farce 58: Chapter 58 Ending the Farce The noisy scene quieted down as she fell, everyone staring at her.


    An Hao knew that without using some tactics, it wouldn¡¯t work, so she took the opportunity to hold her breath and stay still.


    An Ping rubbed his sore arm and got up, and when he saw that An Hao was still lying down, he quickly went to help her.


    Seeing that she wasn¡¯t moving at all scared him to death, and he yelled at the top of his voice, ¡°Quick!


    My sister stopped breathing!


    Hurry, see what¡¯s wrong with my sister!¡±


    The Xinghua family saw the trouble and, terrified, they hastily said, ¡°This isn¡¯t our fault, she threw herself at us.¡±


    At that time, the village cadres rushed over in a hurry.


    Only then did An Hao start to get up, holding her head and acting as if in severe pain, ¡°Dad, my head hurts so badly, it¡¯s killing me!¡±


    The An Family knew something was wrong and quickly gathered their things to go back home.


    The village cadres hurriedly stopped them and took them back to the village branch to discuss how to solve the problem.


    The village women¡¯s director stayed to accompany An Hao to the village clinic to see if she had injured anywhere.


    An Shuchao, fearing that An Hao was really hurt, quickly followed her to the clinic.


    The doctor checked her and found no serious issues, so he told An Hao to go back home and rest more.


    As the two of them were just reaching the door, they saw the remaining three family members standing at the entrance.


    ¡°This matter is resolved, Old An.


    That bunch of people are afraid something might really happen to An Hao, so they said they¡¯d clear it up and stop causing trouble.


    You should go back and rest.


    Yanjiao, help him inside,¡± Bai Xue and Bai Yanjiao came up to assist An Shuchao towards the house, without even asking An Hao.


    An Hao bit her lower lip, glaring at the retreating figures of Bai Xue and Bai Yanjiao, secretly making up her mind.


    This family was nearly ruined by them, but as long as she was there, she was determined to make her father see their true colors!


    She would never allow Bai Xue to destroy a perfectly good family!


    An Ping stayed where he was, looking at An Hao¡¯s pale face, and approached her caringly, ¡°Sis, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just feeling a little uncomfortable,¡± An Hao rubbed her head and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was half pretending.


    Otherwise, they would still be kicking up a fuss!¡±


    The situation was getting out of control.


    If she hadn¡¯t done that, it might be impossible to calm down this battle.


    If in their impulsiveness more people got hurt, that would be a big problem!


    You can¡¯t handle everything with brute force alone; you need to use your brain when necessary.


    Hearing her say that, An Ping felt some distress, ¡°Sis, you are someone who never likes to lie.


    I¡¯ve seen all this with my own eyes, you¡¯ve been forced into this... and I, a boy, can¡¯t contribute to the family; it¡¯s making you suffer!¡±


    Hearing him say this, An Hao¡¯s eyes reddened, but a joyful smile appeared on her face, ¡°My An Ping has grown up, caring for your sister.


    As long as you study hard, that makes me very happy!¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡± An Ping nodded firmly, ¡°Sis, I¡¯ll listen to you.


    From now on, I will study hard and not associate with bad people anymore.¡±


    An Hao smiled, ¡°That¡¯s good.


    You, Dad, and I, the three of us, have to live our lives well and make it prosperous!¡±

 Chapter 59 - 59 59 Qin Gong is not a Pretty Boy

    ?59: Chapter 59 Qin Gong is not a Pretty Boy 59: Chapter 59 Qin Gong is not a Pretty Boy Qin Jian was buried in his work at the drafting table when he heard a commotion outside; it seemed his name was being mentioned, so he put down his pen and stepped out to see two groups of interns red-faced and arguing in the hallway.


    These were all interns who had just been assigned here after graduating this year, apparently quarreling over some trivial matter.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Qin Jian walked over, positioning himself between the groups of interns, ¡°What are you arguing about?


    This is a place of work, not somewhere to idle away your time chattering.¡±


    ¡°Qin, it¡¯s the interns led by Chang, they¡¯ve been talking about you behind your back, saying you¡¯re just young and inexperienced, and that you only got this job through luck!


    We don¡¯t agree!


    Everyone knows how hard you¡¯ve worked over the years, traveling everywhere to conduct research, then coming back to study; what they¡¯re saying is just nonsense!¡±


    Qin Jian thought it was nothing serious, just this little squabble wasn¡¯t worth all the noise.


    ¡°Disperse!


    Wasting time on this useless gossip is just that, a waste of time.


    Whether I¡¯m good or not isn¡¯t decided by someone¡¯s word.


    If you¡¯re standing up for me, then try harder, get some real results, beat them at their own game; that¡¯s the biggest comfort you could give me!¡± Qin Jian said this and turned to leave.


    ¡°Qin, there¡¯s more, they said you...


    said you¡¯re just a ¡®pretty boy¡¯, really just relying on a good relationship with the Section Chief to be entrusted with important tasks!


    So, so we couldn¡¯t stand hearing them talk about you like that...¡±


    ¡°Pretty boy?¡± Qin Jian was both amused and annoyed, as ¡®pretty boy¡¯ had never been a compliment in this era, ¡°What do you think, am I?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Four or five interns shouted loudly, their voices so thunderous they hurt one¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Then why waste any more words?¡± Qin Jian commanded, ¡°From now on, anyone who causes trouble over such petty issues will be punished by drafting for three days straight without sleep!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Upon hearing this, the interns quickly scampered off.


    Qin Jian shook his head and turned back.


    He had barely taken a few steps when he ran into Xiao Li from the office: ¡°Qin, Section Chief Zhang is asking for you!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head back now!¡±


    The Section Chief¡¯s office.


    Section Chief Zhang Jianguo was nearing fifty, with graying hair, standing at the window in a coat watching Qin Jian approach from a distance.


    He took a draw on his cigarette and slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, then turned to Qin Jian¡¯s work partner and said, ¡°Look, look, your ¡®Eternal Iceberg¡¯ has arrived!¡±

 Chapter 60 - 60 60 The Big Decision of a Lifetime

    ?60: Chapter 60: The Big Decision of a Lifetime 60: Chapter 60: The Big Decision of a Lifetime Qin Jian¡¯s work partner Jian Ying said with a laugh, ¡°Qin Jian has really made a name for himself recently.


    Before, everyone knew we had a ¡®perennial ice mountain¡¯ in our department, someone who¡¯s uncompromising in work, disregards personal feelings, and has strict standards.


    But now, it¡¯s spread all throughout the institute that our Mr.


    Qin is a pretty boy!


    Now his nickname has changed, he¡¯s become ¡®White-faced Mr.


    Qin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Zhang Jianguo laughed uproariously, his face wrinkles deepening, ¡°Qin Jian is indeed handsome!


    No wonder people talk about him!¡±


    Jian Ying continued with a laugh in agreement, ¡°Yeah!


    The guy is just too good-looking.


    I mean, in our design institute, there really aren¡¯t many who are more pleasing to the eye than him.


    When we go out, the young ladies all sneak glances at him, as if they wish they could glue their eyeballs to him.¡±


    The instructor laughed so hard at this that he pointed at Jian Ying and said, ¡°You, you!


    You describe it so vividly, I can practically see it.¡±


    Jian Ying laughed for a while, then continued, ¡°Leader, quite a few people had been inquiring about Qin Jian some time ago.


    It¡¯s a bit of a pity, though.


    As soon as a few decent girls heard that Qin Jian was a bachelor and that he¡¯s always wearing a cold expression, they got scared off.¡±


    ¡°How many girlfriends has the kid had before?¡±


    ¡°About five!¡±


    ¡°Not many!


    With his outstanding appearance, five really isn¡¯t many.¡±


    ¡°But once they hear about the bachelorhood...


    The girls aren¡¯t interested anymore.¡± It was well-known that Qin Jian¡¯s marital prospects were a tough nut to crack.


    ¡°You guys still believe in that?


    Besides, the kid hasn¡¯t even been married!


    Where does this bachelor talk come from?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Jian Ying sighed along, ¡°Chief, why don¡¯t you introduce a few to him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I came to see him about!¡± Section Chief Zhang paced the room with his hands behind his back, ¡°It seems I really need to find an opportunity to clear this up with everyone.


    It¡¯s not that he¡¯s a bachelor, it was just an accident!¡±


    As they were talking, Qin Jian pushed the door open and came in, seeing Zhang Jianguo: ¡°Section Chief Zhang!


    You were looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Speak of the devil, and he shall appear!¡± Zhang Jianguo said cheerfully, ¡°Two things.


    First, in a while the city power department will be sending people to lay out electrical equipment in the countryside, and we need professionals to guide them.


    I was thinking of sending you and Jian Ying down there.


    Pick a few people to form a team; you might need to spend some time there to provide technical guidance.


    The second thing, I specially came today for your matchmaking issue.¡±


    ¡°Chief, I¡¯ve been constantly thinking about your matter!¡± Jian Ying interjected, ¡°If there¡¯s a suitable one this time, just go ahead and get married.¡±


    Qin Jian waved his hand, ¡°Chief, let¡¯s put that aside for now.


    Let¡¯s talk about the first matter, going to the countryside to provide guidance?


    Which village are we going to?


    Has this been assigned?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a request for professional guidance from the city power bureau.


    We will get the results in a few days, and the places where the electrical equipment will be laid out include your village.


    If you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll get assigned there!¡±

 Chapter 61 - 61 61 Introduction to Objects

    ?61: Chapter 61 Introduction to Objects 61: Chapter 61 Introduction to Objects When Qin Jian thought of his home village, the image of a charming and delicate face flashed through his mind.


    But remembering that the girl was only eighteen and still in school, he shook his head and banished her figure from his thoughts.


    ¡°It¡¯s all the same to me, I¡¯ll comply with the leader¡¯s arrangements!¡± said Qin Jian.


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s the attitude I like to see!¡± Zhang Jianguo patted Qin Jian on the shoulder, quite satisfied with his subordinate.


    That was a source of proud pride!


    ¡°Section Chief, first matter is settled, what about the second one?¡± Jian Ying interjected with a grin.


    He and Qin Jian had been partners for several years.


    Both had graduated in the same year, completed their postgraduate studies together, and then been assigned here, growing quite close in the process.


    Jian Ying had sorted out his personal issues several times over, while there were still no updates on Qin Jian¡¯s front.


    Whenever Qin Jian¡¯s mother visited him in the provincial city, she would cling to his hand, urging him to persuade Qin Jian to sort out his personal issues quickly; she was eager to hold a grandchild!


    With a chuckle and much gravity, Section Chief Zhang said to Qin Jian, ¡°This matter, you must take it seriously!


    Your sister-in-law has introduced another match for you.


    The girl, Liang Manman, is pretty and smart!


    She¡¯s eight years younger than you, and I hear her family is quite agreeable.


    Oh, right, she¡¯s seen you once before; she¡¯s the daughter of an old friend of mine.¡±


    Qin Jian frowned slightly, ¡°Section Chief, can I refuse?¡±


    ¡°What?


    You refuse?


    Am I hearing this right?¡± Zhang Jianguo¡¯s expression turned stern, ¡°You¡¯re already thirty and still not married!


    Are you planning to hold back the unit with this personal issue of yours?¡±


    Hold back the unit?


    Jian Ying, who was in the middle of drinking water, spat it out with a puff and started coughing violently at the remark.


    Section Chief Zhang really knew how to spin things.


    ¡°What does my personal matter have to do with the unit?¡± Qin Jian said helplessly, ¡°Section Chief, I¡¯m a husband ¡®ke?¡¯ (bad omen for wife)!¡±


    ¡°Ke? what wife?


    As if others might not know, but you think I don¡¯t?¡± Zhang Jianguo glared at him and scolded, ¡°Stop using that as an excuse in the future!


    This Saturday, you two should meet.


    I¡¯ve set the place at Xinhua Bookstore, nine o¡¯clock in the morning!


    Dare not to show up, and you¡¯ll be disrespecting your sister-in-law.


    If you disrespect her, I¡¯ll cut you down!¡±


    Qin Jian had a headache, as the regimental commander had put it so bluntly, it would look bad not to go, and so he agreed.


    Seeing Qin Jian had agreed, Regimental Commander Zhang prepared to leave.


    As he was escorting him out, Jian Ying hurriedly moved closer to Zhang Jianguo and whispered, ¡°Section Chief, what¡¯s the real deal with Qin Jian being a husband ¡®ke?¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Him?


    Just ask him what he¡¯s done,¡± Zhang Jianguo glanced back at Qin Jian, leaving Jian Ying with a puzzle before departing.


    Coming out of Section Chief Zhang¡¯s office, Jian Ying sidled up and asked, ¡°Qin Jian, what¡¯s this about you being a husband ¡®ke?¡¯?¡±


    Qin Jian glanced at him, deadpan: ¡°Instructor, I never realized you were so nosy before?¡±


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯m just concerned about you,¡± Jian Ying joked with a cheeky grin.


    Qin Jian glanced at him, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly: ¡°You¡¯re joking right?


    Go cool off wherever it¡¯s cool!¡±


    With that, he strode away swiftly.


    ¡°I...¡± Jian Ying ground his teeth in frustration.


    How had he managed to wind up on the good side of this kid!


    Serves him right, after all, they were friends for half a lifetime!


    The rest of his life would probably be tied to him!


    Alas!


    ¡°Qin Jian, I can¡¯t wait to see the day when a wife suddenly turns up to fix you, you troublemaker!¡±

 Chapter 62 - 62 62 Visiting the Sick in Town

    ?62: Chapter 62 Visiting the Sick in Town 62: Chapter 62 Visiting the Sick in Town An Family¡¯s days finally quieted down.


    After the Chinese New Year, An Shuchao spent his days working in the fields and his nights at the brick kiln, doing heavy labor to earn money and ensure the family could live normally.


    An Hao returned to school to study, with the college entrance exam rapidly approaching.


    The math teacher, Wei Suxia, fell ill and was sent to the city hospital overnight.


    She ended up staying for ten days.


    Now, it was math class again, Teacher Wei hadn¡¯t come back, and the students in the class couldn¡¯t sit still and started discussing it.


    ¡°What do you think Teacher Wei is sick with?¡±


    ¡°I heard it¡¯s a stomach problem, they removed a third of her stomach.¡±


    ¡°Now that Teacher Wei is ill at such a critical time, with the exam just a few months away, my math is so poor.


    I was counting on Teacher Wei to give me some extra lessons!¡±


    ¡°Teacher Wei is in poor health because of overwork.¡±


    Song Yueqin was also not good at math.


    Teacher Wei, like her mother, was a city person who had stayed in the countryside after being sent down during the Cultural Revolution.


    Therefore, her mother used to visit Teacher Wei quite often, just to ask her to give Song Yueqin some extra tutoring.


    She heard from someone yesterday that after undergoing surgery, it would take a month or two to recover.


    If that were the case, how could she possibly take the college exam?


    Her mother had such great hopes for her!


    Thinking of this, Song Yueqin tapped on the desk, and when the class quieted down, she stood up and called out to Shen Zhihua, who was engrossed in solving problems: ¡°Class president, Teacher Wei has been sick for so long, and as her students, shouldn¡¯t we go visit her?¡±


    And incidentally find out when exactly she can come back.


    If she won¡¯t be back soon, she could ask her mother to find someone more capable.


    Or she might as well stay at her grandmother¡¯s house in the city to review.


    If she had any problems, she could go directly to the hospital to find Teacher Wei.


    When Shen Zhihua heard Song Yueqin calling him, he put down his pen and said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked the class teacher about it, and she doesn¡¯t recommend that we visit Teacher Wei right now.


    She said Teacher Wei needs to rest quietly for a while.¡±


    ¡°Then who is going to teach me?¡± The real concern for Song Yueqin was this.


    ¡°Yeah, class president!¡±


    ¡°Class president, the college entrance exam is getting close, we can¡¯t do without a teacher, right?¡±


    Song Yueqin¡¯s remark sparked a chorus of comments from the entire class.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not okay, I¡¯ll go and discuss it with the class teacher right now,¡± Shen Zhihua said as he stood up, ready to go.


    The class teacher, Mr.


    Mu, happened to walk in briskly, heard the buzzing discussions in the class, and quickly said, ¡°I understand the feelings of the students, and so does the school.


    Since everyone wants to visit Teacher Wei, let¡¯s send a few representatives to see her.¡±


    ¡°That would be great,¡± Song Yueqin said happily, ¡°Mr.


    Mu, I¡¯ll sign up first!¡±


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re one of them,¡± Mr.


    Mu agreed readily, ¡°Song Yueqin, your grandmother lives in the city, and you¡¯ve been there before, so you know the way.


    You can lead the way.


    I was planning to go, but as you all know, my family circumstances require me to be home.¡±


    ¡°We all know, Mr.


    Mu, the class officers can go.


    We¡¯ll report back to you afterward!¡± Shen Zhihua took the initiative and undertook the task.


    ¡°That¡¯s settled, then!¡± Mr.


    Mu was reassured, knowing Shen Zhihua was young but reliable in getting things done, ¡°Also, Teacher Wei sent a letter saying that during her hospitalization she discovered a good resource book that a student in the same ward had, which can be purchased at Xinhua Bookstore.


    Our class has forty people; when you four class officers go, buy the books for everyone too!¡±

 Chapter 63 - 63 63 Do Not Marry

    ?63: Chapter 63: Do Not Marry 63: Chapter 63: Do Not Marry After school that evening, it was already pitch-dark when I got home.


    Dinner was on the table, and because our income had been poor recently, the food at home was still lacking oil and salt, but it was edible.


    Bai Yanjiao took a couple of bites before she pushed her bowl and chopsticks away, standing up, ¡°I¡¯m not eating anymore, I¡¯ll go back to my room first!¡±


    ¡°Yanjiao, sit down and eat some more, look how thin you¡¯ve become from hunger!¡± Bai Xue¡¯s heart ached for her daughter, no matter the quality of the food, she still had to eat something.


    ¡°Mom, eating these dishes every day, I¡¯m so tired of them I could sprout wings!¡± Bai Yanjiao plopped down onto the stool with a huff.


    ¡°And who do you blame for that!¡± An Ping slammed his chopsticks down onto the bowl with dissatisfaction, ¡°Your unreasonable uncle has been staying for so many days!


    Just like a locust, he has eaten everything up, and now it¡¯s already good that we have food to eat!


    What are you even picking at!¡±


    ¡°An Ping!


    How can you talk to me like this!¡± Bai Yanjiao glared at An Ping, he never used to be like this before.


    An Hao must have done something behind the scenes to cause such a quick change in An Ping these days.


    ¡°Enough!


    Stop arguing!¡± An Shuchao, with a headache from their quarreling, shouted abruptly before raising his head to speak to Bai Xue, ¡°Xue, if it doesn¡¯t work out, we should find some work for Yanjiao to do.¡±


    Bai Xue was taken aback upon hearing this; An Shuchao had never said things like this before.


    It seemed that this fight had indeed caused some opinions about her and her daughter.


    Seeing that Bai Xue looked a bit unhappy, An Shuchao sighed, ¡°Xue, don¡¯t overthink it!


    Look, Yanjiao is already eighteen.


    After the New Year, if there¡¯s a suitable match, it¡¯s time to talk about marriage.


    Our home is too poor; we still need to save up some dowry for the child!


    Now, while I still have the strength to work a bit more, and since Yanjiao has at least made it to junior high, if it doesn¡¯t work out, she can find some work in town for now, and when I get back on my feet, she can come back!¡±


    The moment Bai Yanjiao heard this, she immediately disagreed, tears welling up as she clung to Bai Xue¡¯s hand, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to get married so early!


    Is Dad implying that I¡¯m freeloading at home and that¡¯s why he wants to drive me out?¡±


    As her daughter began to cry, Bai Xue¡¯s tears also started to flow, ¡°Old An, are you looking down on the two of us mothers and daughters?¡±


    ¡°Look at you, why would you think that!


    Getting married at eighteen is quite normal in our village, isn¡¯t it?


    Didn¡¯t the Zhao Family¡¯s daughter just get married?


    I didn¡¯t mean anything else!


    If you really don¡¯t want to work, then forget about it,¡± An Shuchao couldn¡¯t bear to see Bai Yanjiao¡¯s tears, being a stepfather is as difficult as being a stepmother, after all.


    Hearing An Shuchao say this, Bai Yanjiao finally broke into a smile, ¡°I knew Dad didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±


    Even if he did mean it, she wouldn¡¯t want to get married.


    She already had someone she liked, Shen Zhihua¡ªthe son of Aunt Liu on the west side of the village, who was handsome and gentle, and every time she went to play with Shen Lianqing, she always enjoyed stealing glances at him.


    She had once thought of marrying into a good family, but seeing a scholarly boy like Shen Zhihua stirred her heart.


    To know that he was acknowledged as the smartest kid in the village, good at studying¡ªmarrying him would satisfy Bai Yanjiao fully.


    As Bai Yanjiao was dreaming happily, she heard someone calling from the yard, ¡°Is Aunt Bai home?¡±


    The voice sounded familiar; it seemed to be Shen Zhihua¡¯s voice indeed.


    Bai Yanjiao¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, and she got up to lift the curtain.


    There stood Shen Zhihua in the yard, holding an enamel basin in his hands, bathed in the cool moonlight, his handsome face making her heart race even more.


    ¡°Brother Zhihua, what brings you here?¡± Bai Yanjiao¡¯s little heart thumped rapidly.


    Shen Zhiyuan smiled faintly, ¡°My mom asked me to bring something over!


    Also, I needed to discuss something with An Hao!¡±

 Chapter 64 - 64 64 No Special Treatment

    ?64: Chapter 64 No Special Treatment 64: Chapter 64 No Special Treatment ¡°Come in quickly, it¡¯s cold outside!¡± Bai Yanjiao said with a smile as she ushered Shen Zhihua inside.


    ¡°Zhihua is here!¡± An Shuchao called to him, ¡°Have you eaten?


    Come join us for a bite!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten!¡± Shen Zhihua said politely, ¡°Uncle, my mom made a big pot of food and asked me to bring some over for you to try!¡±


    As he spoke, he set the large enamel basin on the table.


    Bai Yanjiao¡¯s eyes grew wide at the sight of the big pot of food, cabbage stew with vermicelli and pickled pork, its fragrant aroma wafting out and almost causing her to drool.


    ¡°Goodness, thank your mom for me, will you?


    Next time, I¡¯ll go and visit her!¡± Bai Xue said cheerily.


    ¡°Sure!


    Auntie, you enjoy it while it¡¯s hot!¡± Shen Zhihua found himself a stool and sat off to the side, waiting for An Hao to finish eating.


    ¡°Class monitor, did you want to see me about something?


    Let¡¯s go talk in my room!¡± An Hao said, getting up from her meal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to eat some more?¡± Shen Zhihua glanced at the more than half-full basin of food and said to An Hao, ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry.


    You don¡¯t have to rush; take your time eating!¡±


    He knew that An Hao¡¯s family was not well-off.


    He had also heard about what had happened over the vacation, so tonight, when his family made a big pot of food, he specially brought it over for An Hao.


    An Hao¡¯s mom had often interacted with his family while she was alive.


    Her mother was skilled with her hands, often helping his mom make cotton clothes for his family¡ªthat were both fitting and comfortable.


    Now that An Hao¡¯s mom was gone, her mom would occasionally ask him to bring something over for An Hao.


    Later, disliking the Bai Family¡¯s mother and daughter¡¯s behavior, the things he brought over seldom reached An Hao, so the frequency of such gifts had decreased.


    ¡°I¡¯ve really had enough!¡± An Hao said, patting her stomach and smiling, ¡°Auntie¡¯s cooking is really great!


    I¡¯m so thankful for her!¡±


    ¡°No need to be so polite!¡± Seeing her happy, Shen Zhiyuan also smiled, a slight pink flush brightening his cheeks, ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve had enough, let¡¯s go talk about the matter at hand.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Entering the room where An Hao lived, the chilly draft was immediately noticeable.


    Even though the weather was still cold, she had stopped lighting a fire.


    This was Shen Zhihua¡¯s first visit to An Hao¡¯s room.


    This small ten-square-meter room was kept tidy and in order.


    The few clothes she regularly wore were neatly folded at the head of her bed, clearly the belongings of a neat young woman.


    ¡°Class monitor, have a seat!¡± An Hao offered a stool, placing it in front of Shen Zhihua, ¡°I¡¯ll go get you some water!¡±


    ¡°No need to bother!


    I¡¯ll just say a few words and then leave,¡± Shen Zhihua quickly stopped An Hao.


    ¡°Alright then.


    You talk, I¡¯ll listen.


    Is it about us going to see Teacher Wei in the city this Saturday?¡± An Hao guessed immediately.


    ¡°Exactly.


    That¡¯s it,¡± Shen Zhihua said, ¡°An Hao, tomorrow I will ask the classmates to turn in the money for the books and nutritional supplements.


    As for the travel expenses, I discussed it with some other class officers, and they feel it should be covered by each individual.


    It will probably be about one yuan and twenty cents per person.


    With this in mind, I estimate that two yuan each should be enough.


    When the classmates pay, it will be one yuan per person.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go with your arrangements!¡±


    ¡°What I mean is...¡± Shen Zhihua began but then hesitated, biting his lower lip, unsure how to express himself softly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± An Hao was puzzled by his sudden pause.


    Shen Zhihua quickly organized his thoughts and felt this might sound a bit better: ¡°An Hao, everyone thinks you should only pay for your book.


    You don¡¯t have to cover the rest; a few of us class officers have decided to share that expense for you.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than An Hao immediately rejected the offer: ¡°How could that be okay?


    Although my family isn¡¯t well-off, I can still afford this money, and I must contribute.


    I can¡¯t be treated as an exception!¡±


    ¡°An Hao, listen to me!¡± Shen Zhihua knew this would happen.


    He wanted to pay for her because he wasn¡¯t short of money, and he didn¡¯t want to see An Hao struggle.


    ¡°Oh, Brother Zhihua, what¡¯s going on with my sister?¡± The door opened with a creak and Bai Yanjiao came in, carrying a jar of water.

 Chapter 65 - 65 65 Stirring of Spring Emotions

    ?65: Chapter 65: Stirring of Spring Emotions 65: Chapter 65: Stirring of Spring Emotions ¡°How did you get in here?¡± An Hao most disliked that Bai Yanjiao would enter without knocking, freely coming and going from her room.


    She was so unaware, often leaving her room in a complete mess.


    Bai Yanjiao smiled, pretending to be shy as she sneakily glanced at Shen Zhiyuan: ¡°I brought some water for Brother Zhihua.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± An Hao¡¯s mouth twitched, and she couldn¡¯t help but sneer.


    After just a few words, Bai Yanjiao had already changed into a new outfit, a red fabric top with small flowers, paired with brand-new black pants, her hair neatly braided and shining with vegetable oil, and her lips also seemed to have been painted a bright red.


    Plus that flirty look in her eyes, was this really a visit to bring water?


    It was clear that the young girl¡¯s heart was aflutter with spring.


    Bai Yanjiao looked at An Hao¡¯s smile, making her feel a bit uncomfortable inside, but the teasing was pointless because she was set on what she wanted to do.


    ¡°Of course.


    Brother Zhihua, here¡¯s your water!¡± She said, blushing as she handed it over.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Shen Zhiyuan took it, took a sip, and then looked up in surprise, ¡°Sugar water!¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Bai Yanjiao nodded, ¡°Brother Zhihua is a cherished guest, of course, he deserves sugar water.¡±


    An Hao found this statement both amusing and annoying.


    That sugar must have been bought by Bai Xue secretly with her own money, right?


    The household was eating so poorly, yet she was sneaking around, saving her own money to favor her daughter with special treats.


    If she were to tell her father about this, the house would yet again be in unrest.


    She decided to turn a blind eye, planning to start a small business in the city and make some money after the college entrance exam was over.


    And this upcoming trip to the city could serve as reconnaissance.


    Shen Zhihua took the cup, a bit awkwardly, and took a sip without giving Bai Yanjiao another glance, continuing to speak to An Hao: ¡°An Hao, stop making trouble.


    The matter is settled!


    We leave for town at 5:30 AM on Saturday to catch the bus to the city!


    Remember not to be late!¡±


    An Hao didn¡¯t want to push back in front of Bai Yanjiao, so she agreed for the time being: ¡°All right then, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be late on Saturday!¡±


    ¡°Good.


    Then it¡¯s set, I¡¯ll go back now if there¡¯s nothing else!¡± Shen Zhihua placed the jar on the table and got up to leave.


    ¡°Brother Zhihua!¡± As he was about to leave, Bai Yanjiao grabbed his sleeve.


    Because she moved too hastily, her hand touched the back of his, and her face instantly blushed red.


    She quickly let go as if she had been scalded, her face contorted with embarrassment: ¡°Brother Zhihua, what are you going to the city for this Saturday?


    Can you take me with you?¡±


    Shen Zhihua felt very awkward seeing her act this way: ¡°Yanjiao, we¡¯re going to visit a teacher!


    You better stay here!¡±


    ¡°No!


    Brother Zhihua, I want to go too!


    I¡¯ve never been to the city my whole life, please take me with you!¡± Bai Yanjiao pleaded obliviously, causing An Hao to cringe.


    Bai Yanjiao¡¯s affected manner was too much for An Hao to bear, so she asked bluntly: ¡°Going to the city means taking a bus and eating meals, do you have money?¡±


    This question caught Bai Yanjiao off guard.


    If she claimed to have money, then An Hao would certainly retort that the family could barely make ends meet while she was stashing money away.


    If she admitted she didn¡¯t, then what was her reason for going?


    Either way, there was no right answer.


    Looking at An Hao¡¯s face, Bai Yanjiao felt so annoyed that her teeth itched.


    She really wanted to pounce on her and tear her face apart to relieve the hatred in her heart!

 Chapter 66 - 66 66 Shes Interested in You

    ?66: Chapter 66 She¡¯s Interested in You 66: Chapter 66 She¡¯s Interested in You ¡°Not talking means you¡¯re out of money?


    If you don¡¯t have money, why would you follow us?


    We are going to see a teacher, not to have fun!


    There¡¯s no point in you tagging along.¡± An Hao bluntly refused her.


    ¡°I...


    I have just never been anywhere before, and I want to see what the big city is like,¡± Bai Yanjiao¡¯s face turned beet red, her teeth biting her lower lip, looking utterly dejected, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t have any money, but my sister does, right?¡±


    An Hao did have money, but it was not to be spent like this.


    The little money she held was for her tuition and food expenses, and she intended to save a bit as capital for doing business, so she could make some money and help the family out in a pinch.


    ¡°I have no money,¡± An Hao stated indifferently.


    ¡°Sis, I clearly saw that you have money...¡± Bai Yanjiao didn¡¯t believe An Hao was penniless; from the first time they made twenty yuan, she only gave fifteen to the family.


    The second time they sold so many things, she had already done the math for her, definitely more than fifty yuan; she surely had some private savings.


    Once, while rummaging through her things, she had found money An Hao had sneakily stashed under the mattress.


    An Hao furrowed her brows, just about to speak, when Shen Zhihua interjected, ¡°Yanjiiao, how much money could your sister, a student, possibly have?


    Don¡¯t make things difficult for her!


    After visiting, Wei Teacher in the city, we still need to buy books, and it would indeed be inconvenient to bring you along.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhihua, are you saying that by coming with you, I would be a nuisance?¡± Bai Yanjiao¡¯s face flushed with anger, and her expression turned so sour it seemed she might burst into tears, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t go then!


    So as to not be in your way!¡±


    After saying that, she lifted the curtain and ran out without looking back.


    ¡°Hey...


    Yanjiao, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Shen Zhihua took a few steps chasing her to the yard, but when he saw Bai Yanjiao crying as she entered her own room, he didn¡¯t continue the pursuit.


    Watching Shen Zhihua¡¯s self-reproachful demeanor, An Hao followed him out to reassure him, ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother with her; it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Did I hurt her self-esteem?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did!¡± An Hao teased him with a giggle, ¡°Class leader, couldn¡¯t you tell that she likes you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shen Zhihua was greatly startled, ¡°An Hao, don¡¯t joke around.¡±


    He had absolutely no interest in Bai Yanjiao.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking at all!


    They say a girl dolls herself up for the one who cherishes her.


    She specifically dressed up in pretty clothes tonight to show you,¡± An Hao had lived another life, and there was nothing she couldn¡¯t see clearly.


    It was only then that Shen Zhihua realized why Bai Yanjiao always liked to go to his house to play with Lianqing, even lingering for quite a while when Lianqing was not there.


    So that was the reason!


    ¡°What?


    You really didn¡¯t notice?¡± Seeing the still somewhat puzzled look on his face, An Hao shook her head, ¡°Class leader, you are too obtuse!¡±


    Shen Zhihua pressed his lips into a slight smile, ¡°How could I have noticed her?


    At that time, I was busy planning how to make the trip on Saturday.¡±


    An Hao couldn¡¯t help but laugh wryly.


    She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, Bai Yanjiao had liked Shen Zhihua, while at first, Shen Zhihua had liked her.


    When the college entrance exam came, she ran into trouble and failed to get into university, ending up working on the farm at home.


    Before leaving, Shen Zhihua told her to wait for him to graduate and then he would marry her.


    Back then, her feelings were vague and confused; she couldn¡¯t tell the difference between liking someone and loving them.


    She just felt proud and happy that such an outstanding person liked her, but in the end, due to the ¡®simpleton¡¯ incident, the Shen Family was unwilling to let Shen Zhihua marry her.


    Bai Xue and others meddled from behind, pushing her and the man who was more than a decade her senior, Qin Jian, together.

 Chapter 67 - 67 67 Holding Her Hand

    ?67: Chapter 67 Holding Her Hand 67: Chapter 67 Holding Her Hand After the marriage arrangement had been set, she actually wanted to back out.


    She specifically sought out Shen Zhihua, but, unexpectedly, he said he couldn¡¯t marry her anymore.


    She later found out that he had slept with Bai Yanjiao, who became pregnant.


    Afterward, he married Bai Yanjiao as his wife.


    This wife of his was no easy handle, she thoroughly destroyed the bright future he was supposed to have.


    By the time she died, the two of them indeed never divorced despite their rocky relationship.


    Shen Zhihua told her that if Bai Yanjiao hadn¡¯t made him drink too much, he wouldn¡¯t have done that kind of thing.


    Then there wouldn¡¯t have been all the trouble that followed, and he regretted it deeply!


    Now that she had come back to this life, An Hao didn¡¯t want Shen Zhihua to go down the same old path.


    She first alerted Shen Zhihua to Bai Yanjiao¡¯s designs on him, to mentally prepare him, so he wouldn¡¯t let Bai Yanjiao ruin such a promising young talent.


    ¡°An Hao, what are you thinking about?¡± Seeing An Hao slightly distracted, Shen Zhihua gently waved his hand in front of her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing!¡± An Hao laughed, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, you should head back now, monitor!


    I¡¯ll walk you out!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two of them walked out one after the other, the yard dark and devoid of any light.


    While passing through the corridor, An Hao failed to spot a small hole in the ground and carelessly twisted her ankle.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± She let out a cry of pain and nearly fell.


    Shen Zhihua quickly steadied her, his low voice tinged with tenderness as it reached her ear, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that, monitor!¡± An Hao regained her footing and was about to draw back her hand, but Shen Zhihua clasped it tightly and didn¡¯t let go.


    An Hao looked up and saw Shen Zhihua¡¯s gaze shining brightly in the darkness.


    She was startled, having assumed that in this life Shen Zhihua¡¯s feelings towards her were quite ordinary; she thought perhaps the trajectory of fate had changed, which was why things were as they were.


    But some things had changed, and some remained the same.


    ¡°An Hao, I...¡± Shen Zhihua¡¯s words got stuck in his throat.


    He had always liked An Hao, but never mustered the courage to express it.


    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± An Hao asked him calmly.


    In that brief moment, she had already decided what to say to Shen Zhihua; her purpose in this life was simple.


    It was to compensate for the regrets of her past life!


    In her previous life, she owed Qin Jian affection.


    Only at death did she realize how much that man, who was not eloquent, cared for her so deeply and loved her so profoundly.


    She hated herself for being blind, for not loving such a good man.


    Since fate had given her the chance to start over, her goal was clear: to live her life well, to protect her family, to marry Qin Jian and love him deeply.


    Therefore, she couldn¡¯t be with Shen Zhihua.


    She had no feelings for Shen Zhihua in her heart now!


    Deep down, she had a feeling that she would meet Qin Jian again, and this time she definitely wouldn¡¯t let Song Yueqin covet her man.


    ¡°I...


    I think your hands are a bit cold; you should head back quickly.


    If you catch a cold, you won¡¯t be able to visit Teacher Wei on Saturday.¡± Shen Zhihua released her hand, thankfully in pitch darkness, otherwise An Hao would certainly see his red face.


    Pfft~


    An Hao almost choked on her own saliva.


    She had prepared her speech, and he was backing out now?


    To prevent such awkward situations in the future, An Hao decided it was best to give Shen Zhihua a preemptive clarification: ¡°Seeing you like that, I thought you were going to say you liked me!


    You scared me quite a bit!


    Since that¡¯s not what it was, that¡¯s good!


    Otherwise, I really wouldn¡¯t know how to face you later on!¡±

 Chapter 68 - 68 68 New Business Opportunities

    ?68: Chapter 68: New Business Opportunities 68: Chapter 68: New Business Opportunities Shen Zhihua, after listening, found himself speechless.


    An Hao¡¯s words meant she was not interested in him that way, his affection unanswered, his intentions unreciprocated.


    Shen Zhihua¡¯s heart sank a bit, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, an indescribable taste lingering before he even had the chance to speak; being rejected like that isn¡¯t easy to take.


    ¡°Class leader?¡± An Hao, seeing that he wasn¡¯t speaking, gently called out to him.


    Had she really shattered his confidence that badly?


    ¡°Ah...


    you go back, I¡¯m leaving!¡± With that, he left somewhat awkwardly.


    *


    Saturday, early morning.


    An Hao arrived early at the prearranged meeting place at the entrance of the village.


    In a little while, the other three people arrived one after another.


    In the village, they used ox carts to travel to the town.


    Shen Zhihua had arranged for an ox cart in advance, and once everyone had gathered, they set off.


    Upon reaching the town, the bus to the city had just arrived.


    Shen Zhihua paid for everyone¡¯s tickets, and they boarded the bus to the city.


    An Hao sat with Song Yueqin, and as the daybreak came, she could finally see clearly what Song Yueqin was wearing.


    She wore a gray woolen coat, a fiery red scarf, deep blue straight-leg pants, black leather shoes, and her bangs were curled with matchsticks, looking quite fashionable.


    Song Yueqin felt very smug as she noticed An Hao sizing her up.


    Such clothes could only be bought in the city; how could An Hao, this country bumpkin, have seen them?


    She was just pretty, after all.


    If Song Yueqin were as beautiful as An Hao and wore this outfit, she would absolutely dazzle everyone.


    The more Song Yueqin thought about it, the more self-satisfied she became, just waiting for An Hao to ask about her clothes.


    An Hao smiled faintly and turned her head towards the window, preferring to look at the scenery instead.


    How annoying!


    Song Yueqin was inwardly cursing An Hao, not understanding why the girl was no longer fawning over her as she had in the past, admiring this and that.


    It indeed made her feel somewhat uncomfortable!


    As Song Yueqin was contemplating this, she heard someone on the seat behind muttering, ¡°That smells wonderful!


    What¡¯s that scent?¡±


    A slightly younger woman sitting next to her said, ¡°Aunty, it¡¯s the smell of Snowflake Cream.


    We bought it after getting our paychecks from city jobs, it¡¯s really nice to use!


    The scent is particularly delightful!¡±


    ¡°Must be expensive, right?


    We all use clam oil!¡±


    ¡°This thing¡¯s pretty common in the city, so it¡¯s not that expensive.


    But the price is higher in our town and villages,¡± the younger woman explained.


    ¡°How much does it cost?


    My son is getting married soon, and I¡¯m thinking of buying a box for my future daughter-in-law.¡±


    ¡°One yuan and fifty cents.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s not expensive!


    That¡¯s the price of a few pounds of eggs.¡±


    Hearing the two women¡¯s conversation, Song Yueqin pursed her lips, thinking they were stingy for balking at the cost of a box of Snowflake Cream when her grandmother would buy several boxes to give away.


    The conversation between the two women behind her caught An Hao¡¯s attention.


    She was pondering over finding some business opportunities in the city, and hearing their talk, An Hao felt she should probably do something.


    So she turned around and started chatting with the two women behind her.


    ¡°Aunty, big sister, the Snowflake Cream you¡¯re talking about, do many people in our town use it?¡± An Hao wanted to inquire.


    If one were to do business, it is essential to first understand the market demand and supply.


    ¡°Not many.


    It¡¯s too expensive, not many people buy it.


    Clam oil is cheaper, and that¡¯s what everyone uses,¡± said the aunty.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± An Hao nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°But everyone wants to use Snowflake Cream, especially young girls and brides-to-be!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.


    A good product with a pleasing scent always attracts people,¡± An Hao agreed with a smile.


    The desire to be beautiful is innate in all humans, and especially as life improves in the future, people will pay even more attention to such things.

 Chapter 69 - 69 69 Showing Off Oneself

    ?69: Chapter 69 Showing Off Oneself 69: Chapter 69 Showing Off Oneself Song Yueqin saw An Hao joining the conversation and felt an itch to show off a bit herself.


    ¡°Auntie, actually, in the city, it¡¯s not just Snowflake Cream; there¡¯s also Pearl Cream, Yu Mei Jing, all sorts of things!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, this young lady¡¯s outfit is really pretty.


    Is that fragrance coming from you?¡± the auntie¡¯s eyes lit up as soon as she saw Song Yueqin.


    Her son was getting married, and she was thinking of buying something for her daughter-in-law.


    She didn¡¯t know what to purchase, but the moment she saw Song Yueqin¡¯s clothes, she immediately took a liking to them.


    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Song Yueqin nodded with a smile.


    ¡°This outfit is made of wool, right?


    It looks really nice at a glance.¡± The auntie lived in town and had seen more of the world than most people in the village.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s quite the fashion now.¡± The eldest sister also joined the conversation, ¡°Everyone in the city is wearing this.


    It must be expensive, right?¡±


    ¡°Not cheap,¡± Song Yueqin¡¯s face blossomed into a smile at the compliment, ¡°But still affordable around two hundred yuan.¡±


    ¡°Two hundred!


    Goodness gracious!¡± The auntie hastily waved her hands on hearing the price, ¡°That¡¯s too expensive, I can¡¯t afford that!


    I¡¯ll just buy some fabric instead and make a dress for my daughter-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re really kind to your daughter-in-law who hasn¡¯t married into the family yet.¡± An Hao couldn¡¯t help but express her admiration.


    ¡°Ha.


    My future daughter-in-law is also very kind to me.


    It¡¯s all about empathy!¡±


    As everyone talked, the vehicle quickly reached the city,


    With over an hour¡¯s journey, it was now past eight in the morning.


    The group bought some cakes and canned goods on the way and then headed to the hospital.


    Wei Suxia had just finished her examination and returned to rest, only to see her students arriving as soon as she lay down.


    ¡°Zhihua, An Hao, Yueqin, and Lin Li, how come you all are here?¡± She hadn¡¯t expected to see her students here and was filled with surprise and emotion.


    ¡°Teacher Wei, we¡¯ve come to see you.¡± Shen Zhihua placed the goods they had bought on the table next to the hospital bed and asked about her condition, ¡°How are you feeling, Teacher Wei?


    Are you feeling any better?¡±


    Wei Suxia gestured for the students to sit beside her, looking at them moved, ¡°Much better.


    I¡¯ll be discharged tomorrow.


    But the doctor said I need to rest at home for a month before I can go out.¡±


    ¡°Teacher Song, we miss you so much!¡± An Hao spoke sincerely, ¡°Your lessons are so good, everyone loves them!


    You must take good care of yourself when you return, we¡¯re all waiting for you to lead us into the college entrance exams!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!


    I will certainly take good care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Teacher Wei, I¡¯m really bad at math!


    What should I do?¡± Song Yueqin looked at her worriedly.


    This was precisely her concern.


    With the college entrance exams approaching, her illness was a setback for the students.


    ¡°I...


    I¡¯ll try to get back to work as soon as possible.


    If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll ask my husband to find time to teach you!¡± Wei Suxia said.


    Wei Suxia¡¯s husband was also a teacher, working at another town.


    He could only come after school to give extra lessons to the kids when he found the time.


    ¡°Okay, that would be great!¡± Song Yueqin was so happy she was about to clap her hands.


    Finally, they would have a teacher for lessons.


    It should be noted that their entire school only had three math teachers, one for each grade level.


    With Teacher Wei sick and another young teacher expecting a baby, there was only one older teacher left.


    One teacher could hardly cover all three grades.


    ¡°This...


    this doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± An Hao spoke hesitantly, ¡°Teacher Wei¡¯s husband doesn¡¯t work in this town, and it would be too exhausting for him to run back and forth after work.


    Besides, Teacher Wei needs to recuperate at her parents¡¯ home in the city, and her husband would have to come to the city to visit her on the weekends.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm.


    You¡¯re right!¡± Shen Zhihua agreed with An Hao¡¯s point.


    With teachers already in short supply, it would be troubling if they overexerted one person and ended up with Teacher Wei¡¯s husband falling ill once she had recovered.


    ¡°So what do you suggest we do?¡± Song Yueqin was a bit annoyed and turned to glare fiercely at An Hao.

 Chapter 70 - 70 70 Cant Step Down

    ?70: Chapter 70: Can¡¯t Step Down 70: Chapter 70: Can¡¯t Step Down How dare she stage such a confrontation in front of so many people¡ªit¡¯s not like she wasn¡¯t doing this for everyone¡¯s sake!


    ¡°I just feel it¡¯s not proper...


    I don¡¯t really have any particularly good ideas right now!¡± An Hao was worried too, but she thought it wasn¡¯t right to make the teacher sacrifice her rest time to shuttle back and forth.


    ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?


    If I fail the college entrance exam, can you take responsibility?¡± Song Yueqin was already extremely anxious, having felt uneasy every day recently because of this.


    Mathematics was her weak spot, and every time she worked on math problems, she felt like tearing her hair out in frustration.


    ¡°Why should I be responsible if you fail your college entrance exam?


    It¡¯s true you¡¯re anxious, but everyone is anxious!


    Aren¡¯t we trying to find a solution?


    Why are you taking it out on me?


    You need to consider Teacher Wei¡¯s actual situation!


    Besides, even if Teacher Wei can¡¯t come, the school will find a way to solve the problem.


    By saying such things in presence of Teacher Wei, you make her feel terrible!¡± An Hao bluntly pushed back against Song Yueqin.


    Even if one is selfish, there should be a limit!


    Song Yueqin was choked by An Hao¡¯s harsh words, her face instantly flushed with anger.


    With one sentence, she had cast her in the role of the ¡°villain,¡± making her wonder how Teacher Wei and the other students would view her.


    ¡°An Hao, don¡¯t put this blame on me.


    I didn¡¯t mean what you¡¯re saying,¡± Song Yueqin tried hard to clear herself, ¡°I can do so many problems, I¡¯m just very worried.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s a problem you can¡¯t solve, I can explain it to you first!


    Although my math isn¡¯t particularly strong, I can still help you understand the solutions,¡± An Hao said honestly, but Song Yueqin was too prideful, having always wanted to outdo her in everything since they were young.


    Therefore, Song Yueqin had never approached her for help with any issue!


    ¡°You can explain problems to me; can you do that for the entire class?


    Are you Teacher Wei?¡± Song Yueqin, filled with rage, raised her voice in the hospital ward to scold An Hao.


    An Hao was just too much!


    Clearly, she just wanted her to fail the college entrance exam¡ªto be the butt of the jokes!


    She knew An Hao was jealous of her background!


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhang Li, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, ¡°An Hao can teach the whole class.


    She¡¯s first in math in our class and really excellent!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Song Yueqin was taken aback again.


    ¡°Right!¡± Wei Suxia¡¯s eyes lit up following his comment, ¡°An Hao¡¯s math scores are indeed very good in our class.


    She could first ask Teacher Lin to explain it to her and give her some pointers for improvements, then An Hao could teach the students in our class.


    Zhihua, you could organize some study groups outside of class, pairing up students who perform well with those who don¡¯t, helping each other out!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.


    Teacher Wei, this is a good idea!¡± Shen Zhihua gave a thumbs up in agreement.


    ¡°What do you think, An Hao?¡± Wei Suxia asked for An Hao¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°Okay,¡± An Hao nodded in agreement.


    ¡°But this means you¡¯ll have to work hard!¡± Teacher Wei expressed her regret.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem!


    It¡¯s just for a month!


    We are all classmates, jointly preparing for the college entrance exam!


    I¡¯m actually afraid of making mistakes; when the time comes, everyone please help me out!¡± An Hao took on the task.


    ¡°We will!


    With joint efforts, we¡¯ll face the college entrance exam together!¡± Shen Zhihua encouraged her.


    After spending some time at the hospital, Teacher Wei urged them to quickly head to the Xinhua Bookstore to buy books, then go home early to study, rather than waste too much time visiting her.


    The four of them bid farewell to Wei Suxia and headed to the Xinhua Bookstore.


    Along the way, Song Yueqin was downcast and sulking, harboring smoldering anger.

 Chapter 71 - 71 71 Peeking at the Blind Date

    ?71: Chapter 71 Peeking at the Blind Date 71: Chapter 71 Peeking at the Blind Date At 8:30 in the morning, Qin Jian was still in the office discussing the work arrangement for their upcoming village visit with Jian Ying.


    Jian Ying glanced at the alarm clock on the table, ¡°Qin Jian, it¡¯s Saturday today.


    Didn¡¯t the section chief¡¯s match for you arrange to meet at nine this morning?


    You better get going!¡±


    Qin Jian glanced at the time, put down his pen, and got up to leave.


    ¡°Hey, have a good blind date!


    And report back to us afterward!¡± Jian Ying called out from the doorway.


    Without turning his head, Qin Jian threw back a comment, ¡°I might as well not call you Jian Ying from now on, I should just call you Gossip Jian!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a dog biting Lu Dongbin, you can¡¯t recognize a good person!¡± Jian Ying muttered under his breath, then turned to head back into the room.


    Just then, the assistant engineer who had come to the office to deliver documents overheard the remark and curiously approached, ¡°Engineer Jian, who did you just say was biting Lu Dongbin like a dog?¡±


    Seeing that it was Tian Niu, Jian Ying immediately brightened up, pointed at him with a laugh, and said, ¡°Tian Niu, oh Tian Niu, Qin Jian calls me gossipy, but I¡¯ve just discovered someone even more gossipy than I am!¡±


    Tian Niu chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, ¡°Engineer Jian, this isn¡¯t what you¡¯d call gossipy!


    I call this...¡±


    Jian Ying laughed, cutting him off and changing the subject, ¡°What did you come here for?¡±


    ¡°I came to deliver documents to Engineer Qin.¡±


    ¡°Our Section Chief Qin isn¡¯t here!


    He¡¯s out on a blind date today!


    I¡¯ll take it for you,¡± Jian Ying took Tian Niu¡¯s documents and placed them directly on Qin Jian¡¯s desk.


    Turning around, he saw Tian Niu was still there, looking quite excited, and couldn¡¯t help but ask with amusement, ¡°What¡¯s up?


    Why are you so excited to hear that Engineer Qin is on a blind date?¡±


    Tian Niu leaned in with a mischievous air, ¡°Engineer Jian, don¡¯t you want to see what the ¡®perennial iceberg¡¯ Engineer Qin looks like on a blind date?¡±


    Jian Ying stared at him for a moment, then suddenly burst into hearty laughter, ¡°You really are a piece of work!


    Let¡¯s go!¡±


    *


    Right on time, at nine o¡¯clock, Qin Jian arrived at the agreed-upon location.


    He stood tall and straight outside the Xinhua Bookstore, looking around for a long time, but he didn¡¯t see the girl named Liang Manman; however, his handsome appearance attracted many admiring glances from young girls.


    Qin Jian checked his watch again; it had been over ten minutes, and a frown began to form between his brows.


    Not far away, Liu Minhui was running late.


    Seeing that upright figure, her heart suddenly started pounding.


    ¡°Manman, that Engineer Qin really is handsome!¡± her friend Zhang Xiaojun couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    ¡°Handsome he may be!


    But do you really want to get involved with him?


    I heard he¡¯s bad luck for wives!¡± Liu Minhui said.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Liang Manman played with her hair, a shy smile on her face, ¡°Director Zhang said those are just rumors!


    We¡¯re all materialists, how could we believe in that kind of thing!¡±


    After all, she had heard of Qin Jian¡¯s reputation at the research institute long ago.


    Just one chance encounter had left her heart fluttering endlessly!


    Her father was an old friend of Director Zhang, who surely wouldn¡¯t set her up for disappointment.


    ¡°Alright, alright, look how happy you are!


    Go on, then!


    We snuck out, so we should get back,¡± Liang Manman¡¯s two friends pushed her forward.


    Qin Jian had always disliked people who were not punctual.


    After waiting for about fifteen minutes without seeing anyone show up, he turned around to head back without another word.


    This made Tian Niu, who had sneaked along to watch, very anxious, ¡°Why isn¡¯t that girl showing up yet?


    Making Engineer Qin wait for so long!¡±


    To him, Qin Jian was both a mentor and friend, so he truly cared about Qin Jian¡¯s personal affairs.

 Chapter 72 - 72 72 Cant Agree to Go Together

    ?72: Chapter 72 Can¡¯t Agree to Go Together 72: Chapter 72 Can¡¯t Agree to Go Together Qin Jian had just taken a few steps when he heard someone calling him from behind.


    He turned around to stop his stride, and saw a pretty young girl standing in front of him.


    She was wearing a brand-new dress, her face powdered white, lips painted red, and upon seeing Qin Jian, she extended both hands with a cheerful smile, ¡°You¡¯re Qin Jian, right?


    I¡¯m Liang Manman from the TV station.¡±


    Qin Jian did not shake hands with her, but merely glanced at her and said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re fifteen minutes late!¡±


    Liang Manman was stunned, her face turning red instantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Engineer Qin, I...I was a bit slow.


    I will definitely pay attention next time.¡±


    Qin Jian pursed his lips and said nothing.


    Seeing that he did not speak nor show any signs of anger or dissatisfaction, Liang Manman let out a sigh of relief.


    She turned to glance at the snack stand across the road and said to Qin Jian, ¡°Engineer Qin, have you had breakfast?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet.


    How about you accompany me for breakfast and we can chat in the meantime?¡± Liang Manman suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you have to work on Saturdays and Sundays as well.


    Don¡¯t you have work today?¡± Qin Jian squinted his eyes as he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± said Liang Manman with a shy smile, ¡°Our boss knew I had a blind date today, so he gave me a day off.


    That¡¯s why I stayed in bed longer.


    You know, a girl can¡¯t skimp on sleep, or the skin goes bad and she ages.¡±


    In the midst of their conversation, the two arrived at the snack stand.


    ¡°Hey boss, give me a bowl of soy milk, an egg, a stick of fried dough, and a dish of pickled vegetables!¡±


    ¡°Alright, just a moment!¡± the boss replied cheerfully.


    While waiting for the food to arrive, Liang Manman started chatting with Qin Jian.


    ¡°Engineer Qin, can I call you Qin Jian?


    You know, you¡¯re quite famous at the research institute.


    Everyone says you¡¯re particularly handsome, a match for Pan An himself.


    A lot of girls get heart palpitations just hearing your name,¡± Liang Manman chattered on.


    ¡°Do I look that good?¡± Qin Jian asked expressionlessly.


    ¡°Of course!


    It¡¯s my first time seeing such a handsome man!¡± Liang Manman, true to her nature, soon forgot to restrain herself.


    Qin Jian¡¯s mouth twitched reluctantly, a response of sorts.


    ¡°Engineer Qin, you know what?


    Everyone is aware of your dedication at work.


    You¡¯re hardworking and diligent, but right now you¡¯re just an engineer with no high-ranking position!


    Later on, I will talk to my grandfather.


    After we get married, I will ask my grandfather to promote you!


    My grandfather is a senior leader in the province!¡±


    ¡°No need!


    Promotions should be based on one¡¯s own efforts!¡± said Qin Jian lightly.


    He felt that he had nothing in common with the girl named Liang Manman.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.


    If I can¡¯t get promoted, I¡¯ll just go to my aunt in Hong Kong.


    She¡¯s doing very well there, and I could go make money with her,¡± Liang Manman said, completely oblivious to Qin Jian¡¯s aloofness, and continued on.


    Her family¡¯s advantageous and prominent status naturally spared her from having to exert much effort!


    This was different from Qin Jian, who had reached his current position through his own sweat and hard work.


    Thus, with a further understanding of this dainty girl in front of him, he felt increasingly that they were not from the same world; their concepts and values were different!


    Liang Manman spoke while eating, but ended up leaving half a bowl of soy milk, half an egg, and half a stick of fried dough.


    She took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands and said contentedly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m full!


    Let¡¯s go, Engineer Qin, I¡¯ll treat you to coffee.¡±


    Seeing her leave so much food uneaten, Qin Jian¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you finish your food?¡±

 Chapter 73 - 73 73 Will Not Let Go

    ?73: Chapter 73 Will Not Let Go 73: Chapter 73 Will Not Let Go ¡°I¡¯m full!


    Naturally, I can¡¯t eat anymore!


    I work at the TV station; if I get fat, I won¡¯t look good on camera!¡± Liang Manman got up, tossing the remaining food into the trash bin next to the stall.


    A pitiful little girl squatting beside the trash bin eyed the food with longing.


    When she saw Liang Manman throw it away, she quickly went to pick it up.


    Seeing that the food in the bucket was soaked in slop, she stared at it disappointedly for a long time, unwilling to leave.


    Qin Jian withdrew his gaze and stood up, saying indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to get so much.


    This year has been a year of famine, and the domestic food harvest hasn¡¯t been good...¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Liang Manman interrupted him, ¡°Really?


    I didn¡¯t know that!


    Besides, I just wanted to try a little of everything.


    I don¡¯t have to give my monthly salary to my family, and it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t afford it!¡±


    Qin Jian didn¡¯t say anything; he walked over to the stall owner to settle the bill.


    ¡°Soy milk is two dimes, eggs are three dimes, and dough sticks are two dimes.


    That¡¯s a total of seven dimes.¡±


    Qin Jian pulled out two yuan and handed it to the owner, ¡°Keep the change; use the rest to get something for that little girl to eat.¡±


    The owner took a look and quickly gave a thumbs up in praise, ¡°You¡¯re really a good person!


    This little girl comes here every day, always waiting until I close up to give her something to eat.


    Yesterday I didn¡¯t open the stall; she must have been starving.¡±


    After speaking, he called the little girl over, ¡°Come here, this uncle has bought you some food.¡±


    The little girl walked over with big, timid eyes and started eating happily when food was served.


    Liang Manman got up and walked over to Qin Jian, saying with a giggle, ¡°You¡¯re quite compassionate!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I should do,¡± Qin Jian replied softly.


    Liang Manman nodded, looked around the street, and naturally grabbed Qin Jian¡¯s arm, ¡°Let¡¯s go.


    I know a coffee shop where the coffee tastes amazing, I¡¯ll take you to try it!¡±


    Qin Jian looked down and then brushed her arm away, ¡°No need!


    Comrade Liang Manman, I think we¡¯re not quite suitable for each other.¡±


    ¡°Why not suitable?¡± Liang Manman frowned, ¡°I think we¡¯re quite compatible!


    I¡¯ve liked someone like you since I was young¡ªsmart and with aspirations!


    I went through so much trouble to ask Director Zhang to meet you through my dad, you can¡¯t just let it go like this!¡±


    ¡°First, we have different values!


    Also, our personalities don¡¯t match, let¡¯s just forget it.


    Goodbye!¡± Qin Jian decisively left those words behind and turned to walk away.


    ¡°Qin Jian, don¡¯t go!¡± Liang Manman became frantic, grabbing onto Qin Jian¡¯s arm, ¡°You can¡¯t just make up your mind after meeting me just once!


    At the very least, we have to talk and see!¡±


    She really liked Qin Jian; she had always heard about him from her family over the past few years and was very curious.


    She had imagined that this legendary Qin Jian must be a sturdy, muscular man, but she didn¡¯t expect that when she met him by chance, she found him to be so attractive that she instantly fixed her heart on him.


    The young girl¡¯s thoughts had been adrift for a long time before she pleaded with her father to make the connection.


    She had finally gotten this chance to meet him, and despite having dressed up so carefully, she still couldn¡¯t catch this man¡¯s eye.


    Considering her appearance and family background, she was not lacking at all.


    How could he not be attracted to her?


    ¡°Comrade Liang Manman, please pay attention to your behavior!¡± Qin Jian said, his head aching.


    He disliked this kind of pampered girl the most.


    Liang Manman was used to acting spoiled at home and would pout at people at the drop of a hat.


    Her aunt also told her that women who could act spoiled could win a man¡¯s heart.


    ¡°No!


    I won¡¯t let go!¡±


    Jian Ying and Tian Niu, secretly watching from a hidden spot, covered their mouths and snickered.

 Chapter 74 - 74 74 Absolutely Perfect Match

    ?74: Chapter 74 Absolutely Perfect Match 74: Chapter 74 Absolutely Perfect Match ¡°Qin Jian¡¯s got this young girl completely mesmerized from the get-go!¡± Tian Niu whispered.


    Jian Ying nodded with a smile, ¡°With a temperament like Qin Jian¡¯s, he¡¯s perfect for those passionate types hanging on to him.


    They¡¯re a match made in heaven, definitely a perfect match!¡±


    Qin Jian and Liang Manman stood in a stalemate by the roadside, while the staff of Xinhua Bookstore peered through the window, gossiping among themselves at the scene.


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s a couple grappling with each other on the street.¡±


    ¡°Really?


    Let me have a look!


    Oh wow, yes, there they are.


    That young lady is all dolled up like she¡¯s coquettishly cuddling up to that man!¡±


    Originally browsing for books, Song Yueqin¡¯s curiosity was piqued upon hearing the staff talk about a soldier.


    She put down the book in her hand, turned toward the door to have a look, and realized that the man the staff mentioned was Qin Jian.


    Song Yueqin¡¯s heart started pounding, but as she glimpsed the woman clinging to his hand without letting go, her heart couldn¡¯t quite leap for joy.


    So he had a girlfriend in the provincial city.


    Song Yueqin¡¯s heart felt cold.


    Just as she was about to look away, she overheard the staff discussing, ¡°That guy, he¡¯s been waiting at the entrance of our bookstore for quite a half a day now, and only then did that woman show up.


    Probably having a tiff right now.¡±


    ¡°A new acquaintance, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, I¡¯ve been at the entrance the whole time, heard they¡¯ve just met.¡±


    No matter what, Song Yueqin felt she should make her presence known.


    She opened her backpack, sneakily took out a small mirror from inside, and after assuring herself that she looked pretty, just as good as the other woman, she also sneaked out.


    ¡°Yueqin, this book¡¯s content is pretty basic, it will be helpful for you...¡± An Hao hadn¡¯t finished speaking when she suddenly realized Song Yueqin was gone.


    Where did she go while reading?


    An Hao was perplexed, put down the book, and started searching along the rows of bookshelves.


    ******


    ¡°Big Brother Qin!¡± Song Yueqin crossed the street and came to Qin Jian¡¯s side, sweetly calling out to him.


    Upon hearing someone call him, Qin Jian pried off Liang Manman¡¯s hand and turned to glance at Song Yueqin, but could not place her in his memory, ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    Song Yueqin felt a bit mortified to be completely forgotten by Qin Jian, no, to be exact, he had never remembered her at all.


    ¡°Big Brother Qin, you¡¯ve forgotten me?


    I¡¯m Song Yueqin, remember?


    That day in town you were driving, and I...


    I met you and even asked you about university exams!


    You were too busy to talk and left in a hurry, but you left me an address to write to you!¡±


    The original incident, once through Song Yueqin¡¯s lips, changed completely.


    It was clearly she who had pestered him for his address to write a letter, but now in her retelling, it had become Qin Jian instructing her to write to him.


    Liang Manman gave Song Yueqin a glance, noticing she was quite attractive and fashionably dressed, with eyes sparkling with admiration, she knew this girl had more than a simple interest in Qin Jian.


    As a woman herself, she understood Song Yueqin¡¯s psychology all too well.


    ¡°Qin Jian, who is she?¡± Liang Manman puffed up her chest, a wary expression all over her face.


    Before Qin Jian could speak, Song Yueqin interjected, ¡°Big Brother Qin and I are from the same village.


    I live on the east side, and his home is in the village center.


    Just the other day, I went to see his aunt, and everything was fine.¡±


    Having said that, Song Yueqin bowed her head, her cheeks blushing as she said, ¡°Big Brother Qin, I¡¯ve written several letters to you, haven¡¯t you had the time to look at them and reply?¡±

 Chapter 75 - 75 75 Three Women, One Play

    ?75: Chapter 75 Three Women, One Play 75: Chapter 75 Three Women, One Play Qin Jian suddenly remembered that in the past few days, a trainee had collected his mail for him.


    He asked who had written it, and the communications officer said it was from a woman named Song Yueqin.


    The first letter he opened looked at it, and it contained nothing significant¡ªjust a love poem.


    He thought there had been a mistake and casually tossed it aside.


    After that, perhaps thinking the letter was sent in error, no one brought any more to him.


    It was only now that he recalled that in the small town, there was a girl who, together with An Hao, had asked for his address to write to him.


    Initially, he had given his address hoping An Hao would be the one to send him a letter, harboring a faint expectation in his heart.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was your letter; I thought it was a mistake!¡± Qin Jian said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t write to me anymore.¡±


    Song Yueqin did not expect Qin Jian to say such a thing and stood rooted to the spot for two seconds before her face turned crimson.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Liang Manman thought Qin Jian was just being heartbroken over her, but it turned out he was like this with all women.


    She couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, finding joy in others¡¯ misfortune.


    ¡°Hey...


    how can you be so rude!¡± Song Yueqin, with a flushed face, glared at Liang Manman and unleashed her venomous tongue to the fullest, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?


    You look decent enough, but it seems you¡¯re crazy!¡±


    ¡°What did you say!¡± Liang Manman, the only child in her family, used to having her way, was instantly furious when Song Yueqin insulted her, ¡°Who are you calling crazy!


    Watch your mouth, or I¡¯ll sue you for slander!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t slander you!


    I just said it off the cuff,¡± Song Yueqin denied vehemently.


    ¡°Just because you say it wasn¡¯t slander, doesn¡¯t make it not slander?


    I know you¡¯ve got your eye on Qin Jian, but he doesn¡¯t care about you at all.


    Embarrassed, and now you¡¯ve started snarling and biting in desperation!¡± Liang Manman was no pushover, and her words were as sharp as knives.


    The two women were on the verge of coming to blows!


    ¡°Enough!


    Stop it!


    Are you not embarrassed by yourselves?¡± Qin Jian was annoyed.


    It was just a matchmaking session, and it was escalating into a fight.


    ¡°Wow!


    Our Qin worker¡¯s romantic prospects are really booming!


    The battalion commander rushes around every day trying to set up blind dates for Chief Qin, but it turns out he¡¯s not lacking for women at all.


    If only he¡¯d set me up instead; I¡¯m already twenty-five and still without a partner!¡± Tian Niu said enviously.


    ¡°Wipe your mouth!


    You¡¯re drooling!¡± Jian Ying glanced at him.


    ¡°What?¡± Tian Niu quickly wiped his hand across his mouth, only to realize afterwards that Jian Ying had been teasing him.


    He gave the instructor a sour look and continued to watch the drama unfold.


    Qin Jian had grossly underestimated the combativeness of women¡ªtwo jealous women were not about to stop just because he said so.


    Just as Song Yueqin and Liang Manman were about to start pulling hair and grabbing each other, Qin Jian had to restrain them by the hands.


    With his eyebrows tightly furrowed, he wondered how to deal with them when An Hao walked out of the bookstore.


    She immediately spotted Qin Jian standing by the roadside with two women grasped by their hands¡ªone was Song Yueqin and the other was a girl she didn¡¯t recognize.


    They seemed to be in the middle of an argument, red in the face and neck.


    An Hao hurriedly crossed the street to join the group, ¡°Brother Qin, Yueqin, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Qin Jian was deep in thought, but when he heard someone calling him, he looked up and to his surprise, it was An Hao.


    Compared to the two made-up girls before him, she looked particularly fresh and natural, with willow leaf-shaped eyebrows, almond eyes, red lips, and white teeth, her pale cheeks flushed with a rosy tinge, like a vibrant peach blossom in March.


    ¡°An Hao, what brings you here?¡± Qin Jian was clearly taken aback.


    ¡°I came to the city with some classmates to visit a sick teacher and dropped by Xinhua Bookstore to buy some review materials, as I have college entrance exams in July!¡± An Hao explained, then pointed to the two women beside him, ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡±

 Chapter 76 - 76 76 The Peach Blossoms Are Blooming

    ?76: Chapter 76 The Peach Blossoms Are Blooming 76: Chapter 76 The Peach Blossoms Are Blooming ¡°Fighting!¡± Qin Jian frowned as he spoke.


    ¡°Who¡¯s fighting?


    What I¡¯m doing is protecting the rights of soldiers!


    Moreover, I¡¯m also protecting my own rights.


    As your prospective date and future girlfriend, how can I allow other women to covet you!¡± Liang Manman said righteously.


    An Hao¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    She thought that after graduating from high school, she should have been engaged to Qin Jian.


    She remembered in her previous life, because of the issue with his ¡®wife jinx,¡¯ no woman wanted to marry him.


    So, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to get in touch with Qin Jian.


    But she overlooked one thing: from the moment she was reborn, the moment she refused to go on a blind date with the fool, she triggered the butterfly effect.


    This meant that things might not necessarily develop in the same direction as they did in her last life.


    Perhaps, she would meet different people.


    Perhaps, the same people from her previous life would have different fates.


    And perhaps, even with the same people and the same events, the order and timing could be different.


    If that were the case, there was a twelve-year age difference between her and Qin Jian.


    Would he choose her?


    An Hao was contemplating when she heard Qin Jian say, ¡°I only agreed to the company commander to meet you for a blind date.


    You¡¯re thinking too much about the rest!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Liang Manman¡¯s brows furrowed, and just as she was about to argue with Qin Jian, she noticed his gaze resting on An Hao.


    Following his gaze, she turned towards An Hao and took a good look at her.


    She realized that this girl¡¯s appearance was really not ordinary at all; even though she dressed plainly, she couldn¡¯t hide her distinct aura.


    Fresh, bright, composed, and steady¡ªthese were the evaluations she silently gave An Hao in her mind.


    All of a sudden, she realized that this girl named Yueqin posed no threat to her; the real threat was the girl called An Hao standing before her.


    ¡°An Hao, is it?


    What are you to Qin Jian?¡± Liang Manman¡¯s eyebrows lifted, her proud eyes landing on her face.


    ¡°I am...¡± The words ¡°a fellow villager of Brother Qin¡± hadn¡¯t been spoken yet,


    when she heard Qin Jian¡¯s clear voice start up: ¡°She is the match my family introduced to me!


    She¡¯s also my girlfriend!¡±


    At the sound of Qin Jian¡¯s words, An Hao was stunned, Yueqin was stunned, and Liang Manman was stunned too.


    This was just...


    too shocking...


    An Hao hadn¡¯t expected that Qin Jian, such a reticent person, would suddenly announce in front of so many people that she was his girlfriend.


    What was this situation!


    Could it be that in this life, he had liked her all along, but because he was a reserved person, he had never said it?


    A thread of elation wove through An Hao¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Brother Qin, I...¡± An Hao hadn¡¯t finished her sentence when she was interrupted by a howl from Liang Manman.


    ¡°Qin Jian, you¡¯re playing with me!


    Previously, Chief Zhang said you had no significant other!


    Where did this significant other come from all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Previously, indeed I didn¡¯t!


    But now I do,¡± Qin Jian stated, without any further explanation.


    ¡°Are you doing this just to make me angry?¡± Liang Manman, her chest heaving in anger, with tears in her eyes, stamped her foot and turned to run off, ¡°Wait and see, I¡¯m going to get to the bottom of this!¡±


    After Liang Manman left, Jian Ying and Tian Niu, who had been watching the drama from around the corner, were completely stunned.


    ¡°Strewth!


    I now understand that handsome men are indeed sought after!¡± Tian Niu clutched his own clothes, lamenting deeply, ¡°I blame my mom for not making me more handsome!


    The women I¡¯m set up with are either too plump or unattractive.


    Why can¡¯t I get a woman like Qin¡¯s blind date?¡±


    Jian Ying was also shocked by what he had just witnessed: ¡°Three women!


    This is too...


    too thrilling!


    Who would have thought, our Engineer Qin has come upon the spring of his life this year, with peach blossoms blooming everywhere!¡±

 Chapter 77 - 77 77 Sister-in-law is Good

    ?77: Chapter 77: Sister-in-law is Good 77: Chapter 77: Sister-in-law is Good While the two people were enviously sighing on the side, Qin Jian had finally extricated himself from the encirclement.


    Song Yueqin still couldn¡¯t wrap her head around the situation, ¡°Big Brother Qin, when did you and An Hao get so close?


    How come I knew nothing about it!¡±


    Qin Jian didn¡¯t pay any attention to Song Yueqin; he didn¡¯t like girls whose scheming was written all over their faces.


    Moreover, just by considering their ages, they weren¡¯t suitable.


    As for An Hao, who was looking at him with her watery eyes as though waiting for his explanation.


    Qin Jian was thinking about how to explain it to her when the two guys who were crouching at the corner finally couldn¡¯t resist, sneaking closer to eavesdrop more clearly.


    ¡°You two, stop hiding!


    How long do you plan on listening in?¡±


    Jian Ying and Tian Niu, having been discovered, walked out with chuckles.


    Since they were found out, they stopped hiding and came out to listen openly.


    ¡°Boss Qin, when did you notice us eavesdropping?¡± Tian Niu scratched his head and asked, feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°I knew from the moment you arrived,¡± Qin Jian raised an eyebrow and glanced at his work partner and colleague, ¡°You¡¯ve really outdone yourselves¡ªlearning to eavesdrop now!¡±


    Jian Ying laughed heartily, ¡°Not at all, not at all!¡±


    Tian Niu chuckled and followed up, ¡°Boss Qin, why didn¡¯t you call us out earlier then?


    If we had known you noticed, we would have just come out and listened openly!¡±


    Qin Jian raised an eyebrow at the simple commander of the third company, unable to help but rebuke him, ¡°I wanted to see just how thick your face could get!¡±


    ¡°Thicker than a city wall!¡± That was absolutely true for Tian Niu.


    Qin Jian couldn¡¯t be bothered with him, seeing they were loafing around not doing a stroke of work, just waiting to give them a good run around when it was time to work in the village.


    ¡°Come on, let me introduce you,¡± Qin Jian said, pointing at the two men, ¡°This is my work partner¡ªJian Ying!


    And he is my colleague, as well as my work assistant¡ªTian Niu!¡±


    ¡°Hello, brothers!¡± Song Yueqin seized every opportunity to demonstrate her uniqueness.


    Jian Ying was married, so it was fine, but Tian Niu turned red with excitement, ¡°Good, good!¡±


    An Hao kept an appropriate smile on her face and greeted them with the proper title: ¡°Hello!¡±


    ¡°We should probably call you...¡± Jian Ying was pondering how to address An Hao.


    Tian Niu, a rambunctious and thoughtless guy, slapped his forehead and blurted out, ¡°Hello, sister-in-law!¡±


    Sister-in-law...


    Even An Hao, usually so composed, was taken aback.


    In this lifetime, she hadn¡¯t had much interaction with Qin Jian, and she didn¡¯t even know his thoughts towards her.


    For Tian Niu to address her suddenly as ¡°sister-in-law¡± really caught her off guard...


    Even if she had thick skin, the mention of this title in front of everyone made her face turn red in an instant.


    Qin Jian watched An Hao, noting how her gaze fell and her cheeks blushed, even her delicate earlobes changing color, softening the coldness in his expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call her that without thinking,¡± he reprimanded Tian Niu in a low voice.


    After being scolded, Tian Niu chuckled twice, ¡°Sorry, I made the sister-in-law shy.¡±


    An Hao: ¡°...¡± I see no sign of your embarrassment.


    Qin Jian raised his brow, ¡°Can¡¯t you understand?¡±


    Tian Niu quietly glanced at the company commander, noticing that although his face was stern, the light in his eyes was not as cold and frightening as it might seem.


    According to his years of observation experience, Boss Qin was definitely not angry.


    The look was different from when they teased him after he returned from a blind date.


    Although Tian Niu was simple and rough, his skill in observing people was quite strong.

 Chapter 78 - 78 78 The old bull wants to eat the fresh grass

    ?78: Chapter 78 The old bull wants to eat the fresh grass 78: Chapter 78 The old bull wants to eat the fresh grass He had always been guided by Qin Jian, naturally standing out from the rest.


    Jian Ying was a meticulous person with much higher emotional intelligence than Tian Niu.


    Seeing the situation, he quietly tugged at Qin Jian¡¯s sleeve and gave him a meaningful glance.


    The two had worked together for many years, so Qin Jian immediately understood what Jian Ying was hinting at with his look.


    ¡°You guys continue chatting, I need to talk to Jian Ying for a moment,¡± Qin Jian said, then followed Jian Ying to a corner.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re pretty slick, huh?


    I didn¡¯t see it coming that you¡¯d be into younger women!¡± Jian Ying slapped Qin Jian¡¯s shoulder, laughing, ¡°An Hao is just a little girl, probably only seventeen or eighteen, right?¡±


    Qin Jian frowned and glared at him fiercely, ¡°What?


    Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°How could I have any problem...¡± Before Jian Ying could finish, he suddenly froze, his eyes widening as he pointed at Qin Jian, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious...


    I was wondering why this old iron tree wouldn¡¯t blossom, turns out you fancy...¡±


    ¡°Old Jian, don¡¯t make wild guesses!¡± Qin Jian coughed awkwardly twice.


    Having his thoughts exposed, he felt his ears quietly turning red.


    Jian Ying had an exceptionally keen eye, and he had seen it all along.


    He chuckled twice and leaned close to Qin Jian¡¯s ear, whispering, ¡°Qin Jian, you¡¯ve often said it yourself, ¡®to explain is to cover up.¡¯ You fancy her, you fancy her!


    But hey, you really do have discerning eyes!


    You¡¯ve got to chase her!¡±


    Jian Ying gave a thumbs up.


    ¡°Jian Ying, it seems you¡¯re getting involved in a little bit too much, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just looking out for you.¡± Jian Ying smiled, then pushed him a little, ¡°If you¡¯ve got a crush, go for it!


    Let me tell you, if you¡¯re too slow off the mark, this tender grass that¡¯s so fresh you can squeeze water out of it might just get snatched away by someone else!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it, just take care of your own spouse!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Jian Ying nodded with laugh, ¡°I won¡¯t interfere then, just a friendly reminder, Liang Manman is no ordinary person.


    If you offend her, be careful of Director Zhang and the director¡¯s wife coming after you for retribution!¡±


    Qin Jian, expressionless, patted Jian Ying¡¯s chest, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, mind your own business!¡±


    While Jian Ying and Qin Jian were quietly whispering to each other, Tian Niu was chatting enthusiastically with An Hao, repeatedly calling her sister-in-law.


    It made An Hao incredibly awkward, and she tried to correct Tian Niu several times.


    Song Yueqin, feeling left out, clenched her hands at her sides tightly, nearly biting her teeth to pieces.


    She felt like a fool standing there, as if nobody cared to pay her any attention.


    What¡¯s more infuriating was, why should An Hao get Qin Jian¡¯s attention?


    He didn¡¯t even spare her a glance, yet he could call out An Hao¡¯s name correctly!


    An Hao!


    An Hao!


    An Hao!!!


    She was everywhere!


    ¡°An Hao, are you still chatting?


    We all came out here to buy books, isn¡¯t it holding everyone up if you keep on chatting endlessly!¡± Song Yueqin said with a stern face, tossing her a line, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bookstore to help the monitor and the rest, you better hurry over too!¡±


    With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, seething.


    An Hao knew Song Yueqin was upset; she was interested in Qin Jian and seeing him ignore her entirely must have been uncomfortable.


    An Hao didn¡¯t want to stoop to Song Yueqin¡¯s level.


    As long as she didn¡¯t provoke her in this lifetime, she wouldn¡¯t go out of her way to seek revenge.


    What happened in the past life stayed there; this was a new life.


    All she wanted was to live her own life well.


    ¡°Tian Niu, I¡¯ve really enjoyed our chat.


    I¡¯m from the village and I need to get back quickly after buying the books,¡± An Hao politely said goodbye to Tian Niu.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯re too adorable.¡± Tian Niu genuinely liked girls like An Hao, unpretentious and straightforward, ¡°You don¡¯t come by often; wouldn¡¯t you like to chat more with our Qin Jian?¡±

 Chapter 79 - 79 79 Acting as a Shield

    ?79: Chapter 79 Acting as a Shield 79: Chapter 79 Acting as a Shield An Hao looked over at Qin Jian, who was talking to Jian Ying.


    The bright sunlight fell on his face, reflecting a dazzling glow.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s talk about it later,¡± An Hao said with a faint smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, sis-in-law!


    Our Brother Jian has first-rate looks, and loads of girls from various workplaces have their eyes on him.


    You have to tie his heart down tight!¡± Tian Niu finished speaking and, with a carefree grab, took An Hao¡¯s hand and walked towards Qin Jian, ¡°Brother Jian, sis-in-law is leaving.¡±


    Qin Jian just finished talking with Jian Ying and turned around to see Tian Niu actually holding An Hao¡¯s hand.


    For no clear reason, he felt extremely irritated.


    He had the sudden urge to beat Tian Niu up.


    An Hao was fine, though she felt a bit awkward, she knew Tian Niu meant nothing by it; he was someone who didn¡¯t bother with trivial formalities, and An Hao could see that.


    ¡°Tian Niu...¡± Jian Ying caught a glimpse of the two holding hands and coughed lightly to remind him.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tian Niu was dazed.


    ¡°Hand...


    hand...¡± Jian Ying struggled to remind him.


    An Hao looked down and smiled faintly, gently pulling her hand away.


    ¡°Oh~¡± Tian Niu slapped his forehead, ¡°Look at my memory...


    I was wondering why the hand felt so soft...¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he was silenced by Qin Jian¡¯s chilling glare.


    Qin Jian stared at An Hao¡¯s hand, pale as a scallion, which he had yet to hold, but Tian Niu had beaten him to it.


    ¡°Sorry, commander, I...


    hehe!¡± Tian Niu stuttered under his glare.


    An Hao was amused by Tian Niu¡¯s embarrassment, and with a bright smile she said to Qin Jian, ¡°Big Brother Qin, I came out to buy books with classmates.


    I have to go back now.¡±


    ¡°The bus back to town isn¡¯t until the afternoon,¡± Qin Jian said as he checked his watch.


    ¡°It¡¯s only just past ten.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be too early after buying books.¡±


    ¡°What about lunch?


    How will you handle that?¡± Qin Jian asked.


    ¡°We brought dry food,¡± An Hao replied with a smile, her dimples faintly visible by her lips.


    ¡°Sis-in-law, can¡¯t you tell?


    Our Brother Jian can¡¯t bear to let you go...¡± Tian Niu couldn¡¯t resist interjecting.


    ¡°I find you¡¯re talking a bit too much today,¡± Qin Jian said, giving him a sideways glance and ordering Jian Ying, ¡°Take him back to the unit!¡±


    Jian Ying felt Tian Niu made a solid point and didn¡¯t plan on taking him away right then.


    ¡°Brother Jian, just admit it.


    We all heard you telling Liang Manman earlier that the sis-in-law is your girl,¡± Tian Niu cheekily tried to make Qin Jian admit it.


    Qin Jian glanced at An Hao and said indifferently, ¡°It was just to quell a war between women.


    And it was a way to let Liang Manman give up hope.¡±


    It was also to prevent An Hao from feeling too awkward!


    After all, being a girl and not knowing if she had any feelings for him, it wouldn¡¯t be good for her reputation to be called ¡®sis-in-law¡¯ all over.


    An Hao¡¯s expression changed slightly, so he hadn¡¯t said those things because he liked her.


    She was just being used as a shield!


    Her mood dropped for a moment.


    ¡°What?


    Not true?¡± Tian Niu was embarrassed.


    He¡¯d been calling her ¡®sis-in-law¡¯ for so long, and now it turned out not to be true.


    And looking at the young lady, with her eyes downcast...


    she seemed a bit...


    her complexion looked slightly off.


    Just as he was wondering what to do, Jian Ying looked up to see a woman cycling towards them from the head of the street, finding her more and more familiar¡ªit was the head¡¯s wife.


    ¡°Old Qin, I¡¯ll take Tian Niu and leave first.


    Good luck to you!¡± Seeing this, Jian Ying quickly took Tian Niu and turned tail to escape.

 Chapter 80 - 80 80 In a Relationship

    ?80: Chapter 80: In a Relationship 80: Chapter 80: In a Relationship Qin Jian was puzzled; how had these two left so soon?


    That wasn¡¯t their style at all!


    Suddenly, a bicycle came to a stop in front of him, and Section Chief¡¯s wife Zhang Lanxiang got off.


    Before Qin Jian could say a word, she pointed at his nose and scolded him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you, boy?


    When have I ever set you up with a date, and you could have a proper talk?¡±


    Chief Zhang and his wife had always been good to Qin Jian, treating his affairs as if they were their own child¡¯s.


    The reason was that a few days earlier in the summer, several young lads were swimming in the lake when their son almost drowned due to poor swimming skills.


    Qin Jian happened to pass by, saw someone drowning, and without a word, jumped in to rescue them.


    It turned out to be the Chief¡¯s son.


    Chief Zhang already thought highly of Qin Jian as a promising individual and had a great appreciation for him.


    With this added connection, he took even greater care of him.


    In work, Qin Jian was outstanding, and there was no need for any praise from him.


    His help mostly came in his personal life, especially with Qin Jian¡¯s personal issues, which was her main focus for assistance.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, Liang Manman is not my ideal match,¡± Qin Jian said frankly.


    He didn¡¯t like that kind of girl.


    ¡°Then what kind of girl do you like?¡± Zhang Lanxiang was angry but not discouraged.


    She had resources at hand, several friends¡¯ daughters waiting to meet Qin Jian.


    She thought Liang Manman was the best candidate, a TV personality with a decent social status, which meant the couple would have more in common for conversation after getting married.


    Yet, he still wasn¡¯t interested.


    Seeing that Qin Jian was silent, she clapped her hands, grabbed him, and said, ¡°Come on, you¡¯re off today, right?


    I¡¯ve got another four or five girls waiting to meet you.


    How about meeting them all today?¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, let¡¯s not,¡± Qin Jian refused.


    An Hao, seeing that so many women liked Qin Jian, really wondered how he had agreed to marry her in their last life, to comply with his family¡¯s wishes.


    The rumors that he had a wife-cursing aura were obviously untrue.


    She hadn¡¯t been cursed to die early.


    Even after Song Yueqin married Qin Jian, she lived a comfortable life.


    In a moment, An Hao felt a slight panic; he didn¡¯t seem to have that intention towards her.


    In this life, could the two of them possibly be together?


    An Hao¡¯s mood turned somber as she contemplated her future, only to hear Qin Jian¡¯s voice rise again, ¡°I actually already have a partner.¡±


    ¡°You have a partner?¡± Zhang Lanxiang was taken aback, then her face darkened, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell your sister-in-law?


    Are you being deliberately deceptive?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!


    Sister-in-law, you¡¯re so enthusiastic, and the commander won¡¯t allow me to refuse.


    Before I could finish speaking, I was cut off,¡± Qin Jian lied without hesitation, pushing Chief Zhang forward to try and appease the Section Chief¡¯s wife.


    ¡°Qin Jian?


    You¡¯re not lying to your sister-in-law about not wanting to date, are you?¡± Zhang Lanxiang stared at Qin Jian and asked.


    ¡°Where is your partner then?


    Tell me the whole story, or else, I won¡¯t believe you.


    The last time I visited your home, your mother reminded me of this matter quite a few times.


    Now that I¡¯ve taken on this task, I must see it through.¡±


    Qin Jian¡¯s brow furrowed slightly; he knew the Chief¡¯s wife was persistent and would do as she said.


    He still wanted to enjoy some peace and quiet for a while longer.


    He glanced at An Hao beside him, a thought crossing his mind, and gently nudged her, ¡°This is my partner!¡±


    An Hao was stunned, looked up at Qin Jian, and saw his deep, calm, and undisturbed eyes.


    Was she being used as a shield again?


    An Hao felt a surge of annoyance inside.


    ¡°Your partner?¡± After Qin Jian¡¯s revelation, Zhang Lanxiang finally took notice of An Hao.


    She scrutinized An Hao and couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue in admiration, ¡°No wonder you said you weren¡¯t interested, one after the other.


    Turns out you¡¯ve already had someone special in mind...¡±