Author Archives: Thingyan

Xie Wan had always been a princess in everyone’s eyes.

Her father was handsome, powerful, devoted to his family, and unwaveringly faithful. Even after reaching a high position, he never fooled around with other women. No matter how busy work became, he always came home after work and took part in every detail of her upbringing. Every year on her birthday, he would personally host a grand birthday banquet for her and invite all her classmates.

Her mother was graceful and gentle, with an exceptional sense for fashion. After co-founding a clothing company with a partner, she successfully pushed the brand onto the international stage and became a hidden fashion godmother within the entertainment industry, a powerful woman capable of balancing both family and career perfectly.

Her older brother was handsome, wealthy, proud, and unruly, yet fiercely protective. Toward his only younger sister, he was endlessly indulgent and tolerant.

As for Xie Wan herself, she came from an outstanding family background and was adored by countless relatives. Since childhood, she had never worried about anything. Designer handbags, luxury cosmetics, anything she wanted was readily available. Not to mention the excellent relationships she naturally formed thanks to her high intelligence and emotional intelligence.

Countless people envied the good fortune she had been born with.

If there was one small imperfection in her life, it was probably that her conditions were simply too good, attracting swarms of annoying admirers, such as Zhou Dongyu, who had clung to her since middle school.

Fortunately, she had seen through Zhou Dongyu’s true nature very early on. Even though he pursued her persistently for over ten years, she never paid him any attention.

With such an exceptional father as her standard, Xie Wan’s expectations for men were absurdly high. Ever since she was young, she had sworn that the man she married in the future did not necessarily need to be as perfect as her father, gentle, considerate, capable of everything, but at the very least, he had to love her the way her father loved her mother.

Otherwise, she would not even bother sparing him a glance.

Her standards were unbelievably demanding.

Fortunately, around the age of thirty, she finally found someone who met them and married him successfully.

When she was young, her parents protected her.

After growing up, the man she loved protected her.

Xie Wan lived like a princess.

For Zhou Dongyu to even dream of getting close to her was laughable. From the day they met until the very end, the total number of words she ever spoke to him probably did not exceed one hundred sentences.

Of course, Xie Wan had a secret she had never told anyone.

The very night she first met Zhou Dongyu in her youth, she began having strange dreams.

In those dreams, her father did not exist.

Her mother was merely an ordinary rural woman who exhausted herself trying to raise her, working until illness consumed her body.

Later, she went to university and met Zhou Dongyu.

He was the son of a wealthy family and fell in love with her at first sight. Under his pursuit, Xie Wan, who had lacked love since childhood, easily fell into his gentle trap and became involved with him.

As for what happened afterward…

Because it was only a dream, Xie Wan could never remember clearly.

Yet every time she woke from it, she always retained that unbearable feeling of heart-wrenching pain.

Thankfully, it was only a dream.

Thinking of this, Xie Wan quietly let out a breath of relief.

Someone beside her called her name, and her attention quickly shifted away. Smiling faintly, she tossed the strange memories to the back of her mind.

“Xie Wan, do you want to continue the class reunion somewhere else? Maybe move on to the nightlife scene?”

A slightly overweight middle-aged man walked over holding a wine glass, speaking in a flattering tone.

Xie Wan leaned back subtly, putting on a cold expression that kept people at arm’s length as she shook her head.

“No. I need to go home. Staying up late is bad for your health.”

She had only attended this university reunion on a whim anyway. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. She was not particularly close to most of these classmates, so naturally she would not sacrifice her sleep for them.

A female classmate nearby chimed in immediately.

“Exactly. I don’t want to continue either. I’ve been losing so much hair from staying up late recently. I finally have a day off today, so I’m going home for some beauty sleep.”

The man who proposed the idea looked displeased.

“It’s just hair loss. You’re really ruining the mood over something this minor. Aren’t we old classmates?”

The female classmate froze briefly before laughing mockingly.

“Wang Hua, maybe you should look at your own hair first. It’s already getting so thin. In a few years, once you go completely bald in the middle, it’ll be too late for regret.”

The middle-aged man named Wang Hua looked unconcerned.

Several years later, reality proved the female classmate completely right.

He really did end up with a shiny bald patch on top of his head. Even though he was only thirty, he looked closer to fifty, and by then, there was nowhere left for him to cry about it.

It was around this time that a medical text suddenly exploded in popularity across the internet.

…

The book was called Zhang Family Medical Compendium.

It had been jointly compiled by Xie Li and the Zhang family, a renowned lineage of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

The chief editors listed on the cover were Xie Li and Old Master Zhang, while the associate editors included the rest of the Zhang family.

The reason the book became so popular was because it recorded over three hundred medicinal formulas for bodily health and wellness. Most of the formulas in the latter half came directly from Xie Li himself.

Among them, the formula that went explosively viral online also originated from Xie Li.

The formula was straightforward and simple.

Its name was Hair Growth Tonic.

The ingredients were common, and the preparation method was easy. Many people could simply visit a traditional medicine pharmacy, purchase the herbs themselves, brew them into medicine, then use it both internally and externally with astonishingly rapid results.

No matter how sparse someone’s hair had become, visible improvements could be seen in less than a week after using the formula.

In modern society, where stress, insomnia, hair loss, and premature balding had become widespread problems, the formula was unexpectedly revealed by a celebrity and instantly exploded across the internet.

[#HairGrowthTonic# “I’ve been losing hair for five years and always feared becoming bald young. Now I’m staring at my thick black hair and honestly… Boss, take my knees, they belong to you now!”]

[#HairGrowthTonic# #BaldPeopleDontDeserveLove# “…After being single for thirty-five years, I finally got a girlfriend. Hahahahaha!”]

[#HairGrowthTonic# “I’m really not showing off. Just casually posting selfies.” [photo] [photo] [photo]]

[“Seriously, you should all buy this medical book. Aside from #HairGrowthTonic#, the other formulas are ridiculously useful too. Things like treating cold womb syndrome and menstrual pain are basically a blessing for women!”]

[“Hahaha, ‘a blessing for women’ sounds ridiculous. But honestly, Boss Xie really is every woman’s dream husband.”]

Netizens collectively worshipped and thanked “Boss Xie,” the book’s chief editor.

Because of that, Xie Li’s past inevitably got dug up.

In the information age, even tiny details could be magnified infinitely and spread to the public overnight.

To people online, Xie Li’s life looked like the real-world version of a male protagonist from a web novel.

Born into privilege.

Sent down to the countryside after falling into hardship in his youth.

Hitting the lowest point of his life.

Then, the moment the college entrance examinations resumed, he was admitted into the nation’s top university in one stroke, became a famous figure on campus, and from that point onward rose unstoppable through the ranks…

Most importantly, while fully devoted to his career, he somehow also possessed near-divine medical skills and even wrote medical texts whose formulas were absurdly effective.

How could the public not become obsessed with him?

Of course, the thing people discussed most enthusiastically was still his devotion toward his family and his unwavering loyalty toward his wife.

In that era, despite holding immense power and status, Xie Li never abandoned the wife who had shared hardship with him. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Instead, he remained utterly devoted to her. His level of wife-spoiling was practically an endangered species, making him the fantasy husband of countless women.

And Xie Li’s legend did not stop there.

His career achievements were impressive enough, but what truly grew more famous with time were the medical works he left behind.

At first, the book was simply regarded as a practical text for maintaining health.

But many years later, after traditional Chinese medicine experienced a cultural revival, the book was practically elevated into a sacred classic within the field. It became required reading and mandatory exam material for countless students studying Chinese medicine.

The medical philosophy Xie Li proposed also deeply influenced generations of practitioners afterward.

Because he boldly combined the strengths of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, opening an entirely new medical path.

That philosophy became the true spark that reignited the revival of Chinese medicine.

There was even another famous legend surrounding him.

Over a hundred years later, a precious wild mountain ginseng left behind by Xie Li surfaced publicly.

The ginseng was as thick as a child’s arm, shaped uncannily like a human face, vivid and lifelike.

Some experts claimed the ginseng was at least two hundred years old, something unprecedented in history and unlikely to ever appear again.

Eventually, it was placed in a museum and became yet another legendary relic associated with Xie Li.

╰───♡───╯

After the sports festival ended, Xie Zhenchen won first place in the three-thousand-meter race and went onstage to receive his certificate.

The moment he spotted his family sitting below the stage, a brilliant smile spread across his face.

“Come on, let’s go wait for Donggua,” Xie Li said.

Li Tiantian immediately stood up and left her seat beside her husband. Xie Wan, who had already run over to the side of the field earlier to cheer for her brother, followed along to greet him together.

The young businessman still wanted to chase after them and continue talking, but when he saw the cold anger on Xie Li’s face, he shuddered and no longer dared to approach.

Just like that, the Xie family left the field together.

“Secretary Xie, your two children are so well educated…” Near the podium, the principal stood up and began chatting warmly with Xie Li.

Xie Li restrained his anger, calmed himself, and spoke with the principal smoothly and naturally.

Before leaving, he casually brought up Xie Wan’s situation.

“Wanwan mentioned a few days ago that she has a new deskmate now. Otherwise I wouldn’t even have known. No one informed me before that. I wonder where her previous deskmate got transferred to. That child seemed pretty decent. Wanwan misses him too and still talks about him.”

The principal froze briefly. As someone who had spent over a decade climbing within the system, he immediately understood the hidden meaning behind Xie Li’s words.

Smiling, he said:

“If Secretary Xie thinks the child is good, then he must be excellent indeed. I’ll speak with Wanwan’s homeroom teacher later and have that student transferred back.”

Xie Li nodded in satisfaction and took his leave.

Behind him, Xie Wan, who had overheard the conversation, immediately lit up and hurried after him.

Once they got into the car, Xie Li explained the matter regarding Zhou Dongyu while driving.

Both Xie Wan and Xie Zhenchen listened in shock. Xie Zhenchen looked especially confused.

“But we’re still students. There’s no point in approaching us.”

“So silly.” Li Tiantian rubbed his head. “You’re students, but your father isn’t. Through you two, they can get close to your dad and achieve their goal. And if it went even further, if he managed to pursue Wanwan successfully, their family would never need to seek connections again for the rest of their lives.”

Xie Wan curled her lips in disgust.

“Good thing I don’t like him.”

Li Tiantian burst into laughter.

“As expected of your father’s daughter. Your dad was thinking exactly the same thing earlier. Thank goodness you don’t like him, otherwise your father would’ve gone insane.”

Xie Wan grabbed a cushion resentfully, thinking to herself that her standards were extremely high. How could she possibly fall for some random person so easily?

…

Only a few days after that incident, Xie Li went out of town for a work conference.

One of the unit’s top leaders accompanied the trip. The man was nearly sixty and approaching retirement age. He was currently deciding between Xie Li and another person as his successor.

That was why both of them had been brought along.

On the evening of their arrival, the local leadership hosted a welcoming banquet and repeatedly urged everyone to drink.

Remembering that the leader’s health was poor, Xie Li helped block several drinks for him. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Midway through the banquet, he excused himself to use the restroom, telling the other candidate to cover for a while before leaving.

But when he returned, the private room had erupted into chaos.

The senior leader had collapsed onto the floor, his upper body leaning against a chair leg. His mouth and eyes were twisted to one side, saliva continuously dripping out while a crowd surrounded him anxiously.

“What happened?”

Xie Li grabbed a colleague and demanded an explanation.

The colleague was panicked and incoherent.

“I… I don’t know. I only got distracted for a moment. It wasn’t my fault.”

Xie Li frowned, let him go, and pushed through the crowd.

“Move aside. Let me take a look.”

The local officials looked as though they had seen a living Bodhisattva the moment they saw him.

“Secretary Xie, please hurry and see what’s wrong. We already called an ambulance, but nobody here knows emergency treatment…”

“Quiet.”

Xie Li’s head was pounding from all the noise. The man instantly shut up in fear and hurriedly stepped aside.

Xie Li crouched silently to examine the leader and quickly concluded it was cerebral arterial blockage caused by hypertension and alcohol consumption, accompanied by a mild cerebral thrombosis.

He immediately adjusted the man’s position and gently massaged several acupuncture points.

Then, pretending to retrieve something from his coat, he secretly took out a box of silver needles from his spatial storage and inserted them into the appropriate points with practiced precision.

“Secretary Xie knows Chinese medicine too?”

Everyone stared in shock.

Xie Li ignored them entirely and focused on treatment.

The truth was that over the years, he had never abandoned Chinese medicine. On the contrary, because his status had risen, he now had better opportunities to interact with famous masters of traditional medicine and seek guidance from them. His skill had steadily improved all this time.

Half an hour later, the sound of emergency sirens echoed outside the hotel.

Xie Li removed the silver needles and woke the leader.

“Why am I lying on the floor?”

The senior leader looked completely bewildered.

Immediately, people rushed forward to explain what had happened.

“Leader, it was extremely dangerous just now. Thankfully Secretary Xie was here…”

Xie Li quietly stepped back and hid his achievements and merit, leaving the others to flatter the leader all they wanted.

A few months later, Xie Li officially inherited the leader’s position and became the youngest high-ranking executive in the entire unit.

When Li Tiantian heard the news, she pressed her lips together and could not help recalling the path of Xie Li’s promotions over the years.

Most of the leaders within the system had lived through the chaos twenty or thirty years earlier, and very few of them were truly healthy.

Xie Li, however, excelled at traditional Chinese medical care and rehabilitation. By taking the correct approach, he advanced steadily upward, almost never remaining in one position for long.

Years later, after Xie Li had become a major regional authority figure, the legend of his meteoric rise became famous far and wide.

Everyone said he was lucky, that he had encountered powerful patrons and mentors.

Yet no one knew what he had truly relied upon to climb this far.

Only Li Tiantian knew.

And every time she thought about it, she could not help smiling softly to herself.

…

“What are you smiling about?”

Xie Li had just returned from outside when he noticed Li Tiantian smiling to herself and asked curiously.

Li Tiantian shot him a sidelong glance.

“Oh, I was just thinking about when you were younger. Everyone used to wonder why you got promoted so quickly. And when you finally told them the reason, nobody believed you. It’s honestly hilarious.”

Xie Li secretly touched his abdominal muscles and protested:

“What do you mean ‘when I was younger’? I’m not old even now, okay?”

“You’ve already been retired for ten years. How are you not old?” Li Tiantian could not be bothered arguing with him. She put on her reading glasses and picked up a magazine to read carefully.

Time had passed quietly.

She was now sixty-eight years old, yet because she had lived a prosperous and carefree life, she looked barely fifty. Her hair had been dyed a soft silver-gray, and she wore an embroidered qipao with gold-rimmed glasses, lounging leisurely beside the floor-to-ceiling windows while enjoying the gentle morning sunlight.

Xie Li looked much the same. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The only difference was that the maturity and refinement forged by the years had given him a deeper charm. Compared to the handsome elegance of his youth, he now possessed an entirely different kind of allure.

“Yeah… I’m retired already.”

As Xie Li reflected on his life, he let out a sigh that sounded almost wistful.

Xie Zhenchen had inherited his father’s career path, while Xie Wan took over Li Tiantian’s fashion company. Both children married, had families of their own, and lived very happy lives.

After retiring, Xie Li and Li Tiantian moved away from the bustling city and bought a house in the suburbs to spend their old age together. Every day they grew vegetables, tended flowers, and whenever the children came back to visit during their free time, they would cook a grand meal for everyone.

Their days drifted by like the wind, aimless, peaceful, and content.

In the blink of an eye, he had grown old too.

“Enough about that.” Xie Li pulled himself together and smiled. “Today is our fiftieth wedding anniversary. Our golden anniversary. How about a candlelit dinner?”

Naturally, Li Tiantian had no reason to refuse.

Fifty years ago, most people had no concept of wedding anniversaries. Li Tiantian herself had not cared about such things either. But Xie Li celebrated it with her every single year, and eventually she began treasuring the day deeply as well.

Now she had gotten used to it. Sometimes she even wanted to create surprises herself.

Unfortunately, she had been pampered into laziness and could never quite motivate herself to do it.

Flipping through her magazine, Li Tiantian pressed her lips together in a soft smile.

It could be said that meeting Xie Li was the luckiest thing that had ever happened in her entire life.

╰───♡───╯

Xie Wan came home a step later than Xie Zhenchen.

The moment she entered the house and saw Xie Li standing in the open kitchen holding a spatula while her older brother whispered mysteriously into his ear, her heart instantly skipped a beat.

“Dad, you’re cooking today?” she greeted sweetly, still trying to play dumb. “Then I want moo shu pork. Don’t forget, okay? I’m going back to my room to do homework. Call me when dinner’s ready.”

Then she turned around, eager to sneak back into her room as quickly as possible.

“Stop right there!” Xie Li called out.

Xie Wan froze mid-step before slowly turning around, forcing out a dry smile.

“What’s wrong, Dad?”

“I heard you’re dating someone?” Xie Li asked leisurely.

“When did that happen?” Xie Wan puffed up her cheeks and secretly shot a glare at the tattletale Xie Zhenchen before protesting unhappily. “Was it brother who told you? Dad, don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s just an ordinary classmate. He transferred in today and only talked to me a little. I barely even responded to him.”

“Really?”

“Really!”

Xie Wan nodded emphatically to reinforce her sincerity. Then, while tugging on her backpack straps, her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea.

“Oh right! Since school’s holding the sports festival after classes start, and Mom’s busy with the company, why don’t you come to school and meet my homeroom teacher?”

Ever since she was little, Xie Li had always been overly worried whenever she interacted with boys.

The moment the transfer student appeared, Xie Wan already knew she would be interrogated once she got home, so she had mentally prepared herself long ago.

Still, that did not stop her from taking revenge on her snitch of a brother.

With a sweet smile, she added coquettishly:

“Besides, big brother signed up for the three-thousand-meter race. Dad can come cheer for him too!”

Xie Zhenchen’s eyes widened.

“I absolutely did not!”

“You did.”

Xie Wan lifted her chin at him with unquestionable authority in her gaze.

The constantly oppressed Xie Zhenchen still wanted to resist, but then he saw Xie Wan silently mouth two words at him:

Pay me back.

He froze.

His brows twisted painfully together in conflict.

After a long struggle, he finally admitted pitifully:

“…Fine. I did.”

Xie Wan instantly beamed with triumph.

“See, Dad? Big brother’s running the three-thousand-meter race, so you should definitely come to school.”

What had originally been about teenage romance somehow shifted into discussion about the sports festival instead.

Xie Li said nothing, merely watched his daughter perform her little act with faint amusement before nodding.

“Alright. Tell me the exact date. I’ll tell my secretary not to arrange anything that day and go take a look.”

Xie Wan had not expected to successfully trick her father into coming to school. Her eyes widened with delighted shock.

“Really?!”

Seeing how excited she was at the mere idea of him attending, Xie Li froze briefly before reflecting inwardly.

Ever since becoming secretary, he had been so busy he barely touched the ground. It had taken him a long time to sort out all the work and relationships surrounding the position.

Over the past year, he had not attended a single parent-teacher meeting or visited either child’s homeroom teacher.

No wonder Xie Wan had grievances.

Since work had recently become a little lighter, he might as well go this time.

At least the children would not need to scheme and trick him into attending anymore.

Smiling softly, Xie Li repeated his promise.

“Tell me the exact date. Even if something comes up, I’ll push it aside and attend your sports festival.”

Xie Wan’s eyes sparkled brightly.

She skipped happily out of the kitchen, practically jumping with excitement.

“Yay! Dad’s coming to our sports festival!”

Children who had not yet grown up probably all wished their parents would attend school events for them.

One smile erased all grudges.

Xie Wan instantly forgave her brother, cheerfully turning around to high-five Xie Zhenchen.

Xie Zhenchen no longer looked annoyed either. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Since he and Xie Wan attended the same middle school, he enthusiastically returned the high-five in celebration before happily scratching the back of his head.

Of course, that was not the end of it.

On the day of the sports festival, Li Tiantian appeared as well.

Because that evening, when she came home and heard about the matter at the dinner table, she smiled and said:

“I worked overtime all day just to make time to attend your sports festival. Now that your father’s going too, do you not want me there anymore?”

“How could that be?”

Xie Li placed food into her bowl while secretly signaling the children with his eyes.

“They definitely want you there too. Why don’t we all go together?”

Holding their rice bowls, Xie Wan and Xie Zhenchen immediately played along enthusiastically, nodding repeatedly.

“Mom should come too! Dad too! Our whole family should go together!”

Li Tiantian pretended to think it over seriously for a long while.

Then, seeing the eager anticipation in both children’s eyes, she suddenly laughed.

“Alright. Then our whole family will go together.”

The moment those words fell, everyone began eagerly looking forward to the arrival of sports festival day.

On the day of the sports festival, Xie Li drove Li Tiantian to the school.

Xie Wan stood at the school gate wearing a blue-and-white school uniform with her hair tied in a ponytail, craning her neck to look around eagerly. The moment she spotted the familiar car, she immediately waved and revealed a sweet, obedient smile.

The instant Xie Li stepped out of the car and saw her, the corners of his lips curved upward unconsciously.

Li Tiantian felt slightly jealous.

“Out of everyone in this family, you’ve always been the strictest with our daughter, yet she likes you the most.”

“Isn’t my strictness for her own good?” Xie Li extended his hand. “Come on. Don’t keep them waiting too long.”

Li Tiantian pursed her lips before breaking into a happy smile. She said nothing more and obediently looped her arm through his as they walked forward together.

“Wait, is that boy flirting with Wanwan?” Li Tiantian suddenly looked up and noticed something.

Following her gaze, Xie Li saw a tall, skinny boy in the same blue-and-white school uniform standing beside Xie Wan. His face still carried youthful immaturity, and as he spoke to her, his movements, eyes, and expressions were all filled with the shy awkwardness of someone facing the girl he liked.

Xie Li’s brows immediately lifted.

Even though he had not attended a parent-teacher meeting in over a year, he still recognized most of Xie Wan’s classmates. He was certain he had never seen this boy before.

Could this be the recently transferred Zhou Dongyu that Xie Zhenchen mentioned?

Xie Li approached with Li Tiantian just in time to hear the boy asking softly and somewhat bashfully:

“Wanwan, my parents couldn’t come to the sports festival this time, so my uncle came instead. Will your parents be coming?”

Xie Li sneered inwardly before stepping forward at exactly the right moment to interrupt them.

“Wanwan, is this your classmate?”

Zhou Dongyu had his back turned. Hearing the voice, he froze before turning around in confusion upon seeing Xie Li and Li Tiantian.

“You are Wanwan’s…”

“Dad, Mom, why are you so late?”

Xie Wan squeezed over impatiently, clinging to Xie Li with one arm and Li Tiantian with the other while acting spoiled affectionately.

Only after a long while did she finally remember Zhou Dongyu, who had been isolated outside their little family circle.

“Oh right. Let me introduce you. This is my classmate Zhou Dongyu.”

Zhou Dongyu nodded stiffly and shyly.

“Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie.”

Xie Li raised a brow.

So this really was Zhou Dongyu from their previous life.

Still, there were obvious differences now.

In this life, Xie Wan had grown up in the capital from childhood and attended an expensive private school. She was no longer the child from a single-parent family who only came to the capital at eighteen for university.

That meant her meeting with Zhou Dongyu had happened four years earlier.

And because of those four years, along with differences in family background, upbringing, personality, and circumstance, it seemed Xie Wan’s impression of Zhou Dongyu was not very good at all.

“Mom, Dad, hurry up. Brother’s three-thousand-meter race is about to start.”

While Xie Li was still thinking, Xie Wan suddenly tugged at him coquettishly from the side.

Xie Li smiled without exposing her lie.

He had timed their arrival carefully. There was still half an hour before the three-thousand-meter race began.

“Then let’s head over.”

Xie Wan brightened instantly before turning to Zhou Dongyu with an impatient fake smile.

“We’re leaving now, Zhou Dongyu. You can stay here and wait for your uncle.”

Zhou Dongyu froze for a moment, his eyes filled with reluctant disappointment.

“…Okay. You go ahead first.”

But before he even finished speaking, Xie Wan had already dragged Xie Li and Li Tiantian away impatiently. She did not hear a single word he said.

Not only did she not hear him, she chatted animatedly with her parents as they walked.

“Mom, Dad, you have no idea how hilarious brother was…”

Zhou Dongyu stood rooted to the spot, staring foolishly as the goddess in his heart walked away.

As if sensing something, Xie Li glanced back once and felt extremely satisfied.

It looked like his daughter truly did not like Zhou Dongyu at all.

…

Halfway through the sports festival, Zhou Dongyu arrived at the field with a young man accompanying him.

At that moment, Xie Li was busy watching his son running on the track and did not notice them.

By the time he realized, the young man had already sat down beside him.

Xie Li frowned subtly and discreetly examined both Zhou Dongyu and the young man.

“Secretary Xie?”

The young man turned toward him with a look of exaggerated surprise and extended his hand enthusiastically.

“You… why are you here too?”

A bad feeling immediately rose in Xie Li’s chest.

Wasn’t this the businessman who had tried to ask him for favors recently and gotten rejected?

The man was a real estate developer who had been bidding for a piece of land. Somehow, he had learned about Xie Li and approached him bearing gifts.

Xie Li had turned hostile on the spot, blacklisted him, and refused all future invitations.

Since the man could not enter the residential compound belonging to Xie Li’s work unit, he had eventually disappeared.

Xie Li had assumed the matter was over.

He had not expected to run into him here.

Could it be this nuisance still would not go away?

Sure enough, for the rest of the sports festival, the young man kept trying to ingratiate himself with Xie Li.

Xie Li responded formally:

“I’m here attending my child’s sports festival. Why don’t we discuss work matters another day?”

The young man smiled brightly and cheerfully replied:

“A sports festival? Your child attends this school too? What a coincidence. My nephew just transferred here a few days ago.”

Xie Li paused.

He studied the man carefully, increasingly convinced something was wrong.

“You sound as though you already knew my child attended this school.”

The young man froze briefly, seemingly unsure how to answer.

“I… I did know. What’s wrong?”

So Zhou Dongyu’s transfer was not an accident at all.

The Zhou family had deliberately sent him here to get close to Xie Wan and curry favor with him.

A trace of anger rose in Xie Li’s heart.

Fortunately, his daughter did not like Zhou Dongyu.

Otherwise, if things had gone the same way as in the previous life, and she had fallen in love at first sight only to later discover she had merely been used, would that not completely break her heart?

“It’s nothing. Let’s continue watching the competition.”

After saying that coldly, Xie Li turned back toward the field, already deciding in his heart that he would tell Xie Wan everything once they got home.

Because of his position, Xie Li never hid the darkness of the world from his children.

Whenever unpleasant matters arose, he would break everything down carefully and explain it to them so they would not grow up naïve and easily deceived.

Perhaps because of that, both children had developed an unusually sharp intuition from a young age. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. They could instinctively tell whether outsiders were good or bad, and the friends they made were all sincere people.

If he told Xie Wan about Zhou Dongyu after they returned home, it would basically be a death sentence for him.

Xie Wan had been raised to hate hypocrisy and exploitation more than anything else. Once she learned Zhou Dongyu had approached her with ulterior motives, she would never acknowledge him again.

Still…

Xie Li thought coldly to himself that this outcome was fine too.

Now he no longer needed to worry about how to separate his daughter from that scumbag before they fell in love.

Since he had already changed the fate where Xie Wan and Zhou Dongyu became lovers in the previous life, Xie Li could finally rest easy in this lifetime.

╰───♡───╯

News of Old Master Xie’s return somehow spread throughout the city.

The very next day, countless visitors arrived at the Xie residence.

There were old friends who had gone through similar hardships and had only recently returned to the capital, distant relatives who came to offer greetings, and even some of Old Master Xie’s former students…

Xie Li had no choice but to take a day off from university and remain home accompanying the old man in receiving guests.

The young man was handsome, refined, and graceful in every interaction, carrying himself perfectly in every situation. Everyone who met him looked at him with newfound admiration, endlessly praising Old Master Xie for having such an outstanding successor.

The old master became so pleased he could barely stop smiling.

“Oh, not at all, not at all. He merely looks decent. In truth he’s just a decorative pillow stuffed with straw, nothing particularly promising.”

The old man waved his hand modestly while humbly downplaying the compliments. Then he picked up little Donggua, who sat on his knee, and cheerfully added,

“My great-grandson is better than his father. He’s not even two years old yet, but he can already recite Tang poetry.”

“Really?”

Everyone instantly became interested, and the conversation immediately shifted toward little Donggua.

After hearing the child stumble through a recitation of “Ode to the Goose,” everyone looked delighted, showering him with endless praise.

Little Donggua already understood adult speech by now. His bright eyes sparkled as he proudly looked toward Xie Li, clearly asking for praise.

Xie Li could only sigh helplessly.

People always said affection skipped a generation and that grandparents adored grandchildren more than their own children.

That saying truly was not wrong.

Xie Li himself had always been close to the old master, yet little Donggua was even more beloved. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. In order to praise his great-grandson, the old man was now completely willing to sacrifice his actual grandson…

…

Xie Li stayed at the old estate for two days and met many people.

Eventually the number of visitors began to decrease, and he prepared to return to university.

Before leaving, he suddenly remembered the letter he had stored away and hesitated before asking the old master about the identity of the sender.

“I did some investigating myself and found someone with the same name, but I don’t understand why he would send me a letter,” Xie Li said in confusion.

Old Master Xie narrowed his sharp eyes thoughtfully before finally recalling the person.

“I remember now. Your father once had a classmate with that name. I think he works somewhere in the western district, though I don’t know what position he holds now.”

“I do.”

Xie Li calmly named the position.

The old master froze, his eyes suddenly widening.

“Wait! Wouldn’t that make him that person’s secretary?”

Back then, this former classmate of Xie Li’s father had once received help from Xie Father, and the two had maintained a fairly good relationship.

Years later, the man had achieved considerable success, stepping into the fringes of political power and serving under an untouchable figure.

Meanwhile, Xie Father had been sent to the northern wastelands, laboring for food with his own hands, seemingly destined never to rise again…

No one knew why the man had written to Xie Li.

Could it really be an attempt to repay old kindness?

The old master stood and paced the room several times before finally making a decision.

Turning around, he spoke solemnly:

“Tomorrow bring that letter with you. We’ll go see him together. Perhaps your parents can return earlier.”

When he spoke the word “him,” the old master’s tone became extraordinarily careful.

Since the letter was useless just sitting in his hands anyway, Xie Li thought about it briefly and readily agreed.

“Alright.”

The next day, after classes ended, he took the letter and accompanied the old master to the address written on it.

“Old Master Xie?!”

The former classmate nearly lost his composure the moment he saw them appear.

At first, he had only intended to casually help look after Xie Li because the Xie family had no one around. He never imagined Old Master Xie would return to the capital so quickly, much less personally bring Xie Li to visit him.

This made absolutely no sense!

The entire Xie family was practically about to return already, so why were they seeking him out? He could not help them with anything else!

The old master coughed lightly, deliberately pretending to appear frail as he smiled bitterly.

“Little Zhou, I never expected you’d still remember my pitiful grandson. Thank you for taking care of him during this time.”

The former classmate froze awkwardly.

“No, no, there’s no need for thanks. I really didn’t help much at all.”

Truthfully, he had only written that letter casually in the first place without any deep intention of helping.

Later, when Xie Li never contacted him, he ended up helping even less.

Receiving such sincere gratitude from the old master made him feel deeply guilty.

And once guilt appeared, the rhythm of the conversation completely slipped from his control.

From beginning to end, Old Master Xie directed the conversation while Xie Li calmly assisted from the side.

“…After talking so much, I still haven’t asked how things are going for you lately.”

Half a day later, the old master revealed a sly fox-like smile and politely asked the question.

By this point the former classmate’s mind had already become muddled. Without thinking, he answered honestly.

“Really?”

The old master feigned delighted surprise.

“Come to think of it, I’ve met that person once before. It’s been over ten years though, so I wonder if he still remembers me. Would it be possible for me to meet him again?”

The former classmate: “……”

At that moment, he finally understood why his superiors always said he was still too inexperienced.

Faced with an old fox this cunning, he truly stood no chance.

In fact, even Xie Li, quietly supporting the old master from the sidelines, proved harder to deal with than he was.

…

Using the connection through that former classmate, Old Master Xie and Xie Li worked together and successfully gained an audience with a major figure ordinary people would never have the chance to meet.

The old master had not lied when he said they had met before. The man actually remembered him as well.

As they reminisced about the past, conversation naturally flowed between them, and the two spoke with remarkable ease and mutual understanding.

Standing behind Old Master Xie, Xie Li pressed his lips together slightly as he watched the powerful man chatting and laughing with effortless confidence, feeling somewhat incredulous inside.

This was someone who would appear repeatedly in future history textbooks. A few years later, he would rise even higher, becoming a figure who witnessed nearly half a century of historical change, an undeniable giant of the era.

In his previous life, the original owner had never once come into contact with someone like this.

Yet somehow, through pure chance, Xie Li had stumbled into this encounter like a blind cat finding a dead mouse.

They spent the entire afternoon at the man’s office.

On the ride home, Old Master Xie remained in exceptionally high spirits.

Xie Li, meanwhile, rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly.

Dealing with people this sharp required absolute concentration every second. Even if the other party bore no ill intentions, the casual conversational traps hidden between seemingly harmless words were exhausting enough to leave anyone drained.

Seeing his expression, the old master burst into laughter and patted him on the shoulder.

“You’re still young. You’ll get used to it eventually.”

Now that the Xie family had formed a connection with such a major figure, the road ahead for the family had clearly brightened.

The old master was simply too happy.

After years of constant worry and anxiety, the burden weighing on his heart finally relaxed. His face glowed with health and satisfaction, practically radiant with pride.

Xie Li could only smile helplessly as he humored the old man, discussing the future with him before escorting him back to the old Xie residence.

The servants he had hired several days earlier had already begun working at the estate.

After settling the old master in, Xie Li wandered through the residence for a while, taking in the scenery of the ancient courtyard before finally returning to the small house near the university.

According to the timeline of the previous life, Old Master Xie would eventually donate the old residence, using it to stabilize the Xie family’s political future.

This time around, things probably would not have to be so difficult anymore.

Thinking quietly to himself, Xie Li returned home.

Just before entering, he suddenly stopped and looked into the courtyard.

Under the flower trellis, Li Tiantian and Qian Lanxiang sat together mending clothes.

Little Donggua sat between them. One moment he absentmindedly sucked on his fingers, the next he glanced toward the cradle holding his younger sister.

His pale, adorable little face looked utterly confused, as if he could not understand why there were only four people left at home and where his father had gone.

“Donggua,” Xie Li called softly.

The child froze for a moment before turning toward the fence outside.

The instant he spotted Xie Li, a silly, delighted grin spread across his face. His chubby lotus-root-like arms waved frantically as he called out in a sweet childish voice:

“Papa!”

Ah, my silly son.

Xie Li answered silently in his heart, warmth spreading through him.

Smiling, he walked over and lifted the child beneath the arms into his embrace.

“You’re back?”

The moment Li Tiantian saw him, she immediately abandoned Qian Lanxiang, stood up, and greeted him with a smile full of tenderness and love.

“There’s food warming inside. Hurry in and eat something.”

Xie Li nodded.

The exhaustion clinging to him instantly melted away. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. He looked gently at Li Tiantian before carrying little Donggua inside with her.

Qian Lanxiang, meanwhile, had long grown accustomed to scenes like this. Calmly gathering her sewing things, she turned and returned to her own room.

…

Old Master Xie was the stabilizing pillar of the entire Xie family.

With him around, many complicated matters suddenly became much easier to resolve.

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, three years went by.

During those three years, many things happened.

First of all, Xie Li finally graduated.

He had already completed all his required credits by the end of his second year. By senior year, he barely attended classes at all, instead following the old master around and learning practical work from him.

Immediately after graduation, he successfully entered a government department.

The Xie family estate also changed tremendously.

One after another, the Xie family members returned to the capital, repaired the old residence, resumed their former positions, and steadily advanced in their careers.

The younger cousins gradually married and expanded the family. Compared to the previous life, the Xie family now flourished with even greater vitality.

Li Tiantian also finally met the more than ten members of the Xie family.

During their first meeting, she behaved with graceful composure and showed no insecurity whatsoever.

After all, Xie Li had devoted himself wholeheartedly to her for years without wavering. She possessed confidence, and naturally she felt secure.

Later, once everyone became familiar with one another, any cousin who dared show even the slightest disrespect toward her would immediately receive a beating from Xie Li.

That only made her confidence grow even more.

Li Tiantian lived a life countless women envied.

Even the usual mother-in-law conflicts never appeared, because Xie Father and Xie Mother were open-minded and generous people who had never once mistreated her.

In truth, they liked Li Tiantian very much.

After all, this daughter-in-law had actually passed the self-study examinations and entered the very same Capital University as their son, becoming another respected voice within the family.

Most importantly, she had given the Xie family both a son and a daughter.

The two little children were clever and lively from a young age, especially talented at charming their elders.

Because of that affection, Xie Father and Xie Mother treated Li Tiantian no differently from their own daughter.

After Xie Li graduated and saw how harmonious things were, he took the opportunity to move back into the old family estate with Li Tiantian and the children, leaving the small courtyard they had rented for three years to Hu Dezheng.

After graduation, Hu Dezheng stayed at the university as a lecturer. Renting a small courtyard on his own was manageable for him.

Additionally, Qian Lanxiang had given birth to twins before the New Year. Her parents worried about their daughter and grandchildren, so they came to the capital to help care for them.

The small courtyard suited them perfectly.

“Don’t forget to gather together once in a while in the future,” Hu Dezheng said while helping move boxes, sounding somewhat reluctant as he watched the house empty out.

Xie Li smiled.

“I won’t forget. I’ve always remembered the kindness you showed me during those years in Xiaoxipo. From now on, our two families are one family. When the children grow up, maybe we’ll even become in-laws someday.”

“That depends on what the children want,” Hu Dezheng replied awkwardly, smiling as he thought about his son and daughter.

At the time, both families believed it would become difficult to meet often after separating.

Yet reality proved otherwise.

Hu Dezheng did not remain at the university for long. Soon afterward, he used the position as a stepping stone into the system, eventually becoming Xie Li’s colleague.

Later, when housing was distributed through work units, the two families even became neighbors.

As for Xie Li, his development progressed even more smoothly.

After returning to the Xie family, he officially stepped onto the path of promotion through his own efforts.

Because of his upbringing and experience, combined with his clear insight, steady temperament, and exceptional social instincts, his rise through the ranks was astonishingly fast.

Before long, he became a brilliant rising star within the field.

If he had not already been married, who knew how many young women would have thrown themselves at him.

After Li Tiantian graduated from university, his work unit assigned him a Western-style villa. He moved out of the Xie family estate and finally began living a quiet life with his own little family, only returning to the old residence during holidays and festivals.

Money was no longer a concern either.

Riding the wave of Reform and Opening-Up, Li Tiantian and Qian Lanxiang joined forces and started a clothing company together.

Their business prospered more and more, and life became increasingly beautiful…

Meanwhile, Xie Li’s work grew busier and busier.

One day, he got off work early, returned home, gave the housekeeper the evening off, and personally cooked dinner, intending to have a family meal together to make up for all the time he had spent away from home lately.

Already in middle school, Xie Zhenchen burst into the kitchen clutching a basketball, drenched in sweat.

As he grew older, little Donggua absolutely refused to let anyone call him by his childhood nickname anymore. The moment someone did, he would immediately get angry.

So Xie Li called out:

“Xie Zhenchen, why are you rushing around like the sky is falling?”

“Dad! Dad! This is bad, little sister is dating someone!!”

Clang!

The spatula fell from Xie Li’s hand.

“What?!!!”

The old father’s heart shattered into pieces from sheer shock.

Xie Li slowly turned around in disbelief.

He had carefully raised his precious daughter for fourteen whole years.

She could sing and dance, excelled academically, was sensible and obedient.

She was only in the second year of middle school.

How had some pig already come along and stolen her away?!

At this point, it would almost have been better if the scumbag from their previous life had appeared instead.

“Dad, that guy just transferred schools. His name’s Zhou Dongyu. He’s little sister’s desk mate,” Xie Zhenchen faithfully reported as he tattled.

Xie Li suddenly became calm.

Oh.

So it was that pig from the previous life after all.

╰───♡───╯

Previous

“What… what is this?”

The senior student stared blankly at the scattered letter for a moment before quickly recovering herself. Smiling naturally, she pretended nothing unusual had happened as she gathered the papers and returned them to Xie Li.

“I’m sorry. I accidentally dropped your letter.”

Xie Li accepted it gracefully, his attitude refined and courteous.

“It’s only a small matter. Don’t worry about it.”

Hearing his voice, a faint blush appeared on the senior student’s face.

“You’re a freshman in the Ideological and Political Education department, right? Come with me. I’ll help process your enrollment.”

Xie Li glanced at the girl whose eyes were practically shining now. Slightly frowning, he grew thoughtful before quietly storing the letter away and following her.

The enrollment procedures were completed quickly.

When the senior student tried to continue accompanying him afterward, Xie Li smiled politely and tactfully declined. Turning around, he carried his folder toward the academic affairs office.

As for the senior student reluctantly watching him leave behind him…

Xie Li lightly tapped the letter in his hand.

The owner of this letter really did not seem simple.

This was the same letter that had arrived together with the admission notice. In the original owner’s previous life, he had received it as well. Back then, however, it only contained polite greetings and formal congratulations without revealing the sender’s identity.

The general meaning was simply congratulations on entering Capital University. If he encountered any difficulties, he could visit a certain location and the sender would help him.

The original owner had already seen too many people who acted warmly and polite on the surface, only to avoid him the moment his family truly needed help. So he assumed the sender merely wished to win him over because he had entered university. He did not take it seriously and casually threw the letter away after reading it.

But Xie Li did not have the habit of casually discarding other people’s letters.

After reading it, he had simply tucked it back inside the admission notice. Only now, after someone accidentally saw it, did he finally realize there was something unusual about it.

Judging from the senior student’s reaction, the sender was definitely important.

So… should he keep the letter or not?

The original owner had managed perfectly fine without it…

Forget it. Better to keep it. It might prove useful someday.

Having made up his mind, Xie Li stored the letter away and headed toward the academic affairs office to apply for off-campus housing.

At present, the university did not even have enough dormitories available and still needed to prioritize students arriving from farther away. Since someone voluntarily requested to live off-campus, the school naturally welcomed the idea enthusiastically.

As a result, his request was approved very easily.

Afterward, Xie Li visited his class, met his counselor and several classmates, completed the remaining paperwork, then returned to the courtyard house they had rented.

Li Tiantian was wandering around the courtyard with little Donggua. Seeing him return, she looked surprised.

“So fast?”

“There weren’t many people, so things went quickly. I had nothing else to do, so I came back.”

University tuition did not even need to be paid, and students also received a fifteen-yuan monthly stipend. Xie Li only needed one trip around campus to settle nearly everything. Since there was nothing else requiring attention, he simply returned home.

“Where’s Qian Lanxiang?”

Xie Li bent down and scooped up little Donggua, who was wobbling around the courtyard while practicing walking against the stone walls. Carrying him casually, he asked the question while walking inside.

Following behind them, Li Tiantian smiled at the father and son pair.

“Lanxiang can’t sit still. She went to the farmers’ market with Auntie Wang from next door.”

“Farmers’ market?”

Xie Li paused and looked back curiously.

Li Tiantian tilted her head, clearly confused by the term herself.

“Yes. Apparently they only started allowing them a few months ago. Lots of people set up stalls there. There’s more variety than the food supply stores, and things are cheaper too. Everyone nearby shops there now.”

Xie Li raised an eyebrow.

“That actually sounds pretty good.”

He lightly bounced Donggua in his arms and walked into the house. While absentmindedly playing with his son, his expression gradually became thoughtful again.

The major Xie Li chose at university was Ideological and Political Education rather than Chinese medicine.

The first reason was because the original owner had studied this exact major in his previous life. There was no need to waste effort researching a completely unfamiliar field when choosing this would be simplest.

Besides, the major required enormous amounts of memorization and recitation.

Unfortunately for everyone else, that happened to be precisely Xie Li’s greatest strength.

There was no reason to waste his natural talent by deliberately challenging a more difficult field.

The second reason was because extraordinary times created extraordinary people.

Having been born into a “red” political family and arrived in this era, if he failed to build some kind of meaningful career, it would truly waste the fortune he had been given.

And now, judging from subtle changes in daily life, he could already sense that the massive transformation which would alter the lives of more than a billion people was approaching.

By the time he graduated, he would be able to step directly into that wave at the exact moment the country most desperately lacked talent and rise alongside the era itself.

…

After officially enrolling, Xie Li quickly flourished at the university thanks to his refined, striking appearance and his gentle, scholarly temperament.

Naturally, because he stood out too much, many girls wanted to get to know him.

The senior student from orientation even took the initiative to seek him out repeatedly. Using their brief previous encounter as an excuse, she subtly tried growing closer to him, speaking with obvious familiarity and affection.

The moment Xie Li noticed this trend, he immediately revealed that he was already married.

The girls: “……”

They desperately wanted to curse.

Why was another good-looking man already married?!

The college entrance examination had been suspended for ten years. Since nobody attended university during that time, people generally married very young. As a result, many freshmen were already married.

However, most married students brought their spouses along while completing enrollment procedures.

Only Xie Li came alone because Li Tiantian was pregnant and he did not want her tiring herself out.

Unfortunately, that almost caused everyone to misunderstand completely.

To make up for the misunderstanding, Xie Li began taking Li Tiantian on walks around the university every single day.

Once people saw them together, they finally realized he was not only married, but already had children too. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. When the news spread back across campus, countless girls were utterly heartbroken…

Because the university lacked enough teaching staff, Xie Li’s major did not actually have many specialized classes. Many professors and lecturers had to teach several classes simultaneously, so his schedule remained relatively relaxed.

He balanced caring for his family with attending school as time quietly passed by.

Half a year later, the second batch of college entrance examination students entered university, and Xie Li advanced into his sophomore year.

A few more months passed amid increasingly busy coursework.

Then Li Tiantian entered the hospital.

Xie Ting was born.

The little girl arrived extraordinarily smoothly. Li Tiantian barely suffered at all. Labor began almost immediately after the contractions started, and the entire process finished in less than half an hour.

Xie Li gave her a different name from the previous life.

She was called Xie Wan.

The “Wan” came from the phrase “莞尔一笑,” meaning “a gentle smile.” He hoped the name would change her fate, allowing her to grow into someone who lived more easily and smiled more often.

Afterward, Xie Li went to the hospital and underwent a vasectomy.

He did not intend to have any more children.

Once Li Tiantian left the hospital and returned home to recover, Xie Li informed both the Li family back in Xiaoxipo and the various members of the Xie family about Xie Wan’s birth.

Both sides of the family were overjoyed after receiving the letters announcing the good news and sent many gifts. Even without meeting her, it was obvious they already adored little Xie Wan.

Looking down at his deeply cherished daughter, Xie Li narrowed his eyes thoughtfully before suddenly smiling.

He pulled out the parenting plan he had written a year and a half earlier and began revising it, adding numerous new rules and regulations.

Although sons should be raised with hardship and daughters with indulgence, one could not overcorrect things either.

With so many people doting on her, if he wanted to prevent Xie Wan from growing spoiled or going astray in the future, he would need to rely heavily on his parenting plans.

The responsibility resting on his shoulders had grown even greater now.

…

Not long after Xie Wan’s birth, on the exact same date as in the previous life, Xie Li received a letter.

After reading it, he returned home and told Li Tiantian,

“My grandfather will return to the capital in half a month.”

Li Tiantian froze, staring at him in total confusion.

“Don’t be nervous. Haven’t you already exchanged letters with him?” Xie Li understood her expression instantly and comforted her gently.

Li Tiantian paused before forcing out a difficult smile.

But how could that possibly be the same?

Writing letters meant she could not see the other person. She could carefully think over every sentence and rewrite anything inappropriate.

Face-to-face conversation was entirely different.

What if she accidentally said something wrong?

Unfortunately, no matter how anxious she felt, every daughter-in-law eventually had to meet her husband’s elders.

Half a month later, one afternoon, Xie Li and Li Tiantian dressed neatly and brought both children to the train station platform, where they finally met this respected old man who remained vigorous despite being over seventy years old.

“Grandfather,” Xie Li called.

“These are my great-grandson and great-granddaughter?”

The old master of the Xie family remained impressively robust despite his age. After warmly greeting Xie Li and his granddaughter-in-law with a kind smile, he lowered his head to look at the two children and asked the question.

Xie Li nodded and gently presented little Xie Wan first.

“This is Wanwan. The boy is little Donggua. His formal name was chosen by you, remember? Xie Zhenchen.”

The old man’s eyes overflowed with affection. He glanced at the little Xie Wan being offered to him but chose not to hold her. Instead, he bent down and picked up little Donggua.

“I’ve spent the entire train ride looking at Donggua’s photos. Let me hold him first.”

Truthfully, during this past year, the old man had only endured by constantly waiting for Donggua’s photographs to arrive. Without that child, he might not have remained alive at all.

The old man gently patted Donggua’s shaved little melon-shaped head and smiled kindly.

“Come. Let’s go home first.”

Outside the train station, a car had already arrived to pick them up.

“Old Master Xie, you’ve suffered these past years.”

The middle-aged man waiting beside the car spoke with great respect. Glancing toward Xie Li, he smiled.

“So this is your grandson Xie Li. I heard he entered Capital University last year, but this is my first time meeting him.”

The old master merely nodded while holding Donggua and said nothing further before stepping into the car.

The middle-aged man stiffened awkwardly and quickly forced a dry laugh before hurriedly inviting Xie Li and Li Tiantian inside as well.

Soon afterward, the car slowly started moving toward the Xie family estate.

…

After receiving his grandfather’s letter, Xie Li had already arranged repairs to the old Xie family residence in advance. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. At the very least, it now looked presentable.

The estate was a two-level siheyuan courtyard residence.

After weathering countless years, traces of age and hardship remained everywhere. The central courtyard was overgrown with weeds and wildflowers, while ivy covered much of the walls in dense green layers, exhausting the last of autumn’s vitality.

Walking inside with Xie Li, the old master lifted his head and looked around before sighing deeply, seemingly recalling something painful.

“I wonder when the eldest and the others will finally return?”

The middle-aged man had remained following behind them the entire time. Hearing this, he quickly replied,

“Please rest assured, Old Master Xie. Once the investigations conclude, Young Master Xie and the others will definitely return immediately.”

The old master simply responded with an “Mm” before finally showing enough interest to exchange a few words with him.

The two spoke for quite some time.

Only after the middle-aged man finally left in relief did the exhaustion on the old man’s face become impossible to hide.

Xie Li quickly took little Donggua from his arms and urged him to rest first.

“Grandfather, I already had your room prepared. Go sleep for a while.”

“So considerate?” The old man looked genuinely surprised that Xie Li had become so thoughtful.

Xie Li nodded calmly.

“Yes. Supposedly I’m very considerate now.”

Perhaps because his expression looked too natural, the old man became convinced in his heart that Xie Li must have suffered tremendously during his years in the countryside, which was why he had matured into someone so caring.

His eyes instantly reddened.

Hurriedly wiping his face, he sighed emotionally.

“Good child. You’ve done very well these past years.”

Like a child himself, the old man nearly cried at the drop of a hat, leaving Xie Li helpless.

“It’s because Grandfather taught me well.”

“If anyone deserves credit, it’s your wife.”

The old master suddenly laughed.

“You were an absolute little tyrant at home. Even after being sent to the countryside, you still never improved. Out of pure stubbornness, you refused to send us a single letter for two entire years. We didn’t even know your address and couldn’t contact you. We were almost worried to death.”

“Thankfully you met your wife. Otherwise I suspect you would’ve spent your entire life refusing to contact us.”

“So now you’ve grown this sensible because you married and became a father?”

Growing increasingly amused, the old master turned toward Li Tiantian.

“Granddaughter-in-law, my troublesome grandson must’ve caused you a great deal of hardship.”

“Grandfather, you’re overthinking things. A’Li actually treats me very well…”

Li Tiantian lowered her head shyly.

The old master assumed she was deliberately defending Xie Li and waved his hand with a laugh.

“Forget it. It’s normal for you to protect him. I won’t play the villain by criticizing him further.”

Still, he felt extremely satisfied by this granddaughter-in-law’s graceful and poised demeanor, her polite speech, and gentle temperament.

Originally he assumed a rural girl would require a long adjustment period after arriving in the capital.

Unexpectedly, she carried herself remarkably well.

Smiling, he rubbed little Donggua’s head before finally heading off to rest.

Lowering his gaze, Xie Li noticed that little Xie Wan in his arms was already struggling to keep her eyes open, so he carried her toward another room.

Li Tiantian followed behind while holding Donggua’s hand.

After entering the room, Xie Li explained,

“This used to be my room. Most of the old things are gone now. Only the bed and desk remain. The other rooms still haven’t been cleaned up properly, so our family of four will have to squeeze together tonight and make do for now.”

Most of the Xie family’s former servants had either left or scattered long ago. The once-grand Xie residence now felt silent and deserted.

Fortunately, everyone there had already endured hardship before.

Even without servants, they could still manage everything themselves.

╰───♡───╯

Next

Before taking the exam, Xie Li had already submitted his university application choices.

His first and only choice was Capital University.

There was no second option.

During the month spent waiting for the admission notices, Xie Li remained fairly calm because he already knew what the outcome would be. Every day, he either carried little Donggua around the village or took Li Tiantian into town to shop, using it all as a way to ease the tension left behind by the college entrance examination.

Ironically, the person who became most invested after initially opposing Xie Li taking the exam was Li Jianguo.

After finally accepting the matter, he became obsessively concerned about it.

When he heard Xie Li had applied to only one university, he did not dare scold him directly, so he could only stew in frustration himself, so anxious he nearly lost his appetite.

“Why hasn’t it arrived yet? Did it get lost on the way?”

As the expected date for the admission letters approached and still nothing came, Li Jianguo practically turned into a statue waiting by the road. Every day he rode his bicycle to the town post office to ask about updates.

Thanks to Xie Li, the other educated youths who had taken the exam no longer needed to exert effort themselves and could simply wait for the newest information from him.

Fortunately, the admission letters did not keep Li Jianguo anxious for too long. Though delayed by several days, they finally arrived.

There were three letters in total.

Besides Hu Dezheng’s and another educated youth’s letter, the thickest envelope belonged to Xie Li.

Li Jianguo retrieved the letters from town and spent the entire ride home suppressing his excitement. He first delivered the other two letters before finally cycling back home to find Xie Li.

“Hurry and open it!”

On the way back, Li Jianguo had desperately wanted to open the envelope himself and see what was inside, but he did not dare touch something so precious and important in his eyes. Now that he had finally handed it over, he impatiently urged Xie Li aloud.

The moment Xie Li saw the postal stamp on the envelope, he already knew the result. A smile appeared on his face.

Hearing Li Jianguo’s urging, he opened the letter.

As expected, he had been admitted to Capital University.

The admission notice itself looked rather simple, consisting of only a single white sheet of paper. On it was the formal admission announcement stamped with the red seal of Capital University.

Beneath the notice, however, was a handwritten message from the university president.

The words were earnest and heartfelt, filled with careful encouragement sentence by sentence. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The passage was not especially long, but from the lines themselves one could clearly feel the writer’s appreciation and expectations toward him.

Below that were various reminders and enrollment instructions for incoming students, all handwritten as well. The handwriting was bold and powerful. Though hurried enough to appear slightly rough in places, the sincerity behind it remained obvious.

At the very bottom lay a separate personal letter.

Xie Li frowned slightly. Just as he was about to pick it up, Li Jianguo’s excited voice burst out beside him.

“Good! Good! GOOD!!”

Li Jianguo was so happy he could barely speak. When he reached the final line, despite not being the sentimental type, he nearly burst into tears on the spot.

Too prideful to let others notice, he hurriedly wiped his eyes and called for Li Tiantian.

“Come look! Xie Li got into Capital University!”

Xie Li paused.

Not wanting to ruin everyone’s excitement, he temporarily set aside the personal letter untouched and instead handed the admission notice to Li Tiantian, planning to celebrate with the Li family first before reading the other letter later.

In the original owner’s memories, it seemed he had also once received such a letter…

Meanwhile, Li Jianguo continued enthusiastically calling Li Tiantian over to look at the admission notice.

Li Tiantian’s face brimmed with anticipation. Handing little Donggua over to Wang Cuihua, she cautiously leaned closer to look, behaving as though if she stared too hard, the admission letter might suddenly sprout legs and run away.

“He really got in?”

“Could there be any mistake?” Li Jianguo’s short mustache trembled proudly. “A’Li never stopped studying these past two years. Wasn’t getting accepted completely normal?”

At this point, he had completely transformed into a bragging father-in-law.

Li Tiantian could not be bothered arguing with him and instead looked toward Xie Li for confirmation.

Xie Li smiled faintly.

“Yes. I got into Capital University.”

Li Tiantian’s eyes immediately brightened, a joyful smile blooming across her face. But after a brief pause, she suddenly thought of the important question and asked nervously,

“Then… does that mean you’re going to the capital?”

Li Jianguo also froze upon hearing this.

“If A’Li goes to the capital, will Tiantian go with him?”

Of course she would.

If Li Tiantian did not go, Xie Li would never feel at ease. And Li Jianguo likely would not feel reassured either.

Xie Li lowered his voice and promised,

“Don’t worry. I won’t leave Tiantian behind. My family is from the capital. Once I reconnect with some acquaintances there, we’ll definitely be able to settle down.”

The Xie family still owned property in the capital, but after enduring the chaos of those turbulent years, the old family residence had been left badly damaged and completely unlivable.

If Xie Li returned to the capital, it would be better to find another place to live first.

Then, after the Xie family members gradually returned to the capital one after another, he would bring Li Tiantian to meet them.

Having made up his mind, Xie Li immediately asked Li Tiantian for all the family savings and began calculating their finances, estimating future living expenses in the capital while also considering whether he should sell another ginseng root after returning there.

…

The admission notice arrived only a few days before the New Year.

The Li family ended up celebrating an extraordinarily lavish New Year’s Eve.

Because the admission letter arrived before the new year began, Wang Cuihua believed it was an excellent omen. In her excitement, she slaughtered the family’s fattest pig and enthusiastically hosted a massive pork feast with open tables flowing continuously through the day, all to celebrate Xie Li’s university acceptance.

A great many people attended.

Most were villagers from Xiaoxipo itself.

The villagers did not truly understand how prestigious Capital University was. They only heard the educated youths say it was the best university in the entire country, and that alone made them ecstatic and proud enough to rush over and “share in the good fortune.”

Deep down, they also carried a subtle sense of smugness.

Why was it that none of the educated youths from neighboring villages got into Capital University, while someone from their village did?

Wasn’t it because their village produced exceptional people and possessed outstanding fortune?

After all, their village had produced three university students, and one of them even entered the nation’s most prestigious university.

Another portion of the guests consisted of educated youths from nearby villages. Whether they had passed the exam or not, they all came to attend the feast and personally see the admission notice from the country’s top university: Capital University.

After seeing it, they became both envious and awestruck.

The final small group consisted of guests specifically invited by Li Jianguo.

Li Jianguo had been suppressing his emotions for a very long time.

Did people really think he did not know?

When the college entrance examination first resumed, the brigade leaders from neighboring villages all secretly mocked Xie Li behind his back after hearing he planned to take the exam. Not one of them believed he could succeed.

A Buddha fought for a single stick of incense. A man fought for his pride.

How could Li Jianguo possibly tolerate watching those people continue feeling smug?

He had carefully researched the country’s famous universities, intending to help Xie Li investigate them thoroughly, only to later discover that Xie Li had already firmly chosen Capital University.

Capital University was unquestionably the number one university in the country!

Li Jianguo had been terrified Xie Li’s ambitions were too high and that aiming too far might cause him to fail completely.

Now that the results were out and Xie Li had succeeded without stumbling, Li Jianguo finally felt truly vindicated from the bottom of his heart.

And now, he intended to slap those people across the face with it.

He invited several fellow brigade leaders out for drinks. Sitting at the same table, every sentence he spoke carried some seemingly casual bragging hidden inside it, making the other brigade leaders increasingly sour-faced with jealousy and resentment.

Honestly, it suited Li Jianguo’s personality perfectly.

If he had truly been someone with excellent social skills and broad popularity, then after his death, Li Tiantian would not have ended up with absolutely nobody willing to help her.

“Xiao Sun, didn’t your aunt’s cousin’s son also take the college entrance exam? How’d he do?” Li Jianguo asked drunkenly.

The brigade leader from Tangzhuang Village darkened immediately.

That cousin of his could barely read a single character, yet his aunt stubbornly believed her son was a once-in-a-generation genius and insisted on sending him to take the exam. In the end, the boy could not even obtain a recommendation letter.

Later, the family even came begging him to use his connections to pull strings. Furious, he directly cursed the cousin out and completely severed ties with that branch of the family.

Now Li Jianguo was deliberately poking at his wound.

After another gulp of alcohol, Li Jianguo became even more intoxicated and immediately shifted targets.

“Captain Zhang, I heard seven or eight educated youths from your Taohua Village took the exam. You guys must’ve had great results, right?”

He sighed theatrically.

“Our village’s educated youths lacked ambition. Only five of them even bothered taking the exam, and just three got in. Ai… so disappointing!”

Captain Zhang from Taohua Village silently drank his alcohol without responding.

Still unsatisfied, Li Jianguo attacked the final victim.

“Old Li, stop just drinking and eat some food. Didn’t your son graduate high school? Why didn’t I see him take the college entrance exam?”

The brigade leader from the neighboring village remained expressionless, acting as though he heard absolutely nothing.

Feeling utterly refreshed, Li Jianguo burst into loud laughter and, within mere moments, successfully offended everyone seated at the table.

Xie Li: “……”

Truly, ancient wisdom never lied. If you insist on courting disaster, disaster eventually arrives.

Because of this grand celebratory pork feast, the news that Hu Dezheng and another educated youth had also been admitted to university was completely overshadowed by Xie Li.

Fortunately, Hu Dezheng did not care much about that.

Holding his admission notice, he stormed directly into the Qian household, received a severe beating, then emerged bruised and swollen yet grinning from ear to ear.

A few days later, news spread that Qian Lanxiang had broken off her engagement.

Putting the pieces together, Xie Li found time to visit the educated youth dormitory and congratulate Hu Dezheng for finally getting what he wanted.

Hu Dezheng accepted the congratulations without false modesty, looking completely smug and triumphant.

“You chased after Qian Lanxiang. Have you figured out what to do with her after returning to the capital?” Xie Li casually asked.

Hu Dezheng nodded.

“I actually wanted to discuss that with you…”

It turned out he planned to hold a wedding banquet with Qian Lanxiang before spring arrived, officially marry her, then bring her back to the city together with him.

But his family home almost certainly would not have enough room for them to live there, meaning they would need to rent a place outside.

“The university I got into provides monthly subsidies. Fifteen yuan a month, not including grain coupons. I’ve already calculated things. If the rent’s cheap enough, the remaining money should be enough for Lanxiang and me to live on.”

In other words, Hu Dezheng wanted to rent a courtyard together with Xie Li.

That way they could save money while also allowing Qian Lanxiang and Li Tiantian to look after one another.

It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, and Xie Li saw no reason to refuse. After thinking briefly, he quickly agreed.

“I’ve gained a whole new respect for you, Dezheng. You finally have a bit of a real man’s spirit now.”

Knowing Xie Li referred to his previous indecisiveness, Hu Dezheng smiled awkwardly.

“Stop making fun of me. Since we’ve agreed, I’ll go tell Lanxiang about it.”

Xie Li froze briefly before realizing he too needed to speak with his father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Originally, the plan had been for Li Tiantian and Donggua to remain in the village.

Later, after Xie Li repeatedly guaranteed their future, Li Jianguo finally agreed to let Li Tiantian follow him while leaving little Donggua behind.

Xie Li absolutely refused.

He argued against the idea three separate times and stubbornly refused to leave Donggua in the village.

This separation would last at least a year, perhaps two or three.

By then, Donggua might not even remember him anymore.

Besides, the educational opportunities in the capital differed enormously from those in the countryside. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Xie Li even planned to give Donggua a strong foundation early and later enroll him in extracurricular programs like youth arts and hobby classes.

Eventually Li Jianguo compromised and agreed to let both Li Tiantian and Donggua go.

However, Wang Cuihua still worried constantly and wanted to follow them to the capital to help care for her pregnant daughter and little grandson.

The moment Li Jianguo heard that, his expression immediately worsened, his mood becoming visibly depressed.

Now, however, with Qian Lanxiang going too, Wang Cuihua no longer needed to accompany them.

…

After the New Year, Xie Li brought Li Tiantian and little Donggua, while Hu Dezheng brought Qian Lanxiang. The five of them boarded a train together bound for the capital.

The train stopped constantly along the journey to replenish coal and water. It took a full five days before they finally arrived.

Traveling with a child made the trip extremely inconvenient.

Fortunately, little Donggua behaved remarkably well. Once fed and satisfied, he obediently slept. With Hu Dezheng and Qian Lanxiang helping care for him, things never became too overwhelming.

Li Tiantian, however, suffered terribly.

Both her pregnancies had previously gone smoothly, but because she could not tolerate the smell of coal smoke on the train, she experienced severe morning sickness for the first time and spent most of the journey vomiting miserably.

If Xie Li had not learned some traditional Chinese medicine techniques and massaged pressure points for her while secretly adding spirit spring water into her drinking water, she would have suffered even more.

Five days later, the moment they stepped off the train, Li Tiantian finally recovered from her near-death state.

“Let’s first find a guesthouse so Tiantian and Donggua can rest properly. Comrade Qian can help look after them while Dezheng and I go find a house.”

Xie Li proposed the idea with concern.

Li Tiantian weakly nodded in agreement.

Qian Lanxiang, distressed over her friend’s condition, naturally had no objections either.

So the five of them hired two rickshaws, arrived at the nearest guesthouse, settled the women and child inside, then Xie Li and Hu Dezheng headed out.

Capital University was not far from Hu Dezheng’s university, only twenty or thirty minutes apart. To Li Tiantian and Qian Lanxiang, who had grown up in rural villages, that distance already felt significant. But to Xie Li and Hu Dezheng, it barely counted as a journey.

For Li Tiantian’s convenience, they selected a quiet little courtyard located near Capital University. The monthly rent was ten yuan. Xie Li personally paid both the deposit and the first three months’ rent upfront.

Because the house was somewhat old, Xie Li spent even more money afterward repairing and renovating it. Only after everything was properly cleaned up did they bring Li Tiantian and the others over from the guesthouse.

One major reason he put in such effort was because he hoped Qian Lanxiang would take good care of Li Tiantian.

Li Tiantian’s pregnancy had already begun showing slightly, and Xie Li did not want her doing heavy work. He planned to pay Qian Lanxiang ten yuan every month to help care for her.

At first Qian Lanxiang firmly refused the money, but after Xie Li repeatedly explained it was meant for groceries and household expenses, she finally accepted it.

Only afterward did Xie Li and Hu Dezheng separately head to their universities to officially enroll.

“Classmate, where’s your admission notice?”

As soon as Xie Li entered the university grounds, he spotted the student volunteers handling new student registration and stepped forward.

Hearing the question, he took out his carefully preserved admission notice.

“Let me see. Which department are you in?”

The senior student helping with registration blinked as she accepted the notice. Unfortunately, she failed to hold it properly, and the papers scattered across the ground.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, classm…”

Embarrassed, she bent down to gather everything. But the moment she picked up one particular letter and saw the name written on it, her eyes instantly widened in shock.

╰───♡───╯

The old doctor did not answer immediately.

After pondering for a long while, he stood up and began pacing back and forth around the room. It was obvious the struggle in his heart was intense.

The kind of disciple he wanted to pass on his legacy to was not something simple.

At this point in time, traditional Chinese medicine still remained deeply rooted in old customs and had not yet been fully swept up by the tides of the new era. What it emphasized was still the ancient saying:

“A teacher for one day is a father for life.”

Once a master accepted a disciple, their reputations and honor became forever tied together.

If he accepted Xie Li but Xie Li’s talent turned out insufficient, then not only would it waste his time, it might even damage his own reputation.

But if he rejected Xie Li, then he also feared losing the precious mountain ginseng. If he refused the request and left things unpleasant between them, he might miss the opportunity entirely.

Ai… what a difficult situation.

Seeing the old doctor’s dilemma, Xie Li could not help smiling.

“Old Zhang, I think you misunderstood me. I’m not asking to formally become your disciple. I only hope to learn beside you, like Doctor Xiao Chen does.”

The old doctor froze before visibly relaxing in relief.

“If it’s only that, then things are much simpler.”

That made sense. How many young people nowadays truly possessed the patience to study Chinese medicine properly?

“How about this? I doubt you can spend every day helping around the clinic, so I’ll give you a few books first. Memorize everything in them, then come back to me.”

As he spoke, the old doctor removed several hand-copied manuscripts from the bookshelf and carefully handed them to Xie Li.

“These are introductory medical texts passed down through generations of the Zhang family. Take good care of them. Memorize them thoroughly and return them to me before I continue teaching you.”

Xie Li nodded, taking the manuscripts with bright excitement in his eyes.

Seeing how much Xie Li appreciated them, Elder Zhang also grew a little proud.

“My ancestors were a collateral branch descended from Zhang Zhongjing’s lineage. For generations, our family has worked to restore the medical classics left behind back then, and we’ve already reconstructed most of them. Those people thought destroying the books would erase everything, but they forgot that as long as the people survived, the knowledge survived too. After they left, I rewrote the texts from memory and hid them carefully…”

Only in recent years, as the atmosphere became less strict, did he finally dare display them openly again.

After agreeing on their arrangement, Elder Zhang still tried to give Xie Li money for the ginseng.

But Xie Li firmly refused.

The old man became somewhat embarrassed.

“In this profession, talent matters greatly. What I teach you may not end up worth this much money. You should still take it first. If you regret this later, at least your losses will be smaller.”

“No need.” Xie Li smiled. “I trust your medical skill and your character. Even if I fail to learn anything, that would simply mean I lack the fortune for it.”

Elder Zhang glanced at him before sighing approvingly.

“You really do understand propriety.”

…

Carrying the medical texts, Xie Li returned to the village.

When Li Tiantian saw him bring back so many books, she curiously flipped through them until her head started spinning.

“What are all these?”

“Chinese medicine texts.”

Xie Li opened one of the books and explained his plan to study medicine independently. Looking at Li Tiantian, he asked for her opinion.

“What do you think?”

Li Tiantian huffed and lightly punched his shoulder in mock annoyance.

“You already brought everything home and now you’re asking me?”

Still, she had no intention of stopping him.

In her eyes, it was always good for Xie Li to be ambitious and learn additional skills. Surely he could not spend his entire life scraping by in the fields.

When Li Jianguo and Wang Cuihua learned the news, they also immediately voiced their support.

If he truly succeeded in studying medicine and eventually worked at the clinic as a state-employed doctor, earning dozens of yuan every month, then their daughter would never need to work in the fields again for the rest of her life.

What could possibly be better than that?

And so, almost no one opposed Xie Li’s decision to study medicine.

Every morning, he woke early to exercise in the courtyard before cooking breakfast. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Then he woke Li Tiantian and little Donggua so the whole family could eat together. Once Li Tiantian cleaned the dishes, the entire family would begin studying.

Donggua had been exceptionally intelligent since birth.

Whenever he felt hungry or thirsty, he simply made soft humming sounds. Usually he rarely cried at all and instead preferred staring at people with his round black eyes.

Xie Li would let him roll around on the bed while he and Li Tiantian sat at the edge reading together. Little Donggua never disturbed them.

Every hour, Xie Li would stand up to stretch and rest his eyes. During those breaks, he would carry Donggua outside for a walk so the baby could look at the scenery before returning home to continue studying.

Time slowly passed this way.

By the time little Donggua began teething, Xie Li had already entered the field properly and spent two months training under Elder Zhang.

His learning speed was astonishing.

Because of the spirit spring water, his memory had become exceptionally powerful. In less than a month, he had memorized all the hand-copied manuscripts and earned permission to continue studying directly under Elder Zhang.

From then on, every morning he rode a bicycle into town to follow Elder Zhang personally and receive direct instruction.

The clinic handled an unknown number of patients every day. After Xie Li joined, everyone’s workload finally became lighter, so the staff welcomed him enthusiastically and practically treated him as part of the clinic already.

Faced with countless medical cases, Xie Li combined theory with practice and improved at incredible speed.

Gradually, he even learned to infer broader principles from specific cases, adjusting herbal prescriptions according to symptoms. He could already independently handle simple illnesses at the clinic.

Only when he encountered pulses he could not confidently diagnose would he ask Doctor Xiao Chen for help.

Xiao Chen and Xie Li really did seem strangely fated.

Both times Xie Li first came to the clinic, Xiao Chen had been the one to receive him. And now they had become fellow disciples under the same teacher.

Seeing Xie Li’s terrifying progress, Xiao Chen became endlessly envious.

“With your speed of learning, no wonder Teacher wants to formally accept you.”

Indeed, less than three months after initially rejecting the idea, Elder Zhang already regretted it.

In all his life, he had only ever encountered one person with talent as monstrous as Xie Li’s. That person had been a senior he deeply admired, someone who had already long passed away.

Now, seeing Xie Li, Elder Zhang felt both shocked by the appearance of such genius and increasingly tempted to accept him as a true inner disciple.

But Xie Li kept refusing because he still intended to return to the capital someday.

Even if Elder Zhang truly descended from a lineage of medical saints and possessed extraordinary skill, once Xie Li returned to the capital, mountains and distance would separate them. They might never meet again. More importantly, Xie Li would never be able to properly fulfill the responsibilities of a formal disciple, such as mourning at his teacher’s funeral.

Rather than delay Elder Zhang’s search for a true inheritor, it was better not to make such promises lightly.

Moreover, Xie Li never intended to study medicine in university.

Learning traditional Chinese medicine was simply a personal interest. He had a long lifetime ahead of him to slowly explore it. But if he wanted to rely on medicine to make a name for himself, then with his current level of skill, he was still far from sufficient.

Rather than that, he would rather seize the opportunities of this era of reform, when wealth could practically be found everywhere, and first focus on becoming rich.

After learning of Xie Li’s thoughts, Elder Zhang felt deeply regretful and even somewhat angry, upset that Xie Li did not treasure his own talent.

Unfortunately, no matter how angry he became, Xie Li still did not change his mind.

Left with no choice, Elder Zhang finally brought out several books and handed one to Xie Li, explaining that it was a medical text compiled over generations by the Zhang family. It remained unfinished and had originally been intended for a true inner disciple, but now he was giving one volume to Xie Li to study.

If, within his lifetime, Xie Li could eventually complete the book, then Elder Zhang’s teachings would not have been wasted.

Looking at the precious handwritten manuscript being offered to him, Xie Li solemnly accepted.

…

After this matter, Elder Zhang remained gloomy for several days before finally relenting and officially accepting Doctor Xiao Chen as a disciple.

Doctor Xiao Chen had dreamed for years of entering Elder Zhang’s lineage without success. Now that he finally achieved it, he was so happy he could barely sleep for several nights straight.

He specifically sought out Xie Li to thank him.

Xie Li sighed helplessly.

“You don’t need to thank me. This has nothing to do with me. Doctor Chen, you really are excellent, otherwise Elder Zhang would never have chosen you from among so many students. But… Doctor Chen, there’s something I should tell you. I probably won’t be coming to the clinic much anymore in the future.”

“…???”

Doctor Xiao Chen stared at him in shock before asking nervously,

“Because the station chief accepted me as his disciple?”

“No.” Xie Li shook his head and smiled faintly. “My wife’s pregnant again. I want to stay home and spend more time with her.”

Doctor Xiao Chen froze before suddenly understanding.

“So that’s it. Congratulations. You’re still so young, yet you already have two children.”

“But when your wife gives birth, you’ll still need to come to the clinic, right? How can you say you won’t come anymore?”

Xie Li stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“That’ll depend on the situation. I may be going to university.”

Doctor Xiao Chen assumed he meant a worker-peasant-soldier university and sighed somewhat regretfully.

“Going to university is good too. You’re not originally from here. If you can return home and see your family, then you should.”

Xie Li only smiled quietly without explaining further.

In late November, an earth-shaking piece of news swept across the entire country like a hurricane.

Countless students became so excited their blood practically boiled. The joy was greater than celebrating New Year itself.

The college entrance examination had been restored!!!

Li Jianguo brought the news back from a meeting in town. When the educated youths heard it, they froze for a moment before plunging into overwhelming ecstasy.

After years spent in the countryside, they finally had a chance to leave this place.

Even if success would not come easily, at least now they finally had hope and motivation.

Soon, the sound of loud reading filled the educated youth dormitories day and night without pause.

The moment Hu Dezheng returned from the meeting, he immediately came searching for Xie Li. Suppressing his emotions but unable to hide his excitement, he asked,

“So this is the ‘adjustment’ you talked about?”

Xie Li remained calm as he nodded.

“Even I didn’t expect it to come this quickly. Still… congratulations. All those years of relentless studying weren’t wasted after all.”

Hu Dezheng felt both joy and sorrow.

What Xie Li did not know was that before this announcement arrived, Hu Dezheng had already obtained Father Qian’s recommendation and been approved to attend a worker-peasant-soldier university the following year.

That recommendation had been Father Qian’s reward for giving up Qian Lanxiang.

At the time, Hu Dezheng had remained silent and accepted it.

Now, if he rejected Father Qian’s recommendation, would Qian Lanxiang still forgive him?

“I’m going to the Qian house.”

After saying that, Hu Dezheng walked away in a daze.

Watching him leave, Xie Li frowned slightly, vaguely guessing what choices Hu Dezheng had made.

Although Xie Li had once proposed the “three-year agreement” to temporarily ease Hu Dezheng’s anxiety, as time passed, it was entirely possible Hu Dezheng lost patience and sought another path for himself.

The only question was whether he would eventually regret it.

Thinking this to himself, Xie Li turned around and saw Li Tiantian holding little Donggua while leaning against the doorway, looking at him with pitiful eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with amusement.

Ever since becoming a mother, Li Tiantian had grown noticeably steadier. It had been a long time since she last looked this helpless and aggrieved.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Tiantian finally asked softly,

“You’re going to take the college entrance exam too?”

“Of course.” Xie Li nodded before asking in return, “You don’t want me to?”

“If you take the exam, then won’t you have to leave for university somewhere far away?” Li Tiantian bit her lip. “What about me and Donggua?”

“Of course I’ll bring both of you with me.”

Knowing exactly what she feared, Xie Li smiled gently. Walking over, he wrapped an arm around her and lowered his head to ask softly,

“Trust me. Hmm?”

The deep hum in his voice was magnetic and irresistibly gentle.

After listening quietly for a long moment, Li Tiantian suddenly nodded fiercely as though making a desperate decision.

“I trust you!”

Unfortunately, Li Tiantian trusted him.

Li Jianguo did not.

Li Jianguo refused to write a recommendation letter.

Without a recommendation letter, Xie Li could not even register for the examination, much less actually take it.

…

“Dad, just write Xie Li a recommendation letter.”

Li Tiantian came pleading with little Donggua in her arms.

Li Jianguo’s expression looked terrible. He neither agreed nor outright refused, merely staring at Xie Li silently.

After a pause, Xie Li asked Li Tiantian to take Donggua outside first.

She initially refused, but after Xie Li coaxed her quietly for a few moments, she reluctantly carried Donggua away.

“Dad, I know what you’re worried about.”

“If you really know, then stop thinking about recommendation letters and stay obediently in the village.”

Xie Li fell silent briefly before speaking quietly.

“I could stay in this village for the rest of my life. But I don’t want Tiantian to spend her entire life here too. She’s never seen the outside world, so she thinks this place is enough. But I clearly have the ability to give her a better life.”

Because Li Jianguo knew Xie Li’s background, he understood these words were not false.

And precisely because he understood, he became even more unwilling to let Xie Li leave.

Once Xie Li returned to the capital, what would happen to Tiantian?

Li Jianguo had absolutely no confidence at all.

The capital…

To him, it was merely a distant name occasionally heard over the town radio. It lay more than two thousand kilometers away from Xiaoxipo Village. A train journey took five or six days.

Xie Li was from the capital. He had acquaintances there, connections there.

But what about his daughter?

Should she really follow Xie Li there?

Once they arrived there, in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people, who knew what might happen?

“Dad, I’ll be direct.” Xie Li pressed his lips together. “Tiantian’s pregnant again.”

In the previous life, Li Tiantian had also conceived their daughter around this same time period, though she did not discover it until the following spring, after the original owner had already left.

So ever since November arrived, Xie Li’s attention toward Li Tiantian had increased dramatically. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Every few days he would take her pulse under the excuse of “practicing,” and not long ago he truly detected the slippery pulse of pregnancy.

He deliberately kept the news hidden until now.

“I want Tiantian and the children to live good lives. I don’t want to stay here forever, working in the fields every day, then watching our children grow up only to work in the fields too, earning barely any money, carefully rationing every piece of meat because we’re afraid others won’t get enough, feeding mosquitoes in summer and hiding under blankets all winter.”

After saying this long speech, Xie Li saw Li Jianguo’s expression grow complicated, as though deeply moved. Smiling faintly, he casually added,

“Most importantly, I hope my children can study in the future too. I want them to take the college entrance exam like I did, attend schools in places with advanced education, then grow up, marry, and have families of their own.”

“……”

Li Jianguo said nothing.

This was an impossible problem for every educated youth sent to the countryside.

They had seen prosperity before. They longed to return to the cities and the environments they once knew.

And Xie Li had seen even more of the world than most educated youths.

If everyone else wanted to return to the city, then under circumstances where it was possible, Xie Li wanted it even more.

Not to mention the Xie family was still waiting for him to come home.

He would never betray the family who had loved the original owner so dearly.

Li Jianguo sat in the shadows where the light could not reach him. After a very long silence, he finally sighed with overwhelming helplessness.

“You’re right.”

…

December arrived, bringing the coldest weather of the year.

Under the attentive and anxious gazes of Li Tiantian and the Li family, Xie Li stepped into the examination hall.

The other candidates could not help staring at him in surprise.

Now that his features had fully matured, Xie Li’s appearance had become even more outstanding. Refined and elegant yet still carrying masculine sharpness, his tall, straight figure towered above many of the southern examinees.

Quite a few girls secretly watched him.

Xie Li remained calm, seemingly unaware of the attention. Politely declining several students who tried to strike up conversations, he found his desk and sat down with his eyes closed to rest.

Seeing his attitude, the others understood he had no interest in chatting and reluctantly returned to their own seats.

Hu Dezheng entered the examination hall last.

Like Xie Li, he came from the north and carried the open, straightforward aura typical of northerners. After suppressing himself for years, now that he finally had a chance to take the college entrance exam, all his confidence burst forth at once.

His eyes and brows overflowed with certainty as he stared forward with determined focus.

Hearing the movement, Xie Li opened his eyes and glanced at him in surprise.

Quite a coincidence. They had actually ended up in the same examination hall.

This would probably also become one of the few remaining opportunities for northern and southern educated youths to take the exam together. In a few more years, after everyone returned to their hometowns and began taking exams locally, scenes like this would disappear forever.

Because of the massive educational disruptions of the era, the examination questions this year were actually fairly simple.

Unfortunately, most educated youths had spent years buried under exhausting labor and never persisted in studying. Many only crammed frantically for a single month before the exam.

Compared to the deep accumulation of knowledge built up by Xie Li and Hu Dezheng over years of preparation, the difference was enormous.

After finishing the easier questions, most candidates simply stared blankly ahead, unable to continue.

Among this crowd, the answering speed of Xie Li and Hu Dezheng appeared downright terrifying.

Xie Li finished first.

After completing the paper, he intended to review his answers. Just as he stretched slightly, commotion suddenly erupted inside the examination hall.

Looking up, he saw the proctor glaring at a pale-faced examinee while holding a crumpled cheat sheet in his hand.

“You… if you weren’t prepared, you could have waited for next time. How could you do something like this? I won’t say more. Leave by yourself.”

Xie Li immediately understood someone had been caught cheating.

Thinking about it from the other person’s perspective, it actually made sense.

Although the government had restored the college entrance examination, they never announced when the next exam would occur. Many candidates desperate to return to the city feared this opportunity might vanish after a single year, so in a moment of panic they risked everything.

This person would not be the first caught cheating, nor the last.

Perhaps in countless other examination halls across the country, the exact same scenes were unfolding.

Xie Li felt somewhat sorry for him. Shaking his head lightly, he lowered his gaze and continued carefully reviewing his own answers.

The cheating student’s face turned deathly pale. His legs weakened as he stumbled out of the room before suddenly bursting into tears.

His suppressed, regretful sobbing drifted into the examination hall, affecting the other candidates. Many could not resist looking over. And when they saw someone forcibly escorting the student away, anxiety instantly spread through the room.

Only Xie Li calmly finished reviewing his paper, changed one or two answers, then submitted it and left.

The others unconsciously shifted their attention toward him. Only then did they snap back to their senses, hurriedly forcing themselves to focus again under the pressure created by Xie Li turning in his exam early.

Hu Dezheng was the second person to submit his paper.

After coming outside, he sincerely thanked Xie Li.

He too had been affected by the cheating incident and nearly lost concentration long enough to fail finishing the exam. If Xie Li’s early submission had not snapped him back to reality, he would still have been distracted by thoughts about that student.

“No need to thank me. There are still several exams left. Stay focused and finish them properly. Don’t waste two years of hard work on this single day.”

Hu Dezheng nodded fiercely. Perhaps because he thought of Qian Lanxiang, determination flashed through his eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely succeed.”

Two days later, after completing all the examinations, Xie Li, Hu Dezheng, and the others returned to Xiaoxipo Village to await their university admission notices.

╰───♡───╯

When they saw Li Tiantian had given birth to a boy, Li Jianguo and Wang Cuihua were so delighted they could barely speak.

“Oh my, my grandson is so adorable.”

After the baby was cleaned up and examined, he was brought into the hospital room. The two elders stayed glued to his side, completely unwilling to look away even for a moment.

Warm affection overflowed from Li Jianguo’s eyes as he repeatedly nodded.

“That’s right, that’s right! He’s my grandson, of course he’s adorable.”

Xie Li sat beside Li Tiantian’s bed writing letters. Every so often, he would lift his head to glance at the exhausted Li Tiantian asleep beside the baby. Hearing the two elders’ conversation, he could not help smiling.

With that tiny wrinkled face looking about as attractive as a monkey’s backside, only grandparents wearing emotional filters could praise him with such confidence.

Shaking his head, Xie Li lowered his gaze and continued writing.

“Writing a letter to your parents-in-law?” Li Jianguo asked casually after noticing what he was doing.

Xie Li nodded.

“The baby’s a boy. I should tell them too and let them share the happiness.”

Li Jianguo nodded in understanding, then sighed regretfully.

“Yeah, you should tell them. It’s just a pity grandfather and grandson can’t meet.”

In Li Jianguo’s mind, unless he personally recommended Xie Li for a worker-peasant-soldier university spot, Xie Li would probably spend the rest of his life trapped in Xiaoxipo Village. As for Xie Li’s parents, they had committed political mistakes and would likely spend their entire lives laboring in the northern wastelands. Naturally, they would never get the chance to meet their son or grandson.

The limitations of the era prevented Li Jianguo from imagining the future changes to come, so he genuinely felt regretful.

But Xie Li knew very well these days would not last much longer.

Mentally counting the remaining time before the wave of change that would overturn the era finally arrived, he lowered his head with a faint smile and continued writing without explanation.

In total, he wrote seven letters, addressed respectively to his grandfather, parents, eldest uncle, second uncle, fourth uncle, eldest aunt…

The Xie family was large. Over the past year, Xie Li had quietly sent four to five hundred yuan to different relatives in small amounts. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The person who received the most support was the head of the Xie family, Xie Li’s grandfather, Xie Jin’an.

The old man had once been the pillar of the entire family and the person who loved the original owner most dearly.

Now he was stuck laboring on a northern farm, working endlessly every day while barely having enough food or necessities. Life was extremely difficult for him.

In the previous life, just before his political rehabilitation, he died from illness and physical exhaustion caused by age and hardship.

But in this life, thanks to Xie Li’s financial support, the old man’s health remained relatively sturdy. At the very least, he no longer had to endure hunger.

If he learned his beloved grandson now had a child of his own, who knew how happy he would be?

…

Time passed quickly.

By the time the replies from the family arrived, Li Tiantian was also ready to leave the hospital.

As expected, the letter from the old man overflowed with joy and praise. He repeatedly complimented Xie Li and his granddaughter-in-law for doing wonderfully and said he never expected to live long enough to witness the birth of a great-grandson.

Even if he could not meet the child in person, simply knowing the news brought him comfort.

After reading the letter, however, Xie Li frowned sharply, sensing something hidden beneath the words. For the first time, he regretted informing the old man about the baby so early.

The tone of the letter clearly carried a kind of exhausted despair toward life.

Previously, the old man still worried constantly about the younger generations and could not let go. But now that he saw Xie Li capable of supporting himself, marrying, and continuing the Xie family bloodline, the old man’s final motivation to struggle onward seemed to have disappeared as well.

A future without visible hope could indeed drive people toward despair.

But it was already May now.

Less than half a year remained before the restoration of the college entrance examination system.

And only another year or two remained before the Xie family’s rehabilitation.

After enduring the entire long march, they could not collapse right before reaching the finish line.

After thinking deeply for a long time, Xie Li immediately wrote another letter requesting the old man personally name the child. Along with the letter, he enclosed a simple sketch portrait of the baby.

The drawing was done by Xie Li himself. With only a few strokes, he captured the baby’s features, making the newborn appear exceptionally cute.

In the letter, he also promised that once the baby reached one month old, he would send an actual photograph.

Of course, Xie Li did not send that photo until a year later.

By then, the old man had already received notice of rehabilitation. Sitting aboard a train returning to the capital from afar, he held the photograph of his adorable great-grandson in trembling hands and wept openly.

…

At this moment, however, Xie Li could not foresee the future.

He was simply doing everything he could to save the old man’s life. But mountains and distance separated them, leaving him powerless to do anything beyond sending letters.

Carrying that lingering worry in his heart, Xie Li helplessly put away the letters, packed up their belongings, and accompanied Li Tiantian home from the hospital.

The moment they returned to Xiaoxipo Village carrying bags and bundles, news spread rapidly through the entire village that Xie Li had gained a son and Li Jianguo had become a grandfather.

Villagers came one after another to offer congratulations.

The educated youths close to Xie Li also arrived carrying gifts to see the baby. The moment they laid eyes on him, every single one of them widened their eyes in shock.

Thanks to the constant nourishment from Xie Li’s spirit spring water, Li Tiantian produced abundant milk. After drinking her milk, the baby quickly lost the wrinkled redness from birth and transformed into a fair, jade-like little child overflowing with vitality and spiritual charm.

Even with the room crowded full of people, he remained completely calm. His round eyes rolled around curiously, and though he still could not see clearly, the sheer cuteness nearly overwhelmed everyone present.

“When my younger brother was born, it took a whole month before he stopped looking ugly. This baby’s so adorable. He was handsome right from birth.”

Xie Li protectively held the baby while smiling modestly.

“That’s not true. The baby also stayed in the clinic for many days.”

“But he’s still much better-looking than my brother,” the other person said enviously.

This time, Xie Li did not deny it.

His son was naturally handsome. What was wrong with people speaking the truth?

When the baby reached one month old, Li Jianguo absolutely insisted on hosting a banquet. Xie Li could not be bothered, so Li Jianguo became angry enough to pay for it himself, inviting the entire village to come celebrate and admire his grandson.

After completing her confinement month, Li Tiantian attended the banquet with Xie Li accompanying her.

During the celebration, Qian Lanxiang arrived with her parents carrying gifts.

Li Tiantian’s eyes brightened instantly as she pulled Xie Li forward.

“Lanxiang!”

Qian Lanxiang looked up. Her exhausted, spiritless expression immediately forced itself into a smile as she enthusiastically said,

“Tiantian, congratulations on having a son. I already saw the baby. He’s really adorable.”

“He really is adorable.” Li Tiantian smiled happily. “A few days ago he finally got a name. He’s called Xie Zhenchen. Xie Li’s grandfather picked it. His nickname is Donggua, chosen by my dad. You can call him Donggua from now on.”

Li Jianguo originally wanted to name the baby himself, but his competition was Xie Li’s grandfather. Considering seniority, even he had to respectfully address the old man as Elder In-Law. There was no way he could compete, so he settled for choosing a nickname instead to satisfy himself.

Qian Lanxiang nodded.

“Donggua is a very cute nickname.”

Li Tiantian was also extremely satisfied with it. She wanted to continue chatting, but suddenly noticed Qian Lanxiang’s expression dim. Avoiding the crowd’s gaze, she quietly moved behind Li Tiantian.

Confused, Li Tiantian asked,

“What’s wrong?”

After carefully scanning the courtyard, she immediately understood.

Hu Dezheng had arrived.

Truthfully, Li Tiantian still did not fully understand what was happening between the two of them. They were constantly awkward and hesitant. Clearly they cared for each other, yet neither seemed willing to fight properly for the relationship.

Unlike her Xie Li.

Even facing opposition, he still stubbornly insisted on marrying her.

“Let’s talk inside,” Li Tiantian said, pulling Qian Lanxiang into the room and asking what had happened and how things were progressing now.

Qian Lanxiang collapsed onto the bed and held her face with both hands, pretending to be carefree.

“My father arranged another marriage for me.”

Li Tiantian froze before finally processing the words.

“So things between you and Educated Youth Hu are over?”

“Mm. It’s over.” Qian Lanxiang smiled faintly and deliberately acted unconcerned. “Anyway, his heart never really belonged to me. No matter how much I force it, it’s useless. Better to obediently get married and stop making my parents angry.”

Li Tiantian sighed softly and said nothing more.

Always throwing a warm face against someone else’s cold indifference… no matter how much you like someone, after enough time, your heart eventually grows tired.

So Li Tiantian understood Qian Lanxiang’s decision. She simply felt it was a pity.

They were clearly such a perfect match, talented and beautiful together.

“You don’t need to worry about me anymore. Hu Dezheng already told me about his family situation. Honestly, I don’t even want to follow him into that kind of suffering.”

Seeing Li Tiantian looking upset on her behalf, Qian Lanxiang awkwardly forced herself to sound cheerful, speaking against her true feelings.

“Do you know his family has eleven people living together, but only three rooms? During summer it gets unbearably stuffy, and the entire family sleeps on floor bedding in the main hall together. In winter they try to save coal, so they only bathe once every half month. It’s absolutely terrifying.”

No matter how disdainful Qian Lanxiang sounded, the longing in her eyes could not be hidden.

Li Tiantian knew perfectly well that she was only pretending to be tough.

That night, lying in bed, she sadly told Xie Li about everything.

Even Xie Li found it difficult to understand.

But perhaps this was simply the helplessness of the era.

Even when two people genuinely loved each other, reality and hardship could still force them apart. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Life was not a fairy tale. Things could not always go exactly as wished.

Even if Hu Dezheng truly stayed behind for love, who could say whether decades later he might regret it and eventually become resentful toward Qian Lanxiang instead?

…

After the baby’s one-month celebration banquet, Xie Li finally found time to make a trip into town to visit Old Doctor Zhang.

Old Doctor Zhang was the station chief at the clinic, sixty-five years old this year. Without his approval, Li Tiantian would never have secured a hospital bed to safely await labor in town.

After all, the timing of this child’s arrival differed from the previous life. If complications arose unexpectedly, they could easily be caught unprepared.

Xie Li had been worried, so he searched everywhere trying to secure a hospital bed until he eventually approached the old doctor.

Fortunately, Li Tiantian really had stayed at the clinic, because during labor complications truly did arise. If doctors had not intervened promptly, something serious might actually have happened.

This visit was Xie Li coming to fulfill his promise.

“Congratulations, congratulations.”

Knowing Xie Li’s family had recently hosted a one-month celebration banquet, the white-haired Doctor Zhang smiled and clasped his hands in greeting.

“Don’t forget the promise you made me.”

“I wouldn’t dare forget.”

From the satchel on his back, Xie Li took out a ginseng root wrapped in dried grass and mud.

“I’m not particularly skilled at preparing medicinal herbs properly, so I brought it over directly.”

The old doctor froze momentarily before taking it carefully and examining it in detail. Instantly, excitement surged across his face.

“It really is over twenty years old… a treasure… an absolute rare treasure!”

A wild ginseng root over twenty years old was rare not only in this era. Even a hundred years earlier, such a thing would still have been extremely precious.

Back when Xie Li desperately searched for a hospital bed for Li Tiantian’s labor, he approached the old doctor with a proposal: if he could secure a room, then Xie Li would sell him an intact wild ginseng root.

The station chief’s elderly wife suffered from chronic poor health and relied on ginseng to sustain herself year-round. With this ginseng root, she could likely hold on for another two or three years. The old doctor therefore agreed without much hesitation.

Now that he finally saw the real thing, he was so excited he almost could not speak.

With a ginseng this precious, forget two or three years. It would probably last all the way until the end of his wife’s natural lifespan.

The old doctor gazed at the ginseng with the tender affection of someone looking at a beloved lover.

It was a fresh ginseng root about the length of an arm. The body was beautifully cylindrical, with nearly intact root tendrils. The upper portion vaguely resembled the face of an old man. Given a few more years of growth, its medicinal potency would strengthen further, and it would look even more human.

According to legend, thousand-year-old ginseng roots became mountain spirits. Before digging them up, one had to tie a red string around the leaves first, otherwise the ginseng would run away. By the time you finished digging, you would discover there was nothing beneath the soil at all.

When Xie Li first heard this legend, he even wandered thoughtfully around his space afterward, secretly deciding he would someday grow a thousand-year-old ginseng himself just to see whether ginseng spirits truly existed.

The old doctor still could not bear to let go of the root.

“I get off work at noon. Come, let’s go to my house so I can get your money.”

Xie Li nodded and followed him.

The old doctor’s home stood not far behind the clinic, a small two-story building. The elderly couple lived downstairs while their children occupied the upper floor.

After bringing Xie Li inside, the old doctor asked him to wait in the study while he went to fetch the money.

Watching the old man leave the room, Xie Li stood up and quietly examined the study’s arrangement.

There were not many books.

Aside from red-covered Chairman quotations, most of the shelves contained hand-copied manuscripts stitched together with thread and carefully preserved.

After a while, the old doctor returned. Seeing Xie Li staring intently at the shelves, he smiled faintly.

“My books were destroyed years ago. These are all things I rewrote from memory. They’re probably useless anyway. None of my children care to read them.”

Something stirred inside Xie Li’s heart.

“Come sit and chat, Xiao Xie.” The old doctor did not notice the change in his expression. Sitting down nearby, he said somewhat awkwardly, “I can tell you don’t understand market prices, so I’ll be honest. The ginseng you brought is old and medicinally powerful. If you found the right buyer, it could probably sell for two thousand yuan. Unfortunately, I only have this much money on hand. I wanted to ask you for a favor. Could you sell it to me first? I’ll slowly repay the rest later.”

The old doctor handed over a stack of bundled cash. Even at a rough glance, there was clearly at least fifteen hundred yuan there.

Looking toward Xie Li and seeing him hesitate, the old doctor anxiously shifted forward.

“It may not be enough, but this truly is all my savings.”

Xie Li smiled.

“Old Doctor, you misunderstood. I’m not saying the money is too little. Honestly, if not for your skillful treatment, my wife’s childbirth would never have gone so smoothly.”

The old doctor shook his head with a sigh.

“What skillful treatment? I merely did what was expected of me.”

The more humble the old man acted, the stronger the thought growing in Xie Li’s mind became.

“I don’t want the rest of your money. I know doctors don’t earn much, and afterward you’d probably have to borrow from others to repay me, which would only create more trouble. Why don’t we simply change the terms of the transaction instead?”

The old doctor froze.

“How do you want to change it?”

“I want to study medicine under you.”

“……”

The old doctor slowly looked Xie Li up and down. A sharp gleam flashed through the corners of his aged eyes.

“I’ve searched everywhere for someone to inherit my knowledge and failed to find anyone. Yet today, someone delivered himself straight to my door.”

Xie Li’s eyes brightened as he looked at the respected elderly physician before him.

“Then… do you think I’m suitable?”

╰───♡───╯

“Am I good-looking?”

Li Tiantian froze, her dark round eyes widening in surprise as she looked at Xie Li. Seeing the sincerity and certainty in his gaze, she paused for a moment. Then her watery eyes grew brighter and brighter until she suddenly covered her face and began giggling shyly.

She truly had no resistance at all against Xie Li’s sweet words.

Seeing her reaction, Xie Li’s thin lips curved upward slightly, and even his mood improved. Wrapping an arm around the young woman, he indulgently let her cling to him and act spoiled in his embrace as the two slowly walked home together.

Halfway there, they passed by the Qian family courtyard. Remembering what happened during the day, Xie Li suddenly stopped.

“Oh right. It was Qian Lanxiang who came to tell me you fainted earlier. Should we go thank her? We can also let her know you’re alright so she won’t keep worrying.”

“Mm… let’s go tell her.”

After thinking for a while, Li Tiantian nodded. Hooking her arm through Xie Li’s, she turned and headed toward the Qian household.

But just as the two approached the courtyard, they heard loud arguing coming from inside.

“What’s going on?”

Confused, Li Tiantian perked up her ears and tried hard to listen to the voices within.

Bang!

Just as she leaned in to eavesdrop, the courtyard gate suddenly swung open from inside.

Li Tiantian froze and immediately straightened up, putting on an innocent expression as though she had definitely not been listening at all.

Amused, Xie Li glanced sideways at her before looking toward the doorway. Then he raised his brows in surprise upon realizing the person opening the gate was actually Hu Dezheng.

“What are you doing here?”

Hu Dezheng also appeared startled upon seeing Xie Li and Li Tiantian. Uneasily taking a step backward, he asked,

“You two? Why haven’t you gone home yet this late?”

“We were just about to head back. Didn’t expect to run into you instead.” Xie Li curled his lips into a smile, amusement lingering in his eyes as he glanced meaningfully toward the courtyard behind Hu Dezheng. “Coming out of the Qian household… so does this mean you two finally got together?”

The last time he saw them heading together to the village office, he already suspected something was going on. But even Xie Li had not expected Hu Dezheng to move so quickly and already be meeting the parents.

Hu Dezheng’s face darkened instantly as he flatly denied it.

“No such thing.”

The moment the words fell, Qian Lanxiang happened to chase out from inside the courtyard.

Seeing Xie Li and Li Tiantian standing there, she froze briefly before suddenly realizing she had completely forgotten to ask about Li Tiantian fainting earlier. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Her footsteps halted as she awkwardly asked,

“Tiantian, you’re back?”

“Yeah.” Li Tiantian nodded. Glancing toward the dark courtyard behind Qian Lanxiang and recalling the shouting she had just heard, she asked curiously,

“Why was Uncle Qian so angry just now? I could hear him yelling even from outside.”

Qian Lanxiang sighed bitterly, unsure how to explain.

Beside her, Hu Dezheng’s expression darkened. After greeting Xie Li briefly, he stepped past Qian Lanxiang and muttered in a low voice,

“I’m leaving first.”

Then he strode away quickly.

“Why are you leaving?” Qian Lanxiang became unhappy at once. Abandoning Li Tiantian, she hurried after him. “Stop right there! I still have something to say to you!”

Hu Dezheng did not slow down. Qian Lanxiang chased farther and farther after him…

“Wasn’t it just my dad saying a couple words to you? Why are you so angry?”

“I’m not angry!”

“And you still say you’re not angry? Your nose is practically crooked from anger already. Ah, Dezheng, can’t you just say a few nice things for my sake…”

Their conversation drifted back in fragments until the voices gradually faded into the distance, disappearing completely as the two walked away one after another.

Li Tiantian stood there blankly, staring at what had just happened. She felt as though she had somehow missed several chapters of the story.

“What exactly just happened?”

No one answered her.

Frowning, she looked at Xie Li with grievance written all over her face.

Xie Li sighed helplessly.

“Maybe Uncle Qian disapproves of their relationship? Dezheng’s pride is pretty strong, so perhaps he got into an argument with Qian Lanxiang.”

“That’s not right! Uncle Qian isn’t that old-fashioned,” Li Tiantian protested, unable to understand.

Xie Li merely smiled ambiguously without speaking.

Qian Lanxiang’s father and Li Jianguo had grown up together as close brothers. Later, one became the brigade leader while the other became vice brigade leader, and their relationship remained extremely close even now.

And if someone could be brothers with Li Jianguo, how could he possibly not be old-fashioned?

It looked like Hu Dezheng’s romance still had quite a difficult road ahead.

“Forget about them. Let’s go home and rest. I still have to work tomorrow,” Xie Li reminded her.

Unless something truly major happened, the production brigade did not allow leave.

Li Tiantian being pregnant counted as a major matter, so it was acceptable for her not to work. But Xie Li could not avoid it.

Besides, now that there was already one person in the household not working, and with him being Li Jianguo’s son-in-law, if he wanted to avoid gossip from the villagers, he needed to set an example and report to work even earlier.

Li Tiantian thought of this too. After glancing toward the direction where Qian Lanxiang disappeared and realizing she had headed toward the educated youth dormitory, she relaxed slightly before nodding.

“Then let’s go home first.”

…

The next morning, the moment Li Tiantian woke up, she was still thinking about Qian Lanxiang’s situation.

Rolling over, she wanted to discuss it with Xie Li, only to realize he was already gone. Beside the bed sat a small stove, keeping a bowl of egg-drop porridge warm.

Understanding immediately what had happened, laughter flickered through her eyes. Stretching lazily, she climbed out of bed, cheerfully ran out to wash up, then returned to drink the porridge.

Snow-white grains of rice were dotted with tiny green scallions, cooked until soft and fragrant. The smell was irresistibly comforting. Yet when she tasted it, the rice still retained just enough texture between her teeth, creating an indescribably satisfying feeling of happiness.

Beside the stove lay a note.

On it was a short message reminding Li Tiantian not to overexert herself and that even if she planned to go out, she still needed to finish breakfast first.

“I would never forget breakfast,” Li Tiantian muttered to herself with an upturned smile.

Obediently, she finished the porridge, cleaned up the dishes, then locked the house and headed toward the Qian family home.

Breakfast had delayed her a bit, so by the time she left, it was already fairly late.

She originally assumed Qian Lanxiang would have left by now, and as she walked, she wondered whether she should head to the fields to look for her instead.

Unexpectedly, when she passed the Qian household, she discovered Qian Lanxiang lying alone in the courtyard sunning herself.

“You’re the only one home?” Li Tiantian asked as she entered the courtyard.

Seeing it was Li Tiantian, Qian Lanxiang lazily lifted a hand in greeting.

“My parents both went to work. I twisted my leg last night, so I couldn’t go.”

Curiosity instantly appeared on Li Tiantian’s face.

“I was just about to ask. What’s going on between you and Educated Youth Hu?”

What else could it be?

Qian Lanxiang sighed and slowly explained everything.

Ever since Hu Dezheng first came to the countryside, Qian Lanxiang had already liked him. But because she was shy, she kept suppressing her feelings and never made a move.

Later, after seeing Li Tiantian and Xie Li get together, she was inspired and suddenly no longer wanted to keep restraining herself. Gathering her courage, she gradually started getting closer to Hu Dezheng.

Young people’s emotions burned passionately. One thing led to another, and before long, the two of them really did fall in love.

But Father Qian did not approve.

He had once seen the daughter of a neighboring brigade leader get abandoned, and his prejudice toward educated youths ran just as deep as Li Jianguo’s. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. He would rather his daughter remain unmarried her whole life than marry Hu Dezheng.

Honestly, that was fairly normal.

Because of the thefts and bad behavior committed by some educated youths in earlier years, most villagers carried prejudices against them and refused to marry their children to them.

Xie Li had been able to marry Li Tiantian because he independently built a house, purchased the “three big items” as bride price, treated Li Tiantian well, and passed Li Jianguo’s scrutiny.

Hu Dezheng was the complete opposite.

First, his family’s financial situation was poor. Though both parents technically held city jobs, they had too many children, and every sibling depended on the parents for support. Overall, his family circumstances were even worse than Qian Lanxiang’s.

Second, he cared too much about saving face and did not treat Qian Lanxiang particularly well either. He constantly worried about this and that, refused to make their relationship public, and would not openly introduce Qian Lanxiang to the people around him…

He did not even have the courage to write home and mention Qian Lanxiang to his parents.

Father Qian became convinced Hu Dezheng was not a good match. Disliking him more and more, he took the opportunity yesterday when Hu Dezheng escorted Qian Lanxiang home to stop him and give him a harsh lecture.

And so, Hu Dezheng’s pride was wounded, and he ran off.

Qian Lanxiang chased after him and accidentally injured her leg.

“He refuses to write home introducing you to his parents?” After hearing the whole story, Li Tiantian looked utterly shocked. “Why? Does he not actually like you?”

If that was the case, then no wonder Uncle Qian disapproved of the marriage.

Looking down at her sprained ankle, Qian Lanxiang forced a smile.

“Actually, it’s pretty normal. My parents still haven’t agreed. If he rashly writes home and things end up failing, then what?”

“Are you stupid?” Li Tiantian said in exasperation, practically furious on her behalf. “As long as he wrote the letter, Uncle Qian would already be eighty percent willing to let you continue dating. But he won’t even try… and you’re still defending him?”

Qian Lanxiang fell silent. Looking down at her swollen right foot, puffed up like a pig’s trotter, she spoke hoarsely,

“Then what do you expect me to do? He doesn’t love me the way Xie Li loves you. I’m the one throwing myself at him. What else can I do?”

As she spoke, tears rolled down her face.

Li Tiantian froze, instantly becoming flustered.

“Lanxiang, don’t cry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Qian Lanxiang turned over, facing away from her as she muttered in a muffled voice,

“Tiantian, go home first. I’ll handle my own problems. I heard you’re pregnant now, so don’t worry about me… I’ll be fine after crying for a while.”

Pressing her lips together, Li Tiantian left the Qian household, turning back every few steps. Only after walking outside did she suddenly realize just how fortunate she truly was.

She liked Xie Li.

And Xie Li just happened to like her back.

For the sake of marrying her, he sold precious personal belongings. To get closer to her, he nearly got injured by a wild boar. He constantly bought little gifts to please her and pursued her wholeheartedly.

Even after marriage, he remained exactly the same, spoiling her so much it almost reached the heavens themselves. Whatever she wanted, he bought for her.

Even her parents-in-law knew of her existence. Every two months, letters arrived asking after her wellbeing, sounding reasonable and loving.

But all of that rested on one single foundation:

Xie Li loved her.

What if he did not?

Would she also become like Lanxiang, constantly compromising herself just to remain by Xie Li’s side?

Resting her chin in her hand, Li Tiantian thought deeply.

Soon, she already had an answer.

She would.

Because she had fallen in love with Xie Li.

…

Li Tiantian continued paying attention to Qian Lanxiang’s situation for quite some time.

But after several months, she no longer had the energy to care, because her stomach kept growing larger, and Xie Li became more and more unbearable.

“Put that down. I’ll do it.”

“What are you moving around for?! I already told you not to carry heavy things. You never listen!”

“Li Tiantian, what are you doing now?”

“Stop right there! Your stomach’s already this big and you still dare squat down? Are you deliberately asking to get scolded?”

Xie Li worried constantly about her health. Other than necessary movement, he refused to let her do anything at all. Every day, he also cooked for her using spirit spring water, feeding her so well that her skin became soft and delicate, her figure rounded out, and she gained more than twenty jin, even developing a little double chin.

Li Tiantian was unwilling to simply sit around and wanted to do housework.

But even when Xie Li occasionally went out to work, Wang Cuihua would appear to supervise her. Concerned for her future grandchild, Wang Cuihua frequently came over to help with chores.

Li Tiantian practically became a useless person.

Under such boring circumstances, Li Tiantian sometimes deliberately caused trouble just to watch Xie Li’s calm expression finally crack. The resulting sense of accomplishment filled her with pride.

“You’re becoming more and more like an old housewife!” Holding her double chin, Li Tiantian tilted her head and grinned smugly at him. “Even my mother isn’t as nagging as you.”

Xie Li sneered.

“Keep causing trouble then. I’m only sparing you because you’re pregnant. Once the baby’s born, you’ll understand what suffering really means.”

Li Tiantian froze before mumbling weakly,

“But I didn’t even do anything bad…”

Terrified by that sentence, she behaved herself for several days afterward.

When her due date finally arrived, Xie Li took her to the clinic. After endless persuasion and who knew what kind of price paid behind the scenes, he finally managed to secure a hospital bed so Li Tiantian could stay there awaiting labor.

“Xie Li, I’m scared.”

The moment the labor pains struck, Li Tiantian, who had believed herself fearless, suddenly became frightened. Clutching Xie Li’s hand tightly, tears rolled from her reddened eyes.

“What if I have a difficult labor? Would you choose me or the baby?”

Xie Li showed no impatience at all. Gently cupping her cheek, he answered seriously,

“I only want you.”

Li Tiantian paused, staring at him as though trying to carve him permanently into her heart.

After a long moment, she wiped away her tears and said solemnly,

“For you, I’ll work hard.”

…

After an entire day and night of exhausting labor, Li Tiantian safely gave birth to a baby boy.

Xie Li: “……”

All this time, he had assumed the child would be a daughter.

Ever since Li Tiantian’s pregnancy was confirmed, he had already begun drafting a detailed “Daughter-Raising Plan,” staying up late beneath kerosene lamplight. The notes and precautions alone filled three entire pages.

Now it seemed his preparations had been insufficient.

He should have written a “Son-Raising Plan” too.

There was no need for excessive detail. As the older brother, a son carried heavy responsibility. He would need to protect his younger sister. A simple ten pages or so should be enough.

Fortunately, his son had only just been born.

There was still time to make up for it.

Having made up his mind, Xie Li looked determined.

Meanwhile, on the hospital bed, the tiny newborn baby trembled slightly after being separated from his mother…

For some unknown reason, he suddenly seemed a little pitiful.

╰───♡───╯

The summer harvest was carried out with overwhelming momentum and blazing intensity.

The entire village worked together in the fields, and the golden rice paddies disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye.

By the end of July, the rice had finally all been harvested, and the villagers began planting the second crop. One day, the weather suddenly turned unbearably hot.

A blazing red sun scorched the earth.

Xie Li was working in the fields when he lifted his head to glance at the sky, worry surfacing in his eyes for Li Tiantian.

Before leaving that morning, the young woman had mentioned she was going up the mountain to herd cattle and gather some tea fruit along the way.

In weather this hot, he wondered whether she might end up sunburned.

Maybe he should take half the day off and go pick her up?

Just as Xie Li was thinking this over, a figure suddenly appeared on the ridge between the fields, waving frantically and shouting at him.

“Xie Li! Hurry to the village entrance! Tiantian fainted! The brigade leader’s taking her to the clinic! He told me to get you!”

Bang!

Never expecting something had actually happened, the rice seedlings slipped from Xie Li’s hands onto the ground. His usually steady face changed instantly, brows tightly furrowed and lips paling slightly.

“What did you say? What happened to Tiantian?!”

“I can’t explain clearly.” Qian Lanxiang, who had come to deliver the message, frowned anxiously. “Just hurry to the village entrance!”

Without another word, Xie Li leapt up onto the field ridge and strode rapidly toward the village.

Qian Lanxiang chased after him for two steps before remembering the things he had dropped on the ground. She turned back to pick them up and verbally helped ask for leave from the others on his behalf. By the time she looked up again, Xie Li had already vanished from sight.

…

“Father-in-law, how’s Tiantian?”

Xie Li hurried to the village entrance and saw Li Jianguo driving the ox cart, repeatedly looking back in his direction as though waiting for him so they could head to town together. Xie Li rushed forward immediately to ask.

“I don’t know either. She fainted out of nowhere. Some people say it’s heatstroke, but it doesn’t seem like that to me.” Li Jianguo’s brows were deeply knitted together. “No time to talk. Hurry up and get on. We need to take Tiantian to the clinic.”

Xie Li glanced toward Li Tiantian lying unconscious on the wooden board in the back of the ox cart, anxiety flashing through his eyes. He answered with a quiet “Mm” and climbed aboard.

When they reached town, Xie Li carried Li Tiantian down from the ox cart with Li Jianguo’s help, lifting her onto his back before rushing into the clinic.

Unexpectedly, the doctor on duty turned out to be the same young physician Xie Li had met when he first arrived in this world.

“What happened?”

The doctor did not recognize Xie Li and simply examined him curiously.

Xie Li no longer had the energy to care about their first meeting. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Anxiety churned through him as he motioned toward Li Tiantian on his back and said in a low voice,

“She suddenly fainted. We don’t know if it’s heatstroke.”

“Put her down first. I’ll examine her.”

The doctor frowned, quickly found an empty room nearby, and had Li Tiantian lean against the headboard while he pressed three fingers against her pulse.

After a long moment, uncertainty surfaced on his face.

“It doesn’t look like heatstroke… it looks more like…”

“Like what?”

Xie Li’s heart sank. Forcing himself to remain calm, he asked,

“So it’s not heatstroke?”

The doctor pondered for a while before nodding slowly.

“It’s not heatstroke. It seems more like pregnancy.”

Pregnancy?!!!

Xie Li nearly lost his footing.

“Tiantian’s pregnant? How is that possible?”

In the original owner’s memories from the previous life, Li Tiantian had clearly only become pregnant a year later…

“The more I look, the more it resembles pregnancy…” The doctor frowned and shook his head. “But I’m not completely confident. Wait here. I’ll get our station chief to take a look.”

The doctor left the room and soon returned with an elderly man around fifty or sixty years old.

The old man had bright, sharp eyes and a vigorous stride. After taking Li Tiantian’s pulse, he nodded firmly.

“That’s right. She’s pregnant. A little over one month along. The pregnant woman fainted from pregnancy discomfort combined with mild heatstroke. Fortunately, the child wasn’t affected. She just needs to return home and recover properly.”

Xie Li stared blankly at Li Tiantian for a long time before finally snapping out of it.

“Th-thank you, Doctor.”

Part of him wanted to take Li Tiantian to the county hospital for another examination. They had proper equipment there. Maybe the results would turn out differently.

But in this era, where traditional Chinese medicine flourished while Western medicine had yet to become widespread, two doctors had already reached the same conclusion through pulse diagnosis. One of them was even the well-known chief physician of the clinic.

The truth already seemed unmistakably clear.

Li Tiantian was really pregnant.

“That’s wonderful! Tiantian’s having a child!” Li Jianguo trusted the old doctor completely. He happily paced back and forth before suddenly slapping his thigh in delight. “We need to hurry home. I have to tell Cuihua the good news!”

Xie Li froze briefly before slowly regaining his composure.

“We definitely need to tell Mother-in-law the good news… but shouldn’t Tiantian stay in the clinic for a day or two first? Just to observe her condition?”

“There’s no need for all that trouble. Once she wakes up, if everything looks fine, you can go home,” the young doctor replied.

Country people were tough. Pregnant women working in the fields even at seven or eight months along were incredibly common. The doctor was already used to it and showed no urgency at all.

But Xie Li was worried.

Frowning, he looked toward the sleeping girl on the bed and gently brushed the hair from the corner of her lips.

“Can’t she stay hospitalized? Does she really have to go home?”

“Well, not necessarily. If you’re worried, she can stay.”

The doctor shrugged casually before turning toward the elderly physician.

“Station Chief, what do you think?”

The old man’s white brows twitched as he snorted coldly.

“There’s no need to make such a fuss. I already said she’s fine, so she’s fine. The clinic barely has enough beds as it is. There’s no room to waste on you people. Once she wakes up, go straight home.”

Xie Li’s expression darkened instantly, and he looked ready to explode at the old doctor.

If Li Jianguo had not noticed the signs and pulled him back, he really might have lost his temper.

“Don’t cause trouble. He’s a famous doctor transferred down from the county. If he says there’s no problem, then there’s no problem. Stop making a scene.”

Xie Li froze before deflating slightly.

“I’m just too anxious.”

Coming back to himself, he looked at the stubborn old doctor and sighed inwardly.

Fine. There was no helping it now.

At worst, once they got home, he could secretly give Li Tiantian some spirit spring water.

…

Since the diagnosis revealed nothing serious, the doctors prescribed medicine and fed it to Li Tiantian before leaving the room. Xie Li and Li Jianguo remained behind, waiting for her to wake up.

More than an hour later, Li Tiantian finally regained consciousness.

The doctor returned to check her over once more before waving his hand dismissively.

“She’s fine! Exactly what the station chief said. Just take the medicine home and let her rest properly.”

Xie Li nodded hesitantly.

Li Tiantian still looked completely confused.

“Why am I in the hospital?”

“You fainted from heatstroke. Be more careful next time,” Xie Li said before slowly adding, “And when we get back, quit the cattle-herding work. The baby’s still small. From now on, just rest at home.”

“…Baby?”

Li Tiantian’s eyes widened instantly. Turning toward Li Jianguo, she asked,

“Dad, what does he mean by ‘baby’?”

Buried within her gaze was helpless, frightened shock.

Li Jianguo smiled lovingly.

“You’re pregnant. I’m going to become a grandfather.”

Li Tiantian blinked blankly, her face going utterly empty as she murmured repeatedly,

“I’m pregnant…”

I’m actually pregnant?

The news shocked her too. She had never imagined she would have a child this quickly.

But after calming down, she glanced at Xie Li beside her. Suddenly her eyes brightened, and her racing heart inexplicably settled down.

With sweet dependence, she softly said,

“I’m carrying your child.”

Xie Li helplessly rubbed the back of her head.

“Silly girl.”

Since she had awakened, the three of them paid the fees and headed home together.

On the ox cart ride back, Li Jianguo sat at the front, grinning foolishly the entire way.

Li Tiantian stared at her stomach as though it contained the world’s greatest treasure, tilting her head while lost in thought, unable to stop smiling.

Only Xie Li had already begun thinking about the changes this child would bring.

In the original owner’s memories from the previous life, Li Tiantian gave birth to a daughter named Xie Wei.

She had been a sensible, obedient child with excellent grades. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. She studied hard and, after getting into university, devoted herself to working toward a future where she could bring Li Tiantian to live in the capital with her.

But everything changed after she met her boyfriend.

He was the son of a wealthy family. He genuinely loved her, yet lacked the strength to stand against his parents. And his parents, obsessed with social status and matching backgrounds, deeply despised Xie Wei. Again and again, they framed and humiliated her in hopes she would leave their son.

Xie Wei left in pain.

But her boyfriend refused to break up and continued chasing after her.

Years passed in this exhausting entanglement.

During that time, Xie Wei gradually neglected caring for Li Tiantian. As Li Tiantian grew older, her health deteriorated. After a severe illness, she passed away.

Xie Wei cried for a very long time.

At the same time, she had to deal with her boyfriend’s obstructive family while also handling Li Tiantian’s funeral arrangements.

╰───♡───╯