Chen Wangda didn’t have such grand hopes about getting rich.

But this educational assistance… if university students were willing to come to local schools and build a solid foundation for the children, their chances of getting into university would be much greater!

Wasn’t it good to have more people escape from farming?

Chen Wangda talked with Xia Xiaolan for two or three hours, getting clear on everything, before finally remembering: “Where are you staying tonight?”

He had been too excited, and his elder daughter-in-law was also thoughtless, not even reminding him.

“Don’t worry, I already had someone clean up the house. I’ll stay at my place tonight – I brought a friend back with me. I’ll leave tomorrow, and someone will follow up on this matter. I’ll keep an eye on things too, just contact me if anything comes up.”

Chen Wangda nodded, asking his elder daughter-in-law to walk Xia Xiaolan home.

Chen’s elder sister-in-law lit the way with a flashlight.

Walking one in front and one behind, they reached Xia Xiaolan’s door where You Li was waiting.

“Aunt, would you like to come in and watch some TV?”

“No, no, I should head back… um, thank you, Xiaolan.”

The last half of the sentence was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz. After saying it, Chen’s elder sister-in-law became embarrassed and ran off.

You Li looked curious.

Xia Xiaolan just smiled without saying anything.

Why did Chen’s elder sister-in-law thank her? It could only be about Chen Qing.

Xia Xiaolan had no obligation to look after Chen Qing. Making this trip back was purely due to past kindness from the Chen family. If not for remembering the Chen family’s kindness, she wouldn’t have needed to play the bad guy and tell Chen Wangda about Chen Qing’s fraud.

She could have stayed uninvolved, coldly watching Chen Qing go bad – Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t invite trouble.

If Chen Wangda couldn’t handle the shock and died of anger, the Chen family would blame Chen Qing but also blame her for reporting it.

Xia Xiaolan had taken a big risk too.

Chen’s elder sister-in-law must have realized this, which is why she awkwardly thanked her.

Xia Xiaolan wasn’t overwhelmed by the gesture, but that “thank you” from Chen’s elder sister-in-law did make her feel considerably better – her snowy journey back to the village wasn’t wasted.

Early the next morning, Xia Xiaolan visited her grandparents’ graves and then had a meal at Chen Wangda’s before leaving.

When she got in the car, a young girl carrying a basket of pig feed on her back was watching her from behind a tree.

That look in her eyes was hard to describe… it was Tian Xiaoyan, who had once tried to morally blackmail Xia Xiaolan.

Xia Xiaolan frowned, “Grandfather Chen, shouldn’t Tian Xiaoyan be in school at this time?”

Tian Laosan was thrown in prison, but Tang Hongen wouldn’t take it out on the children. Even for a calculating young girl, Tang Hongen had given her the right to education – the township government had arranged schooling for Tian Xiaoyan and her brother.

Chen Wangda sighed, “She should be in school, but she refused to go. Said she wanted to leave the opportunity for her brother and come back to the village. At such a young age, if I hadn’t warned her family to keep a close eye on her, she would have gone off to work somewhere… At her age, what work could she do? She’d more likely be kidnapped!”

Xia Xiaolan was speechless.

“How old is she even…”

This was truly child labor.

Going out to work?

That would make her a prime target for human traffickers.

Xia Xiaolan glanced at the young girl. If it were her, she would have fought desperately to grab the chance to study. In her previous life, she had also relied on others’ charity, without any foreknowledge or golden opportunities. When her uncle by marriage didn’t want to support her education anymore, Xia Xiaolan stubbornly supported herself.

If official support had been available then, she wouldn’t have cared about the reasons – she would have seized the opportunity even if it killed her… Of course, she had been older than Tian Xiaoyan then and had been to school with, a better understanding of what education meant.

“She’s not that young – thirteen this year. Her brother can go to school too, why does she need to give up her chance? She only went for one semester!”

Chen Wangda was furious.

He shouldn’t argue with a little girl, but this girl was too ungrateful.

Before Tian Laosan was arrested, he beat and cursed at Tian Xiaoyan daily. By then, Tian Xiaoyan was already eleven – when other children were finishing elementary school, she had never attended a day of school and never had enough warm clothes or food… After Tian Laosan’s arrest, the township wanted to care for these two orphans, waived their school fees, gave them new clothes, encouraged them to study hard, not to be idle like Tian Laosan, and to become useful members of society.

Tian Xiaoyan reluctantly attended for one semester, then absolutely refused to go to school.

The Tian family was happy to have free labor at home and let her do farm work.

This little girl was defiant, refusing a better life, using her existence to show others how tyrannical Xia Xiaolan’s family was!

In the end, she was still playing the moral blackmail card.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t have a savior complex activated. With so many people holding grudges against her, why should she fear a teenage village girl?

If Tian Xiaoyan had studied hard, maybe in twenty or thirty years she could have caused some trouble for Xia Xiaolan. But quitting after one semester… she could only harbor resentment, watching Xia Xiaolan climb higher and higher until she couldn’t even see her anymore, no matter how much she craned her neck!

“Grandfather Chen, I’m leaving. Please don’t see me off further.”

Xia Xiaolan ignored Tian Xiaoyan and got in the car.

You Li was also puzzled – why did this young girl look at President Xia with such hatred?

As the car started, through the window, You Li couldn’t help but look at Tian Xiaoyan several times.

“Don’t mind her. Such girls are born with some cunning, showing off their petty cleverness, but they’re the most foolish. Just to provoke others, she gave up the best chance to change her situation.”

Could she provoke Xia Xiaolan?

Xia Xiaolan would forget Tian Xiaoyan as soon as she turned away, without any psychological burden.

Ridiculous – she didn’t owe Tian Xiaoyan anything.

Not just Xia Xiaolan – the Liu family didn’t owe her, the village didn’t owe her, and the township government didn’t owe her.

Who owed Tian Xiaoyan?

Her irresponsible parents.

Tian Laosan who drank and was violent, and his wife who ran away – running without taking the children, the father was worthless, but was the mother any better?

In this world, there are many tests – academic tests, skill tests – but becoming a parent requires no test!

Getting irresponsible parents was Tian Xiaoyan’s misfortune.

Not seizing the chance to change her fate – Xia Xiaolan wasn’t so desperate as to beg Tian Xiaoyan to go to school… study or don’t study, it had nothing to do with her.

…

Tian Xiaoyan carried the pig feed on her back.

They were old rapeseed leaves – in winter, this was all you could find for pig feed.

Water dripped from the basket, soaking the back of her clothes. The wind made her whole body shiver with cold.

Her gaze followed Xia Xiaolan, watching her get into the luxury car, watching the car leave the village. Xia Xiaolan had seen her but had ignored her.

Tian Xiaoyan bit her lip.

How could there be such a heartless, cold-blooded person in the world?

And a top scorer in the college entrance exam at that.

Did she have no kindness or sympathy at all?

She could pretend not to see her.

Chen Wangda also felt the child’s gaze was frightening. He wanted to call out to Tian Xiaoyan, but she ran home with her basket of pig feed.