Chapter 2: The Poor Boy

A few days later, Dai Ning was ready to set off.

She had two trucks loaded with supplies go ahead, then bid farewell to her grandfather.

Grandpa Ji patted his granddaughter’s soft, curly hair, reluctant to part. “Now this is how it should be! Our Ning Ning is so beautiful; don’t go imitating those delinquent kids. You look adorable like this.”

As a little girl, she’d been irresistibly cute, far more attractive than her thin brother, Ji Mojue. All these years, her grandfather had always favored her the most.

Dai Ning felt a pang of bitterness. She wanted to spend more time with her grandfather. Regardless of how powerful the storyline was, he was the only one who hadn’t given up on or disliked her.

But time was unforgiving. To prevent her grandfather’s tragic fate, she had to leave.

She waved goodbye, her voice sweet. “I’ll be back soon!”

The old man stood by the door, watching her car drive off into the distance.

Inside the car, Dai Ning chewed gum as Uncle Qian, who was driving, spoke up. “Miss, your friend is waving to you.”

It had been so long that Dai Ning took a moment to recall who this “friend” was.

When she was seventeen, she did indeed have a good friend—a girl named Chen Xiaoli from a middle-class family. Slightly plump but sweet-talking, Chen Xiaoli was the only one Dai Ning had treated well, despite being unkind to others.

But Chen Xiaoli turned out to be a true ingrate, bad-mouthing Dai Ning a few years later, painting her as malicious and mean. She’d even befriended the heroine, though Dai Ning wasn’t sure what ultimately became of her.

Dai Ning’s eyes glinted with amusement.

“Stop the car,” she said, curious to see what Chen Xiaoli wanted.

The car had already gone a little distance, so Chen Xiaoli had to chase after them, breathless, when she saw Dai Ning wasn’t getting out.

She pulled open the door, immediately launching into a complaint. “Dai Ning, weren’t we supposed to go see the…”

Her words trailed off as she froze, staring in disbelief at the girl before her.

The doll-like girl in front of her, with delicate features and a bright smile, asked, “See what?”

Chen Xiaoli’s heart was in turmoil—she couldn’t believe this was Ji Dai Ning! How… how had she become so beautiful?

Swallowing her jealousy, she replied with some dissatisfaction, “The exhibition!”

They had initially planned to attend an exhibition together, but Dai Ning hadn’t shown up. Usually, the Ji family’s eldest daughter covered the costs for these outings, so when Dai Ning didn’t go, Chen Xiaoli, not wanting to spend her own money, had skipped it too.

Propping her chin on her hand, Dai Ning replied, “Oh, I forgot.”

Chen Xiaoli wanted to snap at her but found herself at a loss for words when faced with Dai Ning’s clear, piercing gaze. She had a sinking feeling that if she started an argument, this “friendship” would be over.

“Where are you going?” she asked instead.

Dai Ning looked at her, amused. “To Xinghua Village, for a holiday.”

Curious, Chen Xiaoli’s mind began to race. She didn’t know what kind of place Xinghua Village was, but anywhere the eldest daughter of the Ji family went was bound to be good.

Her eyes lit up. “I know you’ve been feeling down lately. Let me come with you—I can keep you company and take care of you.”

Dai Ning almost laughed.

“You’re going to take care of me?” With her experiences over the past few years, Dai Ning could now easily see through Chen Xiaoli’s shallow motives, all written plainly on her face.

“Yes,” Chen Xiaoli said.

Dai Ning replied, “Alright, but won’t your parents worry?”

Chen Xiaoli said, “I’ll just call them.”

Dai Ning didn’t stop her, watching Chen Xiaoli climb into the car, excited as ever. Chen Xiaoli’s parents also liked to take advantage of others. Over the years, Chen Xiaoli had benefited tens of thousands from Dai Ning’s generosity, and her parents were only too happy to encourage their daughter to befriend the Ji family’s eldest, often praising her cleverness.

Suppressing a laugh, Dai Ning said, “Let’s go.”

~

The car drove for a day and a half, stopping at a hotel for the night.

As the route grew more remote, they switched to a three-wheeled vehicle to continue their journey, and finally, Chen Xiaoli started feeling uneasy.

“Where exactly are we going?”

Dai Ning pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds, cracking them open as she shared with Uncle Qian and Xiao Zhang, but not with Chen Xiaoli. “To Xinghua Village, of course.”

Chen Xiaoli was restless but forced herself to stay calm. She reassured herself that the Ji family’s eldest daughter wouldn’t go out of her way to suffer—there had to be some idyllic paradise waiting for them.

But by afternoon, a sudden rainstorm hit, leaving the ground slick and muddy, and they were about to head into the mountains.

Chen Xiaoli was starting to feel frightened, but having come this far, she wasn’t about to turn back empty-handed.

They sat in the three-wheeler, with only Dai Ning enjoying a cushioned seat.

Uncle Qian got out first. “Miss, please wait here; I’ll be right back.”

Dai Ning hummed a little tune, swinging her legs cheerfully. Raindrops landed on her fair, delicate legs, and Xiao Zhang, a young man, quickly spoke up. “Miss, please don’t do that—you’ll catch a cold.”

Dai Ning responded with a soft “Mm,” patted Xiao Zhang’s head, and put her legs back in the vehicle. Xiao Zhang’s face immediately turned red.

Chen Xiaoli, meanwhile, was growing increasingly anxious as she looked around. This place looked exactly like the remote mountains she’d been dreading. When she pulled out her phone, she realized there was no signal!

“Are we really heading into the mountains?”

“Yes, we are.”

Chen Xiaoli was doubtful. How would they even get in here? Walking would be a struggle on such slippery ground!

A moment later, Uncle Qian returned with two locals who had been waiting ahead. They were carrying a finely crafted little chair with a canopy—perfect for sunshade and rain cover.

“Miss, please sit.”

Chen Xiaoli watched wide-eyed as Dai Ning took her seat on the chair. She couldn’t help but ask, “What about me?”

Dai Ning laughed, her sweet voice clear as a bell. “You’ll be walking.”

Uncle Qian added, “Sorry, we only prepared seating for Miss Dai. Ms. Chen, you’re welcome to return if you prefer.”

Truthfully, Uncle Qian never liked Chen Xiaoli. Though young, she was already calculating and manipulative, while Dai Ning, though strong-willed, often suffered at Chen Xiaoli’s hands.

Xiao Zhang, a sturdy, honest young man, hopped out, carrying Dai Ning’s spare shoes, feeling no qualms about Chen Xiaoli walking. He was walking too, after all. Only someone as delicate and lovely as Miss Dai was clearly unsuited for walking.

Chen Xiaoli gritted her teeth, feeling a swell of grievance, but followed them nonetheless.

After walking for over an hour, her pants were spattered with mud. Regret filled her as she glanced back at the rugged, winding path they’d traveled. Steep cliffs surrounded them, and she was both discouraged and desperate, pressing on.

Meanwhile, Dai Ning sat comfortably on her chair, snacking while Xiao Zhang chatted cheerfully with her.

Every so often, she’d pop a candy into his mouth, a scene that, to Chen Xiaoli, looked like someone playing with a puppy. But Xiao Zhang seemed oblivious, his face constantly red.

Chen Xiaoli glanced despairingly at the seemingly endless mountain road ahead.

This was no idyllic paradise—it was a poor, desolate area. Could such impoverished, wretched places really exist in the country?

~

In truth, Xinghua Village was indeed destitute and backward, to the point where families didn’t even have the means to buy wives.

Thus, marriages between girls and boys of eligible age within the village were the only way to ensure the continuation of their lineages.

The villagers had farmed for generations, but the remote terrain meant their lives lagged behind even the countryside of the 1960s.

In this male-centered story, the extreme poverty was likely designed to create a dramatic setting for the male lead’s rise to success. The village, lacking any government support, seemed cut off from the world, waiting for the future male lead to bring salvation.

Just days ago, a group of men in white, spotless shirts had arrived in the village, carrying countless sealed boxes into the village head’s home for some kind of discussion.

Villagers had peeked in, guessing something big was about to happen.

It was harvest season, yet the village head’s family had stopped harvesting their rice, busying themselves instead with preparing a newly built house. The elegant boxes were all moved into this house.

The village head’s family was the first to build a single-story home. Most families still lived in tile-roofed houses, and this new home had hardly been used; now it seemed they would be moving out of it.

Curious villagers cornered the village head’s second daughter.

“Er Niu, what’s your dad up to? Who’s moving into your nice house?”

Sniffling, Er Niu replied, “My dad says a young lady is coming to stay with us. My brother and sister are getting ready to help move her things.”

Er Niu’s sun-darkened cheeks glowed as she added, “Dad said the young lady is really wealthy, and we have to lay rugs over the concrete floor for her. I even got a chance to touch one of her rugs—it’s so soft.”

That such fine items were simply for the young lady to walk on amazed her.

Xinghua Village was home to just a few dozen families, and the gossip quickly spread: a rich city girl was coming to stay with them! Rumor had it that anyone who helped move her things could earn at least two hundred yuan!

Two hundred yuan!

Selling a hundred pounds of rice wouldn’t bring in even that much. Whether the rumors were true or not, by the afternoon, young and old alike were vying for a chance to help the young lady.

As villagers passed Widow Du’s house, someone called out kindly, “Your daughter Tian could go too! The more you carry, the more you earn.”

Du Yuexiang shook her head. “Tian Tian’s too frail; never mind.”

Inside, sewing, Ji Tian couldn’t help but frown. She had been in this impoverished and backward village for half a month and had despaired at its poor conditions. Who would have thought that in this forsaken place, she’d encounter a future big shot—

The eighteen-year-old Zhao Yu.

In the later stages of the story, everyone who met Zhao Yu respectfully addressed him as Master Zhao.

Ji Tian was never one to wallow in self-pity. She took her presence near a future power player as a sign of fate, immediately feeling invigorated. If she could win over Zhao Yu, she wouldn’t have to worry about her future.

She didn’t yet realize her true identity—Ji Tian, the illegitimate daughter of the Ji family. For now, she went by her mother’s surname, Du Tian.

Setting down her sewing, Du Tian couldn’t help but wonder. Had such a wealthy young lady really come to the village during Zhao Yu’s youth? And could she have a role in his rise?

In male-centered stories, early events in the male lead’s rise were rarely explained in detail. Composing herself, Du Tian decided to investigate and see what was going on.

She put on her best dress, a light pink sundress.

Du Tian had long noticed she was different from the other village girls. Her features were delicate and bright, and her mother was a refined woman. But their elegance had only made life harder in the village.

Walking along the ridge, she spotted a figure harvesting rice in the field.

The boy had his pants rolled up high, working barefoot with sweat beading on his forehead. The recent rain had left the sun blazing now.

His skin was tanned, and his arms and legs were muscular and strong. He was young, hard-working, and efficient, neatly gathering the rice wherever he went.

Everyone else had gone to help move the young lady’s things, yet he hadn’t.

Du Tian felt relieved and called out softly, “Brother Zhao Yu.”

The boy looked up.

With clear-cut features, a fresh scratch on his cheek from the rice plants, and an exhausted expression, he wiped his brow. “Tian Niu, what’s up?”

Du Tian replied, “Just call me Du Tian.”

She couldn’t get used to the rural way of calling boys “Xiao” and girls “Niu.”

Seeing that he had no intention of going to help move things, she offered him her water bottle.

“No big reason, just bringing you some water.”

“Thanks.” Zhao Yu accepted gratefully, truly parched. The mountains felt like a silent cage, trapping him. His family of five included a paralyzed father, a chronically ill mother, a younger brother in middle school who helped care for their parents and sister, and a six-year-old little sister.

The family’s burden weighed solely on his shoulders. Though he was smart and ambitious, his family was fragile; if he left, they might not last even half a month.

After a morning of harvesting, Zhao Yu was finally able to drink some water.

Watching his throat bob as he drank, Du Tian sat on the ridge. “I’ll keep you company and chat with you.”

Zhao Yu lowered his eyes, indifferent. He continued working steadily. He had heard about the money to be made moving the young lady’s things, but 200 yuan wasn’t a long-term solution. While other families had more able-bodied members, he was the only one in his. Better to gather the rice, dry it, and save up food before seeking work.

Du Tian’s words went in one ear and out the other.

For a hungry person, a beautiful girl couldn’t compare to a warm steamed bun. With hotter weather in the afternoon, he wanted to finish his work quickly.

As Zhao Yu continued, the sound of distant clamour reached them. The people harvesting rice nearby straightened up, looking towards the main road.

“Looks lively. Could that be the city girl?” someone exclaimed.

Startled, Du Tian glanced over, as did Zhao Yu.