Chapter 4: Don’t Learn from Her

On the way, Zhao Yu listened as Uncle Liu recounted what had happened.

When he arrived at the village chief’s house, he found a crowd gathered, and the frail Zhao Ping was trembling. As soon as he saw Zhao Yu, tears spilled from his eyes.

“Brother, I didn’t mean to.”

Zhao Yu stayed silent, gently wiping away his younger brother’s tears with his rough hand.

“Don’t cry. I’m here.”

Zhao Yu understood well enough that damaged property must be compensated for. The eighteen-year-old boy, barefoot, raised his head calmly, his gaze meeting that of the young woman.

Dai Ning was watching him from the balcony, resting her chin on her hand.

She was stunning, every feature exquisitely crafted. When she noticed him looking up at her, she flashed a mischievous smile.

Just then, Uncle Qian finished calculating the cost. Dai Ning lifted her chin slightly, nudging him. “Tell them how much my bowl costs.”

Uncle Qian went down, his face full of sympathy.

“You’re Zhao Ping’s older brother, right? The bowls he broke amount to 34,600 yuan.”

The moment he spoke, not only did Zhao Yu and his brother freeze, but the crowd around them gasped.

Their household bowls were worth no more than one yuan each, and there was a shop outside the village selling them.

Thirty-four thousand? Even the village chief couldn’t come up with that much money!

Zhao Ping, hearing this sky-high figure, turned pale and nearly fainted.

Zhao Yu’s expression darkened as well. He stood protectively in front of Zhao Ping and shook his head. “I’m sorry. My family is very poor and can’t come up with that much money right now.”

Uncle Qian turned back to Dai Ning, looking troubled.

Dai Ning descended the stairs, tilting her head in a detached manner.

Uncle Qian sighed inwardly. Normally, the young lady wouldn’t bat an eye at such an amount. Who knew what this Zhao family had done to offend her?

Chen Xiaoli’s disapproving gaze shifted toward Dai Ning. “Dai Ning, your family is so wealthy; why are you making such a fuss?”

Dai Ning found this line of thinking peculiar. Since when was it acceptable for being poor to justify not paying compensation?

“If you can’t stand it, why don’t you pay for him?” she retorted, her voice sweet.

Chen Xiaoli’s face flushed bright red, and she instantly fell silent. She didn’t have thirty-four thousand yuan to spare.

“Well, then,” Dai Ning said, her rosy cheeks turning to Zhao Yu. “I have a solution to help you repay the debt.”

Zhao Yu frowned. “Go ahead.”

“We’ll stay at your house, and your family will take care of us. That’ll settle the debt,” she replied.

Zhao Yu responded firmly, “No.”

His refusal was absolute. Seeing her displeasure, he explained in a low voice, “There are five people in my family, but we only have four rooms suitable for people to live in.”

One room was for his parents, who shared it; he, his younger brother, and his little sister each had their own. There wasn’t an extra room to spare for the young lady.

Dai Ning replied, “Then Uncle Qian and the others don’t need to come. I’ll stay at your place alone.”

Zhao Yu pressed his lips together.

Dai Ning wasn’t interested in arguing. “You can choose—either repay me or take care of me.”

The village chief, worried, murmured to Uncle Qian, “The Zhao family is truly poor. The young lady wouldn’t be comfortable staying there. Old Zhao is paralyzed, and his wife is also ill.”

Uncle Qian was deeply concerned, and he was about to dissuade the young lady.

Zhao Yu said, “I’ll go back and get things ready.”

Dai Ning smiled with satisfaction and asked, “Do you have pigs at home?”

“No.”

“Good. Then hurry.”

Zhao Yu glanced at her briefly, then left with his brother.

——

Zhao Ping cried quietly the whole way back, never feeling this sad in his twelve years of life.

Zhao Yu didn’t scold him further. What was done was done, and solving the issue was now most important. The rice harvest would have to wait; he needed to go home and prepare a room for the young lady from the city.

Zhao An’an was sitting in the courtyard and was surprised to see her two brothers come back early.

After washing his feet and putting on his shoes, Zhao Yu examined their small house.

They were poor. The house was a simple tiled structure; moss clung to the outdoor concrete walls, and the rooms were dimly lit inside.

If the refined young lady hadn’t liked the village chief’s house, she certainly wouldn’t like their modest place.

Furrowing his brows, Zhao Yu considered his options. Zhao Ping, knowing he was at fault, offered, “Brother, she can take my room.”

Zhao Yu shook his head.

There were four rooms: the largest belonged to their parents but was filled with the smell of medicine and piled with clutter. Zhao Ping’s room leaked in the corner, and his own had a broken window that let in drafts. As for Zhao An’an, her room was so tiny it looked like a nest.

Rolling up his sleeves, Zhao Yu began tidying up his room.

He was a diligent person, and his room was already quite clean. If the young lady was moving in today, his room would be the easiest to prepare. He and his brother could share a space.

Zhao An’an peeked in as her older brother cleaned.

“Go tell Father and Mother someone’s coming,” Zhao Yu instructed Zhao Ping.

Seeing his brother handling everything so steadily helped Zhao Ping calm down a bit. He nodded and went to inform their parents about the visitor.

Zhao Yu found a piece of thin wood and patched up the broken window.

Anticipating that the young lady might complain, he made sure the wood wasn’t too firmly fixed, allowing light to come in, and then fashioned a temporary curtain with a thick cloth.

Having caused trouble, Zhao Ping was obedient now. He herded the chickens back into their coop and cleaned up all the droppings from the courtyard.

Zhao An’an, watching, asked, “Second Brother, what’s wrong?”

Zhao Ping muttered, “I broke Miss Ji’s bowl. Brother agreed to let her stay with us.”

Zhao An’an had never met this “young lady,” but she had heard her neighbour Brother Daniu describe her.

Miss Ji was like a fairy, with money that could pile into mountains.

An’an, having grown up in poverty, was nervous about such a person coming.

The three siblings, each with their own thoughts, cleaned the house thoroughly.

Honestly, Zhao Ping thought they’d never tidied so well before, not even for New Year’s. His brother even pulled up the weeds in the courtyard.

That evening, Zhao Ping faced a problem while preparing dinner.

Their usual supper was porridge with sweet potatoes from the cellar—barely filling enough for seven-tenths of full. Stir-fried dishes were out of the question. If it weren’t the busy farming season, Brother might have been able to go down the mountain to buy some meat. But these days, Zhao Yu was exhausted, with no time to spare, and the family hadn’t had any meat for days.

“Do I need to prepare for the young lady’s arrival?”

Zhao Yu washed his face and, as he drew water from the well, responded, “Go ahead and prepare.”

Zhao Ping hesitated. “We don’t have any meat at home, so maybe…” He glanced at his brother, thinking about the few chickens they raised. Chickens were easy to keep, and they fed on bugs or leftover vegetable scraps. The two hens would lay two eggs a day, which they usually steamed for their parents with a drop of oil, or sometimes made into soft-boiled eggs, occasionally sharing a taste with their younger sister. But now, with the young lady’s arrival…

Zhao Yu wiped his hands dry. “No need. Don’t use the eggs, and don’t kill the chickens you and An’an have raised. Keep them for Mom and Dad.”

Zhao An’an looked timidly at her two older brothers.

Zhao Yu picked her up and softly said, “If she bullies you at our home, let me know.”

Anan hugged her brother’s neck tightly and nodded.

Zhao Yu didn’t intend to lavishly entertain Dai Ning—not because he was stingy or hated her. He thought it through; a wealthy young lady who broke a bowl worth over 30,000 yuan wouldn’t care about the value of a couple of chickens or eggs from their home.

—

That evening, Dai Ning changed into a plain pair of sandals as she waited for Zhao Yu to escort her.

Uncle Qian was hoarse from talking. “The village chief has agreed to slaughter his pig, which might have frightened you. Young lady, why don’t you stay here instead?”

Dai Ning grinned. “Don’t worry, Zhao Yu already said he’d take care of me.”

Uncle Qian felt he’d aged a few years from the stress. Despite the village chief’s reassurances that Zhao Yu was an independent and responsible young man, Uncle Qian still felt uneasy about sending this treasured girl to a stranger’s home.

Zhao Yu was approaching.

Dai Ning cheerfully said, “I’m leaving now. Bring my luggage, quickly!”

She skipped out the door, leaving Uncle Qian sighing. Zhang Yongfeng scrambled to grab a large bundle and a light blue suitcase.

The bundle, nearly as tall as a person, contained a rug, curtains, and a pillow for the young lady, carefully packed to ensure it stayed spotless. The suitcase held clothes and daily necessities.

The village chief, Li Aiguo, asked nervously, “Young lady, should my daughter wash the clothes you changed out of today? I’m afraid our girl’s rough hands might ruin them, and we can’t afford to replace them!”

Dai Ning waved him off. “No need. Just pack them up. Zhao Yu can wash them.”

The village chief heaved a sigh of relief, inexplicably relieved to be sending her off like a burden lifted. He didn’t make much money, but at least his family was safe.

Zhao Yu approached, backlit by the sunset. In the fading light, smoke curled from the chimneys, as each family prepared their evening meal. Dai Ning glanced at him from afar. He was about 1.83 meters tall and still looked younger than he would later, his skin darker, lacking the maturity he’d acquire. But he already had that familiar, grounded presence.

She disliked this person, and not without reason.

In the male-centered narrative she knew, Zhao Yu was one of the protagonists. He was born into poverty, grew up in hardship, and taught himself everything, eventually leaving the mountains. Relying on an excellent business mind and a calm demeanor, he attracted the attention of a wealthy family willing to accept him as a son-in-law.

People thought he’d be easy to control, but he defied expectations, using the family’s resources as a stepping stone to rise rapidly, ultimately becoming a legend.

If Dai Ning were just a reader, ignoring the “phoenix man” stigma, she might have admired his remarkable life.

Unfortunately, she was the foolish girl from a wealthy family within this story—used, discarded, and ruined. Worse, in his quest for her family’s resources, Zhao Yu likely had a hand in her grandfather’s death.

Thinking of this, she puffed her cheeks and found every look he gave her irritating.

Zhao Yu noted her displeased expression but wisely remained silent.

“Zhang Yongfeng, hand my luggage to him,” Dai Ning commanded.

Zhang Yongfeng hurriedly handed over the bundle to Zhao Yu, who took it without a word. Years of hard labor had made him strong; carrying such a heavy load wasn’t difficult for him.

The four bodyguards carrying her bed frame seemed prepared to follow, but Zhao Yu merely led the way without comment.

Dai Ning looked back at Zhang Yongfeng, “Why are you following me? Go back!”

Zhang Yongfeng scratched his head, “Oh.”

“Make sure nobody touches my things, or I’ll be mad. Especially not Chen Xiaoli!”

She glared, looking fiercely adorable, which made Zhang Yongfeng chuckle.

Chen Xiaoli, standing nearby, nearly exploded in anger. She thought her troubles would end with Dai Ning’s departure, but now Dai Ning seemed determined to keep her in line even from afar.

Zhang Yongfeng nodded eagerly, looking as loyal as a guard dog.

Satisfied, Dai Ning gestured for Zhao Yu to continue.

Zhao Yu carried her luggage and waited quietly, already forming an understanding of her character.

Arrogant, bad-tempered, stingy, and spoiled.

The village was small, but fortunately, there was a wide road. They arrived as Zhao Ping finished cooking.

Ordinarily, he would have served his parents first, but with a distinguished guest, Zhao Ping glanced at his brother for direction.

Zhao Yu set down Dai Ning’s luggage and said quietly, “Stick to the usual routine.”

At this, Zhao Ping rushed into the kitchen to serve their parents. He was still nervous, afraid of causing another mishap with Dai Ning. To him, the young lady represented a potential financial disaster.

Zhao Yu turned around to find that Dai Ning had already latched onto his younger sister in the courtyard.

Dai Ning looked at the skinny, shy little girl in surprise. “What’s your name?”

The dark-skinned girl blushed with excitement and timidity. “I… I’m Zhao An’an.”

Dai Ning looked like she’d been struck by lightning.

So this was the little Zhao An’an from years ago? She remembered An’an being far less scruffy. Six years later, the twelve-year-old Zhao An’an would become a lovely girl.

Honestly, Dai Ning could have watched the entire Zhao family suffer without remorse, except for Zhao An’an.

Years later, while the rest of the Zhao family became shrewd and calculating, Zhao An’an remained the only one who genuinely thought Dai Ning would become her sister-in-law. She was gentle, innocent, and saw only the good in people.

Dai Ning poked An’an’s cheek. “You’re so ugly!”

An’an looked hurt, knowing she wasn’t pretty.

Zhao Yu, holding back his irritation, pulled Anan closer. “Miss Ji, why don’t you check your room?”

With a haughty nod, Dai Ning went to see where the bodyguards had set her bed.

Zhao Yu asked An’an, “Did she bother you?”

Anan shook her head.

“Big Brother,” she whispered, a little envious and a bit sad, “the young lady is really pretty.”

Zhao Yu glanced at the lively figure ahead, wanting to contradict her, but he had to admit—even if he could list all her unpleasant traits, there was no denying her beauty.

Finally, he just said, “Don’t try to be like her.”

Dai Ning eagerly rushed into the house but came right back out in less than a minute.

Her round, catlike eyes were filled with indignation.

Somehow, Zhao Yu had anticipated this. He knew that this angelic-faced troublemaker was ready to stir things up again.