“Wuwu, Mom, I feel so terrible, really terrible.”

After work today, she had gone to the department store to carefully pick out a gift, planning to ask Li Shuyao to arrange an opportunity for her to meet Li Tingxuan after the upcoming Spring Festival. She intended to give him the gift and confess her feelings.

But as soon as she returned home, she suddenly heard the news that Sheng Zexi had already married a country girl. That meant Li Shuyao had completely lost her chance and would no longer help her.

Did that mean there was no hope left for her and Li Tingxuan?

No one knew how Fang Manping felt.

It was as if someone had stabbed her hard, as if the beautiful dream she had been holding onto had shattered in an instant.

“No, no, Pingping, Mom will definitely help you.”

“You came from my womb, and of course, I want you to marry well.”

“Mom understands you.”

Fang Manping sobbed, saying nothing.

She knew her mother didn’t understand. She didn’t understand how, after being saved by Li Tingxuan, this man had taken root in her heart and grown ever since.

All these years, she had been gazing at Li Tingxuan.

The seed that had sprouted had long since grown into a towering tree.

How could she possibly uproot it?

Under Fang Wanrong’s soothing, Fang Manping gradually calmed down.

The next day, after Fang Manping went to the cultural troupe, she saw Li Shuyao rehearsing a dance on stage.

She knew that Li Shuyao was working so hard on this dance because it was her solo performance, which would soon be showcased at the New Year’s Eve gala in the Northwest Military Region.

Li Shuyao wanted to rehearse well so she could stun Sheng Zexi.

Watching Li Shuyao, confident and radiant on stage like a proud white swan, Fang Manping felt envious.

Often, she felt like an ugly duckling. Even when she liked someone, she could only hide it in her heart, too timid to even express her feelings to him.

“Shuyao, I have something to tell you about my brother,” Fang Manping said after Li Shuyao finished rehearsing a dance.

Hearing it was about Sheng Zexi, Li Shuyao immediately came over, her eyes filled with anticipation. “What is it? Tell me quickly. Is Brother Sheng coming back on leave?”

“No, Shuyao. I just found out from my uncle yesterday that my brother… he’s married!”

After Fang Manping finished speaking, Li Shuyao’s pretty face darkened, as if covered in dark clouds.

“Are you serious? He really married a country girl?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, I see.”

Fang Manping felt that Li Shuyao’s expression was a bit off and couldn’t help but ask, “Shuyao, then… are you still going to the Northwest Military Region?”

Li Shuyao smiled, though her smile was somewhat unsettling. “Go? Of course, I’m going.”

She wanted to go to the Northwest Military Region to see what kind of vixen had seduced Sheng Zexi into marrying her.

Sheng Zexi could only be hers. Any woman who dared to touch him, even if they were already married, she would tear their skin off.

At that moment, far away in Huaihua Village, Gu Jianing, standing in front of a house, suddenly shivered.

She couldn’t help but tighten her cotton-padded jacket, muttering to herself: It must be much colder in the Northwest Military Region, where it’s already snowing. Given her naturally cold constitution and fear of the cold, should she prepare more thick clothes?

Just then, the door in front of her creaked open, instantly interrupting her thoughts.

Looking at the young girl in front of her, wearing a gray padded jacket.

Unlike the slender girls of this era, the girl in front of her was more robust than a man. Even in her padded jacket and cotton pants, one could almost see the muscles bulging beneath her clothes.

Her skin was a deep wheat color, and her face, compared to the delicate features of other girls, was relatively rough.

Her short hair was only slightly longer than a man’s buzz cut.

Bao Shanyan had fled to Huaihua Village with her mother, Bao Yingzi, from another place during the 1960s. They had settled in Huaihua Village for over a decade now.

The once small child, Bao Shanyan, had grown into a 21-year-old woman.

Through the door, Gu Jianing could vaguely see a similarly robust figure busy at the stove.

She knew that must be Bao Shanyan’s mother.

After all, the Bao family only had the two of them.

When Bao Shanyan first fled to Huaihua Village with her mother, she had been thin and small.

The reason she grew so big was said to be due to the hunting genes of the Bao family.

It was said that the Bao family specialized in producing female hunters.

And after Bao Shanyan grew up, Bao Yingzi passed on her hunting skills to her.

So, during every wild boar hunt in Huaihua Village, Bao Shanyan was always at the forefront. Her hunting skills were even more formidable than the men in the village.

Even during regular farm work, she and her mother always earned full work points.

Perhaps because Bao Shanyan’s appearance was too rough, her figure too robust, lacking femininity, or perhaps because the Bao family insisted on a man marrying into their family, even though they had announced their intention to marry years ago, Bao Shanyan remained unmarried.

At 21 years old, for a village girl of this era, she was considered an old maid.

But Gu Jianing knew that Bao Shanyan was not simple. In fact, she was deeply hidden, far more than what met the eye.

Almost as soon as the door opened, Gu Jianing felt as if she had been locked onto like prey by Bao Shanyan.

A sharp, jealous glint flashed in Bao Shanyan’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by confusion as she asked, “Gu Jianing, are you looking for me?”

It was no wonder Bao Shanyan was puzzled. Although they had lived in the same village for over a decade, the two had almost no interaction and had never spoken privately.

Knowing Bao Shanyan’s background, Gu Jianing was admittedly a little afraid, but she quickly adjusted her emotions and steadied herself.

She got straight to the point. “Yes, Bao Shanyan, you like Wen Zhiqing, don’t you? Don’t deny it. I know you like him. I’ve seen you secretly watching us several times when I was talking to Wen Zhiqing.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Bao Shanyan’s face tensed, and her eyes narrowed sharply.

Gu Jianing’s heart skipped a beat, but she continued, “Then, do you want to be with Wen Zhiqing?”

Bao Shanyan pressed her lips together and frowned. “What do you mean?”

Gu Jianing began her persuasion. “You must have heard about my recent engagement to an officer. To be honest, I did like Wen Zhiqing before, but now I’ve met someone more suitable for me. I’m afraid my fiancé might get jealous if he finds out about my past feelings for Wen Zhiqing. So, I thought, if Wen Zhiqing were to get married, I wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.”

“I know all the female educated youths at the educated youth point like Wen Zhiqing, but I think Wen Zhiqing is quite good. Rather than letting those female educated youths have him, it’s better to keep things within the family.”

“So, if you also like Wen Zhiqing, I can help you.”