Failing the selection was the first major setback Qi Han had ever experienced in his life.  

Yet, no matter how disheartened he felt, it was futile. The study-abroad quota was allocated strictly according to regulations—it wasn’t something that could be secured simply by having more money.  

Of course, by provincial standards, his family’s wealth and status didn’t qualify them as an influential aristocratic household. At best, they were a well-off merchant family, lacking the kind of powerful connections needed to pull strings.  

His father was not one for socializing or currying favor. He devoted all his energy to the study of woodworking. Even though their family had taken on many projects for noble and wealthy clients, their interactions never extended beyond standard business dealings.  

In short, their family was just an ordinary, low-profile, affluent household.  

Moreover, neither he nor his father were the type to resort to backdoor dealings or underhanded methods to achieve their goals.  

So, after a period of disappointment, he accepted reality with composure. In June, after receiving his diploma, he joined his father in managing the family’s woodcarving business.  

His cousin, on the other hand, had left with a large group of students the previous July to study abroad.  

Had it not been for his past life’s experiences, Qi Han would never have known that some of their closest relatives were nothing but ungrateful wolves—treacherous and ruthless.  

This trip was specifically for delivering goods to a major out-of-town client. Last November, through an intermediary, their family had secured a large order—over 5,000 yuan worth of high-end, premium wood ornaments.  

Five thousand yuan was no small sum in the 1950s. To secure this deal, he and his father had gone to great lengths, pulling strings and repeatedly adjusting their pricing before finally reaching an agreement.  

The client paid a deposit of 1,000 yuan, and at the time, his family saw nothing amiss. On the contrary, they were overjoyed at landing such a lucrative order.  

To fulfill this large order, they turned down many smaller jobs and finally completed the work after the New Year.  

Given the high value of the woodcarving materials, Qi Han didn’t trust anyone else with the delivery and personally escorted the goods.  

But who could have guessed it was all a trap? His injuries and the pursuit were all part of a deliberate scheme—someone wanted him dead!  

When he and his team arrived at the designated transaction spot, the goods were verified as correct, yet the other party delayed payment. That was when he began to sense something was wrong.  

But it was already too late!  

Before he could figure out an escape plan, they were surrounded by the other side’s men. He barely managed to seize an opportunity to flee when their guards were down.  

To survive, he didn’t dare take the main road and instead fled desperately into the mountains. Eventually, he was cornered near a steep slope, where he lost his footing and tumbled down.  

Miraculously, he avoided hitting his head on anything dangerous during the fall. Fearing his pursuers might track him down, he endured the pain and fled toward the county town.  

In the end, exhausted and drained of strength, he collapsed behind a large tree.  

“What happened afterward in your past life?” Qin Tianru pressed urgently.  

Just hearing the earlier part of the story gave her a bad feeling. Combined with the things he had mentioned before, her mind instantly conjured images of bloody conflicts—she was already picturing a grand, dramatic family saga of vengeance and betrayal!  

Qi Han’s expression turned icy, his lips curling into a cold smile. “Afterward? It was miserable. Utterly miserable. I was unconscious for two or three days from my injuries. By the time I made it back home, there was nothing left.  

“My father injured his leg in a dispute. Everything of value in the house had been seized as compensation. My mother fell ill from the stress. Those people were utterly ruthless—they clearly intended to destroy us inside and out.  

“They not only plotted to kill me but also sought to seize all of our family’s assets. That so-called ‘big order’ was a scam from the very beginning.  

“While they dealt with me, they also used my disappearance and the delayed delivery as an excuse to demand compensation from my family. They even incited the families of the employees who had gone with me to deliver the goods, turning them against us and smearing our family’s reputation in front of our shop…”