Chapter 75

“What could possibly be different about you?” Zheng Dajiang scoffed. “Your family couldn’t afford to send you to school? Then aren’t you still illiterate all the same? Still not as good as someone like me who at least went to school for three years?”

“I didn’t go to school because the teachers weren’t as smart as I am—they couldn’t teach me. Everything the teachers knew, I already knew. And the things they didn’t know, I knew those too. So I didn’t need to go to school.”

She was just bragging—something she was very good at.

Qiao Xinyi patted the heads of the two kids beside her, their egg-shaped little heads nodding on either side. With a calm voice that carried a superior air, she continued, “Most people in the world refer to me as a genius.”

For a moment, the courtyard fell utterly silent.

Only the two kids beside her were staring up at her with awe and admiration written all over their faces.

Liu Yun liked to think of herself as well-traveled and knowledgeable, but she had truly never encountered someone who could brag as outrageously as Qiao Xinyi.

Even Zhang Zao and Zheng Dajiang were stunned by Qiao Xinyi’s words, thinking to themselves, How can anyone be this shameless? How does she even dare say things like that? A genius? Who would believe that?

“I thought me and my drinking buddies were already pretty good at bragging,” Zheng Dajiang said. “We only go as far as claiming we’re tight with some factory director or buddy-buddy with some official—but she hasn’t even had a drink and dares to call herself a genius!”

It was Liu Yun’s first time encountering someone with a personality like Qiao Xinyi’s.

She stood there for a few seconds, thinking, then her expression lit up—she’d come up with an idea.

“I’m willing to believe you’re a genius,” Liu Yun said, slipping back into her ‘understanding big sister’ persona. “But without a diploma, it’s true that society won’t give you many chances.”

“My uncle is the principal of the elementary school at the county’s canned food factory. How about this—come with me to the county town right now. You’ll take an actual elementary school graduation test on the spot. As long as you pass all the sections, I’ll ask my uncle to make an exception and issue you a diploma.”

“If you pass, I’ll believe you’re a genius, and I’ll back off. I promise never to compete with you for Fu Qingshan again.”

“But you have to promise too: if you don’t pass, if you don’t get the diploma, then that means you were lying. You’ll admit that you’re not good enough for Fu Qingshan. You’ll break up with him and let him go—to me.”

Actually, Fu Qingshan had been standing in the courtyard listening for about two minutes now. He hadn’t stepped in right away because he saw Qiao Xinyi was arguing with enthusiasm and seemed to be enjoying herself. So he waited outside for a bit.

But at this moment, he finally walked in, standing directly behind Qiao Xinyi and responding to Liu Yun’s provocation.

“My girlfriend doesn’t need to take your test,” he said flatly. “I’ve already made arrangements for her to take whatever exams she wants. We don’t need an outsider like you worrying about us.”

Fu Qingshan took Fu Linzhou by the hand and led him over to stand next to Fu Zeyu. Then he filled the space beside Qiao Xinyi and, in front of everyone, took her hand.

“I like her. Who her family is, what education she has—none of that matters. I’m with her because she moves me, because I like her. That’s why I’m dating her. That’s why I want to marry her and spend my life with her.”

“When I met her, she was exactly the way she is now. She moved me and made me fall for her just like this. In my eyes, she’s the best girl in the world, the most beautiful, and the smartest girl on Earth.”

“I don’t need her to change for me or become some ideal version of a good person. I don’t want the ‘perfect girl’ that others talk about—I want the Qiao Xinyi I see with my own eyes.”

As Fu Qingshan spoke, Qiao Xinyi tilted her head up and stared at him intently.

There was no shyness on her face from being confessed to—only a slowly deepening smile in her eyes.

Fu Qingshan looked back at her and told her, “You’re amazing.”

Qiao Xinyi smiled with her eyes curved in delight and nodded. “I know—I’m super amazing!”

This was the Qiao Xinyi he liked—a woman with an extraordinary confidence in her heart, a comrade who could move and inspire others with nothing but her self-assurance.

Fu Qingshan gave the hand in his palm a gentle squeeze in response to her words.

Yes, she really was amazing.

Liu Yun stared at Fu Qingshan holding Qiao Xinyi’s hand, her heart filled with bitterness. When she looked at the way the two of them gazed at each other, her jealousy surged even more.

Why does Qiao Xinyi get to be so confident?
Why does Fu Qingshan ignore everyone else, and only have eyes for her?

Liu Yun thought to herself—it must be because Fu Qingshan didn’t recognize her, didn’t realize that she was the most outstanding and the most suitable person for him.

“Comrade Fu Qingshan, do you not remember who I am?” Liu Yun said. “Last year when I was on a work trip in Jing City, I ran into a thug on the street. You stepped in and helped me. If it weren’t for you—”

“Yes, I’ve helped a lot of people. I really don’t remember who you are.” Fu Qingshan didn’t even let her finish, cutting her off directly. “But I helped you, and now you’re trying to break up me and my girlfriend? This is how you repay kindness with betrayal?”

Fu Qingshan’s voice was righteous and severe:
“I’ve helped many people, but you’re the only one who’s repaid kindness with betrayal. I think I’ll remember you from now on.”

Qiao Xinyi couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. “Hahahahaha!”

She hadn’t expected Fu Qingshan to be this savage!

The two little ones didn’t really understand why she suddenly found it so funny, but that didn’t stop them from copying her. They grinned wide and joined in with goofy little laughs of their own.

Liu Yun’s expression looked like cracked earth—dry and splitting.

Qiao Xinyi suddenly thought of a meme caption: She was about to shatter into pieces.

“Comrade Fu Qingshan, how could you be so…” Liu Yun looked as though she could hear the sound of her own heart breaking into pieces. “Do you know how much I like you?”

“That year I wanted to get your contact information, but you didn’t even look back as you left. I thought I’d never see you again in this life. Even though I liked you so much, I had no way of finding out where to reach you.”

“But half a year later, I happened to spot you at the county train station. After much effort and inquiry, I finally found out your name, and learned a few things about you. I thought—this must be fate, a sign from the heavens.”

“Do you know how I felt when I finally learned your name—”

Fu Qingshan cut her off coldly and firmly, “No, I don’t know. And I don’t want to know. Please don’t tell me. It sounds like a waste of time.”

Liu Yun’s heart, which had already broken in half, now shattered into quarters—it broke all over again.

She cast a glance at Zhang Zao, who finally snapped out of it and quickly said, “Second brother, Comrade Liu Yun is the daughter-in-law your father approved of…”

Zhang Zao then started listing Liu Yun’s family background, and brought up the issue of household registration for the child. “If you want to take the child with you, you have to marry Comrade Liu Yun. She’s good-looking, comes from a good family. Even if you don’t have feelings for her now, you can slowly develop them after marriage. It’s what’s best—for both you and the child.”

“Zhang Zao.” Fu Qingshan called her by full name, then gave a sarcastic laugh.

“I’ve already taken care of all the procedures for transferring the child’s household registration. I can go buy a train ticket anytime, and leave for the provincial capital with the child whenever I want.”

At this point, he turned to Qiao Xinyi to explain:

“I just went to Zhangjia Village and spoke with the village officials. After negotiation, the Zhang family has issued a written clarification and an apology letter for spreading rumors about a marriage between me and Zhang Mengdi.”

“After leaving Zhangjia Village, I went to the town and commune offices. That letter is now posted on the town’s public bulletin board and will stay up for a month before it’s taken down.”