“Since Comrade Song came to me, you must already have a solution in mind. What are your thinking?”  

Bai Fumin’s voice pulled Song Jing’an out of his memories.  

“I was wondering if I could build a house in the brigade myself,” Song Jing’an stated his plan. “Of course, I’ll cover all the costs. I just wanted to ask the brigade leader if there’s a suitable spot.”  

Bai Fumin was surprised. “Do you realize what you’re saying? Once you build a house in the brigade, you’ll be permanently settled here. Even if there’s a chance to return to the city in the future, it won’t be available to you.”  

Bai Fumin thought Song Jing’an might not understand the implications of building a house in the brigade, which was why he made such a proposal.  

After all, no educated youth was willing to stay in the countryside forever. Even if the hope of returning to the city was slim, none of them wanted to give it up.  

“I know.”  

Song Jing’an had thought it over for a long time and believed settling in the brigade was the best option. For one, he would be staying in Qinghe Brigade for a long time, and secondly, it would reassure certain people.  

As for not being able to return to the city?  

Life in the city might not be as free as life in the countryside. Besides, he hadn’t forgotten that the college entrance exams would be reinstated in a few years. If he wanted to return to the city then, he could just take the exams.  

The Bai family was stunned, thinking this young man might be a bit foolish.  

Bai Fumin coughed lightly. “It’s doable. You just need to apply for a plot of land. But since it’s brigade land, we’ll have to discuss it and get everyone’s approval.”  

Hearing this, Song Jing’an knew it was as good as settled. He said gratefully, “Thank you, Brigade Leader.”  

Bai Fumin waved his hand. “What will you do in the meantime?”  

Song Jing’an smiled sheepishly. “I might have to trouble the brigade leader for a while. Could I stay here temporarily? Of course, I won’t impose for free—I’ll pay for my meals.”  

Bai Fumin didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Bai Zhizhi. “Zhizhi, is that okay?”  

His Zhizhi was timid, and having a stranger suddenly in the house might make her uncomfortable. He was already prepared for her refusal and started thinking about which other family in the brigade could host Song Jing’an for a while.  

Song Jing’an also looked at Bai Zhizhi. Seeing her unmoved, he instantly changed his expression, gazing at her with a pitiful, pleading look in his eyes.  

Bai Zhizhi gave him a few extra glances in surprise. She had seen this look before—when the wild wolf-dog in the mountains had provoked her but ended up subdued by her strength. It had given her the same look, and she had softened and let it go.  

Reluctantly, she nodded. “Fine, then.”  

She smoothly caught the grateful look in Song Jing’an’s eyes—exactly the same as before. She suddenly missed the little animals in the mountains.  

Bai Zhizhi lowered her eyes slightly. Originally, she hadn’t wanted her family to get close to this unlucky guy. But this lifetime’s Song Jing’an was so different from the one in her memories from the past life. She wanted to know why and whether he would still end up unlucky and sick in this life.  

“Alright, Comrade Song can stay for now,” Bai Fumin finalized. “After dinner, your aunt will tidy up a room for you.”  

Seeing the matter settled, Liao Guizhi stood up. “I’ll bring out the food.”  

She went into the kitchen and brought out a large pot of vegetables, serving each person a big bowl of noodles topped with the vegetables—their lunch, noodle soup.  

She warmly welcomed Song Jing’an. “Comrade Song, don’t be shy. Treat this as your own home. Have more if you’re still hungry. Noodles aren’t very filling, so you should eat plenty.”  

“It’s enough, enough. Thank you, Auntie.”  

Song Jing’an quickly took the bowl, his temples twitching at the sight of the enormous portion. Even after living a second life, he was still intimidated by the Bai family’s oversized bowls.  

Bai Junwu brought out a head of garlic. “Comrade Song, want some garlic?”  

Song Jing’an shook his head—he didn’t eat raw garlic.  

Bai Junwu didn’t insist and gave half to Bai Fumin instead.  

“Second Brother, I want some,” Bai Zhizhi said curiously, holding out her bowl.  

Bai Junwu peeled a small clove and handed it to her, indulging her curiosity.  

“Try it first. It’s a bit spicy. If you don’t like it, just spit it out.”  

Bai Zhizhi wasn’t worried. This white, tender thing must be delicious.  

Confidently, she took a bite. The spiciness shot straight to her head, instantly turning her face red. She dropped her bowl and started coughing violently.

Liao Guizhi quickly poured her a glass of water and gave her a reproachful look. “Rinse your mouth out. You’ll try anything, won’t you? See what happens when curiosity gets the better of you?”  

Bai Zhizhi stuck out her tongue to ease the burning. It wasn’t curiosity killing the cat—it was killing the little hedgehog!  

She had thought it must be delicious, seeing how her second brother and father were eating it so eagerly. But it turned out to be so spicy—no wonder Song Jing’an had refused.  

When she turned her head and met Song Jing’an’s amused eyes, Bai Zhizhi couldn’t help but widen her own in surprise.  

Song Jing’an chuckled softly. This lively, spirited Bai Zhizhi was utterly adorable.  

But he didn’t dare keep staring. This lifetime’s Bai Zhizhi had quite the temper, and if he annoyed her now, she wouldn’t be easy to coax later.  

He used his chopsticks to mix the vegetables into the noodles. The familiar taste stirred something in him—this was his second sister-in-law’s cooking. Huang Xiuyun’s culinary skills were as excellent as ever. It had been so long since he’d last eaten her food.  

It was only at this moment that Song Jing’an truly felt the reality of it—he really had come back. This wasn’t a dream. How terrified he had been that this was just a figment of his unwilling mind.  

After lunch, Liao Guizhi took Song Jing’an to the room he would be staying in.  

“Comrade Song, this is my third son’s room. He doesn’t live at home, so you can stay here without worry.”  

The Bai family was large, but not many members actually lived at home. The eldest brother, Bai Junwen, and his family were in the city and only visited occasionally, so their room had to stay available. The youngest brother, Bai Junyu, was the same.  

After some thought, only the third brother Bai Junshuo’s room was suitable for Song Jing’an to stay in temporarily. He was away serving in the military and wouldn’t be back anytime soon.  

Bai Junshuo’s room wasn’t big, and the furnishings were simple—just a bed, a cabinet, and a desk.  

Liao Guizhi dusted off the bed, then took out a mattress from the cabinet and spread it over the bed. She also brought out a quilt. “Comrade Song, our home is humble. Please make do for now.”  

If not for the goodwill Song Jing’an had earned through his earlier actions, he would never have received such treatment.  

“This is already more than enough,” Song Jing’an said quickly. “Auntie, you can just call me by my name from now on.”  

Being called “Comrade Song” all the time felt both awkward and distant.  

“Alright, I’ll call you Jing’an from now on,” Liao Guizhi nodded. “Then get some rest, Jing’an. I’ll leave you to it.”  

After Liao Guizhi left, Song Jing’an paced around the room before sitting on the chair, lost in thought.  

In his past life, the Bai family’s fate had been tragic. Because they had offended that hypocrite Liang Jian, the eldest brother, Bai Junwen, had lost his job and returned to the countryside. Later, his family fell apart, and he became a broken man. The second brother, Bai Junwu, broke his leg and was bedridden for life. The youngest brother, Bai Junyu, was expelled from school, lured into delinquency, and eventually ended up in prison.  

As for Bai Junshuo—Bai Zhizhi’s third brother—he was the only one in the Bai family with a slightly better ending. Because he was away in the military, he knew nothing of what happened at home, and the family kept it all from him. But later, he still found out. He left the army to take care of his family and spent the rest of his life seeking revenge. Whether he succeeded or not, Song Jing’an didn’t know.  

In his past life, the reason he had married Bai Zhizhi was because Bai Fumin had seen through Liang Jian’s vengeful nature. He had hoped that by marrying her to Song Jing’an, she would be protected from harm.  

But in the end, he had failed to keep his promise. He hadn’t protected Bai Zhizhi—instead, he had dragged her into another abyss.  

The memories of his past life filled Song Jing’an with fury.  

Knock knock—

Song Jing’an looked toward the door, suppressing his emotions as he got up to open it.  

It was Bai Zhizhi.  

“Are you okay?” she asked.  

For a moment just now, she had sensed an overwhelming surge of anger and resentment emanating from Song Jing’an, so she had come to check on him.  

“I’m fine,” Song Jing’an smiled, his gaze gentle as he looked at her.  

Bai Zhizhi pursed her lips. She didn’t believe him. The gloomy aura around him had practically flooded her house, and he still claimed he was fine?  

But it wasn’t her concern. As long as it didn’t involve the Bai family, it was fine. She bared her little canine teeth in warning. “Don’t get any funny ideas, or I’ll show you what I’m capable of.”  

Even though she had lost all her cultivation now, she still had the ability to teach someone a lesson.  

Bai Zhizhi thought she looked fierce, but to Song Jing’an, she was adorable. He smiled indulgently, as if humoring a child. “Alright.”  

Bai Zhizhi gave him a strange look. At least the gloomy aura around him had faded a little now.  

She turned and left without another word.  

Song Jing’an leaned against the doorframe, watching her skip away in a daze. She really was different from his past life—but still the same Bai Zhizhi.  

This was good.  

As long as he was here, the Bai family would never suffer the same fate as before.