As soon as Bai Zhizhi returned home, Liao Guizhi grabbed her and looked her over anxiously, asking, “Are you alright?”

She had heard that a wild boar had appeared in the mountains and injured someone. Knowing that Bai Zhizhi had gone up the mountain with Bai Junyu, her heart had been in her throat the whole time, terrified that something might happen to Zhizhi.

Sometimes she wondered if Zhizhi and Jin Mountain were somehow incompatible—every time she went into the mountains, something seemed to happen. Maybe it was better not to let her go up there anymore.

Bai Zhizhi obediently turned around to let Liao Guizhi inspect her carefully, then smiled and hugged her arm. “I’m completely fine.”

Seeing that she was truly unharmed and not frightened, Liao Guizhi finally relaxed. She tapped Bai Zhizhi’s forehead and smiled. “You…”

“Let’s not go up the mountain these next few days. It’s too dangerous.”

It had been years since a wild boar had injured anyone. How could one suddenly appear? The Zhao family was really unlucky. When she heard the news while working with Huzi’s (Tiger) mother, the latter fainted on the spot.

Thinking of this, she turned to Bai Junyu, who had just entered, and asked, “How is your Uncle Ligang?”

Bai Junyu instinctively replied, “My sister said he should be fine.”

“Your sister?” Liao Guizhi was puzzled.

Bai Junyu immediately launched into a vivid retelling of what had happened earlier, his eyes full of pride. He concluded with, “My sister is just amazing.”

Liao Guizhi was also happy and proud, but at the same time, she felt a bit worried. What if Zhizhi encountered unreasonable people? What if she couldn’t treat the person and got blamed for it?

She didn’t dare underestimate the evil in human nature. Having lived so many years, she had seen all kinds of people—including those who would stir up trouble over nothing.

So, she held Bai Zhizhi’s hand and advised her, “Zhizhi, Mom isn’t against you saving people, but you have to protect yourself, understand?”

Liao Guizhi had intended to explain things thoroughly, but when she met Bai Zhizhi’s pure and clear gaze, she suddenly fell silent.

Forget it. Let Zhizhi do what she wants. After all, she and her father would always be there for her.

“It’s fine. You should help,” Liao Guizhi said. “Your Uncle Ligang and his family are good people. They don’t deserve to suffer like this.”

Bai Zhizhi nodded. She had checked earlier—as long as the internal organs weren’t injured, it shouldn’t be a major issue, though the leg might have some lasting effects.

“Your father is going to be busy again,” Liao Guizhi suddenly sighed.

Bai Zhizhi snapped out of her thoughts, looking puzzled.

“A wild boar appearing in the mountains is a big deal. If it stays up there, it might be fine, but I’m afraid it’ll come down and ruin the crops or hurt people.”

“Most likely, the brigade will organize a hunt for the wild boar. Your father and your second brother will definitely have to go.”

Liao Guizhi was both worried and anxious. Seeing what had happened to Zhao Ligang, she knew how devastating a wild boar attack could be. How could she not be concerned?

Bai Junyu suddenly grew excited, eager to join. “I want to go too! I want to go too!”

As a teenager of fifteen or sixteen, he feared nothing and often fantasized about being a hero.

Smack!

Liao Guizhi snapped him out of his fantasy with a slap.

“Go? You’d be going to your death!” she scolded angrily, pointing at him. “Just try going up that mountain! Stay home and study!”

Bai Junyu deflated, muttering, “All you ever say is ‘study.’ I already know everything.”

“Know everything?” Liao Guizhi sneered. “You’re not even as good as your sister. How dare you say you know everything?”

Did he think she didn’t know?

Her words were followed by a sudden silence. Bai Zhizhi looked at Bai Junyu curiously, while he flushed with shame and frustration. He had kept it secret so well, only for his mother to spill it just like that.

Now, he no longer thought about going up the mountain. Crestfallen, he retreated to his room, pulled out his textbooks, and vowed to make his mother see him in a new light.

But there were some problems he simply couldn’t figure out. Scratching his head in frustration, he thought of Song Jing’an. After wrestling with himself, he finally gathered his books and went to seek him out.

When Bai Junyu found Song Jing’an, he was in the middle of writing something. Curious, Bai Junyu leaned in for a closer look and saw it was a plan titled “Orchard Development Project.”

Song Jing’an didn’t mind being watched and simply set down his pen. “What’s up?”

Bai Junyu immediately lost interest in the document and became a bit shy. “Comrade Song, are you busy? There’s a problem I wanted to ask you about.”

Before Song Jing’an could even respond, he muttered under his breath, “I don’t even know why my mom insists I study so hard. It’s not like we can take college entrance exams anymore. Wouldn’t it be better to start working early and help out at home?”

This was a common sentiment—many believed that without the prospect of university, education was pointless. They thought it was better to start working and contributing to the family income after learning basic literacy.

But Bai Fumin and Liao Guizhi didn’t see it that way. They firmly believed in the value of education, and since their family circumstances allowed it, all their children had attended school.

Their eldest, Bai Junwen, had done them proud. After graduating high school, he was recommended for Worker-Peasant-Soldier University and now had a job in the city. The second son, Bai Junwu, wasn’t cut out for academics; he tried and failed the high school entrance exam twice before giving up on his own. The third son, Bai Junshuo, enlisted before even finishing high school but completed his studies independently while serving. Now, only Bai Junyu was still in school, having just been admitted to high school.

Among all the children, only Bai Zhizhi had never attended school—but that was because of her previous condition. Now that she had recovered, Bai Fumin and Liao Guizhi fully supported her desire to learn. They had even considered sending her to school but ultimately decided against it due to her unique situation.

Song Jing’an had been smiling, but upon hearing Bai Junyu’s words, his expression turned serious. “Your mother means well for you,” he said earnestly. “Even if there are no college entrance exams right now, studying is never a waste. It only brings benefits, never harm.”

Besides, the college entrance exam would surely be reinstated sooner or later.

Thinking this, he added a subtle hint, “And the situation outside isn’t set in stone. Things could change at any time. But no matter how they change, the knowledge you gain from studying remains your own. You never know when it might come in handy.”

Bai Junyu: […]

“Alright, alright, I get it,” Bai Junyu said, scrunching up his face. He had just come to ask a question, not get a lecture. He quickly cut Song Jing’an off. “Are you going to help me or not?”

Song Jing’an paused. “I will.”

He tidied up the papers on his desk, picked up the problem Bai Junyu had brought, and began explaining it to him in detail. Bai Junyu listened intently, gradually becoming fully absorbed.

By the time Song Jing’an finished, Bai Junyu had a sudden moment of clarity. He couldn’t help but look at Song Jing’an with newfound admiration—he felt Song Jing’an explained things more clearly and understandably than his own teachers.

“Got it now?”

Bai Junyu nodded. “Brother Jing’an, you’re amazing.”

Without realizing it, his address for Song Jing’an had shifted from the formal “Comrade Song” to the more familiar “Brother Jing’an.”

Song Jing’an noticed the change and smiled faintly. Bai Junyu’s personality was easy to figure out—all it took was excelling in one area to earn his respect, after which he would become very compliant.

So, Song Jing’an had done it on purpose.

“If you study hard, you can be just as capable.”

This time, Bai Junyu didn’t show any resistance and nodded obediently.

From then on, Bai Junyu sought out Song Jing’an whenever he had free time. He even joined Bai Zhizhi during her study sessions, sometimes showing more enthusiasm than she did. The Bai family was utterly surprised—since when had their youngest son become so passionate about studying?