Bai Junwu stepped through the courtyard gate and said with a grin, “Little sis, when did you learn how to take a pulse? You look pretty convincing.”  

The sight of Bai Zhizhi feeling the pulse of the big white goose was both absurd and hilarious, yet somehow she seemed to be doing it with such seriousness that, for a moment, Junwu felt as if he were seeing their late grandfather again.  

Grandpa Bai had been a well-known doctor in the surrounding villages during his lifetime. Whenever anyone nearby had a headache or fever, they would come to him for treatment.  

Unfortunately, none of the Bai family had any talent for medicine, and the old man’s medical skills were never passed down.  

If little sis is interested, maybe she could really learn it properly, Junwu thought silently.  

“Second brother!” Bai Zhizhi called out happily, releasing the big white goose and letting it flap away.  

She ran up to Bai Junwu and held out her hand. “Candy.”  

“Didn’t forget.” Junwu handed her the milk candies he had brought back. “Only two for now, no more. Give the rest to Mom and let her put them away first.”  

Zhizhi nodded, immediately unwrapping one and popping it into her mouth before stuffing another into Junwu’s.  

Then she turned her gaze to the young man beside him. “Who’s this?”  

He looked somewhat familiar.  

Junwu explained briefly, “This is the newly arrived educated youth, Comrade Song Jing’an. He’s here to talk to Dad about something.”  

The young man was indeed Song Jing’an, who was supposed to be at the educated youth settlement. But due to some unforeseen circumstances, Junwu had to bring him back to the Bai family first.  

Zhizhi’s pupils shrank abruptly—no wonder he looked familiar!

It’s that jinx!

She immediately grabbed Junwu’s arm and pulled him back, putting a full three meters between them and Song Jing’an. She stared at him warily, as if he were some kind of natural disaster.  

Song Jing’an had just raised a smile to greet her when her reaction rendered him speechless.  

Junwu said apologetically, “Don’t take it personally, Comrade Song. My little sister isn’t too fond of interacting with educated youths.”  

In other words, she’s not targeting you specifically—just the entire educated youth group.

Still as protective as ever, Jing’an thought wryly.  

He smiled gently and said, “It’s no trouble. I was the one being presumptuous.”  

Zhizhi, dissatisfied, opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by Liao Guizhi, who emerged from the kitchen upon hearing the voices.  

“Zhizhi, who are you talking to? Has your father come back?”  

When she saw Junwu and Song Jing’an, she asked, “Junwu’s back? And this is…?”  

Junwu introduced Jing’an again.  

Upon hearing this, Liao Guizhi immediately said, “Come inside and sit! We can’t just let Comrade Song stand here.”  

“Junwu’s wife, bring out a cup of water!”  

Song Jing’an waved his hands hastily. “No need, no need. Don’t trouble yourself, Auntie.”  

“You’re a guest. It’s no trouble at all,” Liao Guizhi insisted warmly. “And don’t leave yet—stay for dinner.”  

Unable to refuse, Jing’an was pulled inside and seated before he could react, a bowl of water already pressed into his hands.  

He took a sip—plain water, as expected.  

Zhizhi pouted unhappily, about to say something when Liao Guizhi shot her a warning look. Defeated, she glared at Jing’an resentfully before stomping off to sit in a corner, keeping a close eye on him.  

Gotta make sure his bad luck doesn’t spread.

Liao Guizhi shook her head helplessly. “Don’t mind her, Comrade Song. My daughter’s been spoiled rotten.”  

Jing’an nodded to show he didn’t take offense, his gaze lowering.  

The Bai family is exactly as I remember.

Bai Junwu and his wife were the most outspoken about their hatred for injustice, and their dislike of educated youths was blatant. When Junwu had come to fetch them earlier, he had been cold and indifferent, not wasting a single word or smile. His wife, Huang Xiuyun, was no different—while the Bai family usually served guests sugared water, all he got was plain water.  

Liao Guizhi’s reaction was also within his expectations. No matter how much she disliked someone, she would never show it outright—if anything, she’d be overly hospitable.

But she was also the hardest to get close to. In his past life, it had taken him a long time to earn Liao Guizhi’s acceptance.  

The only one who seemed a little different this time was Bai Zhizhi.  

Song Jing’an stole a glance at her over the rim of his bowl, only to meet her furious, puffed-up gaze. He froze for a moment.  

Had Bai Zhizhi been this lively in his past life?

This small difference unsettled him slightly, but at the same time, it made him happy for her. It’s good that she’s more spirited now—at least she can protect herself better.

The thought of her fate in his previous life sent a surge of violent rage through him, his eyes darkening with a terrifying bloodlust.  

Zhizhi sucked in a sharp breath, her heart pounding wildly. Instinctively, she tried to curl into herself but couldn’t quite manage it, so she just shrank deeper into her chair instead.  

Seeing this, Jing’an’s murderous aura vanished instantly, replaced by a gentle smile directed at her.  

But somehow, this smile was even scarier than his earlier expression. Zhizhi trembled like a leaf.  

Fortunately, Bai Fumin returned just then.  

Jing’an had no choice but to temporarily shelve his efforts to salvage his image and focus on discussing business with Bai Fumin.  

“Brigade leader Bai, I’m Song Jing’an. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”  

Bai Fumin glanced at him. “Ah, one of the new educated youths. What is it?”  

Junwu cut in, “Dad, there aren’t any beds left at the educated youth settlement. Comrade Song has nowhere to stay.”  

The educated youth settlement had been built by the production team after the youths were sent down. It wasn’t very large, and the youths had to share rooms.  

Fumin frowned. “Can’t they just squeeze in and make do for now?”  

Junwu curled his lip. “The other educated youths refused.”  

“What about the other newcomers?” Fumin’s frown deepened. Surely Song Jing’an isn’t the only one without a place to stay?

Is he really that special?

Junwu glanced at Jing’an before explaining, “It’s probably because of me.”  

He briefly recounted what had happened on their way back.  

When Fumin heard that Junwu had beaten up Liang Jian, he shot his son a glare—annoyed at his impulsiveness, but also secretly approving.  

Huang Xiuyun cheered, “Good! That’s what a real man does!”  

Her eyes burned with regret—she was furious she hadn’t been there to join in the fight.  

Junwu gave his wife a helpless look before continuing.  

By the time he finished explaining how Jing’an had offended Liang Jian by speaking up for Junwu, resulting in his banishment from the settlement, the entire Bai family couldn’t help but look at Jing’an with new eyes. Their attitude toward him warmed considerably.  

At the very least, Xiuyun refilled his bowl—this time with sugared water.  

Fumin snorted. “That Liang Jian really thinks he can do whatever he pleases!”  

Jing’an lowered his head slightly, concealing all emotion as he perfectly played the role of an innocent, victimized educated youth.  

Zhizhi kept sneaking glances at him, feeling that something was off.  

This didn’t happen in the past life. She remembered clearly—last time, Jing’an had stayed at the educated youth settlement from the beginning.  

Not only that, but he had fallen ill almost immediately after arriving, sparking heated debates in the production team. Some accused him of faking it to avoid work, while others believed he was genuinely sick.  

Whether it was real or not, Jing’an’s reputation had been terrible from the start, especially compared to another educated youth who arrived with him—the difference between them had been like night and day.  

*So why can’t he stay at the settlement this time? And will he still get sick later?*  

Of course, all these changes were Jing’an’s own doing. Remembering what had happened earlier at the educated youth settlement, he couldn’t help but find it amusing.  

After picking them up from the commune, Junwu had dutifully escorted them to the settlement.  

“This is the educated youth settlement. You’ll be living here from now on.” Junwu was nothing if not responsible. He led them to the person in charge and said, “This is Lin Xingdong, the educated youth currently managing the settlement.”

Lin Xingdong was part of the first batch of educated youths sent to the countryside—a warm and kind-hearted person, which was why he had been unanimously elected to manage the settlement.  

“Hello, welcome!” Lin Xingdong greeted them enthusiastically.  

Noticing Liang Jian and the others following closely behind, he couldn’t help but look surprised. “Did you run into each other on the way? Liang Jian, what happened to your face?”  

Liang Jian’s expression darkened. “I tripped.”  

Tripped and ended up like this?

Lin Xingdong wasn’t convinced, but it was clear Liang Jian was in a foul mood, so he didn’t press further.  

He turned to Song Jing’an and the others. “Let me show you to your rooms first.”  

“Qingqing, since you’re here, could you take Comrade Wang to the girls’ dorm? I’ll take Comrades Song and Lin.”  

Li Qingqing still listened to Lin Xingdong, so she didn’t refuse, leading Wang Ting away to settle in.  

“Comrade Lin, Comrade Song, follow me.” Lin Xingdong led the way. “Our settlement isn’t very big, and there are a lot of us. You’ve come at an unfortunate time—there’s only one bed left in Comrade Liang’s room.”  

“I’ve already applied to the team to expand the settlement, but it hasn’t been approved yet. I was thinking we could temporarily add a wooden plank for now, and once the expansion is done, there’ll be proper space.”  

“But since you’ve already met Comrade Liang, there’s another option.” Lin Xingdong glanced at Liang Jian, seeking his opinion. “Liang Jian, you don’t usually stay at the settlement anyway. Why not let them use your bed for now? They can move out once there’s space later.”  

Liang Jian smiled. Just as Lin Xingdong thought he would agree, he uttered two words: “No way.”  

“And no adding planks to our room either. It’s already cramped enough—another plank would just get in the way.”  

Lin Xingdong looked troubled. “But…”  

Among all the rooms in the settlement, Liang Jian’s was the only one with enough space to fit an extra plank. The others were so crowded there was barely room to stand, let alone sleep.  

Liang Jian unceremoniously dropped Lin Bangguo’s luggage onto the last remaining bed. “Comrade Lin, this one’s yours.”  

“Sorry, Comrade Song. Looks like you’ll have to find somewhere else to stay.”  

He shot Jing’an a glance, his eyes full of provocation—this was deliberate.  

He wanted Jing’an to know exactly what happened to those who crossed him.  

Lin Xingdong finally understood. Though he didn’t know what grudge Liang Jian held, it was obvious he was out to make Jing’an’s life difficult.  

“Liang Jian, don’t go too far. We’re all educated youths here,” Lin Xingdong said, his expression stern. “It’s just a plank. Where else is Comrade Song supposed to stay?”  

“Not my problem,” Liang Jian replied indifferently.  

“You know perfectly well—”  

Jing’an stepped forward, cutting Lin Xingdong off. He looked Liang Jian straight in the eye and said, very sincerely, “Thank you.”  

Liang Jian stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.  

“Comrade Song, where are you going?” Lin Xingdong called out as Jing’an turned to leave.  

Jing’an waved a hand. “It’s fine. I’ll figure something out.”  

He quickly caught up to Bai Junwu, who hadn’t gone far. Knowing Junwu had witnessed everything, he said, “Comrade Bai, I’d like to speak to the brigade leader.”  

And that was how they ended up at the Bai household.  

Jing’an hid a mocking smile behind his bowl of water. Liang Jian thought he was making things difficult for me, but he actually did me a huge favor.  

My thanks were completely genuine.

In his past life, his downfall as the “contrast character” had begun the moment he moved into the educated youth settlement. This time, there was no way he was setting foot in there again.  

Which was why he’d been scheming for a legitimate way to avoid it—and Liang Jian was his golden opportunity.  

Thanks to his memories, he knew exactly how petty Liang Jian was. He also knew the settlement was short on beds—last time, Liang Jian had given up his spot, but this time, that wasn’t necessary.  

So after running into Liang Jian, he’d deliberately provoked him. Not that he minded—those were words he’d always wanted to say and things he’d always wanted to do anyway.  

All to ensure Liang Jian held a grudge. That way, when they reached the settlement and realized one person would have nowhere to sleep, Liang Jian would seize the chance to make life hard for him.  

Everything had gone exactly according to plan.