The main course was sweet potato and rice. On the table was a plate of cured meat, a side dish of cold braised bracken, and a serving of pickled pepper stir-fried tender bamboo shoots; the portions were generous.

Unknowingly, Xu Yingjun ate two bowls of rice, the first time in over ten years that he had such a hearty appetite.

After lunch, Zhao Baixue went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Xu Yingjun looked across at Zhao Xuli, “Xiao Qi mentioned you the day before yesterday. My two brothers and I never imagined there would be any connection between you two.”

Mu Xiaoqi was a pampered city girl, while Zhao Xuli was a country boy from the mountains.

Even if they were somehow together, he was not optimistic about it.

Therefore, he had come today to persuade Zhao Xuli to give up. The gap between him and Xiao Qi was simply too vast.

Zhao Xuli understood that this third uncle from the Xu family had shown his sincere intentions. He saw no trace of disdain in the other man’s eyes. Even while eating the simple peasant fare, the impeccably dressed Xu Yingjun exuded an aura completely different from him and his sister.

“Please give me a year. I will make myself worthy of Xiao Qi.”

That evening, Xu Yingjun drove a truckload of mountain goods home.

Zhao Xuli’s resolute gaze had swayed Xu Yingjun.  He figured having another suitor around Xiao Qi wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Xu’s eldest and second brothers, after hearing their younger brother’s words, remained silent for a while. They trusted their youngest brother’s judgment, and giving Zhao Xuli a year wasn’t unreasonable.

This period would be enough for them to see what kind of person Zhao Xuli truly was.

Perhaps, they wouldn’t even need to object; the two would naturally separate.

Mu Xiaoqi didn’t know that the mountain goods her third uncle brought back were carefully prepared by Zhao Xuli.  She was currently on a bus to Luo’an Town, having decided to deliver the movie tickets to Zhao Xuli herself.

She wanted to watch the movie with him!

At Luo’an Town Bus Station, Mu Xiaoqi hopped onto a tractor that passed through Wanxing Village.

The summer sun was excessively intense. Standing on the tractor, Mu Xiaoqi deeply regretted not wearing a hat.

At the entrance of Wanxing Village, Mu Xiaoqi looked around, her eyes filled with memories. In her past life, she was forced to marry Zhao Xuli and lived here for less than a year before Zhao Xuli bought a house in the city, under her name.

Without needing to ask anyone, Mu Xiaoqi remembered where Zhao Xuli’s home was.

Walking along the mountain path, Mu Xiaoqi had never felt so relaxed, full of anticipation to see Zhao Xuli.

Her mood was so light, she felt like she could fly.

To get to Zhao Xuli’s house, she had to cross a river. Villagers washed clothes and cleaned vegetables in this river, so there were always people around, and children liked to play on the riverbank.

At that moment, Zhao Baixue, washing clothes on a large stone with her back to the sun, was splashed with water by a small stone thrown suddenly.

“Who did that?”

Zhao Baixue angrily looked up, just in time to see a group of ten or so children on the opposite bank.

“What’s wrong with you? Is it fun to tease people?”

“Haha, hahaha…” The children were amused by Zhao Baixue’s drenched state and burst into laughter.

A girl who had always been at odds with Zhao Baixue sneered, looking down on Zhao Baixue, “You’re not going to tell your brother again, are you? Oh, I’m so scared. Zhao Baixue, so what if we threw stones at you?”

Zhao Baixue’s face turned pale with anger, but she refused to lose, “Wang Guizhi, why are you targeting me like this? Does your sister know?”

Wang Guizhi’s sister, Wang Mengyun, was known throughout the village for her affection for her brother Zhao Xuli, wanting to be his sister-in-law. Because of this, Wang Guizhi constantly antagonized her, often teasing her.

Having been hit on a sore spot, Wang Guizhi glared fiercely, “Listen up, everyone, throw stones at Zhao Baixue. She and her brother are ill-fated; they not only killed Zhao Sishu, but even their mother abandoned them.”

Zhao Baixue had experienced countless such humiliations since childhood.

However, this time it was in front of many villagers.  Many people were washing clothes and fetching water by the river, yet everyone pretended not to hear.

Two lines of hot tears flowed down Zhao Baixue’s cheeks. She bent down to continue washing clothes, letting the splashing water soak her clothes and hair. Her brother had said that one must be strong, especially at times like this.

Mu Xiaoqi saw from afar that someone was bullying Baixue and quickly ran over with her backpack.

Without a word, she picked up stones and threw them into the river on the opposite side.

Huge splashes of water erupted, and none of the shouting children escaped.

“You want to play? Then I’ll play with you!” Mu Xiaoqi continued her actions, throwing several more stones before the children could react.

Only when the children on the opposite side were drenched did Mu Xiaoqi finally pat the dust off her hands with satisfaction.

“I warn you, if I ever find you bullying Zhao Baixue again, I’ll catch you and beat you, believe it or not!”

Mu Xiaoqi suddenly remembered that she had a pair of handcuffs her uncle gave her for fun in her bag. She took out the shiny handcuffs from her backpack, clicked them, and fastened one end to her wrist. With her chin slightly raised, Mu Xiaoqi’s eyes were filled with threat.

The children clearly sensed that this woman in city clothes was not someone to be trifled with, and they lowered their heads and ran away.

They heard that only the police had handcuffs. Could she be a police officer?

The children felt a little heavy-hearted. Next time they saw Zhao Baixue, they had to stay away from her and stop bullying her.

“Are you alright?”

Hearing the question from the person who had just helped her, Zhao Baixue quickly lowered her head to wipe away the tears on her face. The moment she looked up, she was stunned by the concern and care in the woman’s eyes. This was the first time someone other than her brother had stood up for her.

She was so beautiful.