Half anxious and half expectant, Sheng Zexi closed his eyes and fell asleep.

In his dream, it seemed he had returned to those days spent at the Gu family home, one of the few happy times he had experienced since his mother passed away.

When he woke up, it was already daylight.

He glanced at the time—6:30 a.m.

Sheng Zexi got up, washed up, and put on his military uniform. The buttons that were usually left undone when he was outside were now fastened tightly, giving him a more serious and earnest appearance. He picked up the gifts, got into the car, and drove off, kicking up a trail of dust as he headed toward Huaihua Village.

…

“Ningning, get up and have breakfast.”

Gu Jianing was awakened by her sister-in-law.

“Coming,” Gu Jianing opened the door and was greeted by her sister-in-law.

“Ningning, your brother has already had breakfast and gone to work at the steel factory,” Yang Manman said while looking at Gu Jianing.

Gu Jianing knew her sister-in-law was testing her, so she smiled and said, “That’s good. The job opportunity was earned because my brother saved the factory director’s kidnapped grandson. He also passed the recruitment exam on his own. This job rightfully belongs to him.”

Hearing this, Yang Manman breathed a sigh of relief. After her sister-in-law had jumped into the river yesterday and woke up saying she no longer wanted her husband’s job, Yang Manman had been puzzled by the sudden change. But it was a good thing.

This morning, she had urged her hesitant husband to go to work and had come to wake her sister-in-law to confirm once again.

To be honest, she was afraid that her sister-in-law might change her mind after waking up. If that happened, the job would undoubtedly have to be given up, as her husband was soft-hearted and doted on his sister.

Gu Jianing glanced around and saw that, apart from her eldest brother who had gone to work at the steel factory, everyone else was at home.

Her father, known as Old Man Gu, was the village chief of Huaihua Brigade. Her mother, Yao Chunhua, managed the village’s pigsty. Her sister-in-law, Yang Manman, was a Chinese language teacher at the village elementary school. She was from the neighboring Guangming Brigade and had married Gu Yunting, Gu Jianing’s eldest brother, in a love marriage.

Her second brother, Gu Yunnan, was tall and strong, with great physical strength, making him an excellent farmhand. Last year, he had married Su Miao from Lihua Brigade after being introduced by someone. At the end of last month, Su Miao had given birth to a boy and was currently in her postpartum confinement.

Her third brother, Gu Yunzhou, had become the village accountant after graduating from high school. He was quick and accurate with his calculations.

“Here, Ningning, have a bowl of fish soup to nourish your body. Your third brother caught the fish early this morning. Are you feeling any discomfort?” As soon as Gu Jianing sat down, her mother placed a full bowl of fish soup in front of her.

Gu Jianing shook her head and replied to her mother’s concern, “I’m fine now. By the way, did Second Sister-in-law get some fish soup too?”

She hadn’t forgotten that her second sister-in-law was in her postpartum confinement. The chicken prepared for her had been killed yesterday, and Gu Jianing had drunk the chicken soup.

“Yes, Ningning. I just took some to your second sister-in-law. She also had the chicken soup yesterday,” her second brother, Gu Yunnan, quickly added, thinking to himself that his younger sister seemed to have become more sensible after waking up from the jump into the river.

Of course, the Gu family knew that Gu Jianing had been a bit spoiled and willful in the past, but in their eyes, it was normal for a young girl to be a little willful when the whole family doted on her.

Gu Jianing drank the fish soup with peace of mind. This time, she had recovered so quickly thanks to her family’s care and the painkillers and sweet wine boiled eggs Sheng Zexi had brought.

In her past life, after jumping into the river, she had first developed a high fever, then received an IV drip, and it took her three days to barely recover. That incident had also left her with infertility.

“Ningning, are you sure you want to meet Zexi?” During breakfast, Yao Chunhua found a moment to ask this question.

At this question, everyone in the Gu family looked over.

Gu Jianing knew she had to explain this clearly. She looked up at her family and said, “Mom, after jumping into the river this time, I suddenly realized that I don’t seem to like Wen Zhuqing that much anymore. Besides, I feel like marrying him would be a bad deal. He doesn’t have a job, can’t work in the fields, and who knows when he’ll be able to return to the city. If I marry him now, it would mean that I and our whole family would have to support him. It’s just not worth it.”

“After hearing about my brother’s job, he kept complaining to me about how hard it was to work in the fields and how he envied my brother for having a job. He even encouraged me to ask for the job,” Gu Jianing bit her lip slightly, her soft, delicate voice tinged with grievance. She lowered her head, looking like a wilted flower.

Yao Chunhua gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with anger. “I knew that guy was no good.”

“That’s right, little sister. You can’t marry someone like that. Otherwise, you’d be sold off and still counting money for him,” her second brother, Gu Yunnan, agreed.

Gu Yunzhou clenched his fists secretly. The beating he gave that pretty boy yesterday was too light.

“I know, so I don’t like him anymore. I think it’s better for me to marry a ready-made officer. Besides, Brother Zexi stayed with us before, so you and Dad know his character best.”

Speaking of which, the reason Gu Jianing and Sheng Zexi had met was because Gu Jianing had found Sheng Zexi injured and unconscious in the mountains and brought him home. Of course, she didn’t have the strength to carry him herself—she had her second brother do it.

The reason she brought him home was because she saw he was wearing a military uniform and thought there might be some benefit.

Unexpectedly, after Sheng Zexi woke up, due to mission requirements, he ended up staying with her family for a while to recover from his injuries, pretending to be her distant cousin.

Gu Jianing somewhat regretted bringing him home because Sheng Zexi was arrogant and sharp-tongued. Gu Jianing often ended up crying after being scolded by him and had become somewhat afraid of him.

At one point, Gu Jianing thought Sheng Zexi disliked her. After all, on a few occasions when she mustered the courage to playfully flirt with him, he remained unmoved, even running away and scolding her.

Even after learning in her past life that Sheng Zexi had liked her, she still found it hard to believe.

However, Sheng Zexi’s visit and concern yesterday made it feel more real.

The Gu family was shocked by Gu Jianing’s sudden change of heart, but they thought it was normal for someone’s perspective to change drastically after a near-death experience.

After breakfast, Gu Jianing went into her room to get ready. Not only was today a meeting occasion, but she also believed in always looking her best.

It was winter, and the weather was cold. Most people wore cotton-padded jackets, which Gu Jianing usually did as well. But she thought it looked a bit outdated. After some thought, she took out a camel-colored wool coat she had saved up to buy and paired it with a pair of leather shoes.

The long wool coat made her look tall and elegant. She styled her hair into a loose side braid.

Gu Jianing had some makeup. Her face was a bit pale, so she applied blush and lipstick.

After admiring herself in a small mirror, Gu Jianing heard the sound of a car outside, followed by some commotion.

Realizing what was happening, her heart began to pound, and she felt a bit nervous.