Chapter 38: Because I Was So Stupid

As soon as he entered the room, he saw Bai Ruojiao standing by the cabinet.

Looking at her slender figure, he unconsciously tugged at his loose, baggy T-shirt, feeling as if something was stuck in his chest, making him feel suffocated.

“Cough, Qiao…”

“Close the door,” Bai Ruojiao turned her head and ordered.

But to Zhao Sihai, whose mind was full of unspeakable thoughts, it sounded like a soft scolding.

“Okay!” He stretched out the sound, responding with a “滋滋,” and turned to close the door without hesitation.

Bai Ruojiao found it strange. Why did his tone sound so strange? But she didn’t think much of it. “Come here.”

Zhao Sihai immediately took off his army green jacket and walked over. He spread his arms, ready to hug her.

Bai Ruojiao turned around and pressed the thing in her hand against his chest. “This is for you.”

Zhao Sihai unconsciously reached out to hold it, stunned for a moment.

Then, he lowered his head to look at the thing in his hand.

It was a thick, somewhat old book.

The cover was made of sheepskin paper, without any words.

He was a little confused, “What is this?”

“You’ll know when you see it,” Bai Ruojiao told him to look at it himself.

She turned and sat at the table, holding a teacup. She had just taken a sip of water when she heard Zhao Sihai gasp.

“This, Qiaoqiao, is this real? Where did you get it?”

Zhao Sihai’s expression was one of shock, the likes of which he had never seen before. Even his pupils were trembling. He held the book as if it were a rare treasure, but also like a hot potato.

He looked at Bai Ruojiao in disbelief, his heart pounding.

Bai Ruojiao had already thought of an excuse for taking this out.

“This book, I had my family send it over.”

Zhao Sihai heard this and stopped flipping through the book abruptly. He looked up at her in astonishment.

He wasn’t surprised for nothing. Bai Ruojiao had never mentioned her family to him.

He remembered that when they were getting married, he had asked if they should write a letter to her family, and she had gotten angry at him.

He thought she might have had a falling out with her family.

This wasn’t uncommon among many educated youths.

In the early years, many people went to the countryside voluntarily, filled with enthusiasm.

Later, they realized how hard life was in the countryside, and most people didn’t want to stay. It became more or less mandatory.

Therefore, most of the educated youths who went to the countryside each year had some resentment and generally had a strained relationship with their families.

Many of them ended up getting married and having children in the countryside, never to see their families again.

But looking at her relaxed expression now, without any resentment, it seemed different.

He couldn’t help but purse his lips and start to think wildly.

She didn’t want to talk about her family, and she didn’t want to tell her family about their marriage.

Did she not want her family to know about their relationship?

If she had the chance to go back to the city, would she…

He had heard some news, knowing that there might be good news for the educated youths in the next year or two.

He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now he was suddenly uncertain.

Bai Ruojiao was incredibly perceptive. She immediately noticed that he was lost in thought and shook her head with a smile.

“Don’t think too much. My lack of contact with my family has nothing to do with you. It’s just that I…”

She pursed her lips and smiled wryly, holding her teacup. “I was so stupid.”

She couldn’t even say stupid. Every time she thought about it, she felt like an idiot during that time.

She had been played by that family, and she had hurt the people who truly cared about her.

This experience, even after two lifetimes, even after she had gotten her revenge, still made her feel disgusted.

It was like a fly stuck in her throat, making her feel sick.

She hated those despicable people, and she hated her own stupidity.

Zhao Sihai was stunned for a moment, not understanding.

Bai Ruojiao chuckled, “It’s actually not complicated. When the street committee sent us to the countryside, my grandfather happened to have a recommendation for the Workers’, Peasants’, and Soldiers’ University for me. Later, my grandmother secretly gave it to my cousin, and she went ahead and registered me for the countryside.”

Hearing this, Zhao Sihai’s hand unconsciously tightened.

Having a recommendation for the Workers’, Peasants’, and Soldiers’ University meant that her family was no ordinary family.

“I didn’t know at the time. My cousin tricked me, making me think that my father was again prioritizing his brotherly love and giving away my opportunity. So, I went to the countryside in a fit of anger. Later, my cousin forged letters to trick me again, and I unilaterally cut off contact with my family.”

Zhao Sihai was feeling uneasy, but after hearing this, a surge of anger rose within him.

“Why did your cousin do that? Didn’t your family know? Why didn’t they come to find you?” He immediately had a bad impression of her family.

If they truly cared, they wouldn’t have disappeared for five years.

Bai Ruojiao sneered, “They arranged for someone at the post office to intercept my letters to my family. They also forged my handwriting and threatened my family, saying that I would commit suicide if they appeared in front of me. My family felt guilty about sending me to the countryside, so they didn’t dare to do anything. They were tricked by her.”

Hearing this, Zhao Sihai slammed his fist on the table, “That woman is so vicious. What about now?”

“I accidentally met one of my father’s colleagues. I asked him to bring a letter back home, and that’s how the misunderstanding was cleared up. At the time, I heard you were working as a soldier, and I didn’t know what kind of work it was, so I asked my mother to send this book over. I’ll see if it’s useful.”

This book contained records of industrial machinery manufacturing data from the Republic of China to the first ten years after the founding of the country, from most countries.

This kind of information had long been outdated in the future. She only needed to spend a little money, and she could basically collect it. There were even some written by the original manufacturers themselves, which she had bound into several volumes, covering different eras.

The first volume she took out was the one that was relevant to this era.

Zhao Sihai’s attention returned to the book. His expression immediately became serious, his dark eyes fixed on her.

“Why didn’t you submit this?”

The country was in dire need of this technology. If it were submitted, it would be a great achievement.

Bai Ruojiao smiled helplessly, “At first, it was because the compiler of this book was… not in a good position.”

Zhao Sihai was astonished.

“This book was compiled by my grandfather,” she said silently to her grandfather, apologizing.

“I wasn’t lying when I said my ancestors were imperial physicians. My great-grandfather was one. But by the time it was my grandfather, he had already abandoned medicine and gone into business. But he wasn’t a simple businessman. He used his medical skills and strategy to navigate the various concessions. The things in this book are what he accumulated over many years. Later, during the turbulent times, he was maliciously reported and sent to a farm. This book was the only thing my mother managed to save. She secretly hid it all this time. No one else knew about it except me. I only found out about it by accident.”

After hearing her story, Zhao Sihai believed her.

He pursed his lips, walked over, put his arm around her shoulders, and patted her gently. “How is your grandfather now? If this were submitted, it might help your grandfather.”

The current political situation wasn’t as bad as it was at the beginning. As long as there were suitable reasons and evidence, he might be able to be exonerated.

He now understood why Bai Ruojiao cared so much about the people in the cowshed.

“No, she’s fine,” Bai Ruojiao smiled. “My grandfather cleared his name a long time ago. But he’s still staying at the farm to help with construction. He doesn’t want to come back.”

Bai Ruojiao’s grandfather was named Liao Yunhe. After being framed and sent to the farm, he cleared his name through his own abilities.

Later, he joined the army and rose to the rank of division commander. Then, he suddenly chose to retire and went back to his old profession.

Now, he was the director of the First Military Hospital in Xinjiang Province.

Later, her grandfather retired and came back about two years later. But by then, she had already been sent abroad.

She saw him again four years later. At that time, he was re-employed and became colleagues with Qin Lao.

She had always risked her life to help her grandfather and grandmother in the labor camp, and it was partly because of her grandfather.

Zhao Sihai breathed a sigh of relief, then frowned again, “What about your cousin…”

Bai Ruojiao pulled his hand and played with it, a slight smile on her lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll settle the score with her slowly.”

Now that she was reborn, it was just right. She always felt that the suffering she had made Bai Yunyun’s family endure wasn’t enough in her previous life.

This time…

She chuckled.

Zhao Sihai knew that she already had a plan, so he didn’t ask anymore. He just said, “If you need me, just say the word.”

“Of course. You’re my husband. Who else would I ask for help?”

Hearing her words, Zhao Sihai’s heart felt warm, but also a little uneasy.

As for the rest of what he was thinking…

He looked at her and sat down on the other side.

Bai Ruojiao saw him flipping through the book, glancing at her from time to time.

His eyes were a clear indication.

She was amused by his awkward expression. “What else do you want to ask?”

Zhao Sihai could only speak with a hint of awkwardness and anxiety.

“Our marriage… did you tell your family?”

It was an expected question. Bai Ruojiao suppressed a smile and shook her head directly, “No.”

Zhao Sihai’s hand suddenly tightened, and his heart sank.

Seeing this, Bai Ruojiao didn’t tease him anymore.

She reached out and held his clenched fist. “If I tell them now, they’ll definitely come here. The transportation and communication are inconvenient, and my father’s position is special. Don’t let them cause any trouble.”

Zhao Sihai frowned, but his muscles slowly relaxed.

Bai Ruojiao looked at him, her lips curled into a smile. She added, “So, I want to find a chance to take you and An’an home later.”

Zhao Sihai was stunned. His muscles instantly tensed up, but his eyes lit up. “Us? Me and An’an?”

Bai Ruojiao laughed, “Who else would it be? Who else is there?”

Zhao Sihai felt his hand tighten around hers. “No, no. Just the three of us.”

Bai Ruojiao chuckled, pulled her hand back, and then tapped the pages of the book. “So, now that we have this, how confident are you?”

She didn’t really think that just having this book would guarantee success.

They had to try it to know.

If it really didn’t work, she would have to find a way to send a letter to her family.

But it wasn’t easy to explain. She couldn’t just say,

“Dad, don’t buy machine tools from R-country. They’re all refurbished scrap.”

Then, her father would suspect that something was wrong with her.

Zhao Sihai flipped to the textile machinery series and looked at a few pages. He pursed his lips.

“I still can’t guarantee anything. But if it’s just a repair, not replacing any parts or components that can’t be manufactured domestically, if you give me time, the possibility might be higher.”