At this moment, dozens of kilometers away from Huaihua Village, at the Red Star Farm, Wen Zhuqing froze in place when he heard the news that the college entrance exams had been reinstated.
The exams were back?
They were actually back?
If—if he were still in Huaihua Village, could he have taken the exams?
If he could just get into university, he could return to the city.
But now…
Wen Zhuqing stared at his hands. These hands, once used for writing, had been well-maintained even during his time in Huaihua Village. But now, after endless days of labor, they had become rough and cracked.
Using a nearby puddle of water as a mirror, Wen Zhuqing caught a glimpse of his face.
His once fair and refined complexion had darkened and coarsened. They say a fair complexion hides flaws—now that he was tanned, his once-handsome features no longer looked as appealing.
The thought of spending seven more years in this place filled him with unbearable frustration!
No, this wasn’t the life Wen Zhuqing was meant to live.
He should be taking the college entrance exams, becoming a university student, climbing higher, and then…
Reaching the pinnacle, settling scores with those who wronged him!
“What are you standing around for? Get back to work! Don’t drag us down and cost us our rations again.”
One of the men laboring beside him burst into mocking laughter. “What, you think just because you used to be an educated youth, you can take the exams now?”
“Once you’re sent to this place, you’re stuck here for life.”
Wen Zhuqing pressed his lips together, his eyes darkening with resentment as he lowered his gaze.
Finally, when the day’s work ended, Wen Zhuqing received only two coarse black buns as his ration.
Back when he first arrived, he had despised these nearly inedible black buns.
But now, he had grown accustomed to them.
Just as he was about to take a bite, a hand suddenly shot out and snatched both buns from him.
Wen Zhuqing looked up to see Bao Shanyan and her mother, Bao Yingzi, along with a timid, skinny little boy—no more than two years old—hiding behind them.
Upon closer inspection, the boy’s features bore a striking resemblance to his own.
But the moment Wen Zhuqing saw the child, his eyes filled with disgust.
“Give them back!” he hissed through gritted teeth.
“Give what back? The child needs to eat too. As his father, what’s wrong with giving him two buns?” Bao Shanyan retorted, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“If you want them, come and take them back.”
Did Wen Zhuqing want to snatch them back?
Of course he did.
Though the black buns were unpalatable, they were his only means of filling his stomach.
But he also knew he was no match for Bao Shanyan and Bao Yingzi.
Seeing Wen Zhuqing’s hesitation, Bao Shanyan spat in contempt. “Useless.”
Well, at least his face still had some value.
But Bao Shanyan only cared about the child—she had no real affection for Wen Zhuqing, especially since they were already divorced.
“Come on, Xiao Lang, let’s go.”
She shoved one of the stolen black buns into her son’s hand and led him away.
Wen Zhuqing watched their retreating figures, his eyes shadowed with venomous hatred.
Bao Shanyan had ruined his life. And that son—though he resembled him—carried her blood, making Wen Zhuqing loathe him all the same.
With his food stolen, Wen Zhuqing had no choice but to endure the hunger.
By afternoon, weakened by starvation, he could barely work. His poor performance cost him his evening meal as well.
That night, Wen Zhuqing lay alone in the straw shed, his stomach gnawing with emptiness.
He drank a lot of water, but it did nothing to help.
He was starving.
He needed food.
Wen Zhuqing was so hungry that his vision blurred. Just as he felt he was on the verge of starvation…
A sudden, tantalizing aroma of meat buns wafted into his nostrils.
“Buns… meat buns…” he murmured weakly.
At that moment, the loosely closed door of his straw shed creaked open from the outside.
A tall, burly figure blocked the moonlight, casting a massive shadow over him.
“Do you want to eat buns? Meat buns, you know. If you want them… you should know what to do.”
Struggling to stay conscious, Wen Zhuqing forced his eyes to focus on the figure before him.
No—this wasn’t a person.
The word “wild boar” would be more fitting.
And by “wild boar,” he meant someone fat, dark-skinned, and rough.
In an era where most people struggled to eat their fill, this woman was practically drowning in layers of jiggling fat.
For the first time in his life, Wen Zhuqing found himself using the word “greasy” to describe a woman.
Yes, greasy—a face as round and flat as a pancake, hideous features, and a lecherous expression that made him want to vomit at a single glance.
Wen Zhuqing knew who this was.
This was Jiang Zhenzhu, the only daughter of the farm director.
Ever since he arrived, she had set her sights on him.
But…
Wen Zhuqing was no saint—he had always prided himself on being a bit of a playboy.
However, he still had standards when it came to looks.
In his eyes, Bao Shanyan, his ex-wife, had already been the absolute lowest he was willing to stoop.
Yet now, here was Jiang Zhenzhu—somehow even more revolting than Bao Shanyan.
But Wen Zhuqing also knew just how much the farm director doted on his only daughter. The man would do anything for her.
And now…
Jiang Zhenzhu waved the meat bun in front of Wen Zhuqing’s face.
Her voice slithered into his ears like a demon’s whisper, luring him in.
“If you submit to me, I won’t just give you meat buns—I can even get you into the college entrance exams.”
Wen Zhuqing’s head snapped up.
“You heard the news today, didn’t you? The exams are back.”
“I know you’re an educated youth. You must want to take them. You want to go back to the city, don’t you?”
“If you give yourself to me, I’ll give you whatever you want.”
“So… what do you say?”
She pushed the meat bun closer, almost touching his lips.
Wen Zhuqing let out a hoarse, animalistic growl. He was fighting it, resisting—but the struggle lasted barely two seconds before he snatched the bun and devoured it ravenously.
He choked on the dryness, but he didn’t care. He just kept shoving it into his mouth.
He was too hungry.
Too damn hungry.
“No need to rush, take your time. There’s more.” Seeing him eat, Jiang Zhenzhu was overjoyed.
In the end, Wen Zhuqing ate six whole meat buns before finally stopping.
Now that his stomach was full, he felt like he had come back to life.
“Now that you’re fed… you haven’t forgotten what comes next, have you?”
“You still want to take the exams, don’t you?”
Yes—the exams! Wen Zhuqing wanted to take them. He wanted to escape this hellhole.
“A night of passion is worth a fortune. Let’s not waste any more time.”
Finally, the massive, boar-like figure loomed over the frail Wen Zhuqing, engulfing him…
Not far from the straw shed, in another hut, Bao Shanyan and her family of three were settling in for the night.
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