At that moment, Bao Shanyan cracked open the door, leaving a narrow gap. Under the moonlight, her gaze landed squarely on Wen Zhuqing’s thatched shed.
Hmph, Wen Zhuqing will do anything to get what he wants.
Even letting himself be trampled by a sow—how adaptable.
But…
A Wen Zhuqing like this was ruthless and relentless.
Bao Shanyan felt that if Wen Zhuqing ever rose to power, neither she, Xiao Lang, nor her mother would have a good life.
She didn’t care about herself.
But her mother had always protected her, even following her to the labor camp when she didn’t have to.
And Xiao Lang—her own flesh and blood.
No matter what, she had to protect these two.
…
In Huaihua Village, Gu Yunzhou was preparing to take the college entrance exam.
There were only two months left until the exam. Though Gu Yunzhou had been studying all along, he couldn’t slack off during these final months.
So, he could no longer continue working at the supply and marketing cooperative.
After some discussion, the job was handed over to his second sister-in-law, Su Miao.
As for his eldest sister-in-law, Yang Manman—she announced she was going to take the college entrance exam too!
Yang Manman had only completed junior high school back then, not because her grades were poor or because she didn’t want to continue, but because her family couldn’t afford to support her further education.
Her living conditions had been modest in her maiden home.
Ironically, after marriage, her life improved.
When her husband, Gu Yunting, learned of her love for reading and studying, he borrowed books from his younger sister, Gu Jianing, for her.
Over the years, through self-study, Yang Manman had completed the entire high school curriculum.
Since this year’s college entrance exam had no academic restrictions, Yang Manman wanted to give it a try.
“Of course, go for it!”
“Who knows, our family might produce two college students!” Yao Chunhua, her mother-in-law, was the first to support the idea.
Yang Manman hesitated. “But the two children…”
“I’ll take care of the kids. You focus on your exam without worry.”
With her mother-in-law’s reassurance, Yang Manman cast aside all doubts and threw herself into studying.
Meanwhile, Su Miao took over her brother-in-law’s job and started working at the supply and marketing cooperative.
Su Miao had only completed elementary school and had never been fond of studying. Though she envied others who could take the college exam, she knew she wasn’t cut out for it.
Better to stick to a steady job.
And working at the supply and marketing cooperative was a pretty good deal.
On the second day after the college entrance exam was reinstated, Gu Jianing officially concluded her free medical clinic.
Though the clinic had ended, the buzz around Gu Jianing lingered.
Her free clinic even made the front page of the local newspaper.
The newspaper staff, of course, were well aware of Gu Jianing’s fame and influence.
After all, she had been featured in major national newspapers like Beijing Daily and Shanghai Daily, received by high-ranking leaders, and even awarded honors.
Now that Gu Jianing had finally returned to Qingshan County, how could they miss this opportunity?
Especially after learning about her free clinic.
Originally, they had wanted to conduct an exclusive interview with her.
But Gu Jianing declined.
She wasn’t one for the spotlight, and this time, she had come back to run the clinic and spend time with her family. She would only stay for a month at most before leaving again.
She really didn’t have time to spare for other matters.
Though the newspaper was turned down for the interview, they didn’t give up entirely.
No exclusive? No problem—they could still run a feature.
So, the newspaper published a lengthy front-page article praising Gu Jianing’s free clinic, filled with glowing accolades.
Undoubtedly, this issue of the newspaper sold like hotcakes.
Of course, the newspaper’s publicity also spread word of Gu Jianing’s free clinic beyond Qingshan County, drawing people from all over to the county hospital.
Naturally, aside from the newspaper, the local officials in Qingshan County also highly praised Gu Jianing’s initiative.
It was just a bit of a shame.
A talent like hers—Qingshan County was too small to keep her.
But in the end, Gu Jianing was still one of their own!
Once she achieved great things, she would surely give back to her hometown.
And indeed, that was exactly what happened.
This time, Gu Jianing had another mission—to build a road for Huaihua Village!
The funds came from her share of the profits from the medicinal ointments and stomach-protecting pills she had supplied to the military.
Though her cut was only 10%, collected monthly, over the years, it had accumulated into a substantial sum.
Gu Jianing herself already owned several properties, and Sheng Zexi handed over his entire salary and savings to her.
On top of that, she earned a monthly salary as a military doctor, along with occasional bonuses.
Moreover, her “Fertility System” rewarded her with material goods whenever she successfully treated patients.
Over the years, the system’s storage space had amassed quite a collection.
This free clinic had not only earned her a significant number of points but also plenty of rewards.
So now, Gu Jianing had no shortage of money or resources.
With extra funds on hand, she decided to invest in something meaningful—like building a road for the village!
Whether in this life or her past one, there was no denying that the villagers of Huaihua Village had always treated her well.
In her past life, Wen Zhuqing had fabricated her disappearance.
Her parents had spent all their savings searching for her, and when they ran out, the villagers pooled money together to help.
At first, Gu Jianing hadn’t known about this.
It wasn’t until after her death, when her spirit lingered by Sheng Zexi’s side, that she learned the truth—because he investigated it for her.
So now, with the means to give back, she wanted to repay her hometown.
Building a road was the best way to start.
As for other ways, she’d consider them later.
The roads in Huaihua Village were indeed terrible. In an era where many struggled to even eat, where would the money for road construction come from?
So the village’s roads had remained unpaved—bumpy dirt paths that could jolt the soul out of anyone riding a bicycle.
Gu Jianing knew this firsthand.
During her recent clinic work, she had been driven around in Sheng Zexi’s jeep. Even with its shock absorbers, the ride had been uncomfortably rough.
Thankfully, the baby in her womb was sturdy.
She imagined that if she had an unstable pregnancy, the jostling alone might have caused a miscarriage.
When it rained, the potholes filled with water.
Anyone traveling on those roads would inevitably end up splattered in mud.
So building a proper road was essential!
Not long after arriving in Huaihua Village, Gu Jianing had discussed this with the village secretary.
The man had been overjoyed.
“Ning girl, I always knew that even after marrying far away, you’d still remember your roots!”
“The whole village owes you thanks.”
“You’ve really made something of yourself.”
“For Huaihua Village to raise a remarkable girl like you—it proves this is a blessed place!”
The village secretary couldn’t stop praising her, his face lit up with a grin that wouldn’t fade.
Once the plan was settled and Gu Jianing provided the funds, the village secretary immediately organized the project.
So by the time Gu Jianing was ready to leave Huaihua Village, construction had already begun.
Leave a Reply