Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, several more months went by. China restored the College Entrance Examination. When the news spread, the entire village erupted in excitement, especially the Educated Youth who had been sent down to the countryside. They ran around spreading the news, pulling out long-forgotten books and throwing themselves into studying.
Many of the teachers at Chaoyang Primary School were also Educated Youth. For a time, they had no mind for teaching, so Principal Zhong simply gave them leave.
Because Lin Ruihai had attended university, many Educated Youth came to seek his guidance every day. However, he was not an especially enthusiastic person. After saying a few basic things, he would not elaborate further. Gradually, fewer people came to ask him.
“At that time, I was fairly quick-witted. I taught myself a lot and had already finished the three years of high school coursework by the time I was in middle school. Unfortunately, the College Entrance Examination wasn’t available then. I was recommended to university under the worker-peasant-soldier quota…”
That evening, Lan Sinian pestered Lin Ruihai to talk about his university days, while Lan Sisi pulled over a small stool to listen as well.
It was already autumn. A gentle evening breeze drifted by, carrying a slight chill and a refreshing coolness.
Recently, Lan Junsheng had been having a hard time. After graduating from high school, many of his classmates had found decent jobs, but no one paid him any attention. He had gone to several factories to inquire, only to be rejected. One person, after accepting his cigarettes, hinted that someone was targeting him.
He had not expected Li Ming’s wife to wield such influence. The resentment in his heart toward Lan Hehua deepened further.
He felt that his ambitions had no outlet. He lived in constant frustration and gradually turned to drinking, getting drunk every day. When he came home, he would storm into Lan Hehua’s room and cause a scene.
Fang Shi could not stop him and could only cry all day. Lan Jianshe had tried both beating and scolding, but nothing worked, so he eventually gave up.
Once, how glorious her life had been. Her son was a high school graduate, her daughter worked at the food factory. Wherever she went, people envied her, offering compliments or veiled jealousy. But now…
She could not understand how things had turned out this way.
When news of the College Entrance Examination arrived, Lan Junsheng was lying in his room, sleeping heavily. When he groggily heard Fang Shi relay the news, hope flared once more in his bloodshot eyes.
After several months, Lan Sisi finally leveled her farm up to level twenty.
“Upon reaching level twenty, you have obtained one chance to draw a reward. Would you like to proceed?”
As soon as the upgrade notification appeared, this message followed. She selected yes.
A dazzling burst of multicolored light appeared before her again, just as eye-straining as ever. After the light faded, a gift box appeared before her.
When she opened it, she found a fully automatic harvesting and planting machine inside. It was directly connected to the farm. Harvested fruits and vegetables would be sent to the farm, and seeds needed for planting would automatically be purchased from the farm using her coins. It could also transform into various forms, required no charging and no fuel. As long as the working hours were set, it could work tirelessly.
It was practically tailor-made for the current Lan Sisi.
Thus, in Lan Sisi’s wasteland, there was now an extra “person” who was silent and efficient at work. Every day at fixed times, it would carry out harvesting and planting, and once finished, it would leave.
To outsiders, Lan Sisi claimed that she had hired someone to help. After all, managing so much land alone was impossible, and hiring help was perfectly normal. Many people in the village did the same during busy farming seasons.
The fully automatic machine thus passed openly under everyone’s watchful eyes.
The small house on the farm had also been upgraded into a three-bedroom, one-living-room layout. She could even spend coins to change the interior decoration style. Now that she was not short of money, she directly chose the most expensive Chinese-style design, and the entire house instantly became elegant and classical.
At level 20, the land had expanded to more than ninety plots. The pond had also been enlarged, allowing twenty harvests per day. A new animal had been unlocked, the black-furred yak covered in long hair. Its meat was more delicious than ordinary beef. Jerky made from it had a rich, savory aroma and a pleasantly chewy texture, far better than any beef jerky she had bought in her previous life. It had also become the favorite snack of Lan Sinian and Lin Ruihai.
Through their time together, Lin Ruihai knew that Lan Sisi had secrets. After all, the things she occasionally took out were always of high quality. However, he did not ask about it, nor would he tell anyone. He simply kept it buried deep in his heart.
In addition to yaks, a swarm of buzzing bees had also appeared in the farm. They were large, almost the size of birds. They were not aggressive toward Lan Sisi and would even act cute and seek her affection. However, she had an instinctive aversion to such insects. She could only endure the goosebumps and pat them a few times. After repeated exposure, she gradually got used to them and even found them somewhat cute.
The bees built a massive hive in the farm and diligently collected nectar every day. Lan Sisi could now harvest ten bottles of fragrant honey daily, each weighing about ten jin.
She repackaged the honey into one-jin bottles and brought them to the black market as a test. They sold out instantly.
Her goods always sold extremely well, which began to attract attention. After she left, a few people exchanged glances and quietly followed her.
Lan Sisi turned into several alleys, but she could not shake them off. She immediately became cautious, gripping her chili spray tightly and quickening her pace.
As the group turned a corner, they suddenly found that the woman ahead had vanished. Just as they were about to turn and chase, the masked woman reappeared behind them, holding a strange bottle.
Lan Sisi sprayed the chili spray directly at them. The men immediately smelled a pungent, spicy scent, followed by intense pain as the chili liquid irritated their skin and senses.
Wails of agony echoed through the alley.
Lan Sisi walked a long distance and only removed the cloth covering her face after confirming no one was following her.
Her previous smooth trips to the black market had made her lower her guard. This incident served as a warning. For the time being, she would not return there.
On her way home, worried that someone might still be following her, she avoided the village ox cart and chose a rarely used path instead.
Just as she approached a corner, she heard voices, a man and a woman, along with sounds that made one’s face heat up. To avoid embarrassment, she decided to hide and wait for them to finish before coming out.
“I’ve missed you so much. Why did it take you so long to come out?” the man said impatiently.
“That old hag at home keeps a close watch on me,” the woman replied coquettishly.
The voice sounded somewhat familiar to Lan Sisi, though she could not immediately place it.
“What about the child? Is he doing well? When will you bring him out so his father can see him?”
“They’re doting on him lately and won’t let him out. Maybe later. When can you take us away? I don’t want to stay in that house for even one more day,” the woman said.
So this was quite the scandal. Lan Sisi shook her head, wondering which unfortunate man had been deceived.
“That Zhao Fugui took you back after abandoning his wife and child, treating you well, and you’re still not satisfied?” the man chuckled.
“You bad man! Someone else is raising your wife and child, and you’re this happy? Hmph,” the woman said in a coy tone.
Lan Sisi covered her mouth in shock. So the unlucky man was Zhao Fugui. No wonder the voice sounded familiar, it was that soft-voiced young widow.
What a twist of fate.
She could only think, well done.
After a while, the two finally left. Once Lan Sisi was sure they had gone far enough, she came out of hiding and returned home.
By the time she got back, it was already noon. Lin Ruihai had prepared a simple meal. Lan Sinian had gone to town again. Without school for now, he often visited Grandpa Guo. The two had practically become close confidants, leaving only Lan Sisi and Lin Ruihai at home.
“Sisi!” Xiulan’s voice came from outside. After this period of interaction, she and Lan Sisi had become friends.
“I’m home. I’ve brought you some business!” Xiulan called out loudly. She was wearing the cashmere sweater Lan Sisi had made for her and was accompanied by a well-dressed, refined woman.
“Come in and sit.” Lan Sisi quickly invited them inside. Lin Ruihai had already gone to pour water.
“This comrade is someone I met in town. She liked my clothes, so she came along,” Xiulan explained.
“Your clothes are very beautiful, and the fabric is very comfortable. I like them very much. I want to buy two pieces each for myself and my daughter, both cashmere sweaters and coats,” the woman said gently.
“That’s fine.” Lan Sisi brought out different styles for her to choose from.
Since all the designs were appealing, the woman deliberated for a long time before finally selecting three outfits each for herself and her daughter.
“This is a deposit of two hundred yuan. I’ll come back in a few days to pick them up.” The woman placed the money into Lan Sisi’s hand.
As Lan Sisi walked her out, she noticed a black car parked not far away. Although it looked outdated to her, in this era, owning such a car required both wealth and status. In a small village like this, it was enough to cause a sensation.
Many villagers had already come out to watch, and children were even chasing after the car.
“Did you see that car? I rode in it just now. It was so smooth, even on our village roads it didn’t jolt at all. The seat was so soft, I don’t know what it was made of, it felt like sinking into it. I felt like I was dreaming,” Xiulan whispered excitedly.
“Once I make enough money, I’ll buy one too and let you ride in it,” Lan Sisi said boldly.
“Oh come on, that’s a car. How could ordinary people like us afford one?” Xiulan waved her hand, not taking her seriously.
…
Inside the car, the woman looked at Lan Sisi’s figure through the rearview mirror, her brows slightly furrowed. “I feel like that girl looks familiar.”
“Perhaps you’ve seen her somewhere before, Madam,” the driver replied.
“Perhaps. Never mind, if I can’t remember, I won’t think about it. If fate allows, I’ll remember eventually.”
The figure behind them grew smaller and smaller, until it disappeared completely after a turn.