Qu Chuning said somewhat sheepishly, "I only attended junior high for one semester. My family couldn't afford it, so I had to drop out!"
The leader of the proofreading department smiled upon hearing this, expressed his gratitude to Qu Chuning once more, and then left.
Qu Chuning understood perfectly well that the man had looked down on her limited education. Though initially interested in her, he ultimately left without saying anything further.
Director Hou was also aware of this. After offering Qu Chuning a few words of encouragement, he sent her back to work.
Upon entering the workshop, Shi Zhenzhen couldn't resist sneering, "Oh my, thinking you've done something so remarkable? Tsk tsk, never expected to be looked down upon, did you? I told you—a country bumpkin fresh from the countryside, thinking finding one typo makes you special? See? Who'd want to spare you a second glance?"
Qu Chuning rolled her eyes. "What's wrong with being a country bumpkin? At least leaders came to thank this bumpkin. What about you, Miss Privilege? Your father's quite influential, isn't he? So you must have made plenty of remarkable contributions yourself, right?"
Shi Zhenzhen was left speechless by Qu Chuning's retort. The greatest contribution she'd probably made in her life was being ruled by her "love brain."
Originally, only Lan Xia would speak with Shi Zhenzhen in the workshop. But after today's incident, two other colleagues started conversing with Qu Chuning.
Qu Chuning wasn't bothered at all by Shi Zhenzhen rallying workshop mates to ostracize and isolate her. Being new, she wasn't familiar with anyone anyway and saw no need to force her way into any clique. She preferred being alone.
After finishing her afternoon work, Qu Chuning took out paper and pen and began practicing writing, imitating newspaper reports.
No one knew that Qu Chuning had loved writing since elementary school. As a child, she wrote many compositions and diaries. Unfortunately, her mother later burned them all. Now, finally having access to so many books and newspapers, Qu Chuning wished she could split every minute in half to read more, learn more, and write more.
When she returned home in the afternoon, Qu Chuning told Xi Muzhou about the incident. Finally, she couldn't help sighing, "If my family had let me continue studying back then, I might actually have tested into a technical secondary school or something else."
Xi Muzhou glanced at Qu Chuning, then went to cook.
Qu Chuning initially wanted to help, but Xi Muzhou stopped her. With nothing else to do, Qu Chuning went to read.
"Regiment Commander Xi!"
Just as Qu Chuning was engrossed in her book, a sudden voice from outside startled her. She had barely stood up when Xi Muzhou went out.
"There's mail for you!"
Xi Muzhou returned with two letters. Qu Chuning was about to ask, "Who are they from?" when Xi Muzhou handed one to her.
Qu Chuning stared at the letter in her hand, momentarily stunned. Her mother had taught her since childhood that as a girl, she was destined to belong to another family. Therefore, her mother insisted Qu Chuning remember: a married daughter is like spilled water—once married, no matter what difficulties or hardships she faced, she must never turn to her natal family. Even in death, she should die in her husband's home.
Yet, a daughter was also expected to be sensible and filial, to understand her parents' hardships. If possible, she should do her best to support and assist her brother.
So in her previous life, especially when Lin Dongguo's career was at its peak, the Qu family had constantly sought her out. Back then, she had been naive, thinking all young women around her lived the same way. Without overthinking it, she secretly saved money to give to her birth mother. She remembered one time when Duan Chunping caught her—it was the first time Duan Chunping revealed her true colors, slapping her in fury, accusing her of biting the hand that fed her, and even reporting the incident to Lin Dongguo at the Garrison.
Thus, after being reborn, Qu Chuning had hardly given any thought to her maternal family.
The envelope in her hand felt light, yet Qu Chuning's heart was heavy.
Xi Muzhou held the letter expressionlessly. After entering the house, he didn't even glance at Qu Chuning before heading straight inside. Qu Chuning sat at the entrance of their unfinished kitchen and tore open the envelope.
Inside, there were only a few flimsy lines.
"Qu Chuning, some say Lin Dongguo deceived you into marriage. You've been with him for three years, married into the Lin Family for three years. Make them pay up—demand as much compensation as possible. The family will keep it safe for you later."
Reading this, Qu Chuning couldn't help but cover her mouth and nose. She had published a clarification about her relationship with Lin Dongguo in her hometown newspaper, so her family must have learned about it from there. Yet, the very first sentence in the letter made her heart ache sharply, despite having long abandoned any hope for familial affection.
"Also, since your marriage to Lin Dongguo was fake, come back immediately. The family has arranged several new matches for you—take your time and pick a good one!"
This final sentence stabbed deeply into Qu Chuning's eyes. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had always known what her maternal family was like, but to realize that in their hearts, she was merely an object to be sold over and over again—it was too much.
She tore the letter to shreds and threw all the pieces into the small stove. Watching the flames of the coal fire devour the paper completely, her gaze gradually lost focus.
When Xi Muzhou came out after reading his letter, he saw Qu Chuning in this state and slightly furrowed his brows.
From the first moment he laid eyes on Qu Chuning, she had been like a little warrior, full of vitality at all times. Her courage to fight for herself had left a deep impression on him. Now, after being married for a month or two, he had never seen her like this—as if all her spirit had been drained away.
"Have you ever had claypot rice?"
"Ah?"
Qu Chuning snapped out of her chaotic thoughts. Xi Muzhou's face showed no expression, and she couldn't help but wish she could be as unflappable as him, remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before her. Having lived two lives, she was still affected by those people from the Qu family—it seemed her self-cultivation was still lacking!
Xi Muzhou produced two small sausages from somewhere and handed them to Qu Chuning.
She took the sausages, turning them over and over in her hands. Her attention was quickly diverted. "What kind of sausages are these? They're so small. How do they taste? Are they salty or spicy?"
"They're sweet!"
At his words, Qu Chuning's eyes nearly popped out. "Sweet? Who makes sausages sweet? No, how can sausages be sweet?"
Skeptical, she washed them clean, took a small piece to taste, and indeed—they were sweet.
Xi Muzhou cooked quietly while Qu Chuning chirped beside him like a little bird, painting a scene of serene tranquility. Even the breeze seemed to soften, reluctant to disturb this peaceful picture.
The golden glow of the setting sun streamed through the doorway as Xi Muzhou brought the clay pot rice to Qu Chuning, thoughtfully adding a small dish of chili sauce she had made herself—her usual accompaniment for meals.
"Would you like to meet my family?"
Xi Muzhou took a bite of rice and asked the question as if it were just a casual remark.