Meng Jiao recalled that in her previous life, after obtaining this dimension, she hadn’t studied it much.
Because Meng Feifei soon caught wind of it, and a series of events followed, leaving her no time to react before she lost her most crucial support.
This time, she wouldn’t hand over such a precious treasure so easily.
“Jiaojiao, it’s time for us to go.”
Just as Meng Jiao wanted to explore further, Meng Jianhua reached out and gently shook her.
The little girl opened her drowsy eyes and nodded softly.
Following Meng Jianhua through twists and turns, they finally boarded the train to Blue Bay Village.
This journey was much better, with fewer troubles, though Meng Jiao’s bottom still ached from sitting.
After what felt like days, when Meng Jiao felt her bottom was nearly sore from sitting, the train finally reached its final stop.
Meng Jiao followed Meng Jianhua off the train and onto a rickety ox-cart, heading all the way to Blue Bay Village.
The road was dirt, full of bumps and holes, and the ox-cart jolted her bottom even more painfully.
But the further in they went, the fresher and sweeter the air became.
The mountains on both sides of the road were lush and green, as if painted with the richest green pigment.
A clear stream wound around the foot of the mountains, sparkling under the sunlight like scattered silver coins.
Women were washing clothes by the river, the rhythmic pounding sounds carrying far, startling a few waterbirds that flapped their wings and flew away.
“Dad, this place is really beautiful,” Meng Jiao couldn’t help but say. It was more beautiful than any place she had lived in her previous life, filled with a peaceful vitality.
Meng Jianhua smiled and patted her head. “Beautiful, isn’t it? We’ll live here from now on.”
At the village entrance stood a large old locust tree, its branches and leaves spreading like a giant umbrella. A few elderly men sat beneath it smoking, watching them with kindly smiles.
A man carrying a hoe passed by and greeted Meng Jianhua warmly, “Hey, Old Meng, haven’t seen you in years. When did you get such a pretty daughter?”
Meng Jianhua smiled without explaining further.
He had been here many times, and the villagers all knew him.
The village was small, with houses mostly made of blue tiles and mud walls, but everything was tidy and clean.
Nearly every household had a small courtyard fenced with bamboo, growing fresh green vegetables inside.
Some had unnamed but exceptionally vibrant flowers blooming.
A few local dogs strolled leisurely by the roadside, not barking at strangers but merely watching curiously.
The entire Blue Bay Village exuded a rustic, warm charm.
Meng Jianhua’s new home was at the eastern end of the village—a small courtyard with three tiled rooms. Though simple, it had been cleaned in advance and was very tidy.
Especially since the parents of Meng Jianhua’s comrade-in-arms, having heard he was coming to live here, had started preparing a month earlier.
The elderly couple, having received his care over the years, had long regarded him as their own son.
Just as the father and daughter set down their luggage, a warm-hearted woman from next door came over with a bowl of freshly picked cucumbers, laughing heartily.
“Your daughter is so lovely! If you need anything, just let us know!”
Meng Jiao looked at the fresh cucumbers, feeling warmth in her heart.
At that moment, she unintentionally glanced up, her gaze crossing the low earthen wall and landing on the particularly dilapidated yard next door.
A young man was squatting by the woodpile in the corner of the yard, his back turned to them.
He wore a faded, tattered shirt, washed pale and stained with several dark patches.
The boy’s hair was a bit long, messy strands covering his nape.
Hearing the commotion from their direction, he turned his head.
In that instant, Meng Jiao felt her breath catch.
What a face it was!
His skin held the cold pallor of someone who rarely saw sunlight, with features so exquisite they seemed unreal. His eyelashes were long and thick, like two small fans.
He had a tall nose bridge and beautifully shaped lips, though their color was faint.
And thin lips at that—hm, he’d probably grow up to be an unfeeling man.
Meng Jiao made a superficial judgment.
He was so beautiful it almost blurred gender lines, like the most expensive porcelain doll in a shop window, only dust-covered.
Yet this stunning beauty was made eerily strange by his wild, unkempt hair, soiled clothes, and hollow, numb gaze.
He glanced at them, his eyes showing no fluctuation, as if he were looking at two stones.
Then he indifferently turned his head back and continued squatting there, idly scratching something on the ground with his finger.
The aunt next door followed Meng Jiao’s gaze and sighed softly, her voice lowered with a touch of pity.
“Ah, that’s Old Gu’s boy, Gu Yan. He’s fifteen this year. A hard life—his father’s always dead drunk, and his mother… hmph, might as well not exist.”
“The child doesn’t seem quite right in the head either, a bit slow and foolish. Never talks to anyone, always dirty. What a pity, with such good looks…”
But Meng Jiao’s heart gave a jolt.
Slow and foolish, filthy…
Yet just now, in the split second before those vacant eyes turned away, she had caught a flicker of emotion—swift and fleeting.
It wasn’t the dullness of a simpleton, but a cold, assessing gaze, tinged with a fierce edge, so quick she almost thought it an illusion.
This Gu Yan was definitely not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
Meng Jiao lowered her head, pretending to fiddle with the fresh cucumber again, but her mind was churning.
This Blue Bay Village had beautiful mountains, clear waters, and simple, honest people.
But her new neighbor seemed to be hiding quite a secret.
The aunt invited Meng Jianhua to have dinner at her place that evening.
Knowing they had just arrived and probably hadn’t set up their kitchen yet.
But Meng Jianhua was a straightforward man, unwilling to owe favors, and politely declined her kindness with a smile.
He turned and rummaged through his luggage, pulling out a few pieces of fruit hard candy from the city and a small, brand-new packet of needles and thread.
“Auntie, here’s some candy for the kids to sweeten their mouths, and this sewing kit for you to use. I noticed how fresh the greens are in your yard—if you have any to spare, could we trade some? I’d like to cook a warm meal for Jiaojiao.”
The aunt’s face lit up at the sight of the shiny candies and the new sewing kit—such refined items were hard to come by in the countryside.
“Oh my, you’re too kind! Wait here, I’ll go pick some for you right now—plenty for you!”
She hurried back home and soon returned carrying a small basket.
Inside were fresh green bok choy, cucumbers still with their blossoms and prickles, and a few bright red tomatoes.
Meng Jianhua thanked her repeatedly, took the basket, and immediately set to work in the kitchen.
Smoke curled up from the chimney, mingling with the aroma of cooking, filling the small yard with the warmth of home.
Meng Jiao sat on the doorstep, watching Meng Jianhua’s busy back, feeling both settled and warmed inside.
She took a deep breath of the air, scented with food and the freshness of plants, and thought how good it was to start this new life so peacefully.
Just then, a fit of coughing came from next door, along with a man’s slurred cursing.
Meng Jiao instinctively turned her head and peered through the gaps in the fence toward the dilapidated courtyard next door.
She saw that excessively handsome young man huddled by the kitchen door.
His drunken father lay slumped on the heated brick bed inside the house, snoring thunderously.