Her sudden display of intelligence caught Qiao Shanshan off guard.
She forced a smile. “How could you think that? We’re sisters. I’ll always be your younger sister. Society is unstable right now—I was just afraid you’d get cheated carrying so much money. How could I possibly want your money?”
The clerk twitched his lips. Looking down at the documents in his hands, if this were a guarantee form instead of a transfer agreement, he might have believed her nonsense.
Young, yet already full of schemes.
He cleared his throat. “You can’t leave yet.”
Qiao Shanshan knew what he meant. “Comrade, my sister can leave first. I’ll stay and finish the procedures.”
She winked at the clerk.
The clerk looked at Qiao Wanyue.
She gave a slight nod.
“Alright, you can go first.”
The clerk let Zhou Wenwen and Qiao Wanyue leave.
Zhou Wenwen kept turning back as she walked away.
After they exited the textile factory, Zhou Wenwen plopped down onto the ground.
Qiao Wanyue ignored her, turned a corner, and headed toward the scrap yard.
In this life, she intended to take the college entrance exam. She would start studying on her own in advance. At her age, it was already too late to enroll in high school, and without primary or middle school diplomas, no school would accept her anyway.
She planned to buy books and study at home.
In her previous life, she had attended night school for a few years. But later, Yang’s mother discovered she had been secretly studying and scolded her for being useless. A woman who could barely read dared to dream of taking exams like her son—it was laughable. She even tore up her books in secret.
Fortunately, Qiao Wanyue had never given up on learning. During those years of night school, she learned enough characters to read extensively—literature, even foreign works. Her worldview gradually expanded beyond her small surroundings into a vast sky.
When she discovered Qiao Shanshan and Yang Huaiyuan’s affair, her original plan had been to let them be together and divorce peacefully. At that time, she had a stable career and had even saved enough money to go abroad for further studies.
But those two never gave her the chance.
Qiao Wanyue clenched her teeth in anger. In her previous life, she had devoted the first half of her life to her family, and the second half suffering for that scoundrel Yang Huaiyuan.
In the end, she died without even a complete body.
“Little girl, what are you doing at the scrap yard?”
Without realizing it, Qiao Wanyue had arrived. An old man guarding the entrance saw her standing there in a daze, even tearing up.
“Sir, I’ve never gone to school. I want to find some middle school and high school textbooks, and maybe newspapers, to learn how to read and write. Do you have any?”
As for other things, the old man couldn’t guarantee.
But books and newspapers? As many as she wanted.
“Yes, in the far corner. You’re young—you probably don’t know where to start. I’ll help you find them.”
The old man walked inside, cheerfully rummaging through piles of books for her.
He himself had once been a university student. Later, he joined the revolution and was injured. After working for a few years, his health couldn’t keep up, so his family had him retire. Unable to stay idle, he took up a job guarding the scrap yard.
Qiao Wanyue followed him in.
His hands kept moving, and his mouth never stopped.
“Little girl, you mustn’t give up on studying. No matter your current situation, as long as you work hard, the country will give you opportunities. Listen to me—don’t give up.”
The old man bent over, almost buried in the pile of discarded books, yet there was an unyielding strength in his posture.
Qiao Wanyue would never underestimate anyone from this era—especially someone like him. He might very well have been a hero on the battlefield.
“I’ll remember, sir. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely take the college entrance exam.”
The old man paused and looked at her. “You believe the college entrance exam will return…?”
Qiao Wanyue’s eyes shone. “It will. A country needs talent, and selection is the best way. It’s only a matter of time.”
The old man carried out a stack of books. As he walked, he tripped over a hard piece of wood. Without looking, he picked it up and placed it on top of the books. “Take this home to prop up a table.”
He handed the books to her with a smile.
Qiao Wanyue accepted them. At ten cents per jin, the books weighed thirty jin. With the piece of wood, she paid one yuan.
She didn’t believe it was just for propping up a table.
Some things didn’t need to be said.
She took out four yuan and handed it to the old man, then slipped him another two yuan. “Sir, have a drink sometime. If you come across any rare books, save them for me—I’ll come back in a few days.”
The old man pushed the money back and whispered mysteriously, “Next time, bring some liquor.”
Qiao Wanyue: …
She didn’t argue further, took the money back, and said nothing about agreeing or refusing. She tied the books together with cloth strips, slung them over her shoulder, waved at the old man, and strode off.
“That girl,” the old man muttered with a smile, licking his lips. It had been a long time since he’d tasted alcohol. His family, worried about his old injuries, had restricted his diet more and more—now even liquor was forbidden.
He just wanted a sip. Why was it so difficult?
After leaving the scrap yard, Qiao Wanyue turned into a small alley. Making sure no one was around, she entered her space.
The books were sorted by year—from primary school to middle school—but the first- and second-year high school Russian textbooks were missing.
She organized everything neatly and made note of what was lacking, planning to ask Director Wang for help later.
After sorting the books, her gaze shifted to the dark piece of wood.
In her hands, it seemed no different from any other piece. But when she brought it to her nose, there was a faint fragrance.
She used a small knife to cut the surface open.
A rich aroma spread out, revealing a brownish-gold interior.
At a glance, Qiao Wanyue recognized it—it was premium golden nanmu wood, something wealthy families used for furniture and bracelets.
Worth a fortune.
The piece in her hands—if sold to someone knowledgeable—could fetch tens of thousands.
Her eyes widened.
She had struck gold.
She knew this era valued resources highly, but she had never expected to stumble upon such luck. She had only wanted to rely on her own efforts to build a different life, yet every step of her rebirth was turning out better than she had imagined.
She placed the wood inside her small hut in the space. Golden nanmu required specific conditions—selling it now wouldn’t fetch a good price, and she might even be accused of illegal trading.
She would have to properly thank the old man later.
After organizing everything, she left the space and headed straight to the entrance of the textile factory.
Yang Aijiao and Yang Huaiyuan were being thrown out.
Several men in police uniforms were escorting Qiao Shanshan out.
Qiao Wanyue raised an eyebrow.
Perfect timing.