Jiang Tang breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least this time, Cui Xiangyang was still alive and hadn’t consumed the poisoned peach pastries.
This way, Sister Lin Xue wouldn’t be driven to madness.
In truth, it was even a good thing for Zheng Jiahe, as it served as an opportunity for her to repent before it was too late.
Withdrawing her thoughts, Jiang Tang turned her head only to catch Yin Tiantian’s gaze.
Walking up to Jiang Tang with visible awkwardness, Yin Tiantian tugged at the corner of her clothes and said, “I misunderstood you this time. I never expected someone would actually dare to poison a child.”
Looking at Yin Tiantian’s self-reproachful expression, Jiang Tang found her looking more and more like a child.
“It’s fine. Regardless, your help ensured that Zheng Jiahe—the one behind the poisoning—was taken away by the security team, and the children didn’t eat the poisoned pastries. You still helped out.”
Yin Tiantian still felt somewhat awkward. Having voiced her apology, her face flushed red as she turned and walked away.
Shaking her head with a smile, Jiang Tang actually found Yin Tiantian quite endearing after this incident.
It seemed that before long, Yin Tiantian would stop targeting her altogether.
Upon returning to the educated youth post from the school, Jiang Tang found no one around. Taking advantage of the quiet to organize her things, she retrieved the contents of the leather suitcase left behind by her grandmother from her space.
Inside were several English study materials, letters exchanged between her grandmother and grandfather, and photographs from their time studying abroad.
In the photos, her grandmother and grandfather were still high-spirited young people, determined to acquire knowledge abroad and return to build their motherland.
And indeed, they had fulfilled their pre-departure ambitions, devoting their youth and very lives to the nation.
Flipping through letter after letter, Jiang Tang felt as though she had been transported back to that bygone era.
Her eyes couldn’t help but moisten, until she came across a letter her grandmother had addressed to “Little Treasure.”
Shortly after Jiang Tang was born, her grandmother, Qin Zhaohua, passed away from chronic exhaustion. Though the grandmother and granddaughter had technically met, Jiang Tang had no memory of it.
Yet even without any memory, seeing her grandmother’s belongings filled her heart with warmth and familiarity.
Opening the letter written to “Little Treasure,” Jiang Tang realized from reading between the lines that the letter was meant for her.
Her grandmother had written down her feelings upon seeing her for the very first time, wishing she could use every complimentary word in existence to describe her.
She then expressed her hopes for Jiang Tang’s upbringing, wishing she could remain by her granddaughter’s side to watch her grow.
She also mentioned her deep regret: failing to personally educate her own daughter, Wei Cuiying. Due to her absence during her daughter’s formative years, Wei Cuiying had been deprived of a proper education, which led to her foolish and confused temperament.
Reading the letter written by her grandmother, Jiang Tang couldn’t help but reflect on Wei Cuiying’s fate in the original book.
In the book, the person who obtained her grandmother’s jade pendant was Su Yinyin, and she was the one who possessed the portable spatial dimension.
Su Yinyin had coaxed Wei Cuiying into handing over all the family’s valuables, and even forced Wei Cuiying and Su Jiyong to turn over their monthly salaries for her personal use.
While Su Yinyin squandered those resources living lavishly, Wei Cuiying and Su Jiyong scraped by on a tight budget.
It wasn’t until later that Wei Cuiying discovered Su Yinyin’s biological mother was actually Su Jiyong’s long-deceased “white moonlight,” and that the loss of her child back then had been orchestrated by Su Jiyong all along. Overwhelmed by the revelation, she suffered a complete emotional breakdown.
Seeing that Wei Cuiying was no longer of any use, Su Jiyong divorced her, abandoning her completely from that moment on.
As the female lead of the book, Su Yinyin lived a smooth and prosperous life, yet she never showed a shred of care for Wei Cuiying, who had cherished and raised her like a treasure since childhood. Instead, she was dutiful only to her adoptive father, Su Jiyong.
Later, Su Yinyin used Su Jiyong to track down her biological father, transforming overnight into the daughter of a watch factory director and becoming a perfect match for Song Chenchuan, the male lead and son of the machinery factory director.
The book detailed how after recognizing her biological family, Su Yinyin lived a comfortable life, her bond with Song Chenchuan growing stronger by the day—yet she never paid any mind to Su Jiyong again, let alone Wei Cuiying.
Jiang Tang wondered how much longer Wei Cuiying would be manipulated by Su Yinyin this time, and when she would finally discover Su Yinyin’s true identity.
Just as Jiang Tang was staring blankly at the letter, a call resounded from outside.
“Is Comrade Jiang Tang in? Someone is here to see you.”
Storing her belongings back into her space, Jiang Tang stepped out of the dormitory.
She had assumed it was either her eldest brother or Xiao Xun coming to find her, never expecting it to be the last person she wanted to see.
The moment Song Chenchuan caught sight of Jiang Tang, his eyes lit up instantly.
Song Chenchuan asked with concern, “Comrade Jiang Tang, is there anything you’re unaccustomed to since coming here?”
Jiang Tang didn’t feel she shared any familiarity with Song Chenchuan, the male lead of the original book, nor did she wish to speak with him further. Distancing herself directly, she asked point-blank, “I don’t believe we’re well-acquainted, are we? Whether I’m used to living here or not is none of your concern.”
Jiang Tang’s tone could be described as entirely blunt. Had she been dealing with any normal person, they would have easily picked up on her icy detachment.
Yet Song Chenchuan didn’t see it that way.
Looking at the radiant beauty before him delivering words of rejection, he felt a secret surge of delight instead.
Her attitude toward him was clearly different from how she treated others—that was why she used a unique tone when speaking to him.
Perhaps she harbored hostility toward him simply because of his connection with Su Yinyin.
“Comrade Jiang Tang, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood. The relationship between Su Yinyin and me isn’t what you think. She and I only met for the very first time the day we went to the state-run restaurant. Prior to that, I had no connection with her whatsoever.”
Hearing these words, Jiang Tang found it utter nonsense. She wasn’t even familiar with Song Chenchuan, so why on earth was he explaining his relationship with Su Yinyin in front of her?
Could it be that Song Chenchuan had taken a liking to her?
In her past life, Jiang Tang hadn’t gone to the state-run restaurant to welcome her brother, nor had she ever met Song Chenchuan, let alone crossed paths with him.
Jiang Tang was genuinely surprised. Could it be that after her rebirth, even the romantic storyline between the original male and female leads had shifted?
Would Su Yinyin still come to the post a few months later to join her husband, then?
Regardless, Jiang Tang had no desire to be entangled with Song Chenchuan.
Thus, with a cold face, she declared, “I have no relation to you whatsoever, nor do I care what kind of relationship you have with Su Yinyin. Please refrain from coming up to me to spout such bizarre remarks in the future, otherwise my fiancé will be displeased.”
Even with Jiang Tang putting things so blatantly, Song Chenchuan refused to give up.
Song Chenchuan persisted relentlessly, “Xiao Xun is a terribly dull man—he isn’t worthy of you at all, nor can he ever truly understand your heart. Comrade Jiang Tang, just give me a chance and don’t marry Xiao Xun, alright? Look at me—once you’ve spent time with me, you’ll surely realize I am hundreds of times better than Xiao Xun.”
Glancing to the side, Jiang Tang noticed two familiar figures arriving at the educated youth post.
If her guess was correct, both of them had overheard Song Chenchuan’s entire speech.
Crossing her arms, Jiang Tang put on an expression like a spectator watching a scene unfold: “You both heard it—he’s the one inexplicably harassing me and trying to sabotage my marriage with Comrade Xiao Xun.”
Song Chenchuan’s mind buzzed with a sharp shock. Turning around, he saw the newcomers were none other than Xiao Xun and Jiang Sijie.
Xiao Xun’s gaze appeared calm on the surface, yet carried an immense, overwhelming aura of deterrence.
Jiang Sijie, on the other hand, spared no courtesy whatsoever—charging straight forward, he threw a heavy punch right into Song Chenchuan’s face.
“How dare you harbor designs on my sister? You must be tired of living!”