20 years of restarting life

Chapter 3779 It's Cold But Real

Although Lin Xiaojie was silently shedding tears, she was also trying her best to listen to the conversation between Zhao Chang'an and Tian Xue. After all, it was about her future, and she wanted to know what kind of views and evaluations such an outstanding person as Zhao Chang'an had on her and her future.

If one tries to ignore and painstakingly filter out the meaning behind Tian Xue's involuntary, cloying humming and hawing sounds from the lower bunk, Zhao Chang'an's words still hold considerable weight.

Moreover, Lin Xiaojie was also filled with gratitude towards Tian Xue. From the beginning, when Ye Yiyi, such a wealthy overseas Chinese, spoke to her so politely and courteously, to when Zhao Chang'an pulled her back on the cliff of Chen Shimei's house, carried her back to the car, and comforted her in the car, and even helped her find a way out.

Then there's He Cai and Chu Yun's kindness to her; to dispel her foolish idea, they even took the initiative to tell her about their past experiences.

Now that Tian Xue is actually helping her, how could Lin Xiaojie not be moved?
Compared to these people, Lin Shih-lin's deception was ruthless, the villagers' ridicule and sarcastic remarks were devastating, and his parents and brother's scolding and anger at his lack of ambition were palpable.

Some teachers and leaders at the school, seeing how hard she was working, kept trying to persuade her, both openly and subtly, not to be so foolish.

However, she always believed in him and stubbornly persisted.

That's why she ultimately decided to do it, and why she deliberately drank a few glasses of wine yesterday at noon, because she was afraid to face that family. She hesitated and couldn't bear to, and of course, she was also afraid of dying.

However, when she heard what Zhao Chang'an said, especially the last sentence, she was completely stunned.

Character determines destiny!

For some chosen ones, this would certainly be a good thing, but for her, Zhao Chang'an's words became a pronouncement that she was destined for a mediocre life.

“Back then, she chose to attend a vocational school after the high school entrance exam. There were many reasons for this, such as her family being poor and wanting to start working earlier. After all, a publicly funded teacher training school only lasts two years, and tuition is almost entirely free, and accommodation is also free. You don’t know which university you will be able to get into after three years of high school, and there are also expensive costs for high school and university. This is really difficult for a girl from a rural family like hers.”

"But this is her choice regarding her life goals and plans. The belief that has sustained her for the past few years is to work mechanically and monotonously. The purpose of working is to support her boyfriend's university education, and after graduation, he can find a good job. The two of them will continue to work hard together. This effort is more about hoping that her boyfriend can have a good job and earn more money, rather than how hard she tries to climb up the ladder and earn more money."

"After making money, her brother said in the car that day that he would rebuild the house first, and then find him a wife. In Lin Xiaojie's mind, once this task is completed, she can easily work with her husband to build their little family. As for how to work hard, she probably hopes that her husband will be capable and able to make money."

"Actually, her thinking is very naive. Once a bloodsucker finds a host, how can it easily give up? Just like her boyfriend, he has found a new host. But Lin Xiaojie did not think about the expenses of such a large family after the new sister-in-law comes into the family, the cost of having children, the children's schooling - it's simply a bottomless pit. I'm not saying that it's impossible to satisfy the desires of her parents and brother and sister-in-law. As long as that husband can earn money, not to mention earning a lot of money, like Xiang Yong and Qiao Yan, who just run a small hotel, they can make the whole family live comfortably."

"The problem is, her boyfriend is just a graduate of the philosophy department of an ordinary 211 university. It's easy to find a good teaching position or a job in a district or county research office with this major, but it's hard to make money. These days, even long-term employees in the city who have worked for more than ten years only earn a little over a thousand yuan a month. He doesn't have any connections. Do you think he has any chance of turning his life around if he marries Lin Xiaojie?"

"To be honest, even from her boyfriend's perspective, I feel his future is bleak and suffocating. His decision to break up wasn't wrong, nor was his attempt to use her position to climb the social ladder. His mistake was bullying her like that." Zhao Chang'an said quietly, "If nothing unexpected happens, that guy will do quite well in the future. So, if Lin Xiaojie hadn't come out and had instead quietly continued teaching at Qiaojiashan Elementary School, and then married a male teacher or a local official, then ten years later, when that guy returns to Qiaojiashan Town, the town mayor and secretary might host a banquet, while she's still just an insignificant rural elementary school teacher. Even if someone knows about this past, who will speak up for her, confront and question that man to his face? People will only fawn over him and secretly laugh at Lin Xiaojie's stupidity, thinking she deserves to be eaten by the big fish and the shrimp by the small fish. It's cold, but it's reality."

"The man, after a hearty meal and drinks amidst the sycophancy and toasts, visited some of the town's schools and attractions, accompanied by a group of leaders. He recounted how he attended this elementary school and that middle school, and how he met the aging teacher, Ms. Lin. Isn't that a comical scene? Even if Lin Xiaojie is released now, if she chooses the path He Cai has arranged for her, she will most likely end up working at OneNanometer as a clerk after her crash course. Many years later, perhaps with a higher salary, she might find a job as a programmer and live a comfortable life, but compared to that man, she'll still be far behind."

Zhao Chang'an concluded, "So, that's why I say this: character determines destiny. Although her boyfriend really bullied her, just like Guan Xinyi bullied you back then, it's really hard to imagine them falling on hard times and living a life far worse than yours. Moreover, you will do very well in your future career, but Lin Xiaojie can't. She chose a comfortable vocational school to become a primary and junior high school teacher in a rural town, and then wasted four and a half years at Qiaojiashan Primary School after graduating. It's not that she doesn't have a chance to turn things around in the future, but it's just too difficult."

"Is it not enough to have you?"

Tian Xue nestled sweetly in Zhao Chang'an's arms, asking softly with a smile.

Zhao Chang'an hesitated a bit when he heard this question. He thought to himself that if he looked down at Lin Xiaojie's snow-white body from the ceiling from God's perspective, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

"Ok?"

Tian Xue immediately sensed it, but she didn't quite understand how Zhao Chang'an could cause so much trouble; he seemed to have an inexhaustible amount of energy, like a perpetual motion machine.

She was actually incredibly sleepy right now. If she didn't cherish the limited time and opportunities she had with her lover, she would have fallen asleep long ago. Even with this kind of stimulation, her eyes were still drooping and she could barely keep them open.

Of course, the room was pitch black now, so even with her eyes open, she couldn't see anything. She could only see her lover's eyes, which shone with a soft, tiger-eye-like light, like a cat's eyes in the dark.

"Your eyes need to shine in the dark, and have a light like a cat's eye."

"Tian Xue asked curiously."

"I have practiced ancient martial arts and qigong, and my eyes have some infrared effects."

"That's amazing. Does that mean you can see in the dark?"

"It's not that exaggerated, but you can see it a little more clearly now, like this is your earlobe,"

In the darkness, Zhao Chang'an accurately found Tian Xue's earlobe and gently stroked it.