From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

After saying that, she quickly added, as if afraid I would slack off: "You have to drive. I borrowed the car, and I'm not going to be your free driver."

I couldn't help but laugh and nodded in agreement: "Okay, I'll remember this favor, thank you."

She waved her hand dismissively: "It's nothing, not worth mentioning."

After dinner, we moved two chairs to the yard and sat down to enjoy the breeze.

Not long after, Su Qing's phone rang. It was Leng Shanshan calling to say that the car had been delivered to the roadside.

Su Qing immediately got up and called me, and the two of us walked out of the courtyard together.

A white Porsche Panamera was parked on the side of the road, standing out conspicuously on an ordinary street.

A middle-aged driver in a suit stood by the car door. Seeing Su Qing walk quickly forward, he respectfully greeted her, "Miss Su."

Su Qing nodded in response. The driver handed her the car keys and said, "..."

"The gas tank is full. Once you're out of gas, just contact Ms. Leng and I'll come pick up the car."

Su Qing nodded, and the driver didn't linger any longer, turning around and hailing a taxi to leave.

Su Qing held the car keys in front of me and said, "Come on, drive the car to the open space outside the gate and park it so we can leave early tomorrow morning."

I walked over, took the car keys, bent down and sat in the driver's seat. Su Qing followed closely behind, opening the passenger door and getting in.

A faint fragrance wafted out as soon as the car door was opened. The interior was spotless and impeccably clean, making it clear that the owner was a meticulous woman.

I started the car, my fingertips exploring the gear shift and buttons. This was the first time in my life I had ever driven such a high-end luxury car.

I was extra careful on the way back to the courtyard, and I didn't dare to step on the gas pedal too hard.

But the power of this car is truly remarkable. It accelerates rapidly with just a light touch, and the driving experience is incomparable to any ordinary commuter car I've ever driven before.

I parked the car by the roadside in front of the courtyard, turned off the engine, turned to look at Su Qing, and couldn't help but sigh:

"This car is really comfortable to drive. Your best friend must be from a wealthy family. What does she do? Is she also a second-generation rich kid?"

Su Qing nodded slightly and casually replied, "Her family is well-off, but she didn't stay at home doing nothing; she started her own beauty industry chain."

I jokingly said to her, "Then you should really learn from them. You come from the same background, but they've built their careers steadily and practically."

Su Qing glared at me fiercely, her cheeks puffing out slightly, and retorted defiantly:

"What's wrong with me? Am I really that bad?"

Seeing her instantly bristle, I quickly waved my hand and said, "I was just joking with you, don't get so worked up."

She didn't bother arguing with me, gave me the middle finger, and jumped out of the car.

I followed him out of the car and we returned to the courtyard together. The two of us sat side by side on the stone bench, gazing at the lights that lit up the Jiangzhou Peninsula in the distance.

As I gazed at the night view, a worry suddenly popped into my mind.

Tomorrow, Su Qing is coming back to my hometown in the countryside with me. When the villagers see us getting out of the car together and then see this conspicuous luxury car, they will inevitably start gossiping.

How can I explain my relationship with my mother and the neighbors?

I turned to look at Su Qing and asked seriously, "Are you planning to stay in the car and not show your face when we come back to the village tomorrow?"

"Why would I hide in the car? I finally get out of the car, so I definitely want to get out and wander around," Su Qing replied matter-of-factly.

I was at my wit's end and said helplessly, "But you don't understand how the villagers see things. When they see you coming back with me in such a nice car, they'll definitely start thinking all sorts of things. I'm just an ordinary person, where would I get such wealthy female friends?"

"Why can't it be impossible?"

She paused for a moment, then came up with an idea, saying, "If it's really hard to explain, you can just tell everyone that I'm your company boss."

I couldn't be bothered to dwell on this problem any longer. I figured things would work themselves out, and I'd just have to see how things went when we got to the village tomorrow.

It wasn't too late yet. My mom usually goes to bed early, so before she went to bed, I took out my phone and dialed the number back home.

Tell her I'm going home early tomorrow morning, and ask her how much of her usual blood pressure medication she has left.

This trip to the no-man's-land is unpredictable and could take one or two months. I need to stock up on more medicine and send it back, so that she won't be reluctant to buy more when I'm not home.

After hanging up the phone, I put down my phone and said to Su Qing, "Go wash up and get some rest. We need to set off before dawn tomorrow."

……

The next morning, I woke up just as the sky was beginning to lighten with a hazy, pale white glow.

After a quick wash, I went out to the yard for some fresh air, and to my surprise, Su Qing was up even earlier than me.

She was brushing her teeth by the sink in the corner, wearing loose pajamas, clearly having just woken up.

I walked up to her and asked, somewhat surprised, "You're up so early?"

She spat out the mouthwash, glanced at me, and said, "Didn't you say that the earlier we leave, the sooner we'll get back to our hometown?"

I nodded without chatting for long, then turned and quickly went back to my room to wash up and tidy myself up.

When I finished getting ready and stepped out of the room, Su Qing had already changed into her outdoor clothes.

She usually loves wearing all sorts of pretty dresses, but today she changed into a pair of loose-fitting wide-leg trousers, paired with a simple casual T-shirt.

She dressed simply and conservatively, without any ostentation.

I thought to myself, Su Qing may seem willful and arrogant on the surface, but she is actually very insightful.

The neighbors in the countryside are traditional and conservative. If she dressed up and came back with me, there would be plenty of gossip and whispers behind her back.

So she deliberately changed into a low-key outfit, clearly out of consideration for my situation.

She sat at the stone table, applying a simple base makeup in front of a small mirror. Her makeup was so light it was almost invisible, practically the same as going makeup-free.

But with her fair skin and delicate features, she looks stunning whether she wears makeup or not.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around and looked at me: "All packed up?"

"Okay, are you done here?"

"That's about it."

As she spoke, she closed her makeup bag, stuffed it into her small handbag, stood up, and said, "Then let's set off, and come back as soon as possible."

I nodded, then suddenly remembered the little kitten in the yard and casually asked, "Has Little Potato been fed yet?"

"Do I need you to remind me? I finished feeding him as soon as he woke up. I set the automatic feeder to the correct amount in advance and stored enough goat milk for the whole day."

I jokingly said, "Won't you put in too much and make the little guy choke?"

Su Qing rolled her eyes, looking down on me for being stupid: "What are you thinking? It's set to a specific time and quantity; it will only release the material at the designated time."

I smiled and stopped teasing her. The two of us walked out of the courtyard side by side.

The white Porsche Panamera parked quietly by the roadside in front of the courtyard was particularly eye-catching in the morning light.

I reached out and opened the driver's side door and got in. Su Qing followed suit, bending down to sit in the passenger seat.

I started the engine and gently pressed the accelerator; the car smoothly glided out of the narrow alleyway.

The old street was quiet in the early morning, with few pedestrians.

Only a few breakfast stalls had set up their steamers, and white steam billowed out through the cracks in the doors, carrying the aroma of fried dough sticks and soy milk.