From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

After Su Qing finished speaking, she lowered her head slightly and let out a long sigh.

His voice had deepened, losing its usual liveliness and carrying a hint of regret.

"My grandma's biggest wish in her life was to see me get into Fudan University. She met my grandpa when she was studying at Fudan, and she hoped all her life that I could fulfill her wish."

"But I was unable to fulfill her wish until the day she left, and this is a regret I can never overcome in my life."

As she spoke, she looked up at me, with a hint of empathy in her eyes:

"I don't want you to end up like me, carrying a heavy burden of guilt. My aunt's biggest wish is to see you with someone, someone by your side. Today, I'm pretending to be your girlfriend, so at least she can feel at ease."

"To be honest, I specifically looked up primary hypertension in the car earlier. This chronic disease carries a high risk, and you never know when something might happen."

Su Qing's words left me in silence.

She's right. I know perfectly well what my mom can't let go of the most.

Given my current situation, I am completely unable to fulfill her simplest expectations.

Su Qing's performance, which seemed like a temporary act, actually helped me relieve my mother's worries.

Even if something unexpected happens in the future, my mother will not have any regrets when she passes away.

The fact that Su Qing could think so deeply shows that although she seems carefree, she is actually very thoughtful and gentle at heart.

I remained silent for a long while, then nodded emphatically and whispered, "Well... thank you."

"Is a simple 'thank you' enough? Don't you have to show some real gratitude?"

Su Qing raised an eyebrow, instantly reverting to her usual sly demeanor.

I chuckled at her words: "Then tell me, how do you want me to repay you?"

"That depends on whether you know what's good for you."

She paused, then added a reminder: "Don't forget, you still owe me an unconditional request."

For a moment, I couldn't process what she was saying and stared at her blankly.

Su Qing immediately reached out and poked my arm: "Don't pretend to have amnesia and try to renege on your promise! Back then, I used the money from mortgaging my 300,000 bracelet to help you, and you admitted that you owed me something. I hadn't thought it through at the time, so I just put it on the tab."

Her reminder made me realize what had happened, and I nodded, both amused and exasperated.

"I remember, I haven't forgotten. Now tell me, what do you want me to do?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you when I've thought it through. Let's talk about this now: how do you plan to thank me for helping Auntie put her mind at ease?"

I chuckled helplessly, "You really are someone who's unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss."

"Of course, I never do business at a loss."

She raised her chin, her face radiating an air of self-righteous pride.

I thought about it carefully for a moment, then said, "After lunch, I'll take you somewhere."

"Is this your way of thanking me for making the arrangements?"

"You'll see when you get there; I guarantee you'll be interested."

Su Qing's eyes lit up, and she became interested: "What you said makes me really curious. Do we have to finish eating before we can go? I want to go see it now."

"My mom's food will be ready soon, so it won't take up much time if we eat first and then go."

Su Qing nodded, and we walked back to the main room together. I went up to help my mother with her work.

Before long, two simple country-style stir-fries were served.

Without any fancy ingredients, the vegetables stir-fried in a wood-fired iron pot have a rustic flavor, and their aroma fills the whole house.

Su Qing ate with great relish, showing no trace of the disdain typical of a city young lady, and finished every last bite.

I watched her quietly, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

When we first met, she was arrogant and looked down on me, calling me a "stinky errand boy" and acting like I was covered in thorns, as if anyone who got close would get hurt.

But after spending more time with her, I realized that she was kind and insightful by nature, but she was too controlled by her family and could only pretend to be arrogant and domineering.

Now, she has lost much of her fierceness. Although she still occasionally throws a tantrum, her soft and sincere nature has completely changed.

After finishing our meal and clearing the dishes, my mother suddenly looked at me and said softly, "Yezi, why don't you go see your father this afternoon?"

That's exactly what I was thinking. Every time I come back, I'm in such a rush that I don't have time to visit the grave to pay my respects.

This trip will last for one or two months, or even longer, so I should definitely go and visit.

I nodded and said, "Okay, I'll drive to town later to buy some incense and paper money."

My mother sighed heavily: "Also, please clear the weeds from the grave. My back injury flared up recently, and I couldn't squat down, so I haven't been able to go and tend to it."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure it's clean."

I turned to her and told her, "Mom, you should rest at home and not do any housework. We can talk about everything when I get back."

"I know, I'm not tired."

I took Su Qing out, got into the white Porsche, and drove towards the town.

The luxury car stood out conspicuously on the country road, drawing stares from the farmers along the way.

All I could do was keep rolling down the car window and smiling as I greeted everyone.

That's how relationships are in the countryside. If you pretend not to see them and don't initiate conversation, everyone will say you've made a lot of money outside and have forgotten your roots.

I don't care what others say, but my mother lives in the village year-round, and those gossips will eventually reach her ears. I don't want her to suffer unjustly.

Right now, he seems to be living a glamorous life, driving a luxury car and accompanied by a young and beautiful "girlfriend," which everyone envies.

But I know perfectly well that it's all an act, a facade.

How will I explain coming back empty-handed next time?

Su Qing didn't notice my concerns. Instead, she turned her head and said to me triumphantly:

"See? I came back with you today and made you look good. You should be secretly happy about it."

I shook my head helplessly and smiled wryly: "What's so great about it? You think this kind of fake glamour is good?"

"Where's the fakeness? Didn't you see the way everyone on the street looked at you? They were all so envious!"

Su Qing had been pampered since childhood and had never lived in the countryside for an extended period of time, so she had no idea about the narrow-mindedness hidden in the rural underclass.

I explained casually, "Believe it or not, once we drive away, these people will turn around and gather together to gossip."

"What could they possibly say?" Su Qing asked, her face full of confusion.

"Who knows what kind of gossip they might make up."

I paused for a moment, then began to tell her about the old stories of the village.

"There was a guy in our village who made money doing construction work outside the village. He drove back home in a BMW for the Chinese New Year, and the whole village was praising him. But as soon as he left, rumors started flying around. Some people said he was doing shady things outside, and others said he was living off a rich woman. They said all sorts of nasty things."

Su Qing frowned: "Why would you gossip about others like that?"

"It's nothing but jealousy."

Su Qing suddenly realized and softly said, "No wonder you wouldn't drive the car directly to your doorstep before. It turns out that interpersonal relationships in the countryside are so complicated."

I sighed deeply: "It's normal. You've never lived here, so you can't understand the coldness and warmth of human relationships."

She suddenly looked guilty: "Did I cause you trouble? Now the whole village knows you drive a luxury car and have me as your girlfriend. They'll probably be so jealous of you."

"That's why I greeted everyone warmly along the way, just to avoid giving people anything to talk about and to prevent gossip from reaching my mother's ears and making her feel bad."

Su Qing frowned deeply and said, "These people are so annoying. Why don't you bring your aunt to Jiangzhou to live with you?"

I chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Miss, have you ever seen where I live in Jiangzhou? I'm homeless, sometimes going hungry. My mother stays in the countryside, at least she has a stable life. If I really bring her to the city, she'll have to wander around with me, and she herself can't bear to leave her old home."

Su Qing was silent for a moment, then gently comforted her: "Then you should work hard and establish yourself as soon as possible, so that you can bring your aunt to live with you and enjoy a comfortable life."

"This is something I've been desperately trying to accomplish, so now you should understand how important this cooperation in the Qiangtang no-man's-land is to me."

She nodded solemnly: "I understand. I won't try to persuade you to give up anymore."