Pei Chuan was imprisoned during the summer before his senior year of high school. Later, he signed a four-year agreement with the state. In theory, by the time he was formally released, Bei Yao would just be in her fourth year of college.
For a five-year program, she hadn’t yet completed her studies.
In nearly four years, this young man had worked harder than anyone, actively receiving education in the "Seventh Prison."
The release process at "Seventh Prison" differed from other prisons. After all, to put it positively, this place was another cradle for cultivating talent.
During the 2013 New Year, Pei Chuan filled out forms in advance. After the New Year, his release certificate and employment letter would be issued together.
Cheng Zhenghai came over to take a look. The young man sat upright at the desk, filling out the form.
Pei Chuan, male, 22 years old.
Cheng Zhenghai laughed heartily: "Twenty-two—old enough to legally marry."
Pei Chuan’s hand, holding the pen, paused briefly.
"Pei Chuan, would you say your life has taken a turn for the better, finding hope in despair?" By a twist of fate, he had embarked on another path. Upon release, he could directly work for the country. This life might demand dedication, but it was ultimately an honor.
"Senior Cheng," he said calmly, "I never spent a single day in university."
"What does that matter? Look at today’s university students. After finishing four years of college, who among them can become scientists or work in national research institutes or on the front lines? How much have you given these past four years? Compared to boys your age, you’ve matured far beyond them. When you achieve success in the future, remember to visit this old man."
Pei Chuan remained expressionless, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Senior Cheng said, "The only flaw in you is that, despite your youth, you think too deeply."
Pei Chuan finished filling out the form and did not respond.
The world defined him differently depending on who you asked. Some might marvel that he would become a national scientist upon release, while others would only see a man who had served four years in prison and never attended a day of university.
He had lived in darkness in prison, spending time with these seasoned seniors. Though he had learned a great deal, he would soon face a complex society.
Pei Chuan felt no fear. He was not afraid of how others would view him, but when it came to Bei Yao, he couldn’t help but overthink.
While he was still in prison, her classmates might not have known she had a "boyfriend" like him. He could also wait for her youthful heart to settle and for her to see her true feelings. In nearly four years, Bei Yao always had the option to regret and break up with him, yet she never did.
But a man must not fail to provide a future for the woman he loves.
Back then, Zhao Zhilan had used her entire fortune to beg him to let her daughter go. At that time, Pei Chuan hadn’t yet been to prison, and even then, Aunt Zhao and the others had reacted that way. Now, his situation after serving his sentence was undoubtedly worse. He was afraid that Bei Yao would be hurt because of him, and even more afraid that she would see the world for what it was and leave him.
Everything she gave him was too beautiful; he had fallen too deeply.
If one day she became afraid because of the hurt and wanted to leave him, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.
His release was ultimately something worth celebrating. Even though Bei Yao and Jin Ziyang didn’t know about it, everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.
~
During the 2013 New Year, Bei Yao couldn’t visit Pei Chuan.
Her grandmother was critically ill and nearing the end.
Someone once said that when a person becomes a mother, her child becomes the most important in her eyes, and her parents come second. Humans always cherish the next generation more.So even though Zhao Zhilan was feeling somewhat disheartened, she still didn't immediately call Bei Yao back, fearing her daughter would be restless at school and worried about delaying her final exams. In truth, though Zhao Zhilan never voiced it, she held resentment in her heart. Bei Yao's grandmother had only one son and one daughter in her lifetime. Zhao Zhilan, the daughter, was the elder sister who had suffered greatly in childhood—she had to cook when she was still shorter than the rural stove.
After her younger brother Zhao Xing was born, he received endless doting. Zhao Zhilan only escaped that kind of living environment after marrying Bei Licai.
Zhao Xing had been a good-for-nothing his entire life, never doing a single decent thing. When Bei Yao's grandfather died in an accident, the family received substantial compensation, all of which was spent by the grandmother on Zhao Xing.
Since Bei Yao's birth, she had been raised solely by Zhao Zhilan's own hands—her grandmother never helped care for the child for even a single day.
The only exception was that year when Zhao Zhilan returned to her parents' home for a period to give birth to her second child, Bei Jun.
By that time, the grandmother had probably realized her son was unreliable and might have to depend on her daughter for support in old age. Thus, she treated Zhao Zhilan's daughter Bei Yao exceptionally well, praising Yao Yao's beauty inside and out.
However, Zhao Zhilan knew that words came easiest. Previously, the Bei family's money had all been lent to Zhao Xing to squander, leaving them so poor that Bei Yao had to wear hand-me-downs from her cousin Zhao Xiao Cang. Even during such hardship, the grandmother never lifted a finger to help.
Yet loving the house extends to its crow—most of Zhao Xiao Cang's pretty clothes were bought by Bei Yao's grandmother.
Therefore, only after Bei Yao finished her final exams did Zhao Zhilan tell her: "Come back to see your grandmother one last time."
Unable to rush to see Pei Chuan, Bei Yao had to call Jin Ziyang and ask him to inform Pei Chuan.
When she hurried to the hometown hospital, her grandmother was holding Zhao Xing's hand, her cloudy eyes fixed on her only son. Her lips moved but no words came out.
A faint smell of urine hung in the air. Zhao Xiao Cang stood by the door, her nose turned toward the outside, occasionally inhaling the fresh air from beyond.
Zhao Zhilan was in the hospital room. When Bei Yao arrived, she beckoned: "Come see your grandmother."
Bei Yao approached and gently held the old woman's other hand: "Grandmother, I've come to see you."
The wrinkled hand trembled as the grandmother struggled for a long time to recognize this granddaughter—the granddaughter she had never cherished in her lifetime.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xiao Cang, the granddaughter she had doted on since childhood, stood by the door with a perm of large waves, her expression ugly as if she couldn't bear the smell.
Little Bei Jun held his mother's hand. Though too young to understand, he knew something major was happening in the family. He remained quiet and stood properly without complaining about the odor.
Zhao Xing said nothing and didn't scold Zhao Xiao Cang outside.
The grandmother's eyes swept over everyone in the room before finally, cloudy tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.
She had treasured her son her entire life, only for him to turn out a wastrel who not only squandered the family's compensation money but also burdened his sister Zhao Zhilan's family for over a decade. She had rarely cared for this daughter, never expecting that in her final days, it would be Zhao Zhilan attending to her waste.
The granddaughter Zhao Xiao Cang, whom she had raised for years, found her foul-smelling.
Unable to speak, the grandmother tightened her grip on Bei Yao's hand, trembling continuously.
Zhao Zhilan turned her face away, not letting anyone in the room see her tears.
She sometimes couldn't understand why, as women who had both emerged from the hardships of the old era, some would still look down upon women and mistreat their daughters.That night, Grandma passed away without leaving any last words.
Zhao Zhilan wanted her mother to depart with dignity, so she began changing her clothes. Bei Yao wanted to help, but Zhao Zhilan said, "Yao Yao, take your brother outside. Mom can handle this here."
Zhao Zhilan was a stubborn woman at heart, so Bei Yao could only take her brother's hand and leave.
No one knew what Grandma, who had always favored boys over girls, was thinking in her final moments—or whether she had any regrets.
Bei Jun whispered, "Sister, Mom hasn't eaten all day."
Bei Yao frowned, then finally took Bei Jun outside the hospital to buy some food.
It was raining that night, and they had to walk quite a distance from the hospital. Worried about her uncle's family, Bei Yao kept her brother close.
She packed a bowl of congee for Bei Jun to carry while she held him and ran back.
Suddenly, loud arguing erupted from the hospital room. Zhao Zhilan was angrier than ever: "You won't build a grave in our hometown, and we can't afford a burial plot in the city. Zhao Xing, you've really outdone yourself this time—squandering all your money until you can't even bury your own mother in time!"
Zhao Xing retorted defiantly, "She was your mother too!"
"My mother?" Years of pent-up misery burst forth from Zhao Zhilan. "She was my mother! The one who made me cook and do laundry since I was seven, who pulled me out of school after elementary, who had me raise chickens and ducks while you ate eggs and I got sweet potatoes. In the end, my daughter wore your daughter's hand-me-down dresses! While she was alive, you squeezed every penny from her, and now that she's gone, you want nothing to do with her—yet you still ask me for money?"
Outside the door, Zhao Xiao Cang couldn't hold back: "Aunt, if you're too stingy to buy new clothes for Bei Yao, how can you blame my dad?"
Xiao Cang's mother, Deng Ju, quickly pulled her daughter back and shot her a warning glare.
Zhao Zhilan was livid at being challenged by a junior. Why couldn't she buy new clothes for Yao Yao? It was all because Zhao Xing had killed someone in a car accident! Out of gratitude for over a decade of upbringing, she had bailed her brother out, giving him all her money to "tide him over." And look what it got her!
When Zhao Xing had once set his sights on exploiting Bei Jun, Zhao Zhilan had decided to cut ties for good.
But in the end, with death approaching, she let bygones be bygones. Having been a mother herself, she knew the pain of childbirth and came to care for her mother in her final hours. She never expected Zhao Xing wouldn't even prepare a coffin for his own mother, instead trying to push the responsibility onto her.
The old woman's body lay there, yet Zhao Xing claimed he didn't have a cent.
It was February, so the corpse could be preserved for a few days, but if it were summer? The thought was horrifying!
Zhao Zhilan immediately strode over and slapped Zhao Xiao Cang. Stunned, Xiao Cang cried, "You hit me?" Her own parents had never laid a hand on her! Deng Ju's face darkened, and she snapped, "Sister, Xiao Cang isn't a child anymore. Even if she misspoke, was hitting her necessary?"
Zhao Zhilan roared, "If you and Zhao Xing won't teach her, don't blame me for doing it!"
The commotion in the room drew a crowd of onlookers.
Terrified, Bei Jun clung to Bei Yao, stopping her from going in. He was still deeply afraid of his uncle, haunted by the memory of Zhao Xing nearly harming him.
Zhao Xing had kicked his drug addiction, but his family was bankrupt and drowning in debt. In short, he was determined to wash his hands of his mother's burial.
It was then that Huo Xu arrived. Dressed in a suit, he glanced at Bei Yao.
Then he stepped inside and asked, "What's going on?"
Zhao Xing snapped irritably, "None of your damn business!"
Huo Xu looked at the deceased elderly woman on the bed and caught a whiff of the unpleasant odor in the air. "Let's allow the departed to rest in peace first," he said.
"Easy for you to say! You paying for it?"
Huo Xu replied, "I will."These words made everyone in the room turn their gaze toward him. Bei Yao frowned slightly.
Zhao Xing's attitude immediately changed, though he still seemed somewhat skeptical: "Are you serious?"
Huo Xu said: "Of course I'm serious. I'll have someone arrange it shortly."
Zhao Xing's face lit up with joy: "Thank you, such a good person, such a good person!"
Zhao Zhilan's face turned ashen.
Her previous "windfall" of over a hundred thousand yuan wasn't because she was unwilling to spend money, but because she didn't want to fall into Zhao Xing's trap again! She deeply resented her younger brother's behavior of bleeding her family dry.
After what happened with Bei Jun last time, when their mother had chosen Zhao Xing's side, she had sworn never to get involved again. If she were to be taken advantage of by Zhao Xing today, she would never be able to swallow this anger for the rest of her life.
Unexpectedly, it was a young man who ended up handling their mother's funeral arrangements, which seemed to force Zhao Zhilan into making a choice.
Zhao Zhilan gritted her teeth and said: "My mother's affairs don't need outsiders to handle. If I have to pay, then I'll pay. But Zhao Xing, if you dare ask me for even a single cent again, I'll chop you up with a kitchen knife!"
Zhao Xing muttered: "But someone is already paying for it, isn't there?"
Huo Xu glanced at Zhao Zhilan, knowing her stubborn temper. He went out to make a phone call, then returned and said: "I can find a burial plot the fastest, and people from the crematorium will come too. Auntie, your daughter once saved me. Consider this my way of helping your family."
As soon as these words were spoken, the air fell silent for a moment.
Everyone looked at Bei Yao.
Ever since Huo Xu appeared, Xiao Cang's heart had been pounding. She could recognize a high-quality, wealthy man when she saw one, and this man had immediately offered both money and assistance.
And it turned out it was all for her cousin Bei Yao!
Zhao Zhilan was also stunned, but the situation was too chaotic to think too much about it. She just nodded: "You find the people, and I'll give you the money!"
Soon people arrived, and everything became rushed and busy. Huo Xu approached Bei Yao.
He rarely spoke to her, yet she carried the crisp fragrance of February, with a hint of the cold from outside.
Huo Xu hadn't approached her with good intentions initially, but he kept finding himself distracted.
"You... don't be too sad. If you need any help, just let me know."
Bei Yao's gaze was somewhat cold: "No need."
Huo Xu pressed his lips together: "Do you dislike me?"
Why was that? When she was sixteen, she had been willing to help even strangers. But now that he had returned to the country with a high status, she always seemed to dislike and reject him.
When they were in City B, he had deliberately created several opportunities to meet her, but she had quietly avoided him each time. She hadn't accepted any of the gifts he sent either.
The young woman remained unmoved, and Huo Xu grew anxious, which was why he had forced his way into this matter today.
Though his initial intentions hadn't been good, the closer he got, the more unclear the unwillingness in his heart became.
Bei Yao's gaze was clear and penetrating, but she didn't answer him.
Later, as the sky grew darker, Bei Yao went over and hugged Zhao Zhilan: "Mom, let's go home and rest first."
After Bei Yao and the others left, Deng Ju quietly pinched Zhao Xing: "Look, their daughter is quite capable. That man is clearly wealthy and yet he's trying so hard to please Bei Yao. You mustn't distance yourself from your sister. In the future, our Xiao Cang..."
Zhao Xing was somewhat irritated: "My mother just died, why are you talking about this!"
After the New Year, the matter passed, except that Huo Xu refused to accept Zhao Zhilan's money.
Bei Yao felt somewhat anxious. Without her memories, she didn't understand what this person was trying to do.
Zhao Zhilan didn't like Huo Xu either, for a very simple reason.The cost of the cemetery and various expenses that Huo Xu found for Bei Yao's grandmother totaled a full one hundred and fifty thousand yuan.
Damn... Is she living in an imperial mausoleum?!
But now that the remains had been moved in, it was impossible to...
Faced with yet another expense that could bankrupt them, Zhao Zhilan's expression turned extremely grim, and the pressure weighed heavily on her. What kind of mess was this?! Couldn't the heavens drop another pie from the sky? Maybe a lottery win or something?
~
Before long, spring arrived.
Spring coincided with Pei Chuan's early release from prison.
The man put on his prosthetic leg. Having not worn it for a long time, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.
Cheng Zhenghai patted him on the shoulder: "Young man, from now on, work hard for the country outside, understand? The future of society depends on you!"
Pei Chuan didn't say much, just nodded. His job appointment notice had already arrived; he could start at the research institute this summer.
However, his mind was still preoccupied with the news Jin Ziyang had brought during the New Year—Bei Yao's grandmother was critically ill.
Pei Chuan changed his clothes. At 22, his features were handsome and resolute, and when he wasn't smiling, he appeared particularly aloof.
Pei Chuan went straight back to C City. The sky was blue, and the air outside was fresh and clear.
As he looked at every tree and blade of grass in his hometown, it felt as though a lifetime had passed—both unfamiliar and familiar.
When Jin Ziyang received his call, he was still in a daze. As soon as they met, he exclaimed, "Holy shit, Brother Chuan, did you break out of prison?"
Pei Chuan shot him a cold glare.
Pei Chuan said, "Where's the money left from selling the software last time?"
Jin Ziyang frowned at the mention: "That thing was really valuable. You said the minimum was three million, but the buyer offered five million right away. I was so shocked I quickly added another million. We settled at six million, and so far... uh... I gave Aunt Zhao one hundred and twenty thousand."
There was no other way—they couldn't rely on lotteries every day; people weren't fools.
Pei Chuan nodded.
Jin Ziyang handed him the card: "There's over five million left."
Jin Ziyang's feelings were complicated: "Brother Chuan, this money really isn't illegal, right? Don't get yourself locked up again. If you have nothing to do, you could come work as a manager at my dad's company!"
"..."
Just as Pei Chuan was about to leave, Jin Ziyang stopped him: "Um, Brother Chuan, listen to me. A while ago, Bei Yao mentioned her grandmother was seriously ill, so I looked into it a bit. Then I found out... that Huo guy from the Huo family in B City is pursuing her."
Pei Chuan halted in his tracks, his lips pressed tightly together.
"The funeral expenses and the cemetery for her grandmother were all arranged by Huo Xu. You should prepare yourself mentally." Jin Ziyang gritted his teeth, unsure of how to proceed.
If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter, but Huo Xu's status was not to be underestimated.
Wealthy, handsome, and a returnee from studying abroad.
Who knew if Aunt Zhao's family would favor Huo Xu even more because of this favor? Huo Xu's background was indeed impressive—a returnee, from a wealthy family, good-looking, gentle, and considerate. Most girls would probably be interested.
In Jin Ziyang's view, Pei Chuan had just been released from prison, not only physically incomplete... but also "unemployed." What could he use to compete for someone else's daughter?
Pei Chuan touched the employment letter from the "First Scientific Research Institute" in his pocket and said nothing.
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