Chapter 10

Ye Qingshui lay in bed tossing and turning like a flipped pancake, unable to fall asleep.

Just now, when sleepiness hit and she subconsciously said that familiar phrase, it sent her into deep thought.

Back in those days, getting a divorce was a huge deal. After Xie Tingyu left, gossip began to swirl again. Pitying, regretful, and mocking glances forced Ye Qingshui to leave her hometown. She had once stumbled because of Xie Tingyu, but quickly picked herself back up. Thankfully, he abandoned her—otherwise, she would’ve been stuck in that small place her whole life, forever just a village woman.

Such humiliation—once in a lifetime was enough.

Later, when Ye Qingshui left the countryside, she experienced the vast world outside and met many mentors and friends. Her vision was no longer narrow, and the past faded like the wind. Yet now, going back forty years and seeing Xie Tingyu again, she still subconsciously tried to please him.

That left her feeling a little melancholic.

The next day, Ye Qingshui still had to get up early to stew snake soup for her mother and grandmother.

Snake meat wasn’t rare in the countryside. Occasionally, production team members would catch one and use it to make medicinal liquor. But snake meat was tricky to prepare—it crumbled easily when stir-fried, and if not handled properly, it tasted muddy and fishy. So country folks liked to soak it in liquor; the longer the snake wine aged, the more fragrant it became—a true delicacy.

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Mbl vball bldp yv bsxl qzyrrle vblka okdtp yde awpble vs rlnj yv vbl hltlvyczl zlyhlp kd vbl pswr.

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Ebld Dkl Mkdtuw dsvknle vbl qklanl zssj kd vbl zkvvzl tkaz’p lulp, bkp zkrp ralpple kdvs y qykdv, nsze pxkzl.

Swddkdt yaswde kd vbl xkeezl sq vbl dktbv—bla vlxrla bye elqkdkvlzu tasod.

Fvkzz, pbl zssjle ps qaytkzl yde rlvkvl vbyv lhld obld pbl ynvle qklanl, pbl eked’v pllx vbalyvldkdt yv yzz—fwpv y psqv zkvvzl tkaz tzyakdt zkjl vbyv.

Xie Tingyu had already mentally taken on the role of a teacher. As a proper teacher, when facing a rebellious, unruly student, he should discipline her and let her know what was right and wrong.

Like how a young girl shouldn’t be wandering around at night instead of sleeping.

During breakfast, Ye Qingshui served porridge and set chopsticks for everyone in the family—everyone except Xie Tingyu. This was the first time she’d done something like that. Was it just because… he spoke harshly last night? And this little girl was still mad about it?

Seeing that his portion was missing, Xie Tingyu still went to get himself some porridge and chopsticks—surprisingly proactive. When there was good food involved, his temper improved a lot.

The snake meat was thin and cooked soft without falling apart. The texture was smooth and delicious, and the plainer the porridge, the more it brought out the freshness of the meat.

A fragrant bowl of porridge warmed the stomach—extremely comforting. On the surface, the little girl looked soft and easy to bully, but in reality, she was rebellious and unpredictable. If studying could help tame her wild streak, maybe someday she would become gentle and kind.

She actually had a soft heart.

Last night, Xie Tingyu had run into Shen Weimin and the others. Shen Weimin had never treated Ye Qingshui kindly—last time he came to the Ye family’s house, he even mocked her a few times. But Ye Qingshui still turned around and invited him to drink soup and eat meat. That surprised Xie Tingyu.

He kept a calm expression as he quietly finished his bowl of porridge.

He said, “The production team doesn’t have a heavy workload today. After finishing work at noon, come back and review your lessons. I’ll give you a pop quiz. Persistence is key in learning—every day’s studies must not be neglected.”

Ye Qingshui, upon hearing something about studying, instantly perked up and nodded vigorously.

Mother Ye was delighted the moment she heard the word “study.” She asked, “Shui’er is studying with Xiao Xie now?”

The joy on her face was overflowing. “Shui’er, your dad would be so happy to know this. All he ever wanted was for you to study well.”

“He used to love going to school, but our family was too poor to support him. Even after he joined the army, he was still determined to keep studying. What did Chairman M say again? ‘Nothing in the world is difficult if you set your mind to it.’ Shui’er, try your best this time, and aim to break free of illiteracy!”

Mother Ye wished she could send Ye Qingshui off to school right away. But soon, they had to work. In the commune, girls Shui’er’s age were still in school, not doing labor at all.

Her Shui’er was just too considerate. She knew the family was poor and couldn’t afford school, so she dropped out at such a young age to help with the farming. That thought made Mother Ye feel a bit sour inside.

After finishing breakfast, Ye Qingshui returned to her room. She took a cloth mask out from the drawer and put it on her face. This was the second thing she had thought about during her sleepless night—she needed to heal her face as soon as possible.

Early this morning, just before dawn, she had cut a piece of cotton fabric and sewed this clean mask by hand. Now, a mask was essential for her. With a face in such a pitiful state, she was embarrassed to show it in public and offend other people’s eyes. It was… understandable why Xie Tingyu had disliked her so much back then.

She looked at herself in the mirror. The girl’s face still carried a trace of youthfulness. Her eyes were bright and shining, and her soft, lustrous black hair—no amount of sesame could bring back that kind of sheen—gleamed from root to tip.

Her skin was rosy, her gaze clear. The girl in the mirror radiated youthful energy and vitality. This new life she had gained so effortlessly—she really shouldn’t waste it being troubled by the humiliations of the past. What was done was done.

First, she needed to take good care of her face. When she had time, she would go into the mountains to gather herbs, and follow beauty recipes to make facial masks to help the marks on her face fade quickly.

Second, she had to take advantage of the tail end of puberty to supplement her nutrition and eat more, aiming to grow a few more centimeters taller. In her previous life, she had only reached a bit over 160 cm. Although that wasn’t considered short for girls in the south—especially rural girls—Ye Qingshui felt she still had the potential to grow taller. After all, she hadn’t even started her period yet.

Author’s Note:

One day…

Brother Yu was tutoring Shui’er face to face, explaining the male and female anatomy from the biology textbook.

Shui’er blushed.

He suddenly felt a tickle in his heart—and in his hands too—wanting to see for himself.

He took off her mask, and the young girl’s snowy cheeks were tinged with a shy blush.

Oh~

The ugly little girl turned out to be that pretty.

Dog eyes must’ve been blind.

——————————

(The above is purely your author’s shameless fantasy.)

In reality, someone who’s already done the deed wouldn’t blush just looking at a diagram.

Brother Yu: “…”

Messing with me every day—fun for you, huh?

Sansukini: The author’s mini theatre are quite cute.

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