Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Farewell, and Plans for the Next Two Years

“Dad, don’t worry. I promise I’ll get the job done.” Dabo nodded seriously, feeling as if he had received a sacred mission.

“Good! Dad believes in you.”

After saying goodbye to their father, the two kids pulled You Ran aside for a good cry.

“You Ran, take good care of your little bunny. Next year, let’s have another competition and see whose bunny grows better!” Dabo said.

You Ran didn’t fully grasp the feeling of parting yet—she just knew she wouldn’t see Dabo and Beibei for a while, so she joined in the crying.

“Mm-hmm, I will.”

The three little ones were about to be separated, and so were their three bunnies.

Gu Qinghuan packed up their things and handed the bag to Gu Lanting.

“Lanting, remember to write to me if anything happens—don’t just tell me the good news and hide the bad.

Also, Uncle Xu will help us collect the compensation money from Aunt Wu every now and then. I’ve asked him to give it directly to you, so you can use it for living expenses.

Don’t be stingy with money—your health is the most important thing. If you run out of money, you can always earn more, but you only get one chance to grow. If you miss it, it’s gone for good. You don’t want to be short for the rest of your life, do you?”

Actually, Gu Lanting wasn’t short—he was about average among men. But compared to Xu Huaian, he didn’t even want to look, so he was always a bit sensitive about his height.

“Got it, sis!” Gu Lanting’s eyes turned red as he stepped forward to hug his sister.

“You shouldn’t be stingy at home either—take good care of yourself.”

“Do I look like someone who’s stingy?” Gu Qinghuan laughed.

Gu Lanting couldn’t help but laugh too. He was worrying for nothing—no ordinary person could be as extravagant as his sister, but his brother-in-law spoiled her anyway.

“All right, keep your spirits up and take care of everyone on the road.”

“I know, sis, don’t worry.”

“Huanhuan-jie, goodbye!” Ming Ruxue came over and gave Gu Qinghuan a big bear hug.

Xu Huaian’s gaze lingered on Gu Qinghuan. In the end, he couldn’t help himself—he came over and hugged her too.

He whispered in her ear, “Wait for me to come back.”

“Safe travels.”

The group, carrying their bags, set off.

Gu Qinghuan took Dabo and Beibei and walked them all the way to the edge of the village before heading home.

The two kids cried until they were both in tears.

Gu Qinghuan’s eyes quietly reddened too.

Usually, the house was lively and noisy, but today it was especially quiet—so quiet it felt uncomfortable.

After returning home, Gu Qinghuan told the two kids not to run around and to play nicely at home. Then she went straight to her room and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She slept all the way until noon. At last, her headache eased a bit.

Staying up late really does take a toll.

As soon as she got up, the two kids were peeking in from outside the door. When they saw she was awake, they immediately ran over.

“Mom, you’re awake!”

“Mom, my sister and I reheated the leftover steamed buns and dumplings from this morning, and we made some cabbage soup. Let’s eat!” Dabo pointed toward the kitchen.

The two little ones knew Gu Qinghuan hadn’t slept well yesterday and was exhausted, so they didn’t wake her up and figured out lunch by themselves.

There were plenty of leftover buns and dumplings from breakfast, since Xu Huaian and the others hadn’t taken them all. So the kids reheated the leftovers and made a pot of cabbage soup from the scraps left after making the dumplings.

Gu Qinghuan rubbed their little heads.

“You two are so good, already helping Mom out. Thank you. Come on, let’s eat.”

After her nap, Gu Qinghuan had adjusted her mood. No matter how reluctant she felt, life had to go on, and she couldn’t let her own emotions affect the kids.

The three of them had a simple lunch. Then Gu Qinghuan sat down, took out a notebook and pen, and began planning for the next two years.

First, she needed to find a way to buy study materials and start learning systematically.

Although she’d graduated from a top university in her previous life, a lot of knowledge fades over time—learning is all about repetition.

She could try to buy books through the vending machine, or look for them elsewhere.

Especially that popular math and science series from back in the day—she had to get her hands on it.

The second important thing was making money.

The trip to Beijing hadn’t just made Xu Huaian realize he needed to improve—it had a big impact on Gu Qinghuan too.

If she couldn’t become someone with power and influence, then she’d become someone with money.

Rural life was interesting, but she knew she’d return to Beijing one day, bringing Zhong Weiqian and his wife, and Zhong Zijun, and making a grand entrance.

Even though she had some savings now, she still needed more—not just a little, but a lot.

So, over the next year or two, she had to find a way to make the most of her space and work hard to earn money, just in case.

True peace of mind only comes with a solid financial foundation. Relying on others isn’t realistic—being capable yourself is what really counts.

That was a lesson she’d learned the hard way in her previous life.

As for making money, her current plan was to use the vending machine to act as a middleman.

She’d buy cheap goods from the future and sell them here, and take scarce but cheap items from here and sell them in the future.

The key was to profit from the price difference—so long as both sides were happy, that was enough.

The last thing was the kids’ schooling.

She and Xu Huaian had already discussed it and decided to send the two children to the commune school after the New Year.

She’d buy a women’s bicycle, find a chance to bring it out, and use it herself—occasionally to pick up and drop off the kids. It would be very convenient.

That was the general direction for their lives.

There was one more important thing.

Earning work points.

If she wanted to put down roots in Xujia Village, avoid gossip, and get her share of the grain, she had to show up for labor on time.

Last year, Xu Huainian had delivered their share of the grain to their house, since they hadn’t been home before and it had been kept at the production team office.

Of course, they hadn’t gotten any of the pork from the pig slaughter last year.

Also, as the production team leader, Xu Huainian had spoken to her privately. She hadn’t participated much in the collective labor these past few months, and the other members were starting to complain.

He hoped she could change that next year. Even as the team leader, he couldn’t change the way the others saw things.

If she kept skipping labor, she’d lose her share of the grain at the end of the year, and she’d be publicly criticized.

This was a real headache for Gu Qinghuan. She could do anything, but manual labor was just not her thing. Fortunately, Xu Huainian had given her a solution.

She could switch to a different type of work.

Apparently, the commune elementary school was hiring teachers this year—more than one, in fact. If she became a teacher, not only would the work be easier and come with a salary, but no one in the village would have anything to say, and she’d still get her share of the grain.

It was a win-win all around.

Gu Qinghuan was very interested in this job. Not only would it pass the time, but it would also provide a learning environment. Most importantly, she wouldn’t have to toil in the fields under the blazing sun.

If she could become a teacher at the school, she could bring the two kids with her every day.

But becoming a teacher wasn’t going to be that easy."