Liang Qinxuan's father had suffered greatly, and he would occasionally tell Liang Qinxuan about his experiences when he was young.

Even his body bears the marks of suffering.

For example, because he carried loads on his shoulders a lot back then, Liang's father's right shoulder was much lower than his left shoulder.

But as far back as Liang Qinxuan can remember, his family has never lacked money.

His parents must have suffered a lot in the past, so they couldn't bear to let him suffer at all, and they basically gave him whatever he wanted.

He attended the best schools in Changxi City for both primary and junior high school. Most of his classmates' parents were teachers or government officials, and their families were generally well-off.

When he went to high school, none of the people he associated with came from poor families.

Take Chen Shaojin, for example, who used to be very close to him but later became his enemy...

Chen Shaojin's parents were both factory workers. Although their family wasn't well-off, they owned a two-bedroom apartment of about fifty square meters, allocated by the factory. The apartment was always clean and tidy.

Today was the first time he realized that such a small room could accommodate three people, who could also cook and eat there.

The house was even made of mud.

For a moment, Liang Qinxuan was at a loss.

He felt a bit disgusted by the environment, yet also sympathized with Guan Baiyu, and inexplicably felt a sense of guilt.

When he first met Guan Baiyu, Guan Baiyu told him about his family situation. He felt sorry for Guan Baiyu, but he didn't know that Guan Baiyu was so poor.

Everyone except Shi Xinghuo could see Liang Qinxuan's unease.

Shi Zhen spoke up: "Liang Qinxuan, have you eaten? We were just about to eat, would you like something?"

"Okay, okay." Liang Qinxuan quickly agreed. Although he had some complaints about the environment, if he refused someone's invitation to dinner, it would seem like he was looking down on them, and they would probably feel awkward.

Wait a minute, Guan Baiyu's family isn't well-off. If he eats it, won't that leave them without food?

Liang Qinxuan was hesitating when he heard Shi Zhen say again, "Xiaoyu, prepare the food, I'm going to take a shower."

He'd been working outside and hadn't even taken a shower yet.

Shi Xinghuo, on the other hand, returned early and had already washed up.

They all took showers in the shed outside, and Shi Zhen went straight out.

Liang Qinxuan asked Guan Baiyu in a low voice, "Is he showering outside?"

Guan Baiyu said, "Mm."

Is there hot water there?

Wash with cold water.

Liang Qinxuan was filled with awe.

The weather is already getting a bit chilly, and they're still washing with cold water...

Before, Liang Qinxuan had always heard Guan Baiyu talk about how great his brother was, but he didn't really care. Now, he also thinks that Guan Baiyu's brother is really good.

Despite their family's circumstances, Guan Baiyu's brother never mistreated Guan Baiyu!

Of course, Guan Baiyu was also very good. Despite such an environment, he persisted in studying and was admitted to No. 1 Middle School!

Guan Baiyu is truly someone he should learn from!

Just as Liang Qinxuan was thinking this, he saw Guan Baiyu fish a chicken out of the pot, and with a swift motion, chop the chicken up and down with a "clang, clang, clang".

He instinctively dodged slightly; Guan Baiyu wielded the knife with remarkable skill…

Guan Baiyu chopped up the chicken, added an egg and some pickled vegetables to the chicken soup to make a pickled vegetable soup, and also stir-fried some greens... In addition to the leftover soybean stewed pig's feet and a plate of stir-fried pickled vegetables from lunch, this meal was quite sumptuous.

The chicken was just boiled in plain water, nothing was added. You just poured a bowl of soy sauce on it and ate it directly.

Shi Zhen and Guan Baiyu returned a little late, and after another round of trouble, it was already past six o'clock in the evening.

After Shi Zhen finished washing up, everyone couldn't wait to start eating.

Before picking up his chopsticks, Shi Zhen first put a chicken leg on Guan Baiyu's plate, and then put one on Liang Qinxuan's plate.

He had heard Guan Baiyu talk about Liang Qinxuan and figured that given how picky Liang Qinxuan was, he probably wouldn't eat much chicken.

Liang Qinxuan really didn't like the dishes on the table.

Fortunately, it wasn't to the point where I couldn't eat anymore.

He watched Guan Baiyu cook. Guan Baiyu was a clean person, and the dishes he cooked were clean and met his hygiene requirements.

Of course, the taste wasn't great.

Liang Qinxuan had just experienced a huge change and was in a bad mood, so he couldn't eat much. But he felt that if he didn't eat, it would be like he was showing disdain, so he started eating, and as he ate...

He spent the afternoon studying with his teacher and then went out to play. He was starving and ended up eating quite a lot, especially the pickled vegetables... He subconsciously took a bite and found them to be sour and appetizing, and very delicious.

Liang Qinxuan ate a meal with rice mixed with pickled vegetables and a chicken leg.

Guan Baiyu knew that Liang Qinxuan was upset, and with Shi Xinghuo and Shi Xingchao present, he didn't ask Liang Qinxuan about his family situation in detail. He waited until Liang Qinxuan finished eating before taking him to his room.

Although Guan Baiyu's room was piled with some miscellaneous items and straw, his bed was clean.

He only comes back once every two weeks, so Shi Zhen specially asked Shi Xingchao to air out his quilts.

Guan Baiyu moved a stool for Liang Qinxuan to sit on, and then asked him about the Liang family, intending to give Liang Qinxuan some advice.

At least... he wanted to prevent the "crown prince" from going astray.

Liang Qinxuan then recounted in detail what had happened to him.

At the hospital, Chen Shaojin glared at him and then said that his grandmother had poured oil on the ground, causing Chen Shaojin's mother to fall and have a premature birth... Of course, his grandmother denied it.

He didn't think his grandmother would do such a thing.

Although his grandmother didn't like that woman, she had no problem with the child in that woman's belly!

He wanted to take his grandmother away from the hospital, but she was unwilling and insisted on waiting for the baby to be born safely.

So even though his grandmother often talked about that woman, and was unhappy that his father divorced his mother to marry her, and was unhappy to see his father treat that woman well, his grandmother would never refuse to let that woman eat the tonics and delicious food his father bought for the family every day.

“If I had been home at the time, or had gone home, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to explain myself,” Liang Qinxuan said.

Guan Baiyu thought so too.

In fact... Liang Qinxuan wasn't home at the time, and now some people are trying to smear him.

At the hospital, Grandma Liang refused to admit that she had spilled oil on the ground. After calming down, Mr. Liang also stopped believing that his mother had done it.

At least it wasn't his mother who did it on purpose.

Chen Shaojin asked, "Is it Liang Qinxuan?"

If Grandma Liang were to rank the people she values, Liang's father and Liang Qinxuan would definitely be tied for first place, followed by the unborn child. She immediately said, "Xiaoxuan hasn't even stepped foot in the house today. How could he possibly harm your mother? I think it's your mother who orchestrated this whole thing to try and get back at this old woman!"

Liang Qinxuan had returned once before. When he opened the door, he saw Chen Shaojin's mother, asked her a question, and learned that his father had not yet returned. He then turned and left.

Grandma Liang, Liang Qinxuan's stepmother, and the two housekeepers all witnessed this.

Mr. Liang also felt that his son would not do such a thing. He suspected that the two nannies or his mother might have accidentally spilled oil on the ground.

I'm just hoping the child is alright.

Chen Shaojin's mother's name is Yuan Xiangyang, which sounds somewhat masculine.

Liang's father was determined to divorce his wife and marry her, mainly because he felt that Yuan Xiangyang had given too much.

After their long-awaited reunion, their old feelings rekindled. However, Yuan Xiangyang's husband, who had always treated her badly, discovered their affair and beat Yuan Xiangyang many times.

Yuan Xiangyang divorced her, leaving with nothing. Before she could recover from her injuries, she discovered she was pregnant with his child.

She was so old and had suffered so much; she almost lost the baby and had to stay in the hospital for two months before she finally managed to save it.

She continued to recuperate until she was six months pregnant before her body recovered.

Liang's father was certain that the child wouldn't be miscarried over something trivial before he decided to get a divorce—he was afraid that if he filed for divorce too early, Liang Qinxuan's mother's side would cause trouble for Yuan Xiangyang, which would lead to Yuan Xiangyang losing the child.

Actually, even without this child, he might not have gotten a divorce, but with the child, Yuan Xiangyang still suffered so much...

The baby isn't even full-term yet, and this has happened... If smoking wasn't prohibited outside the operating room, Mr. Liang would probably have smoked two packs of cigarettes by now.

Finally, the operating room door opened.

Although Yuan Xiangyang is a little weak, it's nothing serious; he just needs to rest for a while.

But that child has a big problem.

This child has a heart condition and needs careful care. He will need surgery when he grows up.

"It's good that you're alive..." Liang's father breathed a sigh of relief.

On the other side, Liang Qinxuan said, "Guan Baiyu, I came to find you because I want to stay at your house for one night. My dad and grandma don't care about me, and my mom isn't here either..."

His mother refused to divorce him. After the divorce, she cried all day long and was in a very bad mental state. She never gave him a kind look and even stayed home all day because she felt ashamed.

His uncle then took his mother to another place.

Many of his relatives work at his father's company. When he goes back home, they all tell him to go along with his father's wishes... which annoys him.

"Would you like to stay here?" Guan Baiyu asked.

"It's alright, your bed looks fine," Liang Qinxuan said.

Guan Baiyu's bed was fine, but Guan Baiyu didn't want to sleep with Liang Qinxuan!

He was very young and slept on a makeshift bed all by himself. After his grandmother passed away, he lived alone even more, and he got used to it.

If he had to sleep with someone else, he only wanted to sleep with Shi Zhen, not Liang Qinxuan.

"How about I take you to town? There seem to be places to stay there."

"Those little shops must be very dirty, right?" Liang Qinxuan hesitated.

Guan Baiyu gave him a strong dose of medicine: "I have cockroaches and rats here."

Liang Qinxuan: "!!!"

After Liang Qinxuan entered Guan Baiyu's room, Shi Xingchao whispered to Shi Zhen, "Zhen, Guan Baiyu's classmate seems to be very rich."

"Mm," Shi Zhen responded.

"Is he going to stay here? Will he find it too run-down?" Shi Xingchao asked again.

Shi Zhen was stunned.

Shi Zhen hadn't thought much about it before, but now that Shi Xingchao mentioned it... judging from Liang Qinxuan's expression, it really seemed like he wanted to stay.

Shi Zhen rubbed his forehead before saying, "If he wants to stay, let him stay."

Shi Xingchao didn't ask any more questions. He quickly returned to Guan Jianguo's place and went to embroider a sweater.

As for Shi Xinghuo, he went out for a stroll as usual.

Shi Zhen washed the dishes and tidied up the house.

One after another, some voices came from the inner room, but they were not clear and it was unknown what Guan Baiyu and Liang Qinxuan were talking about.

These two were complete strangers in their past lives, but they've become good friends in this one. It's truly amazing.

Shi Zhen's feelings were somewhat complicated, but he didn't intend to do anything. At this moment, Liang Qinxuan and Guan Baiyu came out. Guan Baiyu said, "Brother, take him to town and find him a place to stay!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Zhen asked Liang Qinxuan, "Do you want to go by tricycle or tractor?"

Shi Zhen's tricycle wasn't the kind you see on the street picking up passengers; it was a cargo vehicle. Liang Qinxuan felt a bit silly sitting inside it.

He hesitated for a moment and then said, "Tractor?"

Then, Liang Qinxuan watched as Shi Zhen shook the tractor violently to start it, and it carried him all the way to the town.

There was a hotel in town that had been converted from a former guesthouse. Shi Zhen dropped Liang Qinxuan off, helped him with the formalities, and then went home.

That night, Liang Qinxuan stayed in a dirty hotel in the small town. He thought about many things and eventually fell asleep. He was not woken up until the next morning when there was a knock on the door.

The inn didn't provide breakfast, so Guan Baiyu took him home for breakfast. After breakfast, he took him for a walk around the village.

There are rich people in the village, but there are also those who are not doing well.

The old woman was very old and so thin that she had almost no flesh on her body; it seemed as if she was just skin and bones. She could no longer walk, but she didn't have a cane, so she held onto a stool, moved the stool forward a little, and then moved forward a few more steps to walk slowly.

Some elderly men, having done heavy work like carrying loads in their younger years, have hunched backs; in the most severe cases, their backs are bent at a right angle.

"Liang Qinxuan, as long as you don't get involved in your stepmother's affairs... your future will be bright," Guan Baiyu said. Many people struggle their entire lives and still can't earn as much as the Liang family's fortune!

"Hmm." Liang Qinxuan looked at the rice paddies not far away, deeply moved.

However, he couldn't reminisce for long.

His cousin came to pick him up; he still had to go to tutoring!

Guan Baiyu breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Liang Qinxuan off.

On the other hand, Liang Qinxuan learned from his cousin that his stepmother had given birth to a daughter who also had a heart condition.

Although Liang Qinxuan's mother's relatives were unwilling to fall out with Liang's father, they disliked Yuan Xiangyang. At this moment, Liang Qinxuan's cousin said, "When she was taking advantage of her pregnancy to act arrogantly, she certainly didn't expect to give birth to a useless child... Hehe, she got her comeuppance!"

Liang Qinxuan felt there was something off about those words, but he couldn't help but say, "My dad's over fifty years old, he's long past his prime! No wonder!"

Since Liang Qinxuan was unlikely to repeat the mistakes of his previous life, Shi Zhen didn't interfere much in his affairs.

If Liang Qinxuan can still be his friend in this lifetime, that would be best; if they can't be friends, he won't care.

That day, he went to work for Boss Wang as usual, and in the evening, he took Guan Baiyu, Shi Xingchao, and Shi Xinghuo to have dinner at the Shi family's place.

After eating and returning home, everyone went about their own business as usual.

Shi Xinghuo left home again and headed outside.

He likes to go out and wander around, and he goes out for a stroll almost every night.

However, he used to go to places where villagers gathered, but recently he has been going to other places.

This area is considered a water town, with plenty of water in the countryside. There is a pond not far from Guan Baiyu's house.

The pond is long and quite large. One end has houses built on it, which are usually bustling with activity, while the other end is a large bamboo forest. Beyond the bamboo forest is the village cemetery, which is surrounded by mulberry trees.

This is a somewhat eerie place.

Few people come here; even mischievous children only come to play during the day.

When Shi Xinghuo arrived, he saw a young woman in her twenties with a full figure and fair skin.

In an era when almost no one in the countryside wore makeup, this woman applied red lipstick, drew her eyebrows, and lightly brushed rouge on her cheeks, making her already bright features even more beautiful.

"Brother Xinghuo, you're here!" The woman smiled sweetly at Shi Xinghuo.

Shi Xinghuo nodded, took out a bottle of soda and gave it to her, grinning sheepishly, "Here you go."

The woman was a little annoyed when she saw the soda Shi Xinghuo brought, but she still took it and said to Shi Xinghuo, "Brother Xinghuo, I missed you so much all day."

"Yes, I miss you too." Shi Xinghuo nodded happily.

"Brother Xinghuo, you're getting more and more handsome!" the woman said again.

Shi Xinghuo smiled, revealing a set of slightly yellow teeth.

The woman showered Shi Xinghuo with praise, making him sound like the best person in the world. In short, in her words, there was no one better than Shi Xinghuo in the entire area!

Shi Xinghuo didn't understand some parts, and he understood others. Regardless of whether he understood or not, he nodded in agreement and laughed more and more happily.

After talking for a while, the woman casually remarked, "Brother Xinghuo, my clothes are a bit old..."

"It's still very new and beautiful."

"Brother Xinghuo, I want to go to town to buy a lipstick..."

What is lipstick?

"Brother Xinghuo, they all have bicycles, but I don't..."

"I don't have any either."

...

After hinting and suggesting for a long time, the woman finally couldn't help but say, "Brother Xinghuo, my dad hasn't been feeling well lately, and I can't afford the medical bills..."

“You can borrow it.” Shi Xinghuo said earnestly.

"I don't know anyone, and I don't know who to ask for help," the woman said, on the verge of tears.

Shi Xinghuo said, "I don't know anyone either."

The woman's expression froze, then she went all out: "Brother Xinghuo, you've been working for a while now, you should have some savings, right? Could you lend me some money?"

Shi Xinghuo looked completely innocent: "I have no money."

The woman forced a laugh and said, "How could that be..."

"Shi Zhen said he'll only give me two yuan a day from now on," Shi Xinghuo sighed.

The woman's throat was a little dry: "...You gave him all your money?"

Shi Xinghuo nodded seriously: "Yes."

Aren't you afraid he'll spend all your money?

"No, Shi Zhen is saving the money for me to get married," Shi Xinghuo said.

Shi Xinghuo chatted with the beautiful woman for a long time before leaving, completely satisfied.

He really liked this friend, who would always praise him for a long time, making him sound exceptionally good.

His friend's family was very strict and didn't allow her to associate with men, so they forbade her to tell anyone about their acquaintance... He held back and didn't even tell Shi Zhen and Shi Xingchao.

As soon as Shi Xinghuo left, the woman on the other side also turned and walked away. She hadn't gone far down the path when a man approached her: "How was it? This time you asked for money directly, did he react?"

"No! That guy's too shrewd! He's stingy!" The woman was getting angry. "He even wants to marry me! Dream on!"

"He wants to marry you?" the man asked.

The woman said, "He said he's saving all his money to get married! I guess he'll only give me the money if I agree to marry him!"

"Damn it! So all that work you've done has been for nothing?" the man retorted angrily.

The two were a brother and sister who lived nearby. They thought Shi Xinghuo was a bit stupid and wanted to swindle money from him.

This woman gradually got to know Shi Xinghuo, gained his favor, and then privately chatted with him, telling him that she wasn't having a good time...

Shi Xinghuo was very enthusiastic towards her, coming to see her every day and bringing her gifts each time... though they were all inexpensive food items.

She cultivated a relationship with Shi Xinghuo for a long time before she started asking him for money.

As a result... Shi Xinghuo only gave her one or two yuan each time!

She hinted to Shi Xinghuo that she should buy her something, but Shi Xinghuo pretended not to understand.

This time she went all out and directly asked for the money, but the man refused, implying that he would only give her the money if she agreed to marry him.

You can't judge a book by its cover. This Shi Xinghuo looks silly, but he's actually a shrewd person!

Shi Xinghuo, unaware that he was being treated like a shrewd strategist, returned home in a good mood, only to be caught and scolded by his brother: "Where's the soda you took out? Did you finish it? Why didn't you bring the bottle back? Don't you know you can exchange bottles for money? How will you ever get a wife if you keep wasting money like this?"

Shi Xinghuo paused.

He didn't really know why he needed to get married; for him, being well-fed and watered was enough to make him happy.

However, since everyone is urging him to get married, he will still do so.

He listened obediently to his younger brother's scolding, and then said, "Shi Zhen will help me save money."

Shi Xingchao was speechless, and angrily waved his hand: "Go away, go away, I don't want to see you!"

Shi Xinghuo walked away with a smile, but after a few steps he turned back and asked, "Xingchao, is it because I'm more handsome than you that you're unhappy?"

Shi Xingchao was stunned by his older brother's shamelessness. He was definitely more handsome than his brother! He had been cooped up in the house for two months and had become pale from being cooped up!

He also washes his face with soap every day and brushes his teeth diligently morning and night!

Can his brother do it?

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Shi Xingchao retorted angrily.

Shi Xinghuo glanced at his younger brother with sympathy, then happily went to take a bath and prepare for bed.

He's incredibly handsome! Even Shi Zhen isn't as handsome as him!

Well, at least in his friends' eyes, he's the best-looking!

Sigh, his younger brother is not good-looking and has no money. He can't even afford an ice pop. He's so pitiful.

He should pay more attention to his younger brother.

Shi Xingchao: "..." What's wrong with his brother? His brother doesn't seem to understand himself!

And what's more, his brother actually sympathized with him!

This is absolutely outrageous!