*This story is set in a fictional world; please do not compare it to historical fact.*

...

In the golden autumn of September, the air is filled with the fragrance of ripening rice.

It was harvest season in Nanshan Village, and villagers were moving back and forth between the fields with sickles in hand.

People were busy everywhere in the fields, and even children followed behind the adults, helping to pick up the rice ears and doing what they could.

However, even amidst their busy schedules, the young women and wives in the village didn't forget to chat about this and that.

The biggest news in Nanshan Village recently is that the Su family's "golden phoenix" can no longer fly away!

The villagers have quite a lot to say about this.

The "golden phoenix" of the Su family is named Su He, and he is quite famous in the surrounding villages!

From the moment she was born, a Taoist priest who happened to be passing by and asking for water predicted that this girl would definitely achieve great things in the future!

The Su family was overjoyed to hear this, especially the old lady of the Su family, who was so happy that she took the child and raised it herself.

They treated it like a precious treasure, afraid it would melt if they held it in their mouths or freeze if they carried it in their pockets!

Su He was also exceptionally bright. While other children were just learning to speak, she could already recite poems. After starting school, she became even more intelligent, often leaving her teachers stumped by her questions, and she consistently ranked first in school exams!

Gradually, the reputation spread, and everyone knew that the Su family in Nanshan Village had produced a golden phoenix who was destined to become a college student!

Under the leadership of Old Mrs. Su, the entire Su family scrimped and saved to support her through high school.

Just as Su He was about to take the college entrance examination, the government suddenly issued a notice at this critical juncture.

The National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) has been cancelled!

From now on, I'll get into university through recommendations.

This news caught Su He, who was a sure thing to get into university, completely off guard. But logically speaking, with Su He's grades and her family background of three generations of poor farmers, she should have been recommended for a spot this year, right?

Unexpectedly, when the school finally announced the quota, it was only a few students from their class whose grades were terrible and whose parents were cadres who were selected.

Now she's completely out of luck!

So a few days ago, Su He jumped into the river in despair.

He was already dead when the villagers found him and rescued him. Fortunately, the village's barefoot doctor had served in the guerrilla forces and knew some first aid methods, which saved him.

Several days have passed since the incident, and she hasn't been seen leaving the house. I wonder if she feels ashamed.

The village is so small that news spreads quickly, especially when it involves Su He, a person who is always in the news.

So this story has spread very widely; it's estimated that people in the surrounding villages know about it.

Opinions were mixed after hearing it, but most people were just there for the spectacle, so their comments were not very pleasant.

Meanwhile, the Su family members, who were also working in the fields, heard what the villagers were saying. They all had cold faces, especially Old Mrs. Su.

But they can't control what others say, so they can only pretend they don't hear it.

Grandma Su secretly spat and glared at the gossipers. Seeing that it was almost noon, she finished work early and planned to go home to cook.

As for the rest of the Su family, they stayed in the fields to work. The autumn harvest was busy, and there were many work points to be earned. She didn't want her family to earn fewer work points.

After leaving the field, Grandma Su walked for a while and arrived at a large courtyard near the foot of the mountain. She opened the gate and went inside.

Without even washing his hands, he cautiously approached a room on the left side of the main house. He didn't go in, but just called softly from outside the window, "Heya, are you feeling better today?"