Gu Zuo flipped his left hand and threw the box and the contact slip back into his spatial storage, completely unconcerned.

"No, I don't need any jewelry."

The system clutched its heart in anguish... Oh, it forgot it doesn't have a heart.

The system clutched its head in a headache, its tone mournful.

[Host, you may not need it, but I do!]

"Why would someone like you, who can't even leave this space, need jewelry?"

The system disagrees; the system protests.

[Host, you can't be species-discriminatory. Aesthetic sense is universal. If you think something is beautiful, how could I not like it?]

"You like it? Then go ahead and buy it yourself if you have the money!"

System: ...So all that talk was for nothing?

[Stingy!]

"If you're so generous, why don't you give me a few sets? Let me see just how generous you really are!"

(The system silently mutes itself and sends you a "shut up" emoji.)

"Hiss~"

★

The college entrance examination arrived as scheduled. The educated youth, wearing thick cotton-padded clothes, hats and scarves, and the villagers who were taking the exam were crammed together in the tractor and headed to the county.

The first college entrance examination in ten years was held in the coldest month of December. Everyone who went to take the exam was so cold that they looked like quails and wished they could shrink into their cotton-padded coats.

The brigade leader immediately brought over several thick cotton quilts and wrapped them tightly in them, fearing that they might miss the opportunity due to illness.

The sputtering sound of the tractor was especially jarring in the quiet winter.

Zhu Xiaoxiao huddled up next to Gu Zuozuo, leaning against him for warmth. There was no other way; it was much warmer next to Gu Zuozuo than anywhere else.

"Zuo Zuo, I heard that all three daughters-in-law of Aunt Yang's family have been locked up."

"I've heard about it too. Aunt Yang won't let them take the college entrance exam. She said that if they marry her son, they shouldn't think about those unrealistic things. They should just honestly give birth to grandsons for the Ma family and take care of their son."

When the only three female educated youths who married into the village were mentioned, everyone sighed with emotion.

Look at Qi Meng. She married a local man, even though he has a town household registration. Her husband is thinking long-term and is preparing for the college entrance exam with his wife so that they can both go to the capital and neither of them will abandon the other.

Not all men are like Li Mo. Some men are willing to stay in the mire and even drag their wives, who want to climb out, back down.

"Captain! Wait for me!"

Just as the tractor drove out of the village and onto the main road, everyone heard shouts coming from behind.

Everyone turned around and saw Li Yamei and Li Zhaodi rushing over in a flurry of activity. They stumbled and fell along the way, getting up again as if they were about to be left behind.

"Huh? Aunt Yang is actually willing to let them out?"

I'm afraid they weren't released, but escaped. Didn't you see how thin their clothes are? They probably ran away secretly.

Everyone understood, and as they approached, they reached out and pulled the two women into the truck bed, wrapping them in blankets.

Li Yamei and Li Zhaodi were already so cold that their lips turned blue and their faces turned pale. When they suddenly fell into a warm bed, they were startled and shivered.

Seeing the concerned looks on the faces of the educated youth who were usually indifferent to them, she felt a lump in her throat and almost cried.

"Thank you, thank you..."

She thought they would still look at them with that disgust, but she didn't expect them to be willing to help her.

Zhu Xiaoxiao snorted coldly and turned her head away.

She will remember for the rest of her life how Li Yamei schemed to clear her name.

But this is different. This is the college entrance examination, the college entrance examination that all the educated youth have been waiting for for ten years. No matter what the reason, all grudges must be put aside in the face of it.

Destroying someone's future is like killing their parents. Just because someone blew out her candle doesn't mean she wants to blew out someone else's.

"We're not helping you, we're just helping another educated youth!"

No one spoke; they simply sat quietly in their seats, waiting to embark on their journey to a bright future.