It was winter when Tao Rui finished building the house. Winters in Northeast China are very cold, but the new house was warm. You could wear a single piece of clothing in the room and not feel cold. If the temperature was heated, you could open the windows for ventilation.
He installed several radiators in every room of his house. He got the radiators with great difficulty through the connections he made in his business. He spent all the money he had saved and the money he earned from building the house.
The effect was positive. The house was paved with stone tiles, smooth and beautiful. The furniture was brand new, designed according to modern trends, very user-friendly and easy to use. The combination of the tables, chairs, sofas, and everything else created a sense of elegance.
The villagers couldn't describe their feelings when they saw it. They were embarrassed to enter the house for fear of dirtying or damaging it. In their limited knowledge, such a house was like a fairy palace, something they had never heard of before.
On the third day after moving into their new home, Tao Rui invited the entire village to a dinner, cooking a plethora of dishes. Everyone came to congratulate them, bringing gifts like eggs and rice. The whole day was filled with excitement, including firecrackers, and the children were running around and laughing, their joy unspeakable.
Tao Fu's family was the only one in the village who didn't go, because Tao Rui hadn't invited them. Even the newlyweds next door went, and when they came back, the wife raved about Tao Rui's cooking skills and how no wonder people still bought his food even though it was so expensive.
Both of them had smiles on their faces, but Tao Fu and Xiao Lizhen found it extremely glaring.
Two months had already passed, and they couldn't bear to use coal or wood for the stove at home, even sleeping in the cold. Meanwhile, Tao Rui's family was experiencing summer heat. It was all because they had money. But this younger brother disowned them, more ruthless than anyone else. They had never seen anyone so disregard family ties as Tao Rui, truly severing ties after a quarrel.
But they'd used every trick, cry, and plead for the past two months, to no avail. Tao Rui's furniture was made by a retired soldier next door, and the two families had a surprisingly good relationship. As soon as Tao Rui moved out, the retired soldier moved in, got married in a simple ceremony, and now lives next door. He constantly mentions Tao Rui, much to their annoyance.
Everyone said that Tao Rui's cooking was as good as a god. Perhaps his family was the only one who hadn't tasted it. Obviously, when Tao Rui stewed bird meat that time, it was only slightly delicious.
No one paid attention to the complicated thoughts of the Tao Fu family. At this time, they were all discussing Tao Rui's cooking skills.
This was the first time that the whole village tasted the dishes cooked by Tao Rui. At that time, Tao Rui had been studying cooking for four months. He himself felt that the dishes were comparable to those in high-end restaurants in later generations. Then, in the countryside in 1977, didn’t everyone think that the taste was the most delicious in the world?
So after the housewarming party, what shocked everyone the most was not Tao Rui's magnificent house, but Tao Rui's craftsmanship. Even if they had never been to a big city, they knew that such craftsmanship was not something that could be easily acquired.
There was also a curious girl who asked Tao Yuanyuan. Tao Yuanyuan had only eaten Tao Rui's cooking twice, and she answered truthfully that it tasted better than anyone else's, but she didn't want to swallow her tongue as much as they said.
This proves that Tao Rui's cooking skills were not so good at the beginning. He studied food every day at home, and everyone had seen it. When they thought about it, they were amazed at Tao Rui's talent, and he could become a chef just by studying at home.
All of a sudden, everyone was no longer surprised that Tao Rui made so much money. With such amazing skills, he was a legendary figure. What was so strange about making money?
The state-owned restaurant even approached Tao Rui to hire him as a chef. But even a factory director wouldn't make as much as Tao Rui, let alone a chef. How could he possibly go? He declined with a smile and then discussed further cooperation, saying he could produce some semi-finished products that the state-owned restaurant could take back and simply cook in a pot.
Although this wasn't as delicious as Tao Rui's own food, it was still about 80% as good, much better than the ones in state-owned restaurants, and the price could be raised. The man went back and discussed it with his superiors before placing an order with Tao Rui. When the team leader found out, he praised Tao Rui for his business acumen, saying his cleverness was what made him different from others and that he deserved to make money.
So even though Tao Rui had spent all his money, new income immediately flowed into his wallet. A local man named Dong Fei helped him promote his products, constantly seeking new sales channels. Soon, even important banquets in town were buying Tao Rui's pre-made meals through Dong Fei. Even though sales of those 50-cent buns had decreased significantly, the new income had more than made up for the difference.
He even bought a TV and brought it home. Its only two channels were enough for his two elder parents to watch. He would often move the TV to the yard every day so that the whole village could watch it together.
Many people envied him, but after the gap became so large, jealousy almost disappeared. But Tao Fu was different. The better Tao Rui's life became, the more miserable he felt.
He couldn't help but secretly write a letter of denunciation, anonymously reporting that Tao Rui was greedy for pleasure, had evil thoughts of a local landlord, brought a bad atmosphere to the team, sold ordinary food at high prices, made money against his conscience, etc.
He had been staying in the village all the time and had only been to the town a few times. He couldn't give any legitimate reason, but he just wrote whatever came to his mind. His letter of denunciation was three pages long, and he even described Tao Rui's previous idleness as incorrect thinking and described him as an unforgivable criminal.
It's true, from Tao Fu's point of view, he just thinks that Tao Rui is not good in every way, and his letter of complaint seems to those who don't know the inside story that Tao Rui is really hateful. People like him should be dragged to the streets and fought to prevent his thoughts from deviating.
Soon a four-member investigation team came to the countryside, found the team leader, and asked him to lead the way to Tao Rui's house to take a good look at the luxurious and extravagant big house.
The captain was startled and said hurriedly: "Comrade, what happened? Tao Rui is a good guy..."
The investigator waved his hand, his face cold, "No need to talk about this, just take us to see the house."
"...Oh, okay." The captain's heart was beating. There had been some serious fights in the 1960s, but after that, their side was very peaceful. There had been basically no fighting in the past few years, and even no one cared about setting up a small stall to sell things. He thought Tao Rui would be fine, but how did he attract people?
Tao Rui is too eye-catching, and his stall is too big, different from those small stalls.
When the villagers saw this scene, they all put on their cotton-padded jackets and followed from a distance, their faces filled with anxiety. Even the people at the educated youth camp put down their books and ran out to watch.
Tao Rui sent a lot of food and some books he had found to the educated youth camp. They were very grateful to Tao Rui and were feeling nervous at the moment.
Tao Fu also dragged his wife and daughter over to watch the fun. He wanted to see if Tao Rui could still be so proud when he was captured.
Tao Rui was researching how to increase the number of rabbits in his backyard. Rabbits can give birth to a litter every month, and if they're well cared for, their yields are quite high. Especially in winter, when there's not much to eat in the mountains, he needed to find a way to make money to get through the months of winter.
The system was already used to scanning the surroundings, and when it discovered the investigation team, it quickly told Tao Rui.
Tao Rui narrowed his eyes, fed the rabbit some more food, and said calmly, "It's okay, I've been prepared. This is all within the rules."
The investigation team spotted the Tao family's large house from a distance, and their faces immediately turned sour. Honestly, they had never seen such a large and well-built house in their entire lives. Even in town, not all houses were made of bricks and tiles. Many families lived in adobe houses. The yards became muddy when it rained, and the floors inside the houses were all dirt, uneven and bumpy, making it easy to fall. Unlike Tao Rui's house, there was a stone brick path from the door to the gate. It was indeed a landlord's trick!
They had a bad impression and a bad attitude. When they got there, they pushed the door open and started looking at every room.
Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen were startled and hurriedly asked the team leader, "What's going on? What are you doing?"
The captain shook his head and frowned as he asked, "Where's Tao Rui? Hurry and ask him to come over. This is the town investigator, investigating Tao Rui's business affairs." He paused and said, "And his thoughts."
Who wouldn't understand this? Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen blanched immediately. They hurriedly told the investigator, "My family's money comes from legitimate sources. All the villagers know it. We earn it by working day and night to make food, and we also risk going into the mountains to gather things, hunting, and so on. We don't do anything else."
The investigator was sweating after being in the room for a while. He looked at the radiators and said coldly, "I heard that your meat buns only cost 50 cents each? Are you robbing me?"
They had heard of Guoxiu snacks in the town. Two of the four people who came today had eaten there and knew it was delicious, but they had never thought that Tao Rui could make so much money.
Tong Yan heard the noise from next door and ran over. Just then, she overheard this and said seriously, "There are cheap and expensive clothes in the department store. They're all clothes, just different prices. Tao Rui's meat buns are unique in the country, not even in the capital. They use a special secret filling, and everyone who's tried it knows it's delicious. Of course, the price is different from other buns. It's very reasonable."
In fact, the villagers had not had much contact with Tong Yan. In the past few months, Tong Yan had been with Tao Rui and had learned a lot. She spoke just this sentence and stunned the investigator.
He originally wanted to say that a little bit of noodles and meat was worth nothing, but Tong Yan mentioned clothes. Aren't those clothes from big cities expensive? Just because they look good, what's wrong with selling steamed buns at a higher price if they're delicious?
He finally just frowned and said, "It's too expensive."
Tong Yan said calmly, "We sell it openly. Those who think it's too expensive won't buy, and those who don't mind the price will buy. We even give everyone free food during promotions. The first of every month is a promotion day, with 20% off and free gifts. Everyone who comes to buy feels like they're getting a good deal."
This statement made the investigator seem penniless. He thought it was too expensive, but no one let him buy it. Those who bought it didn't complain, so why should he complain? Besides, many people who bought it on sale thought they were getting a bargain, which made Tao Rui's things seem even more precious, like a designer watch.
Tong Yan's words calmed everyone down, and they reacted by speaking up for Tao Rui. They all said that Tao Rui was a legitimate businessman and had never done anything bad.
Another investigator frowned and shouted, "Stop, what's going on? We haven't finished our investigation yet. Where's Tao Rui? We've been talking for so long and still haven't seen him."
Wu Xiufen said hurriedly, "He's studying rabbits in the backyard. I'm sorry, he was so preoccupied with those things that he didn't care about anything else. We have a TV at home, so people always come over to watch. He's used to the hustle and bustle, so he must not have noticed. I'll take you there right away."
Everyone followed him to the backyard, and saw that Tao Rui was indeed holding a rabbit, turning it over and over to examine it, without any distraction.
The captain coughed and shouted, "Tao Rui, come here quickly..."
Tao Rui quickly shushed him, put the rabbit back in the cage, and closed the door of the rabbit house. Then he turned and walked over, "Captain, let's be quiet and don't scare the rabbits. It's hard for frightened rabbits to give birth."
The captain was stunned. "There's such a thing? Oh, right, this is the investigation team. We're asking about your business."
Tao Rui smiled and took off his gloves, then extended his hand to shake hands with each of them. "Hello, comrades. It's cold outside. Come inside and have some tea to warm up. We can chat slowly."
This lack of nervousness surprised the investigators; it was as if they weren't there to investigate him, but rather to visit his home. They looked around the large backyard, where there was a vegetable shed with green sprouts growing inside, and a small brazier with charcoal on it.
There are dozens of rabbits, more than twenty chickens and ducks, two piglets and a lamb.
At a time when most people couldn't afford to eat a bite of meat, Tao Rui's backyard represented prosperity. Several investigators frowned even more deeply.
However, after going into Tao Rui's house just now, I felt very cold when I went outside. Naturally, I didn't refuse Tao Rui and followed him into the house.
Many villagers were standing in the yard, so Tao Rui opened the doors and windows and asked Wu Xiufen to go to the kitchen to light the fire so that the house would still be warm.
After he poured tea for the investigators, they bluntly questioned Tao Rui's extravagance. "Do you know how many people don't have enough to eat? And yet you've mobilized so many people to build such a huge house, just for your own enjoyment. Your thinking is flawed!"
Tao Rui showed a look of surprise, then quickly waved his hands and said seriously, "Comrades, you have misunderstood. This is by no means extravagant. If you don't believe me, ask the villagers. I built a big house simply because there were too many things to do, and the original place was too small to accommodate them. Please believe me, I know that everyone's life is not easy, so after making some money, the first thing I thought of was to help everyone and do what I can.
I could have asked everyone to help build the house, but I insisted on paying them wages because they had no income in the winter and couldn't work, so I wanted them to have some income.
The villagers immediately agreed, "Yes, yes, yes, Tao Rui not only paid us wages, but also provided two meals a day while we were building the house. It was so filling, I ate four big steamed buns in one meal, and I even gained weight!"
"Yes, we educated youth were studying every day to get into university, so we didn't have any extra time to work as laborers to earn food. Tao Rui gave us two bags of food for free, saying he was supporting us in our exams. He's such a kind man!"
Tao Rui clasped his hands together and smiled at everyone. "It's just a small matter, don't take it to heart." He then told the investigator, "I'm not bringing this up to remind everyone of my kindness. I want to say that my heart belongs to my motherland and to my brothers and sisters. I came up with a way to get rich, and I'll do what I can. Right now, it's only benefiting my fellow villagers. It's not that I'm reluctant to spend the money, but I simply don't have any connections and don't know anyone in town or in the city. Otherwise, I would be happy to help everyone."
He sighed, looked at the house, and added, "As for this house you see, I think it's quite nice. That's because I almost died once."
The investigator was about to mention the house, but was stunned when he heard it. He frowned and asked, "What's going on?"
Tao Rui had known Tao Fu was coming, and he hated seeing Tao Fu's gloating expression. He immediately pointed out Tao Fu's position and said, "That's my elder brother. Of course, I don't recognize him anymore. He beat me up and left me bleeding. I was in poor health, so I was unconscious for a long time and lost a lot of blood. The doctor later said I was fine, but I will never forget the feeling at that time. I really thought I was going to die."
"Brothers?" The investigator looked at Tao Fu with sharp eyes. People who hurt their brothers were even more disgusting.
One villager said, "Dear, Tao Lao Da just can't stand Tao Lao San doing nothing. But it's not that Tao Lao San doesn't work. He's just in poor health. He almost faints after working in the fields for half a day."
Tao Rui nodded. "That's right, I'm in poor health. I was born prematurely and had a difficult birth, so I almost died. My parents raised me with great difficulty, but I'm really bad at nothing and a complete loser. Tao Fu couldn't stand my mom working two jobs to support me, so he insisted that I go to work. I knew that if I tried to be tough, I would definitely get sick, and then we would have to spend money on medical treatment, so I refused to go, and he beat me up.
When I thought I was dying, I felt such regret. My parents were the best people to me in this life, but I hadn't had time to repay them. Even then, my mom would be the one working to support me. If it weren't for my dad's joint pain, he'd probably have to work two jobs. Wouldn't I be a burden?
Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen immediately said, "Don't talk about death, Third Brother! It's bad luck! Aren't you fine? Stop imagining things."
Tao Rui smiled helplessly at the investigator, "You see, even now, my parents are still very nervous, afraid that something might happen to me. Actually, I am too. So when I got better, I vowed to make sure my parents live a good life, and as soon as possible. After all, life is unpredictable, and who knows how long we can live?
I want to give them the best I can so that if anything happens to me, they'll be okay.
Fortunately, I'm lucky. I figured I couldn't do farm work, so I could only venture into the mountains to collect some wild delicacies to sell. As a result, I always managed to find something: rabbits, pheasants, fish, and even the mushrooms and fungus I sell. I got them all from the deep mountains. There are wild beasts there; I saw their footprints several times, but luckily I didn't run into any.
A villager interjected, "He's really lucky, it's true. We don't know how many people have wandered around in the mountains and only brought back a little bit of food, not even enough for a meal at home, but Tao Rui always manages to get it."
In everyone's eyes, there was no other explanation for this matter except that Tao Rui was lucky. After all, no matter how powerful a hunter was, he couldn't have harvested as much as Tao Rui.
Tao Rui then continued, "I started selling fish, hoping to buy malted milk or something to nourish my parents. They work all year round and their health is not good. I wanted to nourish them well and let them live longer. Later, when I made some money, the food in the mountains is not always available, and my parents were worried that I would encounter wild animals. I thought, I am a good cook. If I can make delicious food, maybe I can sell more money and I can honor my parents sooner.
Later, as you all know, I created the Guoxiu snack, which became quite popular. I was broke at the time, unable to do charity work, and I was afraid I wouldn't live long, so I sold it a bit more expensively. I figured ordinary people couldn't afford it, so I'd let it go for now. Richer folks wouldn't mind the price, so I could make a little profit. This way, I wasn't taking the hard-earned money of ordinary people, nor was I taking money from them unscrupulously.
At first, I didn't plan to set up shop every day. During the autumn harvest, I even stopped working and came back to help look after the rice. Everyone knew it. Although I wasn't in good health, I wanted to join everyone in the harvest and contribute to the team.
The investigator nodded. "Then how did you grow your business? I heard you have someone named Dong Fei helping you sell your goods."
Tao Rui smiled and said, "I'm lucky. I was selling goods in town, and sales weren't good at first. But these guys tried my food and said it was delicious. I teased them, saying I'd give them steamed buns if they could bring in customers to buy things. I didn't expect them to be so helpful. Especially Dong Fei, he's smart and hardworking, running around town all the time. I was able to sell all my goods thanks to him."
Later, I stopped going to town. Seeing that his family had several members and was in financial difficulty, I told him that if he wanted to sell, he could buy from me. So he became the one selling, and I couldn't stand the fatigue of going to town all the time. If I hadn't been lucky enough to meet Dong Fei, I really don't know how I would have made money in the future.
There are also supply and marketing cooperatives and state-owned restaurants. During the National Day holiday, I wanted to build a house, so I made a lot of things to promote them. They saw the value of my products and placed orders with me. It's their respect for me, and their help, that has enabled me to earn enough money to build houses and help everyone.
He took a sip of water and lowered his voice. "I spent all my money on building the house and buying a TV. I figured since TVs were invented, people should be allowed to buy them. I just wanted to give my parents a comfortable home. No matter what happens in the future, I'll be relieved that they can live well here."
He didn't need to explain further at this point; everyone already knew why he built such a lavish house. He was afraid that if he died first, he wouldn't have the chance to honor his parents, so he spent all his money just to give them a comfortable home for their retirement.
Is this house luxurious? This is clearly full of filial piety!
At this moment, the new house suddenly became tall and majestic in everyone's eyes, and had special significance. Even the investigator was moved.
Tao Rui's thoughts are not deviant at all. On the contrary, he can serve as a representative of filial sons and a role model for everyone.
Is it wrong for him to work hard to earn money and be a useful person even though he is physically unable to work?
He was filial to his parents and spent all his wealth to build a nice house for his parents to live in in their old age. Was there anything wrong with that? No.
He made money, but he didn't cheat or rob people. He also tried his best to help the whole village and supported the educated youth in their studies. Was that wrong? No.
Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen, with tears in their eyes, sat down next to Tao Rui and hugged him. The villagers were also deeply moved. The investigators had long since forgotten their previous bad impression and only felt that Tao Rui was a good young man of the new era and someone they should learn from.
Seeing that the situation was developing completely contrary to his expectations, Tao Fu became anxious. Seeing that the investigator was about to leave, he couldn't help but shout, "If you want to help others so much, why don't you teach everyone the secrets of cooking? You are hiding your secret recipes, aren't you just afraid that others will learn it and steal your business?"
This was absolutely a fallacy, but it was also incredibly inspiring. So, without waiting for anyone to think about it, Tao Rui coldly replied, "Why do I have to pay to buy things at the supply and marketing cooperative? Why don't garment factories, printing houses, and other factories openly display their production techniques? I'm willing to help others, but that doesn't mean I'm going to empty my own pocket."
I'm a little curious about who would report me. Ever since I started making money, I've always been kind to everyone, whether in the brigade or in town. I've always been friendly. I think I'm lucky and well-liked, and I haven't really taken away anyone else's business. Who would dislike me so much?
The villagers' attention was diverted. Following his words, they immediately looked at Tao Fu. Wu Xiufen gasped and pointed at Tao Fu with wide eyes, "You reported the third brother? Are you still human?!"
Tao Fu avoided his gaze and said with his neck stiff, "It's not me. I have nothing better to do than to bother with him."
But the villagers all kept their distance, pointing and talking at him, almost convinced it was him, and began to accuse him. Who did Tao Rui have a grudge against? Wasn't it Tao Fu? There was no one else.
The investigator also got a rough idea of the situation from their discussion and shouted at everyone to quiet down. Wu Xiufen wanted to single out Tao Fu for questioning, but Tao Rui held her hand, patted it, and soothed her, "Mom, don't be angry. I'm a decent person and I'm not afraid of anyone reporting me."
He then said to the investigators in a serious tone, "Please rest assured, when I have more power in the future, I will help more people and will definitely not fall behind. If the organization needs me, I will definitely do my best. I don't have any other special skills, but I am an excellent cook. If the town, city, or even the province needs me to do anything, I will do my best.
I'm currently researching rabbit farming. If the organization needs me, I'm willing to share my skills. Please help me report to the higher-ups."
Several investigators were stunned for a moment, then delighted. "Are you really good at raising rabbits? You do have a lot of rabbits in your backyard. Do you have any tips?"
Tao Rui nodded, and the villagers excitedly began talking again. When Tao Rui first caught two rabbits, he said they were going to give birth and they could trade them for something. Later, Tao Rui's rabbits rarely died, and they grew incredibly plump. People would trade rabbits with him, but the rabbits either ran away, languished, or were simply too skinny. No matter how they raised them, they weren't as good as Tao Rui's.
They asked Tao Rui, and he didn't hide anything. He taught them a lot, and now they all have some rabbits. But some learned well, some didn't understand, and none of them have as many as Tao Rui. Speaking of raising rabbits, Tao Rui is definitely the best one they've ever seen. Wasn't he just studying rabbits?
The investigators were even happier after hearing their words. They had never expected to encounter such a pleasant surprise during their investigation. The country is currently short of everything, whether it's food or livestock. Anything that can increase production would be a great benefit.
They immediately said that everything that needed to be investigated had been completed, and there was nothing wrong with Tao Rui. He just needed to maintain correct thinking in the future. Then they hurried back to the town to report the situation.
After they left, the Tao family was bustling for a while before everyone dispersed. Tao Fu's family had already run back home at some point.
Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen tried to confront Tao Fu, but were stopped by Tao Rui. What difference did it make whether they asked or not? It was pointless. Everyone had already decided it was Tao Fu, so who would bother with him in the future? In the village, being excluded by the villagers was the greatest pain.
Tao Rui was willing to sit down and talk with the investigator today just for those last few words. The investigator didn't realize that he had already tricked them and was eager to bring him greater fame and benefits.
Sure enough, a few days later, the investigator came with a banner and read a letter of praise in public with a smile, praising Tao Rui for his boldness, enterprising spirit, active income generation, and willingness to help others. He also praised him for his filial piety and specially presented him with a banner as encouragement.
In this era, such a banner is a great honor, even the honor of the whole village.
The banner was handed to Tao Rui, who solemnly hung it in the most conspicuous place on the wall of the living room under everyone's excited gaze, and then shook hands with the investigator to express his gratitude amid everyone's warm applause.
Afterwards, he took a cage of rabbits and went to the town with the investigator to report on the rabbit breeding methods.
He wasn't making this up. His first hunting experience was rabbits, so he'd been researching rabbit farming for four months. He'd consulted the book "The Complete Guide to Gourmet Food," a fantastic book that explained everything from raising and cooking rabbits to delicacies, along with detailed illustrations.
As soon as Tao Rui figured out his research, he decided to share it. In the future, when he studies more methods of raising animals and plants, he will also share them, so that he can contribute to this era.
So Tao Rui wrote down all his experiences raising rabbits without reservation. In a meeting with the breeding specialist and several town leaders, he calmly explained every difficult point. He was used to big events and wasn't nervous. But the fact that a farm boy could demonstrate such composure earned him great admiration from everyone present.
They speculated that his calmness stemmed from his extensive business experience, including encounters with numerous people and life-threatening circumstances. They considered him a talented and ambitious young man. If all young people were like Tao Rui, what would the country need?
Tao Rui's contribution of the rabbit breeding method successfully made him famous among several leaders, and the matter reported in the previous letter of complaint became unimportant.
The breeding method will be tested in the town for a month, and if it is effective, it will be reported to the capital.
Tao Rui returned to his daily routine of preparing food and waiting for the order to come pick it up, occasionally going out for a stroll, looking for a smart dog. Before he found a dog, he had to take the college entrance examination.
This was a big day, and everyone in the village made things convenient for the educated youth, reminding them not to forget to bring things, asking them to dress warmly, etc.
Everyone had studied hard for more than a month and felt the warmth given by their fellow villagers. They all stepped into the examination room with determination and confidence.
When Su Jiahui saw the test questions, she felt relieved. She knew them all! She knew almost all of them!
At that moment, she suddenly thought of Tao Rui. If Tao Rui hadn't encouraged her to study that day in the mountains and found her textbooks and exercises, how could she have possibly mastered so many questions? She had resisted the blind date arranged by her brother and sister-in-law and refused to go back, so he and his sister-in-law cut off all contact with her. It was Tao Rui who secretly provided her with food and clothing. Tao Rui was her benefactor.
She gripped the pen tightly, took a deep breath, cleared her mind, and wrote down each answer carefully.
The invigilator walked slowly in the examination room and came to Su Jiahui. Seeing her clean and tidy paper and beautiful handwriting, he couldn't help but take a few more glances at her, and then unexpectedly found that all the answers she wrote were correct.
Many teachers of this era are very caring towards their students. The teacher looked at her for a few seconds and then hurried away, fearing that staying there would affect Su Jiahui.
Su Jiahui had the same thought after each exam: they felt easy. The villagers who reviewed with her, though not as accomplished as she, had memorized a good deal of the material with her help and answered a good number of questions correctly. They were all thrilled after the exam. Regardless of whether they passed or not, they had already performed exceptionally well.
When the notice came out, more than 30 people in the team took the college entrance examination, and six of them passed. The whole team was excited!
The national acceptance rate was one in nineteen, but their team's was a whopping one in five. This was a real honor, and the team leader was praised by the town. Although only Su Jiahui made it to the nation's top medical university, with the others' scores varying, it was still a significant turnaround. They would be university students from now on, with subsidies available, and even savings if they were frugal.
They were all very excited and cried with joy. Those who didn't pass the exam also cheered themselves up and prepared to seize the next opportunity.
This time, Su Jiahui didn't care about others and went directly to find Tao Rui.
"Tao Rui, thank you." She didn't know how to express her gratitude, so she could only say this seriously.
Tao Rui smiled and said, "You're welcome. Remember to live a good life in the future and don't waste such a good opportunity. Maybe when you become an excellent doctor, you can cure me and make me a strong and long-lived person."
Su Jiahui said seriously: "I'm going to the capital to study. If I find out any effective treatments, I'll write to you and tell you. I will definitely work hard."
"Okay, the brothers and sisters in our brigade have always been as close as a family. This will always be your home. Come back and relax when you are tired outside. No matter when, we villagers are your strongest backing." Tao Rui would not ignore her after she left. Their connection could not be broken, but it was just a little connection.
Before leaving, Su Jiahui hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, "You have a good business sense. Do you want to develop in a big city?"
Tao Rui shook his head, Su Jiahui smiled, and she gave up the last thought in her mind and left the Tao family.
There are many people who are the targets of Tao Rui's mission in this world. They are all people who have been cheated by the original owner, that is, they are all in this village and town. He is not here to complete the mission to climb to the top, so of course he will not leave, so the current situation is the best.
Tao Rui turned around and was about to go to the backyard when he suddenly met Tong Yan's eyes. Tong Yan was standing at the door of her house, looking at him through the wall. When she saw him looking at her, she ran to the wall, leaned on the top and asked, "Do you like Su Zhiqing?"
Tao Rui found it very interesting, so he walked over and leaned over the wall and said to her, "Do you know what love is?"
Tong Yan shook her head, then nodded, "I know that when you love someone, you'll get married and be a family for life. Su Zhiqing is leaving, are you leaving too?"
"I won't leave. I like it here."
Tong Yan's eyes lit up. "Then will you marry me? Then we'll be a family! I'll help you sell things, help you move goods, help you cook, and help you take care of your parents. I'm very capable."
Tao Rui asked with amusement: "Why do you want to be a family with me?"
"Grandma said that once you get married, I won't be able to visit you every day. I don't like that."
Tao Rui ruffled her hair and said mysteriously, "I found two puppies in the back mountain. They were just born. Do you want to go and see them?"
"want!"
When Tao Rui saw Tong Yan excitedly taking the prepared old clothes and basket, he suddenly felt that the dog was more important than himself. He smiled and shook his head and took her up the mountain. She was not grown up yet.
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