Chapter 6

On a not very wide concrete road, a Land Rover was driving extremely smoothly. The villagers on both sides, seeing the Land Rover, stood back on the outside of the concrete road, making way for the vehicle. These villagers couldn't identify what kind of car it was, but they could sense that the people inside were definitely not ordinary.

For Donghe Village, if it weren't for the village-to-village connectivity project, this not-so-wide concrete road wouldn't even exist.

The Land Rover stopped about a hundred meters away from Donghe Village, outside the village. The driver, being very meticulous, parked the car on a raised piece of wasteland outside the concrete road.

After parking, the driver quickly got out and opened the rear door, from which two young girls emerged.

The first to get out was a girl in a light green floral dress, with her hair casually tied back over her shoulder. The knee-length dress accentuated her slender and graceful figure and fair skin.

She stood casually by the roadside, yet seemed to have already blended into the entire landscape, as if she had stepped out of a painting, transcending the mundane.

The second to get out was a girl in blue jeans and a white butterfly blouse. The slightly faded jeans accentuated her slim waist and firm buttocks, and her short hair gave her a youthful and vibrant appearance. If not for her slightly thin lips, she would be a beauty that no one could take their eyes off. Even so, she was an extremely beautiful girl.

The short-haired girl, who got out last, glanced at the beautiful face of the girl in the green dress standing by the roadside, a trace of jealousy flashing in her eyes, almost imperceptible.

"Jiyun, is this Donghe Village?" The girl in the green dress looked at the disordered and unplanned tile-roofed houses and some single-family buildings in the distance and asked.

The short-haired girl named Jiyun giggled, "Of course, there's no mistake about it. I've been here once before. Come on, Muwan, I'll take you to Ning Xiaocheng's house. By the way, you can see it from here. Do you see that tile-roofed house in the far eastern corner? That's Ning Xiaocheng's home."

Tian Muwan followed the direction Jiyun pointed and, when she saw a low tile-roofed house, immediately frowned. The village didn't look very wealthy, but tile-roofed houses were rare; even the poorest were brick and tile houses. She frowned not because Ning Xiaocheng's house was a tile-roofed one, but because his family was so poor, yet he was so generous.

"Muwan, let's go and take a look," Jiyun said immediately when she saw Tian Muwan frown.

Tian Muwan nodded and turned to the driver, "Uncle Meng, just wait for us here."

"Yes," the driver replied with great respect.

...

From a distance, the tile-roofed house looked decent, but up close, Tian Muwan realized how dilapidated the place was. Two broken wooden doors were locked with a bicycle chain. A slight push revealed a large gap, through which a thin person could squeeze in. Through this large gap, one could clearly see the inside of the house from outside.

If standing far away didn't clearly show the poverty of the family, now standing at the door of the house, Tian Muwan understood just how poor the family was. Inside, apart from a few old farming tools, there was only an old small wooden table, and the kitchen was a makeshift earthen stove in the corner.

"Is this Ning Xiaocheng's home?" Tian Muwan asked again, her voice trembling.

Jiyun nodded, "Yes, he has a younger sister, but she should be working in the fields now. Ning Xiaocheng's school expenses, I heard, are provided by his sister. I've been here once before. Do you want me to take you to see his sister?"

Tian Muwan seemed not to have heard Jiyun's words. Her mind was filled with Ning Xiaocheng's sincere and natural smile and his words, "I'll treat you to a meal today."

If it weren't for Ning Xiaocheng, Tian Muwan would never have gone to such a fly-by-night restaurant. She was afraid that if she went to a better restaurant, Ning Xiaocheng couldn't afford it. For a man, not being able to pay for a meal with a woman was a great loss of face. Since she was with Ning Xiaocheng, she didn't want him to lose face.

But she never imagined that Ning Xiaocheng's family was so poor, and that his sister was working in the fields to support his education.

Suddenly, a wave of anger rose in her heart. How could he be so extravagant with his sister working so hard at home? Behind Ning Xiaocheng's sunny smile, there was such a shameless heart.

Thinking about the moments they spent together, the sincere feelings and care Ning Xiaocheng showed her, Tian Muwan felt a sharp pain in her heart. She didn't want the person she liked to be so selfish. If he treated his sister like this, how could he treat her well in the future? Everything that had happened was a lie.

"Let's go back, I don't want to see it," Tian Muwan responded to Jiyun's words, suddenly feeling disheartened.

At that moment, she felt a deep sorrow, not sure whether it was for Ning Xiaocheng or for herself. She still couldn't believe that the person she liked was like this. Only then did she understand why her family opposed her being with Ning Xiaocheng. Perhaps she was really wrong.

...

In a cloud of gray dust, Ning Xiaocheng sped out, with the concrete mixer still roaring behind him.

Although he was covered in dust and mud, Ning Xiaocheng was in a very good mood. Today was payday, and he had already agreed with the foreman, Uncle Fei, that he could collect his wages for the past half month after finishing work today.

The foreman, Uncle Fei, was very good to new workers. Although today wasn't payday, Ning Xiaocheng still received 1,300 yuan. Most of this money was earned from skipping classes and working on weekends.

With over a thousand yuan in hand, Ning Xiaocheng almost eagerly returned to school, quickly took a cold shower in the restroom, changed into a clean set of clothes, and rushed out of the school again.

He was going to see his younger sister, Ning Ruolan. In this world, Ning Ruolan was his only family. Ruolan was two years younger than him but much smarter. She attended a better school, and while he was in his third year of college, she was already in her fourth year.

"Brother..."

Ning Xiaocheng had just gotten off the bus when a girl standing at the entrance of Jiangzhou Foreign Language College excitedly called out and ran over.

"Ruolan, how did you know I would come today?" Ning Xiaocheng was surprised to see his sister waiting for him at the school gate.

"I was going to find you. Before I left, I called Uncle Fei and heard that you had already collected your wages and left. I guessed you would definitely come here. Wait, did you even wash your face after taking a shower..." Ning Ruolan chattered away, as happy as a little bird when she saw her brother Ning Xiaocheng.

As she spoke, Ning Ruolan had already taken out a handkerchief to wipe the dust from the sides of Ning Xiaocheng's nose. She and Ning Xiaocheng didn't notice a Land Rover passing by.

"It's Ning Xiaocheng..." Jiyun said, knowing that Tian Muwan had also seen Ning Xiaocheng.

Tian Muwan didn't speak. Watching Ning Ruolan affectionately touch Ning Xiaocheng's face, her heart felt as if it were being torn apart. Even though she was extremely disappointed with Ning Xiaocheng, she never imagined that he, who relied on his sister for his education, was not only extravagant but also had a foot in two boats.

Moreover, the girl who was close to Ning Xiaocheng was no less attractive than her, with long hair and a light blue short-sleeved shirt that showed off a figure no less impressive than hers. Her fair face was lit up with a smile as bright as the summer sun when she faced Ning Xiaocheng.

"Muwan, should we go down and ask?" Jiyun asked, seeing Tian Muwan's pale face.

Tian Muwan shook her head and weakly leaned back in the seat, not saying another word. Some things couldn't be forgotten so easily. For two years, all her happiness and joy came from Ning Xiaocheng. In just two years with him, she experienced more happiness and fulfillment than in the previous ten years. She gained countless moments of touching and dedication, and she always believed that Ning Xiaocheng had shown her what love was.

But today, she discovered that Ning Xiaocheng was not as she had imagined. He was wrapped in a layer of hypocrisy, and even the most basic things were missing. She wanted to say that it was all fake, but she knew it was real because she had seen it with her own eyes.

"Here, take this." Ning Xiaocheng, unaware that Tian Muwan had seen him, happily took out a thousand yuan and handed it to Ning Ruolan.

Ning Ruolan pushed Ning Xiaocheng's hand back, "Brother, I'm about to graduate, and the money I have is enough. Didn't you say you have a girlfriend? Buy something for her."

Ning Xiaocheng, not minding, pushed the money back to Ning Ruolan, "I still have some. Besides, Muwan's family is very wealthy. She's not with me for the money. When you graduate, I'll take you to meet Muwan. I haven't mentioned you to her yet."

"Okay." Ning Ruolan didn't refuse this time. She understood her brother's intentions. He didn't mention her to avoid Muwan secretly spending money on her.

She never thought that her brother, Ning Xiaocheng, was not good enough for anyone. Any excellent woman in the world would be a match for her brother. But she knew that a woman who loved her brother would understand his excellence.

Seeing Ning Ruolan take the money, Ning Xiaocheng took out a snowflake-shaped brooch and handed it to her, "This is for you. I bought two, one for you and one for Muwan."

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(Lao Wu's new book, "The Gate of Creation," has already started serialization. Readers who enjoy Lao Wu's books, please give a recommendation and add "The Gate of Creation" to your collection. At this time, every recommendation and every collection is desperately needed. After a break of more than half a month, Lao Wu is ready to return to the battlefield. No one can stop our progress!!!

Another piece of good news for our readers: "The Gate of Creation" will be different from previous books. In line with the plot, there will be synchronized scenes and character portraits. The first scene will be released tomorrow night on Lao Wu's WeChat public account (eslw26). Please stay tuned!)

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