Yan Xue had indeed longed for her high school diploma and university admission letter, dreams that had haunted her countless midnight reveries in her past life.
But as time passed, she learned to tell herself to move forward, not look back, and not trap herself in regrets that were already set in stone.
So she lived actively, ran her business, took care of her father’s medical needs, and even in this new world, she strived to find ways to live well.
Her busy career and fulfilling family life had kept her from dwelling on those old dreams for a while—until she realized the man still remembered.
Two years had passed since she mentioned she’d only finished middle school. For a moment, Yan Xue found herself speechless.
Qi Fang watched her, then reached out to ruffle her hair gently. "I told you I’d make it up to you."
His touch was soft, his voice just as tender, like a warm stream flowing over the cracks in Yan Xue’s heart.
She tilted her head, letting him stroke her hair, before murmuring after a pause, "Then… can you carry me on your back?"
Yan Xue wasn’t one to act spoiled—Qi Fang had always known that. She was independent, resilient, the kind of person who could shoulder everything herself and shelter others.
Yet even such a simple, ordinary request between spouses had to be phrased as a question. Without a word, Qi Fang turned and crouched down.
The tall man instantly lowered himself, his shoulders broader, his back wider than two years ago. Yan Xue wrapped her arms around him.
This time, she wasn’t injured or struggling to walk—she just wanted to lean against his sturdy frame for a while.
As Qi Fang straightened up, lifting her effortlessly, he even walked around the room with her, as if she were their chubby little boy.
Maybe it reminded her of distant memories, but they were too faint now, lost to time.
"Is it hard to arrange?" she asked, tightening her arms around him, breathing in the clean scent of soap on his skin.
"Not too bad," Qi Fang replied, naturally downplaying any difficulty. "Just can’t get it done this year—it’ll have to wait till next."
"That’s fine. Gives me time to review. I’ve almost forgotten everything from middle school," Yan Xue said with a laugh.
Then, after a brief silence, she added quietly, "Qi Fang… it’s been years since anyone carried me like this."
In her past life, after her father’s amputation, she never asked him to carry her again—not even when he was seated—afraid it would remind him of painful memories.
Instead, when her father fell ill, she was the one who carried him in places where his wheelchair couldn’t go, though by then, he was already so thin.
These shoulders had borne her father, had carried Ji Gang, and now, at last, there was someone who would carry her—no reason needed.
Her voice was soft, but Qi Fang understood. Her birth father had died young, and she’d later followed her mother into a remarriage.
By then, she was already nine—her mother had a new son, her stepfather wasn’t her real father, and she had to be extra careful not to be seen as a burden. Who would have carried her?
Unconsciously, Qi Fang tightened his grip, his voice gentler still. "It’s alright. I’ll live to ninety-nine."
"You think you’ll still be able to carry me at ninety-nine?" Yan Xue couldn’t help laughing. "Don’t tell me you’ll need someone to hold you up, old man."
"I’ll definitely be in better shape than some people," Old Man Qi retorted, throwing in a playful jab that made Yan Xue chuckle again.
"Don’t keep bringing that up," she swatted him lightly. "He was already seeing someone last year—might even be married by now."
"Good riddance," Qi Fang snorted. Clearly, his two lifelong rivals were his son and that Jinchuan fellow, Qi Gong.
But his petty grumbling lightened the mood, and Yan Xue rested her chin on his shoulder. "What was your grandfather like?"
She was curious about his childhood, and Qi Fang liked the way she said "our grandfather"—it carried an unspoken closeness.
He thought for a moment. "Not like most men of his generation. Liked tinkering with new things, had a few friends decades younger. Teacher was one of them."
"Really?" That surprised Yan Xue. She’d assumed Qi Fang’s reserved nature came from strict upbringing.
Qi Fang hummed in confirmation. "My mom met my dad because she was a propagandist in the revolutionary corps."
That was remarkably progressive for the time—letting a girl study, even join the revolution.
"When I broke things as a kid, he never got mad. Just found someone to fix them. So later, I only broke his stuff, never my dad’s."
"You were that opportunistic?" Yan Xue laughed, curious what his mischief looked like—whether he’d feigned innocence like their son.
Hearing her laughter, Qi Fang paused mid-step and glanced back. "All kids are like that. Avoiding trouble’s just instinct."
The window’s reflection showed Yan Xue’s cheek pressed against his, making his voice lighter. "Later, he even bought things just for me to take apart. Spent half his wages on it."
"Grandfather was good to you." At least he’d given Qi Fang love, a childhood that, despite lacking a mother, still held joy.
Without such an open-minded grandfather, he wouldn’t have started school so early or turned his hobbies into a career.
The next day, Yan Xue went with Qi Fang to see the house. Honestly, it wasn’t bad.
The building wasn’t brand-new, but the construction was solid, the space decent—three proper rooms and a small front yard.
The owner, a local, was relocating for work and couldn’t take the house, though the price wasn’t cheap.
Not that Yan Xue and Qi Fang couldn’t afford it—they had thousands saved. What gave Yan Xue pause was the location.
"If we buy this, won’t your commute be longer?" she asked as they left.
The new place was closer to the Forestry Bureau and the cultivation center, unlike the factory-assigned home, just five minutes from work.
Qi Fang shrugged. "Doesn’t matter. If you like it, that’s what counts. I’ll get a bicycle."
Still, it was a long ride—by the time he reached the machinery factory, she could’ve made two round trips to the center.
After some thought, Yan Xue said, "Let’s keep looking. Ideally, we’d find something in the middle, convenient for both."
The cultivation center was a bit remote. For the past two months, she’d taken the bus, then walked the last stretch.
Qi Fang didn’t argue. Two days later, he took her to another place—better located, but the house itself was poor. Yan Xue wasn’t impressed.
Leaving the owner’s place, she eyed him skeptically. "This one’s so much worse. Did you pick it on purpose?"
Normally, he’d scout places first and only show her the good ones.
"No," Qi Fang replied, expression unreadable. "Just rushed to find something after changing plans."
The timing was tricky. By October, the weather would turn cold, making the move from Jinchuan harder. Yan Xue wanted it settled sooner.
She asked a few neighbors—Aunt Wang and others—to keep an eye out, but housing was scarce. Renting was hard enough, let alone buying.
In comparison, the forestry farm side was indeed more convenient. As long as there was a need, the farm could allocate land for building houses.
There wasn’t much progress on the housing front, but the cultivation center, which had been completed for some time, finally received its first order.
The request came via a phone call from the secretary of the Donggou Town Forestry Bureau, who immediately asked for 5,000 bottles. Clearly, after their visit and subsequent discussions, they had decided to establish a base.
Although it wasn’t being promoted across the entire town, 5,000 bottles would require three forestry farms to handle the demand, indicating strong confidence in the project.
As long as Donggou Town was willing to give it a try—even if it was just a pilot project like Chengshui’s—other farms in the town would see the results in the coming years.
However, Zhuang Qixiang was thoroughly annoyed by Liuhu Town’s antics. When he received the call, he stayed completely silent, fearing it was another request for credit.
Fortunately, not everyone had such thick skin. The Donggou Town Forestry Bureau quickly sent someone over to sign the contract and pay the deposit.
After seeing them off, Zhuang Qixiang let out a sigh of relief and announced to the busy team outside, “Get ready—Donggou Town Forestry Bureau has ordered 5,000 bottles for next year.”
Everyone’s faces lit up with smiles. The cultivation center was finally up and running, and the team was thrilled.
Yan Xue smiled and added, “We should call the other town forestry bureaus now and let them know Donggou has already placed an order for 5,000 bottles.”
The suggestion caught everyone off guard, including Zhuang Qixiang, as they had been too absorbed in their excitement to think of it.
But he quickly realized the merit of the idea. With Donggou’s 5,000-bottle order as proof, it would serve as a convincing example for others.
After all, no one was foolish enough to jump into something without confidence, let alone place such a large order right away.
Donggou’s decision suggested they saw real potential—perhaps they even had insider information, given that they were in the same county as Chengshui.
Sure enough, when the calls were made, those who had previously hesitated no longer brushed them off, instead promising to discuss it with their teams.
A few days later, one of the three forestry bureaus from neighboring counties responded, scheduling a visit to the center.
Unlike the town bureaus under their own county, which might have felt obliged to show face, an out-of-county visit meant genuine interest in their mushroom cultivation.
This was a huge morale boost for the team. They meticulously cleaned the already spotless cultivation center, with even Zhuang Qixiang grabbing a cloth to wipe down surfaces.
The visit went smoothly, and the results were encouraging—the center secured another order, this time for 3,000 bottles, a significant amount for a town in another county.
On the day the deposit was received, Zhuang Qixiang handed the money and contract to Zhou Wenhui for accounting, then glanced at Yan Xue with a complicated expression.
He had never met a young person with such capability—skilled in technology, sharp-minded, and able to revitalize the center with just a well-organized visit and follow-up service.
If not for the fact that Yan Xue had been featured in the newspapers and he had personally witnessed her guiding Guo Chang’an, he might have mistaken her for a seasoned salesperson.
She was persuasive, diplomatic, and had even repurposed experimental mushrooms—originally not for sale—as samples.
She also had remarkable composure. When sales were slow, she remained patient, and now, with this major success, she showed no signs of arrogance—unusual for someone barely in her twenties.
Zhuang Qixiang watched her for a moment from his office before calling her in. “Yan Xue, did you handle sales back in Chengshui?”
“No,” she answered honestly. “At Jinchuan Forestry Farm, Comrade Liu Weiguo was in charge of mushroom sales.”
This surprised Zhuang Qixiang—he had assumed her skills were honed from selling mushrooms in Chengshui.
After a pause, he asked, “Did you hold any other positions there?”
“Not exactly,” Yan Xue replied. “The first and second-in-command at Jinchuan’s pilot project were the farm’s party secretary and manager, but they were usually busy.”
So, the Jinchuan pilot project had essentially been run by this young woman and her team, none older than twenty-five?
Zhuang Qixiang was taken aback, but before he could process it, the office phone rang, forcing him to pause the conversation.
The call only soured his mood further. “I’ve said it before—no credit. If you don’t have the money, don’t buy.”
Liuhu Town Forestry Bureau, likely hearing about Donggou’s order, had called again to negotiate for mushroom strains.
With two of Changshan County’s three forestry towns adopting mushroom cultivation, they didn’t want to fall behind.
This time, they didn’t ask for credit, but Zhuang Qixiang didn’t trust them. Without a deposit, he refused to prepare the strains.
What if they backed out last minute? He wasn’t about to get stuck with unsold inventory or forced into an unfavorable deal.
After a curt exchange, he hung up.
Before he could resume his talk with Yan Xue, another call came in—another unwelcome one. “It’s not about whether I allow it. We’re fully staffed, and I have no space to accommodate more.”
Someone was trying to place a relative in the cultivation center, and Zhuang Qixiang wasn’t having it. Yan Xue discreetly averted her gaze but remained in the room.
From the fragments she overheard, she guessed it was about a bureau employee’s child trying to avoid assignment to a forestry farm.
Unlike rural youth sent to the countryside, forestry bureau offspring were assigned to mountain farms, joining the family teams there.
But whether in the bureau or elsewhere, some always found ways to keep their children from hardship—and the cultivation center was a desirable alternative.
The caller must have been someone hard to refuse, as Zhuang Qixiang spent a long time arguing before finally hanging up, too irritated to continue the earlier discussion. He dismissed Yan Xue without another word.
Later, when Yan Xue ran into Qu Mingli at the bureau, he asked, “No one’s trying to force people into your cultivation center, right?”
She knew he was aware of something. “There was an attempt, but Manager Zhuang blocked it.”
Qu Mingli nodded. “I figured he wouldn’t agree. That’s why I pushed for him to take over the center.”
Since Yan Xue was both an insider and perceptive—and had likely sized up Zhuang Qixiang’s character by now—Qu Mingli elaborated.
“He’s rigid in his ways, but he actually gets things done. That’s better than those who sit around waiting to take credit.”
Yan Xue had to agree. He was also preferable to those who knew nothing, refused to listen, and just loved throwing their weight around.
“And you’re new here, unfamiliar with the bureau’s dynamics. Some things would be hard for you to stop. But he’s been a section chief here for years—he knows how to handle it.”
This is the key point. Although Yan Xue was promoted by Qu Mingli, Qu Mingli was also new to the county bureau and not the top leader.
If Yan Xue were to become the top leader of the center right away, I'm afraid everyone would want to take advantage of her shallow foundation and young age. By then, it would be much more difficult for her to carry out her work than it is now.
Yan Xue nodded to show that she understood and thanked Qu Mingli. She also casually asked with concern, "Are you going out, Director Qu?"
Qu Mingli nodded. As he walked out, he took out his bicycle key and said, "There's a problem with the tractor maintenance at the forest farm below. I'm going to the machinery factory."
Saying this, he seemed to remember something and paused. He asked Yan Xue, "Is Qi Fang adapting well at the machinery factory?"
"Pretty well. Didn't he work there on secondment before?" Knowing that Qu Mingli was busy, Yan Xue didn't say much. "You go ahead and do your work, Director Qu."
In the next few days, Qi Fang left early and came back late. Sometimes he was still deep in thought when he got home, obviously facing some problems at work.
When Yan Xue asked, he didn't hide it. "The hydraulic systems of those Jicai 50 tractors should be replaced."
"Wasn't there an inspection before, but it ended up going nowhere?" Yan Xue still remembered this. It seemed that they thought the cost was too high.
Qi Fang said, "The power of those Jicai 50 tractors can't reach the maximum. Our city has been at the bottom in logging in recent years."
Previously, they could blame it on the TY - 12 tractors. Now that they've been replaced, and you still can't do well, who cares if the hydraulic system is different from other Jicai 50 tractors.
The city won't be willing. They've directly asked the province to replace the hydraulic systems. These Jicai 50 tractors were purchased by the province.
Yan Xue understood right away. "You've been thinking about things these days because you're trying to figure out a solution?"
People with highly professional jobs usually have this problem. They can't help but think about how they would solve a problem if it were up to them.
She was the same. Even though she didn't have to sell things herself, she still thought about how to sell them.
Qi Fang didn't deny it. However, the city had already made a decision and submitted an application. He was just thinking about it on his own. This matter wasn't actually under his jurisdiction.
He changed the topic. "Last time you said Aunt Wang next - door introduced a house to you. Did you go and have a look?"
Wherever Yan Xue went, she always managed to get along well with the aunts and grandmas in the neighborhood. As soon as they heard that they couldn't live in their current place, there were quite a few kind - hearted people.
Yan Xue sighed helplessly. "Let's still buy the one you first took me to see, the one near the cultivation center."
They had looked at many houses these days, but none of them was as good as that one. It was almost the Mid - Autumn Festival, and then in October, the weather would turn cold.
"Then let's buy that one." Qi Fang naturally had no objections. "I've asked. That house is big and hard to sell."
Compared to three - room houses, two - room houses were obviously easier to sell. After all, in this era, most people didn't have much money, and only a few were rich.
After the matter was settled, the couple bought mooncakes and other things and prepared to go back to Jinchuan Forest Farm for the Mid - Autumn Festival.
The other people from the cultivation center also went back with them. When the group got off the small train at Jinchuan Forest Farm, they were greeted all the way.
Hearing the calls of "Technician Yan", "Accountant Zhou", and "Master Qi", Zhou Wenhui couldn't help but laugh. "The people in the forest farm call us so affectionately."
However, near their home, Qi Fang stopped and looked at Yan Xue with the things in his hands. "You go in first."
Yan Xue wanted to laugh when she heard this. Whenever little Qi Yanyu saw the two of them coming back together, he would lose his temper. Now they couldn't even enter the door at the same time.
"I'd better take some of the things." She took the mooncakes from the man and then pushed open the courtyard gate and went in.
As soon as she entered, she saw her chubby little son's little butt sticking up. Little Qi Yanyu was squatting in front of the doghouse at home, stretching out his little finger to poke the dog.
He wasn't afraid of the family dog, but he was also very quiet. When his little finger was about to touch the dog, and the dog moved, he quickly pulled it back.
When the dog stopped moving, he poked it again. When the old lady inside called out, he quickly stood up and ran far away from the doghouse.
Yan Xue thought her son was on the verge of shouting "I didn't do anything", but unfortunately, he was too young to say such a long sentence.
After running a short distance, the little guy also saw his mother at the door. Immediately, he rushed over and hugged his mother, not letting her go.
Yan Xue still had things in her hands, so she could only drag this little "leg pendant" and go in to put the mooncakes down. Then she picked up little Qi Yanyu and kissed him. "Did Yanyu miss mommy?"
"Yes! Miss mommy." Little Qi Yanyu kissed her back a few times and then started to look around with big, round eyes, looking for someone.
Yan Xue was helpless with his little look. "You cry when you see him, and you look for him when you don't."
Little Qi Yanyu didn't care what she said. After looking around for a while and seeing nothing, he pointed his little hand at the courtyard gate and wanted to go outside to look.
When Yan Xue didn't move, he even leaned his little body towards the courtyard gate, forcing Yan Xue to carry him outside. "Let's see what you'll do when you find him."
When she opened the door and went out, little Qi Yanyu indeed turned left and right. His little head turned for a long time, but he didn't see the familiar tall figure.
This made him show a confused expression. Then he thought for a while and pointed in a direction. "Go." It meant that he wanted to go there to look.
This time, when Yan Xue still didn't move, he even waved his short legs and struggled to get down. It seemed that he was going to go by himself.
Yan Xue simply put him down. The little guy immediately ran over quickly and successfully found his father around the corner of the fence. Then he started to wail like a singer.
Yan Xue was helpless. "I told you not to look for him." Qi Fang looked at his son with a rather indescribable expression.
After silently looking for a long time, he turned around with both hands full of things. "Should I leave first?"
As soon as he moved, little Qi Yanyu caught two key words: carrying things and leaving. Immediately, he cried even louder. "No, don't go!"
It was really in a complete mess. In the end, Qi Fang went back with his wife and son. He really couldn't help but pat his son on the butt. "Can't you be a little less smart?"
The little one immediately started to complain. He flattened his mouth and looked at Yan Xue. He was so aggrieved that he was about to cry again.
Moreover, he was really getting smarter as he grew older. Qi Fang and Yan Xue swapped their holidays with their work units. They had a consecutive holiday for the Mid - Autumn Festival and the regular rest days. After the Mid - Autumn Festival, Yan Xue went to the pilot site to have a look.
After all, it was built by Yan Xue herself. It was no different from her own child. Besides, there were many familiar people there.
Then, as soon as the little guy found that his mother was gone, he didn't cry in a hurry. Instead, he immediately went to look for his father everywhere. After finding him, he held on tightly and wouldn't let his father leave.
After a while, it seemed that he thought this wouldn't work either. He tugged at his father's leg. "Carry me! Look for mommy!"
Qi Fang looked at him, and he even smiled at Qi Fang with his peach - blossom eyes. He was really good at adapting to the situation.
In the end, Qi Fang had to carry this little troublemaker out. Not far after going out, he met another "troublemaker".
A young man with a neat crew - cut was asking for directions. "Comrade, hello. Could you tell me how to get to the pilot site in your forest farm?"
He looked up and met Qi Fang's eyes directly.
Qi Fang thought: This is really my son, not a spy, right?
