Although An Ning said she’d go home and ask, she wasn’t taking it too seriously. The two directors, on the other hand, were competing to see who could be more enthusiastic.

Director Jin jumped in first. "An Ning, go ahead and ask. Anything is fine by me."

"That’s right. We don’t have a gender preference. The female workers at our textile factory are excellent."

Director Li tried a different angle, giving An Ning a kind smile.

"I know."

An Ning got up and looked at the two kraft paper packages on the table.

"This money..."

She didn’t know how to deposit money here, so she looked up at the three men across from her.

"You should deposit it. Get a passbook, then you can just withdraw the money when you need it."

"Yes, yes, of course! I’ll take you. I can also grab some fabric for you to take home. We’ve got plenty of it. You can use it to make clothes, a quilt, or whatever you need."

Director Li was extremely enthusiastic, his reasoning perfectly logical as he continuously tried to get on An Ning’s good side.

Director Jin, standing beside him, also wanted to offer her something. But he racked his brain, troubled, and couldn’t think of what a machinery factory could possibly give.

Master Zhang Qihua, on the other hand, had an idea, but it wasn’t his place to make the decision on his own.

"An Ning, does your village have a tractor?"

"No."

An Ning hugged the two packages of money, ready to head out, get a passbook, and then go home.

As soon as Master Zhang spoke, Director Jin understood instantly. However, the matter would require some paperwork, so they’d have to wait until things were finalized to discuss it further.

"An Ning, let me see you out."

Director Jin couldn’t let Director Li have all the glory. He and Director Li flanked An Ning, one on her left and one on her right, personally escorting her to the savings bank.

Both men were influential figures in the county, so naturally, An Ning’s transaction went as smoothly as could be.

The clerk handling the transaction was a woman. When she took the form An Ning had filled out, she felt the address seemed familiar but couldn’t quite place it.

After finishing the paperwork, she glanced at the deposit amount and was left speechless.

Eight thousand yuan. That was an enormous amount of money.

’I only make twenty-four yuan and eighty cents a month,’ she thought. ’How long would it take to earn eight thousand yuan?’

The clerk couldn’t resist looking up, but she only caught a glimpse of An Ning’s side profile. It still looked vaguely familiar.

"Is it done?"

With one of the directors personally urging her on from the side, the woman didn’t dare to delay and handed the passbook to An Ning.

An Ning took the passbook, tucked it away safely, and walked out of the savings bank.

After leaving, An Ning went to the textile factory and bought some fabric at a very low price. She checked on An Guoming one more time, then left.

She spent some time wandering around the county town by herself, buying a sack full of books, along with many notebooks and pens.

By the time she finally took the bus back to Sanhe Town, it was already past five in the afternoon.

By this point, An Ning was not in good shape.

The Klein Bottle within her spiritual power was vibrating nonstop.

The vibration felt as if someone were taking a chisel and continuously chipping away at something inside her mind.

It was ceaseless, happening every minute of every second.

The pain caused beads of sweat to form on An Ning’s forehead, and her clothes were nearly soaked through.

Luckily, she had worn a new undershirt she’d bought, otherwise her clothes would have been completely drenched by now.

"An Ning?"

A black car had pulled over on the side of the road.

The front passenger window rolled down, revealing Jiang Xia’s head.

With a THUD, Jiang Xia opened the door and got out. He stood next to An Ning but didn’t reach out to touch her.

"Are you alright? Heading home? Ride with us. I’m going back too, and my grandpa’s in the car."

An Ning managed a difficult nod. She truly couldn’t walk any further. The fact that she hadn’t passed out was a testament to her willpower.

"Get in the back."

Jiang Xia pulled open the back door. Grandpa Jiang, who was in the back seat, scooted over to the right to make room for An Ning.

"My things."

An Ning hadn’t forgotten about her burlap sack of books, the fabric from Director Li, or her own luggage.

"I’ll get it, I’ll get it! Brother Xiatian, you just focus on helping her."

A man got out of the driver’s seat. He had medium-length hair, wore a blue shirt, and had a classic baby face.

The baby-faced man chuckled as he glanced at An Ning, his mind already churning with gossip, and reached for the sack.

He gave it a tug. It didn’t budge.

He let out an embarrassed laugh, grabbed it with both hands, and heaved—

Still nothing!

Refusing to give up, the baby-faced man put his back into it again, the veins on his neck popping out, but the sack remained stubbornly motionless.

"What’s in this thing, bricks?"

It wasn’t a strange guess. Many thick books did look a lot like bricks.

By this time, An Ning was already settled in the car.

Jiang Xia shut the car door, completely ignoring the teasing look from the baby-faced driver.

"What are you laughing at? Just grab a side and help me lift it."

The two of them lifted the sack into the trunk and barely managed to get the lid closed. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

As for her other luggage, Jiang Xia had to split it up and stuff the pieces inside the car.

Luckily, he and his grandfather had packed light, otherwise there would have been no way to fit everything.

After Jiang Xia and the baby-faced man got back in the car, Jiang Xia said, "This car is all show and no go."

"What? Brother Xiatian, you’ve got to be kidding me."

The baby-faced driver patted the steering wheel. "I waited over half a year to get my hands on this car! What do you mean it’s all show and no go?"

Jiang Xia didn’t even glance at him, just pointed forward and said, "Just drive."

’What’s the point of explaining it to a guy with your brain?’ Jiang Xia’s mind was racing. ’The engine is garbage, the tires are crap, there’s not enough space, and even the chassis is flimsy.’

"Hey, you look half-dead. Did you go digging through the trash?"

His sharp tongue and arrogant attitude were on full display. But as soon as he spoke, he turned and saw An Ning’s eyes were closed. He called out her name anxiously.

"An Ning, An Ning!"

"Sika Deer!"

At the sound of "Sika Deer," An Ning frowned without opening her eyes. "Noisy."

Jiang Xia gritted his teeth, forcing himself to hold back what he wanted to say. Still, he asked, "Should we go to the hospital?"

"Home."

An Ning’s eyes remained closed. Her head felt like it was about to explode.

Jiang Xia didn’t press the issue. He gave the baby-faced driver directions toward Shili Gou.

The baby-faced driver’s heart was now ablaze with a mixture of shock and sheer curiosity.

’Who on earth is this girl?’ he wondered. ’She managed to shut up Young Master Jiang from Beijing, the guy who’s afraid of nothing and no one.’

This was Young Master Jiang, a guy who’d curse out his own father to his face.

The baby-faced man drove, and they quickly reached Shili Gou. Jiang Xia directed him to drive into the village, where, unsurprisingly, a crowd of children started following the car.

"Stop."

The moment Jiang Xia said stop, he was out of the car and hurrying into the An family’s courtyard.

Lin Cuihua rushed out of the courtyard in a panic. She stared at the car, wringing her hands helplessly.

"How do you open this thing!"

"Let me."

Jiang Xia reached out and pulled the car door open. Lin Cuihua’s eyes immediately fell on An Ning’s deathly pale face.

"What happened to her? We have to go to the hospital! To the hospital!"

"Mom."

An Ning finally opened her eyes and grabbed Lin Cuihua’s wrist, her gaze filled with an undeniable resolve.

"Let me go home. I’ll be fine after some sleep."

"Huh?"

Lin Cuihua didn’t want to believe her, but An Ning’s gaze left no room for argument.

"Alright, alright. We’ll go home. Mom will carry you!"

Lin Cuihua squatted down. An Ning, completely drained of strength, obediently let herself be hoisted onto her mother’s back.

"Jiang Xia, thank you."