Chapter 403 - 350
Chapter 403: Chapter 350
At a field training base for a military academy across the ocean, a blood-pumping sparring match had just concluded. Gu Shaojun was victorious once again and received a reward from his instructor: he could leave the training grounds two hours early and do as he pleased.
Two whole hours of freedom! The other cadets watched Gu Shaojun leave, their eyes filled with envy.
As a world-renowned military academy, its standards of discipline were unimaginable to outsiders. The cadets had virtually no privacy. They were divided into small teams and had to do everything together—study, train, and live. The instructors were harsh to the point of being sadistic. In some ways, the cadets at this prestigious academy were practically prisoners.
Of course, that was just an analogy. The conditions were far better than any prisoner’s. Cadets with outstanding performance would even receive rewards—all sorts of them. Challenges were everywhere, and even the rewards were strange. If you could imagine it, the academy could offer it.
Gu Shaojun had been at the academy for over a year and had received countless rewards. He didn’t care about any of them; the only thing he truly wanted was time—time to himself.
He possessed Mutated Dual Spiritual Roots. His comprehension was superb, his will was firm, and his mind was free of distractions. Since embarking on the path of Cultivation, he had already advanced to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. This was only because the military academy was so strict that he couldn’t leave to find Spiritual Energy Sources. He had to rely solely on the auxiliary pills and the dozen or so jade artifacts Xiao Man had given him for his daily Cultivation. Otherwise, he would have reached an even higher level.
Xiao Man had also given him several Array Flags for a Spirit Gathering Array. Fortunately, his dorm room was able to gather some Spiritual Energy, which came in handy when he pretended to be asleep in bed while secretly cultivating.
But breaking through a bottleneck to advance to a new level required him to be away from prying eyes to ensure a smooth process. Fortunately, the academy offered free time as a reward. Gu Shaojun was always practical and never one to exaggerate. In the past, he couldn’t have made any promises, but now he could say with full confidence that if he wanted to earn a reward from the academy, it was child’s play.
He was already strong-willed and a fast learner to begin with. Thanks to his Cultivation, his mind had become even sharper. Theoretical knowledge was a breeze, and he could grasp his instructors’ intentions with just a moment of thought. As for his combat skills and physical fitness, if he didn’t purposefully hold back, the instructors would look at him like he was a monster.
All he had to do was perform just a little bit better than whoever was considered the strongest among the cadets of his year.
As Gu Shaojun walked out of the training grounds, he suddenly sneezed. A look of realization dawned on him, and he gazed toward the horizon. A faint smile appeared on his coolly handsome face as his heart surged with affection. ’Is my little girl thinking of me? You were naughty and didn’t visit my dreams last night. No more mischief tonight, you hear? I can finally write to you. And the birthday present I prepared in advance—I’ve already had someone take it back. Have you received it yet? Be good and wait just a little longer. Around the end of the year, we’ll be together again!’
That’s right. While other cadets had to stay at the academy for a full three years, Gu Shaojun had already received special permission to complete all his courses within two years, pass his assessments, and graduate early.
Meanwhile, after parting ways with Yang Liu’er, Xiao Man hurried home. When she arrived, she found Grandpa Gu and Granny Gu had come for a visit. The four grandparents were chatting leisurely in the living room. Ai Wenli and a housekeeper were busy in the kitchen, from which the aroma of chicken soup wafted. Tang Haohao had things to do and couldn’t come home this weekend, so it seemed they were just waiting for Xiao Man to get back before starting dinner.
Granny Gu handed Xiao Man a letter and a tightly sealed package, saying with a smile, "A letter came from Shaojun! This is for you. It’s already been inspected, so there’s nothing to worry about. Go on, open it up!"
Xiao Man was surprised and overjoyed. But Grandma Tang said, "Where have you been all day to get back so late? You must be starving. Eat first. The letter isn’t going to run away. You can read it after dinner!"
Grandpa Gu chimed in, "Let’s eat, let’s eat! I’m starving, too. Wenli, is that chicken soup ready? The aroma alone is incredible!"
Grandpa Tang walked over, patted Xiao Man on the shoulder, and gave her a wink. "Take them up to your room. You can read them by yourself after dinner!"
Xiao Man glanced at her grandmother and Granny Gu, nodded, and then ran upstairs, clutching the letter and package. A chorus of laughter erupted behind her.
A handwritten letter had finally arrived from the person she thought about day and night. That evening, Xiao Man read it over and over, almost crumpling the six pages of stationery. Her heart filled with sweetness and excitement, she stayed up the entire night. It wasn’t until the sky began to lighten at dawn that she finally calmed her emotions, took a piece of jade in hand, and settled down to meditate and cultivate.
That same night, Yang Liu’er, who was staying at the Bai family’s home, also tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It wasn’t that she, too, had received a letter from Bai Junfan from abroad, but that she had been wronged once again—
She had returned from night school before 10:30 p.m., but the Bai family’s main gate was already shut tight. This happened often. Yang Liu’er always had to bang on the door knocker for quite a while before someone would come to let her in. But tonight, Bai Qingyue herself had opened the door. She stared at Liu’er with her beautiful, icy eyes and, without a word, led her to Mr. Bai’s room. Mr. Bai was already in bed. He coughed a few times before sighing, "Liu’er, you come home so late every night. For one, it’s not safe. For another, you disturb the rest of the family. Starting tomorrow, don’t go to night school anymore. Huama had to return to her village for some family matters, and with so many people in the house, things are chaotic. Shun Ma and Xiao Luo can’t manage on their own, so you can help them with the housework for now. Next year, we’ll have your Aunt Bai look into finding you a suitable job at a factory..."
The summer night was hot and muggy, but after hearing what Mr. Bai had to say, Yang Liu’er felt a chill seep into her bones.
’Could the Bai family’s words be trusted? She, for one, didn’t believe them. Not even coming from Mr. Bai himself!’
’When I first came to Beijing, Bai Qingyue promised Brother Junfan she would arrange for me to go to night school. She said that after I studied there for a while, she’d find a real school for me. And what happened? The moment Brother Junfan left the country, Bai Qingyue never brought up school again. And now, just great, she won’t even let me go to night school!’
’Staying home to "help with the housework" is just a nice way of saying I’ll be their maid. Once they get used to ordering me around like one, is there any chance they’ll actually let me go get a job in a factory?’ Yang Liu’er sneered inwardly. ’That’ll happen when pigs fly!’
’I’ve been given a second chance at life. After getting through that initial phase of confusion and panic, I fully awakened and swore an oath: I will never be bullied again. I will not be weak and spineless like I was in my past life. I’m going to stand tall and live with dignity!’
She had done her best to change her image, mustering her courage to push back against the Bai family. And it was starting to have an effect. At the very least, she was able to attend night school, where she learned to read, gained a lot of knowledge, met many new people, and broadened her horizons. She could see that if she kept at it, even if Bai Qingyue never found a proper school for her, she could eventually pass an entrance exam on her own—even if it was just for a vocational school!
But tonight, she had an epiphany. ’As long as I continue to live in the Bai family’s house and rely on them, I’ll eventually fall back into the same miserable situation as my last life!’
She remembered what Tang Manman had said during the day and began to think about how other people did business and made money. In her past life, she had been confined to the inner residence for years and knew nothing about commerce. ’But if I learn from Weiwei’s aunt,’ she thought, ’I should be able to figure it out, right?’