The poor girl from the 1970s was forced to kiss by the damp educated youth.

Chen Zhi slept from 3 a.m. until noon. She didn't fall asleep until 3 a.m.

When she woke up, Xi Lang had already washed the yard with water, and the oil stains on the ground were all cleaned up.

Chen Da, Chen Peng, Chen Xiaoshuai, and Chen Ergou gathered at their house again, bringing their own pickled vegetables and sauerkraut, as well as freshly baked corn cakes.

Xi Lang cooked white porridge and stir-fried two plates of side dishes. Chen Zhi drank the porridge, ate the pickled vegetables, and occasionally took a bite of corn cake.

"Chen Da, Chen Gui, and Chen Mu's children all came yesterday. There were a lot of people, so I didn't specifically mention this to you," Chen Da said.

Chen Zhi hummed in response, not taking it to heart.

Chen Peng: "Your grandfather passed away five years ago. He was pushed down by Chen Fu, fell to the ground, and died that very night."

Chen Zhi paused with her chopsticks, then casually took a sip of porridge.

Seeing her expression, Chen Peng continued, "Chen Fu lost an arm, and his temper became more and more volatile. He caused a lot of trouble for that family. You and your grandma suffered a lot and had a miserable life. Your grandpa probably never thought that he would die at the hands of his favorite grandson."

These words left everyone present sighing with emotion.

Chen Da: "Chen Ye and Chen Mu's lives are the same as most people in the village, ordinary and uneventful, nothing special. Your mother's life is alright, she works in the fields during the busy farming season, and usually takes care of her grandchildren."

Chen Zhi remained indifferent, as if Chen Da was referring to someone unimportant.

Chen Ergou changed the subject, "Chen Xiuzhen and Li Zhou'an divorced last year."

Chen Zhi asked in surprise, "Why?"

If Chen Xiuzhen hadn't actively pursued Li Zhou'an in the first place, how could she have been willing to get a divorce?

Beijing is too big; Chen Zhi hasn't seen Li Zhou'an and Zhao Jinbao for six or seven years.

Chen Ergou: "It was Chen Xiuzhen who filed for divorce. It is said that she felt that Li Zhou'an was too cold to her. It is also strange that the two have been married for many years but have never had children."

Chen Peng: "Li Zhou'an has been studying all along, saying he's not in a hurry. It seems like he just graduated last year or this year."

Chen Ergou: "Anyway, the result was that Chen Xiuzhen found a small business owner, and the two of them went into business."

At this point in the conversation, Chen Ergou looked at Chen Zhi and asked, "Do you have children?"

Regarding the matter of children, Chen Zhi asked Xi Lang that evening, "Why don't we have children?"

They had frequent sex and didn't use contraception, but she just couldn't get pregnant. It's so strange.

Xi Lang frowned slightly. "Are you in a hurry about having a child?"

Chen Zhi shook her head. "No."

But what does that have to do with whether she's in a hurry or not?

Xi Lang breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her answer, "My health hasn't recovered, so I can't have a baby anytime soon."

Chen Zhi only had a vague understanding. She knew that Xi Lang had been integrating the sealed energy within his body, but how could this be related to having a child?

What she was more curious about was, "How far in the future is 'recently'?"

Xi Lang thought about it carefully, "It could take anywhere from a few decades to a hundred years."

He doesn't want children right now; he just wants to live a life with her.

Chen Zhi felt a little regretful. She wasn't in a hurry, but she was curious about what her child with Xi Lang would look like.

Xi Lang: "If you're in a hurry, I'll try my best to get it done ahead of schedule."

Chen Zhi: "How much in advance?"

Xi Lang: "Twenty years, I'll try to keep it under twenty years."

Chen Zhi: "..."

Xi Lang donated a large sum of money to the village in Chen Zhi's name, so that the village could use it to repair bridges and roads.

Chen Zhi learned about this from Chen Da.

A whole million!

It terrified the people of Sandong Village.

Chen Zhi asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Xi Lang: "Money is just an external thing; it's better to use it to accumulate merit."

If the villagers weren't blind, they could all see that Chen Zhi had become successful. Since Chen Zhi had become successful but didn't help the Chen family, the villagers inevitably had their opinions. After all, in the eyes of the world, even broken bones are still connected by tendons; blood ties remain, and severing ties is a joke.

Chen Zhi should help her family.

The village has built roads and bridges, and they've received benefits, so they won't come here to criticize Chen Zhi anymore.

As for merit—

Xi Lang didn't care. Whether it was heaven or hell, he was going to follow Chen Zhi. As for where they went, what did it matter?

Chen Zhi bit her lip and thought for a moment, her expression conflicted.

"You're reluctant to part with it?" Xi Lang asked.

Chen Zhi shook her head, "No, not at all."

Material things no longer hold much appeal for her.

Xi Lang: "That's good then. Think about Chen Da and Chen Peng; this is a way of helping them indirectly. Doesn't that make you feel better?"

Chen Zhi: "Indeed."

Chen Da and his friends had helped her manage her house for so many years, and this kindness moved her deeply. The construction of bridges and roads benefited the entire village, including Chen Da and his friends.

Chen Zhi took Xi Lang to the mountains, to the lake she had discovered, and to the place where she had fought with Xiao Mei.

Xi Lang said that it was also a secret realm, but the barrier was slowly dissipating, and the place was merging with the outside world.

The two stayed in Sandong Village for a few days. On the day they left, many people came to see Chen Zhi and Xi Lang off. Chen Zhi spotted Chen Xiaomei, Chen Ye, and Chen Mu in the crowd. The three looked at her, hesitant to speak, but Chen Zhi looked away first.

Xi Lang took Chen Zhi's hand and squeezed her palm. "Let's go."

Chen Zhi nodded and said, "Let's go."

Xi Lang: "If I could do it all over again, I would definitely come and take you away from the Chen family much sooner."

Chen Zhi nodded, "Let's not start over. Some suffering is enough once."

Xi Lang is only three years older than her. How many years earlier could he have been?

The hardest time for her was before she was four or five years old. She was hungry and had to accept that no one in the world loved her. Every day she felt like she was going to die, but the next day she found herself alive again.

That was the most painful and helpless period for her.

Chen Zhi thought that if she had to do it again, she might not be able to keep going.

Xi Lang rubbed her head. "That's right. If we could do it all over again, we should give you a different family, one that loves and cares for you."

Chen Zhi didn't care. "Having you is enough for me."

Xi Lang's eyes darkened. "Don't seduce me in broad daylight."

Chen Zhi: "... Exercise restraint."

Xi Lang: "Well, we'll be on the road these next few days, so I'll let you off the hook for now. We'll have plenty of time in the future."

He and she still have a very long way to go.