Sold into a ghost marriage? Four-year-old and his thuggish father go on a killing spree.

Zhao Xiaohu's provocation ultimately ended with him being humiliated.

From then on, although some people in the class still pointed fingers at Gu Niannian, no one dared to cause her any trouble in person.

Just then, a girl with pigtails and rosy cheeks sat down next to Gu Niannian.

"Hello, my name is Zhou Xiaomei, and my mother works at the supply and marketing cooperative. You're really something, daring to mess with even Zhao Xiaohu!"

The girl's voice was as clear as a lark's, and her eyes were full of pure curiosity and kindness.

She was one of the children in her class whose families were the best off; her father was a commune cadre and her mother was a saleswoman at a supply and marketing cooperative.

Gu Niannian looked at the outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, and then gently shook it.

"My name is Gu Niannian."

"I know! You're that child prodigy who started second grade at five and a half!" Zhou Xiaomei said familiarly. "Niannian, how do you know so much? Those math problems are driving me crazy."

Looking at her sincere face, Gu Niannian answered earnestly, "I learned it by reading books, on my own."

The two little girls started chatting, one after the other, and they got along very well.

Zhou Xiaomei has a cheerful and outgoing personality, like a little sun. She would excitedly tell Niannian about all sorts of interesting things happening in town.

Although Gu Niannian was calm, she had a broad knowledge base and clear logic. The few words she occasionally uttered always impressed Zhou Xiaomei.

Zhou Xiaomei's mother works at the supply and marketing cooperative, a coveted "lucrative job".

She always manages to get her hands on rare items that others can't buy.

The next day, Zhou Xiaomei mysteriously took out two pieces of milk candy wrapped in candy wrappers from her pocket and stuffed them into Gu Niannian's hand.

"Here, have some! It's really sweet!"

Gu Niannian felt embarrassed to take other people's things for free.

After thinking for a moment, she handed over her neatly written class notes.

"I'll help you with your homework using your notes."

"That's great!" Zhou Xiaomei jumped up with joy.

And so, with one providing "material support" and the other providing "intellectual support," the two little girls from vastly different backgrounds quickly became inseparable best friends.

Over the weekend, Zhou Xiaomei suggested for the first time that she wanted to visit Gu Niannian's home.

When she followed Gu Niannian into the low, dilapidated mud-brick house in Chengjiawan, she was startled by the sight before her.

Inside the house, apart from a kang (heated brick bed) and a broken table, there was almost no other furniture.

The walls were dark, and even the windows were covered with yellowed old newspapers.

This is... way too rudimentary.

Looking at her pretty floral blouse, Zhou Xiaomei felt completely lost for the first time.

However, when her gaze fell on the worn-out little table, she froze.

On the table, all the textbooks were neatly arranged with their corners wrapped in kraft paper, stacked with utmost care.

Beside it, the Xinhua Dictionary, whose cover was almost worn out from being read so many times, was placed solemnly on top.

Though the table is broken, the sacred light of knowledge seems to gather there.

Looking at Gu Niannian earnestly explaining her mistakes under the oil lamp, Zhou Xiaomei said something that surprised even herself:

"Niannian, you're amazing."

"I have so many comic books and workbooks at home, but I don't like studying."

"You have nothing, yet you've learned so well."

Gu Niannian looked up, and the dim light reflected a warm glow in her clear eyes.

She looked at her new friend, smiled, and said something that Zhou Xiaomei would remember for the rest of her life.

"Because learning is free."

Yes.

In this era where everything requires tickets and everything is scarce, only knowledge is open to everyone and is the only treasure that can be obtained without any cost.

Zhou Xiaomei nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

She had a vague feeling that the difference between herself and this new friend might not be in those two pieces of candy or a new piece of clothing.

With her first friend of the same age, Gu Niannian's school life seemed to become clearer.

However, she was unaware that the "opponent" lurking in the shadows had never disappeared.

That day, Zhou Xiaomei pulled her aside, quietly pointed to Zhao Xiaohu talking to someone not far away, and whispered:

"Niannian, I heard my mom say that Zhao Xiaohu's aunt is the one who married into the Zhao family in Wangjia Village! And...it seems she's a relative of Zhou Ming, who works at the county civil affairs bureau!"

The Zhao family?

Zhou Ming from the Civil Affairs Bureau?

Gu Niannian's heart sank suddenly.

It turns out that the intricate web of hatred had already silently spread into her new life!