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

"Yanqiu, you don't need to travel back and forth anymore. Just focus on working hard in the village!"

"Yes, if our station encounters any problems we can't solve in the future, we'll have to ask you, this 'top student,' to come back and give us some guidance!"

In the dormitory of the county agricultural machinery station, several familiar coworkers were helping Gu Yanqiu pack his luggage.

A worn-out canvas bag,

A few faded changes of clothes,

There was also a "Manual of Agricultural Machinery Repair" that had been read so many times that the edges were curled up.

This was all his possessions.

But today, everyone felt that this thin man seemed to be coated with a layer of light.

Gu Yanqiu smiled and said goodbye to everyone, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

He got on the creaking bicycle.

He took one last look at the place where he had poured out countless drops of sweat.

Then he stomped down on the pedal.

Come back home!

This time, it's not just a short weekend stop, but a true return!

From now on, he will no longer have to leave home under the stars and return home under the moon.

No longer do we have to brave the biting north wind and trek for miles on dirt roads on frigid winter mornings.

He can see his daughter every day now!

I can make her breakfast myself, I can help her with her homework at night, and I can hold her in my arms the moment she feels wronged!

Thinking of this, Gu Yanqiu felt a huge sense of happiness envelop him, and he gained more strength in his legs, riding the bicycle with great speed.

When he pushed his cart and appeared at the entrance of Chengjiawan Village, the villagers who were working in the fields immediately surrounded him.

"Oh dear! Technician Gu is back!"

"Yanqiu, congratulations!"

"From now on, our brigade's tractors will all depend on you!"

Gu Yanqiu blushed as she was repeatedly called "Technician Gu".

He was no longer the despised "Lazy Gu," nor the ordinary employee "Gu Yanqiu."

He was a technician at the Chengjiawan Agricultural Technology Extension Station, a cadre who received government funding and a government salary!

This change in identity brings not only respect, but also a heavy responsibility.

"dad!"

A clear, melodious call, like heavenly music.

Gu Niannian, like a happy little bird, flew out of the yard and plunged into Gu Yanqiu's arms.

"I'm back!"

Gu Yanqiu threw down the bicycle, lifted his daughter high in the air, and gave her a big kiss on her rosy cheeks.

The laughter of the father and daughter echoed in the small courtyard, dispelling all the chill.

At this moment, this low, dilapidated mud-brick house seemed to have transformed into the warmest palace in the world.

However, this tranquility was soon shattered.

The first person to arrive was none other than Aunt Sun Xiufen, who hadn't been seen for a long time.

She abandoned her usual sharp tongue, her face beaming with a smile like a chrysanthemum, and she held a plate of steaming cornbread in her hand.

"Oh my, our capable lady is back!" Sun Xiufen's voice was sickeningly sweet. "Yanqiu, come and try these pancakes your sister-in-law just made, they're still warm!"

As she spoke, she held Gu Niannian's hand affectionately, as if she were not the one who had been humiliated and left in shame.

Gu Yanqiu stiffly accepted the plate and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Immediately afterwards, even Grandma Wang Guifang, who had been lying on the kang for a long time, leaned on her cane and moved over shakily.

Her cloudy eyes scrutinized Gu Yanqiu for a long time, and for the first time, a trace of what could be called "kindness" appeared on her sagging face.

"well……"

She only managed to say two words before Gu Yandong helped her slowly back home.

But these two words are already unprecedented.

Uncle Gu Yanchun did not enter the courtyard.

He stood at a corner not far away, his hands tucked into his sleeves, silently watching the lively scene in the courtyard, his face obscure and unreadable in the interplay of light and shadow.

Only his uncle, Gu Yandong, was genuinely happy for him.

He quietly moved closer to Gu Yanqiu and punched him hard on the shoulder.

"Second brother, you've finally stood up for yourself! From now on, no one will dare to bully you anymore!"

Gu Yanqiu nodded heavily, his eyes welling up with tears.

After all the "guests" had left, the courtyard finally returned to quiet.

Gu Niannian stood in the center of the courtyard, looking at the "gifts" left behind by those people—a plate of flatbread, a few eggs, and a handful of dried vegetables—her heart felt cold.

heat.

She tugged at her father's sleeve and whispered, "Dad, they're laughing so happily right now."

His tone carried a hint of childlike confusion, and a touch of worldly wisdom.

Gu Yanqiu squatted down, pulled her daughter into her arms, and gently patted her back.

"Silly girl."

His voice was gentle yet firm.

"No matter how others change, we just need to stay the same. We know who truly cares about us, and that's enough."

Gu Niannian buried her face in her father's broad chest and nodded vigorously.

Yes, they have Aunt Wang, Captain Cheng Tiezhu, Station Chief Han, Aunt Li Huilan, Aunt Su Xueqing...

These genuine feelings are a thousand times more precious than those fake smiles.

But when she inadvertently looked up, she caught a glimpse of her uncle Gu Yanchun's figure slowly disappearing into the shadows around the corner in the distance.

What emanated from that silhouette wasn't a blessing or envy, but rather a deep-seated jealousy and resentment that made her extremely uncomfortable.

A sense of vigilance inexplicably rose in Niannian's heart.

Is it really because their fathers became technicians that these people change their attitudes so quickly?

Or is it because they saw a new opportunity to bask in their father's success and exploit him?