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

"What? You want Niannian to go to the county's experimental primary school?"

When Gu Yanqiu heard the news, the enamel mug in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," breaking off a large piece of porcelain.

He froze, his face filled with disbelief.

County Experimental Primary School!

That's the best primary school in the entire Qinghe County!

Those who could get into the school were either rich or noble; they were either the children of county officials or from wealthy and influential families.

They, these mud-rooted folks from the remote mountain village, wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing!

"Is...is it true?" Gu Yanqiu's voice trembled as he grabbed Principal Wang's arm, who had come to deliver the message, and excitedly asked for confirmation.

"Absolutely true! It was Director Xu from the Education Bureau who said it himself!" Principal Wang exclaimed with pride. "Yanqiu, you've truly raised a fine daughter! Your Gu family is incredibly lucky!"

The news spread, and the entire Chengjiawan area was in an uproar.

"My God! I'm going to study at the best primary school in the county! This is truly a great honor for the family!"

"This girl is destined for great things! Maybe she'll become a writer!"

"Gu Yanqiu is truly blessed!"

Envy, jealousy, sighs... all sorts of voices were heard.

Sun Xiufen hid behind her door, listening to the gossip outside the yard, her eyes almost red with jealousy.

She spat fiercely and cursed, "What genius! I think she's just a monster! At such a young age, she's more cunning than adults! She probably used some kind of seductive trick to seduce the county leaders!"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Turning around, she saw her son, Gu Mingyuan, squatting on the ground playing in the mud. She was even more furious and slapped him across the face: "All you do is play! Look at Gu Niannian! And look at you! You're such a good-for-nothing!"

Gu Mingyuan was so confused by the beating that he burst into tears.

Meanwhile, in the Gu family's courtyard, the atmosphere was not as festive as outsiders might have imagined.

After her initial excitement, Gu Yanqiu quickly calmed down.

A very real problem was presented to him.

"Principal Wang, does Director Xu mean... that Niannian should move to the county town?"

Principal Wang nodded: "Yes, Experimental Primary School is a boarding school. The school has dormitories and a canteen, and the conditions are much better than at home."

We moved to the county town.

These five words, like five great mountains, weighed heavily on Gu Yanqiu's heart.

This means he will have to separate from his daughter.

We might only see each other once a week, or even once a month.

He had just found his daughter, and they had just started to have a decent home. Was they going to be separated again so soon?

He looked at his daughter, who was engrossed in reading "Andersen's Fairy Tales" in the yard.

I have mixed feelings in my heart.

Going to the county town was a fantastic opportunity for Niannian.

Better education, a bigger platform, a brighter future.

He couldn't let his own selfish desires jeopardize his daughter's future.

But the thought of leaving his daughter caused him excruciating pain, as if his heart were being cut by a knife.

Gu Niannian had actually overheard their conversation long ago.

Her small face was expressionless, but her hand, which was turning the pages of the book, paused slightly.

Gu Yanqiu didn't sleep a wink that night.

He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), smoking a pipe all night by the dim light of a kerosene lamp.

The room was filled with smoke.

He was torn between wanting to send his daughter away and being reluctant to do so. He was caught in a dilemma, and his hair turned almost white from the struggle.

The next morning, when Gu Yanqiu, sporting two large dark circles under his eyes, finally made up his mind to talk to his daughter, Gu Niannian spoke first.

"Dad, I don't want to go."

Her voice was calm, but her tone was unusually firm.

Gu Yanqiu was taken aback. He squatted down and looked into his daughter's eyes: "Niannian, why? Do you know what a great opportunity this is? If you go to the county, you can learn more and become a writer or a scientist!"

"I know." Gu Niannian nodded, put down the book in her hand, and reached out her little hand to smooth her father's furrowed brows.

"But Dad, home is wherever you are."

She looked up at her father with a maturity and seriousness beyond her years.

"I can learn the knowledge in the textbooks by myself. Aunt Su can teach me, and Uncle Chen Zhiyuan can teach me too. Even if they are all gone, I can still read the books by myself."

"But you only have one father."

"I don't want to leave you. Not even for a day."

These words were like a warm current, instantly breaking down all of Gu Yanqiu's defenses.

He could no longer hold back and hugged his daughter tightly in his arms. Tears streamed silently down this strong man's face, soaking his daughter's hair.

His beloved daughter.

She knows everything.

She always knows what is most important.

Three days later, Gu Yanqiu took Gu Niannian to the county education bureau and declined Director Xu's offer in person.

In Director Xu's office, this old intellectual who cherishes talent fell into a long silence after hearing Gu Niannian say, "Where Dad is, that's where home is."

Looking at the little girl with clear eyes and logical thinking, he was filled with shock and emotion.

He has seen too many adults who abandon family ties for the sake of their future.

Unexpectedly, a six-and-a-half-year-old child could understand "home" and "family affection" so clearly and so importantly.

"Good...good boy..."

Director Xu sighed, took out a brand-new Hero brand fountain pen and a beautiful notebook from the drawer, and handed them to Gu Niannian.

"Niannian, this is a gift from Uncle Xu. Uncle respects your choice."

He paused, then made a promise in an extremely solemn tone.

"However, Uncle Xu's suggestion will always be valid."

"If you ever change your mind and want to study in the county town, the doors of the county experimental primary school will always be open for you! Just come find me!"

This promise carries immense weight.

This means that Gu Niannian has gained a powerful "trump card" for her future studies.

Gu Niannian's rejection of the county experimental primary school news once again caused an uproar among the villagers of Chengjiawan.

"Is this girl crazy? She's not going to take such a good opportunity?"

"Exactly! Why not enjoy the good life in the city instead of choosing to suffer in this remote mountain village!"

"I think she's still just a little kid, she can't be separated from her parents. She'll regret it when she's older!"

Amidst the various discussions, only Chen Xiuying, upon hearing Niannian's decision, her eyes reddened, hugged her tightly, and said with heartache, "My silly little sister, how can you be so sensible..."

Gu Niannian knew exactly what she needed most.

It is the companionship of family that provides that irreplaceable warmth.

She thought that as long as she held onto this warmth, life would continue peacefully like this.

However, she didn't know that the gears of fate never stop turning because of anyone's wishes.

A massive conspiracy is brewing in the shadows.

A storm powerful enough to destroy all her happiness is quietly approaching.

The village loudspeaker continues to broadcast the news every day.

Occasionally, words like "policy," "adjustment," and "change" would drift out from the announcer's muffled voice.

These words, like distant thunder, foreshadow the coming of a heavy rain.

Aunt Su Xueqing's eyes grew brighter and brighter each day, yet also grew dimmer with each passing day.

Uncle Chen Zhiyuan would wait by the mailbox at the village entrance every day, hoping for a letter from home that might never arrive.

Everyone is pushed forward by the tide of the times on their own destiny's trajectory.

Gu Niannian believed she had made the right choice.

But she didn't know that what she was giving up might be more than just an opportunity to study.

The home she desperately wanted to protect was about to face its most deadly test.

Can she really hold on to it?