From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Just as she was about to jump, the moss under her feet suddenly slipped, and she lost her balance and fell straight to the ground.

My heart tightened, and I rushed forward quickly, taking two steps at a time.

The next second, Su Qing slammed heavily into my arms.

The immense impact knocked me backward, my back slamming hard into the soft mud covered with withered grass. I let out a muffled groan.

The back of my head not hurt too much from being pressed against the thick hay, but her entire body was pressed against my chest, making it almost impossible for me to breathe.

When I opened my eyes, Su Qing's face was right above me, so close it was almost touching my face.

The tip of her nose was only two or three centimeters away from mine. Her forehead was slightly drooping, and stray hairs brushed against my forehead and cheeks.

Her breathing was rapid, and her warm breath brushed against my lips. I could even see my reflection in her pupils.

She braced herself with one hand on my chest and the other hand frantically on the mud beside my shoulder.

His entire weight was pressing down on me, in a position so suggestive it sent chills down my spine.

Everything around seemed to stand still.

Through the thin two layers of fabric, I could clearly feel her heart pounding violently in her chest.

Su Qing's pupils dilated suddenly, and the moment their eyes met, her entire face flushed red from the tips of her ears to her chin.

She frantically tried to lift herself up and move off me, but in her panic, her palms slipped on the wet, muddy ground, and she fell heavily back into my arms, her forehead hitting my chin.

The more panicked you are, the more chaotic things become, and the more chaotic things become, the harder it is to move.

I was still pinned to the ground by her, unable to move, my chest pressed against her soft body.

My whole body stiffened, and I was at a loss for what to do.

Su Qing was so anxious that she suddenly rolled to the side and finally managed to get off me. She knelt on the muddy ground, panting heavily.

I lay there for a long time, my chest still feeling a bit stuffy from the impact she had just given me.

A few shards of sunlight, like scattered gold, shone through the gaps in the leaves overhead, making me squint.

"Are you alright?"

After catching her breath for a while, Su Qing turned her head and asked in a weak voice.

"No...it's nothing."

I propped myself up on the ground and patted the dry grass off the back of my head. My shoulders were slightly sore, but thankfully I hadn't hurt any bones.

I turned to look at her; her face was still red.

I stood up and asked her again, "Are you alright? Did you bump yourself anywhere?"

Su Qing gently shook her head, then stood up and kept patting the grass clippings off her dress.

While taking pictures, she muttered a complaint: "This damn tree is completely unreliable; it's definitely messing with us on purpose."

I was both amused and exasperated: "Trees don't have minds, how could they deliberately play tricks on people?"

"That means it likes you and wants you to stay with it a little longer."

I chuckled at her words and urged, "Stop overthinking. If you're not hurt, hurry down the mountain and get home before the sun completely sets."

Su Qing gave a muffled "hmm" and turned to walk down the mountain first.

I followed behind her, and after a few steps I realized that her ears were still red, which I could clearly see from the side.

She deliberately quickened her pace, walking hurriedly, as if intentionally avoiding walking alongside me.

I looked away, not wanting to expose her embarrassment, and quietly followed behind her, walking along the winding field ridges towards the village.

As I rushed home, the rich aroma of chicken soup wafted through the courtyard.

The aroma of stewing over a wood-fired stove filled the entire old house.

I hurried into the kitchen, intending to lend a hand in starting the fire and chopping vegetables.

Su Qing followed closely behind into the kitchen and asked, "Auntie, is there anything I can help with?"

My mother, holding a spatula, saw her and immediately waved her hand with a smile: "No need, no need, girl. You can go sit and rest in the main room. The wood-fired stove in the countryside produces a lot of smoke; don't let it choke you."

Su Qing, however, did not have the airs of a spoiled city girl. She gently shook her head and smiled, "It's alright, Auntie. I'm not that delicate. The cooking fumes don't bother me."

My mother glanced at her fair and delicate face and couldn't help but say, "With skin like that, you must be a girl raised in the city, right?"

Su Qing glanced at me subconsciously before slowly replying, "Going back three generations, our family was also from the countryside. My maternal grandparents used to live in the village, but now both of them are no longer here."

"I see." My mother nodded, then followed up with, "So what kind of business does your family run?"

Su Qing was silent for a moment, then simply replied, "My family runs a small business."

She didn't go into details about her family's wealth, knowing full well that if she told the truth about the size of her home, the villagers would only think it was a fantasy and it would only create more gossip.

My mother's curiosity got the better of her, and as if she were meticulously questioning our family history, she pressed on, asking, "Do you have any siblings?"

I stood by, feeling utterly helpless. I was just about to advise my mother not to pry into my private affairs so much when Su Qing calmly and naturally took over the conversation.

"Auntie, I also have an older sister who is two years older than me. Our parents are both healthy."

My mother had already decided in her heart that Su Qing was my proper girlfriend. After hesitating for a moment, she looked at Su Qing with a hint of inferiority.

"Girl, you saw our family's situation today. We're just an ordinary family, and I've been in poor health for years. We don't have much savings. You... really don't mind that Ye Zi is like this?"

When my mother asked that question, I was suddenly stunned and subconsciously turned to look at Su Qing beside me.

I knew she was just playing along to make my mom happy, but my heart still clenched uncontrollably, and I actually listened to her answer.

Without hesitation, she shook her head decisively and said sincerely:

"I don't mind at all. Lin Ye and I truly love each other. I've never cared about external things like family background."

When I heard these words, I paused for a moment with the fire tongs in my hand, then bent down and pushed the firewood deeper into the stove.

The flames in the stove suddenly shot up with a "whoosh," and the scorching orange-red light hit my face, making my eyes sting slightly.

I can't tell if it was the smoke from the firewood that was making me choke, or if some other emotion was churning inside me.

After hearing this, my mother's face instantly broke into a smile, and she politely declined.

"Oh my, our Yezi is so lucky to have met such a kind-hearted girl like you. He's quiet and doesn't know how to sweet-talk people."

"Don't worry, Auntie, he's a very reliable person."

As Su Qing spoke, she squatted down by the stove, staring curiously at the flickering flames, and turned to ask me:

"Burning firewood looks interesting, is it fun?"

I snapped out of my daze and forced a faint smile, saying, "There's nothing fun about it; it's just about making fires, cooking, and getting by."

"I've never cooked before, I want to try."

After she finished speaking, she moved closer to me and squatted down next to me.

My mother quickly waved her hand to stop her, saying, "Girl, don't make a fuss. The smoke and fire are choking. Let Yezi do the burning by herself."

Su Qing shook her head gently, her eyes full of curiosity: "It's okay, Auntie, I'm not afraid of the fumes. It looks quite interesting."

I handed her the fire tongs and said, "Just throw in a thin piece of firewood, don't stuff it too full, leave some space for ventilation so the fire can burn brightly."