She Lives without Regret in This Life

”Gu, you work really hard. I don’t have much money myself, this is just a bit of my private stash. You keep it and buy yourself something good to eat. No wonder you’re so skinny—way too skinny. You need to eat more. In the future, get into a good university and change the fate of your whole life.”

Gu Yunbo felt the one yuan in her hand almost burning; she’d just been talking nonsense off the cuff. ”Teacher, this is your private money, I can’t take it. If your wife finds out, she’ll definitely get mad.”

”Ahem... just take it!” Teacher Guo’s old face flushed bright red. He was a retired Old Professor—good at everything except he was scared of his wife.

”Then, Teacher, I want to ask you for some leave, do you think that’s possible?”

”What kind of leave do you want?” Teacher Guo hated students asking for leave. The moment he heard it he went on guard and stared at her. ”The Spring Festival break is coming up soon. What leave could you possibly want?”

”The Spring Festival break is too short, it’s not enough!”

”Then how long do you want?”

”Two months.” She ground her teeth as she said it, not even worried she might scare Teacher Guo into a heart attack.

”What? Two months? Do you have a death wish?”

”No, I don’t!” Gu Yunbo felt wronged. ”It’s my mom’s death anniversary! I have to go back to my old home in the Southern countryside. Otherwise she died far from home, and now at New Year there’s not even anyone to go sweep her grave. It’s way deep in the Dashan mountains—if I don’t go, there’s nothing I can do. Before I left I swore in front of my mom’s grave.”

Teacher Guo’s eyes instantly went red. Not only was she diligent and hardworking, she was also a filial child. Why was God so unfair? Such a good kid, and yet her parents had to die so early.

”Alright! I approve it.”

”Thank you, Teacher.” Gu Yunbo put the one yuan on the desk and ran off.

And so Teacher Guo was even more moved. Not only diligent and hardworking, with filial piety, but her character was also so noble. Truly a rare, good child!

The sentimental Teacher Guo immediately sat down, pulled out paper and pen, and wrote a letter to Meng Fan. First he tore into that man who’d recommended her: you’re the famous Young Chairman, you’re awesome, and your old man is even more awesome. Since you’ve sent her here to study, you should see it through to the end!

How could you let such a good child go beg for food and sleep under a bridge?

Three pages of tirade, and in the end it all boiled down to—

Hmph! You, Young Chairman, I’ve seen right through you.

You’ve really let me down.

Your character’s not noble enough, and you’re especially stingy. From now on I’m never calling you Young Chairman again.

Hmph!

*****

Rescue team, Reconnaissance Group

The base was in the suburban mountains and the security was exceptionally tight. This was the most elite rescue unit in the entire Northern District. Though it was just a rescue team, equivalent to a reinforced regiment, in reality it was on par with an association, under the direct jurisdiction of the Provincial Rescue Center. Anyone selected to come here—there wasn’t a single weakling among them; they were all elite from various branches of the service.

Every year’s overall district combat competition champion came from here. With the border situation tense right now, the rescue team’s training and reconnaissance missions were heavier than usual, and they had to be ready for combat at any moment.

”Leader, Leader, you’ve got mail, someone wrote you a letter.” Zhao Shuisheng ran over from the training ground, letter in hand, hollering all the way and earning countless looks of disgust.

The tall man leading the team in training shot over a cold glare, sharper than a blade, colder than midwinter snow. It scared Zhao Shuisheng into stopping dead, standing there as well-behaved as a little wife, and greeting him properly.

”Deputy Leader.”

”Get lost!” The man spat out one icy word, and Zhao Shuisheng whooshed away like a shot, running even faster—anyone watching would think there were ghosts chasing him.

The comrades standing in military posture couldn’t help laughing at him.

”Zhao Shuisheng’s brain is waterlogged.”

”I say he’s short-circuited.”

”Exactly. What day is it that our Leader doesn’t get letters? Is there any need to make such a big fuss?”