Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 231: The Spirit of Never Giving Up

"I am a good person."

The crowd, holding their breath to listen to her movements, had no words for her claim.

They were even less inclined to deal with her.

Xue Jiahuan couldn’t sense the feelings of Yi Chichi and the others inside. She banged on the door, "Open the door and let me in. I’m truly a good person. I mean no harm to you and just want to help."

The room remained silent, with nobody acknowledging her.

Xue Jiahuan looked disappointed, feeling a surge of anger inside. How could this group be so difficult? They had fallen to this state but still clung to their former dignity as high officials.

It was simply absurd.

Thinking of this, she began rambling about her admiration and respect for the old man and others, expressing regret for their current situation, speaking up for them, and the like.

Yi Chichi listened to her speech and once again felt she was making a mess of things in her heart.

She was really ruining her own foresight and insight.

The old man and the others thought completely differently from her; the content of Xue Jiahuan’s words only heightened their vigilance.

Regulating their breath, they patiently waited for her to finish rambling and leave in disappointment.

As time ticked by, Xue Jiahuan, now hoarse from talking and still receiving no response, finally chose to give up.

She looked at the two cans of malted milk she brought, reluctantly put them down, and gently reminded, "Harvesting season is tiring and exhausting. I’ve prepared two cans of malted milk for you to replenish your energy. Remember to drink them. I’ll leave now and come back to see you next time."

Qin Jiu let out a long sigh, wanting to get up to see if she’d really left, but his ear was pulled by someone.

"Don’t move, she hasn’t left yet."

Yi Chichi whispered in his ear.

Qin Jiu immediately covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes wide open in the dark. What a sinister person, lying to him that she had left.

What a big bad egg.

The big bad egg Xue Jiahuan pressed her ear against the door for several minutes, but the room remained pitch black and quiet. She knew the people inside were determined not to interact with her.

Helpless, she could only leave resentfully.

She just wanted a big favor, why was it so hard?

Ah, one could only say the minds of important figures are hard to guess.

Could it be that the things she brought were too insignificant, and the big shots looked down on them?

But in this day and age, many things couldn’t be acquired even if she had money. She had to think of a way to get things that would impress them...

Yi Chichi watched her slowly disappearing figure through the crack in the window, letting out a long breath, glad she was finally gone.

"She’s gone."

Mr. Ma struck a match and lit a kerosene lamp, bringing some light into the pitch-dark room.

The group looked at each other, and after a while, Old Mrs. Song sighed, "What should we do with the things she sent?"

"Just like before, let Xiao Jiu return them tomorrow."

"Okay, I’ll do it in front of the team leader tomorrow."

Yi Chichi, "..." The implication was that this wasn’t the first time this had happened?

"Were the things returned before always in front of the team leader?"

"Yes, great-grandfather said without witnesses, she could accuse us of accepting her things, and we’d have no defense."

Qin Jiu obediently repeated the old man’s words and then looked at Yi Chichi, "Aunt, what do you think she’s thinking?"

"I don’t know."

Yi Chichi couldn’t answer, as she wasn’t Xue Jiahuan.

Qin Jiu sighed like a little adult, "Comrade Xue sometimes really makes me admire her."

"What do you admire about her?"

"Her never-give-up spirit."

As he said this, his little expression was quite dramatic, making Yi Chichi want to laugh, "How did you see that?"

The so-called never-give-up spirit.

Xue Jiahuan had no such spirit. If giving up one’s advantages just to seek a patron is a spirit,

Then she certainly fit it.

As for whether it’s a never-give-up spirit, it depends on perspective.

Qin Jiu thought differently than she did, reasoning, "She clearly knows she’s not welcomed, yet she still fights for her goal as if nothing’s wrong. Is that not worthy of admiration?"

That question was a good one. If you don’t consider the feelings of those she’s targeting, she indeed seems admirable.

At least her persistence, despite setbacks, is something ordinary people can’t achieve.

"If you put it that way, you’re not wrong."

Qin Jiu smiled as if he had found a like-minded person, "I told you, she actually has merit."

Yi Chichi and the others didn’t comment, merely smiling silently.

The kid added, "But being targeted by her is really annoying."

Whenever she came, he had to put on an act with Grandpa Captain and the others—such a hassle.

He was still just a kid, why did he have to encounter such a strange comrade?

"Great-grandfather, is there really no way to stop her from coming?"

The old ones couldn’t do anything. In the past, getting someone to stay away was easy.

But times had changed. Not only did they lack the means to do something, but they also mustn’t.

Keeping a low profile and living peacefully was their main goal now; they couldn’t afford any disruption.

"Just hope she figures it out herself."

Yi Chichi found it unlikely, as Xue Jiahuan was too determined in her desire for a patron to understand anytime soon.

Before she truly understood, it would likely be too late.

Anyway, it’s too early to say these things. Her path was her own to tread, and all they could do was manage themselves, resolutely avoiding any involvement with her.

"Can you handle it alone tomorrow?"

She looked at Qin Jiu, the little guy puffed up his chest, "Auntie, don’t worry. I can handle this."

"Alright, Auntie has to gather herbs on the mountain tomorrow. I hope to hear your good news when I return."

"Definitely."

Seeing it was getting late, Yi Chichi bid farewell and took the empty cans back home.

Wen’s mother was still awake, waiting for her at the door.

"Why did it take so long?"

"Xue Jiahuan came by."

Wen’s mother’s face changed dramatically, "Did you bump into her?"

"No, I came first; she came later. We turned off the lights and didn’t go out. She waited outside for a while before leaving."

No wonder it took so long.

Wen’s mother couldn’t understand, "Why is she so stubbornly trying to associate with your great-grandfather and them?"

"She thinks the old man and they can return to Beijing."

She lowered her voice, speaking softly. Wen’s mother’s eyes widened suddenly, "She’s that shrewd?"

That remark was so candid it left Yi Chichi speechless.

Perhaps her expression was too obvious, and Wen’s mother chuckled awkwardly, "I just think the child isn’t very bright."

Her actions really didn’t seem clever, but she wasn’t bad, just hard to characterize.

"She thinks herself clever."

Clever enough to think she outsmarted everyone else.

Wen’s mother thought for a moment and found her evaluation quite fair.

She couldn’t help but smile, reminding her, "Remember to keep your distance from her."

"Okay."

Not that she would ever consider hanging out with Xue Jiahuan—they were simply not on the same path.

Satisfied by the response, Wen’s mother advised her to take a bath and sleep early, then returned to her room.

Yi Chichi agreed, went through her bathing and skincare routine, and then returned to her room for a good night’s sleep.