Jiang Hai and Ai Xiaoxi walked side by side along the country road. A gentle breeze rustled the fields, lifting strands of Ai Xiaoxi's long hair, which occasionally brushed against Jiang Hai. He didn't say anything—just chuckled softly and gently tugged on her hair, making Ai Xiaoxi roll her eyes at him.
"Your hometown is really beautiful," Jiang Hai said, his gaze shifting once more to the scenery around them.
It had to be admitted—there was a good reason Ai Xiaoxi's village had been developed into a rural tourist spot. It was truly picturesque, boasting everything mentioned in the lyrics of a countryside ballad: mountains, water, and forests.
Though the village wasn't large, it was charming. With nearly a hundred households, it was considered a sizable village. To the east lay the Yellow Sea, though the beach here was short and strewn with gravel, not ideal for swimming or sunbathing. Jagged reefs made it unsuitable for typical tourism, but the ocean view was still stunning and undiminished.
To the south, a reservoir fed a steady stream into the village, ensuring a rich supply of fresh water—though the drinking water still had a slightly salty taste, likely due to some mixing with seawater.
A dense forest stood to the north, helping prevent soil erosion and preserving the land. And to the west of the village ran a highway, beyond which stretched vast tracts of farmland. It was autumn now, and the fields shimmered gold in the sunlight—a breathtaking sight.
Different provinces in China specialize in various agricultural products. Jiang Hai's own Heilong Province was one of the nation's top grain producers. Its output of rice, wheat, and corn was among the highest in the country—enough, in fact, to feed the entire Chinese population for three months.
The other northeastern provinces were similar. The Song-Nen Plain had rich, fertile soil—unlike the overworked Central Plains, where thousands of years of farming had depleted the land. In contrast, the northeast remained lush and productive.
Shandong Province, where they were now, was also a major agricultural hub. However, instead of grain, it focused on fruits and vegetables. The fruits from this region might not fare well in the southern provinces, where the red soil and tropical climate produced fast-growing, sugary fruit. But in the north, Shandong's produce was considered the best. Most northern cities depended on Shandong for their fruits—especially in winter. It was also a key exporter, with countries like Japan and South Korea importing a large share of its fruits and vegetables, hence the strict quality control.
"Of course it's beautiful," Ai Xiaoxi said with a grin, catching his admiration. "Haven't you heard the saying, 'A place's water and soil shape its people'? Just look at how beautiful I am, and you'll know how beautiful my hometown must be."
The shyness Ai Xiaoxi had shown when Jiang Hai first arrived had completely melted away now that she was home. She smiled at him playfully.
"My beautiful country girl," Jiang Hai teased, taking her hand, "do me a favor—tell your mom tomorrow not to put so much salt in the food."
"I know, I know," she laughed.
"By the way… who exactly is that Young Master Liu? An ex-boyfriend?" Jiang Hai hesitated before asking, but he couldn't let it go. He didn't want a hidden thorn festering in his heart.
"No way. Do I look blind to you?" Ai Xiaoxi scoffed. "His name's Liu Zheng—son of the village chief, Liu Laosan. He was a troublemaker when we were kids. We went to elementary and middle school together. He started chasing me in junior high. After I got into high school in the city, he actually had the nerve to ask his dad to propose on his behalf. My dad flat-out refused. I thought that was the end of it, but last year when I came back after the accident in my family, I ran into him again. He started pestering me all over again…"
She paused, glancing at Jiang Hai. "Why? Are you jealous?"
Ai Xiaoxi knew Jiang Hai wasn't afraid of some village thug. The man had fought gangs overseas, even faced off against the Gray Gang with a gun. What was a village chief's brat compared to that?
"Yeah… a little," Jiang Hai admitted, scratching his nose with a sheepish grin.
"Hehe, don't worry. In life and in death, I'm yours—unless you decide you don't want me anymore," she said softly.
Her words moved Jiang Hai. Though Ai Xiaoxi still seemed a little uncertain about their relationship, her commitment was genuine. Unless he let go, she wouldn't leave.
"I'll never give you up," he said seriously, pulling her into his arms.
They walked together through the golden fields, their hearts warming as they leaned into each other.
As they walked, Ai Xiaoxi began telling him about her family.
On her father's side, there had once been three relatives: her eldest uncle, third uncle, and youngest aunt.
Her eldest uncle had died years ago in a mining accident. A nearby private mine had recruited laborers, and after just three months of work, the mine collapsed. He never made it out.
Her aunt had sold her home nearly a decade ago and moved to town with her son. She used to return during Qingming Festival, but hadn't come back in five or six years. Word was, she'd remarried and cut ties with the village entirely.
As for her third uncle and his wife, Ai Xiaoxi had nothing but disdain. Her third uncle had taken up the government's call to raise dairy cows and now earned a decent income—sixty or seventy thousand yuan a year, high by village standards. To sell his milk, he had to rely on the village's only milk station, which happened to be run by the village chief's nephew. So naturally, he tried to cozy up to Liu Laosan. His wife—Ai Xiaoxi's third aunt—was no better. Her husband worked the chief's grain fields, and she would do anything to maintain that relationship, even if it meant selling out her own niece.
On her mother's side, she had three relatives: an uncle, an aunt, and a younger uncle. They were equally stingy. Because they had opposed her mother's marriage years ago, tensions had always been high. Though things had softened somewhat in recent years, they were far from close.
When tragedy struck Ai Xiaoxi's family, her mother went around asking for help. From those three families, she managed to borrow a measly thousand yuan in total—and then was shut out entirely, as if she no longer existed.
It was no surprise, then, that Ai Xiaoxi had severed ties with most of her relatives. If they weren't indifferent, they were outright opportunists.
Listening to her, Jiang Hai sighed. The world could be so cold.
He thought of his own relatives. When he was at his lowest, they hadn't lifted a finger. That was why, even now that he was wealthy, he had no intention of giving them anything—not even a shred of help. If even one of them had offered a hand back then, it wouldn't have cost them much. He would've remembered it forever. But they hadn't…
Sometimes, family disappears when you need them most—and shows up only when you don't. Not all relatives are bad, of course. But both Jiang Hai and Ai Xiaoxi had the misfortune of encountering the worst.
At least now, Ai Xiaoxi had him. Back then, Jiang Hai had no one—until Qi Li entered his life. He had essentially sold himself to her, but she had pulled him out of the mud. Thinking of her, Jiang Hai's heart stirred.
He imagined Qi Li's cold, expressionless face… but the image slowly shifted into something warmer.
"If possible, I should try to make a clean break with Qi Li soon," Jiang Hai thought. "If she's no longer my wife… she might still be a friend worth keeping."
Though he held Ai Xiaoxi close, part of his mind had drifted back to Bingcheng, to the complicated arrangement he shared with Qi Li.
But just then, a voice broke the moment.
"Xiaoxi!"
Startled, Jiang Hai and Ai Xiaoxi turned around.
A young man was approaching. He looked about twenty, tall and energetic, but with a hint of melancholy—like a university student who hadn't yet faced the real world.
His eyes lit up when he saw Ai Xiaoxi, filled with a mix of joy, regret, longing, and sorrow. It was as though she were his entire world.
But when he turned to Jiang Hai, his gaze hardened with envy, jealousy, and hatred—as if he wanted to rip Jiang Hai apart with his teeth.