Wang Xiaoqiang, pulling a cart of yams, left the village and took to the national road outside when he suddenly spotted two familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar figures.

The familiarity came from the fact that they were from the village, people he had once been very close to, but they had become strangers because they hadn't been in contact for a long time.

These two were none other than the village's most respected elder, Wang Deyun, and his granddaughter Jiang Xiaoxin.

Elder Deyun was dressed in new clothes, holding a small black briefcase, standing straight and looking as energetic as ever, although his expression seemed rather angry. Jiang Xiaoxin was carrying her school bag and wore a worried frown on her face.

Seeing the appearance of the grandfather and granddaughter, it was obvious that Wang Deyun was about to send Jiang Xiaoxin to the county town for school.

Jiang Xiaoxin had lived up to expectations and had been admitted to the county's key high school the previous year. Wang Xiaoqiang had heard about it, but at that time, he had just acquired the Five Elements Spiritual Spring and was busy with entrepreneurship. He was quite occupied and hadn't congratulated her, feeling a bit guilty inside.

Upon seeing them, Wang Xiaoqiang intended to give Jiang Xiaoxin a ride and thus parked his vehicle beside them before hopping out.

"Brother Qiang..." Upon seeing Wang Xiaoqiang, Jiang Xiaoxin brightened up and smiled, showing her fine, white teeth, which against her pale red lips looked particularly attractive.

"Little Xin, off to school, huh..." Having not been in contact for a year, Wang Xiaoqiang noticed that Jiang Xiaoxin had become even more beautiful, with rounder shoulders, fuller chest, slimmer waist, and an increasingly alluring face.

"Grandpa Deyun, hello..." Although Jiang Xiaoxin was growing ever more eye-catching, Wang Xiaoqiang did not linger on her too long and soon turned to greet Elder Deyun.

"Ah, it's Xiaoqiang! You haven't visited me in quite a while!" Upon seeing Wang Xiaoqiang, Elder Deyun's previously angry face was immediately replaced with a warm smile, although he still complained.

A sense of shame flooded Wang Xiaoqiang's heart: "Grandpa Deyun, I'm really sorry, I..."

"Alright, no need to explain. I know you're busy, and I'm not blaming you..." Elder Deyun laughed offhandedly, shaking his head and waving his hand.

"Grandpa Deyun, I will come to visit you more often in the future..." Wang Xiaoqiang started to promise, but Elder Deyun cut him off with a large wave of his hand: "No need, no need, focus on your business, it's important. I wouldn't want to waste your precious time..."

In the midst of their conversation, Elder Deyun walked over to Wang Xiaoqiang, patted him on the shoulder, and looked him up and down with gleaming eyes: "I never imagined, in less than a year, that your business would grow this big... Xiaoqiang, your grandpa is proud of you!"

"Grandpa, you're overpraising me. Right now, I'm still envious of Little Xin for getting into the key county high school. She's definitely going to step through the gates of a university in the future..." Wang Xiaoqiang's gaze turned toward Jiang Xiaoxin. His words were not just courtesy; he genuinely held a hopeful view of education and university, only that hope wasn't as strong as it was before.

"Don't even talk about it. Ever since she got into the key high school, her studies have started to slip, and, and she has actually started dating... Hmph! It's infuriating!"

Speaking of Jiang Xiaoxin, Elder Deyun showed a face full of anger, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Grandpa, how many times have I told you, why won't you believe me, I'm not dating anyone. It's that director's son who's forcing me to be with him..." Jiang Xiaoxin tried hard to defend herself, tears streaming down her face.

"Hmph! It takes two to clap. This time I have to find out the truth myself. If it is that director's son forcing you, then even at the cost of my life this old man will make him pay. But if you had any intentions of your own, Grandpa won't let you off... Cough cough..." Elder Deyun was frenetic with rage, his face turning red as he coughed violently toward the end.

"Grandpa Deyun, please don't get so worked up, it's not worth it if you damage your health..." Wang Xiaoqiang patted Elder Deyun on the back while speaking up for Jiang Xiaoxin: "Grandpa Deyun, I believe Little Xin wouldn't do such a foolish thing..."

"Brother Qiang, I really don't have the slightest intention to date. It's that principal's son, he, he's pestering me... Wuu wuu..."

To Wang Xiaoqiang, Jiang Xiaoxin seemed even more desperate to prove her innocence, ending up crying pitifully.

"Little Xin, I believe you," Wang Xiaoqiang nodded solemnly at her, then said to Elder Deyun, "Grandpa, don't worry about this anymore. Leave it to me. I'm just about to go to the county town for some errands. I'll take Little Xin to school, and I promise that the principal's son will get the lesson he deserves and won't dare to bother Little Xin again..."

Elder Deyun's gaze fixed on Wang Xiaoqiang. He had heard about Wang Xiaoqiang's dealings with the Guo Family in the county town, and he knew that Wang Xiaoqiang was no longer the down-and-out young man he used to be. Thus, he nodded and said, "Xiaoqiang, I'll leave this matter to you, but don't let it get too out of hand!"

"Don't worry, Grandpa; I was raised under your eye. Don't you know me?" Wang Xiaoqiang reassured.

"Mm, Grandpa believes you'll handle it well..." Wang Deyun said, turning his gaze to his granddaughter: "Little Xin, I won't be going then, but you still need to remember grandpa's words, study hard, and don't get into early romance."

Jiang Xiaoxin nodded obediently and got onto the truck with Wang Xiaoqiang.

Wang Xiaoqiang let Jiang Xiaoxin take the passenger seat, and then he drove straight to the county town.

Jiang Xiaoxin was still crying, her eyes red from tears.

With his right hand on the steering wheel, Wang Xiaoqiang fished out a tissue with his left and handed it to her: "Wipe your tears, and stop crying. What's there to worry about? It's just early romance..."

"Brother Qiang, I'm not in an early romance..." Jiang Xiaoxin defended herself through sobs, crying even harder, "I really haven't. How can you not believe me? Wuuu..."

Wang Xiaoqiang felt a bit embarrassed: "Er, I misspoke. It's the principal's son who's been pestering you. There must be a reason, right?"

"He's just a playboy... an ignorant playboy..." Jiang Xiaoxin said bitterly.

"I see, it's because you're too beautiful!" Wang Xiaoqiang laughed.

"Brother Qiang, what nonsense are you talking..." Jiang Xiaoxin stopped crying and turned her face away, her pretty face blushing.

"If I don't say it that way, you would still be crying!" Wang Xiaoqiang said.

"His father's a bureau chief, and he often does whatever he wants on campus..." Jiang Xiaoxin said with disgust.

"What's his name..."

"His name is Yao Zhihao; his father is Yao Siwen, the deputy director of the County Education Bureau."

Jiang Xiaoxin went on to describe Yao Zhihao's misdeeds at the key county middle school and his harassment of her. Wang Xiaoqiang grew angrier as he listened, and by the end, he was grinding his teeth.

It turned out that Yao Zhihao had always been a poor student who had gotten into the key county high school only because of his father. Yet, he remained unambitious, aimlessly hanging around the school, causing trouble with his gang, fighting, and extorting protection money from students in the dorms. Anyone who didn't pay would get beaten.

The money extorted was spent on girls; he would spend his days eyeing female students. The more naive ones fell prey to his coercion and ended up mistreated by him outside of school. Of course, there were also girls with poor conduct who readily gave in to his advances, and sometimes, these acts were openly carried out in the girls' dorms, causing significant discontent.

Every incident was forcefully suppressed by the school administration under pressure, as Yao Siwen doted on his son excessively and failed to discipline him. The school leaders, overwhelmed by pressure, could only indulge and submit to this behavior.

Even though Jiang Xiaoxin was both excellent in conduct and academics, and she was reserved and behaved appropriately, just as Wang Xiaoqiang said, she was too beautiful. Even without makeup, her natural beauty couldn't be concealed. From the day she entered the key county high school, the boys in her grade secretly voted her the school beauty, making her the target of every male student's pursuit.

Such an eye-catching beauty could not escape the lecherous eyes of Pu Zhihao.

Thus, Pu Zhihao started to scheme against Jiang Xiaoxin, but her stance was very clear, firm in declaring that she wouldn't consider dating, telling Yao Zhihao not to waste his efforts. Nonetheless, Yao Zhihao didn't give up due to her rejection and continued to pester her relentlessly, causing Jiang Xiaoxin to become frustrated and her academic performance to plummet.

She complained to her homeroom teacher several times, to no avail, and due to this, she had even considered dropping out of school.

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