Chapter 103: A Shocking Statement

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: A Shocking Statement

His sister’s smile was beautiful and warm, putting Zhao Nuanyang at ease.

"You’re welcome." Zhao Nuanyang smiled, then took out a book on drawing and began to read it off to the side.

Zhao Nuanyue collected her complicated thoughts and calmed her agitated heart. "After my brother and I returned," she began, "my stepfather tried to marry me off to his supervisor’s foolish son in exchange for a promotion. Luckily, I was quick-witted enough to find someone to help me escape."

The others listened, filled with righteous indignation. Sun Haoran said, "That stepfather of yours is a monster in human guise. You did the right thing by coming back. Don’t even think about returning."

"Mm, I won’t be going back." Zhao Nuanyue gave a bitter smile. "This time, not only were we viciously beaten, but my brother, who had just recovered during his time in Nianqiao Village, suffered another major shock after we returned to Jincheng City."

"It’s for the best that you don’t go back. The cities aren’t as peaceful as the countryside right now," He Qiang said. "You and your brother should make a good life here. In a few years, you’ll be older, and things will have stabilized out there. Then you can look for an opportunity to return to the city."

Zhao Nuanyue listened and smiled. "Yes, Nuanyang and I will wait for an opportunity to go back to the city, but not now. I think in the future, we could get into college and return that way. That would be an excellent path."

Gu Qingyu had been silently pondering Zhao Nuanyue’s words, offering no comfort. But when he heard her say the three words "get into college," his expression sharpened, and he fixed a piercing gaze on her. "Xiao Zhao, there are no outsiders here. Why would you think of such a thing?"

Zhao Nuanyue knew that bringing this up would capture their attention. After all, everyone present was a high-level intellectual.

Old Sir Qian and Old Madam Qian were talented individuals who had studied abroad, Sun Haoran was a renowned doctor from Immortal Grass Hall, and He Qiang was a professor at the Yan Country Art Academy. They were all high-level intellectuals with great insight. They knew that a country couldn’t possibly develop without talented people.

Zhao Nuanyue thought for a moment, organized her words, and then spoke slowly. "Actually, my thinking is quite simple. I just feel that a country with as many people as ours needs to be managed, and you can’t have the illiterate doing the managing, can you? Besides, management is one aspect, but then there’s technological progress. While technology abroad is constantly advancing, if we don’t advance, we’re actually going backward. In the long run, we’ll fall even further behind other countries. History has taught us a clear lesson: if you fall behind, you get beaten. If a simple girl like me can see and understand this principle, how could those high-IQ, high-EQ leaders fail to see it?"

Hearing Zhao Nuanyue’s words, the few people in the room exchanged stunned glances.

’Yes, a country this large must be managed by talented people.’

More importantly, the people of Yan Country had had their fill of learning the hard way that falling behind means getting beaten. The future competition would be a contest of technological and military might. All of this required high-tech, top-tier talent. And without developing the education system, where would such talent come from?

True knowledge couldn’t be acquired just by shouting slogans.

Cultivating high-tech talent required not only diligent students but, even more critically, highly knowledgeable teachers.

After a long moment, Gu Qingyu slowly nodded. "Xiao Zhao, you are absolutely right. The nation’s development truly does require a great deal of talent, and education is the foundation. It’s just... sigh..."

At Gu Qingyu’s words, disappointment washed over everyone’s faces, and their expressions grew dim. They would rather be dedicating their passion to education and science than merely scraping by in a remote mountain village.

The current environment gave them no opportunity to contribute. Their survival in this small village was twofold: on one hand, they simply wanted to live; on the other, they were waiting for a chance to put their talents to use once more.

"Heh..." Zhao Nuanyue chuckled, offering words of comfort. "Throughout history, our people have faced countless setbacks and hardships, but we’ve managed to get back on our feet every single time. As long as we don’t lose heart or become discouraged, as long as we remain hopeful for the future, we can certainly forge a new path forward. Let’s treat this time as a trial to temper ourselves and gather our strength for the resurgence that’s to come."

"Yes... for the resurgence that’s to come?" Gu Qingyu murmured, a dazed look in his eyes. Then, a smile bloomed on his face, and he exclaimed with excitement, "That’s right! We will have a resurgence! As long as we have hope, as long as we’re alive, we will live to see that day of resurgence and strength!"

Old Sir Qian found great sense in Gu Qingyu’s words as well.

He Qiang, for his part, hoped that day would come sooner rather than later. He longed not only to resume his role as a teacher, instructing students in the art of painting, but also to pick up his own brush and create magnificent works once again.

Zhao Nuanyue’s words had ignited a passion in everyone’s hearts, filling them with hope for the future.

They also advised Zhao Nuanyue that if she truly wanted to get into a university in the future, she should start studying now. They suggested she try to find some high school textbooks so the elders could teach her and her brother. That way, if the entrance exams were ever reinstated, the two of them would be well-prepared and could surely get into a good university.

Here in the remote Nianqiao Village, though the location was isolated and material conditions were scarce, their spirits were rich and full of hope.

It was getting late, so Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuanyang escorted the elders to their rooms before returning to their own.

The long journey by train had been exhausting. Not long after they got back to their room, Zhao Nuanyang fell fast asleep.

Zhao Nuanyue was just about to fall asleep when the Little Red Carp’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind. "Master, you’re back!"

Zhao Nuanyue jolted and sat bolt upright in bed. She realized it was the Little Red Carp’s voice—and not because she had submerged her consciousness in water to talk to it, as she usually did.

"Little Red Carp, I’ll return the Dragon Scale to you right now," Zhao Nuanyue replied. "I was so lucky to have the Dragon Scale you gave me this time. I would have been in serious trouble otherwise."

"As long as it was helpful, that’s all that matters." The Little Red Carp’s voice sounded like it was swimming playfully around her. "How come you’re the only one back? Didn’t Hua Yusen return with you?"

Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue asked in confusion, "How did you know Hua Yusen went back to the city as well?"

"Simple! I sensed you were going to be in danger, so I sent a dream to Hua Yusen. I made him dream about you being in trouble, and he got so worried he had to go find you," the Little Red Carp said proudly. Its image, complete with big, adorable eyes, looked at Zhao Nuanyue, eagerly awaiting praise.