After calling Jiang Xia, An Ning headed to the fields to work for a bit and expand her spiritual power.

As she worked, she mentally constructed a new set of practice problems.

When quitting time arrived, An Ning left with everyone else. By the time she got home, it still wasn’t time for dinner.

She returned to her room and began writing out the problems for An Guoping.

After dinner, An Ning continued writing.

An Ning rose again at the crack of dawn the next day and finished writing the problems.

When An Ning handed the workbook to An Guoping, he flipped through a couple of pages. It was a completely new set of exercises.

"Sis, how on earth did you write so many?"

"Once you’ve mastered the material, you’ll be able to write them too."

An Ning gave An Guoping a supportive fist pump. "Keep going! Once you’re done with these, you can start creating problems yourself."

"Huh? I have to create problems, too?"

An Guoping clutched the workbook, trailing behind An Ning in lockstep with Da Huang.

"Sis, I can really create my own problems?"

"Why not? Isn’t that what I’m training you to do?"

An Ning’s reply was matter-of-fact, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Heh heh... I guess you’re right."

An Guoping looked at the brand-new workbook, and then at the one he still hadn’t finished. ’There’s no way I can get through all this before school starts,’ he thought.

"Sis, do you think I even need to go to school anymore?"

An Ning, who was in the middle of washing her face, turned around. She gave the question her full attention.

"Can you take the exams without attending classes?"

"I can."

"Then do you want to go?"

"I... I don’t know. It feels like it wouldn’t make much of a difference, and we’d still have to pay for tuition and living expenses."

An Guoping was leaning toward not going, but he hadn’t made up his mind yet.

An Ning took a towel from the clothesline in the yard, dried her face, and said, "Well, think it over at home. School hasn’t started yet, so you have time."

"I will, Sis."

An Guoping took the workbook back to his room before they all sat down to eat.

For breakfast, Lin Cuihua had prepared steamed egg custard topped with a layer of chive blossoms, a pot of stewed tofu, and a large pot of sorghum rice.

After breakfast, An Ning picked up the luggage Lin Cuihua had packed for her and prepared to leave.

Da Huang trailed reluctantly at An Ning’s heels. The big rooster was there too, looking as if it had completely lost its purpose in life ever since An Guoming left for the county seat.

"I’ll only be gone a few days, and your master will be back too."

An Ning patted Da Huang’s head, ruffling his fur a couple of times. "You help me look after the house, okay?"

"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

"Thanks."

An Ning shouldered her bedroll and set off for the county seat on her own.

Lin Cuihua watched from the doorway for a moment before turning back inside. Over time, she had come to understand one thing: her daughter wasn’t the type to stay cooped up at home forever.

An Ning walked at a brisk pace. Once she reached the town, she caught a bus to the county seat.

Upon arriving at the county seat, she went straight to the machinery factory.

Just as An Ning reached the gate of the machinery factory, she saw several other people carrying an assortment of bags and bundles.

"You lot, follow me. I’ll get you assigned to your dorms."

The five people in front followed the man who had shouted, but An Ning stayed where she was.

"Hey, you in the back! Get a move on!"

An Ning glanced behind her. Seeing no one else, she realized he was yelling at her.

She didn’t move, just waved her hand.

"I’m not with them."

"You’re not here to work at the factory?"

The man jogged back a few steps, his brow furrowing as he looked at An Ning and the bedroll on her back.

"If you’re not here for a job, why are you carrying luggage?"

"Someone invited me to come."

An Ning was telling the truth, but the man just laughed.

"That’s a good one! Invited you? Why not just say the director himself invited you?"

To the man’s surprise, An Ning just nodded earnestly. "As a matter of fact, your director did invite me."

"BWAHAHAHA! Hey, everyone, get a load of this! This little lady says the director invited her! The director invited her to—"

"I invited her. You got a problem with that?"

Director Jin strode out. Seeing his brother-in-law making a fool of himself, he aimed a kick right at him.

"What the hell are you laughing at?! Stop grinning like a damn fool, you think you own the place? Apologize!"

The instant he finished his tirade, Director Jin turned to An Ning, his expression shifting to a benevolent smile worthy of Santa Claus.

"An Ning, you’re here! Don’t pay him any mind. He’s just a simple-minded fool with a screw loose!"

The brother-in-law, despite being called a fool with a screw loose, was no idiot, even if he was a bit of a flake.

He immediately scurried forward with a beaming smile. He didn’t care that An Ning was younger than him; he bowed deeply, scraping and apologizing with gusto.

"I’m so sorry, it’s my fault, all my fault!"

An Ning was already used to people bowing and apologizing to her. Her tone was calm and magnanimous.

"It’s fine. You have a screw loose, so I won’t hold it against you."

The man bowing was Director Jin’s brother-in-law, who was actually fairly competent at his job.

He paid An Ning’s words no mind at all, straightening up with a goofy grin and even slapping his own head. "You’re not wrong there! I must’ve forgotten to take my meds this morning."

"Get lost, get lost! Go do what you’re supposed to be doing!"

After shooing him away, Director Jin shouted after him, "Is that room I told you to prepare ready or not?"

"It’s ready, it’s ready! All cleaned up."

Only then did the brother-in-law remember Director Jin telling him to prepare a private room. ’So it was for this young lady,’ he realized.

Director Jin then invited An Ning to follow his brother-in-law and get settled in.

"An Ning, I’ve arranged a private room for you, and I’ve got your meal tickets for the cafeteria ready as well. Once this job is done, I’ll pay you this much. How does that sound?"

An Ning looked at the five fingers Director Jin held up. "Five thousand?" she asked.

Director Jin stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face.

His expression turned awkward as a thought raced through his mind. ’Did I offer too little?’

’Then again, this kind of technical expertise is priceless.’

"Uh, I held up the wrong number. It’s this much."

Director Jin first held up one finger. A second finger struggled to join it. He tried to raise a third, but it refused to move.

"How about two thousand?"

"Okay. That’s acceptable."

An Ning’s calm acceptance, her completely unruffled expression, made Director Jin’s heart bleed.

’Did I just agree to that too hastily!’

’From five hundred to two thousand... that’s a fourfold increase!’

Though Director Jin had some regrets, the pain wasn’t too sharp. He smiled and led An Ning to the dormitory.

The machinery factory’s dormitory was a three-story building without many rooms.

One had to apply for a spot in the dorm, and not everyone was approved.

Typically, eight people shared a room, but An Ning’s had been specially set aside just for her.

Her treatment was a clear indicator of her status.

The two men escorted An Ning to the third-floor landing and went no further.

"An Ning, Room 306 is yours. Here’s the key. This entire floor is the women’s dormitory, so we won’t go up."

"Okay, thank you."

An Ning took the key. "Where should I go to start working once I’m settled in?"

"Come to my office. I’ll be waiting for you there. There’s no rush, take your time unpacking."

"Understood, thank you."

An Ning, still carrying her bag, found the room. The moment she inserted the key, a voice came from beside her.

"Let me help you with that."