Zhaijia Village is located at the foot of Huangshan Mountain, nestled between mountains and rivers, with a pleasant scenery. However, due to its poor transportation, this village is very impoverished. So poor that even eating is considered a luxury, so poor that they can't even afford electricity.

Of course, the name Zhajia Village is now a thing of the past. It's now famous throughout the surrounding area as the "Widow Village".

This matter dates back a year. Zhao Dashan, the richest man in the village, took on an installation project for water, electricity, and heating at a construction site in town. This was a large-scale project, and if completed on time, he could earn hundreds of thousands of yuan.

I was planning to let all the old men in the village earn a little extra money. Who knew that the district was shoddily built, and just as all the old men were working hard installing water, electricity, and heating, the whole district collapsed.

And all the people in Zhajia Village were buried under the rubble. When they were pulled out, over 200 of them had unfortunately died.

Although it had no direct connection with Zhao Dashan, this incident was caused by him. And he instantly became the public enemy number one in Zhaodajiantun.

Because he felt guilty, Zhao Dashi took rat poison and committed suicide.

Although Zhao Dashan has been released, he left behind his sixteen-year-old son, Zhao Xiaoning, to live alone in Zhajia Village, living under the scrutiny and judgment of others.

Before a dilapidated graveyard overgrown with weeds, Zhao Xiaoning sat there with pained eyes. Though only sixteen years old, she possessed a striking beauty. Especially her eyes, etched with an air of world-weariness, were something beyond the comprehension of anyone her age. Her yellowed white shirt, paired with loose trousers and thick-soled sandals, perfectly embodied the attire of a humble farm boy.

"Dad, even though you're gone, I'll pay off your debts. Just, I don't know how long I can keep going, I'm almost at my limit."

Thinking back on this year's life, Zhao Xiaoning felt like he was in hell, so painful. No one gave him a good look, anyone who saw him would spit at his face, and what could he do about it?

Parental debt is paid by children, as long as everyone feels good about it, even if they die, they wouldn't frown. But, is death really a solution? No, that's the act of a coward.

"Little Ning."

Just then, a crisp shout came over.

Hearing the shout, Zhao Xiaoning quickly wiped away the tears from the corner of her eye and looked in the distance. From the knee-deep weeds, a girl in a white floral dress walked over. At first glance, she was five years old, with bright eyes that seemed to speak. Her ponytail hung behind her head, especially her skin that looked like polished jade, seeming just like someone from the city.

Although she wasn't a city dweller, Wang Er Ya's father was the village head of Zhaojia Tun. And her mother, even more so, was the village beauty, her fame spreading throughout the ten surrounding villages and eight districts.

Seeing Wang Er'ya, Zhao Xiaoning's eyes crinkled into a faint smile. The reason he could make it through the villagers' insults was mainly because of Wang Er'ya. After all, the two had been betrothed since they were eight years old. The only person in the entire village who treated him kindly was Wang Er'ya, often encouraging and comforting him. Otherwise, Zhao Xiaoning would have definitely chosen to act like a coward.

"Er Ya, how did you get here?" Zhao Xiaoning stood up and patted the dirt and weeds off his buttocks.

Wang Er Ya said: "I went to your house and found you weren't there, so I guessed you were here. Xiao Ning ge, I came to find you this time because I have something to tell you."

"What's the matter that you had to come here to say? Look at you, your clothes are all torn by weeds." Zhao Xiaoning said with concern.

Wang Er Ya whispered, "Let's elope."

"What?" Zhao Xiaoning was startled.

Wang Er ya said with determined eyes, "Let's elope, let's leave Zhaojia Village and go live somewhere else. Xiaoning, I won't hide anything from you, my dad told me about a marriage arrangement, the other party is from a wealthy family in Gejiazhuang. But as you know, I like you."

Zhao Xiaoning appeared calm, but his heart ached. Although he had anticipated this, the reality of it still hurt deeply.

Wang Er Ya's father, Wang Yu Kun, although he is the village head of Zhao Jia Tun, is a very powerful and wealthy man. Back then, when his family was rich, he married Wang Er Ya to himself in order to secure a good match for his son. Now that his son has passed away, Wang Yu Kun will definitely break off the engagement.

"Little Ningge, what are you thinking about? Answer me quickly!" Wang Erya looked anxious.

Zhao Xiaoning smiled wryly and said, "That's a good thing."

"What are you saying?" Wang Er Ya looked at him with disbelief, clearly not expecting him to say that.

Zhao Xiaoning took a deep breath: "I'm saying this is a good thing. Just listen to Uncle Yukun's arrangement, after all, he's your father, he wouldn't harm you."

"Xiao Ning Ge, what do you mean? Don't you like me anymore?" Wang Er Ya looked at him with tears in her eyes.

Zhao Xiaoning smiled bitterly, like it? Do I even have the qualifications to like you anymore?

"Er Ya, actually I've never liked you. The reason why we made a child marriage agreement is because of our families. In my heart, you're just like my sister." Zhao Xiao Ning said calmly. But the pain in his heart was like a brand, getting more and more painful, making him unable to breathe.

"Zhao Xiaoning, I hate you." Wang Erya covered her face and left. Her heart-wrenching cries were like sharp blades, piercing Zhao Xiaoning's heart directly.

Zhao Xiaoning smiled, a very happy smile. Because he had long wanted to cut ties with Wang Erya, because he knew that he couldn't give Erya a good life. Now that the relationship was severed, he felt relieved.

...But as he laughed, tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his face. He crouched on the ground, burying his head in his arms and sobbing uncontrollably. Eight years together, side by side; he had long considered Wang Er Ya the most precious person in his life. Though he longed to grow old with her, he knew that if it truly was for her best, the kindest thing he could do was to leave.

Zhao Xiaoning, who was crying so hard that his head hurt, didn't notice that when his tears hit the ground, they were instantly absorbed like a sponge, leaving not even a trace.

In the blink of an eye, the sun had set in the west. The afterglow of dusk spread across the horizon, and wisps of cooking smoke began to rise above Zhaojiatun.

With tear-filled, swollen eyes, Zhao Xiaoning stood up and looked at the overgrown grave. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "Dad, I'm leaving. I'll come see you again when I have time." Then she turned and walked towards Zhaojiatun.

When he reached the Land Temple at the west end of the village, Zhao Xiaoning suddenly stopped. He saw clearly that the stone statue of the Land God inside the temple was glowing, yes, just like a nightstone, emitting a pearly white light.

So-called land temples are not actually temples, but rather small structures over a meter high. The stone statues inside are also only about half a meter tall, and their primary function is still for worship.

"How did the statue of the Land God become so bright?" Zhao Xiaoning was stunned for a moment, then strode over.