Turns Out I’m the Villain They’re Supposed to Redeem? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 44

After Li Xuzhi left, Huo Yuwan spent her breaks from farming studying the notebook she had left behind. In the evenings, she tinkered in the laboratory herself, but despite several attempts, she couldn’t get the toy airplane to fly.

Puzzled, she stared at the two tinplate airplanes on the table. She had clearly grasped the principles, and the modification steps followed Li Xuzhi’s notebook exactly. So why were the results so different?

After disassembling the parts and trying again several times, Huo Yuwan finally managed to get the tinplane to lift off the ground at dawn the next day. However, as Li Xuzhi had said, due to design flaws in the model itself, a half-meter flight altitude was its limit.

Running her fingers over the rotor of the airplane model, Huo Yuwan suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the pile of items stacked in the corner.

They were gifts Yang Nanjun had asked Wu Xiao to deliver to her earlier. Huo Yuwan, still upset with him, had never used them.

With a mix of scepticism and hope, she dug out the black leather notebook Wu Xiao had specifically mentioned from the pile.

Flipping it open, she discovered detailed records of physical airplane disassembly and schematic diagrams. Huo Yuwan sniffed, a pang of regret tightening her chest. Her stubborn grudge had cost her dearly.

If only she had opened this notebook earlier, it was practically a super-detailed, top-tier academic guide!

Huo Yuwan’s mind was sharp to begin with. With Li Xuzhi’s guidance, she had devoured numerous specialized books and already had a firm grasp of various formulas and theories. Coupled with her strong hands-on skills and the guidance from this notebook, her experiments progressed with remarkable speed.

Not only did she modify all the defective toys she had bought, making them capable of running and flying, but she also used leftover materials to craft a shell model of a satellite simulator for fun.

Now that Li Xuzhi’s family matters had been resolved, even though she couldn’t return to the city yet, Huo Yuwan knew that once the college entrance examination system was restored a few years later, getting into university would become the most promising way for educated youth to return.

Li Xuzhi already had a high school diploma. Without the obstacles from the original storyline, she was certain to take the college entrance exam and attend university.

So Huo Yuwan had to keep up with her wife, not hold her back. She needed to work even harder to catch up with Li Xuzhi’s progress.

The thought of this goal filled her with motivation, and even the way she swung the hoe became more vigorous.

On the third day after Li Xuzhi’s departure, Huo Yuwan took the letter of introduction written by the village head, slung her small cloth bag, which had been sitting idle at home for years, over her shoulder, and hurried to the only high school in the city. She wanted to enroll herself and, while she was at it, check on Li Xuzhi and see how she was doing.

Armed with the village head’s letter and an explanation of her studies with Li Xuzhi over the past two years, Huo Yuwan showed the school principal the airplane model she had modified and her notebook, both prepared in advance.

Upon learning that she had made the model herself, the principal was astonished. After all, even the largest toy factory in the city had only managed to design toy airplanes that could run on the ground at that stage.

Last week, he took his son to the department store, where a single tin toy airplane that couldn’t even fly cost three hundred yuan. After tentatively asking Huo Yuwan a few related questions and seeing that she could answer them accurately, he readily agreed to her request to skip a grade and directly placed her in the graduating class.

After paying the tuition and confirming she would start the following week, Huo Yuwan shouldered her bag and headed downstairs, intending to go to the inn to find Li Xuzhi.

The campus of the city’s middle school was quite pleasant, with several orderly three-story buildings and a sports field surrounded by lush, natural greenery that provided ample shade. It was just after class, and a male teacher was walking around the teaching buildings, ringing a bell. Huo Yuwan glanced around briefly but continued walking toward the school gate without stopping.

…

In the principal’s office on the third floor of the teaching building, Li Xuzhi sat quietly on the sofa, her eyes downcast as she waited calmly for the middle-aged man seated behind the desk to finish his phone call.

A few minutes later, the man hung up the phone, sighed softly, adjusted the black-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose, and then walked over to sit beside Li Xuzhi.

“Being rehabilitated is no small feat. Now that everything is in the past, I only hope your father can rest and recover in peace,” Cheng Lian said, his tone heavy with emotion. He looked at Li Xuzhi’s cool, silent profile, his heart filled with a mix of nostalgia and sorrow.

In his younger days, Cheng Lian had once accompanied his mentor, Li Xuzhi’s father, home for a meal. Back then, Li Xuzhi was just a small, clever, and well-behaved child. Who could have imagined that over a decade later, everything would have changed so drastically?

He could only assume that after the family’s misfortune, this young woman had endured her share of hardships. Cheng Lian sighed inwardly, shaking his head silently.

Li Xuzhi listened quietly, her expression respectful and subdued, offering no additional remarks.

“Working in the countryside is undoubtedly arduous. Why not stay here? There’s a vacant teaching position in the junior high department, the work would be much lighter. Would you consider it?” Cheng Lian proposed thoughtfully, his words brimming with paternal concern.

“Staying here would also allow me to give your father a proper account later. I wasn’t aware before, but now that we’ve reconnected, I can’t just stand by and do nothing.” Cheng Lian invoked her father’s name once more, his tone gentle and caring.

At this, Li Xuzhi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. Even before coming, she had guessed her father’s intentions in sending her here.

During his rare moments of clarity, after asking about her living conditions, her father had urged her to visit Cheng Lian at the city’s middle school, mentioning only that he was a former student with whom he wished to speak.

But how could Li Xuzhi not see through it? Without prior investigation, how could her father, struggling even to stay conscious, possibly recall the whereabouts of a student from over a decade ago?

If not to seek temporary shelter for her, why would he insist she contact Cheng Lian so urgently?

It was all just his way of doing what little he could, within his limited capacity, to secure a safe haven for his daughter.

Seeing that Li Xuzhi seemed moved yet hesitant, Cheng Lian assumed she had some unspoken concerns. After a moment’s reflection, he suddenly understood.

“Are you worried about accommodation? That’s easily resolved. There’s a spare room at my place, we can tidy it up, and you can move in. Besides, my daughter is around your age. On holidays, you could go shopping with her and my wife.”

His consideration was thorough, and Li Xuzhi felt deeply grateful. However, that wasn’t what was weighing on her mind.

“I’m living quite well in Shihe Village now and don’t currently have plans to change jobs. However, there is another matter I’d like to trouble you with…”

Seeing her hesitant expression, Cheng Lian sighed with a somewhat resigned smile. “Just say what’s on your mind. If your senior can help, he certainly will. But don’t rush to refuse the job offer, think it over some more.”

Hearing this, Li Xuzhi pressed her lips together and spoke softly.

“I have a very talented student who excels in all subjects. But due to limited school resources, she only completed the first year of junior high…”

Unsure how feasible her request might be, her tone remained respectful and sincere, hoping Cheng Lian would give Huo Yuwan a chance.

“I wanted to ask if you could possibly let her study here…”

Cheng Lian was momentarily taken aback, not having expected this to be what preoccupied Li Xuzhi’s thoughts.

It was rare to see his usually aloof and reticent junior so concerned about something. He smiled and nodded.

“Of course. Schools exist precisely for students to study and learn. How could any educator turn away a willing student?”

His response wasn’t without reason. With the college entrance exam system abolished, many students and parents now saw little value in education. A significant number of students dropped out after junior high, leading to severe student shortages, especially in rural schools, some of which struggled to remain open due to lack of enrollment, unlike their urban counterparts.

Relieved by Cheng Lian’s affirmation, Li Xuzhi finally set aside her worries.

“Thank you.”

…

Noticing several bicycles parked under the trees, Huo Yuwan felt a stir of thought, perhaps she should buy a bicycle too?

The city school actually had student dormitories, since not all attendees were local city children; some came from distant rural areas. By rights, Huo Yuwan should have paid for lodging, but she preferred not to stay on campus, opting instead to commute early and late each day to sleep at home.

Seeing the bicycles now made her idea more appealing, owning one would significantly improve her commute efficiency.

Having made up her mind, Huo Yuwan quickened her pace. But before she could exit the school gate, several students darted out from behind and blocked her path.

Startled, she focused on the group before her.

Four boys stood neatly in a row blocking her way.

The leader wore a white short-sleeved shirt and what appeared to be expensive black leather shoes, his gaze toward Huo Yuwan brimming with arrogance.

The three others wore dark-colored tank tops in varying shades, paired with uniform gray-blue trousers and army green cloth shoes, their eyes scanning Huo Yuwan with equal disdain.

Even from several steps away, she could smell their strong sweat. Disgusted, Huo Yuwan took a step back.

Internally, she wondered where these cringey teenagers had come from, it had been a long time since she’d seen such punchable expressions.

“Are you the transfer student who skipped three grades?”

The lead boy stepped forward, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at her.

Shaking her head, Huo Yuwan calmly denied it. “Not me.”

She hadn’t officially enrolled yet.

The boy paused, then turned to the others behind him. “Didn’t you say it was her?”

One of the boys scratched his head, looking puzzled. “I just overheard the principal and a few teachers talking earlier, and he pointed exactly in this direction…”

“Let me ask you again, are you from some place called Stone River Village, and is your name Huo Yuwan?”

Hearing his obviously butchered pronunciation, Huo Yuwan’s face darkened.

“You’re the fishball, all of you are fishballs.”

Seeing her reaction, the boy knew he had found the right person. He couldn’t hold back a grin, his tone dripping with nonchalance.

“I’m Sun Chuanlu, a second year in the high school division. I heard you invented some kind of electric toy airplane that can fly, is that true? Show it to me.”

“Sh-show it to us,” the boy in the dark grey vest stammered, echoing his words.

“If you don’t dare show it, then it’s fake. We’ll report you to the principal!” chimed in the boy in the navy-blue vest.

“Maybe you stole it from some toy factory? Stealing is even worse!” the boy in the maroon vest added, not to be outdone.

“…”

Huo Yuwan was almost amused by their utter lack of logic and intelligence.

“Is it real or fake? Did I make it myself or steal it? I’ve already proven it to the principal. If you’re curious, go ask him. Don’t waste my time here.”

With that, Huo Yuwan started walking toward the path beside them.

“Cut the nonsense, just tell us if you’re going to show it or not?” Sun Chuanlu sneered, leading the other three to block her way again.

Their eyes met, and Huo Yuwan’s gaze deepened.