"Shouldn't women naturally stay at home to raise their children and take care of their husbands?"
When Xin Rao stubbornly uttered these words, Su Xiaotian instantly felt that speaking another word to this person was simply torture!
"Xin Rao, we've known each other. I believe I haven't wronged you in any way. The fact that you've done something like this and are still only resenting others makes me very disappointed."
"What you think is irrelevant to me. I just want to tell you that one must stand firm in this world. If you can't achieve this, you'll likely only stagnate in this life!"
When Su Xiaotian came over today, she had harbored a sliver of hope that Xin Rao would apologize for his mistakes.
Now, she realized how naive that was.
She had likely misjudged this person from the very beginning.
Such a person would never admit they were wrong.
In his twisted mindset, anything that differed from his imagination was someone else's fault.
It was fortunate that this kind of person had problems early on; if it had dragged on for a few more years, it would have been truly disastrous.
Having said her piece, Su Xiaotian turned to leave.
As she reached the doorway, Su Xiaotian spoke again.
"If you consider yourself a man, then you should stand tall and support the sky above your head. Not just constantly think about how to maintain your male vanity!"
Without waiting for Xin Rao to respond, Su Xiaotian left directly.
Xin Rao stared blankly at the now empty doorway.
Was it wrong?
Men are men, they should be superior to women!
As men, they were already superior, so what need was there for standing tall?
Su Xiaotian must be talking nonsense.
Yes, she must be talking nonsense.
But a voice within him reminded him that Su Xiaotian was right.
He was a man, yet compared to a young girl like Su Xiaotian, he was inferior.
The matter truly concluded a month later.
Xin Rao was sentenced to compensate Su Xiaotian for economic losses amounting to eighteen thousand yuan and to serve three years in prison.
This was the price he had to pay for his actions.
When Su Xiaotian heard the outcome, she was still contemplating whether it was worth it or not.
Xin Rao couldn't understand it and insisted on appealing.
He felt there was nothing wrong with taking his own things and giving them to others.
Why should he go to jail and pay money?
Ultimately, Xin Rao framed the incident as the Su family's influence.
Xin Rao believed that because the Su family was wealthy, they used their money to oppress him, leading to his unfair treatment.
However, to his regret, the final verdict upheld the original judgment.
Xin Rao had intended to use the formula to secure a respectable job for himself, but instead, he now owed eighteen thousand yuan.
Eighteen thousand yuan might not seem like much in later years.
But in an era where a household with ten thousand yuan could receive county-wide commendation and wear a red sash, this amount could represent the achievement of a family for over a decade, or even decades.
The money Xin Rao needed to compensate Su Xiaotian was a sum that the Xin family, even if they sold everything, might not be able to raise.
As the most promising child in the family, Xin Rao's family still hoped to get him out.
However, when they learned of the immense cost, the entire family deliberated.
Due to their poverty and inability to produce such a sum, they ultimately chose to abandon Xin Rao.
They even stated that they couldn't afford to pay for Xin Rao's atonement, and they had no money.
If absolutely necessary, they could even have Xin Rao's sentence extended.
When Xin Rao heard this news in prison, he was devastated.
He couldn't understand why this had happened.
But did it matter if he understood?
Who would care?
He pleaded with the prison guards to help him contact Su Xiaotian.
He believed that only Su Xiaotian could save him now.
However, how could Su Xiaotian continue to pay attention to someone who had received her kindness and then betrayed her?
She had many things to do, and for such an irrelevant person, she could simply ignore him.
One semester was quickly drawing to a close, and the holiday was fast approaching.
While holidays were wonderful for students, the exams preceding them always left them mentally exhausted.
Even Su Xiaotian, a top student, was no exception.
Like everyone else, Su Xiaotian diligently revised until late at night before taking the exam the next day.
After the final round of semester exams, Su Xiaotian's once plump cheeks visibly thinned.
Only after the last exam did Su Xiaotian feel a sense of relief.
She walked out of the classroom with a lighter step.
For her, it wasn't about passing the exams, but more about challenging herself.
Su Xiaotian believed that no matter what one did, even a semester exam, one should give it their all.
Looking at the blue sky, the bright sun, and the green trees outside, Su Xiaotian smiled.
She smiled, but most of her classmates did not.
This semester's final exams had been incredibly difficult.
Furthermore, the scope of the exams had not been clearly defined beforehand, making it difficult to focus on revision without neglecting other areas.
While everyone's reactions differed, their youth and vitality were the same.
University graduates from this era, as long as they didn't go astray, would surely achieve something in the future.
Su Xiaotian believed that the classmates she saw before her would undoubtedly become pillars of society in the future.
"Xiaotian, the holiday starts tomorrow. How do you plan to spend it?" Zhao Hongmei asked.
Zhao Hongmei was envious that several other classmates would be working at Yiming Pavilion during the winter break.
Over the holiday, they not only earned money but also visibly gained weight.
It was definitely because the food at Yiming Pavilion was delicious.
"I'm still considering it. Most likely, I'll spend this holiday at the factory," Su Xiaotian said after some thought.
She had invested very limited energy in the factory, and perhaps that was why the incident with Xin Rao had occurred.
"Can I come with you to the factory? To serve you tea and water or whatever?" Zhao Hongmei leaned in and asked.
Su Xiaotian glared at Zhao Hongmei good-naturedly.
Zhao Hongmei chuckled, acting like a complete fool.
"Last time, Jianhong and a few others followed you for a holiday, and now they're absolute winners in life. After much consideration, I think I should also be a winner in life!"
Su Xiaotian was completely choked by Zhao Hongmei's words.
What did that mean?
"Look, Jianhong, Xiaobei, and the others now have their own businesses. It's just me and Chu Yue who are unsuccessful and still rely on our families for support."
Before, she hadn't felt anything wrong with using her family's money, but now that several people in the dormitory were earning their own money, Zhao Hongmei naturally felt that being supported by her family was truly unpromising.
"Then what do you want to do?" Su Xiaotian asked with a smile.
"Just follow you."
Su Xiaotian: ...
Simple and straightforward, truly ambitious.