Chapter 111: A New Beginning (Fourth Watch—Please Cast Your Votes!)

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A New Life to Fulfill Dreams Without Ads

“Sister Juan!” Just as Huang Juan returned home, dragging out a large basin to wash Yang Tian’s clothes, she suddenly heard a familiar voice at the door and was taken aback. Her heart sank because she feared being caught by Yang Tian while washing his clothes and getting scolded. But as long as she finished washing without being caught in the act, she wouldn’t be reprimanded.

Looking up, she saw Yang Xueling standing there. Huang Juan became even more flustered. After a brief silence, she awkwardly asked, “Xueling, how did you find this place?”

“Guess! Sister Juan, why are you living here? Hey, aren’t these your brother’s clothes? Oh, so you two live together?” Yang Xueling strolled over to Yang Tian’s bed, picked up some of his clothes, and then grinned mischievously.

“This... this must not get out!” Huang Juan knew Yang Xueling was incredibly clever, and now that she had discovered this, it would be hard to hide.

“I know. So this is the difference between high school and middle school! Sister Juan, can I move in with you guys?” Yang Xueling stood by the window, admiring the beautiful view, then asked cheerfully.

“The three of us living together? Wouldn’t that be too cramped?” Huang Juan sighed. She knew Yang Xueling wasn’t trying to threaten her, but refusing felt heartless since they had always been close.

“No, we two can share one bed, and brother can sleep alone on the other one! Fine, I’m going back to move my things now, haha!” Without waiting for an answer, Yang Xueling skipped off to school to fetch her luggage.

In the evening, when Yang Tian returned from the internet café, he heard two women’s voices inside the house and initially thought Huang Juan was chatting with Bao Yuehong. He found it strange since Bao Yuehong had accepted Huang Juan as a sister, but they hadn’t seemed this close before.

Pushing the door open, he was surprised to see Yang Xueling instead. Even more unexpected was that Yang Xueling’s belongings had already been moved in, and she and Huang Juan were tidying up the room. Behind the curtain, dolls and girls’ clothes were neatly arranged, and the two girls looked very happy.

Seeing Yang Tian enter, Huang Juan was stunned, unsure how to explain, while Yang Xueling gave a mischievous smile.

“Brother, surprised, aren’t you?” Yang Xueling chuckled.

“Why did you move in?” Yang Tian felt a headache coming on. Three people living together—this was bound to stir things up.

“Why? Not happy about it? Afraid I’ll disrupt your happy life with sister-in-law? Don’t worry, I’ll never disturb you two when you’re being sweet!” Yang Xueling laughed wickedly. Before she finished, Huang Juan rushed over and pinched her.

“This girl’s mind only gets worse as she grows up. What is she always thinking about?” Yang Tian came over and patted Yang Xueling’s head, grinning as he scolded.

It was lively now. The two little girls seemed to have endless things to talk about at night, chattering incessantly. If Yang Tian didn’t sleep so soundly, he might have suffered insomnia every night. Before falling asleep or even in his dreams, he could always hear their secretive laughter behind the curtain.

Three people living together brought new energy to life. Huang Juan focused on cleaning, washing clothes and sheets, keeping the house spotless. Yang Tian was busy daily, so he rarely made his bed in the morning or washed clothes immediately. But now everything had changed. Clothes taken off in the morning were clean again by nightfall.

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He wanted to “scold” Huang Juan, not wanting her to overwork herself, but she never admitted it, always claiming she hadn’t washed the clothes. Before, she simply denied it alone; now, with Yang Xueling as her partner in crime, they sang the same tune, refusing to admit it.

Yang Xueling’s specialty was decorating the room. Once she arrived, the walls were instantly plastered with maps of China and the world, phonetic charts, calendars, and common knowledge posters.

She also organized the belongings meticulously. Besides arranging hers and Huang Juan’s items neatly, Yang Tian’s things were also tidied up in perfect order. She even stuck a “Healthy Living Tips” poster above Yang Tian’s bed, featuring a big smiley face, constantly reminding him to maintain a healthy routine.

“Xueling, what do you want to be when you grow up?” Huang Juan often discussed small girl matters with Yang Xueling.

“A teacher! I want to be a kindergarten teacher, happy all day playing with kids. What about you, Sister Juan?” Yang Xueling laughed, her greatest life goal was simply happiness.

“I want to be a doctor!” Huang Juan smiled, explaining this was why she and Yang Tian had chosen to study science together. Now in their second year of high school, the school separated students into arts and sciences. Yang Tian, Chen Ming, Huang Juan, and An Qi chose science, while Zhao Shilei and Zhang Yunxiang chose arts. Though no longer in the same class, they remained good friends and often hung out together.

“Doctor? Great! Then when brother and I get sick, we’ll come to you!” Yang Xueling chuckled, then added, “When you and brother get married and have kids, send them to my kindergarten. I’ll take care of and teach them!”

“You’re just a kid, stop talking nonsense!” Huang Juan blushed. Her main reason for wanting to be a doctor was to ensure her family’s health—her parents and Yang Tian’s family. She hoped they would all remain healthy.

“But you’ll grow up soon. Sister Juan, when you and brother get married, can I be your bridesmaid?” Yang Xueling leaned on Huang Juan’s shoulder, grinning mischievously.

“Who has a little sister as a bridesmaid? Stop being ridiculous!” Huang Juan’s face turned even redder.

“By the way, Sister Juan, do you know what Xingyu dreams of? She said she wants to be a flight attendant when she grows up!” Suddenly, Yang Xueling said.

“She wants to be a flight attendant? That’s good—she’s pretty, so she should be able to do it!” Huang Juan smiled.

“And she even said she likes brother. She’s so young, how does she know what liking someone means?” Yang Xueling pouted, her face full of innocence and confusion.

“She told you?” Huang Juan was surprised. She had long noticed that Zhang Xingyu’s feelings for Yang Tian were no longer just sibling affection. Though it had been a simple brother-sister bond before, Xingyu was growing up, and those feelings were budding and evolving in her heart. What it would become only she knew.

Yang Tian didn’t go to the internet café today but instead visited Zhang Siguo, Director of the Binhai City Construction Bureau. Zhang immediately understood Yang Tian’s purpose. The news of Yang Tian’s land contract had caused a stir among Binhai’s upper echelons—a high school student had contracted 300 acres of land in one go, quite a spectacle.

With the land contracted, Yang Tian’s next step was to follow the procedures outlined in the documents he had drafted and submitted for review at the Land Bureau, beginning preparations for planting greenery and flowers.

The plants he grew had to align with the Construction Bureau’s plans; otherwise, there would be no market for them. His visit to Zhang Siguo was clearly to inquire about the bureau’s construction plans for the next year or two and what greenery would be needed.

Unexpectedly, the bureau was in a meeting, so Zhang asked Yang Tian to wait outside the conference room. Coincidentally, Vice Mayor Lang Ping was inside. Seeing Yang Tian, Lang Ping invited Zhang to let Yang Tian attend the meeting as an observer since some citizens and experts were also present.

This was a planning meeting focused on reconstructing Zhongshan Road, the central street in Binhai City, aiming to thoroughly alleviate traffic congestion.

“Mayor Lang, Director Zhang, I’m Guo Tao from the Planning Department. My proposal is to widen Zhongshan Road and reconstruct the houses alongside it, making this main thoroughfare appear more grand and beautiful!” Guo Tao displayed a plan on the big screen, showing their suggestions and data.

Since Zhongshan Road was built after liberation, it wasn’t very wide. To widen it significantly, some buildings on either side would have to be demolished; otherwise, the road would end up without sidewalks, which would be awkward.

Lang Ping and Zhang Siguo remained silent after reviewing the plan, seemingly disapproving. Many buildings along Zhongshan Road were historic and symbolized Binhai’s cultural heritage and could not be altered lightly.

“I’m Wang Lifen from the Planning Department. My suggestion is not to change a single blade of grass on Zhongshan Road but to renovate the intersections and widen the streets running perpendicular to it to relieve traffic congestion. Here is my plan...” Another expert from the Planning Department stood and spoke at length.

“Enough! Don’t you planners have any better ideas? Widening roads and changing the grid—any ordinary Binhai citizen could come up with that!” Before Mayor Lang grew impatient, Zhang Siguo angrily interrupted.

“Zhongshan Road has unique cultural value, so it’s difficult to find a suitable renovation plan quickly!” The planners murmured complaints, which sparked dissatisfaction among the citizens attending, who accused the Planning Department of idleness.

“If this doesn’t work, we should invite foreign experts to help with the planning!” Zhang Siguo quietly consulted Lang Ping.

“Yang Tian, do you have any good ideas?” Seeing Yang Tian shake his head with a smile, Lang Ping called out loudly. The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Yang Tian.

“Build an elevated highway!” Yang Tian answered confidently. He remembered that the final reconstruction of Zhongshan Road involved bringing in senior national planning experts who proposed constructing an overpass. At that time, Binhai City still had no elevated highways, so this was unfamiliar to the people. But once built, it would boost their confidence, showing they could have elevated roads like Beijing, with cars running overhead.

“An elevated highway?” Everyone was shocked. The audience didn’t even know what an elevated highway was, and the Planning Department experts were stunned that such a young boy had such a bold idea. Lang Ping was delighted; an elevated highway was a pioneering move. Binhai needed innovation, and so did his political achievements.

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