Chapter 126: The Seeds of Ambition

Chapter 126

The scenery outside the window gradually transitioned from mountains to plains.

The clouds in the sky seemed much lower.

This was the first time Xiaoqi had ventured so far from home, witnessing a completely different landscape.

The outside appeared flat and vast, unlike Lushan City where a building or a river in the distance would be obstructed by mountains.

But here, in front of her, everything was level and there were no mountains in sight, only clouds.

It felt incredibly expansive, yet at the same time, the sky seemed lower, and the clouds appeared so close that if she jumped a little higher, she might actually touch them.

This starkly contrasting scenery filled Xiaoqi with astonishment, prompting her to silently observe for a little while longer.

She then put away the book she had just finished reading, "A Day in Edo," and took out another one, "The Three Prime Ministers of the Abe Shinzo Family and Hereditary Politics in Japan," which was a gift from Teacher Zhou.

Unbeknownst to Xiaoqi, Zhou Meiling had casually grabbed three books, and since she hadn't read them for a long time, she decided to give them to Xiaoqi.

Xiaoqi had been quite busy lately, but she was a dedicated reader who always took her time to read books. She hadn't had a chance to read this one thoroughly, so she decided to bring it along.

She had heard that university life would be leisurely with plenty of free time, so reading more books wouldn't hurt.

Before opening the book, Xiaoqi took a sip of water and pulled out a tomato. She packed some snacks in her bag because she felt it would be better to eat them during the journey instead of carrying them around, worrying they might get squashed. Besides, eating them would also lighten her load a bit.

The tomatoes grown at home were large, and their skin was still firm. Her mother specifically picked this type, where once you bite through the outer layer, the inside would be filled with tangy and sweet juice, truly appetizing.

Xiaoqi would take a bite, slurping the juice, and if she didn't finish it, it would dribble everywhere.

She hadn't received any formal training in dining etiquette, so her way of eating was somewhat casual. However, being a young girl, her casual manner didn't make her appear untidy.

Meanwhile, Cheng Minguang wanted to talk to this young girl about calligraphy, but the current situation felt a bit awkward. He was an experienced civil servant and yet he couldn't find the right words to start a conversation.

Moreover, the young girl had already put her notebook away.

As an avid calligraphy enthusiast, he had profound insights into his own writing, and he couldn't tolerate the fact that nowadays children preferred using computers and neglected the art of handwriting. Therefore, he always nagged his daughter, insisting that she should practice writing.

However, his daughter had a carefree personality, and her calligraphy skills were only passable.

But the characters this young girl had just written seemed, in his opinion, better than his own.

The sensation of being caught off guard by someone's talent made Cheng Minguang feel a bit uncomfortable. However, seeing her now pick up another book to read, he couldn't help but envy his own daughter. He thought it would be audacious if he were to ask someone if they wanted to share a bag of potato chips. His daughter could do it without any reservations.

Xiaoqi had no idea that the gentleman next to her was interested in her handwriting. She was fully engrossed in her book.

The first part of the book provides an overview of these four individuals.

At first glance, it seems like the position of Prime Minister is passed down within their family, with each member taking turns.

In Xiaoqi's family, being a farmer seems to be the hereditary profession. Her family has always been farmers.

In the novel, Abe Shinzo's grandfather and his generation have fallen from their once prestigious position as wealthy brewers of sake and soy sauce, a prominent family lineage in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

At a glance, it may seem that changing one's circumstances ultimately relies on marriage in reality. Abe Shinzo's father's generation faced a tragic fate, as he became an orphan after losing both parents, only to coincidentally be chosen by An Xinjie as a son-in-law.

It was like changing the family's fate and being reborn.

Little Qi thought about her own family, who had been farmers for generations. The highest-ranking official in their ancestry was supposedly a deputy minister during the Song Dynasty, and their ancestral shrine still held his portrait.

For seventeen-year-old Little Qi, the path of marriage and betrothal seemed like a distant world.

Thinking about her cousin's marriage, she realized that even though she married an ordinary person, they said her family owned a small factory, which meant her conditions were somewhat better. However, it was still far from changing her family's fate and social class.

Little Qi didn't know why, but when she saw these things, she thought about the different social classes.

Her current life seemed disjointed from the world portrayed in books, as if they were separate and disconnected realms.

Perhaps she was overthinking it, but Little Qi had encountered more people during this summer break than she had in her three years of high school.

There was Zhou Meiling, the Japanese language teacher and leader at the cultural center, Mrs. Liang, a successful businesswoman, Guan Jingzhi, who came from a well-off family, and Coach Wu, who worked hard to buy his own house...

She couldn't even measure up to the status of these people, let alone the world depicted in books.

Reading books was the most straightforward and simple way for her to explore and connect with the world.

Just because she hadn't encountered it didn't mean this world didn't exist.

At that moment, it seemed as though a tiny seed had been planted in her heart.

This seed was so small, and she didn't know if it would have a chance to sprout. Wrapped in a thick shell, it quietly nestled in a corner of Little Qi's heart.

Little Qi looked up and gazed out the window, and suddenly, the plains leaped, revealing a vast sea.

A wide expanse of ocean, as far as the eye could see.

It was the real sea, not something seen on television, but right before her eyes.

The high-speed train swiftly traversed the sea, and the waves had an indescribable grandeur...Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m