Chapter 27:

Yu Xiang’an is doing well here, aside from some idle gossip. Yu Xiangqing, at the Niujiao Brigade in the Dayu Commune, has completely severed ties with Liang Yong.

She has also moved out of the educated youth dormitory and now shares a home with an elderly grandmother who is raising her young grandson and granddaughter.

Breaking up with Liang Yong also meant she no longer wanted to share a room with Mo Wenwen.

In the end, her patience ran out. Seeing someone she disliked constantly hovering around her, she couldn’t bear to keep up a friendly facade. Instead, she openly expressed her stance, freeing herself from the burden.

Her future is still long—why should she waste it entangled with people she despises?

She’d rather pay a small monthly fee to rent a room from the elderly woman and live alone.

Here, surrounded by neighbors, she doesn’t have to worry about her safety. The grandmother is reasonable and even hopes Yu Xiangqing can tutor her grandchildren. The woman also has some standing in the community—her only son is in the military, so no one dares to bully her.

After moving out, Yu Xiangqing felt as if the mountains had turned greener, the water clearer, and even the scorching sun didn’t seem as unbearable anymore.

Ding Minxiu had been keeping an eye on her situation. She never showed herself in front of Yu Xiangqing—now visibly pregnant, she didn’t want to risk being recognized and exposed.

But she had someone secretly gather information, and it wasn’t as difficult as she’d imagined.

Since they were educated youths, any new gossip among them spread quickly.

Many didn’t know about Yu Xiangqing’s situation, but quite a few had heard about Liang Yong.

They knew an educated youth had started dating the only daughter of a commune official, who even secured him a temporary job in town. Though temporary workers couldn’t transfer their household registration, it still made him half a city dweller. If they married, his future prospects were obvious.

He had climbed onto a smooth, broad road.

Other male educated youths couldn’t help but feel envious.

They hadn’t known such opportunities existed—if given the chance, they’d have taken it too.

The better Liang Yong’s life became, the worse Yu Xiangqing’s seemed. Ding Minxiu took secret pleasure in imagining how heartbroken she must be after being betrayed. Seeing her suffer brought her joy.

Whenever she thought about it, her own frustrations eased a little.

Here, after using the private savings Zhou Boyang had given her, Hu Chunyu became even bolder in skimping on her meals, saying things like, *”You’ve got money—if you want better food, buy it yourself. Don’t be so spoiled. When I was pregnant, I survived on wild vegetables and tree bark from the mountains. You still get eggs now and then—don’t get too used to it, it’s not good for the baby…”*

If not for fear that Ding Minxiu might badmouth her to Fang Rong later, Hu Chunyu would’ve even withheld those eggs.

Ding Minxiu wasn’t sent to the countryside as an educated youth—she didn’t have to do farm work. But she still had to share some household chores. At the very least, if she didn’t clean her own room, she couldn’t stand the mess. Even so, she felt exhausted.

Once again, she felt immensely relieved. Though her affair with Boyang had been exposed earlier than expected, the final outcome was still achieved.

She didn’t want to go to the countryside. She didn’t want to leave the city.

Absolutely not.

Now, she was just staying here temporarily, avoiding farm labor. But even this brief experience made her realize how harsh rural life was. If she were truly sent down, she feared she wouldn’t survive.

She had made the right choice.

Now, she just had to wait until her pregnancy was more advanced before returning.

By then, people would only assume she was showing early, without suspecting anything else.

She touched her belly. *It must, must be a son.* With a son, she could demand a job.

Only with a stable job of her own would her future be more secure.

When she heard Yu Xiangqing had cut ties with Liang Yong, Ding Minxiu instinctively assumed she was struggling—why else would she move out of the educated youth dormitory?

Educated youths stuck together.

Living alone meant no one would stand up for her if she was bullied.

She smiled and wrote a letter to Zhou Boyang, including one for Zhao Qiangniang.

In Zhou Boyang’s letter, she shared the news.

To Zhao Qiangniang, she asked if she knew about Yu Xiangqing’s situation—if not, then Yu Xiangqing hadn’t told her family.

She guessed she hadn’t, probably out of shame.

*Both sisters ending up like this—ha, how satisfying.*

Zhou Boyang was just as pleased when he read the letter. Seeing the Yu family suffer made him happy.

Though he held no personal grudge against Yu Xiangqing, she was still a Yu. He didn’t want any of them to thrive.

Noticing the letter for Zhao Qiangniang, he made sure to deliver it.

After learning the news, Zhao Qiangniang grew restless. They truly hadn’t known—Yu Xiangqing’s letters only said everything was fine, never mentioning Liang Yong’s betrayal.

She hadn’t said a word.

What should they do now?

Should she tell Yu Qingshan?

Zhao Qiangniang hesitated. If she revealed how she knew, she’d have to admit it was through Minxiu. Though Yu Qingshan hadn’t explicitly forbidden contact, she knew he wouldn’t approve of her being too close to her daughter.

But if this came out later and he found out she’d kept it from him, he’d be even angrier.

And now Zhou Boyang knew too—if the Zhou family slipped up, the truth would spread.

After two days of indecision, she finally spoke up.

She said Zhou Boyang had brought a letter from Minxiu, who happened to be posted near Yu Xiangqing. She’d heard that a Bai Shi County educated youth named Liang Yong had gotten involved with a commune official’s daughter and now worked as a temporary laborer in town.

Yu Qingshan and Yu Xiang’an had been happily counting their Mid-Autumn Festival benefits, but her words cast a shadow over the cheerful atmosphere.

Yu Qingshan clenched his fists, his expression dark.

*That bastard!* If not for him, his daughter could’ve been assigned to a closer location. She had chosen to follow him into hardship, and this was how he repaid her?

After a moment, Yu Qingshan couldn’t shake his worry. *”I’ll go see her. A round trip will take two days at most.”*

He arranged time off and planned to visit. Yu Xiang’an said, *”Dad, I’ll go with you. I can comfort her—look, I’ve moved on. She can too.”*

Yu Qingshan didn’t immediately refuse.

Yu Xiang’an pressed, *”There are things you can’t say to her, but I can.”*

This time, he didn’t oppose as strongly as when she’d wanted to visit Yu Xiangyan. Maybe because he was going too, or maybe because their shared experiences meant she could offer real comfort.

The matter was settled.

Since it was Mid-Autumn Festival, they’d leave early and celebrate together.

They coordinated with their workplaces and packed the festival goods to bring along.

The food factory’s benefits included the oil Yu Xiang’an and Deputy Director Wang had secured from the city—half a catty per person, plus a catty of five-nut mooncakes and a crate of fruit.

Yu Qingshan’s factory gave a crate of fruit, two catties of rice, and four mooncakes.

Yu Xianghai, being lower-ranked, received half as much.

Ye Qijia’s benefits were decent too—besides mooncakes, she got a piece of fabric and two towels.

As a temporary worker, Yu Manchang’s share was much smaller—one mooncake and half a catty of candy.

They packed what was easy to carry, sent a telegram to Yu Xiangqing, bought train tickets, and set off.

Yu Xiangqing had been in the countryside for over a year now.

She was eighteen when she left.

Yu Qingshan had delayed their departure by insisting they finish high school first.

If repeating a grade could’ve kept them home longer, he’d have done that too.

He didn’t want his children to end up like him—illiterate, struggling to learn later in life.

He hoped they’d at least finish primary school. If they could attend university, even better—but then the exams were canceled, and they were sent to the countryside.

Except for Yu Xianghai, who took over his job after middle school, all his children completed high school.

Going to the countryside at an older age made him slightly less uneasy.

Yu Xiang’an was now eighteen, Yu Xiangqing a year older at nineteen.

Legally adults, but in Yu Qingshan’s eyes, they were still children—especially one who’d been betrayed and needed family comfort.

They boarded the train with their bundles.

This was Yu Xiang’an’s first train ride.

The original owner had never traveled this way before.

The green-painted train moved slowly, packed with people.

They hadn’t bought seated tickets—partly because they couldn’t, partly because it wasn’t necessary. The trip would only take four hours.

Yu Qingshan brought newspapers to sit on, but there was no space to use them. At best, they could lean against their luggage.

They had to watch their bags carefully—if stolen, they’d be gone for good.

Yu Xiang’an heard dialects from all over, most of which she couldn’t understand. But Yu Qingshan could, even speaking a few phrases himself.

He pointed out where each accent came from.

Yu Xiang’an was impressed.

*”Dad, you know so much.”*

Yu Qingshan smiled modestly. *”When I ran errands for people, I had to pick some of this up.”* How else could he relay messages?

They ate a train meal—no coupons needed, just money, and they could buy meat.

Each person was limited to one serving.

Yu Qingshan bought one and shared it with his daughter.

One portion was plenty for both.

The four hours were grueling.

At first, the novelty kept her engaged. But soon, the crowding, noise, and worst of all—the smell—wore her down.

Yu Qingshan shielded her from the worst of the jostling, but the stench was inescapable. In the summer heat, sweat mixed with the lack of soap made the packed carriage unbearable.

Yu Xiang’an: *”…”*

*I was too naive.*

Where had she gotten the confidence to travel alone to see Yu Xiangyan?

She could endure it, but it would’ve been miserable.

Finally arriving, she breathed in the fresh air outside, deeply grateful.

*You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.*

Next time, she’d bring a mask.

Yu Xiangqing was waiting outside the station, holding a sign with the character *Yu*.

The moment they stepped out, Yu Xiang’an spotted her.

*”Dad, look—there!”*

Yu Qingshan turned and saw his fourth daughter.

She was tanner than before and had grown a little taller.

He took a deep breath and called out, *”Xiao Qing.”*

Yu Xiangqing turned at the sound, her eyes reddening. *”Dad, I’m here.”* She hurried over, taking a bag from Yu Xiang’an and reaching for Yu Qingshan’s, but he refused. *”I’m fine—help your sister.”*

Yu Xiang’an asked, *”How long have you been waiting?”*

She felt a strange sense of novelty—they were sisters, with some resemblance, and seeing her felt surreal.

Yu Xiangqing grinned at her. *”Not long. The train was on time. You’ve grown taller and paler—look how dark I’ve gotten.”*

Yu Xiang’an didn’t know how to respond. Yu Xiangqing laughed. *”What’s that look? My tan isn’t your fault. Staying fair in the countryside takes real genes.”*

She seemed cheerful.

Yu Qingshan nodded, squinting at the sun. *”Is it far to your brigade?”*

*”No, I borrowed an ox cart—it’s right outside. We’ll get back fast.”*

*”You can drive an ox cart?”*

Yu Xiangqing looked sheepish. *”No, I asked an older educated youth to help.”*

*”We shouldn’t keep him waiting. Let’s go.”* Hearing someone was outside, Yu Qingshan frowned. *”You didn’t need to borrow a cart—we could’ve carried this.”*

Yu Xiangqing waved it off. *”It’s fine. You must be tired—we’ll talk on the way.”*

Outside, a young man stood by an ox cart, waiting.

He smiled when he saw them. *”Hello, Uncle.”*

Yu Xiangqing introduced him. *”This is my dad and sister. This is Zheng Ke from our dorm—he looks after us newcomers.”*

Yu Qingshan nodded, “Hello, thank you for taking care of my daughter.”

“You’re too kind, Uncle. I didn’t do much,” Zheng Ke replied.

Yu Xiangqing waved them over, “Let’s get on the cart. No need to stand here in the sun.”

They loaded the luggage onto the oxcart and climbed aboard.

Yu Xiangqing was right—the place wasn’t too far from her Niujiao Brigade. It only took about an hour by oxcart.

That was half again as long as the distance from Hongxing Brigade to the commune. Judging by the houses they passed and the clothing and appearance of the people they saw, the living standards here were noticeably lower than back home.

Neither Yu Qingshan nor Yu Xiang’an commented on whether this could really be called “not far.” Sensing their silence, Yu Xiangqing grew a little self-conscious and explained, “This really isn’t far. The brigades further down the road are much worse—the farthest one takes half a day to reach.”

When they arrived at Niujiao Brigade, they went to the home where Yu Xiangqing was renting a room.

Along the way, she had already explained the situation to them. “Granny Chen is very kind, but her son is stationed with the military in another region and can’t take care of the family. Her daughter-in-law passed away from complications during childbirth, leaving behind an elderly woman and two young grandchildren. Though they don’t struggle for food or clothing, they lack extra hands to help out. Granny Chen also hoped I could teach her grandchildren to read and write a little. It’s a mutual arrangement, and we get along well.”

She was a little nervous, worried that her father might think she had acted too impulsively by moving out of the educated youth dormitory.

But in reality, Yu Qingshan didn’t think that at all. He carefully questioned her about the circumstances of her move and learned that it was because her roommate had constantly taken advantage of her. With no other available beds in the dormitory, she had no choice but to relocate.

“You did the right thing.”

Yu Xiangqing was pleasantly surprised. “Dad, really? You think I did the right thing?”

Yu Qingshan reaffirmed, “Yes, you did. If you weren’t comfortable living there, there was no reason to stay. The leader of your educated youth team didn’t object, did he?”

Zheng Ke nodded in agreement. “That’s right. We all saw what was going on. If you couldn’t get along, moving out was a good solution. You’re not the first—other educated youths have also found lodging with villagers.”

Upon learning that the household only consisted of an elderly woman and two grandchildren under ten, Yu Qingshan relaxed a little. “Who lives nearby?”

Yu Xiangqing answered obediently, responding to every question in a way that even Zheng Ke found amusing.

He had never seen her so docile before—like a schoolchild being reprimanded by a teacher.

“To my left is a large family with over a dozen members. Their grandsons are already married, but they haven’t split the household yet, so there are plenty of able-bodied workers. About a hundred meters to the right is the home of the village’s second-most senior elder. The educated youth dormitory isn’t too far either—about 800 meters away.”

Yu Xiangqing knew her father was concerned about her safety, so she described all the neighboring households in detail.

*Cough.* Truthfully, she still felt a little guilty for keeping things from him.

Yu Qingshan listened without showing any expression. The conditions actually seemed decent. After all, the woman’s son was in the military, and soldiers held high status these days. Even if he wasn’t physically present, his reputation alone would make people instinctively side with the family. Plus, soldiers received a fixed stipend, and with so few mouths to feed, their living standards wouldn’t be too bad.

That also meant they had the means to keep the house in good condition.

After inspecting the place, Yu Qingshan finally nodded in approval.

With them safely delivered, Zheng Ke said, “I’ll go return the oxcart now.”

Yu Qingshan replied, “Thank you for your trouble today.”

Yu Xiangqing added, “Thank you, Comrade Zheng!”

Granny Chen had been informed in advance that Yu Xiangqing’s family would be visiting. Seeing them arrive with their bundles, she came out to greet them. “Hello, comrades.” Her two grandchildren also peeked out curiously at the out-of-town visitors.

Yu Qingshan and Yu Xiang’an both smiled warmly to show their friendliness.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

The local dialect was a bit hard to understand—she honestly couldn’t make out much.

Yu Qingshan, however, managed to piece together Granny Chen’s words through context and even responded in a somewhat clumsy exchange.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

*Dad, you’re amazing!*

Yu Xiangqing kept an eye on her sister. While their father was talking to Granny Chen, she quietly leaned over and whispered, “Hard to understand, right? It takes some getting used to at first, but after a while, you’ll pick up most of it.”

Thankfully, their hometown wasn’t too far from here—still within the same province. Compared to outsiders who found the dialect completely unintelligible, they were actually in a better position. Not everyone spoke Mandarin, and in the village, those who did were in the minority.

They carried their luggage into Yu Xiangqing’s room. Yu Qingshan immediately took out some food items to thank Granny Chen for looking after his daughter.

Granny Chen refused at first but eventually accepted after some polite insistence. She then offered him her son’s room, which was currently unoccupied and had a bed ready for use.

That meant he wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor—an unexpected boon.

Once the formalities were over, the family finally sat down to talk properly.

Granny Chen tactfully excused herself to give them privacy.

Yu Xiangqing poured them water. “You must be thirsty. Have some water.”

Yu Qingshan drank it in one go. “Why did you come to pick me up? Where’s Liang Yong?”

At the mention of Liang Yong, Yu Xiangqing’s eyes flickered. She still hadn’t figured out how to break the news to her family, and now her father had suddenly sent a telegram announcing his visit, catching her completely off guard.

“You still want to hide it from me?” Yu Qingshan’s voice turned stern. “Out with it—what’s going on?”

Yu Xiangqing was stunned. “Dad, you know? How did you find out?”