Chapter 2: Sailing Wildly Along the River

The two walked two hundred meters along the street when Lin Xialan couldn't help but say, "I just heard that Xinyu has already gone to the countryside. So, what do you plan to do? It's very hard to find work right now. My parents are asking around everywhere, but no factories are recruiting."

Xu Qinghuan believed this. Lin Xialan's father was the director of the Shenshi Machinery Factory, and her mother worked at the Educated Youth Office. Even so, Lin Xialan's job was one her third brother had given up for her; her brother had gone to the countryside himself.

"Where did Xinyu go?" Xu Qinghuan felt a bit heavy-hearted.

She, Lin Xialan, and Qiao Xinyu had been classmates since childhood. The three of them went through elementary, middle, and high school together. It had been six months since graduation, and the Qiao family had finally been unable to withstand the relentless bombardment from the Educated Youth Office, forcing Xinyu to go to the countryside.

Xu Qinghuan had only avoided it because her mother had borrowed her to work as a temporary laborer at the Educated Youth Office for two months; otherwise, she would have gone to the countryside three months ago.

"She went to Shangjiang Brigade, Hongqi Commune, in Heilongjiang Province," Lin Xialan said. "My brother also went to Hongqi Commune, but he's not in Shangjiang Brigade; he's in Liaozhong Brigade."

"Shangjiang Brigade!" Xu Qinghuan's eyes lit up. That was the hometown of the hidden big shot who would help Xu Qinghuan achieve fame and fortune in the book.

According to the timeline, at this moment, the hidden big shot was still farming in his hometown, a notorious village bully and a disreputable rogue famous throughout the surrounding villages.

"Why, do you know that place?" Lin Xialan asked. "I specifically had my mom help Xinyu pick a good spot."

"I don't!" Xu Qinghuan had never been there. "But I know the black soil there is fertile and the resources are abundant. You can hibernate for half a year and still not starve to death."

Lying on a *kang* bed for half a year with food and drink to spare—dare one ask which corporate slave in the 21st century wouldn't dream of such a life?

What was so good about staying in the city to work? Working eight-to-five every day, no breaks for thirty days, and continuing straight through the Lunar New Year.

Xu Qinghuan made up her mind instantly. She didn't plan to stay in the city, and she certainly didn't want to sacrifice her entire youth and dignity just to stay.

The engagement with the Jiang family had been arranged by Xu Qinghuan's biological mother. Only after she married would her biological mother arrange a job for her.

The original owner of this body didn't want to be manipulated, yet didn't want to go to the countryside. She had been caught in such a struggle that she eventually worried herself to death.

"When is the next batch of educated youth leaving?" Having made her decision, Xu Qinghuan planned to head to the countryside as soon as possible. She wanted to latch onto the big shot's thigh early.

Although the big shot was currently a rogue, he already had quite a few followers. One more or one less wouldn't make a difference.

She wanted to get to his side early to secure a spot, perhaps even strive for the chance to light a cigarette for him.

Lin Xialan was startled. "Huanhuan, do you want to go to the countryside too?"

Xu Qinghuan nodded vigorously, her face full of excitement. "I want to go with Xinyu. Lanlan, can you ask Auntie Lin to arrange for me to be there too?"

Lin Xialan was tempted. She blinked. "Huanhuan, aren't you being too much? Are you going to abandon me just for Xinyu?"

Xu Qinghuan hooked her arm. "Good Lanlan, you mustn't waver. Xinyu and I will have to rely on your charity in the countryside. Nothing much, just mail us five yuan each every month."

"In your dreams! I only make 18 yuan and 84 cents a month, and I've been an apprentice for less than a year." Lin Xialan couldn't help but laugh. "At most, I'll mail you three yuan each."

Three yuan was still quite a lot!

After the two had played around for a while, Xu Qinghuan sighed. "Lanlan, what do you think I should do if I want to break off the engagement with Jiang Chengxu?"

"You want to break off the engagement with Jiang Chengxu?" Lin Xialan thought Xu Qinghuan was being provoked. "Huanhuan, you should think carefully. After all, you two have known each other for so many years."

"Have you ever heard the saying, 'a childhood sweetheart is no match for a sudden arrival'?" Xu Qinghuan teased. "I'm planning to go to the countryside; what use is this engagement anyway?"

The original owner and the male lead had known each other since childhood, being classmates in middle and high school—they could be considered childhood sweethearts.

Lin Xialan had seen with her own eyes in the cinema how Xu Manman leaned her head on Jiang Chengxu's shoulder. Jiang Chengxu had tried to push her off a couple of times, but when he couldn't, he gave up and just let her lean on him.

She had been worried that Xu Qinghuan might do something rash, but since she was being so decisive, Lin Xialan was happy to see it happen.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Xialan said, "How about finding your second aunt? Doesn't Xu Manman like Jiang Chengxu? If you break off the engagement, won't they be overjoyed?"

When Xu Qinghuan was three years old, her father died in service and her mother remarried.

Coincidentally, that was when Xu Manman went missing. Her second aunt was devastated and took her in. Half a year ago, Xu Qinghuan's maternal uncle and aunt had brought their adopted daughter to visit her.

This cousin looked seventy percent like her second aunt, Wang Mingxia. Upon inquiry, they discovered the cousin was actually the long-lost younger cousin who had been missing for fourteen years.

When Xu Qinghuan returned home, the voices of mother and daughter could be heard from the room.

Wang Mingxia said with frustration, "What's so good about that Jiang Chengxu? Look at how he's got you two sisters head over heels. It's one thing that your sister insists on marrying him, but you're constantly talking about 'Brother Chengxu' this and 'Brother Chengxu' that. I'm telling you, you'd better drop that idea immediately."

Xu Manman said coquettishly, "Mom, I know. I don't have any feelings for him; he's just my brother-in-law. Stop talking, my sister is coming back."

Xu Qinghuan deliberately pushed the door open with a bang to make some noise. The mother and daughter came out of the room. Wang Mingxia, not knowing how much she had been overheard, said sheepishly, "Huanhuan is back?"

"Second Aunt, Manman!" Xu Qinghuan greeted them and entered her room.

The Xu family's housing was cramped; Xu Qinghuan and Xu Manman shared a room.

Xu Manman followed her in and asked, "Sister, did Brother Chengxu find you?"

"No, I was with Xialan."

Xu Qinghuan folded the clothes thrown on the bed one by one. They were all covered in patches upon patches. If she went to the countryside, it would be very cold in the Northeast, so she would need to prepare the thickest quilts, cotton coats, and cotton pants.

These required not only money but also cloth coupons and cotton coupons. The inheritance the original owner had left her totaled thirty-two cents, and now there was only twenty-seven cents left.

Her biological mother sent twenty-five yuan a month to her second aunt as child support, but this money had never reached her hands. Neither the original owner nor her had ever thought about wanting this money.

She didn't know what the original owner had thought, but Xu Qinghuan knew from the book that after her father's death, her biological mother married his comrade-in-arms. Her stepfather had a Grade 12 salary, nearly two hundred yuan a month, and her biological mother worked in a performing arts troupe, earning eighty or ninety yuan a month.

This was a very high income.

The reason she only gave twenty-five yuan in child support was that her biological mother didn't want to raise her personally, fearing she would affect her new family; additionally, the stepfather insisted on giving it because she was the orphan of his comrade.

"What were you two talking about?" Xu Manman showed an innocent, harmless smile.

"Talking about going to the countryside," Xu Qinghuan said, feeling a bit heavy-hearted.

Sure enough, a look of tension appeared on Xu Manman's face, because she was also facing the prospect of being sent to the countryside if she didn't marry. However, the only good man she knew was Jiang Chengxu. In the book, she had failed to compete with Xu Qinghuan and was ultimately forced to go to the countryside.

"Sister, I'm the one who should be worried. You and Brother Chengxu are about to get married. Unlike me, I have no one to marry, so I'll have to go to the countryside."

During dinner, a clerk from the Educated Youth Office arrived.

There were five children in the Xu family in total. The eldest, Xu Hongwei, was a worker at a food factory. The second, Xu Hongye, had transferred to a civilian job as a cinema projectionist after two years in the military.

Originally, after two years of compulsory service, Xu Hongye was supposed to become a volunteer soldier. He had suddenly transferred back to civilian life. The job of cinema projectionist was originally intended for Xu Qinghuan by her biological mother, but somehow, through some negotiation, it had ended up in Xu Hongye's hands.

There were three more children in the Xu family: the third, Xu Hongtu, and then Xu Qinghuan and Xu Manman. All had graduated from junior high school and had no jobs, meaning they had to go to the countryside.

After the clerk left, the atmosphere in the room grew even more solemn. Wang Mingxia asked, "Old Xu, you mentioned last time that Old Xiao's son from your factory works at the slaughterhouse and is at the age to get married. Is there any news on that?"

(End of Chapter)