Chapter 10: 10 Business Trip 1

Because she had to go to the Imperial Capital the day after tomorrow, Song Suisui's matter of finding a house was delayed.

However, while she was delayed, Song Niannian was not.

Not long after the Song family members had returned to their respective rooms that evening, Song Niannian knocked on Song Suisui's door.

The two sisters chatted in Song Suisui's room for quite a while before Song Niannian finally left with a face full of smiles.

...

After starting work, Song Suisui went to Director Zhang to collect her train ticket and letter of introduction, then returned to her office to organize her things.

After eating lunch at the canteen, she left the machinery factory.

She arrived at the residential area and found a child playing by the roadside to ask about Zhou Xiuna's home.

She also used a few fruit hard candies to bribe the child into running an errand to call Zhou Xiuna over.

Currently, Zhou Xiuna had not yet gone to the countryside, so the fact that she had sold her job to Song Suisui could not be let the Song family know for the time being.

Zhou Xiuna still intended to use this job to manipulate the Zhou family.

Zhou Xiuna arrived very quickly. Upon seeing Song Suisui, she asked with a face full of smiles, "Suisui? How did you find me?"

"Hehe~ I have a business trip to the Imperial Capital the day after tomorrow. I remember you're also setting off for the countryside tomorrow, right?"

The two spoke as they walked outside.

"That's right, the train is at eight tomorrow morning."

"Is the Zhou family sending you off?"

"Pfft~" Zhou Xiuna couldn't help but laugh. "Do you really think that with my scummy father and wicked stepmother, anyone would come to see me off?"

"True." Song Suisui thought reflectively, but then said happily, "I'm also on a train tomorrow morning, just half an hour later than you. I'll go to the station to see you off then. My parents have prepared quite a lot of supplies for you."

"Ah~" Zhou Xiuna hurriedly declined. "No need, actually I've already managed to squeeze quite a bit of money and vouchers out of my scummy father."

"But even with money and vouchers, you couldn't possibly prepare all the supplies in such a short time, right?" Song Suisui said, leaving no room for refusal. "It's a gesture from my parents. If you don't accept them, won't they have prepared them for nothing?"

Zhou Xiuna figured that Song Suisui's family probably wouldn't prepare too much, so she simply stopped refusing. Once she arrived in the countryside, she would see if there were any local specialties and send some back to the Song family as a return gift.

"Once you go to the countryside, make sure you don't just marry a local man just because the farm work is too tiring!" Song Suisui couldn't help but remind Zhou Xiuna.

After all, the college entrance examination would be reinstated in four years. Zhou Xiuna's grades were very good; she could completely take the exam to go to university and return to the city.

If she married a countryman, setting aside whether the man's character was good or not, once she had a family and children to drag her down, would she still have the heart to study for the university exam?

"Don't worry, I won't get married and have children in the countryside. I'm still thinking about returning to the city."

Moreover, she did not believe the era would continue like this forever.

Although Zhou Xiuna's life had been difficult these years, her mother had once been the daughter of a major capitalist in Xinghai City.

If she hadn't been schemed against, she wouldn't have been left in the country like this; she would have gone overseas to reunite with her family long ago.

If it weren't for the fact that she had once been a capitalist's daughter and had an overseas background, how could a "phoenix man" like Father Zhou have married a great beauty like Mother Zhou, given her poor social background?

And Mother Zhou was a woman with vision; knowing that men could not be relied upon, she had been very diligent in educating Zhou Xiuna from a young age. Therefore, Zhou Xiuna's horizons were not narrow, and she certainly wasn't "love-brained."

At most, she just had a little hobby of looking at handsome men and beautiful women.

"It's good that you have a plan." Song Suisui said with a look of feigned regret, "If only we could take the college entrance exam."

Zhou Xiuna was stunned. Who wouldn't want to go to university? But the entrance exam had been canceled for many years; who knew when it would reopen?

"Although I don't know if the college entrance exam will be reinstated in the future, I think a person should hold onto a sense of belief. What if it happens one day?"

Song Suisui looked at her as she spoke. This was a subtle hint she was giving Zhou Xiuna; as for whether Zhou Xiuna would take it to heart, that depended on Zhou Xiuna herself.

She couldn't exactly grab Zhou Xiuna and say, 'The college entrance exam is in four years, sister, you must not marry just anyone!'

If she asked why, it would be hard to explain.

So, Song Suisui could only give a subtle reminder.

"By the way, once you get to the countryside, if you have any difficulties, you can write to me. Also, don't trust people too much; you can know a person's face but not their heart..."

Listening to Song Suisui's words, Zhou Xiuna felt speechless. She wasn't that much of a "sweet and naive" girl.

It was just a bit funny; Song Suisui, with such a beautiful face, nagged like an old lady. Her persona was collapsing so severely that it made Zhou Xiuna feel a bit disillusioned.

A fragrant, soft little fairy, turning into a nagging auntie in a second—how could one not feel disillusioned?!

"Alright, alright, I know all that." As she spoke, Zhou Xiuna even laughed out loud. "I didn't realize you were actually quite the nagger."

Hearing this, Song Suisui immediately "broke into a sweat," looking a bit embarrassed.

Her original age was already twenty-seven or twenty-eight; looking at Zhou Xiuna was like looking at a little sister, so she couldn't help but give a few extra instructions.

The two chatted outside for a while before parting ways. After all, Zhou Xiuna was going to the countryside tomorrow, and Song Suisui still had things to do.

Song Suisui also had a business trip tomorrow, so she had to go back to prepare her luggage and also inform the Song family.

She hadn't told the Song family immediately last night.

It wasn't that she was unwilling to tell them immediately, it was purely because she had forgotten.

After all, she had been living alone for over ten years; she hadn't even thought about the concept of "reporting" her situation.

So, it was normal to forget for a moment.

Fortunately, after she went back and told them in the evening, the Song family had no other questions besides reminding her to be careful while away.

As for worrying, Song Jianjun and Ma Xiumei naturally wouldn't say so; the child's job was procurement, so she would be running around frequently in the future anyway.

But to the Song couple, the fact that Song Suisui could stay in the city was already a wonderful thing.

Besides, Song Suisui wasn't the only one in the Song family who traveled; didn't the second child, Song Tong, also drive around all year round?

Every time Song Suisui went out, she took a train, so her conditions were definitely much better than Song Tong's!

A thousand miles away, Song Tong let out a sneeze.

He rubbed his nose, thinking that once this batch of goods was finished being acquired, he could probably head home!

He had been out for almost ten days, and he was starting to miss his parents and sisters.

Thinking of the good things he had scavenged for his sisters, Song Tong felt very happy.

...

March 28, 1973.

7:30 AM, Xinghai City Railway Station.

The railway station was bustling with people. The young educated youths heading to the countryside, with large red flowers pinned to their chests, became a bright scenery at the station.

When Ma Xiumei and Song Suisui found Zhou Xiuna, they saw her chatting with another female youth who was also heading to the countryside.

Upon seeing Song Suisui, she bid farewell to the other girl and walked toward them.

"Suisui." After looking at Ma Xiumei, Zhou Xiuna asked, "Is this your elder sister?"

Hearing this, Ma Xiumei was instantly delighted. "You're quite the sweet talker, girl. I am Suisui's mother."

"Oh~ So you're Auntie! You are so young; standing next to Suisui, you look just like biological sisters."

Song Suisui looked at Zhou Xiuna, who was flattering Ma Xiumei, with an indescribable expression.

The two were exchanging meaningful glances.

Song Suisui: (I didn't expect you to be this kind of Zhou Xiuna.)

Zhou Xiuna: (What? Are you jealous?)

Song Suisui: "..."

(End of Chapter)