Liu Xiuxiang chimed in from the side, “Right! Then have her transfer the job to our Tianci.”
The old woman nodded, then her gaze immediately landed on the other good-for-nothing girl in the house, He Xiang’er.
Her weasel-like eyes darted around shrewdly. “Old Five, someone back in the hometown has arranged a match for you. It’s—”
Before she could even finish, He Xiang’er shrieked and cut her off, “I won’t marry!”
The old woman shot her a vicious glare. “That’s not for you to decide!”
A girl was born to be a good-for-nothing, useful for nothing but fetching a bride price!
Liu Xiuxiang quickly interjected, “Mother!”
“Old Five already has someone.”
The old woman was taken aback. “Has? Has what?”
Liu Xiuxiang leaned in and whispered quietly into her ear.
“…In short, you don’t need to worry about Old Five anymore. What the Liu family is offering is definitely more than what those country folks you’d find could give.”
Hearing this, the old woman grinned, showing her yellowed teeth. “Good, good, good.”
Who would’ve thought that Old Five, who usually kept her mouth shut, would go and land something big in one move.
“You take a day off from the factory tomorrow. Bright and early! We’re going to drag that dead girl He Zhiyi back here!”
Liu Xiuxiang smiled sweetly. “Right, pick her up in the morning, transfer the job in the afternoon.”
A lobster was quickly prepared, and Shen Zhiyi savored the lobster meat while sipping champagne—utterly content.
While eating, she also mulled over her situation and her plans going forward.
The Shen family had a special background. Her father was a top-tier talent at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and her grandfather was a scientific powerhouse at the weapons research institute.
People like that were bound to be rehabilitated eventually.
What’s more, her parents had also traveled through time with her and had been sent down to the countryside.
So going to the countryside was a must for her.
But in the 1970s, there were no ID cards—only household registration books—and traveling required an introduction letter.
Her household registration was still with the He family, which was likely why they dared to come knocking.
It seemed she really did need to make a trip back to the He family.
The original owner had been a high school graduate, and right after graduating, the family had arranged a job for her.
Since she’d already decided to go to the countryside, she’d need to deal with the job as well.
A full-time position could easily sell for a few hundred yuan.
She searched through the original owner’s memories and quickly settled on a suitable candidate.
It wasn’t a stranger—it was her neighbor.
Aunt Wang had a younger son who didn’t have a formal job yet and was working odd jobs as a temporary worker.
Shen Zhiyi knocked on the neighbor’s door. “Auntie, are you home?”
Soon, a middle-aged woman with short, ear-length hair opened the door.
“Oh, it’s Zhiyi. Come in, come in. Whatever it is, come inside and talk.”
The moment Shen Zhiyi stepped inside, her eyes reddened. “Auntie, I came today because I want to transfer my job.”
Aunt Wang was startled. “What? Transfer your job!”
Shen Zhiyi turned on the waterworks, tears streaming down her face. “Auntie, I found out where my parents were sent down.”
“I’m planning to go there too, so at least we can look after each other.”
Aunt Wang quickly asked, “Really?”
That was actually good news—having someone to rely on was far better than the couple being stuck in a cowshed with no one to turn to.
Shen Zhiyi raised a hand to wipe her tears. “Mm, it’s true.”
“I have to go!”
With that said, Aunt Wang had no choice but to agree. She turned and went back into the house, returning with a thick stack of cash and ration tickets.
“Zhiyi, here’s 1,000 yuan. Count it. And these tickets—consider it a little something from your uncle and me. Keep them all.”
Shen Zhiyi naturally refused. “Auntie…”
Never mind the money, but that stack of tickets… there had to be at least a few dozen.
Aunt Wang was insistent. “Be good, child. Once you get to the countryside, there’ll be plenty of places to spend money. You can’t go without any on hand.”
Shen Zhiyi couldn’t refuse any further, so she finally accepted. “Alright. Then tomorrow morning, have Zhao Hu come with me to the printing factory, and we’ll get the job handed over.”
That night, Shen Zhiyi slept directly in her Island Villa. Not only was it scorching hot outside, but the bed was also rock hard—so this place was naturally much more comfortable.
The next morning, Shen Zhiyi got up early. She ate a banana in the villa and a small plate of jackfruit.
Worried that Aunt Wang might be anxious, she didn’t have time to clean up the dishes on the island counter.
Sure enough, the moment she stepped out of the villa, Aunt Wang came knocking.
Aunt Wang beamed. “Thanks to you, Zhiyi. Otherwise, our boy would’ve had a hard time sorting this out.”
As it happened, she also had connections at the daily chemicals factory. They pulled some strings, went through the back door, and the job transfer was done in no time.
Shen Zhiyi politely declined the invitation to have a meal together, said her goodbyes, and headed home.
Just as she walked into the alley, she saw the He family blocking her doorstep in full force.
Before coming, the He family had deliberately discussed their strategy. Thinking that He Zhiyi was someone who’d cave to softness but not toughness, they planned to change tactics—first trick her into going home.
That was why they had specially brought along He Si’er, the second daughter of the family, who was the most silver-tongued of them all.
The moment she saw He Zhiyi, she beamed and sidled up to her. “Fourth Sister.”
Shen Zhiyi immediately cut her off. “Don’t. I wouldn’t dare presume.”
He Si’er took a deep breath, telling herself to hold back for now—she just needed to trick the girl into coming home first.
“Fourth Sister, I know we were wrong before.”
“But you have to understand—we were just too worried about you.”
“Think about it. The Shen family has fallen into such big trouble, and you’re still so young. We’re family after all. Having a maternal family to fall back on is better than having none, isn’t it?”
Liu Xiuxiang and the old woman were hot-tempered and were about to start making a scene, but He Xiang’er, the fifth daughter, stopped them.
He Xiang’er shot them both a meaningful look and whispered, “Mom! Grandma!”
“Do you two still want this house, the money, and He Zhiyi’s job or not?”
The old woman and Liu Xiuxiang exchanged a glance and immediately shut their mouths. Just wait—they’d get the girl back home first, then deal with her.
He Si’er said with a sweet smile, “Fourth Sister, come home. As long as you come back, you’ll still have your parents. You’ll still have family.”
“From now on, no matter what happens, we’ll always have your back.”
Shen Zhiyi’s fox-like eyes darted around for a moment, then she nodded. “Fine, I’ll go back.”
She’d have to steal the household register, and she’d need to bring over the box she’d prepared in advance.
The old woman and Liu Xiuxiang exchanged a look upon hearing this, their four eyes brimming with greed and smug satisfaction.
Liu Xiuxiang suppressed the glee rising in her chest and smiled at the girl. “That’s right, that’s right—let’s go home, we’ll talk once we’re home!”