Su Aiguo stared at Su Nian’an for several seconds before speaking. “Fine! I’ll tell them not to bother you. And you—stop dwelling on this matter. First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to the train station myself.”
With that, he left without waiting for her reply.
Su Nian’an let out a cold snort and shut the door of the room she was staying in. She had been back for quite some time, yet not a single person had asked if she’d eaten.
Fortunately, Su Nian’an had been sharp. Before returning to the Su family home, she had already stopped at the state-run restaurant for dinner—otherwise, she would have gone hungry again.
Speaking of hunger, she reached into her pocket and pulled out two leftover steamed buns she had steamed in the kitchen that morning. She held them up to her nose and sniffed. They still smelled delicious and soft. These will be my late-night snack tonight, she thought.
She had no idea what was going on with this body—perhaps it was still growing—but she got hungry remarkably fast.
Whatever the Su family had discussed behind closed doors, the rest of the household stayed remarkably quiet that evening. No one came to pick a fight with her as they had before.
At dawn the next day, Su Nian’an was woken up by Su Aiguo. She was a restless sleeper, so her hair was now a tangled mess. She opened the door, pointedly ignoring the look of disdain in Su Aiguo’s eyes, and said irritably, “What time is the train? Why do we need to leave so early?”
The sky had barely even brightened, and she was exhausted.
“The train leaves at eight. It’s already six now—hurry up and get ready. I’m taking you to the station,” Su Aiguo replied.
“Right, fine. Wait outside for me.”
With that, she slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Su Aiguo stood there, rebuffed and scowling, his expression dark. But since he was finally sending her away to the countryside today, he swallowed his temper—for now.
An eight o’clock train, and it was only six. Su Nian’an had no idea why he was in such a frantic rush. She took her time getting dressed in the new clothes she had bought the day before: an embroidered white blouse, tailored black trousers, and low leather boots. The outfit looked stylish yet understated—perfect for the countryside, giving her the air of a young intellectual sent down to the villages.
Her hair was still a tangled mess. Braided pigtails were in fashion these days, so she decided to wear her hair in two braids. The original owner’s hair was truly beautiful—long and thick, ideal for braiding. The mirror in the room was old and warped, but Su Nian’an knew that after her careful preparations, she looked absolutely lovely.
“Su Nian’an, hurry up! We’re going to be late!” Su Aiguo had not left; he was waiting right outside her door. It seemed he had barely slept a wink all night, terrified that she might run away—if she did, he would have no one to send to the Gu family as a bride, and he would have no way to answer to them.
“I’m coming, I’m coming! Stop nagging!” Su Nian’an retorted sharply.
In the past, Su Aiguo would likely have burst into the room and struck her for speaking to him that way. But now, with everything hanging in the balance, he held his temper and said, “Don’t keep the Gu family waiting too long.”
Su Nian’an rolled her eyes. Keep them waiting? The train station was within walking distance. She had no idea why they needed to arrive two hours early.
When she finally opened the door, she was fully dressed and composed. Su Aiguo stared at her, stunned—she looked like an entirely different person.
“You… you look…” He fumbled for words, struck by how remarkably changed she seemed. With a face like hers, she might well win the heart of the Gu family’s young man after all.
Su Nian’an gave a cold huff and replied sarcastically, “Let me say this plainly: I’ve been here for days, and not a single one of you thought to buy me so much as a single change of clothes. You’ve made me wear the same tattered, patched outfit day after day. I know none of you care about me—but surely you care about your own reputations? What will the neighbors think when they see a member of the Su family walking around in rags? Do you really enjoy being the talk of the town?”
She used the opportunity to reproach Su Aiguo sharply. She felt bitterly wronged on behalf of the original owner—frankly, her biological family were far worse than the original owner’s adoptive family had ever been.
Su Aiguo looked away guiltily. He had noticed what she was wearing, but household matters were not his responsibility—his wife Liu Cuilan took care of all clothing and provisions.
“Nian’an… I apologize,” he said stiffly.
Today he would finally be rid of her. Once she was gone, she would have nothing more to do with the Su family. There was no point in arguing. To ensure she went to the countryside without trouble, he was willing to hold his tongue.
Su Nian’an’s younger sister Su Nianxi was still fast asleep—the pampered, sheltered young lady could sleep through dawn. Someone like her, Su Nian’an thought, is the one who truly ought to be sent for re-education. Still, it was only to be for half a year. She only hoped that the Gu family would be in a position to bring her back sooner.
Having grown up in the countryside herself, Su Nian’an actually did not mind rural life—though she knew farm work would be grueling. In the future, the countryside would become peaceful and comfortable; but in this era, things were very different.
Su Nian’an rode to the train station on the back of a three-wheeler with Su Aiguo, who stayed close beside her the entire way as if afraid she might vanish. Upon arriving, he stood craning his neck and scanning the crowd—clearly searching for the person who had agreed to escort her. The truth was, Su Aiguo did not trust Su Nian’an in the slightest; that was why he had insisted on sending someone along with her.
Su Nian’an said nothing. If he wanted to worry, let him worry.
After searching in vain for some time, Su Aiguo’s expression grew grave.
“There,” Su Nian’an said, unable to resist rolling her eyes. “I told you—no one would show up this early.”
But Su Aiguo was not reassured. A sense of foreboding settled over him. It seemed the person who had promised to escort her was having second thoughts.
Helping someone in need was never easy. The previous day, Su Aiguo had gone to visit a distant branch of the Gu family—and had been met with nothing but reluctance. Everyone seemed terrified of being associated with the Gu family and had turned him away at first. Eventually, one young man roughly the same age as Gu Qingyu had agreed to take his sister-in-law-to-be to the countryside to find him—though his family had been strongly opposed, and he had only agreed against their wishes.
Now it appeared…
Watching Su Aiguo’s grave expression, Su Nian’an understood. No one wanted to be associated with the Gu family now that they had fallen on hard times. As the saying goes: when the walls fall, everyone pushes. The novel had described it clearly—after the Gu family’s downfall, even those who had once spoken up for them had been dismissed or sent down to the countryside. Who would dare risk association now?
“So,” Su Nian’an said calmly. “Is there truly no one left to escort me to the Gu family?”
Su Aiguo frowned and glanced at her, feeling a rising sense of panic. He had given her a generous sum of money—if no one watched her, what was to stop her taking it and vanishing?
“If no one comes,” Su Nian’an said, “then I shall go alone.”
Su Aiguo looked at her again, surprised by her composure.