Carrying a cloth bag, she arrived at the educated youth office.
Inside sat a middle-aged woman, head down writing something.
Lan Xin stepped up to the counter. The woman looked up.
“What can I help you with, young comrade?”
“I’m here to sign up to go to the countryside.”
“What’s your name? Did you bring your household registration booklet?”
“Lan Xingyu. I brought it.”
Having accepted the original host’s memories, Lan Xin knew the process. She took the household booklet out of her cloth bag and handed it over.
The woman checked it, then asked, “You’re volunteering to go to the countryside?”
There wasn’t actually a quota requiring him to go.
“Yes. I want to support rural development. Please help me register.”
“You can register. There’s a national subsidy of 50 yuan. Let me see where placements are available.”
The woman flipped through her notebook.
After a moment, she said, “Is Sichuan Province okay?”
“Okay. Please assign me somewhere more remote.”
“Dawan Village is remote.”
The woman looked up at her again.
“Are you sure you want to sign up?”
“I’m sure.”
Lan Xin’s gaze was firm… and helpless.
After twenty years of pampered living, she had no idea what awaited her in the countryside.
“Alright. I’ll write you an introduction letter.”
The woman quickly finished the document and handed it over.
“Report within ten days.”
Lan Xin agreed. The woman then took out 50 yuan and had her sign. Once she signed, the process was complete.
“Head out early.”
“Thank you.”
After putting everything away, Lan Xin hesitated, then said,
“Um… Comrade, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t want my going to the countryside to be made public—especially to a classmate named Lu Qingqing, and my parents. I want to contribute quietly in the countryside without them disturbing me. Could you… not record my transfer?”
The woman understood part of the situation, but shook her head.
“If you do that, it’ll be inconvenient for your household registration later. You might not even get job assignments. And if this is investigated, it’ll count as negligence on my part!”
“I guarantee no one will pursue it.”
“No.”
“I swear right now.”
“Swearing won’t help.”
The woman was firm.
Lan Xin placed the 50 yuan on the table.
“I’m bribing you. Fifty yuan—and this bag of brown sugar. At least five jin.”
She had prepared it before coming.
Without benefits, no one would help you get things done.
The woman was startled and quickly glanced around.
Luckily, she was the only one on duty today—otherwise this could become a serious accusation.
“Well?”
Seeing the money and the large bag of brown sugar, the woman began to waver.
“It’s just one extra introduction letter. You can just say you never saw me.”
“But you already signed for the subsidy.”
“Then return the fifty yuan—and I’ll add a watch as a bribe.”
Lan Xin took out a vintage-style wristwatch.
Its design matched this era but was noticeably more exquisite.
The woman took one look—and her heart moved.
Selling this watch could easily fetch 150 yuan.
That was several months of her salary.
“If I don’t record you, you’ll basically be treated as missing.”
“That’s exactly the effect I want.”
“…Alright. I’ll erase the record. Just take your introduction letter and report to the village.”
One more or one fewer educated youth in the countryside wasn’t a big deal.
Back in the sixties, plenty of educated youths had died in the countryside anyway.
After the woman erased all traces, Lan Xin finally left at ease.
She rode her bicycle to the supply and marketing cooperative.
She planned to sell her job for cash.
She wasn’t sure whether the ration coupons she bought from online shops would work here. The original host only had a little over 300 yuan on hand—better to prepare more money.
She went straight to the cooperative director and asked for 800 yuan.
As for how much he resold the position for—that was none of her business.
The director didn’t even bargain and directly gave her 800 yuan. He asked why she was selling her job.
She said she was getting married and might work somewhere better.
The director didn’t ask further.
With the money and the introduction letter in hand, Lan Xin returned home.
It was getting late today.
She planned to leave tomorrow—and also see the original host’s parents one last time.
Back home, she packed up Lan Xingyu’s belongings and sorted the clothes she planned to take.
Tomorrow, she could just sweep everything into her space—
and leave.
Lan Xin didn’t dislike his things. After all, she was using his body now. Besides, the clothes fit well and were the most fashionable of this era.
After tidying up and lying on the bed, she began to feel upset again. Why had the nanny switched the children back then? She must be in prison by now. Lan Xin had never met her and didn’t feel like sympathizing.
What she really missed were the family members who had once doted on her like a treasure in their palms. Fate was truly cruel—otherwise she would still be the little princess of the Lan family.
Now she was about to go to the countryside to suffer, and the thought made her uneasy.
Feeling frustrated, she lit another cigarette. Lan Xingyu’s nicotine addiction was far too heavy—hopefully she could quit once she got to the countryside.
As her thoughts wandered, time passed quickly. Father Lan and Mother Lan got off work. They both worked at the candy factory and returned home together, even bringing meat and vegetables with them.
Father Lan was the deputy director of the candy factory, and Mother Lan was a warehouse manager. Both earned good salaries, so their life was better than most. Every few days, they would buy meat for their son.
Mother Lan had just set down the groceries when she came into the room and asked, “Son, have you picked out your wedding clothes?”
Lan Xin looked at her. She really was a great beauty—no wonder Lan Xingyu was so handsome.
“Didn’t see anything I liked. I’ll go look again in a couple of days.”
Mother Lan smiled. “Why be so picky? As long as it fits, it’s fine.”
“Go cook. I’m hungry.”
Lan Xin didn’t want to continue this topic.
“Alright. We’re having bitter melon stir-fried with pork tonight. Wait a bit—it’ll be ready soon.”
Whenever her son asked for something, Mother Lan always complied. She turned and went to cook.
Before long, Father Lan came in, handed Lan Xin a cigarette, then sat at the desk smoking, his brows full of worry.
Lan Xin lit the cigarette and looked at him. He was a handsome middle-aged man with a gentle face that gave off a warm, refined feeling.
After a moment of silence, Father Lan said, “I can tell Lu Qingqing likes you very much. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
In truth, he felt a little regret now. Back then, when Mother Lan could no longer conceive, they had been devastated and made an irrational decision.
Moreover, the Lan family had been single-line for three generations. If the family line ended with him, his mother would have forced him to remarry. He and Mother Lan truly loved each other and didn’t want to separate, so they deceived everyone into believing he had a son.
Lan Xin exhaled a stream of smoke and said, “I talked to her today. She doesn’t mind my female body, so the wedding will proceed as scheduled.”
“That’s wonderful!”
Father Lan finally relaxed, his brows smoothing out.
Lan Xin gave an unnatural smile and said nothing more. She couldn’t really judge Father Lan and Mother Lan. If you said they ruined Lan Xingyu’s life, they had also treated their son extremely well, giving him everything good.
Father Lan added, “If I see a good-looking boy, I’ll bring him back for you two to adopt. I’ll handle this matter.”
“…Mm.” Lan Xin pressed her cherry lips into a straight line. Her chest felt tight—she wanted to escape this place immediately.
After that, Father Lan talked more about the wedding. Lan Xin responded absentmindedly. Just endure a little longer—once tomorrow came and she left, everything would be fine.
At the dinner table, Mother Lan said, “In the future, adopt a son and a daughter. Then you two will be perfectly complete.”
Lan Xin’s eyes darkened. She had the ability to bear children—why would she adopt someone else’s child? Besides, she herself was still basically a kid. Raising children was something for the future.
“Qingqing is such a good child. Once you’re married, you’ll even get to live in a siheyuan.”
Lu Qingqing had already prepared their marital home—a two-courtyard siheyuan.
The more Lan Xin listened, the more she felt like the bottom… like some pretty boy being kept by Lu Qingqing.
Not wanting to hear their nagging anymore, Lan Xin quickly finished eating and returned to her room. Soon Mother Lan called her out to bathe—the bathwater had already been heated.
Even Lan Xin’s clothes after bathing were washed by Mother Lan. Neither Lan Xin nor Lan Xingyu knew how to do laundry; both had been raised in pampered comfort.
The next morning, Mother Lan got up early and prepared breakfast: vegetable porridge, white flour flatbread, and boiled eggs.
Lan Xin quietly finished eating and went back to her room. She didn’t want to leave the house with them, so she waited until they were gone before going downstairs, putting the bicycle into her space, and taking the bus to the train station.
Lu Qingqing didn’t come to see her today—she was probably planning to look for her at the supply and marketing cooperative after getting off work at noon. Fortunately, Lan Xin boarded the train at eleven.
When Lu Qingqing heard that she had sold her job, she immediately went to the educated youth office to check the records—but there was no entry for Lan Xingyu.
She went to the Lan residence next. No one answered the door. Then she rushed to the candy factory to find Mother Lan. Father and Mother Lan immediately took leave to search for their son.