Long-distance calls in this era had to be made at the post and telecommunications office. The public phone booths on the street could only handle local calls.
After leaving the hospital, Tang Huan stopped and turned back to look at Meng Zeyan.
“Brother, you go home first. I need to go to the post office.”
He had already accompanied her to the hospital. She was genuinely grateful and didn’t want to delay him any further.
“Mm.” Meng Zeyan didn’t say much.
His gaze toward her softened slightly. He had heard from Comrade Xing Cui that this girl had suffered a lot, but he hadn’t realized just how hard her life had been.
The post office and the road home were in opposite directions. So they parted ways.
As she walked, Tang Huan’s thoughts drifted.
At the hospital, she had confidently claimed she had a husband and wasn’t afraid of Li Feng.
But in reality, she was afraid. Terrified, even.
The old couple in the Meng family were aging, and once Meng Zeyan’s leave ended, he would leave again.
That would leave only two elderly people and one weak young woman in the house. If Li Feng really came looking for trouble, what then?
Especially after she had hit Li Feng with a brick—he would not let this go.
The Meng family were good people. She shouldn’t drag them into this.
Maybe… she should move out first, then report him to the police.
But without evidence, would the police even believe her?
Probably… right? What woman would casually ruin her own reputation for no reason?
At the post office, many people were waiting in line to make calls. Tang Huan joined at the very back, surrounded by noisy chatter.
She lowered her head and looked at her fingers, inching forward as the line moved.
After two full hours, it was finally her turn.
She noticed some people even crouched under the desk while talking—probably because it was too loud outside and too hard to hear.
She dialed the number on the paper and held the receiver to her ear. Only then did she understand why they did that—the noise outside was overwhelming, and the voice on the line was faint.
She covered one ear with her hand and waited.
“Hello.” The call connected.
The voice on the other end was slightly distorted through the line.
“Is this Tang Shuo?” she asked after a pause.
“Yes. Are you… Huanhuan?”
He sounded surprised.
She crouched down as well, mimicking others under the desk. The sound became a little clearer.
“Mm. It’s me. Tang Huan. Tang Yuan Dao said you were looking for me.”
She couldn’t bring herself to call him “Dad.”
There was no response to that.
Instead, he asked, “Huanhuan… you got married?”
Her memory didn’t clearly mention whether she had told him anything about the family. Maybe it was Tang Yuan Dao who said it.
It wasn’t something worth hiding.
“In the Tang family, I couldn’t survive. Marriage was the only way out,” she replied honestly.
Silence lingered on the other end.
Then his voice returned, lower now. “Huanhuan… I’m sorry. I didn’t protect you. When I go back, I won’t let them off.”
“Mm.”
A tear dropped onto the ground.
It wasn’t entirely her emotion—it was the lingering grief of the original owner. Too much injustice, too much pain.
He continued, “Give me your address. I’ll send you something.”
So she told him the Meng family’s address.
Then came a hesitant question.
“Does your husband treat you well?”
She hesitated.
Should she tell him her husband had already died?
“…He treats me well,” she said instead.
She couldn’t risk telling the Tang family the truth. If they knew she was a widow, what if Tang Yuan Dao used it to drag her back?
Just the thought made her shiver.
After a moment, he said, “Good. Huanhuan, remember this—be kind to others, but don’t place your heart in the wrong people or the wrong things. I’ll come back at the end of the year and take you away then.”
Wrong people? Wrong things?
What did that even mean?
She nodded silently, then realized he couldn’t see her.
“Okay.”
The call ended.
From the post office, she began searching for housing.
If she was going to move out of the Meng home, she needed somewhere to stay. She even considered whether she could return after dealing with Li Feng—but quickly dismissed the idea.
That would be too shameless.
She chose densely populated courtyard housing and dormitory-style buildings where workers lived. If something happened, neighbors would hear.
In the end, she settled on a three-story dormitory building. Most tenants were married workers from the machinery factory.
Rent was fifteen yuan a year. She paid one yuan as deposit first and would settle the rest upon moving in.
The landlord was easygoing and handed her the key.
On the way home, she worried about how to explain this to the Meng family.
Lying wasn’t her strength.
When she got home, Aunt Xing Cui had just come back from the vegetable garden.
Seeing her, she smiled. “How was school today? Tired?”
“…Not tired.”
But then she glanced at Meng Zeyan sitting under the grapevine drinking tea, and quickly looked away.
After a while, she followed Aunt Xing Cui into the kitchen.
She wanted to talk.
She needed to say it.
Inside, she finally spoke in a small voice.
“I… want to move out.”
A shocked voice immediately followed.
“What?! Move out?”
Even Meng Zeyan, sitting outside, paused mid-sip.
He turned toward the kitchen.
She wants to move out?
Because of Li Feng?
Inside, Xing Cui was already panicking. “Is it because we did something wrong? Did we make you uncomfortable somewhere? Just tell us!”
“No,” Tang Huan lowered her head. “It’s my problem.”
She didn’t want the Meng family dragged down by rumors or gossip because of her.
Widows already attract enough talk.
After she moved out, she would report Li Feng. If neighbors gossiped, it wouldn’t affect the Meng family.
At that moment, Meng Zeyan appeared at the kitchen entrance.
“When are you moving?”
He didn’t try to stop her.
He simply asked.
Xing Cui immediately exploded and slapped his arm twice. “What are you saying?! She’s not moving!”
But Tang Huan lowered her eyes.
“…In the next two days.”
“Then move the day after tomorrow,” he said calmly. “I’ll help you move.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
Xing Cui chased after him in anger, wanting to hit him harder, while he simply took it as a massage and led her back inside.
Then he quietly said, “Mom, don’t worry. She won’t move out.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
And somehow, she believed him.
In the kitchen, Xing Cui continued cooking while Tang Huan stood awkwardly beside her.
Then Xing Cui cut a small piece of pork and gently held it to her lips.
“Open your mouth,” she said softly.