She quickly went to bed to rest and conserve her energy. She would need to be well-rested tomorrow so she could go fishing.
The small Western-style house had electricity. Qin Ziqi switched off the little bedside lamp, snuggled under the covers, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, she woke up naturally. She picked up the watch she had taken off and placed on the bedside table before going to bed.
It was already eight o’clock.
Remembering her plans for the day, Qin Ziqi quickly changed and got out of bed.
She had always kept her household registration booklet with her. After taking it out of the safe, she prepared to go out and take care of something first.
It would also give Yao Zheng and Zhao Xinhua an opportunity.
If she didn’t leave the house, how would they get into her room?
She slowly walked downstairs.
The two younger children had gone to school, while Yao Zhenzhen was pacing around the living room.
When she saw Qin Ziqi come downstairs, she immediately approached her.
“Ziqi, I’m getting married and registering my marriage today. Could you accompany me to buy some clothes now?”
“I don’t have time. I have something to do and need to go out for a while. I’ll probably be back in an hour.”
Qin Ziqi deliberately made the words “an hour” especially clear.
Sure enough, she caught the fleeting looks of delight in Zhao Xinhua and Yao Zhenzhen’s eyes.
“I’m leaving. Go buy the clothes yourself.”
She headed toward the door.
Yao Zhenzhen followed behind her.
“Then I’ll go out with you. You can take care of your business, and I’ll go buy clothes afterward.”
She turned back discreetly and gave Zhao Xinhua a meaningful look.
When they reached the intersection, the department store was to the left.
Qin Ziqi turned right without even glancing at Yao Zhenzhen and walked away.
Yao Zhenzhen stomped her feet angrily where she stood, but she didn’t head toward the department store.
Instead, she remained at the intersection, watching in Qin Ziqi’s direction.
Qin Ziqi arrived at the neighborhood office and found the office of the Educated Youth Affairs Department.
“Hello, I’m here to register to go to the countryside.”
This was also a decision Qin Ziqi had made based on the original owner’s memories.
Although she possessed extensive medical knowledge and skills, she didn’t have a medical license. Moreover, she now felt that staying as far away from the Yao family as possible was the best choice.
The original owner had indeed been proud and distant and wasn’t close to the people in this family, so she hadn’t thought too deeply about them.
But Qin Ziqi had discovered something in the original owner’s memories.
Yao Zheng had been accepting bribes at work.
If someone reported him, he would likely be sent down as well.
If she remained in Shanghai, she might very well be implicated.
The staff member at the Educated Youth Affairs Department looked up at Qin Ziqi.
Good heavens!
This girl was unbelievably beautiful.
“Y-yes, of course. Since you’re volunteering, you can choose the location yourself.”
“Northeast China. Any commune under Harbin will do.”
Qin Ziqi took out a handful of White Rabbit candies.
“I heard that people in the Northeast get several months to hibernate through the winter, and the region is rich in resources. I’d like to go there.”
“All right. Then how about Red Star Commune in Feng County, Harbin? You can leave in three days. Will you have enough time to prepare?”
“I’ll have enough time. I’ve already prepared most of my things.”
Not at all.
It looked like she would have to resolve everything quickly and then rush to prepare her luggage.
“All right, then I’ll register you. Are you sure?”
The older woman at the Educated Youth Affairs Department looked at Qin Ziqi.
“I’m sure.”
The woman took Qin Ziqi’s household registration booklet and recorded her information. Then she took out an envelope.
“This is your subsidy for going to the countryside—one hundred yuan. Young lady, let me say one thing as an older sister: take good care of yourself when you go down there.”
A girl this beautiful would inevitably attract attention in the countryside.
If something went wrong and she lost her innocence, she might end up staying there for the rest of her life and never be able to return.
Qin Ziqi understood what the woman meant.
“Thank you, Big Sister. I understand.”
After finishing her business, Qin Ziqi thought for a moment and made a detour to the home of her mother’s friend, Zheng Zhongyao.
Zheng Zhongyao wasn’t home. He was serving in the military and hadn’t returned.
His eldest son, Zheng Haiyang, was also a soldier. He was currently a platoon leader. At eighteen, he was one year older than the original Qin Ziqi.
His younger daughter, Zheng Huimin, was sixteen and in high school.
So the only person at home was Zheng Zhongyao’s wife, Shen Chunyue, who had stayed in Shanghai to accompany her daughter while she studied.
“Auntie Shen, are you home? It’s Ziqi.”
“Ziqi? Come in quickly. I’m here.”
Qin Ziqi pushed open the courtyard gate.
Shen Chunyue was washing clothes. Her hands were wet, and when she saw Qin Ziqi, she quickly dried them on her apron.
“Ziqi, come in and sit. If you hadn’t come, I was actually planning to go find you later.”
“Auntie Shen, you heard about what happened at my house?”
Shen Chunyue’s expression immediately darkened.
“I thought Zhao Xinhua was shameless enough already. Who would have thought the stepdaughter she brought with her would be just as shameless, doing something like that right at home?”
“Auntie Shen, honestly, I don’t really care. I already called off my engagement with the Lu family yesterday. Today, Yao Zhenzhen and Lu Chenghua are going to register their marriage.”
Qin Ziqi’s expression remained calm.
“I came here to tell you that I registered to go to the countryside. I’m leaving for Harbin in three days. I don’t know what I need to prepare, so I came to ask you.”
“You girl, how did you suddenly think of volunteering to go to the countryside? If you wanted a job, couldn’t your Uncle Zheng arrange one for you? Why go all the way there to suffer?”
Shen Chunyue was anxious.
This girl had gone and done something so major without saying a word.
If her husband found out, he would absolutely explode.
“Auntie Shen, listen to me.”
Qin Ziqi pulled Shen Chunyue down to sit.
“You know about my mother’s and my grandfather’s backgrounds. Things aren’t peaceful these days. On top of that, I discovered that Yao Zheng has been doing some shady things at the factory. After thinking it over, I actually feel that going to the countryside to lie low for a while would be better for me.”
Although Shen Chunyue was a housewife, she wasn’t ignorant.
After all, Zheng Zhongyao was a brigade commander. He had seen and heard plenty.
“That’s true. What exactly has Yao Zheng been doing?”
Qin Ziqi lowered her voice.
“I discovered that Yao Zheng has been accepting bribes at the factory. Raw-material suppliers give him benefits, and in exchange, he approves inferior raw materials for the factory. If someone reports him, he’ll definitely be sent down. And I’ll be implicated as well.”
“Besides, our little Western-style house is far too conspicuous right now. All the houses around us are occupied by several families, while ours is the only one that’s a detached residence.”
Shen Chunyue couldn’t help sighing.
This girl really was sharp and clear-minded. She had thought everything through.
Old Zheng had only been thinking about keeping her from suffering and arranging a job for her in Shanghai. He hadn’t considered nearly as much as this girl had.
“Then I won’t try to persuade you anymore. Since you’re going to the Northeast, you’ll need thick bedding, cotton-padded clothes and pants, and all those things. Prepare plenty of money and ration coupons as well.”
“We’ll just go there and stay for a while. Don’t work yourself to death or make things difficult for yourself. Once the situation improves, have your Uncle Zheng find a way to bring you back to the city.”
“All right. I understand. I’ll be going now, Auntie Shen.”
Shen Chunyue grabbed her arm.
“Wait.”
She turned and went into the room.
A moment later, she came out carrying a wooden box.
“These are things your mother left with me back then. Over the years, I’ve gradually given some of them to you. There’s still more than three thousand yuan left. As for the ration coupons, I’ll find a way to exchange some for you later. Take the money first.”
Qin Ziqi accepted the box and counted out five hundred yuan.
“For the cost of exchanging the coupons.”
Shen Chunyue knew how stubborn she was, so she said nothing and simply accepted the money.
That afternoon, she would go to the black market and exchange all of it for ration coupons. If there was cotton or anything similar, she would buy some too. The weather wasn’t cold yet, so she could make cotton-padded clothes and pants herself and mail them to the girl.
As for bedding, she wasn’t worried.
Shen Chunyue knew Qin Ziqi had plenty of quilts.
After leaving the Zheng family home, Qin Ziqi checked her watch.
It was already past nine.
It was about time.
She could go home and start reeling in the fish.
When she returned to the small Western-style house, the entire Lu family of three was there as well.
Everyone had smiles on their faces.
It seemed the negotiations had gone very smoothly.
Qin Ziqi noticed the five boxes sitting on the table.
Looks like it had worked.