Sitting on the backseat of her father’s bicycle, Nan Mo observed this bleak era.
Gray cities, gray streets, gray clothing…
Only the red leadership quotations on the walls and the spirited crowds on the streets made this world feel alive.
“Xiao Mo, I’ll drop you off at school. After you collect your graduation certificate, come home early. Have your mother take you to the department store this afternoon. And…”
“Dad, I know.”
How could Nan Mo not understand her father’s thoughts? He simply didn’t want her to be alone, afraid she might be spotted by the Educated Youth Office.
Some gossipmonger had reported to the Educated Youth Office that the daughter of Steel Factory Number One’s Factory Director met the criteria for Down to the Countryside, demanding Nan’s Father set an example by voluntarily sending his daughter.
What a joke! How could Nan Zhengting’s precious daughter go Down to the Countryside? After serving as Factory Director for so many years, he knew exactly what those petty people were thinking.
He had worked diligently all these years precisely to provide a good life for his wife and children. How could they expect him to lead the way in making his daughter suffer?
Looking at her father’s broad, straight back and thinking of her mother waiting at home, Nan Mo felt an indescribable sense of security.
Yet she worried her father wouldn’t allow her to go Down to the Countryside, ultimately following the original story’s plot.
She would never marry Wu Mingkang, but her parents might arrange blind dates to keep her from going Down to the Countryside.
She yearned for marriage and love, but not a hasty, muddled union.
Collecting the graduation certificate was quick—she could leave right after receiving it.
Holding her certificate, Nan Mo pondered how to convince her parents to let her go Down to the Countryside, unaware of the bicycle speeding toward her from the roadside.
“Watch out…” A hand grabbed Nan Mo, pulling her toward its owner.
Since arriving in this era, Nan Mo had always been mindful of maintaining distance between men and women—after all, even a minor misstep could ruin a girl’s reputation.
Nan Mo quickly dodged, wrenching her arm free from the grasp. Only then did she look up at the person before her.
“Comrade, I…” The man’s face flushed instantly, regretful of his rashness.
Seeing him stammer, Nan Mo didn’t waste time. “Hello, comrade. Thank you for your help earlier.” She prepared to leave.
But the person in front of her suddenly called out, “Comrade, hello. I’m Wu Mingkang. Are you also a student at Hai City Number One Middle School?”
Hearing Wu Mingkang’s name, Nan Mo froze, studying the man before her.
Noticing the girl’s gaze, Wu Mingkang instinctively straightened his posture.
His military-green shirt had been bought by his mother to help him find work.
It was the only presentable clothing in the household—worn during the day and washed at night. He had worn it for several days straight while job hunting, but without success.
Jobs were scarce, each position already filled. Without connections, he couldn’t even secure manual labor as a temporary worker, let alone a decent job.
Just as he despaired over another wasted morning, he spotted Nan Mo emerging from the school.
So dazzling and striking, she immediately caught his eye.
Nan Mo’s assessment was complete: about 175 cm tall, wind-tousled hair, a frail build, a faded shirt…
None of it aligned with Nan Mo’s aesthetic preferences.
As for resembling Qin Yue… perhaps there might be some similarity upon closer inspection, but Nan Mo had no intention of scrutinizing him closely, so forgive her for not noticing.
“Hello, Comrade Wu, I’m a student from No. 1 High School. Is there something you need?”
“N-no, nothing.” Wu Mingkang did have intentions of striking up a conversation, but faced with Nan Mo’s aloof expression, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
Nan Mo nodded once more to express her gratitude for his earlier assistance, then turned and walked away without looking back.
She had considered seeking revenge against the Wu family, but it was clearly not feasible at the moment.
Although she knew the Wu family was likely the group that had ruined her previous life, Nan Mo was someone who always looked forward. She had people she wanted to protect and couldn’t afford to waste time and energy on the Wu family.
At least not now.
Meanwhile, Wu Mingkang stood staring at Nan Mo’s retreating figure, lost in thought as a perfect solution occurred to him.
If finding employment didn’t work out, he could avoid being sent Down to the Countryside by getting married.
He just wondered if that girl from earlier had a partner… Even if it wasn’t her, someone else… wouldn’t be unacceptable either.
Of course, it would be best if it were her. With this thought, he hurried home, planning to ask his sister who also attended No. 1 High School for information.
Unaware of Wu Mingkang’s thoughts, Nan Mo could only marvel at the power of the original plot, surprised to encounter Wu Mingkang this early.
“Mom, I’m home.”
“You’re back? Go wash your hands quickly and come eat. This afternoon I’ll take you to the department store to buy a dress.”
Nan’s Mother said while serving dishes, informing Nan Mo about their afternoon plans.
“I already have dresses, so there’s no need to go.” After washing her hands, Nan Mo took advantage of her mother’s distraction to add two drops of Spirit Spring Water from her Dimension space into the soup.
Hearing her daughter’s reluctance, Nan’s Mother explained, “The son of one of your father’s comrades just returned to Hai Shi a couple days ago.
That young man has been serving in the military elsewhere and has now been discharged. The organization even arranged a job for him at the public security bureau. We thought you might meet him.”
After speaking, Nan’s Mother watched her daughter’s expression, noting she didn’t seem particularly resistant.
Leaning closer conspiratorially, she added, “Your father saw his photo and said he’s a very spirited young man, 22 years old, tall and well-built.”
“Spirited?” Nan Mo smiled at her mother. “If Dad describes him that way, he probably isn’t very good-looking, right?”
Knowing her daughter’s preference for attractive things, Nan’s Mother said, “Let’s just go take a look. Whether it works out or not doesn’t matter—think of it as making a new friend.”
“I don’t want to go. I don’t want to marry just to avoid going Down to the Countryside. Arranged meetings with such purposes often lead to wrong decisions.
Mom, marriage is a serious matter. If you choose the wrong person, you’ll spend your entire life in misery.
I want to find someone who truly loves me, like you and Dad do.” Seeing her mother considering her words,
Nan Mo pressed her advantage: “Dad always says how hard life Down to the Countryside is, as if I don’t know.
He keeps using Sister Xiaojuan from Uncle Zhang’s family as a cautionary tale, but he doesn’t consider what kind of life she had at home.
When she went Down to the Countryside, her family didn’t give her any money, and her stepmother even made her scrimp and save to send things back every year.
With that kind of life, she’d be miserable anywhere, not just in the countryside.
You both love me so much—even if I do go Down to the Countryside, you’d definitely provide me with plenty of money and ration coupons.
When I get to the countryside, I’ll work when I feel like it, and when I don’t, I’ll just buy food with money.” She finished with a triumphant expression.
“Eh? How did we end up talking about you going Down to the Countryside?” Nan’s Mother gave Nan Mo a reproachful look.
She tapped her daughter’s forehead with her finger, then worried she might have hurt her, so she gently rubbed the spot twice. “Did you already plan to go Down to the Countryside?”
Nan Mo leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder and said affectionately, “I’m serious. Dad just doesn’t know how to be flexible. With the current situation so tense, he only thinks about opposing others.”
“In my opinion, he’d be better off taking the initiative to sign me up for Down to the Countryside. Maybe I could even get assigned to a good place due to good performance.”
“Then when the situation eases up, he could have me transferred back. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”
Nan’s Mother thought Nan Mo made a good point, but felt something wasn’t quite right.
Nan Mo continued to fuel the fire, “Mom, do you not want me anymore? Is that why you’re thinking about marrying me off so early?” She looked at Nan’s Mother with a pitiful expression.
Having been pampered growing up in her parental home and spoiled for half her life after marrying Nan Zhengting, Nan’s Mother was genuinely naive but not without her wits.
She lightly patted Nan Mo’s back. “You ungrateful little thing, still trying these tricks on me.”
“No matter how much you say to me, it’s useless. This matter has to be decided by your dad!”
With that, she turned and went back to her room. If she stayed any longer, she’d be persuaded by this clever girl.
“Are we still going to the department store?” Nan Mo called toward her door.
“Yes!”