The mother and daughter spent the entire afternoon shopping at the department store, purchasing two blouses for Nan Mo—one with Peter Pan collar puff sleeves and another pure white fitted waist style. Even by modern standards, these two blouses would be considered quite fashionable.
They also bought two pairs of Warrior canvas shoes and two jars of vanishing cream for Nan Mo. Seeing that it was about time, they prepared to head back.
Just as they reached the entrance of the department store, Nan Mo was still complaining to her mother about the ugly dress she had seen earlier when an untimely voice interrupted:
“Hello, comrade, we meet again.” Wu Mingkang looked at Nan Mo with pleasant surprise.
Though inwardly annoyed, Nan Mo feigned confusion on the surface. “You are?”
Unfazed, Wu Mingkang smiled and replied, “Yesterday, at the entrance of No.1 High School.”
“Oh~~ Do you need something?”
“No, no.” Wu Mingkang blushed briefly, not expecting Nan Mo to be so straightforward again.
Standing beside Wu Mingkang, Wu Mingyue clearly recognized Nan Mo. “Nan Mo?”
“And you are?” Nan Mo also recognized the girl who bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Wu Mingkang.
This must be the female protagonist of the original story, Wu Mingyue. Nan Mo hadn’t expected Wu Mingyue to already know her at this point.
“I’m Wu Mingyue, and Wu Mingkang is my brother. I also attend No.1 High School. I know you—you’re in Class 3, right? We even share the same math teacher…” Wu Mingyue appeared lively and cheerful, her words tumbling out nonstop.
“Um, well…” Nan Mo, irritated to the point of a headache, had no choice but to cut her off. “Hello, Wu. You and Comrade Wu can continue shopping slowly. It’s getting late, and my mother and I need to go home to cook. Goodbye!”
Without waiting for the siblings to react, she took her mother’s hand and left.
Nan’s Mother knew that her daughter usually appeared humble and polite, gentle and generous to everyone, but in reality, she had high standards for making friends and maintained strong boundaries.
So, she didn’t comment on her daughter’s attitude at that moment. Instead, she thought it was just as well.
However, the appearance of the siblings made Nan’s Mother even more convinced of Nan Mo’s idea of going Down to the Countryside.
In Hai Shi, although her husband wasn’t a prominent figure, he was still the director of a factory. There were plenty of people who wanted to bring him down, and just as many who sought to curry favor.
As for her own family background, anyone determined enough to investigate would find it was no secret.
Even though she had publicly severed ties with her family in the newspaper, shrewd individuals would know she still had plenty of valuable possessions and money—it was just that no one could find them or do anything about it.
Some people might take issue with her background, but certainly, there would be others who wouldn’t mind, perhaps even seeing it as an opportunity to skip decades of hard work. Moreover, her daughter was so outstanding…
The two siblings before her clearly didn’t seem upright.
No, she needed to hurry back and discuss this with Fat Nan. Perhaps going Down to the Countryside really was a viable way out.
Nan Mo found it amusing to see her mother so preoccupied and silent the whole way home. She hadn’t expected the appearance of Wu Mingkang and his sister to have such an unexpected effect.
When they arrived home, Nan Mo urged her mother to rest in her room and took the initiative to cook in the kitchen.
With her mind weighed down by concerns, Nan’s Mother let Nan Mo handle it. At worst, she could have Fat Nan redo the cooking when he returned.
In the kitchen, Nan Mo saw that there was only a small half-vat of rice and a half-bag of flour. Using the groceries her mother had bought that morning, she decided to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a winter melon and pork rib soup, and a stir-fried green vegetable.
Nan Mo added a few drops of Spirit Spring Water to each dish. While it wouldn’t achieve Marrow Cleansing, it could at least help regulate her parents’ health before she went Down to the Countryside.
Nan’s Father arrived home exactly on time and was immediately greeted by the aroma of food upon entering. Seeing Nan Mo in the kitchen, he assumed his wife was unwell and hurried to their room to check on her.
Inside the room, Nan’s Mother was sitting on the bed in a daze. When she saw Nan’s Father return, she beckoned him to come closer quickly.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“No…”
Nan’s Mother recounted everything Nan Mo had told her earlier that day, including their encounter with Wu Mingkang and his sister. She also added some of her own observations about the siblings, concluding with her perspective on their daughter’s impending assignment to the countryside.
“So, what do you think?” Nan’s Mother asked, looking at her husband.
Nan’s Father had always deferred to his wife’s judgment, and their daughter’s words today aligned reasonably with his wife’s views. Still, the thought of Nan Mo going to the countryside made him reluctant to let go.
He only said, “Let me think about it some more, just a bit more.”
Nan’s Mother also cherished their daughter dearly and nodded in agreement. “Yes, yes, we should give it more thought.”
As they finished discussing, they heard Nan Mo call them for dinner. Entering the dining room, they saw a table set with two dishes and a soup, all appealing in color, aroma, and taste.
Neither parent had expected Nan Mo, who usually only assisted her mother in the kitchen, to possess such culinary skills.
Nan’s Father praised, “Our little Mo is truly remarkable. Mom and Dad can look forward to a life of ease from now on.”
They all sat down to eat. Throughout the meal, only the sound of chopsticks clinking against bowls and plates could be heard, and in the end, the entire family ate until they were stuffed.
After the meal, Nan’s Father and Mother felt an indescribable comfort throughout their bodies, attributing it solely to having enjoyed a meal cooked by their daughter.
Nan Mo knew her cooking skills weren’t that exceptional—the deliciousness was undoubtedly thanks to the Spirit Spring Water. Her reason for cooking wasn’t just to secretly help regulate her parents’ health; she also wanted to show them that she was capable of taking care of herself in the countryside.
Meanwhile, Wu Mingkang and Wu Mingyue had also returned home. Along the way, Wu Mingkang had persistently questioned his sister about Nan Mo. Upon learning that Nan Mo was the daughter of the steel plant’s Factory Director, his resolve to marry her grew even stronger.
Wu Mingyue had some inkling of her brother’s intentions and found it rather laughable. Many at school, openly and discreetly, admired Nan Mo. Given her brother’s circumstances, she doubted Nan Mo would ever consider him.
Yet, if her brother succeeded and Nan Mo became her sister-in-law, wouldn’t it be a simple matter to ask Nan Mo’s father, the Factory Director, to arrange a job for her? Moreover, having heard that Nan Mo might also be sent to the countryside due to certain reasons, she figured Nan Mo must be anxious to find a way out.
So, she subtly hinted to her brother that getting married could exempt him from going to the countryside, hoping he would step up his efforts and quickly win over the always aloof Nan Mo.
Upon arriving home, Wu Mingkang pulled his mother aside and expressed his desire to arrange a meeting with Nan Mo.
Hearing that the other party was the Factory Director’s daughter and excelled in every aspect, Wu’s Mother initially wanted to refuse. But her son argued that Nan Mo must also be eager to avoid the countryside assignment—perhaps too shy to seek a matchmaker herself and waiting for the man to make the first move. If they seized the initiative, their chances of success would be high.
Truth be told, Wu Mingkang wasn’t entirely confident as he spoke, but regardless of whether things worked out with Nan Mo, marriage indeed presented a viable escape route.
Wu’s Mother found her son’s reasoning quite persuasive after hearing him out. Besides, if he married, her son wouldn’t have to go to the countryside.
Although she cared about Wu Mingyue too, compared to her son, her daughter clearly didn’t measure up.
The very next day, she sought out Xue Mei, Hai Shi’s most reputable matchmaker.
Xue Mei’s mother had worked as a servant for the Luo family in her youth, and Xue Mei herself had lived with the Luo family as a child.
Later, the Luo family moved entirely to Hong Kong, leaving only their married daughter Luo Ci behind in Hai Shi.
Xue Mei and Luo Ci had been very close, but when political tensions rose, fearing that being too close to Luo Ci might lead to someone using Luo Ci’s family background against them, they gradually grew apart.
Now, upon hearing that the Wu family wanted to arrange a meeting with Nan Mo, Xue Mei immediately waved her hands in refusal.
Everyone knew how much the Nan family doted on this girl, and besides, the Wu family’s son was utterly unworthy of Nan Mo.
Understanding roughly why the Wu family was in such a hurry, Xue Mei suggested they consider other families instead.
Wu’s Mother, who had never been confident about her son meeting the Factory Director’s daughter, agreed to look at other girls first.
After sending Wu’s Mother away, Xue Mei went to the Nan family to see Luo Ci. Stepping inside, she glanced around and asked, “Where’s Xiao Mo?”
“In her room. What’s wrong?”
“Come, let’s talk in your room.”
Seeing Xue Mei’s expression, Nan’s Mother thought something serious had happened and pulled her inside. “What’s going on?”
Not wanting to alarm Luo Ci, Xue Mei quickly said, “It’s nothing. I heard Xiao Mo is going Down to the Countryside?”
At this, Luo Ci looked somewhat downcast. “How did you know?”
“How did I know? Today a woman came to me, wanting me to find a match for her son. Do you know who he wanted to meet?”
“Who? Xiao Mo?”
“Yes, Xiao Mo! Hmph, I don’t know where she got the nerve to ask for Xiao Mo right off the bat, without even considering what kind of person her son is.”
In front of Wu’s Mother, she had maintained some professional decorum, but with Luo Ci, Xue Mei didn’t hold back her disdain for the Wu family.
“She told me Xiao Mo is about to go Down to the Countryside, so they’re rushing to arrange a meeting now. She even said it was practically a sure thing and just needed me to pass along the message.” Recalling Wu’s Mother’s words, Xue Mei grew angry all over again.
“And then?”
“Then I made her drop the idea and said I’d find someone else for him later. What else could I do?”
After chatting with Luo Ci for a while, Xue Mei left. Now Luo Ci was genuinely worried.
Xue Mei wasn’t the only matchmaker in Hai Shi. While Xue Mei had outright refused, others might not.
Once this started, other matchmakers would surely come knocking.
If word got out that too many matchmaking visits were being arranged, it could ruin Xiao Mo’s reputation…
At this thought, Luo Ci couldn’t wait another minute. She immediately went out to find Fat Nan—the couple needed to make their decision today.