Gao Zhi didn’t hesitate at all, immediately pulling out the pants Su Xiao had been pressing under the blankets and slipping them directly over her cotton trousers.
Gao Lao San’s family was poor—so poor that even mice would come out crying if they went in!
As one of the burdensome stepchildren, she was lucky to have thin cotton trousers to wear.
Now that she had obtained a pair of thick cotton trousers, she felt as if she had found a treasure, and the way she looked at Cheng Hui had changed entirely…
It was like looking at a big fool—no, a good sister!
Su Xiao’s quilt was moving up and down, probably because she was crying in anger~
Gao Zhi flattered, “Sister-in-law, you’re such a good person! How could I have been so blind before?”
Cheng Hui glanced meaningfully at Su Xiao’s quilt and said, “It’s alright, everyone has moments of poor judgment, like I did before.”
“Right! We’re the blind sisters!” Gao Zhi exclaimed.
Cheng Hui… “You don’t have to shout it so loudly.”
The two left the Educated Youth Compound and headed straight out of the village. Gao Zhi guessed, “Sister-in-law, are you going to the Commune?”
“Yes, to buy some food and cotton. It’s too cold,” Cheng Hui replied. “And I’ll also write a letter to my family.”
Every Educated Youth had their own grain ration. Everyone pooled their rations together, took turns cooking, and ate communal meals.
Her rations were at Gao Lao San’s house, and she felt too embarrassed to eat someone else’s food.
Besides, her family still didn’t know about her marriage!
In her previous life, she had been somewhat forced into the marriage and didn’t want to tell her family.
After getting married, life didn’t go well, and she had no money, so she couldn’t afford to inform them.
It wasn’t until the college entrance exams were reinstated later that she was admitted to a university in Jingcheng and returned home with her child.
When her father saw her daughter, he was both shocked and angry, scolding her harshly.
Her kind stepmother pretended to comfort her, but one day, the stepmother’s daughter took her child shopping and ended up selling her to human traffickers!
She searched for over ten years, and by the time she found her daughter, she was already unrecognizable.
Gao Zhi suddenly felt the arm she was holding tremble. Looking up, she saw Cheng Hui’s face had turned frighteningly pale.
“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong?” she asked urgently.
Cheng Hui snapped out of it and let out a long sigh. “It’s nothing, I just remembered something unpleasant.”
“Oh, then don’t think about it! I never dwell on unhappy things! That’s how life stays happy, right?” Gao Zhi said.
Cheng Hui… “I didn’t expect you to be so enlightened.”
Gao Zhi grinned widely. She didn’t know what “enlightened” meant, but it sounded like praise!
This was the first time anyone had praised her!
……
Hongqi Commune wasn’t far from the Gaojiatun Production Team—about ten li away. A brisk walk would take half an hour, while a slower pace would take an hour.
The Commune’s administrative level was equivalent to what would later be called a “township” or “town.” It had government offices, a hospital, a school, a post office, a Supply and Marketing Cooperative, a savings bank, and more.
There were also a few factories.
The two passed by the post office first and went inside.
Cheng Hui bought three envelopes and two sheets of letter paper.
She first wrote a letter to her father. After a few seconds of careful thought, she told him about falling into the water, being rescued, getting married, and being pregnant.
It was just a straightforward account, without a single word of greeting. That was that.
In her previous life, her relationship with her father had always been distant.
She had two older biological brothers and a younger biological sister who was one year younger.
But when she was just one year old, her biological mother had followed her maternal grandparents abroad, taking only the newborn younger sister with her.
According to my eldest brother, our father used to treat them quite well, but ever since our mother left without a word, he became very cold toward them.
He usually didn’t speak and avoided eye contact. Cheng Hui had received this treatment since childhood.
After finishing the letter, she picked up another envelope and smiled.
Instead of using letter paper, she wrote directly on the back of the envelope:
“Aunt Pan, I’m currently in financial difficulty. Last December, Su Xiao said her mother was seriously ill and needed surgery, so I lent her all the money I had. She still hasn’t paid me back.
“You promised me that as long as I gave my job to my younger sister and went to the countryside in her place, you would give me 10 yuan every month. But it’s been nine months since I came to the countryside, and I haven’t received a single cent! I don’t even have money to buy letter paper now!
“The winter in the Northeast is too cold, with temperatures around minus forty degrees. I’m still wearing autumn clothes. You said my luggage was too heavy and promised to mail my clothes and bedding right away, but I never received them!
“Please send them quickly—it’s a matter of survival! January 3, 1973.”
The postman, who had been stealing glances at her, couldn’t help but remind her: “Today is January 5th.”
Cheng Hui smiled and said, “It’s fine, does it matter if it’s wrong?”
The postman shook his head—of course, it didn’t matter.
She had written the wrong date on purpose! She had gotten the money back yesterday, so she wrote the date as the day before!
If it ever came to a confrontation in the future, she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage—on January 3rd, Su Xiao still hadn’t repaid her!
She looked at the envelope and smiled with satisfaction.
Her stepmother worked at a large clothing factory in Jingcheng with ten thousand employees. According to the customs of her previous life, this letter would be delivered to their factory’s reception room.
The security guards would check each envelope, sort them, and deliver them to the various offices.
She deliberately didn’t write a specific office, so the security guard would have to ask around every office—whose letter is this?
With so many Pan Lis in the factory, who was the stepmother?
Who took her stepdaughter’s job and sent her to the countryside?
Who promised to give money but never did?
Who didn’t even mail her luggage?
Who was trying to freeze her to death?
A heartless stepmother!
Thinking of the expression Pan Li would have when she received the letter, Cheng Hui couldn’t help but chuckle.
In her previous life, Pan Li had maintained the image of the world’s best stepmother for most of her life! In this life, she would tear that facade down early!
Gao Zhi asked, “Sister-in-law, you’re laughing so happily—are you writing to my eldest brother?”
She was illiterate.
“Sister-in-law, while you’re at it, write and tell my brother not to send money home every month. That money never reaches you anyway. Tell him to save it and give it all to you when he returns,” Gao Zhi said.
Cheng Hui paused, remembering—it was true. Ever since they got married, Gao Yuan had been sending his salary home every month, addressed to her.
But whenever it was time to collect the money, Widow Zhu’s children would either be critically ill and need medicine, or Gao Lao San would have back pain, leg pain, or hip pain and need medical treatment.
On the rare occasions she tried to keep a little money to buy toilet paper, it would be snatched away immediately. They said they had raised Gao Yuan, the burden, for so many years, and he needed to repay them.
Gao Yuan’s mother had married Gao Lao San while pregnant with him. He was the first burden in the Gao family.
Later, Gao Yuan’s birth mother died when he was five years old.
Cheng Hui picked up another sheet of letter paper, feeling somewhat emotional.
Gao Yuan still didn’t know she was pregnant!
In her previous life, right after they got married, her impression of Gao Yuan had been quite poor.
Although he was dazzlingly handsome, comparable to the most handsome male celebrity she had ever seen in her previous life.
And he was her savior.
Being forced to marry him wasn’t actually a big deal – she had already given up on her ex-boyfriend before the wedding, so marrying anyone would have been the same.
The main issue was how exhausting he was at night!
During the first three days of marriage, she barely got any sleep!
During the day, her entire body ached so much she could hardly get up, and even her walking posture became awkward!
Later when she followed him to the military base, he became even more relentless…