A gust of wind swept up the photograph from the ground, and Xu Xia quickly reached out to catch it.
No matter how hard she searched through the original host’s memories, she couldn’t recall ever knowing such a handsome man.
Fortunately, besides the photograph, there was also a letter inside the envelope. After reading its contents, Xu Xia’s heart raced as she hurried home.
Today was Xu Chun’s Hui Men (returning to the bride’s family), and many neighbors had come to offer congratulations. She had bought melon seeds and peanuts and was now in the courtyard handing them out to the neighbors.
Preoccupied with her thoughts, Xu Xia paid no attention to the people in the courtyard. She called out “Grandma!” and, hearing a response from inside, rushed straight into the house. “Grandma, come with me to the room quickly. I have something important to tell you.”
Several neighbors were inside the house at the time, including Xu Xia’s uncle, Xu Dazhong. They all watched her flustered appearance with curiosity.
“Xia Xia, there are people here,” Wang Xiufang signaled to her granddaughter with her eyes.
Xu Dazhong thought his niece was upset, but with so many guests at home, he chimed in, “Yes, Xia Xia, whatever it is can wait. Xiao Chun bought your favorite sponge cakes. Come have a piece.”
Anxious but unable to speak under the circumstances, Xu Xia had no choice but to take the sponge cake and eat it in big bites.
The others eyed Xu Xia. The neighbors were all aware of the Xu family’s situation: now that Xu Chun was married, Xu Jianshe had a job, and Xu Fengshou was still studying, Xu Xia was the only one left unsettled.
“Xu Xia, did the people from the Educated Youth Office come again to pressure you to register for Down to the countryside?”
“I’ve heard that it’s no use refusing now. Unemployed youth must go Down to the countryside. Xu Xia, look at you—so fair and delicate, barely doing any work at home. How will you manage farm labor in the countryside?”
“I don’t think Xu Xia can handle it. Isn’t Xiao Chun capable? Why doesn’t she find you a job?”
……
One after another, the neighbors chattered away, shifting the focus from Xu Chun to Xu Xia.
Xu Xia finished three pieces of sponge cake in a row. The Xu family were workers and, given the broader circumstances, were considered fairly well-off. Still, having meat for all three meals was rare—managing it once a fortnight was already good, let alone delicate treats like sponge cakes.
If there was food, she would eat it. No point in missing out.
After eating her fill, Xu Xia wiped her mouth. “Aunties, don’t worry. I definitely won’t go Down to the countryside.” With that, she left, unwilling to stay and be criticized. She returned to her room and closed the door. Given the original host’s poor reputation, her behavior seemed perfectly normal.
Meanwhile, Xu Chun, standing at the doorway, felt her heart sink upon hearing those words. Sure enough, Xu Xia was up to no good.
Staring at Xu Xia’s tightly shut door, Xu Chun spent the whole morning in a daze. When it was almost mealtime, her husband asked her what was wrong. Not wanting to burden him with family troubles, she replied lightly, “It’s nothing. I might just be a little tired.”
Zhou Wenbin’s eyes were gentle. “If there’s anything, tell me. Don’t keep it all inside.”
“Mm-hmm.” Gazing at her considerate husband, Xu Chun once again felt grateful to heaven for giving her a second chance. She would never allow anyone to ruin this happiness.
By then, the neighbors had dispersed, leaving only the Xu family.
Wang Xiufang had given birth to two sons and one daughter. The eldest, Xu Dazhong, worked at a cannery. The second child, a daughter, had married into the neighboring province and thus hadn’t returned today. The third was Xu Xia’s father.
Xu Dazhong also had three children: the eldest, Xu Qianjin, had gone Down to the countryside; the second, Xu Chun, had just gotten married; and the third, Xu Jianshe, was nineteen and often away from home.
Only Xu Xia and her younger brother remained in the third household. With six years between them, Xu Fengshou had just entered junior high school with excellent grades, but he was extremely quiet and withdrawn. Usually, the siblings weren’t particularly close.
The Xu family was quite large, with eight people living in a small courtyard of three and a half rooms, making it slightly crowded.
Xu Xia and her brother had a room to themselves, for no other reason than that it had been allocated to their father by their grandparents and didn’t belong to their uncle’s family.
“Xiaxia, come and eat quickly.” Wang Xiufang came specifically to call her granddaughter, taking the little girl’s hand and leading her out. “Your aunt stewed chicken today, and I even gave her money to buy roast duck. Hurry up and eat, or Jianshe will snatch the duck legs.”
Wang Xiufang had sewing skills. Although she couldn’t open a shop to earn money now, neighbors would sometimes come to her for help with making new clothes or altering old ones, allowing her to earn a little extra for snacks or small change. She doted on her younger granddaughter and also loved her elder granddaughter, which was why she had spent money on roast duck—otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to silence her elder daughter-in-law’s complaints.
Hearing there was roast duck, Xu Xia swallowed her saliva. As soon as she sat down, her grandmother placed a large duck leg in her bowl.
Xu Jianshe widened his eyes. “Grandma, you’re biased! I want a duck leg too!”
“Isn’t there another one?” Wang Xiufang clicked her tongue. “What are you shouting about? You’re a grown man, still competing with your little sister?”
As she spoke, she turned cheerfully to her grandson-in-law. “Wenbin, hurry and start eating. Your mother-in-law got up early to slaughter a chicken and stewed this soup especially for you. Fengshou, don’t just eat rice—help yourself to the dishes too!”
Zhou Wenbin smiled and agreed, thinking to himself that the old lady was indeed as his wife had said—most fond of Xu Xia and her brother.
Xu Xia hadn’t eaten meat for two days, and now the roast duck in her mouth was rich and oily. She finished it in big bites before remembering to serve her grandmother some food.
This delighted her grandmother, who laughed heartily. “Our Xiaxia is so thoughtful. Don’t just serve me—eat more yourself.”
In no time, Xu Xia’s bowl was filled with meat her grandmother had given her, and she was so moved she nearly cried. In her previous life, familial bonds had been weak. After her parents divorced, neither had cared for her, and she had lived alone and cooked for herself since high school. Now, being cared for warmed her heart, and she thought that her transmigration wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
During this meal, Xu Xia ate until she was stuffed and didn’t notice the occasional glances from her cousin.
Xu Chun had been prepared for Xu Xia to flip the table at any moment, but instead, Xu Xia had focused solely on eating and hadn’t even glanced at her. Why was this different from her previous life again?
After the meal, Xu Chun wanted to sound out her cousin to see what she was plotting, but before she could speak, Xu Xia had already taken her grandmother back to their room.
Left with no choice, she went to the kitchen to help her mother clean up. “Mom, don’t you think Xu Xia seems a bit different?”
“Different how? Isn’t she just as tactless as before? She came back without greeting anyone, ate only the good food without offering it to others, and didn’t know how to yield—like she hasn’t eaten meat in half a lifetime. So embarrassing!” Tian Mei grumbled as she washed the dishes, not daring to speak too loudly for fear of being overheard by her son-in-law.
“I mean, normally, Xu Xia would definitely pick a fight for no reason. But today at dinner, she didn’t say a word and didn’t cause me any trouble.” Xu Chun felt it was unusual.
“Oh, you mean that.” Tian Mei wasn’t surprised. “Early this morning, your grandmother specially made Ji Dan Hua to coax Xu Xia and stop her from causing trouble with you. That stubborn girl may not pay us any mind, but she’ll listen to your grandmother. Otherwise, do you think she’d have been so well-behaved?”
Tian Mei took a deep breath. “Right now, I’m just hoping Xu Xia goes Down to the countryside soon. Only after we send this troublemaker away can our lives become peaceful.”
Speaking of going Down to the countryside, Xu Chun recalled events from her previous life. “But I heard Xu Xia say she absolutely won’t go. Mom, I heard people with illnesses or disabilities don’t have to go.”
“Xu Xia is perfectly healthy. Didn’t you see her eat two bowls of rice just now?” Tian Mei had barely finished speaking when she noticed her daughter’s furrowed brow. Her thoughts turned to certain matters, and she shook her head vigorously. “Xu Xia is delicate and pampered. She would never disable herself. If she had that kind of nerve, she wouldn’t be Xu Xia!”
Xu Chun thought to herself that Xu Xia was actually capable of doing exactly that.
After much deliberation, Xu Chun decided to talk with Xu Xia. The current Xu Xia was just a teenage girl who hadn’t seen much of the world or experienced much. But she was different – she had lived an extra lifetime. Since she could make life better than in her previous life, she had the ability to persuade Xu Xia to go Down to the countryside.
No matter what, Xu Xia must go Down to the countryside.
Just as Xu Chun was thinking this, heaven sent her an opportunity – Deputy Director Li from the Zhi Qing Ban (Educated Youth Office) had come again.
Li Decai stood in the courtyard with a dark expression. Seeing Xu Chun approach with a smile, he asked irritably, “Where are your grandmother and parents?”
“My father is drunk, and my grandmother is talking with Xu Xia. You’re here about Xu Xia going Down to the countryside, right?”
Having dealt with Deputy Director Li several times before, Xu Chun knew the director of the Zhi Qing Ban was about to retire, and Deputy Director Li was eager to boost his performance to secure the promotion. Before Li could speak, she led him aside. “To be frank, everyone in this alley knows my grandmother dotes on Xu Xia the most. She’s over sixty years old. If she blocks the way and refuses, can you bypass her and forcibly take Xu Xia away?”
“Why couldn’t I? Sending educated youth Down to the countryside is national policy. Does your family dare violate policy? Don’t tell me you want to be counter-revolutionary?” Speaking of the Xu family made Li Decai angry. Other families didn’t dare delay like this – only the Xu family kept putting it off. If he couldn’t get Xu Xia to go Down to the countryside, how could he leave a good impression with the director?
That’s why he had come in person today – to get a definite answer from the Xu family.
“Please don’t misunderstand. Our family are working class – how could we have counter-revolutionary thoughts?” Xu Chun quickly explained. “It’s just that the elderly can’t accept it right away. If you force Xu Xia to go and something happens to my grandmother, if it causes trouble at the Zhi Qing Ban, it won’t sound good and would affect you too.”
She lowered her voice slightly. “In my opinion, this matter should be discussed with Xu Xia alone. She’s young and easily swayed. If you explain the stakes, and I appeal to her emotions and reason to persuade Xu Xia herself, my grandmother won’t stop it.”
Li Decai narrowed his eyes slightly. “How do you mean?”
“Let me tell you, how about this…” Xu Chun spoke quietly at length. “If that still doesn’t work, then we can do it your way.”
“Alright, then I’ll wait at the gate. You call Xu Xia out for me.” Li Decai looked Xu Chun up and down, thinking she was quite capable – no wonder she could marry a military officer.
Xu Chun smilingly saw him to the gate, then went to knock on her grandmother’s door.
After a while, when Xu Xia opened the door, Xu Chun tried to smile as gently as possible. “Xia Xia, I’d like to talk with you. Do you have a moment?”
“Then speak,” Xu Xia said without moving from her spot.
Xu Chun glanced inside the house. “Let’s talk in your room. I’m married now and won’t get many chances to come back. I want to share some sisterly secrets with you.”
Xu Xia immediately sensed Xu Chun had an agenda, but she was in a good mood and curious about her cousin’s intentions, so she nodded in agreement.
As soon as they entered the room, Xu Chun started with an apology. “Grandma mentioned before about having your brother-in-law set you up with someone. But he’s not very sociable and doesn’t know anyone suitable. We didn’t want to introduce just anyone recklessly—what if they had poor character and ruined your happiness? I hope you’re not upset.”
“Hmm, I’m not angry.” Not being the original owner, Xu Xia didn’t take it for granted that the Xu family should prioritize her. Her relationship with Xu Chun had never been good—if she were in Xu Chun’s shoes, she wouldn’t want to arrange a match for her either.
Xu Chun hadn’t expected Xu Xia to be so agreeable. She continued, “You know how much Grandma dotes on you from the bottom of her heart, and my dad treats you like his own daughter. If they had any way to keep you by their side, they definitely would.”
She paused and let out a long sigh. “Even if we’ve had our differences, we’re still family—blood runs thicker than water. I genuinely want what’s best for you too. Right now, the Zhi Qing Ban (Educated Youth Office) people come knocking every day, even threatening my dad’s job. If he loses his job, our whole family will be left with nothing to eat.”
Xu Xia caught her drift and picked up where her cousin left off. “But Cousin, you’re so capable—you must have a way to keep me from going Down to the countryside, right?”
Xu Chun: …That wasn’t what I meant to say!
“How could I? I’m not some official who can just arrange jobs. Actually, going Down to the countryside isn’t so bad—it’s not as hard as you think. I’ve heard you only work during busy farming seasons and mostly relax during the off-seasons. Plus, Grandma loves you—she’ll definitely let you take money and food coupons. As your sister, I’ll do my best to support you too, making sure your life there is just as comfortable as at home.”
No matter what, she had to get Xu Xia to go Down to the countryside first. As for whether she’d actually send money later—Xu Chun could always come up with excuses. “The deputy director Li from the Zhi Qing Ban was just here again, asking for Grandma. I turned him away. You wouldn’t want Grandma, at her age, to be scolded right to her face by Deputy Director Li, would you?”
Xu Xia nodded with a noncommittal “Hmm.”
Seeing Xu Xia softening, Xu Chun felt a glimmer of hope. “I knew you were reasonable. Grandma has had a hard life—we all want her to enjoy her later years. If you can come around to it yourself, it’ll be easier to convince her…”
“Come around to what?”
“Going Down to the countryside. You’ve heard—it’s mandatory now. Rather than making a scene later, wouldn’t it be better to just follow policy?” Xu Chun searched her cousin’s eyes, trying to gauge her thoughts.
But Xu Xia just smiled. “Cousin, I know what you’re thinking. You’re married now, not living with the family, and you’re afraid I’ll cause trouble at home. You say going down to the countryside won’t be hard, but you’re just fooling me. After all these years as sisters, there’s no need for these roundabout tricks. I don’t wish you well, and you certainly don’t hope for my happiness either.”
She pierced through her cousin’s little scheme, deliberately mimicking the original owner’s tone. “If this were before, I really wouldn’t have let it go—why should you marry so well while I suffer Down in the countryside? But things are different now.”
Hearing this, Xu Chun completely dismissed her doubts. Indeed, Xu Xia hadn’t changed—she was still the same Xu Xia as before. Since gentle persuasion didn’t work, she hardened her expression and said, “You can’t possibly expect Grandma to dig into her burial savings and borrow money all over to buy you a job, can you?”
“Not to that extent.” Xu Xia raised her eyebrows, thinking it was quite nice to play the villain—saying whatever felt satisfying without restraint. She deliberately raised her tone to boast, “Right now, I have a fiancé who’s even more capable than your man. There’s no need for me to envy you.”
If she didn’t say this, it wouldn’t match the original character’s persona. Xu Xia didn’t want anyone to notice anything amiss. After all, she only had a couple of days left in the Xu family and didn’t want to cause herself unnecessary trouble.
Xu Chun looked utterly shocked. “Xu Xia, have you lost your mind?”