Lu Shiman carried the two household registration booklets and headed straight for the Educated Youth Office.
“Comrade Lu, what brings you here?” the staff member asked.
He was no stranger to Lu Shiman—one could say that half the city knew her. Ever since Mr. Lu passed away, Comrade Lu had become increasingly unruly and unreliable.
He couldn’t help wondering why she had suddenly come to the Educated Youth Office. Could it be that something was wrong with her head and she wanted to go to the countryside? But who would volunteer for something as bitter as going down to the countryside?
They spent every day trying to persuade unemployed youths to go to the countryside, and many were practically dragged there. Almost no one volunteered. After all, the city had everything, while the countryside had nothing—and hard labor on top of that. Who would want to go?
Lu Shiman smiled at them. It seemed her identity really carried weight—wherever she went, people recognized her. Her grandfather in the original owner’s memories must have been an exceptionally good person for this to be the case.
No, not “grandfather-in-law.” She bore the Lu surname; she was the legitimate heir of the Lu family. That was her real grandfather—how could he be just an in-law?
“I’m here to sign up for going to the countryside,” she said bluntly. “Which place is the harshest and best at tempering people?”
Hearing this, the man frowned deeply. “Comrade Lu, I’ve watched you grow up. I really think you should reconsider this matter. Life in the countryside is extremely testing. I think it’s quite good for you to stay in the city.”
“If you’re bored, how about having your father use his connections to find you a light, easy job?”
He lowered his voice and patiently tried to persuade her. Mr. Lu’s bloodline couldn’t be ruined in the countryside—he felt duty-bound to talk her out of it.
The smile on Lu Shiman’s face only deepened. Sure enough, there were still many good people in this world. Even someone who never appeared in the original owner’s memories was trying to dissuade her.
“Thank you, but I still want to know which place is the most challenging.”
“I’m just asking—it doesn’t mean I want to go. You don’t need to worry.”
Hearing this, the worry on his face eased somewhat. As long as she wasn’t going herself, there was no need to be concerned. Whoever she was asking for wasn’t important.
“Over in Xin Province, there are farms surrounded by barren land—desolate wastelands, sand dunes, and saline-alkali fields everywhere. No educated youth wants to go there. Aside from stationed troops, only people who’ve been sent down end up there.”
Xin Province was notorious for its harsh conditions: white expanses in winter, water everywhere in summer; winds so strong they could roll stones along the ground; land where nothing grew. Living there meant sleeping in dugout shelters. Not only were the living conditions harsh, the labor was brutally intense—reclaiming land, building irrigation, opening fields. Life there was so bitter you wouldn’t even have time to think about dying. (The above information is sourced from online materials.)
Saline land, wasteland, plus Xin Province—Lu Shiman could already picture how miserable those people would look. Only a place like that was worthy of those scumbags.
“Let me ask you quietly,” the man said softly. “Who exactly is going?”
“My dad—and his maids,” Lu Shiman replied calmly as she took out the household registration booklets and placed them on the desk, a faint smile curling her lips.
“…What?” His mind short-circuited for a moment. Who signs up their own father and maids for going to the countryside?
“Comrade Lu, did you have a fight?” he said sternly. “This isn’t something to joke about.”
Being sent down wasn’t child’s play—especially not to the harshest place like Xin Province. At Li Shichuan’s age, he might very well die there. And the maids—punishment shouldn’t extend to outsiders. How could she register others on their behalf?
Lu Shiman lowered her gaze. Where he couldn’t see, she pinched her thigh hard. Tears welled in her eyes, and only when they were about to spill did she look up, letting them see her pitiful expression.
“Uncle, we didn’t fight. I just discovered something. Could you close the door first and keep it confidential for me?”
As she spoke, large tears rolled down her cheeks. This vulnerable 모습 was completely different from her usual arrogance, and it made everyone feel a pang of sympathy.
“Of course. Go on,” he said, getting up to close the door.
Once it was shut, Lu Shiman slowly spoke. “He’s planning to run off to Hong Kong—with his two maids. He’s not taking me.”
“No wonder he had me withdraw so much money from the bank yesterday. Turns out he wanted to leave with his little lover.”
“Then what am I? What about my mother and my grandfather?”
A nameless fury rose in her eyes, her emotions growing more intense—as if the original owner’s suppressed feelings had been drawn out.
“He wants to take the money and run. I won’t let him succeed.”
Each word was squeezed out of her mouth, leaving the others staring wide-eyed.
“So that’s how it is! I knew Li Shichuan was no good—trying to run off to Hong Kong with the Lu family’s money. Shameless!”
“Exactly! A sanctimonious hypocrite. He’s put on an act for so many years, and now that only Comrade Lu—a naive little girl—is left in the Lu family, his true colors show. What a piece of trash!”
“I’ve always thought Li Weimian looked a bit like Li Shichuan. Maybe she really is his child.”
“Now that you mention it, Xiang Hongmei is related to my third aunt’s side. Back then she married Li the Pockmarked One, and less than half a year later she gave birth. Could it be that…”
Listening to their discussion, Lu Shiman keenly caught a key name—Li the Pockmarked One. That must have been Xiang Hongmei’s former husband. From the name alone, he clearly wasn’t a good person. If he was still alive…
She lowered her head slightly, the corners of her mouth lifting. Tomorrow, the Lu household would probably become even more interesting.
“Uncles, you’ll help me, won’t you?” she looked up at the indignant group.
“Of course. People like that deserve to be sent to the harshest place.”
“The Red Star Farm in Xin Province will do nicely. I’ll register it,” the man said, nodding heavily as he took the two household registration booklets and began writing.
“Can it be arranged for the morning of March 18th?” Lu Shiman asked at just the right moment. “That’s the day their ship tickets are booked. I want them to fall into hell at the moment they’re happiest.”
Given how furious they were, this request was easy to grant.
“No problem. We’ll go get them at five in the morning and put them straight on the train.”
Teaching that ungrateful wretch a lesson on Mr. Lu’s behalf—everyone was willing.
“The Red Star Farm is newly established, with harsh conditions but relatively high subsidies—four hundred per person. I don’t think Li Shichuan needs that money,” the man added with a slight smile.
Hearing this, Lu Shiman smiled too. As expected, there were plenty of good people in the world.
“Aside from the travel expenses, please donate the rest of the money. I think the country needs it more.”
She spoke with an air of righteous devotion, as if thinking only of the nation. If she could have received that money in advance, she would certainly have taken it—but the educated youth subsidies wouldn’t be issued until months after arrival. To prevent the money from falling into Li Shichuan’s hands, donating it was the better option.
“Comrade Lu has exceptionally high awareness. It’s truly our blessing to have a comrade like you,” the man said, giving her a salute.
“It’s what I should do. Oh—could everyone keep this from them for now? I’m afraid of alerting them.”
“Of course. We’ll keep it a secret,” they all nodded.
“Thank you, uncles,” Lu Shiman said, standing up and bowing deeply.
With the major matter settled, the next step was to go find that Li the Pockmarked One—and let Xiang Hongmei and Li Weimian have a bit more ‘happiness.’