At breakfast the next morning, Cheng Rong noticed her parents’ complexions looked somewhat off and assumed they were still worrying about her going down to the countryside, which warmed her heart.
Since family members had to rush off to work or school, the household finished breakfast quickly, and everyone dispersed to handle their respective tasks. Cheng Rong didn’t want to keep lying around in her room either. While tidying up her modern kitchen, she had found some extra, unbranded pots, bowls, and dishes. She decided to sell these items first to exchange them for essential supplies she’d need in the countryside. Although her parents would surely give her some money and food ration tickets to take along, she still wanted to stock up on a few extra things.
So, Cheng Rong told her mother, Li Chunxia, that she wanted to go out for a stroll and would return before dinner.
Initially, Li Chunxia wasn’t keen on letting her injured daughter head out. But thinking that her daughter was about to leave for the countryside and that a walk to clear her head would do her good—and recalling what her youngest son had told her the previous night, knowing she had plenty of chores to keep her busy—she nodded and let her daughter go.
Before heading out, Cheng Rong wrapped her head thoroughly with a scarf. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was following, she briskly made her way toward the Xicheng District Supply and Marketing Cooperative, which was a fair distance from her home.
Looking at the architecture along the road and the bustling crowds, Cheng Rong finally experienced a genuine, tangible feel of this era that she had previously only understood through television and books. Though people’s living standards weren’t high in this period, their spiritual vitality was far superior to that of modern people—especially the thick, raven-black hair on both men and women, something that would make modern bald folks deeply envious.
After walking for over an hour, she stopped in front of a relatively large supply and marketing cooperative. The cooperative was bustling with people coming and going. Cheng Rong stepped inside, gazing at the neat rows of glass display counters and wooden shelves filled with various goods, which instantly ignited her shopping desire. Unfortunately, her pockets were completely empty—she didn’t have a single dime.
Cheng Rong observed everything from the inside out and inquired with a salesperson about the prices of the goods she needed. The salesperson grew impatient seeing Cheng Rong asking around without buying anything. Having gathered enough information, Cheng Rong thanked her and stepped out of the cooperative.
“Comrade, do you have any iron woks?”
“The iron woks are sold out. Come back in a few days or check another cooperative.”
This exchange drifted into Cheng Rong’s ears, instantly perking her up. She carefully looked inside the cooperative. An elderly woman with grayish hair stood at the counter inquiring about an iron wok. Hearing that they were out of stock, she walked out empty-handed.
Pushing her bicycle, the woman sighed as she exited the cooperative. Cheng Rong assessed the surrounding environment and decisively followed after her.
“Auntie, Auntie, wait a moment.”
Hearing Cheng Rong’s voice, the woman ahead paused and turned back with a hesitant look. “Girl, are you calling me?”
“Yes, Auntie, I am.”
“What do you need me for?” the woman asked, looking at the young girl in front of her with suspicion. The girl’s head was wrapped in a scarf with only her eyes visible, making her look somewhat untrustworthy.
Lowering her voice, Cheng Rong probed tentatively, “My family has an extra brand-new iron wok. Would you like to buy it?”
Hearing that Cheng Rong had an iron wok, the woman—who had been somewhat suspicious of her intentions—instantly lit up with joy. Her eldest son was getting married the day after tomorrow, but the newly assigned apartment was still missing an iron wok. She had asked at the cooperative a few times over the past couple of days and was told they were out of stock, which had her worried sick. She had just been on her way to check out the Dongcheng cooperative, and if that failed, she planned to have her old man figure out a way to trade for an old one somewhere for temporary use.
Hearing this young girl say she had a brand-new iron wok at home felt like being handed a pillow right when she was falling asleep—it was a timely blessing.
“I want it, I want it, I’ll take it! Girl, how much for your wok?”
“I just asked earlier, an iron wok at the cooperative costs ten yuan and requires industrial coupons. I’ll give it to you for eight yuan plus twenty catties of grain tickets. Sound fair?”
Hearing the price, the woman thought it was quite reasonable, especially since her family was in urgent need. “Deal! Where is the wok, though? Let me take a look first.”
Cheng Rong couldn’t just pull a wok out of thin air, so she asked the woman to wait right here while she went home to retrieve it. Then, she casually threw in another question: “Auntie, do you happen to need bowls and plates too? Ceramic ones, a complete brand-new set that’s never been used, and the style is quite nice.”
Upon hearing this, the woman remembered that her son’s new home was currently relying on old plates borrowed from her place. If she could get a brand-new set, that would be even better.
“Good girl, to be honest with you, my son is getting married soon and we’re missing plenty of things. Go get them and let Auntie take a look.”
Another deal secured, Cheng Rong ran quickly into a small alley ahead. Making sure no one was watching, she stepped into her modern kitchen. A moment later, she emerged carrying the iron wok she had prepped yesterday, cradling a brand-new set of bowls and dishes in her arms.
The woman inspected both the wok and the tableware in Cheng Rong’s hands. The quality and style were genuinely nice; her future daughter-in-law would definitely love them. Without hesitation, she promptly fished out the money and tickets.
“Girl, how much for these bowls and plates?”
“Three yuan.”
Seeing that the woman didn’t seem short on cash, she quickly counted out the money and tickets from her pocket and handed them to Cheng Rong.
Private transactions weren’t allowed at this time; getting caught would mean big trouble. With the transaction completed smoothly, both parties quickly parted ways, cash and goods exchanged.
Holding the warm money and tickets, Cheng Rong re-entered the supply and marketing cooperative. Now that she had the cash and coupons, she could quickly purchase what she needed.
Her parents would likely pack a quilt for her, along with routine shoes and clothing, and probably prep a few other things as well. Her modern kitchen still had five large rolls of kitchen paper towels, so she didn’t need to buy toilet paper. There were also two unopened packs of dishcloths, which she could use as towels since the single old towel at home was too tattered to use anymore.
Cheng Rong bought a wooden bath basin for two yuan, a pair of rubber shoes for one yuan, a bar of soap for fifty cents, an aluminum lunchbox for fifty cents, a military thermos, and a ceramic mug for drinking water, totaling two yuan. These were absolute necessities for the time being; everything else could be sorted out gradually later.
Leaving the cooperative, she went to the state-run grain store and exchanged twenty catties of grain tickets for ten catties of fine grain. With her purchases secured, Cheng Rong found a secluded spot where no one was around and tucked all the items into her modern kitchen.
After finishing her shopping, Cheng Rong wandered around a park for a bit. Realizing it was getting late, she leisurely walked back home.
Upon entering the courtyard, she saw her mother, Li Chunxia, constantly peering out from the doorway.
“Rongrong, you’re back! Right in time for dinner.” Seeing her daughter return, Li Chunxia broke into a radiant smile and motioned with her eyes for her daughter to follow her into the main room for dinner.
Understanding the hint, Cheng Rong scooped water from the bucket at the door to wash her hands, then followed her mother to the living room.
The Cheng family had already gathered around the table. The spread remained the same: a basin of coarse-grain porridge, a basket of cornmeal buns, and a small dish of salted vegetables.
Seeing Cheng Rong walk in, everyone except Cheng Dazhi and Cheng Jianhua wore unwelcoming expressions. Cheng Rong couldn’t be bothered with the rest of them. She took her usual seat next to Cheng Dazhi, picked up her bowl to sip the porridge slowly, and passed her portion of the cornmeal bun to her father, Cheng Dazhi.
“Dad, you’ve worked hard all day. Eat more.”
“Daughter, you eat it. You shouldn’t go hungry.”
“Dad, watching you eat makes me happier than eating it myself.”
Cheng Dazhi’s face wrinkled into a broad grin. If nothing else, a daughter really knew how to show care for her parents, while sons were just ungrateful little wolves.
Li Chunxia: Feeling a slight twinge of jealousy.
Other Cheng family members: Sycophant!
After dinner concluded, Cheng Dazhi asked everyone to stay behind for a family meeting. Pulling an old, smoke-stained tobacco pipe from his pocket, he didn’t pack any tobacco in it; he just held it in his hand.
After a long silence, Cheng Dazhi finally spoke with difficulty: “I, Cheng Dazhi, have raised three sons and one daughter in my lifetime. Now, aside from my youngest daughter and youngest son, both older sons are already married with children. I’ve done my duty by our ancestors.”
A mix of bitterness and helplessness crossed Cheng Dazhi’s face as he cast a deep look at his two older sons.
“Now that the tree has grown large, its branches must separate. It’s time to divide our household.”
Hearing Cheng Dazhi bring up dividing the family, everyone except Cheng Rong and Cheng Jianhua couldn’t hide their pleasant surprise. The eldest family wore thinly veiled joy, and the second family radiated anticipation.
“Dad, what are you doing? Why bring up dividing the family out of nowhere? Your son doesn’t want to split up.”
Cheng Jianshe’s long, rectangular face wore an expression of absolute sincerity, burying the joy he had just felt to make it look like he genuinely opposed the division.
Cheng Dazhi cast a cold glance at him: I’d believe that when pigs fly. If it weren’t for his youngest son overhearing their family plotting yesterday, and the look of sheer glee on his face when family division was mentioned, he might have believed him for a split second.
“Dad, this family can’t be divided! What will I do if we split up?” The second brother quickly chimed in, making sure to perform even better than his older brother.
Cheng Dazhi glanced sideways at his second son too, thinking this one wasn’t any better. As if he didn’t know that the second son treated his father-in-law far better than his own biological dad!
“Enough. When I say we divide the family, we divide it. There’s no room for discussion from you lot.”
Seeing that the old man was genuinely resolved to split the household, the eldest son, Cheng Jianshe, quickly changed tune, offering to have the two elderly parents live with his own family. After all, his father still had a job, and his mother could still do chores; living with his branch had more pros than cons. The only downside was that the youngest brother wasn’t married yet, which was quite a burden.
“No. Your mother and I won’t live with either of you. I can still work, and I’m plenty capable of supporting myself and your mother. Your younger brother hasn’t married yet; if old man me ever becomes unable to work, you two older brothers should pitch in to help him out so at least the third one can find a wife.”
Sitting beside him, Li Chunxia chimed in: “Over the years, the family drained its savings to get you two married and settled, and we only just finished paying off our debts early this year. Right now, the family has thirty-six yuan and fifty cents left, along with fifty catties of grain tickets. These funds and tickets will be divided into four equal shares for you four siblings.”
Both brothers mentally calculated the numbers—the family savings remaining were roughly around that figure. Still, why on earth should they hand a share to Cheng Rong, this good-for-nothing girl?
Yet, none of them dared voice any objections in front of their parents. Their youngest sister was heading down to the countryside soon; it was impossible for the family not to give her money.
Li Chunxia wrapped up the distribution of the household belongings more or less. Each married couple kept the two rooms they were already occupying, while the two rooms belonging to the old couple were designated for the youngest son. Finally, she announced that they would go to the neighborhood committee tomorrow to split up the household grain ration books, meaning they would start cooking separately from then on.
Back in their room, Cheng Jianshe’s family was full of festive cheer. Wang Cuihong wondered why this family division had gone so smoothly—she wouldn’t have to be bossed around by her mother-in-law anymore, and she could finally call the shots as the mistress of her own home! Cheng Fanfang figured that by splitting the family earlier in this timeline, her family wouldn’t have to be bled dry by the rest of the Cheng clan ever again.
The second brother, Cheng Jianguo, and his wife were also thrilled; they wouldn’t have to endure dirty looks from their parents whenever they visited her maiden family.
Only Cheng Dazhi lay in bed sighing heavily, cursing his two ungrateful, wolf-hearted sons.
Li Chunxia glanced at him, pulled a piece of yellow wrapping paper from beneath the kang bed, which held five yuan and twenty catties of grain tickets, and bundled it together with the nine yuan from today’s sale. This bundle was entirely designated for their youngest daughter’s trip to the countryside.
When they heard from their youngest son last night that the eldest family was plotting to split the household, they had been furious. Li Chunxia cursed the eldest family as heartless, and the second son as no good either. The old man hadn’t slept a wink all night; the very next morning, he called upon his wife to tally up the family’s money and tickets so they could officially split the household the moment he got off work that evening.
Dividing the family was for the best anyway; from now on, his own salary could go directly toward supporting their youngest daughter and youngest son.
Meanwhile, Cheng Rong—who felt completely unfazed by the family division—was back in her modern kitchen starting today’s live-streaming task. Tonight, she made a batch of Korean-style fried chicken nuggets paired with a cup of iced lemonade, eating with an absolute sense of satisfaction. Once the stream ended, the system triggered the lucky draw. This time, the prize was still food: a 50-catty bag of flour.
After completing today’s tasks, Cheng Rong practiced a round of Muay Thai inside her modern kitchen, worked up a good sweat, and took a hot shower right there in the kitchen facilities.
The morning after the family division, everyone ate together as usual. Cheng Rong heard her mother mention that the neighborhood committee had notified all educated youth heading down to the countryside to report to the municipal educated youth office.
Cheng Rong hurried out. Since the family didn’t have a bicycle, she took a half-hour bus ride and arrived outside the youth office.
By then, the entrance of the youth office was already packed with people. As it turned out, the office had posted information regarding the specific rural villages this batch of youth would be assigned to. Putting her all into it, Cheng Rong elbowed her way through the crowd until she found her assignment destination: Qianjin Production Brigade, Dongqiao Village, Qingshui County, Yuyang City.
Mentally plotting Yuyang City’s location, she realized it wasn’t particularly far from home, which allowed Cheng Rong to relax slightly. After collecting her dispatch documents at the office, Cheng Rong returned home to pack her belongings.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she heard neighbors gossiping about the Cheng family’s household division. Auntie Zhang—who never got along with her mother—was even remarking that Cheng Dazhi and his wife must have lost their minds to divide the family before their youngest son was even married.
Cheng Rong gave a deliberate, light cough, and the gossiping crowd instantly fell silent.
Returning indoors, she found her mother picking vegetables in the courtyard. Cheng Rong informed Li Chunxia of her designated location and departure schedule.
Hearing that her daughter was leaving home tomorrow, Li Chunxia’s mood plummeted, but she quickly set to work packing her daughter’s things.
“Rongrong, your grandmother gave you five yuan. Your dad and I saved some food money and tickets over this period, and we’re giving you the remaining fifteen yuan and twenty catties of grain tickets to take along. Don’t worry, once we get our pay next month, Mom and Dad will mail you some more. Just make sure you stay warm and well-fed out there. If anything happens, write to us; Mom and Dad will do everything we can to help you.”
Li Chunxia handed a patched cloth pouch to Cheng Rong, her eyes filled with reluctance to let her go.
Taking the money pouch, Cheng Rong felt a heavy warmth in her chest. Her parents genuinely loved their daughter. They were giving her literally every piece of usable cash and coupon the family possessed. She didn’t put on a fake front of refusing it; taking this money was what would give her parents true peace of mind.
That evening after dinner, Cheng Rong sat in the living room with her parents, catching the evening breeze and chatting. In this era devoid of televisions and the internet, households simply chatted indoors after dinner before heading to bed. Though entertainment was scarce, it provided thorough mental rest.
Her parents droned on and on, giving her endless reminders. Though nagged, every single word sounded like pure affection to Cheng Rong.
Just as she was about to head back to her room to sleep, a small hand grabbed her sleeve. Turning around, she saw her younger brother, Cheng Jianhua.
“Need something?”
“Sister, take this. If anyone bullies you in the countryside, use this to hit them.”
With that, Cheng Jianhua pulled a makeshift slingshot crafted from tree branches out of his pocket and shoved it into Cheng Rong’s hand.
Cheng Rong smiled, then reached into her pocket, pulled out two milk candies, and stuffed them into her brother’s pocket.
“Be a good boy at home and take good care of Mom and Dad.”
When Cheng Jianhua felt the White Rabbit milk candies in his pocket, his eyes widened. These were White Rabbit candies! He had only ever heard about them from wealthy classmates at school.
“Sister, I’ll be good!”
With that, Cheng Jianhua happily ran back to his parents’ room.
That night, Cheng Rong continued her live stream, making a batch of scallion-oil pastries and tea eggs to pack for her journey tomorrow. The subsequent lucky draw rewarded her with a barrel of rapeseed oil.
The morning of her departure, after breakfast, her mother Li Chunxia used hemp rope to bind a thick cotton quilt securely. Tucked inside the quilt were her shoes and clothes, with a ceramic washbasin bound right on top. From the kitchen, she retrieved a cloth bag holding two jars of homemade spicy sauce, five steamed buns, and five boiled eggs for Cheng Rong to eat along the way.
Her father, Cheng Dazhi, had red-rimmed eyes even before leaving the house, and he spent a long time talking with Cheng Rong before finally rushing off to work.
When Cheng Rong and her mother arrived outside the neighborhood committee office with their luggage, they found rows of military trucks adorned with large red silk flowers parked outside. A steady stream of people had already arrived. After finding the neighborhood staff member in charge of on-site coordination to register her information, Cheng Rong was directed to her assigned truck.
Pulling her luggage off her mother’s back and hoisting it up, Cheng Rong climbed onto the truck bed. The truck was open-air with no seats; they would ride directly in it all the way to the train station.
Just as the engine started to roar, Cheng Rong waved at her tear-eyed mother, signaling her to hurry home.
Yet, even as the truck pulled away and drove down the road for a stretch, Li Chunxia still stood there, refusing to leave.