Su Jin heard voices in the yard, so she opened the door and stepped outside. She saw Grandpa and Uncle Su carefully placing an oiled paper-wrapped package into a leather suitcase.
“Grandpa, Uncle Su, what are you doing?” she asked.
“You’re leaving soon, so we packed some food for you to eat on the way. You’ll be on the train for two days. Here’s your ticket. I just called Grandpa Pei to tell him when you’d arrive; he said he’ll meet you at the station.”
Su Jin took the ticket—a thin slip for a sleeper, departure at 1 PM. Seeing it made her feel the time with Grandpa would be even shorter.
“Okay,” she said softly.
After washing up and finishing breakfast, Su Jin poured a cup of Spirit Spring water from the water tank. She had even cleaned a ceramic jar, filled it half with Spirit Spring water and half with plain water to dilute it—she worried that drinking it straight could cause trouble. She also placed a ginseng root that was several decades old inside, then handed it to her grandfather, instructing him to drop a few drops in his water or pour some into the tank whenever he drank.
Su Tingyun, knowing the water’s miraculous properties, took the ceramic jar carefully and hid it.
Meanwhile, Su Chengshan took the dishes Su Jin had cooked yesterday to deliver to Hong Jianguo and his family. Some passersby saw this and spoke highly of Su Jin, saying even though Hong Jianguo treated them so poorly, her heart was still so kind.
Hong Jianguo’s face twisted in anger. He suspected the girl was doing it on purpose. If she weren’t capable herself, why act like this now?
Zhou Yuehong and Hong Xiuxiu cursed at Su Jin in filthy language. Su Chengshan, outraged, said, “Our Jin, out of that last shred of decency, is sending you off. She made this food by hand late at night, crying while doing it. And you’re ungrateful enough to curse her? Tch!”
Hong Xiuxiu lunged forward, screaming with a contorted face, “Wicked woman! She won’t die well! She’s too kind-hearted—it’s obvious she poisoned the food!”
Su Chengshan sneered, “You greedy things—when you were eyeing national property, weren’t you afraid of poison? This outcome is what you’ve brought on yourselves. You ruined your own lives chasing after government property—why not just fly to the heavens? Like mother, like daughter—you two are cut from the same cloth. Serves you right!”
After finishing his scolding, Su Chengshan prepared to leave and suddenly saw Zhao Fuyuan. Zhao no longer had his old arrogant aura; he looked utterly disheveled, hair messy, clothes smeared with grease and rotten eggs.
He raised a foot and called out loudly, “Oh, isn’t this Director Zhao? Going to the northwest too? Perfect—while reclaiming the wasteland, you can keep chasing after loose women.”
Su Chengshan spat on the ground, “Tch, what a piece of trash,” and walked off.
Hong Jianguo suddenly let out a wailing scream, “Ah! Ah!! Why? Why?” He had been so close—just one step away from waiting for Old Master Su to die and inheriting the family fortune. He now regretted being merciful…
Looking at the packages in front of him, he had initially intended to throw the food away, but these past few days they had only had a bowl of thin porridge each day, so he couldn’t bring himself to waste it.
After returning, Su Chengshan recounted the day’s events to Old Master Su and Su Jin. Seeing the others’ humiliation brought them immense satisfaction.
As Su Jin prepared to leave, she grabbed a basket and went to the shops in the courtyard to buy some food. Even though Grandpa and Uncle Su had packed some things, she knew her own cooking skills weren’t reliable. She bought pastries to keep in her space for when she might get hungry. No need to buy too much—who knew what might happen next. From Grandpa’s tone, he didn’t expect her to return; she was fine with that.
The military operated independently and wouldn’t be affected by political movements. If her future in-laws had ties with the army, her own life and Grandpa’s would be much better. She only worried about the Pei family—whether her childhood fiancé could be trusted.
She filled a whole basket with pastries and even smuggled some into her space. Back home, she placed some in the leather suitcase and the rest in her space.
Once settled, Su Chengshan brought back several packed meals from the state-run restaurant. After finishing breakfast, it was time for Su Jin to depart. Before leaving, she asked Grandpa if the money and ticket were enough in case she was gone a long time.
Su Tingyun chuckled, “Don’t worry, we have more than enough. Don’t be stingy—take the money and ticket, and don’t shortchange yourself.”
Su Jin nodded. It was not in her nature to hold back for herself anyway.
Seeing the granddaughter he had raised alone about to leave, Su Tingyun felt immense reluctance. He accompanied her to the station and reminded her of many things.
Su Jin couldn’t hold back tears at the thought of parting.
Once on the train, she found her sleeper according to the ticket, sat down, and watched Grandpa and Su Chengshan wave goodbye.
Her voice choked, “Grandpa, take care of yourselves. I’ll come back to see you.”
As the train slowly pulled away, Su Jin couldn’t see them anymore. She turned her head back. The black cat in her arms gently pawed her arm, comforting her.
She forced a small smile, wiped away her tears, composed herself, placed the black cat on the upper bunk, and began setting up a cloth curtain from her suitcase to block the space.
Once ready, she lifted the light leather suitcase to her feet, climbed onto the upper bunk, and settled in to pass the time.
With the black cat Tuan Tuan for company, she didn’t feel too bored.
It was her first time on such a long journey by train, and she felt utterly exhausted. Drinking a cup of Spirit Spring water from her thermos immediately refreshed her, washing away all fatigue.
During the trip, she didn’t dare eat or drink much, fearing crowded bathrooms. She had been twice before—the smell was indescribable.
When the station announcement sounded, she breathed a huge sigh of relief. Finally, they were arriving. She tidied up, carrying the leather suitcase in one hand and holding the cat in the other, and got off the train…