When Song Ziyao entered the Dimensional Space again, she went straight to the kitchen.
The kitchen was very large and had two 600-liter double-door refrigerators.
Ever since Tan Jinhe had passed away, only Song Ziyao and a housekeeper had been living in the villa.
At this moment, although the two refrigerators were not completely full, they were both more than half stocked. One contained vegetables and fruits, while the other held fresh meat and prepared dishes made by the housekeeper.
Song Ziyao took a careful look and found that many of the things in the refrigerators had been bought at the supermarket with the housekeeper the day before her death.
There was half a Hami melon inside, left over from what she had eaten on the morning of the day she died.
Besides the food in the refrigerators, thanks to the housekeeper’s habit of stockpiling food, there was quite a bit of rice, flour, cooking oil, as well as various dried goods and grains in the cupboards.
Song Ziyao had always eaten only fresh food, so there were not many frozen items.
Seeing the half Hami melon, Song Ziyao casually picked it up and ate it with a spoon.
As she ate, she thought that the most useful thing in this Dimensional Space at the moment was probably this kitchen.
The food in the kitchen was still limited after all. Even the relatively abundant rice and flour would probably only be enough to supply her alone for about a year.
However, there were quite a lot of jewelry and accessories in the walk-in closet on the third floor. They would probably come in handy in the future.
There were also Tan Jinhe’s collections.
And the garden. Since it could make flowers and plants grow so luxuriantly, could she perhaps grow crops and vegetables there as well?
Once she went to the countryside, she would definitely find some seeds and give it a try!
The news that Song Ziyao had signed up to go to the countryside was not known to Feng Shihui and Song Gaofei until two days before her departure.
Feng Shihui stared blankly at her stepdaughter.
The uneasiness she had vaguely felt in her heart had actually come true.
But why?
Song Gaofei’s face turned livid with anger, though what he said was that he was worried about Song Ziyao suffering hardships in the countryside.
Suppressing the strange feeling in her heart, Feng Shihui gently asked Song Ziyao: “Why did you suddenly decide to go to the countryside? Didn’t we agree that you would meet with the Lu family first?”
Song Ziyao could not be bothered to make excuses and replied directly: “The matter has already been decided.”
The response made Song Gaofei’s blood pressure rise again.
“Do you think life as a sent-down youth is that wonderful? Other families are trying every possible way to avoid it, yet you actually volunteered! All the effort we’ve spent worrying about you has been wasted! Ungrateful thing!”
Song Ziyao raised her eyes and looked at Song Gaofei, saying coolly: “Were you really worrying about me?”
Song Gaofei’s pupils contracted, and he forgot to react.
That gaze, as though it could see through every bit of one’s vileness, was maddeningly familiar.
But it had clearly disappeared more than ten years ago!
For a moment, Song Gaofei’s thoughts drifted far away, and he did not pursue the matter of her going to the countryside any further.
Standing nearby, Feng Shihui also felt a sense of panic, as though things were slipping out of her control.
What had happened to Song Ziyao? How had she changed so much all of a sudden?
However, Song Ziyao was right. The matter of going to the countryside had already been settled. No matter how unwilling Song Gaofei and Feng Shihui were, there was nothing they could do about it.
After much consideration, they could only let Song Ziyao go to the countryside first and then find a way to bring her back after a year or so.
As for the Lu family, they could only think of a way to stall them.
As for why Song Ziyao had seemingly become a different person overnight, Feng Shihui attributed the reason to outside influence.
There were people in the courtyard who disliked her. It was entirely possible that someone had whispered something into Song Ziyao’s ear.
Girls of Song Ziyao’s age tended to overthink and were emotionally sensitive. Being led astray by a few words was perfectly normal.
But just as Feng Shihui was pondering how to repair the rift between herself and Song Ziyao, Song Ziyao dug another pit for her.
The neighbors all knew that Song Ziyao was about to become a sent-down youth, and they came one after another to ask why.
Although Song Gaofei was not particularly well-liked, his rank was there. No matter what, finding work for his children was not a problem!
Those who disliked Feng Shihui immediately began gossiping.
“Was it your stepmother who forced you to go to the countryside?”
“So she finally found a chance to drive you out of the house?”
“All that kindness she usually showed you was fake, wasn’t it? Just an act?!”
Song Ziyao actually spoke up for Feng Shihui and said to everyone she met:
“I volunteered in response to the call.”
“She is a good stepmother. She’s worried that I’ll suffer in the countryside, so she’ll send me twenty yuan every month, and she’ll also mail me all the ration coupons and subsidies the factory gives me!”
When Feng Shihui heard those words, her heart nearly stopped.
Song Gaofei received a Grade Fourteen administrative salary of 102 yuan a month. Twenty yuan was mailed back to his hometown, and the remaining eighty-two yuan was handed entirely to her.
Feng Shihui did not have a job.
Those eighty-two yuan were the family’s entire income.
There were also the ration coupons. In order to take care of Song Ziyao, the factory had not only given a one-time compensation payment after the accident, but also issued her an additional five jin of grain coupons, one liang of oil coupons, one liang of sugar coupons, and two liang of meat coupons every month until she turned twenty.
For the Song family, those extra coupons were merely the icing on the cake. It would not be a major problem without them, so Feng Shihui had previously been giving those subsidies directly to her own parents’ family.
Her parents were already so old, yet every day they did the filthy and exhausting work of cleaning toilets…
Without those extra coupons, everyone’s supplies at home would be strictly rationed. How could she continue subsidizing her parents’ family?
Song Ziyao publicized it so thoroughly that everyone knew about it. Every time Feng Shihui went out, people praised her, and her reputation as a good stepmother became even more deeply rooted in people’s hearts!
But for the first time, Feng Shihui hated that reputation!
Although Song Ziyao seemed expensive to raise at home, Feng Shihui had taught her to be very sensible. Apart from her pocket money, she never asked for additional money.
Not to mention that she had now graduated from high school. Even if she did not get married, she could start working, and there would be no need to give her pocket money in the future.
But once she went to the countryside, there would be an extra expense of twenty yuan every month!
Feng Shihui suffered in silence. She wanted Song Gaofei to resolve the matter, but somehow the Party Secretary of the neighboring factory committee had heard about it and even personally praised Song Gaofei.
The factory committee secretary had been promoted by Former Factory Director Luo in the past.
Song Gaofei also stopped saying anything.
Having no other choice, Feng Shihui could only conscientiously prepare everything Song Ziyao would need for the countryside.
Meanwhile, Song Ziyao stood to the side giving instructions:
“Pack both tins of malted milk powder. No one drinks them at home anyway.”
Feng Shihui: How was there no one who drank them? She had been planning to take them back to her parents’ home.
“My dad doesn’t like canned pork. Pack all the remaining cans for me.”
Feng Shihui: Your father doesn’t like it, but Weiwei and Shanshan do!
“How many sugar coupons are left at home? Use them all to buy white sugar and brown sugar for me. Oh, right, I like White Rabbit candy too, so buy a few packs of that as well.”
Feng Shihui finally could not hold back anymore. “What do you need so much sugar for?”
Song Ziyao raised her eyes and asked: “Am I asking for too much?”
The Song family’s front door was wide open, and since they lived on the first floor, everyone passing through the corridor could see and hear what was happening.
Seeing people already pricking up their ears to listen to the gossip, Feng Shihui quickly smiled and said: “Of course not. I’m just worried it’ll be difficult for you to carry so many things.”
After thinking about it, Song Ziyao nodded in agreement.
“That makes sense. Then I’ll take fewer things with me when I leave. As for the rest, including the thick winter quilt and padded cotton coat, you can mail them to me later.”
“I’ll buy the thermos and washbasin locally.”
“Oh, right, I remember the family hasn’t used its industrial coupons for several months. Give them all to me. The family doesn’t lack anything anyway.”
Feng Shihui: “……”
Someone outside immediately praised her again. “Little Feng, you’re such a good stepmother that no one could find a single fault with you!”
Feng Shihui let out a few dry laughs and, suppressing her frustration, followed Song Ziyao’s instructions.
Industrial coupons were issued according to salary level, one coupon for every twenty yuan of salary. Song Gaofei received five coupons a month.
The family had accumulated more than forty of them, and Song Ziyao took every single one.
Tan Jinhe had once said that what rural areas lacked most in this era were daily necessities of all kinds. Farmers had almost no way of obtaining industrial coupons.
Items such as soap and toothpaste were also difficult to buy, so she needed to take as many as possible.
The steel factory was wealthy and generous, and it also provided sent-down educated youths with some ration coupons, subsidies, and labor protection supplies.
……
When it was time to depart, Feng Shihui even tearfully accompanied Song Ziyao to the train station.
Only after the train rattled away into the distance did Feng Shihui’s expression darken at once.
Letting her go to the countryside and suffer a little was good.
Only then would she realize how well this stepmother had treated her.
When Song Ziyao eventually cried and begged to return to the city, discussing a marriage alliance with the Lu family might become even easier.