Inside the room, First Sister-in-law Qi’s voice was clearly trembling with panic.
From what she said, it sounded like Eldest Brother and Father Qi had both been suspended from work and sent home to await further notice.
Qi Ziyue had previously warned her eldest brother that the family might face danger. She had also mentioned the worsening political climate and hinted that the next group to be sent down might very well be their family. But because the Lin family had been pulling strings behind the scenes, the Qi family still carried a sense of luck and hope.
At the moment, Jiang University was apparently about to suspend classes entirely. Naturally, professors and teachers would be heavily affected. Some people had already been sent away. So far, no official document had arrived stating that the Qi family would be sent down, but what the final outcome would be was impossible to predict.
First Sister-in-law was so anxious that sweat covered her forehead. She looked like an ant on a hot pan.
“Little Sister, if our family really gets implicated… will the whole family be sent down together?”
Qi Ziyue poured her a cup of tea.
Only after First Sister-in-law drank some tea and calmed down slightly did Qi Ziyue reply, “In theory, yes.”
“Then what about Haohao and Ruirui? Adults can endure suffering, but…”
She could accept adults suffering a little hardship, but children had grown up in the city their entire lives. Suddenly throwing them into a harsh environment—who knew what would happen in the future?
Qi Ziyue fell silent for a moment before asking, “Where are Brother and Dad right now?”
“I don’t know either. A coworker was the one who told me.”
First Sister-in-law worked in a workshop at a state-owned textile factory, so she naturally had her own sources of information.
If something really happened, then logically she would have to divorce her husband quickly and separate herself from the Qi family as soon as possible.
But words were one thing. After all, they were husband and wife. How could she cleanly sever ties that fast? No one would believe it anyway.
“First Sister-in-law, don’t panic. Since they haven’t immediately been sent down, it means things haven’t reached the worst stage yet. Once Dad and Eldest Brother come back, my suggestion is for them to donate part of the family assets, make their stance clear, and then actively request transfer to a decent farm as technical advisors. That’s still far better than being sent to a cowshed.”
First Sister-in-law’s voice trembled.
“D-donate family assets?”
Qi Ziyue nodded.
She didn’t explain too deeply, only hinted at it. But once she said those words, the Qi family would know what to do.
The dangerous part about the Qi family wasn’t just Father Qi. Eldest Brother and many members of the family were deeply involved in education. They were a genuine family of scholars and educators.
On top of that, Mother Qi’s natal family had once been extremely wealthy landlords.
With backgrounds like that, if the authorities didn’t target the Qi family, who else would they target?
What Qi Ziyue meant was for the family to voluntarily hand over part of their assets in exchange for protection. Ideally, they should seek protection through military-related channels, which currently seemed the safest route.
As for the remaining property, Qi Ziyue actually leaned toward allowing the state to confiscate it directly. After all, once they were rehabilitated in the future, most of those assets would eventually be returned anyway. At the same time, it would clearly demonstrate their political attitude and buy safety.
Overall, it was a worthwhile trade.
“Whether it works or not, we’ll still need to discuss it once your brother and father return,” First Sister-in-law said uneasily.
After speaking, she stood up to leave.
Qi Ziyue handed her a tin of chrysanthemum tea and added, “First Sister-in-law, from now on, we also need to pay attention to the food in our house. Anything that shouldn’t appear should be hidden away. Jewelry, paintings, calligraphy—all of that absolutely needs to be concealed. If you trust me, you can sell them to me directly or let me keep them for you.”
First Sister-in-law froze.
“But those things are dangerous now. How would you keep them safe?”
Qi Ziyue casually lied, “Didn’t Second Sister-in-law say Big Brother Lin admires me? I’ve remembered a few things too. When the time comes, I’ll ask him for help.”
First Sister-in-law paused at that line of thinking before finally saying, “If you want some, I can just give you a little later. Dad and Mom will probably sort out quite a few things too. Those items are dangerous outside. If our family decides to donate things, we’ll definitely hand them over together. We can leave a small portion for you.”
Qi Ziyue pressed a hand against her forehead.
Why was this woman so honest?
“First Sister-in-law, when you speak to Brother and Dad later, tell them to donate about one-third first. And especially donate through military-related channels. It can be considered contributing to national defense. As for houses and courtyards, they can donate some too. Let the state take over the rest.”
First Sister-in-law didn’t understand.
Why seek military connections instead of directly finding help through the Revolutionary Committee?
She thought so, and asked so directly.
How could Qi Ziyue explain that once this political movement ended, many members of the Revolutionary Committee who had oppressed ordinary people would suffer miserable fates in the future?
After thinking for a moment, she simply said, “You only need to tell Brother that it counts as contributing to military funding and national construction. The Revolutionary Committee won’t always remain as powerful as it is now.”
“Also,” Qi Ziyue continued, “when asking for protection, don’t make excessive demands. Keep it simple. The best arrangement would be somewhere that needs scientific research, agricultural guidance, or engineering expertise. Places that match Dad and Brother’s professional fields—rural farms or industrial regions needing technical support. If they’re transferred there to assist with construction and development, they can safely endure this period.”
First Sister-in-law didn’t fully understand everything, but at least she had attended a year of high school. Relaying the message wouldn’t be a problem.
She grabbed Qi Ziyue’s hand and asked softly, “Then what about you, Little Sister?”
Qi Ziyue smiled and pointed at herself.
“I’m going to the countryside to participate in revolutionary construction—to the places where the motherland needs us.”
In other words, she was becoming a sent-down youth.
First Sister-in-law thought to herself that her husband and father-in-law had always been unwilling to let Little Sister suffer in the countryside, which was why they had repeatedly opposed her becoming a sent-down youth.
But now… there was no way to stop her anymore.
After some thought, she sighed and said, “You could still marry Deputy Director Lin. Before, I thought your reasoning made sense. But now… Sister-in-law hopes you can at least secure a future for yourself.”
Qi Ziyue: ?
She honestly didn’t know what to say.
Apparently, in the face of major family survival, even First Sister-in-law no longer cared about fighting with Second Sister-in-law.
Qi Ziyue only repeated that she still wanted to become a sent-down youth.
First Sister-in-law sighed and left.
But just as she reached the doorway, she suddenly remembered something important.
She turned around and asked, “Little Sister, when you said earlier that we only need to get through this period… what exactly did you mean?”
Qi Ziyue replied calmly, “It means all of this is temporary.”
First Sister-in-law didn’t really believe that.
Still, having some hope was better than none.
So after returning to her courtyard, she immediately began carefully sorting and packing things.
Not long afterward, she heard that her husband and father-in-law had returned home, so she hurriedly dragged her husband into their room to discuss matters.
Inside the room, after listening to everything his wife said—and hearing that all of it came from Little Sister—Eldest Brother finally believed that his sister truly was no longer foolish or insane.
After some thought, he asked, “Little Sister really doesn’t want to marry into the Lin family?”
First Sister-in-law looked puzzled too.
“Yes. She said she wants to go to the countryside as a sent-down youth.”
“If she doesn’t want to marry, then forget it.”
After a pause, Eldest Brother continued, “Go ask whether she has somewhere specific she wants to be assigned. In a couple of days, I’ll help arrange her transfer location. Did she mention where she wants to go? Or should we arrange somewhere closer to home?”
First Sister-in-law couldn’t answer clearly.
So Eldest Brother told her, “Go ask. If Little Sister has special requests, then after Dad gets An’an’s household registration sorted out, we’ll arrange a good place for her.”
First Sister-in-law asked what he himself planned to do.
Eldest Brother only replied that he needed to discuss the family’s future with Father Qi.
She told him that once he returned, they should both go speak with Little Sister together.
Then Eldest Brother headed toward the main courtyard.
Inside the main courtyard, Eldest Brother explained to Father Qi the proposal about donating part of the family assets and actively requesting reassignment to local construction support work.
Old Master Qi only thought quietly for a moment before deciding to follow that plan.
In the end, he even praised his eldest son for being calm, steady, and broad-minded.
“Dad,” Eldest Brother said, “these ideas all came from Little Sister. I’d thought of something similar, but not nearly this thoroughly.”
“Yueyue?”
Old Master Qi also found it strange.
His youngest daughter had been insane for years, yet now that she had recovered, she had suddenly become so intelligent.
For the first time, Old Master Qi truly began taking his youngest daughter seriously.
He even gave up the idea of sending her back to a mental hospital.
Originally, he had still wanted to find another marriage candidate for her so she could stay in the city.
But after hearing all this…
Forget it.
His daughter had clearly thought everything through. If he forced her into something she didn’t want, who knew what kind of trouble she might cause for the family later?
After a long silence, he finally relented.
“Then we’ll do it this way.”
Eldest Brother immediately asked, “Then what about An’an’s household registration?”
“Register it.”
The moment Old Master Qi said those words, he seemed to age over ten years instantly.
He had been proud and strong his entire life, yet he had stumbled so badly over matters involving his children.
Eldest Brother continued, “Then whose household should An’an be registered under?”
“Put him under yours.”
Just as Eldest Brother asked the question, Second Brother hurried into the room and happened to hear Father Qi saying An’an should first be registered under Eldest Brother’s household.
“Dad, if Little Sister hears that, she’ll definitely fall out with you.”
These past few days, Qi Ziyun had been thoroughly frightened by all of his little sister’s warnings.
Originally, he hadn’t believed a single word about her “dream.”
But recent events had become far too eerie.
He now felt they should listen to Little Sister more carefully.
Old Master Qi looked ready to make the final decision.
Eldest Brother paused briefly before telling Second Brother to go call Little Sister over.
Meanwhile, in the western side room of the back courtyard, Qi Ziyue was organizing her money, ration coupons, and food booklets while also deciding where she should go.
There was no way she could safely stay here anymore.
She had to leave.
The family crisis had truly arrived.
Combined with the dangerous political climate outside, it was safer to go down to the countryside for a few years first.
As for where to go, she had two choices.
The first option was Yangcheng, Dongcheng, or Pengcheng in the south. Those areas would become the earliest centers of reform and opening-up in the future. Once economic reforms began, it would become an excellent environment for children wanting to do business.
The second option was Xiangbei Province, the hometown region of the novel’s little male protagonist.
Development there would be slower after reform and opening-up, but it had one major advantage:
Safety.
The Qiaoxi Commune in Xiangbei County was somewhat similar to modern-day Xiangyang in Hubei Province.
In the original story, the little male protagonist’s uncle served as brigade leader there. As part of the protagonist’s faction, he was famously upright and incorruptible. Because of his military background, he had also taken particularly good care of professors and experts who were sent down there during the movement.
With that kind of protection, both educated youths and intellectuals had safely survived the political turmoil there.
Qi Ziyue had already hinted to her family about this before.
Now she planned to fully operate behind the scenes and see whether she could successfully arrange a transfer to Qiaoxi Commune.
Of course, everyone in the family had different opinions.
Compared to Jiangcheng, Qiaoxi Commune lagged behind enormously in development.
She couldn’t force her own ideas onto others.
Still, by donating property in advance and seeking protection, the family’s future at least wouldn’t turn out too badly.
After thinking carefully, Qi Ziyue finally decided that safety mattered most.
So she chose Qiaoxi Commune.
As for searching for the little bean sprout’s biological father?
She had never even considered it.
After all, with his current identity and political situation, even the little male protagonist’s family had struggled to save him. Nobody even knew where he had been sent down.
Qi Ziyue quietly packed away the original owner’s paintings, review notes, jewelry, and accessories given by Mother Qi into her space.
Every valuable item within sight was stored away.
That way, even if someone later came to investigate, the family would appear to own nothing of value anymore. Combined with dressing plainly, they might avoid disaster altogether.
Still, she couldn’t empty everything completely.
She deliberately left behind a large wooden chest and a huge woven sack. Once a few ordinary items were thrown inside, there would be no obvious suspicion.
She had only just packed several synthetic shirts when Second Brother called her from outside.
He shouted that Father Qi had agreed to register An’an’s household registration and asked whether it should be placed under Eldest Brother’s household.
Qi Ziyue instantly stood up and shoved the door open.
“Who said it’s going under Eldest Brother’s household?”
Second Brother waved his hand helplessly.
“Dad did.”
Qi Ziyue: ?
Now she truly couldn’t stay seated.
She quickly went inside, left some dried fish and small bread snacks for the little bean sprout, instructed him to continue playing chess properly, then hurried after Second Brother toward the main courtyard.
After an intense struggle and negotiation, Father Qi finally gave in.
In the end, Qi Ning’an was registered under Qi Ziyue’s household as her adopted son.
After more effort, she also managed to convince Eldest Brother to help her register as an educated youth assigned to Qiaoxi Commune in Xiangbei.
A few days later, once Qi Ning’an’s household registration was finalized, the Qi family donated two-thirds of their assets.
Only then did higher authorities finally approve Eldest Brother’s request to transfer as a technical expert for construction guidance work.
As for where exactly he would be sent, that still hadn’t been decided.
Then, after the New Year at the end of 1972 passed, the introduction letter Qi Ziyue needed—and her transfer documents to Qiaoxi Commune—were finally approved together.
At last, she and the little bean sprout were truly about to head to the countryside as educated youths.
Before leaving, Qi Ziyue thought to herself:
She and the little bean sprout probably wouldn’t meet the child’s father anyway.
After all, nobody even knew where the little bean sprout’s father had been sent down.
Yet sometimes life was simply that coincidental.
Perhaps this was exactly what people meant by “truth is stranger than fiction.”
Of course, that was a story for later.
…
After the Spring Festival of 1973, Qi Ziyue finally boarded the southbound journey under the escort of her family, holding the little bean sprout’s hand while carrying a huge bundle on her back.
Mother Qi, Eldest Brother, and Second Brother personally escorted her onto the train for sent-down youths.
Mother Qi repeatedly reminded her over and over again that if she truly couldn’t endure the hardship, she should come back early. The family would find her a job and settle her down somehow.
Qi Ziyue waved her hand and told her brothers to take Mother Qi home first.
“Mom, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, go back. I understand.”
Outside, a light rain had begun to fall.
Afraid Mother Qi couldn’t withstand the cold, Eldest Brother left first to escort her home.
After he left, Second Brother secretly pulled Qi Ziyue aside into a hidden corner and stuffed another package into her hands before immediately running away.
When Qi Ziyue opened it, she nearly died of shock.
It was full of jewelry and valuables.
Fortunately, she had her storage space, so she immediately threw everything inside.
Just as Qi Ziyue finished preparing everything and stepped out holding An’an’s hand, she suddenly ran into a tall, thin man standing on the steps in the distance.
Looking at her, he called out softly:
“Yueyue, I heard you’re going to become a sent-down youth. I came to see you off.”