Ning You was only seventeen. Her household registration wasn’t independent yet, so trying to sign up for going to the countryside without alerting the Ning family was nearly impossible.
The only way was to find a powerful helper.
After searching through her memories of connections, she decided the best person for this was still Uncle Chu Tianqing.
She had a bad feeling about He Meili and didn’t want to visit the Chu family directly, so she planned to find Uncle Tianqing privately instead.
Chu Tianqing was upright and trustworthy—Ning You wasn’t worried he would leak her secret.
Afraid of running into acquaintances, she waited for him in a quiet corner near the south gate of the lamp factory.
Not long after, Chu Tianqing rode out on his bicycle.
He was wearing a formal Zhongshan suit, with a very short crew cut. His back was straight, his whole presence righteous and steady.
Seeing Ning You waving at him, he stopped the bike.
“Yoyo, why are you here?”
Ning You smiled. “I have something to talk to you about. Can we find a place to chat?”
Chu Tianqing was a little surprised but nodded. “…Alright.”
They walked to a suitable place to talk.
Chu Tianqing spoke first. “What happened?”
He had been in the military before, so he was straightforward in speech and action.
Ning You didn’t beat around the bush. “I plan to go down to the countryside. I want to ask you to help me arrange it.”
“Go to the countryside?!” Chu Tianqing frowned in surprise. “Do you know how hard life there is? Once you go, it’s very difficult to come back.”
Thinking she was being forced by the Ning family, his expression darkened with concern.
“Did the Ning family bully you again?”
Looking at the girl’s thin arms and small frame, his usually stern face showed worry.
“Being a sent-down youth isn’t a good thing, especially since you’re still young. How about this—I’ll go with you to the Ning family and talk to Ning Zhongyi…”
By “talk,” he didn’t mean a gentle conversation. Ning Zhongyi would be hurting for days after.
Ning You refused. “No need. As the saying goes, it’s better to leave than to be constantly watched by thieves. Staying in that house is worse than going down to the countryside. At least I’ll be tired but free.”
Chu Tianqing sighed when he saw her stubborn expression.
In the end, he compromised. “How do you want me to help?”
“I want you to help cover up my going to the countryside,” Ning You said.
Ning Zhongyi was ruthless, and the Ning family had strong connections in the city. If they wanted to stop her, it would be easy.
She needed to leave before they reacted, to avoid complications.
“Just that?” Chu Tianqing was surprised. “Where are you planning to go?”
Ning You replied, “I’m going to my grandparents’ place.”
First, she needed to find “Dandan.” After that, she would also investigate her maternal grandfather’s whereabouts.
She knew the original Ning You had always worried about her maternal grandfather. Since she had taken over this body and had some unusual opportunities, she couldn’t just ignore such a kind old man.
Chu Tianqing relaxed slightly. That place was at least safe—there would be people to look after her.
He had heard from Wen Ya about the Ning family in the countryside; they were said to be kind people.
“If you’ve decided, then go. I’ll cover your tracks. No one will know where you’ve gone.”
“I trust your word,” Ning You said with a smile. “Then I’ll trouble you.”
Chu Tianqing asked, “When do you want to leave? I’ll buy the ticket…”
“The sooner, the better!”
“Alright. I’ll arrange it.”
He agreed immediately.
Ning You could sense the man’s guilt toward her and her mother’s family. Thinking she might not see him again after going down to the countryside, she added a few words.
“Uncle Tianqing, you’re a hero. I admire you. You don’t owe anyone anything. I believe my grandfather would think the same. The past is the past—let’s all live well in the future.”
The girl’s voice was soft and clear, her expression sincere.
Chu Tianqing froze for a moment, a faint smile appearing on his usually stern face.
“You’re very much like your mother.”
“What kind of person… was my mother?” Ning You suddenly wanted to know.
It seemed that aside from the Ning family, everyone else spoke well of her.
Chu Tianqing’s mind drifted to a figure—gentle, elegant, born a young lady but with a soft and kind heart.
Just thinking of her brought warmth to people’s hearts.
“…She was someone who perfectly embodied gentleness like water,” he said.
Feeling his words carried too much emotion, he quickly coughed and added, “Your mother was a very good person. If she were still here, you would have grown up very happily.”
Ning You smiled faintly. “Mm.”
People leaving work began to increase, and seeing the time was late, they parted ways.
Chu Tianqing returned home later than usual.
While washing his hands, He Yu casually asked, “Why are you back so late today?”
“I ran into Yoyo on the way,” Chu Tianqing replied. “We talked for a bit.”
He Yu paused slightly, then asked casually, “Is that so? She came to see you on purpose? What did she say?”
The Chu and Ning families were in completely different directions.
“Just casual talk, nothing important,” Chu Tianqing said calmly.
He didn’t reveal a single extra word.
He Yu glanced at him but didn’t notice anything unusual, so she didn’t think much of it.
After dinner, Chu Tianqing suddenly asked, “Where’s the passbook?”
“What suddenly made you ask about savings?” He Yu was surprised.
“I need it,” he said.
Knowing his wife valued money after her hardship on the island, he didn’t explain further.
He Yu assumed he needed it for some official arrangements. “I’ll go get it.”
“Mm.”
Meanwhile, He Meili, after discussing things with Ning Zhongyi, managed to connect with the wife of the factory director of the turbine factory.
The director’s wife was named Zhang Dan. To take care of her intellectually disabled only son, she didn’t work and stayed at home full-time.
When she heard that He Meili had come to visit, a rare smile appeared on her usually gloomy face.
Even if her son wasn’t normal, plenty of people still wanted to marry into their family.
When He Meili arrived at the Guan household and glanced around the house—black-and-white TV, radio, sewing machine—all present, her heart sank slightly.
The Guan family was really rich.
If it weren’t for the fact that the young man had mental issues, she would definitely have secured this match for Ning Hong instead. What a pity…
It would all go to that little wretch Ning You.
But thinking of the rumors about the Guan family’s son, she felt a bit better.
Zhang Dan, unaware of He Meili’s malicious thoughts, sat on the sofa without moving and looked at her condescendingly.
“I’ve heard everything your matchmaker said. But are you sure you can make decisions for your stepdaughter?”
She didn’t know He Meili before this.
After hearing about the marriage proposal, she had someone investigate the Ning family.
She was fairly satisfied with Ning You—good looks, a high school student. Although her biological mother was from a capitalist family, Wen Ya had been dead for years, so that flaw didn’t matter much anymore.