The future that Xiao Lan described was so appealing that Liu Fen couldn’t help but want to believe it, even though she dared not fully trust it.

Life in the countryside was truly difficult. Although farmers’ lives had improved since the household responsibility system compared to the 1960s and 70s, they were still far from the modest comfort of having “upstairs and downstairs, electricity and telephones.” Especially in the rural areas of Anqing County, which, unlike the coastal regions, had neither cash crops nor many township enterprises. Liu Fen didn’t understand how to analyze the entire region’s economic situation – she only needed to look at Dahe Village, Qijing Village, and how people around them lived to see what kind of future awaited Xia Xiao Lan if she stayed in the countryside. The outlook was painfully clear.

Given Xia Xiao Lan’s tarnished reputation, Liu Fen didn’t dare imagine what kind of decent match she could find.

But Xia Xiao Lan’s words gave Liu Fen hope – no wonder she and Liu Yong were siblings, they thought alike. If they moved far away, wouldn’t that mean no one would know about Xia Xiao Lan’s bad reputation?

Her daughter was so capable – without the burden of her reputation, why couldn’t she find a good match?

Liu Fen felt a great weight lift from her heart. She didn’t even have time to think about the Xia family’s affairs anymore or what to do if Xia Da Jun came. She wouldn’t go back. The Xia family hadn’t divided their household yet, so no matter how much work she did, any money earned would have to be handed over and would end up going to Xia Zi Yu. Liu Fen knew she wasn’t particularly capable, but Xia Xiao Lan was working so hard running the business by herself – if she could help even a little, that would mean less work for Xia Xiao Lan.

In the countryside, girls usually married at eighteen or nineteen, but she’d heard that city girls waited until after they were twenty to marry.

For someone with a proper job, marrying in their twenties wouldn’t be too late.

Liu Fen was full of energy. After eating, she took the initiative to walk around the village to see which households had eggs to sell or if anyone had caught loaches. She wanted to save enough money to buy a house in the city quickly, so as not to delay Xia Xiao Lan’s future!

“Your mother has finally come alive,” Liu Yong remarked.

Liu Yong himself had matured late, being rather wild in his youth, and hadn’t taught Liu Fen well. Now that Liu Fen had pulled herself together and wanted to make a better life, actively participating in Xia Xiao Lan’s business, Liu Yong couldn’t be happier.

Xia Xiao Lan told them about her trip to Shangdu City that day.

Of course, she didn’t mention going with Zhou Cheng.

She only said that Shangdu City had a larger population and better economic foundation than Anqing County and that anyone willing to work hard or with skill could easily develop there. This made Liu Yong very interested. “The Liu family originally came to Qijing Village as refugees anyway. This isn’t our ancestral home, so it doesn’t matter where we live. If I could help your cousin get urban household registration, any hardship would be worth it.”

Liu Yong thought for a moment and said he needed to go out on a trip soon.

Xia Xiao Lan guessed he was going to look for money – she wouldn’t believe for a second now that her uncle was just a mason.

So what did her uncle do?

Xia Xiao Lan was extremely curious.

However, before leaving, Liu Yong worried about the mother and daughter, fearing the Xia family might come to cause trouble again.

“And those three hooligans – the way they targeted you doesn’t seem simple. No, I need to wait until these three are sentenced before I leave.”

Xia Xiao Lan was curious about this too.

She felt that the thread was becoming visible, about to connect everything.

The next day, Xia Xiao Lan didn’t go into the city. She spent the whole day traveling around the neighboring villages, collecting more loaches and eggs.

On the third day, she went to the usual spot at the crossroads and met Zhou Cheng again.

However, Zhou Cheng wasn’t alone today – he and Kang Wei were waiting there in a Dongfeng truck.

“Are you leaving now?”

Kang Wei seemed quite embarrassed – he had previously misunderstood Xia Xiao Lan as a woman of loose morals, and his attitude toward her had been extremely inconsistent. The young man couldn’t get past his awkwardness, making him particularly uncomfortable around Xia Xiao Lan.

Ah, he felt bad about those pickled radish and pork dumplings she had brought!

Zhou Cheng jumped down from the truck, “Yes, Beijing sent a telegram – we’ve stayed in Anqing County quite a while, and now we must return. But don’t worry, I’ll come back.”

Xia Xiao Lan felt quite embarrassed being flirted with by this young man.

Being with Zhou Cheng wasn’t unpleasant – his way of dealing with people quite suited Xia Xiao Lan’s taste.

He said so seriously that he would come back, but what was there in Anqing County that could attract Zhou Cheng?

Xia Xiao Lan thought, well, let things develop naturally. She didn’t have time to consider personal relationships right now anyway, and she didn’t dislike Zhou Cheng.

“Then be careful on your journey, drive safely, and I’ll host you again when you return to Anqing County.”

Xia Xiao Lan spoke generously, and Zhou Cheng smiled slightly: “Just wait – next time I come to Anqing, I’ll bring you something nice.”

He didn’t give Xia Xiao Lan a chance to refuse, jumping back into the truck and waving to her. The Dongfeng truck started up with a rumble, and Kang Wei stuck half his upper body out the window, grinning:

“Goodbye, Sister-in-law!”

If Miss Xia hadn’t been so worldly, she would have blushed bright red.

The Dongfeng truck headed in the other direction, preparing to leave Anqing County and return to Beijing.

Watching through the rearview mirror as Xia Xiao Lan stood there for a while before cycling toward the county town, Kang Wei didn’t understand: “Brother Cheng, why didn’t you tell Sister-in-law that you took care of Zhang Er Lai who was spreading rumors about her?”

Doing good deeds without leaving a name, and being separated by such distance – what if someone else pursued Xia Xiao Lan? In Kang Wei’s opinion, this kind of thing should be told to Xia Xiao Lan immediately to gain the beauty’s favor. Besides, Kang Wei and Zhou Cheng were originally supposed to leave yesterday, but Zhou Cheng had waited half a day at the county town entrance, and when Xia Xiao Lan didn’t come into town, Zhou Cheng delayed their departure until this morning.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Zhou Cheng asked in return. Aren’t men supposed to solve problems quietly? Only the immature like to show off. Zhou Cheng also didn’t want Xia Xiao Lan to think about unpleasant things again, so he didn’t think about taking credit.

Kang Wei shook his head, “Hehe, those girls are too troublesome. If I were to find a girlfriend today, my grandmother would send me to the civil affairs bureau tomorrow – thankfully the country changed the marriage law, so I can still avoid it for a few more years!”

Kang Wei was only half a year younger than Zhou Cheng, and according to the Western calendar, he was also already 20. Kang Wei was a posthumous child – his father had died in the Vietnam War, nearly blinding his grandmother from crying. Only when Kang Wei was born did the old lady find solace, treating him like the apple of her eye… and also urging him to get married quickly to continue the Kang family line.

“Isn’t it that men can marry at 20 and women at 18?”

Zhou Cheng thought about how suitable he and Xia Xiao Lan were – they had met right when he turned 20, not wasting any time. As long as Xia Xiao Lan agreed, they could marry anytime.

Pressured by his grandmother about marriage, Kang Wei might be ignorant about other laws, but he was an expert on the Marriage Law: “It was changed three years ago – men not earlier than 22, women not earlier than 20. It’s a lifesaver!”

Kang Wei was delighted, but as he laughed, he suddenly noticed the atmosphere had become a bit strange.

Hey, why did Brother Cheng seem unhappy?

Kang Wei suddenly had a bold guess – no way, they’d only known each other for a few days! Even arranged marriages didn’t move this fast!

Although he had started calling Xia Xiao Lan “Sister-in-law,” it was just to make Zhou Cheng happy. He and Brother Cheng had figured out that Xia Xiao Lan’s bad reputation was due to slander, but others didn’t know that. How could Xia Xiao Lan possibly marry smoothly into the Zhou family? Zhou Cheng was the only one getting ahead of himself.

But Kang Wei wouldn’t say this – he didn’t want to volunteer to be the bad guy!