While two college sweethearts traveled from Beijing to Shangdu, and Xia Xiaolan was still en route to Yangcheng, Xia Ziyu and Wang Jianhua had already arrived at Shangdu Railway Station with their bags in tow.

Though Shangdu’s economy lagged behind Beijing’s, its position as a major railway hub in the Central Plains region meant its station was one of the largest in the country. The station was packed with travelers making connections. Wang Jianhua carried most of their luggage, and fortunately, Xia Ziyu wasn’t the delicate type. Both looked somewhat disheveled by the time they finally pushed their way out of the station.

The scene stirred up unpleasant memories for Wang Jianhua. He had thought getting into college would mean leaving Yunan Province behind, but his ties to this place seemed unbreakable. Being sent down to the countryside wasn’t exactly a fond memory, though his previous assignment had been even worse than Dahe Village. He had managed to get his assignment changed through considerable effort.

“Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep your parents waiting.”

They planned to stay at Zhang’s Restaurant in the county town before heading to Dahe Village in a few days.

The county town was clean and orderly, unlike the impoverished Dahe Village which Xia Ziyu found distasteful. She wanted Wang Jianhua to see the hardships of running the restaurant. Although she had been spending money on Wang’s family, she didn’t want them to think that getting money from the Xia family was easy!

Xia Ziyu deliberately didn’t ask her family to meet them at the station, opting instead to take a bus to Anqing County with Wang Jianhua. The county high school was already on break, and with Huang’s Fast Food taking away some business, Zhang’s Restaurant was genuinely quiet without any need for pretense.

Xia Hongxia was the first to spot them, looking around anxiously.

“Aunt! Uncle! Sister Ziyu is back!” Hongxia exclaimed excitedly, running over to take the bags from Xia Ziyu’s hands. Xia Ziyu smiled, “Hongxia, you’ve grown prettier in these six months!”

Hongxia beamed with joy and called Wang Jianhua “Brother-in-law.”

Wang Jianhua merely nodded.

He barely knew Xia Hongxia, having had little interaction with her in Dahe Village. Of course, his relationship with Xia Ziyu’s other sister was an entirely different matter.

Zhang Cui and Xia Changzheng came out as well. Wang Jianhua addressed them as Uncle and Aunt, while Zhang Cui couldn’t hide her smile.

“Ziyu, why did you let Jianhua buy so many things? You’re being thoughtless!”

Wang Jianhua spoke up before Xia Ziyu could respond: “Aunt, it’s what I should do.”

Zhang Cui was very pleased.

When they first got together, Wang Jianhua had been somewhat reluctant, distant, and cold not just toward her but even toward Xia Ziyu. After half a year of university together, even a heart of stone would have been warmed by Xia Ziyu.

Wang Jianhua’s considerate treatment of Xia Ziyu made her happy as well.

Jiang Lianxiang envied Wang Jianhua’s tall, handsome appearance tremendously, secretly telling her husband Zhang Manfu: “Our niece is fortunate.”

Zhang Manfu agreed – of course, his niece would be fortunate!

Wang Jianhua surveyed the two storefronts. They were kept meticulously clean, with spotless tables and chairs. The walls displayed menus and price lists written in calligraphy which was Xia Ziyu’s work.

Xia Ziyu blushed, “Your handwriting is much better.”

Although she had studied hard since middle school, there were some fundamental skills she couldn’t make up for quickly. While Wang Jianhua had endured his worst times doing farm work in Dahe Village, he came from a prestigious background and had received careful education from childhood. He could not only write beautiful calligraphy but also paint.

Xia Ziyu felt insecure about her lack of such refined skills, especially since many university classmates were multi-talented. She was rather sensitive about it.

Wang Jianhua smiled and deftly changed the subject:

“I’ll write a new set for the restaurant if Uncle and Aunt don’t mind me wasting paper and ink.”

How could they mind?

He was their future son-in-law.

Xia Ziyu had said Wang Jianhua would achieve great things, and signs of this were already showing. They had gotten into the same university, but his performance there was even better than Xia Ziyu’s.

The mother-in-law couldn’t get enough of looking at such a son-in-law.

It took Xia Ziyu’s reminder for Zhang Cui to suddenly realize, “Oh my, where are my manners? You must be tired from the train journey. Come rest in the back, and I’ll make you something to eat.”

Behind the storefront was a courtyard where all five staff members lived.

There were only four rooms, so Xia Ziyu had to share a bed with Xia Hongxia, while another room was given to Wang Jianhua. Zhang Cui and her husband valued this son-in-law highly. Not only was the room spotlessly clean, but the quilt was also made with this year’s fresh cotton. Although winters in Yunan Province often brought snow, they didn’t use heated kang beds like in the Northeast. Whether in cities or villages, people slept on regular beds. Zhang Cui had preheated the room with a stove and even placed two hot water bottles on the bedding.

Wang Jianhua had only intended to lie down briefly, but the warm, soft bedding lulled him to sleep.

While Xia Hongxia chatted excitedly with Xia Ziyu, asking endless questions, Zhang Cui brought in two bowls of noodles. “Have something to eat first. Where’s Jianhua?”

Xia Ziyu glanced at the room, “He’s asleep. I’ll go eat first.”

Zhang Cui looked at the other bowl of hand-pulled noodles topped with a fried egg. Knowing the noodles would get soggy, and seeing that Xia Ziyu had already handed her bowl to Xia Hongxia, she said, “Hongxia, you eat first.”

“Sister always thinks of me!”

Hongxia was delighted.

Zhang Cui suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Although Hongxia wasn’t paid for working in the restaurant, she was well-fed with three meals a day. The lazy girl seemed like a starving ghost reincarnated – she barely did any work, but she’d gained weight since coming to Anqing County.

A bowl of noodles was enough to divert Hongxia’s attention, giving Xia Ziyu a break from the constant questions.

After finishing her noodles and seeing that Wang Jianhua was still asleep, Xia Ziyu told Zhang Cui she wanted to go out for a while.

“Many things were too far to bring from Beijing, so I’ll buy some more here in town.”

Hongxia wanted to go along, but Zhang Cui kept her at the restaurant.

After walking about ten meters, Xia Ziyu’s first question was about Xia Xiaolan.

“The telegram wasn’t very clear. Mom, tell me the details.”

Where to begin?

Zhang Cui didn’t understand how Liu Fen got the courage to divorce, but since she had severed ties with the Xia family, Zhang Cui couldn’t meddle anymore.

“Liu Fen’s village head from her maiden home was very assertive, not only supporting her divorce but also saying they would allocate farmland and a housing plot to Liu Fen and her daughters.”

Though Zhang Cui had lived in town for several years and the restaurant business was decent, her mindset hadn’t changed. Farmers needed land and housing. While the city was good for making money, none of the buildings there belonged to her. She might look down on the land and houses in Dahe Village, but they were her security.

Xia Ziyu thought they were quite lucky.

However, getting some land and housing in the village wasn’t much. The further Xia Xiaolan moved away, the better, to avoid any encounters with Wang Jianhua.

She then asked about Zhang Erlai, but Zhang Cui didn’t know much except that he’d been caught embezzling public funds during a crackdown and sentenced to life imprisonment. Xia Ziyu nodded while bringing up Huang’s Fast Food’s competition with Zhang’s Restaurant:

“I noticed business isn’t as good as before. This kind of competition is inevitable – people are envious that we’re making money, and there might be more restaurants opening near the county high school… Still, Zhang’s should be able to make several thousand yuan a year.”

Xia Ziyu glanced at her mother, “I’ve told you before, I might need a large sum of money at some point – maybe a few thousand, maybe over ten thousand. I won’t compete with my brother for Zhang’s, but when I need this money, it must be ready!”

Zhang Cui looked somewhat sheepish:

“Mom understands.”

Several thousand or over ten thousand – how many bowls of noodles would that take?

Zhang Cui didn’t know what Xia Ziyu needed so much money for, and it pained her. The couple had left their 10-year-old son in the countryside to focus on making money. With their daughter doing well, they hoped their son would do even better, planning to bring Xia Junbao to study in Anqing County next year.

That would be another significant expense.

Zhang Cui changed the subject, mentioning that Xia Xiaolan was now in her third year at the county high school:

“I don’t know how she managed to cheat her way in…”

Xia Ziyu felt her ears ringing and her heart racing – how could her mother leave such an important matter until last? What was the point of talking about Liu Fen’s divorce and land allocation when this was the real issue?